Dendrimer additives incorporated in thermoplastic resins (such as polycarbonate resins) are effective to alter the surface characteristics of the thermoplastic resin. Such compositions can be injection molded to produce articles in which the dendrimer additive is concentrated at the surface of the article to alter the properties of the resin. By selection of the type of dendrimer additive, the resulting characteristics of the molded article may be controlled.

This application relates to the use of dendrimers as a component of thermoplastic resin compositions, such as polycarbonates, to achieve desirable surface properties in molded articles.
Polycarbonate is widely used as an engineering thermoplastic owing to its unique combination of toughness, stiffness, high softening-temperature and processability. However, molded articles formed from polycarbonates have several limitations such as low scratch, abrasion and chemical resistance and susceptibility to UV degradation. To counter these limitations, coating have been applied to the surface of the molded article. For example, scratch resistant coatings applied to molded polycarbonate allows it to be used as optical and headlamp lenses. UV-protective coatings allow polycarbonate to be used in exterior applications. Coatings are also applied for decorative and aesthetic purposes. For example, molded polycarbonate articles can be coated to look like chrome, wood, painted metal and the like. Such coated articles can have a soft, luxurious feel, and provide reduced glare. One the other hand, coating are typically applied in a separate step, which reduces productivity and adds to the cost of the product. Moreover, most coating are applied by a solvent evaporation technique which creates solvent emissions and requires a solvent recovery system. This further adds to the cost of manufacturing.
The alternative to applying a coating to a molded article is to incorporate an additive within the bulk of the polycarbonate resin that provides the desired functional characteristics. For example, siloxane copolymers may be added to improve chemical resistance, while antistatic agents are added to minimize static charge build-up. Conductive carbon black has been utilized as an additive to facilitate electrostatic painting of the molded article. Unfortunately, while these additives are beneficial in the specific property for which they are added, they usually alter other material properties in an undesirable fashion. In particular, such additives frequently make the polycarbonate more brittle, and more susceptible to molding defects. In addition, they may be associated with a reduction in low-temperature ductility, softening temperature, modulus and increased plate-out.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,808 describes a method for making surface-modified articles using small amounts of an additive which is incompatible with the bulk polymer. The additive is dispersed within the bulk polymer as discrete droplets, and because of its incompatibility is driven to the surface in the injection molding apparatus. It has been reported, however, that adding incompatible additives to a polymer resin tends to result in delamination in injection molded articles. (Bucknall, C. B., Toughened Plastics, Applied Science, London (1977). Moreover, the addition of incompatible additives tends to reduce physical properties of the final molded article.
Thus, there remains room for improvement in the production of molded articles with desirable surface properties.
The present invention provides compositions comprising:
(a) a thermoplastic resin; and
(b) a dendrimer additive in an amount effective to alter the surface characteristics of the thermoplastic resin. These compositions can be injection molded to produce articles in which the dendrimer additive is concentrated at the surface of the article to alter the properties of the resin. By selection of the type of dendrimer additive, the resulting characteristics of the molded article may be controlled.

Use of dendrimers as a processing aid and surface modifier for thermoplastic resins


Novel polyimide copolymer, which is a copolymer of isopropylidene-bis-(4-phenyleneoxy-4-phthalic acid)dianhydride and 6-amino-2-(p-aminophenyl)benzimidazole or a copolymer of two kinds of tetracarboxylic acid dianhydrides consisting of isopropylidene-bis-(4-phenyleneoxy-4-phthalic acid)dianhydride and 3,3xe2x80x2,4,4xe2x80x2-benxophenonetetracarboxylic acid dianhydride and 6-amino-2-(p-aminophenyl)benzimidazole, can form a metal laminate by direct lamination with metallic foils. The metal laminate can fully satisfy the peel strength.

The present invention relates to a novel polyimide copolymer and a metal laminate using the same and more particularly to a novel polyimide copolymer effective for use preferably in bonding with metallic foils and a metal laminate using the same.
Heretofore, metal laminates such as flexible wiring boards, etc. have been prepared by bonding metallic foils such as copper foils, etc. to aromatic polyimide films, using an adhesive of epoxy resin, urethane resin, etc. However, flexible wiring boards prepared by using such an adhesive have suffered from various problems due to the adhesive used, such as peeling of the adhesive layer due to high temperatures in the soldering step or use in high temperature circumstances, smear generation in the drilling step, etc.
To overcome such problems, it would be better to conduct direct lamination of aromatic polyimide and metallic foils without use of the adhesive layer, but the peel strength of the most of the resulting metal laminates has not been satisfied yet.
An object of the present invention is to provide an aromatic polyimide capable of forming a metal laminate by direct lamination with metallic foils and fully satisfy the peel strength of metal laminates thus formed.
Such an object of the present invention can be attained by a novel polyimide, which is a copolymer of isopropylidene-bis-(4-phenyleneoxy-4-phthalic acid)dianhydride and 6-amino-2-(p-aminophenyl)benzimidazole or a copolymer of two kinds of tetracarboxylic acid dianhydrides consisting of isopropylidene-bis-(4-phenyleneoxy-4-phthalic acid)dianhydride and 3,3xe2x80x2,4,4xe2x80x2-benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid dianhydride and 6-amino2-(p-aminophenyl)benzimidazole.
For the tetracarboxylic acid dianhydrides of the present novel polyimide copolymers, isopropylidene-bis(4-henyleneoxy4-phthalic acid)dianhydride:
or a mixture thereof with 3,3xe2x80x2,4,4xe2x80x2-benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid dianhydride:
can be used
When component (A) and component (B) are used together, component (B) is used m a proportion of not more than about 90 mol. %, preferably not more than about 80 mol. % to tie mixture thereof with component (A). When component (B) is used in a higher proportion, the proportion of component (A) will be correspondingly not more than about 10 mol. %, and the solubility of the resulting polyimide copolymer in an organic solvent will be lowered
For diamine that reacts with these tetracarboxylic acid dianhydrides, 6-amino-2-(p-aminophenyl)benzidazole can be used.
Reaction of tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride with diamine is carried out even in an aprotic polar solvent such as dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, etc., but preferably in a polar solvent such as m-cresol, etc. Practically, a solution of diamine in a polar solvent is dropwise added to a solution of tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride in a polar solvent with stirring while keeping a temperature at about 0xc2x0-about 60xc2x0 C., and after the dropwise addition reaction is carried out with stirring at a temperature of about 0xc2x0-about 60xc2x0 C. for about 0.5-about 5 hours. It seems that polyamic acid is formed by the reaction. To complete polyimidization reaction by dehydrating cyclization reaction, heating to about 100xc2x0-about 250xc2x0 C., preferably about 150xc2x0-about 200xc2x0 C., is carried out with stirring for about 2-about 8 hours in the latter half stage of reaction. A catalyst such as benzoic acid, etc. is added to the solution of tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride and used for the reaction.
The reaction m is poured into an insoluble organic solvent such as methanol, etc. to obtain white polyimide copolymer The resulting copolymer has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of about 250xc2x0-about 330xc2x0 C. and xcex7red (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) of about 0.2-about 3.0 dl. When the copolymer is applied to lamination of metallic foils, the reaction mixture in a solution state can be directly applied to lamination of metallic foils without such separation of polyimide copolymer from the solution of polyimide copolymer as the reaction mixture.
By reaction of tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (A) with diane (C), a polyimide copolymer with the following repeat units can be obtained:
When tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (A) is used together with (B), a polyimide copolymer with the following repeat units in addition to the above-mentioned repeat units can be obtained by reaction with diamine (C):
Preparation of metal laminate using such a novel polyimide copolymer can be carried out by applying a solution of polyimide copolymer to a metallic foil, typically a copper foil by casting, etc., followed by heating in two stages, ie. a temperature of about 60xc2x0-about 200xc2x0 C., preferably about 80xc2x0-120xc2x0 C., and another temperature of about: 150xc2x0-about 200xc2x0 C., each for about 5-about 60 minutes, thereby forming a polyimide copolymer layer having a film thickness of about 3-about 75 xcexcm, i.e. forming a metal laminate with the metallic foil at one side of the copolymer layer. Another metallic foil is laid on the other side of the copolymer layer, followed by passing through and between laminate rolls heated to a temperature of about 150xc2x0-about 400xc2x0 C., preferably about 200xc2x0-350xc2x0 C. with processing, thereby easily bonding the metallic foil directed specially to the transfer to the copolymer layer, i.e. forming a two-side laminate such as copper-lined material etc.
The present invention will be described below, referring to Examples.

Polyimide copolymer and metal laminate using the same


An optical beam scanning device is configured from a deflecting unit that has a function to support a deflecting member and a light source, including an exposing semiconductor laser, a polygon mirror, a first fθ lens and a second fθ lens, and strictly regulate their position relative to each other; and a support member that has a function to support a mirror, a second cylindrical lens and a AD sensor along with the deflecting unit, and appropriately position them relative to a photoreceptor drum; and a housing that has a function to cover the outer portion of the deflecting unit and the support member, along with strengthening the support member.

