A control circuit for an electromagnetic drive includes first and second electronic switching elements, which in conjunction with a timing element subject the drive coil to a corresponding direct current in the starting phase or in the maintenance phase. A starting current and a maintenance current are provided by means of a current source that is controlled by the timing element and a direct current converter with downward control.

An electronic drive control for a contactor operating mechanism is described in German Publication DE 299 09 901 U1. The drive control essentially includes a rectifier circuit supplied via control inputs, a series circuit which is composed of the operating coil and a pulse-width controlled transistor switch and is supplied by the rectifier circuit, two voltage divider circuits which scan the output of the rectifier circuit and are isolated on the input side by an isolation diode, as well as an electronic circuit including a microprocessor and two memories. Control signals for the pickup and holding modes of the operating coil are supplied to the transistor by the electronic circuit; the corresponding pulse widths in the pickup and holding modes being determined via the associated memory in accordance with the output signal of the associated voltage divider. Moreover, it is known from German Publication DE 299 09 904 U1 to provide such electronic drive controls with a first transistor switch for controlling the pickup current and a second transistor switch for controlling the holding current. Such electronic drive controls have the disadvantage of having a high degree of complexity, which is due to the electronic circuit and is of particular consequence for operating mechanisms of lower-rated electromagnetic switching devices.
German Publication DE 92 16 041 U1 describes a circuit arrangement for controlling a relay. The series circuit of the operating coil and the first transistor switch is connected to a DC operating voltage, and the series circuit of a holding resistor and a second transistor switch is placed in parallel with the switching path of the first transistor switch. A d.c. control input is connected, via a differentiating timer including a capacitor and a discharge resistor, to the control electrode of the first transistor switch and, via a series resistor, to the control electrode of the second transistor switch. After a control voltage has been applied, both the first and second transistor switches are turned on, as a result of which a pickup voltage is applied across the operating coil; the pickup voltage obtained being the DC operating voltage minus the saturation voltage of the first transistor switch. When the capacitor voltage of the differentiating element has dropped, the first transistor goes to the OFF state. Consequently, the operating coil is then only supplied with a holding current, which is essentially obtained from the ratio of the DC operating voltage to the sum of the holding resistance and the ohmic resistance of the operating coil. After the control voltage has been removed, the second transistor switch is also turned off, thereby switching off the relay. In the case of this control circuit, both the pickup response and the reliability and heat losses in the holding mode are highly dependent on changes and fluctuations in the DC operating voltage. The drive control, which is only suitable for DC voltage operation, uses a control voltage in addition to the operating voltage; the control voltage being independent of the operating voltage. An additional significant amount of power is lost through the holding resistor.
German Patent DE 44 10 819 C2 discloses a circuit arrangement which is intended to operate a relay and which, in turn, has a first transistor switch, which is turned on during the pickup phase, and a second transistor switch, which is placed in series with the operating coil and a holding resistor and connected to an operation voltage and which is turned on when the relay is in the ON state. The switching path of the first transistor switch is placed in parallel with the holding resistor. A d.c. control input is connected via a voltage divider to the control electrode of the second transistor switch. The control electrode of the first transistor switch is connected to the junction point of the first transistor switch, the second transistor switch and the holding resistor via an integrating timer including a charging resistor and a capacitor. When the relay is in the OFF state, the capacitor is charged via the operating coil, the holding resistor and the charging resistor so that both transistor switches are turned on when a control voltage is applied. In this connection, the pickup voltage obtained for the operating coil equals the operating voltage minus the sum of the saturation voltages of the two transistor switches. At the same time, the capacitor begins to discharge through the series resistor and the switching path of the second transistor switch. After the capacitor voltage has fallen below a threshold value, the first transistor is turned off. Consequently, the operating coil is then only supplied with a holding current, which is essentially obtained from the ratio of the DC operating voltage to the sum of the holding resistance and the ohmic resistance of the operating coil. After the control voltage has been removed, the second transistor switch is also turned off, thereby switching off the relay. This drive control presents the above-described disadvantages of the approach of German Publication DE 92 16 041 U1 and requires an operating voltage to be provided continuously or at least with sufficient time before the relay is switched on.
German Patent 196 38 260 C2 discloses a circuit arrangement for controlling small solenoid coils, including a transistor switch connected in series with the solenoid coil. Upon application of a control voltage, the turned-on transistor switch applies a high pickup current to the solenoid coil during a time period set by a differentiating timer. After that, the holding current is determined by a series circuit which is composed of a holding resistor and a light-emitting diode and is placed in parallel with the switching path of the transistor switch. Here too, the pickup and holding currents are highly dependent on the magnitude of the control voltage, and a significant amount of power is lost through the holding resistor.