The present invention relates to an optical beam scanning device that irradiates image light modulated by a signal based on image data to the surface of an image bearing member, used in an image forming apparatus such as a printer, facsimile, copy machine, or the like that performs electrophotographic image formation, and an image forming apparatus provided with this optical beam scanning device.
As an optical beam scanning device of an image forming apparatus, laser beam systems are widely used that make laser light, which has a fast modulation speed and can increase scanning speed, into image light.
In recent years, conversion of image forming apparatuses to color has been advancing, and various optical beam apparatuses for color image formation have been developed. Conventional optical beam scanning devices for color image formation have been provided one for each component color, and an optical beam scanning device must be disposed in the image forming apparatus for each color, and along with increased size of the image forming apparatus, expensive optical parts are redundantly provided, leading to increased cost.
Accordingly, as disclosed in JSP 2001-235699A and JSP 2001-281587A, technology has been proposed wherein multiple laser light sources for each component color are provided in a single optical beam scanning device. In this optical beam scanning device, mirrors for each component color are housed along with laser light sources for each component color, a single polygon mirror, and a single fθ lens in a single housing, and after the light beam emitted from each laser light source is deflected at a constant angular velocity by the single polygon mirror and deflected at a constant velocity by the single fθ lens, it is separated and dispersed toward the image bearing member for each component color via the mirror provided for each component color.
However, in the optical beam scanning devices disclosed in JSP 2001-235699A and JP 2001-281587A, the mirrors for each component color, the laser light sources, the polygon mirror, and the fθ lens are housed in a single housing, therefore leading to the problem of increased size of the apparatus.
In order to prevent the deterioration of color image quality due to the occurrence of color shift, it is necessary to strictly maintain the relative position of optical parts such as the laser light sources, polygon mirror, fθ lens, and mirrors, and their position relative to the image bearing members, and the influence of environmental conditions on the optical beam scanning device, particularly changes in temperature, must be made small.
Thus, using expensive and heavy resin material with a small coefficient of linear expansion such as BMC (Bulk Molding Compound) for the material of the housing, which is a large member that supports all of the optical parts, leads to a jump in the cost of parts and increased weight.
This sort of problem occurs not only in an optical beam scanning device used in a color image forming apparatus that forms a color image, but also in an optical beam scanning device used in an image forming apparatus that forms a monochrome image.
It is an object of this invention to provide an optical beam scanning device that can realize lower cost and weight by reducing the amount of expensive and heavy materials used as much as possible, and to provide an image forming apparatus provided with that optical beam scanning device.

Optical beam scanning device and image forming apparatus


A periodic signal is driven onto a transmission line, and the frequency of the periodic signal is varied from an initial frequency that corresponds to a quarter wave or half wave of an estimated length of the transmission line. A null or a peak in the envelope of the voltage or current wave induced on the transmission line by the periodic signal is detected at or near the end of the transmission line onto which the signal is driven. The frequency of the periodic signal that caused the null or peak may be used to calculated the length of the transmission line or a propagation delay through the transmission line. A plurality of transmission lines may be deskewed by determining the propagation delay through each transmission line and adjusting a variable delay in each transmission line so that the transmissions lines approximately equal overall propagation delays.

Many different types of transmission lines exist and are used for a variety of purposes. For example, transmission lines are often used as the media that carries data over long distances, medium distances, and short distances. A transmission line may be anything from a coaxial cable carrying data signals over long distances to an almost microscopic metal trace that carries signals within tiny integrated circuits. As is known, a signal driven onto one end of a transmission line reflects off of the other end of the transmission line unless the other end of the transmission line is terminated with an impedance that matches the characteristic impedance of the transmission line. As is also known, driving a periodic signal onto a transmission line may cause voltage and/or current wave patterns with distinct characteristics to be induced on the transmission line. For example, a periodic signal whose frequency corresponds to a quarter wave or a half wave of the length of a transmission will typically generate a resonate standing wave on the transmission line if the transmission line is terminated in an open circuit or a short circuit.
Under certain circumstances, it may be advantageous to determine the length of, propagation delay through, or other characteristic of a transmission line. As just one (non-limiting) example, there are circumstances in which it would be advantageous to adjusts the propagation delay through a plurality of transmission lines so that signals driven through the transmission lines arrive at their destinations at the same time or within a specified tolerance. For this and other applications, it would be advantageous to utilize wave reflection properties of a transmission line to determine one or more characteristics of the transmission line.

Method and apparatus for calibrating communications channels


A touch-sensitive device for use as an electronic input device for controlling by scrolling the visible portion of a document or image relative to a display. The device can include various improved configurations such as physically separate opposed input surfaces at opposite longitudinal ends and/or lateral sides. The end regions of a touch sensitive surface may be rounded and/or tapered to provide relative positional feedback to the user. Tactile positional feedback can also include surface texture changes on the scrolling area and/or changes in the surface of the frame in the region immediately adjacent the scrolling area. The touch sensitive areas may be provided within a split alphanumeric section of an ergonomic keyboard to enable scrolling without the user having to remove his or her hands from the alphanumeric section.

Touch pads, which are two-dimensional touch-sensitive surfaces, have been used on computer laptops for controlling the movement of the cursor of the display. Commonly used touch pad configurations include square configurations and non-elongated rectangular configurations. Commercially available touch pads, such as those manufactured by Synaptics Inc., have been provided with software that enables the use of the right or bottom edge of the unitary surface touch pad as a scrolling zone. Such an arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,052 to Allen et al. However, these touch pad input devices, however, are also used for cursor positioning and thus are not dedicated to scrolling. This can cause problems of erroneous activation for the user. These problems include the activation of scrolling when cursor positioning is desired, and the activation of cursor positioning when scrolling is desired.
A commercially available touch pad made by Synaptics Inc. uses software that discriminates different end zones in a scrolling region of a touch pad. When a finger of a user reaches a longitudinal end of the touch pad in the scroll region, the scrolling will continue until the user moves lifts his or her finger from the touch pad or moves his or her finger away from the edge of the touch pad. However, if the user is concentrating on the display, it may be difficult for the user to maximize the scrolling capabilities as it is difficult to know when and whether his or her finger is in or near such a longitudinal end portion. Accordingly, a user may move his finger to reach or leave the end portion prematurely, or may never reach the end portion believing his or her finger is already located in the end portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,185 to Stephan et al. discloses a touch pad that is physically divided by a cover to provide a square cursor control region, a vertically elongated rectangular scroll control region, and a horizontally elongated pan control region. These regions are illustrated as being a part of a separate input device (in FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,185) or in the region in front of the keyboard portion of a laptop computer (in FIG. 13 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,185). Additionally, FIG. 10 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,185 discloses a unitary surface with elongated scroll and pan bars that overlap in the shape of a "plus" (+). The region where the horizontal pan control bar crosses the vertical scroll control bar overlap is not mapped to control either panning or scrolling. Such an unmapped region would appear to be detrimental in maximizing panning and scrolling control when the user runs his or her finger along the horizontal or vertical bar in the desired direction.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,809 to Holehan discloses in FIGS. 1 and 2 the use of a touch sensitive input scroll bars on three edge surfaces of a laptop computer, and on three edge surfaces, between distinct alphanumeric and editing sections, and between distinct editing and numeric sections on a keyboard. However, one potential drawback of these arrangements is that edge regions and the regions between distinct keyboard input sections (such as between distinct alphanumeric and editing sections, and between distinct editing and numeric sections) are sometimes used as resting places for portions of the hands of the user. An occurrence of such an incidental resting on an input scroll bar can cause unintended scrolling for the document on the display.
Additionally, the longitudinal ends of the scroll and panning control regions for all of these arrangements terminate abruptly with a flat edge. This makes it difficult for the user to efficiently recognize when her or she is approaching the end of the region as the user is normally focusing on the document on the display. This also has some drawbacks in the ability to maximize scrolling control, which can be more significant when software provides the end portions with different scrolling capabilities. Accordingly, a solution to this problem is needed.

Touch-sensitive device for scrolling a document on a display


A molding machine able to stably detect an abnormality of a squeeze pin, for example, a die cast machine having a squeeze pin able to apply pressure to a melt of a cavity repeatedly performing a molding cycle including a pressing process making the squeeze pin advance and applying pressure to the melt of the cavity in a state where the melt is filled in the cavity and a spray process making the squeeze pin advance and performing at least one of lubrication and cooling of the squeeze pin in the state where the melt is not filled in the cavity, and, in the spray process, detecting a stroke of the squeeze pin and detecting an abnormality of the squeeze pin based on a comparison of the detection result about the stroke and a predetermined reference value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of detection of an abnormality of a squeeze pin and a molding machine such as die cast machine having a squeeze pin.
2. Description of the Related Art
A molding machine such as die cast machine can use a squeeze pin to apply pressure to the material being molded. The squeeze pin prevents gross porosity. Such a system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 9-225619. In such a molding machine, in order to make the squeeze pin advance toward the cavity with a proper stroke, even where galling of the squeeze pin has occurred, for example, the oil pressure or flow in a hydraulic cylinder for driving the squeeze pin has been raised or the time that the squeeze pin begins to advance in the next cycle is made earlier when the galling of the squeeze pin has occurred.
The above technology controls the operation of the squeeze pin based on various types of measurement values obtained while the squeeze pin advances in the cavity filled with molten material. In other words, galling of the squeeze pin is detected while molten material is around the squeeze pin. However, a change in the environment, such as a change in the mold temperature or oil temperature, will cause the flow and solidification state of the molten material in the cavity to differ for each shot (for each cycle). Accordingly, in the conventional detection of galling of a squeeze pin, variations arise in the operation of the squeeze pin among cycles due to the influence of the flow and solidification state of the melt around the squeeze pin, so galling of the squeeze pin cannot be stably detected. For this reason, if, for example, the occurrence of galling is accidentally detected in a cycle due to the influence of the flow etc. in the cavity, and if the time that the squeeze pin begins to advance in the next cycle is set early, an excessively large stroke of the squeeze pin will occur in the next cycle.

Method of detection of abnormality of squeeze pin and molding machine


A solid nose cone and related components are disclosed. Embodiments include a front-end system for a laser-guided munition. The front-end system includes a solid nose cone that is optically transparent to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) of a particular wavelength. The solid nose cone is configured to pass EMR incident on the exterior surface to the trailing end. An optical relay adapter (ORA) has an EMR-receiving front face and an EMR-emitting rear face. The EMR-receiving front face is optically coupled to the trailing end, and the ORA is configured to relay the EMR from the EMR-receiving front face to the EMR-emitting rear face.

A laser designator receiver is one mechanism for guiding a missile or other laser-guided munition to a desired target. A laser designator receiver includes a plurality of detector elements, typically at least four detector elements, arranged in a two-by-two grid located in a body of the munition. The laser designator receiver operates in response to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) reflected by the desired target that is received through a window in the nose cone, passed through one or more optical elements, such as a lens arrangement, and then received by the grid of detector elements.
The shape of the nose cone plays a substantial role in the speed and range of a munition. Preferably the shape of a nose cone is as aerodynamic as practicable, to increase range and/or speed of the munition. Unfortunately, a hollow conical nose cone induces substantial distortions in the EMR received through the surface of the nose cone. These distortions reduce the accuracy of the munition and, in some situations, can render the guidance system inoperable. Efforts have been made to design optical systems that correct such distortions prior to passing the EMR to the laser designator receiver, but such optical systems are complex, increasing cost, adding weight to the munition, decreasing munition range and speed, and increasing the number of components that can fail in the munition.
Consequently, to avoid the issues associated with hollow conical nose cones, the window of a conventional laser-guided munition has a relatively thin spherical surface to reduce the distortion of the EMR passing through the window into the munition. Unfortunately, a spherical surface is not an aerodynamic shape and negatively impacts range and speed of the munition.


A calculation method of limit load, deformation and energy dissipating of a ring net panel of a flexible protection net, includes step (1): determining geometrical parameters of the ring net, connection type of steel rings, and diameter of steel wires; step (2): determining a loading rate, a loaded region and a boundary condition of the ring net panel; step (3): obtaining basic mechanical parameters of materials through tests, and establishing a critical damage criterion of the ring net panel; step (4): establishing an equivalent calculation model of a ring net panel based on a fiber-spring unit; and step (5): calculating a puncturing displacement, a puncturing load and energy dissipating of the ring net panel. The method adopts a calculation assumption of load path equivalence.

Recently, due to the comprehensive influence of human factors such as a man-made slope of road, excessive exploration, etc. and natural factors such as heavy rain, extreme rainfall, etc., geological disasters such as collapse and rockfall, landslide, debris flow, etc. occur frequently in southwest and southeast hilly mountainous regions and northwest regions in China. These situations present significant hidden danger for causing damage to property and person. The flexible protection system, a new interception structure, is commonly applied to the field of geological disaster protection.
The flexible protection system is a complex non-linear structure system composed of a support part (steel column), an interception part (flexible net), an energy dissipating part (decompression ring), a connection part (steel rope, shackle) and an anchor part (base, anchor pole). The flexible interception net is a key part of successfully implementing a safety protection function of the flexible protection system. It bears the direct impact, for example, of falling rocks. Once the net is damaged, the protection system loses its loading and protection function. At present, a rhombic net, a double twisted hexagonal net, a G.T.S net, a ring net and the like are often adopted as interception parts in the flexible protection system.
Compared with other types of nets, the ring net panel has a greater deformation and load bearing ability, which are often applied to a high energy level protection net. The ring net is formed by a loose connection, and thus when the ring panel is subjected to the impact, non-linear characteristics such as strong contact, slippage, damage and the like typically occur. As a result, the design of the flexible protection system has become very complex. Quantitative evaluation for the deformation, loading and energy dissipating abilities is critical for designing the ring net so that its safety protection function is optimal.
At present, the relevant standard with respect to engineering design of the flexible protection system includes only two industry standards, that is, "The flexible safety net for protection of slope along the line" (TB/T3089-2004) and "Component of flexible system for protecting highway slope" (JT/T 528-2004) in China. In the two industry standards, products, such as the steel rope, shackle, decompression ring and the like, are inspected by the inspection methods and requirements under a static condition. However, the evaluation method is simple, and a comprehensive evaluation index with respect to safety performances such as deformation, loading, energy dissipating and the like of the ring net panel is not considered by the current method either. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure a reasonable and competent selection and engineering design for the interception part in the practical engineering. The net panel is considered as a portion of the force transmission parts of the system, and a type and size of the ring net panel are designed according to the limited test result, which cannot perform quantitative calculation for out-of-plane deformation, loading and energy dissipating abilities of the ring net panel to formulate the basis of a reliable design.
The deformation ability of the ring net panel depends on a loose connection and a non-linear deformation between net rings. These are important for guaranteeing formation of an optimal buffering ability of the flexible protection system. Compared with a rigid structure, large deformation of the flexible net on impact significantly prolongs the duration time of impact. This effectively reduces the impact force peak, thereby reducing internal forces of other parts such as the steel column, support rope and the like in the system reducing the degree of damage to the protection system. The loading ability of the ring net panel depends on the material strength of a high-strength steel rope and the number of winding turns of a net ring.
The loading ability is also influenced by factors such as the number of strands of the steel rope, an area of the loaded region, boundary constraint and the like. The loading ability of the ring panel is a key index indicating whether the interception function can be implemented. The energy dissipating ability of the ring net panel depends on a common result of the deformation ability and the loading ability, which is matched with a protection level index of the flexible protection system, and adapted to a design method based on energy matching in the design of the protection system. The deformation, loading and energy dissipating abilities of the ring net panel together form the comprehensive evaluation index of the safety of the interception parts of the protection system. In the practical engineering, a quantitative analysis method of performance evaluation of the ring net panel is established to ensure a reliable design of the protection net, which is significant to improve the interception effect for geological disasters such as rockfalls, landslides, debris flows, etc. and reduce losses of the disasters. Thus, an improved quantitative analysis method of performance evaluation of the ring panel is highly desirable.

Calculation and analysis method of limit load, deformation and energy dissipating of ring net panel in flexible protection system

SOUTHWEST JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY CHENGDU DESIGN INSTITUTE CO., LTD.


A capacitive-load driving circuit has a configuration in which a driving power supply source is connected to an output terminal via a driving device. The capacitive-load driving circuit has a power distributing circuit inserted between the driving power supply source and the driving device. Therefore, temperature rise (power consumption) in the capacitive-load driving circuit can be distributed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capacitive-load driving circuit and a plasma display apparatus using the same, and more particularly, to a circuit technique capable of properly handling the temperature rise occurring due to the driving of capacitive loads in a plasma display panel, an electronic luminescence panel, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a variety of display apparatuses have been researched and developed, and the research and development of thin flat display apparatuses, exemplified by plasma display panels (PDP) and electronic luminescence (EL) panels, has been proceeding. Among them, the PDP, with its ability to achieve a large-screen, fast-response display and its improved display quality, has been attracting attention as a display apparatus that has the potential of replacing the traditional CRT.
The PDPs are largely classified as AC or DC. The DC PDPs have the characteristic that the matrix discharge electrodes are exposed in each discharge cell and the electric field control of the discharge space in the cell is easy. On the other hand, the AC PDPs have the characteristic that the matrix discharge electrodes are covered with a dielectric layer, which reduces electrode degradation due to discharge and achieves a longer life. Further, a three-electrode panel construction (three-electrode surface-discharge AC-type PDP), in which a front plate with X electrodes and Y electrodes formed thereon in the horizontal line direction and a back panel with address electrodes in the vertical column direction are simply laminated together one on top of the other, has been commercially implemented, facilitating the construction of a higher-resolution display.
Incidentally, in a prior art technique for achieving power reduction in a pulsed capacitive-load driving circuit, it is known to provide a power recovery circuit that utilizes a phenomenon of resonance for energy transfer between load capacitance and inductance. One specific example of the power recovery technique suitable for a driving circuit where the load capacitance varies greatly for driving each individual load electrode by a mutually independent voltage in accordance with display image, as in an address electrode driving circuit, is the low power driving circuit disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 05-249916.
The prior art capacitive-load driving circuit recovers power by utilizing a phenomenon of resonance, but with the recent trend toward higher-resolution and larger-screen plasma display panels, the power consumption reduction design has been losing its effectiveness significantly. Specifically, when the output frequency of the driving circuit is increased to increase the resolution of the panel, it becomes necessary to reduce the resonance time in order to maintain the control performance of the panel. If the power consumption of the driving circuit cannot be reduced sufficiently, the cost involved in removing heat from various parts of the display, and therefore, the component cost, increases, and besides, this could lead to a situation where the display brightness is reduced due to the limit of the heat dissipation capability of the display apparatus itself, or where the advantage of the flat panel display, i.e., thin and light-weight construction, cannot be exploited to the full.
Furthermore, as the output frequency of the driving circuit increases, power consumption increases due to the generation of high-voltage pulses to drive the plasma display panel, and a temperature rise in the driving circuit (drive IC) becomes a serious concern.
The prior art and the problems associated with the prior art will be described in detail later with reference to accompanying drawings.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Capacitive-load driving circuit capable of properly handling temperature rise and plasma display apparatus using the same


A vehicle (2) comprising a vehicle body (6) is disclosed. First struts (16) are mounted to the vehicle body for supporting transport wheels (12) for supporting the vehicle body in a first mode of operation of the vehicle, and second struts (26) are mounted to the vehicle body for supporting roller assemblies (14) for supporting the vehicle body and applying pressure to the ground to detonate explosive devices in a second mode of operation of the vehicle. The transport wheels engage the ground and the rollers are out of engagement with the ground in the first mode, and the rollers engage the ground and the transport wheels are out of engagement with the ground in the second mode. Rollers of one roller assembly partly protrude into gaps between rollers of the other roller assembly.