Control circuit for an electromagnetic drive


A positioning device for a ratchet wrench contains: a driving head connecting with an operating handle and including an accommodating cavity, a toothed groove, and a slot, a depth of which is equal to the accommodating cavity. The driving head also includes an orifice and a horizontal notch, a depth of the horizontal notch is equal to the slot. The positioning device contains a rotatory block fixed in the driving head and including a first toothed section and a second toothed section; an abutting member fixed in the slot and including an elastic steel ball, plural locking teeth, an aperture, and a resilient element; a pushing post fixed in the horizontal notch of the driving head and including a peripheral recess, wherein one end of the pushing post is screwed with a screwing element; a cover locked on the driving head to cover the abutting member and the pushing post.

A conventional socket wrench contains a ratchet wrench and a fixed wrench, wherein the fixed wrench is operated troublesomely, but it is operated at a large torque; and the ratchet wrench is switched to rotate in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction to screw/unscrew screw bolts, yet its torque output is less than the fixed wrench.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.


A new approach to aggregating a plurality of information exchange requirements (IERs) into a common schema is disclosed. A device has a digital storage medium that includes a data structure for implementing a plurality of information exchange requirements each having a plurality of attributes. The data structure includes a data portion configured for storing digital data, and an attribute portion distinct from the data portion comprising a plurality of attribute fields, wherein each of the plurality of attribute fields describes an aspect of the digital data corresponding to one of the plurality of attributes associated with at least one of the plurality of information exchange requirements, to thereby implement the common schema.