Apparatus for detonating explosive devices are known which comprise a ground engaging element such as a roller for applying pressure to the ground to detonate explosive devices such as mines in order to clear a track which is then safe for personnel to use on foot. Existing apparatus of this type suffers from the drawback that the complexity and mass of the ground engaging mechanism is such that movement of the vehicle can be unnecessarily slow and uncomfortable in regions in which the risk posed by explosive devices is low.
A further known vehicle is disclosed in US 2006/0266576 and has a pair of triggering modules which can be brought into contact with the ground to raise wheels of the vehicle out of contact with the ground such that the triggering modules detonate explosive devices. However, this arrangement suffers from the drawback that in the event of twisted ground surfaces, one or more of the triggering modules can reach the limit of its travel on its suspension and can thereby no longer apply force effectively to the ground.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome the above disadvantage of the prior art.


A thermoplastic elastomer foaming material is provided. The thermoplastic elastomer foaming material includes a hydrogenated styrenic/conjugated diene copolymer in a range from 5 to 35 weight percent; at least one of an acetate copolymer and an acrylate copolymer in a range from 3 to 30 weight percent; an amorphous polyolefin in a range from 20 to 60 weight percent; and a plasticizer in a range from 10 to 40 weight percent.

Foaming materials are widely used in the daily life; weather-proof seals of cars, heat insulation layers, vibration proof substances on appliances, and soles of shoes are all made of such materials. The materials include ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), natural rubber (NR), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), ethylene-propylene-nonconjugated diene rubber (EPDM), butadiene rubber (BR), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), poly vinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), polypropylene (PP), chloroprene rubber (CR), isoprene rubber (IR) and styrene-butadiene-styrene elastomer (SBS) which is also the well-known primary material of soles of shoes. Foaming materials contain a large amount of bubbles, in other words, foaming rubbers or plastics can be seen as composite materials filled with gases. And like other synthetic materials, characteristics of foaming rubbers or plastics can be altered to meet different needs by modifying compositions or processing procedures thereof.
Typically, additives are added into a polymer matrix which is the main part of foaming materials and dominates basic characteristics of such materials. The primary purposes of additives are to improve processing properties of the polymer and to reduce the cost. To meet various needs, the composition of the additives and the polymer matrix can be altered.
In the traditional thermosetting rubber, NR, SBR and CR are well-known close-cell foaming materials. However, they cause air pollution during the manufacturing process by producing SOx during the vulcanization process. NR, SBR and CR are not only hazardous to environment but also impossible to recycle because they are all thermosetting rubbers. These disadvantages limit applications of such materials.
On the other hand, "ethylene-propylene copolymer" and "ethylene-α-olefin copolymer" are used in the close-cell foaming material. Nevertheless, they are not soft in touch and deform easily under compression. Usually the properties can be improved by adding "polyolefinic rubbers" at specific ratios into these copolymers. But in some circumstances, compatibilities between the copolymers and the rubbers are poor. These copolymers also are not easily processed with processing oils, and thus they are not suitable for making a soft foaming material with low specific gravity.
A flexible thermoplastic article comprising from about 2 to about 15 percent by weight styrene-elastomer block copolymer, from about 60 to about 90 percent by weight polyolefin, from about 4 to about 15 percent by weight plasticizer oil and from about 0.05 to about 3 percent by weight additive was proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,653,360. And the styrenic-elastomer block copolymer further comprises SEBS. The flexibility of the article was improved by adding SEBS having excellent compatibility with the plasticizer oil. Nonetheless, the contents of the plasticizer oil and the SEBS are low, so the hardness and specific gravity of the flexible thermoplastic article are still high. And it is not suitable for mass production since two processing steps are needed for manufacturing such article.
In view of needs for a novel material which is environmentally friendly, flexible and easy to be produced, an object of the present invention is to provide a thermoplastic elastomer foaming material which is soft, recyclable and mass producible.

Thermoplastic elastomer foaming material


A monolithic spiral design roof pipe flashing having a spiraled base. A spiraled boot is continuously disposed upon the base. The boot defines an inner recess and has annular upper lip defining a spiral conduit. The upper lip further has an angular rim. The base, the boot, and the upper lip are monolithically formed of a molded elastomeric hydrophobic polymer substance and are configured to flex from a closed spiral configuration to an open spiral configuration to create a gap between an exterior surface and an interior surface proximal a shared continuous outer edge of the base, the boot, and the upper lip through which the roof pipe is inserted and fitted within the conduit. Upon release of the flex, the gap closes with the pipe being disposed within the conduit and with an overlap of the exterior and interior surfaces for water tight and flush contact therebetween.

Various types roof pipe flashing devices are known in the prior art. However, many of these devices are cumbersome to install. This is attributed to the multiple components of these prior art devices or the absence of a spiral design that allows the device to flex around a pipe. Instead, the prior art devices require a user to fit the pipe flashing over a bottom end of the pipe, placing a terminal portion of the pipe within a conduit, and sliding the flashing down the pipe into proper position. Alone, this is more hassle than necessary, however it is often made more cumbersome when there are various pipe attachments fitted to the bottom end of the pipe. When pipe attachments are present, the user must first remove the attachments before he is able to fit the pipe flashing over the bottom end of the pipe. These same attachments must be removed every time the pipe flashing becomes weathered or worn and needs to be replaced.
Thus, what is needed is monolithic spiral design roof pipe flashing having a monolithic hydrophobic spiraled design including a base, a boot defining an inner recess, an annular upper lip defining a conduit, wherein the device is configured to flex from an open spiral configuration to a closed spiral configuration. Applicant's device allows a user to adapt roof pipe flashing to a pipe, without having to remove attachments at the bottom end of the pipe, simply by flexing the device from a closed spiral configuration to an open spiral configuration, and fitting the pipe within a gap created by the flexing. Thus, the user can replace weathered or worn roof pipe flashing, or add new roof pipe flashing without having to remove any attached impediments disposed at the bottom end of the pipe.

Monolithic spiral design roof pipe flashing


The present invention discloses a computer prosody user interface operable to visually tailor the prosody of a text to be uttered by a text-to-speech system. The prosody user interface, permits users to alter a synthesized voice along one or more dimensions on a word-by-word basis. In one embodiment of the present invention, the prosody user interface is operable to alter the speaking rate relative word duration and the word prominence of a synthesized voice. Specifically, one or more words are selected using presentation means, and speech parameters corresponding to the speaking rate relative word duration and the word prominence are manipulated using speech parameter manipulation means. Modifications to the speech parameters are accompanied by visual changes to the presentation means, thereby providing a visual feel to the computer prosody user interface. To hear the modifications to the speech parameters, the present invention transmits a text string to a text-to-speech synthesizer program, wherein the text string comprises the text and escape sequences corresponding to the speech parameters set using the speech parameter manipulation means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to speech synthesizer systems, and more particularly to an interactive graphical user interface for controlling the acoustical characteristics of a synthesized voice.
2. Background of the Related Art
Most text-to-speech (TTS) systems allow users to alter the acoustical characteristics of a synthesized voice, thereby creating a new or modified synthesized voice. In text-to-speech systems, such as the well-known Bell Labs TTS system, the synthesized voice can be altered by manipulating speech parameters that control the acoustical characteristics of the synthesized voice. In the Bell Labs TTS system, the speech parameters are manipulated using escape sequences, which consist of ASCII codes that indicate to the Bell Labs TTS system the manner to alter one or more speech parameters. The following speech parameters are typically manipulable in a TTS system: pitch, rate, front and back head of the vocal tract, and aspiration.
By manipulating the speech parameters, acoustical characteristics of a base synthesized voice may be altered to create new voices or change intonations of utterances. To create specific voices or change the intonation of utterances, a user is often required to undergo a time consuming process of experimenting with various combinations of escape sequences corresponding to speech parameters before ascertaining whether a particular combination achieves the desired sound. Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) have been developed for TTS systems to facilitate this process of experimenting with various combinations of the escape sequences to create new voices.
Prior art TTS graphical user interfaces provide users with a mechanism for easy manipulation of speech parameters that control the acoustical characteristics of a synthesized voice, and creation or modification of a synthesized voice. Each word of a text subsequently converted into speech with the new or modified synthesized voice will possess the acoustical characteristics of the new or modified synthesized voice--that is, each word uttered by the synthesized voice will have the same pitch, rate, etc.
Human speakers often vary the acoustical characteristics of their voices such that certain words are emphasized or de-emphasized, perhaps giving different connotations to a phrase or sentence. The prior art TTS GUIs do not permit users to duplicate this human quality of tailoring the prosody of a text. Accordingly, there exist a need for a graphical user interface capable of permitting users to tailor the prosody of a text to be uttered by a text-to-speech system.


A filter includes a waveguide with at least one impedance structure with a resonant frequency. The impedance structure is positioned in the waveguide to reflect signals at the resonant frequency. The filter can be tunable by including variable capacitance devices in the impedance structure(s) so that the resonant frequency can be adjusted.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to waveguides and, more particularly, to waveguide filters.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electromagnetic signals with wavelengths in the millimeter range are typically guided to a destination by a waveguide because of insertion loss considerations. An example of one such waveguide can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,603,357 and 6,628,242 which disclose waveguides with electromagnetic crystal (EMXT) surfaces. The EMXT surfaces allow for the transmission of high frequency signals with near uniform power density across the waveguide cross-section. More information on EMXT surfaces can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,262,495 and 6,483,480.
In some waveguide systems, filters are used to control the flow of signals during transmission and reception. The filters are chosen to provide low insertion loss in the selected frequency bands and high power transmission with little or no distortion. A band-stop filter can be used to block undesired signals from reaching the receiver or from being transmitted. The filter can be tuned to a different resonant frequency using mechanical adjustments such as tuning screws as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,164 or movable dielectric inserts as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,830. The screw and insert can be mechanically adjusted to change the length of a resonant cavity in the filter. The tuning occurs because the resonant frequency of the filter changes when the length is varied. Mechanical tuning, however, is slow and inaccurate because it is usually done manually. If the mechanical adjustment cannot tune the resonant frequency quickly enough, then the filter will not effectively block signals with frequencies that vary as a function of time.


A system may include a platform manager device including a memory and a platform application installed thereon. The platform application may be configured to cause the platform manager device to identify a last known location of a tracked device according to a detection of a disconnection of the tracked device due to lack of receipt of presence indications; identify an owner communications device, among a plurality of communications devices, to receive a platform notification message indicative of the disconnection of the tracked device according to device associations of the tracked device and the communications devices; and send the platform notification message to the identified owner communications device informing of the detected disconnection.

Lost objects may be difficult to locate. In a moment of panic, it may be tempting to search quickly and randomly. However, a rushed search may only further bury an object under something recently put down (such as today's mail), or a short distance from its proper place (such as on the floor underneath its usual spot). Sometimes, to find an object one thinks back to the last time one had it and goes there. Other times, the object is in plain sight and the owner is too upset to find it. Still other times, a lost object is where it is supposed to be, put away by another.
Various automated systems have been developed to aid in the location of objects. However, these systems suffer various difficulties, such as high power requirements, expensive remote call centers, or inconvenient methods of use.

Object tracking with platform notifications


A method to singulate a circuit die from an integrated circuit wafer is achieved. The method comprises providing an integrated circuit wafer containing a circuit die. The integrated circuit wafer is cut through by performing a single, continuous cut around the perimeter of the circuit die to thereby singulate the circuit die.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit device, and, more particularly, to a novel method of singulating integrated circuit die from a semiconductor wafer.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Integrated circuits are typically fabricated on large, thin wafers of semiconductor material, such as silicon. Tens, hundreds, or even thousands of independent and identical integrated circuits may be formed on a single wafer. It is this mass production of identical devices on a single wafer that gives integrated circuit manufacturing its economic advantage. This economic advantage of mass production of product on each wafer covers the large costs associated with the manufacturing facility, or fab, and the high technology equipment required to process and to test the products.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a prior art integrated circuit wafer 10 is shown. Integrated circuit wafers typically range in size from about 4 inches to about 16 inches or larger. In a typical configuration, a large number of circuit locations 14, also called die locations 14, are arranged across the wafer 10 in columns and rows. In the exemplary wafer, the die 14 are of a single size though each location may actually comprise different designs or products. Sometimes larger or smaller circuits 14 will be formed by combining several die locations or by dividing a single die location. However, as will be shown in the following, these multiple sized die cannot be independently singulated and removed from the integrated circuit wafer 10 without sacrificing other die locations.
In the typical manufacturing sequence, the integrated circuit wafer 10 is processed to completion of all levels. Next, the wafer 10 is tested using an automated tester. During this wafer-level test, each die location is probed and is tested for functionality and for parametric performance. The automated tester will then store the test results and may use a marking system to label the die locations 14 on the wafer 10 as either PASS or FAIL. For example, the automated tester can place an ink dot on every die location that has FAILED the test while leaving die locations that have PASSED the test as unmarked. At this point, the wafer 10 is prepared for the process of singulation.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a prior art example of singulation is shown. The integrated circuit wafer 10, shown here in cross section, is attached to a frame 18 comprising an adhesive tape. This tape frame 18 holds the wafer 10 in place during the singulation process. Next, a diamond bladed saw 26 is used to cut through the wafer in a first direction. Note that the substrate of the wafer 10 is typically a continuous crystalline piece of silicon. Each die location 14, as shown by DIE1-DIE5, is actually a part of this same semiconductor substrate 10. Surface films 22, such as dielectric layers and conductive layers, are formed overlying the surface of the substrate 10 and are may or may not be contiguous across different die. The spaces between the surface films 22 are typically called "streets" and are the target locations for the diamond bladed saw 26. The saw 26 cuts completely through the substrate 10 to separate, for example, all of the die in the row containing DIE1 from all of the die in the row containing DIE2, and so on.
Referring now to FIG. 3, the singulation process of the prior art is shown in further detail in a top view. The wafer 10 is mounted on the adhesive tape frame 18. The diamond bladed saw, not shown, cuts across the wafer in a series of horizontal passes 30 and vertical passes 34. With each horizontal pass 30 from one side of the wafer 10 to the other side of the wafer 10, two rows of die locations are separated. With each vertical pass 34 from one side of the wafer 10 to the other side of the wafer 10, two columns of die locations are separated. Finally, after the completion of all of the horizontal passes 30 and vertical passes 34, all of the circuit die 14 are separated, or singulated, from the wafer 10.
Next, further processes may be used to select and to remove the good die (those labeled as PASSED) from the wafer while leaving behind the bad die (those labeled as FAILED). In one process, good die are removed from the adhesive tape frame and placed onto packages. Referring now to FIG. 4, a prior art packaged integrated circuit is illustrated. The package 42 comprises a chip carrier means, such as a metal or ceramic surface, onto which the circuit die 38 is fixably mounted. The package 42 further comprises signal pins 46 which can physically interface critical signals into and out from (I/O) the integrated circuit 38. These package pins 46 are physically connected to the signals on the integrated circuit die 38 using, for example, very fine gold wire 54. This gold wire 54 is ultrasonically welded from pads on the integrated circuit die 38 to pads 50 on the package 42.
The above described package device can suffer from mechanical overstress. It is difficult to perfectly match the thermal conductivity of the integrated circuit die 38 and of the various components of the package 42. Therefore, thermal cycling can induce significant thermal stress into the die 38 or into the die 38 and package interface 42. This thermal stress is highest at boundaries and at corners. Therefore, the corners 58 of the die 38 are the highest mechanical stress points and are prone to mechanical failure (cracking or shearing). In addition, the concentration of wire bonds and related bond stress is highest in the corners of the die 38 and results in mechanical failure at these locations.
As described above, the present die singulation method creates rectangular die with sharp, 90° corners. However, it would appear to be advantageous to go away from rectangular-shaped, sharply cornered die in packaged integrated circuit applications.
Several prior art inventions relate to methods or apparatus for cutting semiconductor substrates. U.S. Pat. No. 6,586,707 B2 to Boyle et al describes a method and an apparatus for micromachining a semiconductor substrate. Ultraviolet and visible light lasers are used to machine various features into semiconductor substrates. U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,776 B1 to Glenn et al teaches a method and a structure where a laser scribe machine is used to singulate die on a semiconductor substrate. However, this method shows cutting across the wafer in rows and columns (FIGS. 3A and 6).

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A radio receiver and method of operating the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the radio receiver may include a RF receive path configured to convey a first radio signal within a first band to a radio tuning circuit. The RF receive path may be controllable using a first AGC circuit. The radio receiver may also include a loop-through path configured to convey a second radio signal within a second band between an input and an output of the radio receiver. The second band may be different from the first band. The loop-through path may be controllable using a second AGC circuit.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to integrated circuits, and more particularly, integrated circuits used in radio equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, radio tuners/receivers have been designed with increasing numbers of features. Specifically, radio broadcast has expanded beyond traditional AM/FM radio, and now includes HD radio, DAB radio and DRM standards. Further, additional frequency spectrum can be used in some radio standards, such as DAB's use of Lband. These new frequency channels add additional hardware complexity to optimize system performance. Finally, multiple antennas can be used to improve the performance of the radio system. Thus, with increasing complexity of radio systems, new architectures are needed to deliver high quality services to the customer.
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of a radio capable of operating multiple tuners concurrently. In the embodiment shown, Tuner #1 includes an amplitude modulation (AM) tuning circuit and an FM tuning circuit. The AM and FM tuning circuits may each include a mixer and a local oscillator. A multiplexer ('Mux') is coupled to the outputs of both tuning circuits, and may select one for further processing as the received signal by Tuner #1. Automatic gain control (AGC) circuitry is implemented in Tuner #1, and may provide gain control for the band selected by the multiplexer.
Tuner #1 also includes a loop-through path for the FM input. That is, the FM signal may pass through an LNA and a buffer to an output which is coupled to an input of Tuner #2. Although the signal may pass through both an LNA and a buffer, it is nevertheless not subject to AGC. Instead, the FM signal may be gain-controlled by Tuner #2 after receiving it from the loop-through output of Tuner #1.

Receiver chip with multiple independent loop-through paths


The novel tissue products of the present invention are generally produced by calendering a tissue basesheet using at least one patterned roll. In one embodiment the patterned roll replaces the flat steel roll commonly used in calendering. The elements on the patterned roll provide a means of providing a nip having variable loading that yields a web having a smooth surface without subjecting the web to excessive compression forces and preventing excessive caliper loss. Thus, webs converted according to the present invention have comparable or better surface smoothness compared to webs converted using conventional calendering means and also retain a greater percentage of their caliper and bulk.