After the end of the Cold War and the advent of the Information Age, modern warfare strategies no longer focus on merely inflicting damage upon a particular enemy, but rather emphasize capabilities to shape behaviors of friends, foes and neutrals in peace, crisis and war settings. Whereas previous strategies generally focused upon countering defined combat threats, modern "effects based" operations provide a broad range of options for responding to a variety of challenges. Effects based operations (EBO) typically rely heavily upon the ability of combatants and strategists to rapidly share information about battlefield conditions, command intent and the like. Lethality, survivability and responsiveness are all improved through rapid information sharing and improved situation awareness, thereby resulting in increased combat power. Similar benefits may be achieved from improving system reliability in other settings, such as in the home, workplace, community or the like.
Effects-based operations benefit greatly from the ability of geographically separated entities to quickly and efficiently share information, to collaborate on tasks, and to synchronize actions in a network-centric environment. In particular, network-centric (i.e. information based) operations (NCO) benefit from flexible coordination of available resources to form dynamic, ad-hoc networks suitable for a particular mission or operation. It may be desirable, for example, for a soldier operating on a battlefield to obtain real-time photographs or other data from a satellite or aircraft passing overhead during an operation. Such timely and accurate data may greatly reduce the risks and increase the effectiveness of the soldier's operation, yet this information may not always be reliably available due to communications incompatibilities between various battlefield systems.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has attempted to improve the level of compatibility between various inter-communicating systems by promulgating standards such as information exchange requirements (IERs). Indeed, the DoD has stated in its Joint Vision 2020 ("JV2020") plan that all services and platforms operated by the DoD will globally interoperate by the year 2020. Achieving global and seamless interoperability for existing (i.e. "legacy") systems, in particular, can create difficulty as the various legacy systems are extended beyond the capabilities for which they were originally designed. The DoD has therefore set forth information exchange requirements to define the requirements for information passed electronically between and among forces, organizations, or administrative structures in the defense setting. The IERs typically define the quality (e.g. frequency, timeliness, security, etc.) and quantity (e.g. volume, speed, type, format, etc.) of data transferred between DoD systems. Compliance with information exchange requirements is mandatory for equipment for all DoD systems, and compliance with each relevant IER is verified before new equipment is added to the DoD inventory.
Difficulties arise, however, in that the IERs promulgated by the DoD are typically highly context specific, and very rigidly defined. That is, the IERs typically define a single specific type of data transfer in great inflexible detail. Each IER typically lumps link information, information assurance and application requirements parameters into a single structure. As a result, each different type of data transfer (e.g. transfers between different types of communications nodes, different types of data, different bit or frame rates, different data definitions, etc.) is typically represented by a separate IER. A single data transfer to multiple recipients, for example, typically requires a separate IER for each recipient type. If the data may be provided in multiple formats, each format typically requires its own IER, thereby multiplying the number of IER requirements by the number of supported data formats. If the transfers are allowed to take place over various channels having different data rates (e.g. P data rates), for example, each data rate typically has its own IER, again multiplying the number of IER requirements by the number of supported data rates. Consequently, true compliance with DoD specifications may require support for dozens, hundreds or even thousands of separate IERs. As additional node types, systems and capabilities are added to the DoD inventory, the number of IERs increases rapidly, and managing these IERs can present significant cost and management burdens. Moreover, the data processing resources consumed by maintaining large collections of separate IERs can be significant, thereby hindering or reducing the capabilities of the various inter-communicating components and systems.
It is therefore highly desirable to create a technique for managing the spiraling number of IERs for various components. It is also desirable to create systems and methods for aggregating the IERs into a smaller, more manageable format. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

Common schema for aggregating information exchange requirements


The invention is based on an insertable tool with a rotationally driven disk-shaped hub (10, 12), to which a grinding means (14) is secured in the radially outer region.

The invention is based on an insertable tool with a rotationally driven disk-shaped hub.
Typically, disk-shaped insertable tools, such as grinding wheels or cutting-off wheels for angle grinders, consist entirely of bonded grinding means, and they have a central circular recess by way of which the insertable tool can be fastened to an angle grinder spindle with a lock nut by nonpositive engagement in the circumferential direction and by positive engagement in the axial direction. Both insertable tools that have a reinforcement of sheet metal in the region of the recess and those without such a reinforcement are known.

Utility tool with rotatingly driveable, disk-shaped hub

Abstract: It is proposed that the hub (10, 12) is embodied with a flexural strength that varies in the radial direction.


A dental implant has an implant body made of diamond material, the implant body being provided with a bore hole that has at least one lateral dimension and a depth dimension, the lateral dimension and the depth dimension being mm sized. The bore hole is substantially formed by laser light being directed at the implant body to form said bore hole by softening said diamond material at an intended location of said bore hole. The bore hole is further defined by utilizing at least one metallic drilling tool to remove more of the diamond material after initial formation of the bore hole by said laser light. Preferably, the drilling tool has a cone shaped drilling head or a rectangular drilling head.

The present invention is generally directed to dentistry and orthodontics and, more particularly, to a tooth product that is intended to serve as a substitute tooth, but which is imbued with ornamental and jewelry style aspects and characteristics. The product of the present invention can be loosely regarded to be a dental tooth implant or a dental crown, but with the caveat that it is fashioned from diamond material.
With reference to prior art FIG. 1, a conventional dental implant 1 comprises in large part three main components including an implant 2 which is implanted into the jaw bone of a person and becomes strongly fixed therein, a visible tooth component 4 that is attached to the anchor or implant 2 via an abutment or a mechanical coupling 3. The overall implantable tooth 1 is highly familiar in the art and widely utilized in the dental field to replace teeth that have been removed owing to tooth decay, sport and related injuries and other conditions.
As is widely known, the teeth of humans are subjected to large forces and stress that are applied in directions into the jaw bones and also laterally. Therefore, the strength of the anchor, i.e., the implant 2 has to be substantial in order to have any ability to remain in a person's mouth for many years, which is a basic requirement. The same is true of tooth substitutes that are anchored to tooth stubs that jut from the jaw bone which are covered by so-called "crowns."
U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,390 is directed to and describes a dental implant and tooth shaped ceramic crowns and provides a basic explication of the difficulties and the challenges that are encountered in properly implanting a replacement tooth. The contents of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,390 are incorporated by reference herein. Regardless, it is worthwhile to examine FIG. 1 of this patent which is presented herein as FIG. 2 with the reference numerals thereof altered for explication of the basic tooth replacement technology.
Thus, the implanted portion or the implant 2 is a solid member that has an outside serrated surface 12 which when set into the jaw bone results in bone tissue growing into the serrations and thus in a very strong connection to the jaw bone that will not budge during normal forces to which a substitute tooth 1 is subjected. The implant 2 has an interior void with internal threads 14 and therefore, is able to receive a shank 7 that is provided with its own threads 15 and thereby is capable of being solidly connected to and anchored within the implant 2.
It is the shaft 7 that is configured to fit within a large opening 10 in the visible portion, in the crown 4 of the tooth 1, the "crown" constituting the replacement tooth, all as is well-known in the field of dentistry. The supporting shank 7 has a longitudinal axis 7a that is aligned carefully with the shape and orientation of the opening 10 to provide maximum support for the tooth portion or the crown 4 as indicated. Of specific importance is the overall shape of the crown 4, which is made to emulate and to appear indistinguishable from the two neighboring teeth that are located to the right and to the left of the implanted tooth 1. The crown 4 has an outwardly visible surface 5 that can be seen directly facing the person and from the sides of the tooth and a rear shape 8 which are also intended to mimic the shape and feel of the natural lost tooth, in the depiction that tooth being a front facing incisor tooth.
One of the most important considerations in implanting a tooth is the material of which the crown 4 is constructed. In the prior art dating back several decades, implanted teeth or crowns were made from metal, sometimes silver or gold because they are very stable unreactive metals and also easier to shape and work with. Modern dentistry, however, has discovered new materials and specialty ceramics that are extremely hard and also provide an outside veneer and look that makes the replacement tooth indistinguishable from the neighboring natural teeth.
But there are individuals who have very special or unique and even to a certain degree, eccentric ideas about appearances, looks and jewelry and the dental field is familiar with the attaching by glue of diamond chips and the like to the outside surfaces of natural teeth or other types of teeth simply to satisfy whims, eccentricities, artistic or whimsical preferences of various creative or attention seeking individuals.
Particularly, people in show business, the movie industry or in the pop art world like to wear unique and attention grabbing clothes and to decorate themselves with jewelry and the like that are unique, differentiating and calls attention to themselves, sometimes going to extremes, e.g., body tattooing and piercing and the like.
Jewelry is a very important component in people's attire and overall look and there has developed a cadre of people to whom diamonds, including owing to their high expense, is very important to include in their wear and body decoration. They not only pin diamonds to their clothing, but also permanently attach them to various body parts, including to existing teeth, to make various fashion statements. One of the great desires of at least some people is to have teeth that are actually made of diamonds.
This was a challenge that has not been accomplished in the prior art owing to the very nature of diamonds. Diamonds are the hardest material known in nature. They are extremely difficult to shape and virtually impossible to bore large holes through a diamond to obtain an overall shape of the crown 4 depicted in FIG. 2. Nevertheless, there is a felt but unmet demand for implantable teeth made of diamonds that are capable of being attached to jaw bone implants or teeth stubs, as being done with existing ceramic and other synthesized materials currently being used for this propose.
The familiar diamond that is ubiquitously found in jewelry is a product that is obtained after a great deal of labor that is invested in deep mining to find so-called rough diamonds, i.e., kimberlite, and cutting, shaping and polishing operations needed to obtain the final diamond products used in jewelry.
FIG. 3 photographically depicts rough diamonds 20, including a first diamond 20a and a second diamond 20b. In accordance with known diamond processing techniques developed over the centuries, the rough diamond is analyzed and cut very carefully along certain orientations so that the overall diamond does not shatter along certain fault and/or stress lines. Then, the diamond is cut to its overall shape including to provide it with a large number of light reflecting flats, called facets, that are highly polished surfaces, as indicated by the round diamond 30 which has the facets 32. A typical round diamond has about 57 or 58 such facets and the unique sizes and relative orientations of the facets 32 result in the ultimate diamond having a unique sparkle and light dispersion and reflection/refraction pattern that characterizes and beautifies each specific diamond, and also imparting to it a great monetary value.