In the manufacture of tissue products such as bath tissue, a wide variety of product characteristics must be given attention in order to provide a final product with the appropriate blend of attributes suitable for the product's intended purposes. Improving the surface properties of the tissue product, such as surface smoothness, while maintaining the Sheet Bulk, is a continuing objective in tissue manufacture, especially for premium products. These objectives must be further balanced with operational efficiency. One means of balancing these properties has been to manufacture the webs by a through-air drying process. Throughdrying provides a relatively noncompressive method of removing water from the web by passing hot air through the web until it is dry. More specifically, a wet-laid web is transferred from the forming fabric to a coarse, highly permeable throughdrying fabric and retained on the throughdrying fabric until it is at least almost completely dry. The resulting dried web is softer and bulkier than a wet-pressed sheet because fewer papermaking bonds are formed and because the web is less dense. Squeezing water from the wet web is eliminated, although subsequent transfer of the web to a Yankee dryer for creping is still often used to final dry and/or soften the resulting tissue.
When the single ply tissue products, however, are formed into a rolled product, the base sheets tend to lose a noticeable amount of bulk due to the compressive forces that are exerted on the base web during winding and converting. As such, a need currently exists for a process for producing a single ply tissue product that has both softness and bulk when spirally wound into a roll. More particularly, a need exists for a spirally wound product that can maintain a significant amount of Roll Bulk and sheet softness even when the product is wound under tension to produce a roll having consumer desired firmness.


An audio selection circuit. The audio selection circuit includes a control/switch circuit having a first input, a second input, and a first output, and a signal detector module configured to detect an audio signal on the second input. If the signal detector detects presence of the audio signal on the second input, the signal detector is configured to transmit a control signal to the control/switch circuit, and the control/switch circuit is configured in response to the control signal to disconnect the first input from the first output and to connect the second input to the first output. Otherwise, the control/switch circuit is configured to connect the first input to the first output and to disconnect the second input from the first output.

A great number of portable audio devices such as cellular telephones, MP3 players, CD players, XM radio receivers and other devices are not readily useable with the audio systems found in most automobiles. In addition, some other aftermarket devices, such as global positioning satellite (GPS) navigation systems, produce audio prompts that are not compatible with current automobile audio systems. Most automobile audio systems do not provide auxiliary audio inputs for external devices such as the above. Unlike home stereo systems which typically have several external input options and one or more controls for selecting one of those input options, automotive audio systems typically have few or none. Automotive audio systems have limited available space for selection controls and input connectors on the front panel and similarly limited space for input connectors on the back of the system.
Audio output from some external audio devices, specifically from MP3 players and XM radio receivers, can be inputted to a car radio receiver by first using the audio signal from the external device to frequency modulate a radio frequency signal having the same frequency as that of the IF frequency of the receiver. Then a low power FM transmitter is used to transmit the frequency modulated signal directly to the IF amplifier in the receiver. Following which the receiver demodulates the received signal, thereby recovering the audio signal.
In another technique, audio output from external audio devices can be inputted to the car radio receiver by first using the audio signal from the external device to frequency modulate a radio frequency signal having a frequency that lies within the reception band of the receiver. Then a low power FM transmitter transmits the frequency modulated signal directly to the antenna of the receiver. The audio signal is then extracted by the receiver just as if it were received from a commercial FM radio station. For this technique, the FM radio must be tuned to the selected transmission frequency.
Also, for those car stereos which have a tape player, devices having the same shape as a tape cassette are available which include a transducer for magnetically coupling the audio signal from the external audio source to the magnetic tape head in the tape player.
In addition, a few automotive audio systems currently do have auxiliary inputs for MP3 players or GPS navigation systems. But, such systems are primarily limited to specific brand combinations of specific devices.

Circuit for priority selection of audio signals


A NAND based memory device uses inversion bit lines in order to eliminate the need for implanted bit lines. As a result, the cell size can be reduced, which can provide greater densities in smaller packaging. In another aspect, a method for fabricating a NAND based memory device that uses inversion bit lines is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The embodiments described herein are directed to NAND memory devices, and more particularly to methods for fabricating smaller, higher density NAND memory devices.
2. Background of the Invention
NAND based flash memory has made possible a variety of new applications and storage capability. For example, NAND based memory was integral to removable media formats such as smart media, MMC, secured digital, memory sticks, and xD-picture cards. More recently, NAND based memory devices have been used for USB flash drives, MP3 players, digital cameras, and mobile phones, to name just a few newer applications. These new applications, however, constantly require smaller, higher density memory devices.
While multi level charge (MLC) techniques can be used to increase density and/or shrink the overall size of a NAND based memory device, the ability to use smaller, higher density devices is also dependent on the physical size constraints of each cell in the memory device. For example, one limitation on the cell size for conventional NAND based memory devices is the need for implanted bit lines in the memory array.
The inclusion of the implanted bit lines requires a certain area for each cell. If the need for the implanted bit lines is eliminated then the cell size can be reduced; however, conventional NAND based memory devices require the implanted bit lines. Accordingly, the reduction in size of conventional NAND based memory devices is limited.

Method for making a NAND Memory device with inversion bit lines


A track chain joint for an endless track chain of a track-type vehicle is configured to engage first and second sprockets of a drive wheel of the track-type vehicle. Exemplarily, the joint has a pin, a bushing on the pin, first and second collars positioned respectively axially outboard of the bushing on the pin, and first and second drive caps positioned respectively axially outboard of the first and second collars and fixed to the pin, the first and second drive caps configured to engage respectively the first and second sprockets. Such components may be embodied in a cartridge.

Track-type vehicles (e.g., crawlers, excavators, tracked tree-felling machines) have an undercarriage typically with at least one track on each side of the vehicle. Each track typically includes an endless track chain, with ground-engaging shoes mounted thereon, trained about a drive sprocket, one or more idlers, and rollers. In many cases, each track chain includes a number of joints, each such joint interconnecting a first link set, having a first link and a second link, and a second link set, having a third link and a fourth link, for relative rotation between the first and second link sets as the track advances through its closed-loop path.


A tongue (30) having multiple modes of operation comprising: a frame (60), a slide, or clamp (15) and manually adjustable knob (200). The tongue frame includes a locking feature (74) for locking engagement with a seat belt buckle (24), a seat belt receiving first aperture (66) positioned apart from the locking feature; the first aperture including a first belt clamping surface (72). The slide or clamp includes a second belt clamping surface (174) generally opposite the first belt engaging surface, the slide being arranged to slide upon the frame in the vicinity of the first aperture from a belt release position in which the seat belt is freely sliding to a belt clamping or cinching position in which the seat belt (32) is clamped or cinched between the first and second belt clamping surfaces, the slide further includes a first belt engaging surface (160) arranged to urge the slide toward its clamped position. The knob (200) is mounted upon the frame and operable to block the motion of the slide, and rotatable from an unlocked position to a locked position, wherein when in the unlocked position the slide is permitted to slide to its cinching position and when in the locked position the slide means is maintained in the release position.