Diamond dental teeth formed by using laser energy


A collector arrangement for a magnetotransistor (10, 25, 30) and a method for making the magnetotransistor (10, 25, 30). A portion of a semiconductor substrate (11) is doped to form a base region (13). The base region is doped to form an emitter region (16, 26, 36) and a collector region (17, 27, 37) such that the collector region (17, 27, 37) surrounds and is spaced apart from the emitter region (16, 26, 36). Collector contacts (C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 and C.sub.5 '-C.sub.8 ', C.sub.13 -C.sub.16) are symmetrically formed in the collector region (17, 27, 37). In a three-dimensional magnetotransistor (10, 25) the collector contacts include split-collector contacts (C.sub.5 -C.sub.8 and C.sub.5 '-C.sub.8 ').

The present invention relates, in general, to magnetotransistors, and more particularly, to a collector arrangement for magnetotransistors.
Magnetotransistors are magnetic field sensors that are commonly used to detect the presence and orientation of a magnetic field or more particularly a magnetic flux density. Typically, these sensors are semiconductor devices that include an injection region, a conduction region, and a collection region. Charge carriers, i.e., electrons or holes, are injected from the injection region into the conduction region and are subsequently collected in the collection region. An example of such a sensor is a lateral magnetotransistor having an emitter region, a base region, and a collector region, wherein the emitter region serves as the injection region, the base region serves as the conduction region, and the collector region serves as the collection region.
When a magnetic field is applied to the magnetotransistor, it exerts an electromagnetic force on the charge carriers. This force, commonly referred to as a Lorentz force, deflects the charge carriers traveling through the base region thereby creating an imbalance in the number of charge carriers collected by the collector region. In other words, the collector currents become imbalanced. This imbalance may be exploited to determine the strength and orientation of the magnetic flux density.
Two important types of magnetotransistors are two-dimensional (2D) magnetotransistors which detect the x and y directional components, B.sub.x and B.sub.y, respectively, of the magnetic flux density and three-dimensional (3D) magnetotransistors which detect the x, y, and z directional components of the magnetic flux density, B.sub.x, B.sub.y, and B.sub.z, respectively. A drawback of 2D and 3D magnetotransistors is that the noise signals associated with the currents in each collector are uncorrelated and may mask the imbalance in the collector current attributed to the magnetic flux density. Moreover, in 3D magnetotransistors there is a cross-sensitivity between the charge carrier flow in the y-direction and the B.sub.x component of the magnetic flux density, and between the charge carrier flow in the x-direction and B.sub.y component of the magnetic flux density.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a magnetotransistor and a method for making the magnetotransistor that reduces the noise due to the uncorrelated collector currents. It would be of further advantage that the 3D magnetotransistor and the method for making the 3D magnetotransistor eliminate cross-sensitivity between the charge carrier flow in the y-direction and the B.sub.x component and between the charge carrier flow in the x-direction and the B.sub.y component.