The invention generally relates to a latchplate, or tongue assembly or tongue as they are also called, which is part of a seat belt safety restraint system, and more particularly to a tongue whose operation is changeable from a cinching mode of operation in which the seat belt is cinched or clamped between two relatively moveable walls to a slip mode of operation in which the seat belt is loosely received within a determinable sized opening within the tongue and during which the seat belt is generally free to slide through the opening.
Reference is briefly made to FIG. 1 which is illustrative of a typical three-point seat belt system 20. The system includes an anchor 22 coupled to a seat belt buckle 24. The buckle includes an opening to receive a tongue 30 and a latching mechanism that is typically received within a corresponding opening of the tongue. The system 20 includes a length of seat belt 32 which is arranged to define a shoulder belt portion 34 and a lap belt portion 36. The lap belt portion 36 is typically anchored to the floor by an anchor 38. The shoulder belt portion extends over a D-ring or web guide 40 and is rewound under the operation of a seat belt retractor 42. As is known in the art, the anchor 38 can be replaced by a second retractor. FIG. 1 illustrates the buckled condition of the system 20 in which the tongue 30 is received within the seat belt buckle 24. The tongue 30 will typically define the demarcation between the shoulder belt portion and the lap belt portion of the seat belt 32. When the user releases the tongue 30 from the buckle 24, the retractor 42 (or retractors) rewinds the seat belt on a spool which is part of the retractor. In this stored, rewound condition, the shoulder belt 32 will be oriented in a generally vertical configuration as also shown in FIG. 1 with the tongue 30 positioned at some location on the vertically positioned, stored seat belt webbing 32.
Safety restraint systems utilize a number of different of types of tongues. One tongue is permanently secured to the seat belt 32 at corresponding ends of the shoulder belt portion 34 and seat belt portion 36. Another type of tongue is called a "slip tongue" and includes a narrow slot through which the seat belt is received. As can be appreciated, if the lap belt portion 36 is placed under load, the shoulder belt portion 32 will slip through the tongue opening permitting the lap belt portion to enlarge. The same is true upon loading only the shoulder belt portion, that is, the lap belt portion 36 will slide upwardly through the tongue opening, permitting the length of the shoulder belt portion to increase (provided the seat belt retractor is locked). Depending upon the relative size of the seat belt slot within the tongue, the slip tongue can also be referred to as a free-falling tongue, that is, when the seat belt is retracted to its stored vertical position, the tongue 30 is permitted to fall downwardly under the influence of gravity to a fixed position. This fixed position is defined by the retractor or alternatively by a button, of known variety, which is secured to a portion of the seat belt.
Another type of tongue is referred to as a "cinching or clamping tongue." As an example, with the seat belt secured about the occupant, generally in the configuration as illustrated FIG. 1, and with loads applied to either the shoulder belt portion 34 or the lap belt portion 36, this type of tongue includes a moveable bar or slide which pinches, cinches or clamps the seat belt 32 against a cooperating surface of the tongue or latchplate. As can be appreciated, in this type of tongue, once the cinching mode of operation is activated, the transfer of the seat belt 32 between the shoulder belt portion 34 and the lap belt portion 36 is prohibited (below a definable level of applied belt force). Obviously, if the various dimensions of the internal parts of the tongue are chosen correctly, this type of cinching or clamping tongue can also operate as a free-falling tongue, after the webbing has been moved to its stored condition.
With certain types of vehicles riding over typically rough roads, the cinching type of tongue can provide for some minor discomfort to the wearer. As an example, as a stiffly sprung vehicle, such as a truck or other off-the-road vehicle rides over an extremely bumpy road, the occupant is prone to bouncing upon the seat cushion 46. A small amount of slack will be created in the seat belt 32 about the occupant's lap as the occupant bounces downwardly and compresses the cushion 46. This slack is quickly reduced by the operation of the rewind spring of the retractor 42. When the occupant returns to his or her normally seated position, the occupant will experience that the seat belt 32 has become more tightly secured about his or her body. As the vehicle progresses over the bumpy road, the seat belt will become even more tightly enveloped about the occupant, which as mentioned above, may lead to some minor discomfort.
The present invention is directed to a cinching or clamping tongue which can also operate as a slip tongue upon the activation of a manually adjustable knob or button.
Accordingly the invention comprises: a tongue having multiple modes of operation comprising: a frame, a slide (or clamp) and manually adjustable knob or button. The tongue frame includes a locking feature for locking engagement with a seat belt buckle, a seat belt receiving first aperture positioned apart from the locking feature; the first aperture including a first belt clamping surface. The slide or clamp includes a second belt clamping surface generally opposite the first belt engaging surface, the slide being arranged to slide upon the frame in the vicinity of the first aperture from a belt release position which the seat belt is freely sliding to a belt clamping or cinching position in which the seat belt is clamped or cinched between the first and second belt clamping surfaces, the slide further includes a first belt engaging surface arranged to urge the slide toward its clamped position. The knob or locking means is mounted upon the frame and operable to block the motion of the slide, and rotatable from an unlocked position to a locked position, wherein when in the unlocked position the slide is permitted to slide to its cinching position and when in the locked position the slide means is maintained in the release position.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.

Latchplate or tongue assembly with dual mode of operation


Mapping information that specifies attributes of destination entities in terms of attributes of source entities is received. At least some source entities correspond to respective sets of records in one or more data storage systems. The mapping information is processed to generate a procedural specification for computing values corresponding to attributes of destination entities. Collections of nodes are generated, each including a first node representing a first relational expression associated with a specified attribute. At least some collections form a directed acyclic graph that includes links to one or more other nodes representing respective relational expressions associated with at least one attribute of at least one source entity referenced by a relational expression of a node in the graph. At least two of the collections are merged with each other to form a third collection based on comparing relational expressions of nodes being merged.

This description relates to mapping entities in data models.
In information systems, data models are used to describe data requirements, types of data and data computations that, for example, are being processed or stored in a database. Data models include entities and relationships between the entities defined by one or more schemas. In general, entities are abstractions of items in an information domain that are capable of independent existence or can be uniquely identified. Relationships capture how two or more entities may be related to one another. For example, while relationships can be thought of as being verbs, entities can be thought of as being nouns. A schema represents a particular collection of entities and relationships among them.
Complex computations involving data associated with data models can be performed using various database operations such as join or aggregation (or "rollup") operations. These computations can be expressed as a data flow through a directed graph, with components of the computation being associated with the vertices of the graph and data flows between the components corresponding to links (arcs, edges) of the graph. A system that implements such graph-based computations is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,072, EXECUTING COMPUTATIONS EXPRESSED AS GRAPHS.


Carbon-ceramic brake discs, the remaining porosity in which, after infiltration with a carbide-forming element and reaction of this element with at least part of the carbon in the preliminary body of the carbon-ceramic brake disc to form carbides, is at least partly filled with particles whose average diameter is in the range from 0.5 nm to 20 nm, and a process for producing carbon-ceramic brake discs with reduced porosity, wherein carbon-ceramic brake discs are treated with a solution of organic compounds of boron, zirconium, titanium, silicon or aluminum or mixtures of such compounds, the cited organic compounds being present as sols in an organic solvent, after removal from the sol bath the brake discs treated in this way are dried in an oven at a heating rate of between 30 K/h and 300 K/h under air or protective gas and are then tempered at a final temperature of between 350° C. and 800° C. for between 20 minutes and 120 minutes

Carbon-ceramic brake discs consist of a carbon-fibre-reinforced ceramic material whose matrix contains silicon carbide. They can be produced by infiltrating a carbon-fibre-reinforced porous carbon body with liquid or gaseous silicon, at least part of the carbon in the matrix reacting with the silicon to form silicon carbide. Depending on the amount of silicon used for infiltration, a larger or smaller part of the pores remains in the material produced. In addition, process-related microcracks can form in the cooling phase after siliconisation due to the differing coefficients of thermal expansion of the phase components.
At least some of the remaining pores are accessible from the surface of the carbon-ceramic brake disc. Due to absorption of moisture from the environment (air or water when driving on wet roads), these pores can contain water, which evaporates when the temperature of the disc rises on braking and escapes from the pores as gas. The escaping gas can form a lubricating film between the brake disc and the brake linings and thus delay the brake response. Whilst in the conventional combination of cast iron brake discs with organically bonded brake linings this phenomenon is limited to the film of moisture adhering to the surface of the disc and the porosity of the brake linings and the gases escaping from them, due to the porosity of the ceramic brake disc materials the amount of escaping gases, and hence the time before the gas layer between brake and lining collapses, can be increased markedly. This behaviour has also been verified by experiments, wherein on wet braking the time until the brake response and the start of build-up of the coefficient of friction between disk and lining is longer in the case of the carbon-ceramic brake disc than in the case of the combination of a grey cast iron brake disc with a conventional brake lining. In the case of the carbon-ceramic brake disc, however, the build-up of the coefficient of friction is significantly faster, so the disadvantage in the response behaviour with the carbon-ceramic brake disc is more than compensated for by the fact that the dry coefficient of friction is reached more quickly.
It is desirable, however, to reduce or improve this delay in the onset of the braking action in comparison to the combination of a grey cast iron brake disc with a conventional lining.
It has further been observed that on exposure to salt solutions, particularly those arising from the thawing of mixtures of snow or ice with de-icing salts used in winter, firstly the phenomena in the wet braking behaviour described here are intensified and secondly, on frequent and relatively extended exposure to such salt solutions, chipping can occur on the friction surface in carbon-ceramic brake discs.
Attempts to reduce the porosity of carbon-ceramic brake discs by infiltration with other liquid metals or with liquid inorganic materials which harden to form a glassy substance, for example, have not achieved their aim.

Nanoparticle-modified carbon-ceramic brake discs


Methods are provided for isolating adipose derived stromal cells from an animal by extracting adipose tissue from the patient, dissecting the tissue, dissociating the tissue into a cell suspension, removing the adipocytes, exposing the cell suspension to red cell lysis buffer, and isolating adipose derived stromal cells.

Several publications and patent documents are cited throughout the specification in order to describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains. Each of these references is incorporated herein as though set forth in full.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, requiring bypass surgery or angioplasty in almost 1,000,000 patients/year in the USA. While some of these patients form collateral vessels as alternative pathways for blood supply, thus ameliorating or preventing ischemic myocardial damage, many do not form the vascular networks to sufficiently compensate for the loss of the original blood supply. Accordingly, many patients could be helped by the development of compositions and methods which would accelerate natural processes of post-natal collateral vessel formation. Such approaches are broadly referred to as "therapeutic angiogenesis", and encompass both angiogenesis (which strictly speaking refers to capillary sprouting) and arteriogenesis (the maturation and enlargement of existing vessels) (Isner J M and Asahara T. J Clin Invest. (1999) 103:1231-6; van Royen N, et al. Cardiovasc Res. (2001) 49:543-53.)
An emerging therapeutic approach is the use of stem and progenitor cell transplantation to improve angiogenesis. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are cells present in bone marrow or peripheral blood which co-express stem and progenitor cell markers like CD34 or AC133, as well as endothelial markers like VE-Cadherin and VEGF-Receptor-2 (KDR) (Rafii S., J Clin Invest. (2000) 105:17-9.) EPCs and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are thought to be derived from a common "hemangioblast" precursor (Ribatti D, et al. J Hematother Stem Cell Res. (2000) 9:13-9; Choi K. J Hematother Stem Cell Res. (2002) 11:91-101; Eichmann A, et al. J Hematother Stem Cell Res. (2002) 11:207-14.) Interestingly, the cell surface marker CD34 is only found on either hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells or endothelial cells (Rafii S., J Clin Invest. (2000) 105:17-9,) which may be a reflection of the common origin of these two cell lineages. In addition to the shared "hemangioblastic" ancestry between HSCs and endothelial cells, HSCs have also been suggested to trans-differentiate into either endothelial progenitor cells or mature endothelial cells (Kang H J, et al. Br J Haematol. (2001) 113:962-9; Quirici N, et al. Br J Haematol. (2001) 115:186-94; Gehling U M, et al. Blood. (2000) 95:3106-12.) The recent discovery of circulating smooth muscle progenitor cells, and the potential of HSCs to differentiate into smooth muscle cells (Sata M, et al. Nat Med. (2002) 8:403-9; Simper D, et al. Circulation. (2002) 106:1199-204) may suggest yet another novel and intriguing link between the hematopoietic and vascular cell lineages, now in the context of smooth muscle cells.
Animal studies using hindlimb ischemia or myocardial ischemia models in immune deficient rodents have demonstrated that transplantation of about 106 peripheral blood derived EPCs (Kawamoto A, et al. Circulation. (2001) 103:634-7; Kalka C, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. (2000) 97:3422-7) can result in increased angiogenesis. Remarkably, labeled peripheral blood derived EPCs appear to home preferentially to ischemic areas and incorporate into foci of neovascularization (Kawamoto A, et al. Circulation. (2001) 103:634-7; Kalka C, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. (2000) 97:3422-7.) In addition to the above-mentioned studies on peripheral blood-derived cells, EPCs derived from bone marrow, unpurified bone marrow mononuclear cells, and HSCs have also been shown to enhance angiogenesis or show endothelial differentiation in vivo in a variety of animal models of ischemia (Kocher A A, et al. Nat Med. (2001) 7:430-6; Shintani S, et al. Circulation. (2001) 103:897-903; Fuchs S, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. (2001) 37:1726-32; Kamihata H, et al. Circulation. (2001) 104:1046-52; Orlic D, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. (2001) 98:10344-9; Jackson K A, et al. J din Invest. (2001) 107:1395-402.)
Transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into patients with myelodysplastic disorders or following myeloablative radiochemotherapy is the most widespread application of stem cell therapy. HSCs are characterized by surface markers like CD34, and constitute less than 0.5-1% of the bone marrow (Gunsilius E, et al. Biomed Pharmacother. (2001) 55:186-94,) which is currently the primary source of transplantable HSCs in the clinical setting. The limited availability of HLA-compatible siblings (less than 30%) (Tabbara I A, et al. Arch Intern Med. (2002) 162:1558-66) has resulted in frequent use of non-HLA-compatible siblings as donors. Although recently there has been some success in the reduction of complications following allogeneic transplantation of HSCs, chronic graft versus host disease and engraftment failure of allogeneic cells remains a significant clinical problem (Tabbara I A, et al. Arch Intern Med. (2002) 162:1558-66.) Autologous stem cell transplantation circumvents these complications, however, autologous cells from the bone marrow or peripheral blood may be contaminated by malignant cells (Hahn U and To L B, In: Schindhelm K, Nordon R, eds. Ex vivo Cell Therapy. San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press; (1999) 99-126.)
While the concept of using autologous peripheral blood derived EPCs in patients seems attractive, based on animal studies, one would need 12 liters of blood from a patient to isolate enough cells to achieve a pro-angiogenic effect (Iwaguro H, et al. Circulation. (2002) 105:732-8.) This amount of blood is not readily available in a clinical setting. Human studies that have used of bone marrow cell transplantation in ischemic patients (Strauer B E, et al. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. (2001) 126:932-8; Tateishi-Yuyama E, et al. Lancet. (2002) 360:427-435) suggest that human angiogenic cell therapy requires at least cell numbers of 107 to 109, depending on the degree of stem cell purity as well as the optimal delivery method.
The discovery of pluripotent cells in the adipose tissue (Zuk P A, et al. Tissue Engineering. (2001) 7:211-28) has revealed a novel source of cells that may be used for autologous cell therapy to regenerate tissue. The pluripotent cells reside in the "stromal" or "non-adipocyte" fraction of the adipose tissue; they were previously considered to be pre-adipocytes, i.e. adipocyte progenitor cells, however recent data suggests a much wider differentiation potential. Zuk et al. were able to establish differentiation of such subcutaneous human adipose stromal cells (ASCs) in vitro into adipocytes, chondrocytes and myocytes (Zuk P A, et al. Tissue Engineering. (2001) 7:211-28.) These findings were extended in a study by Erickson et al., which showed that human ASCs could differentiate in vivo into chondrocytes (Erickson et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. (2002) 290:763-9) following transplantation into immune-deficient mice. More recently, it was demonstrated that human ASCs were able to differentiate into neuronal cells (Safford K M, et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. (2002) 294:371-9).
Given the many applications of stem cell therapy, a need exists in the art for providing a more abundant and practical source for such stem cells, and for enhancing the potential therapeutic benefit and route of administration of these cells.

Adipose stromal stem cells for tissue and vascular modification


A liquid fuel cartridge having a bistable structure includes a housing, a storage unit that is placed in the housing and stores a liquid fuel, a fuel outlet that is connected to an end of the storage unit and extends to an outside of the housing, a bistable structure that is connected to the storage unit and shows bistable states of a full state and an exhausted state thereof, and a window through which the bistable states of the bistable structure is detected.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a liquid fuel cartridge, and more particularly, to a liquid fuel cartridge having a bistable structure that allows for the amount of liquid fuel remaining in the cartridge to be determined.
2. Description of the Related Art
A direct liquid feed fuel cell is an apparatus that generates electricity via electrochemical reactions between a liquid organic fuel, such as methanol or ethanol, and an oxidant, i.e., oxygen. The electricity generated by the direct liquid feed fuel cell has high specific energy density and high current density. Also, since a liquid fuel, i.e., methanol, is directly fed to the cell, the direct feed fuel cell does not require a peripheral device such as a fuel reformer, and storing and supplying the liquid fuel are easy.
As depicted in FIG. 1, the direct feed fuel cell has a structure including an anode electrode 2, a cathode electrode 3, and an electrolyte membrane 1 interposed between the two electrodes 2 and 3. The anode electrode 2 includes a diffusion layer 22 for supplying and diffusing a fuel, a catalyst layer 21 at which oxidation and reduction reactions of the fuel occur, and an electrode supporting layer 23. The cathode electrode 3 also includes a diffusion layer 32 for supplying and diffusing the fuel, a catalyst layer 31 on which oxidation and reduction reactions of the fuel occur, and an electrode supporting layer 33. The catalyst for generating the electrode reaction is formed of a precious metal, such as platinum, having a superior catalytic characteristic at low temperature. Alternately, to avoid catalyst poisoning by CO, which is a by-product from the electrode reaction, a transition metal alloy catalyst, comprising ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, or nickel can be used. The electrode supporting layers 23 and 33 can be made of a water-proofed carbon paper or water-proofed carbon fiber for easy supplying of fuel and discharging reaction products. The electrolyte membrane 1 is a hydrogen ion exchange membrane having ion conductivity and containing moisture, and is formed of a polymer membrane having a thickness of 50˜200 μm.
An electrode reaction of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), which is a direct liquid feed fuel cell, includes an anode reaction where fuel is oxidized and a cathode reaction where hydrogen and oxygen are reduced, as described below.CH3OH+H2O→CO2+6H++6e− (Anode reaction)  [Reaction 1]3/2 O2+6H++6e−→3H2O (Cathode reaction)  [Reaction 2]CH3OH+3/2 O2→2H2O+CO2 (Overall reaction)  [Reaction 3]
Carbon dioxide, hydrogen ions, and electrons are produced at the anode electrode 2 where the fuel is oxidized (reaction 1). The produced hydrogen ions migrate to the cathode electrode 3 through a hydrogen ion exchange membrane 1. Water is produced by the reduction reaction between hydrogen ions, electrons transferred from an external circuit, and oxygen at the cathode electrode 3 (reaction 2). Accordingly, water and carbon dioxide are produced as the result of an overall electrochemical reaction (reaction 3) between methanol and oxygen, and two moles of water are produced for each mole of methanol that reacts with oxygen.
Fuels used in a fuel cell may be stored in a separated fuel tank or in a replaceable cartridge. When a conventional cartridge is used, in order to know the amount of fuel remaining in the cartridge, the flowrate of the fuel pump in use and the amount of fuel stored in the cartridge must be known. However, the flowrate of the pump varies according to the pressure change in the cartridge and the amount of fuel remaining in the cartridge. Accordingly, a device that reliably indicates the amount of fuel remaining in a liquid fuel cartridge is needed.

Liquid fuel cartridge having bistable structure


A battery kit is provided for use with a headset including a headband, and an upper support portion coupled to the headband. An electronic component is coupled to the headset. The electronic component is coupled to a power port configured to receive a power plug. The battery kit includes a power source, a power plug coupled to the power source, and a coupling mechanism configured to removably couple the power source to the upper support portion. The power plug is coupleable to the power port.

The field of the disclosure relates generally to power packs, and more specifically, to battery kits for use with a headset including, without limitation, an ophthalmic instrument.
Some known headsets are used to provide a hands-free functionality to a user. Some functionality provided by at least some known headsets requires a power source to operate. For example, at least some known headsets include a light source that requires a power source. To provide power to the headset, at least some known headsets must be coupled to an electrical socket via a cord. The cord, however, restricts and limits a mobility of the headset and a user associated with the headset.
To facilitate increasing the mobility of the headset, at least some headsets are portable and include a rechargeable power source. At least some known rechargeable power sources are positioned at a rear portion of the headset, where it is difficult to access the power source during use and/or operation. Moreover, at least some known rechargeable power sources are not removable from the headset.