Collector arrangement for magnetotransistor


A system including a touch pressure-sensitive transducer and a computer responsive thereto for producing a sentic cycle and for recording touch expression in the course of which cycle different emotions are expressed and generated by applying appropriate finger pressure to the transducer actuator. Stored in the memory of the computer is a set of words representing the different emotions, the computer being programmed to sequentially select these words at timed intervals and to audibly reproduce the selected word. Each word is followed by a series of time-spaced audible start clicks, each commanding the subject when to express with finger pressure on the transducer actuator. The signals yielded by the transducer reflecting vector components of the applied finger pressure are processed in the computer whose display terminal then presents on its screen a sentogram, the shape of which characterizes the emotion sensed by the transducer. Single or averaged sentograms developed by the subject during a particular sentic cycle are stored in the computer for comparison with those produced by the same subject in subsequent cycles to gauge the degree to which the subject's emotional responses may have changed. Stored or "live" sentograms can also be used to impart emotional content to graphically reproduced animated figures or to reproduced music modulated as a function of the sentogram, or to movement activated according to its dynamic form.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a technique adapted to generate in a subject being treated different emotions which he expresses tactilely by applying finger pressure to a pressure-sensitive transducer, and more particularly to a system which includes the transducer and a computer responsive thereto for carrying out this technique, the computer being programmed to sequentially select from its memory each word in a set of words representing different emotions and to reproduce the selected word so that it can be heard by the subject who then, when commanded to do so by a series of time-spaced audible start clicks, applies finger pressure to the transducer whose output signals are processed in the computer to develop on its display terminal a sentogram, the shape of which characterizes the emotion expressed by the subject.
2. Status of Prior Art
My prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,652 (Clynes), entitled "Programmed System for Evoking Emotional Responses," discloses a system adapted to internally generate in a subject different emotional states in a programmed manner. By going through a timed sequence of these states in the course of a sentic cycle during which the subject applies finger pressure to a pressure-sensitive transducer in a manner expressing the emotion he then feels, the subject's ability to freely express emotion and overcome inhibitive and repressive tendencies is enhanced.
In my prior system, the programmer takes the form of a magnetic tape cassette player which reproduces at timed intervals in the course of a sentic cycle a sequence of words each donating a specific generalized emotion, such as love, hate, anger or grief. Every presented word is followed by a series of time-spaced audible start clicks commanding the subject, upon hearing each click, to express the denoted emotion by pressing with a finger the actuator element of the transducer in a manner which expresses this emotion. This transducer which senses vector components of the applied finger pressure yields output signals which are applied to a TV monitor on whose screen is displayed in real time the transient pattern or sentic shape of the subject's tactile expression of a particular emotion.
A similar system is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,922 (Clynes) entitled "System for Producing Personalized Sentograms." In this system, the programmer is also a magnetic tape cassette player, but instead of presenting a sequence of words representing different generalized emotions, presented in sequence are words, each identifying an individual with whom the subject has a close relationship or about whom the subject has a distinct feeling.
In the system disclosed in my '922 patent, the transducer is coupled not only to a TV monitor as in the '652 patent, but also to an averaging device whose output represents the average of ten responses or whatever number of click-started responses is sensed for each announced name generating an emotional response. The averaged sentic shape is then recorded to produce a personalized sentogram for each name.
As pointed out in my '922 patent, the collection of personalized sentograms developed by the subject in response to a series of names is useful in characterizing his condition. Each personalized sentogram may be analyzed in the light of sentograms representing abstract, generalized emotions. For example, if the personalized sentogram for "father" is quite similar in its essentic form to an abstract sentogram for "love," clearly the subject feels love for his father. But in other instances, the personalized sentograms may exhibit compound effects, such as fear-awe or hate-anger, in which event one finds in the personalized sentograms hybrid forms of the abstract sentograms. The collection of personalized sentograms therefore lends itself to analysis to provide a personality relationship profile of the subject.
My above-identified copending application discloses a self-sufficient sentic cycler unit which dispenses with the need for a magnetic tape player as the programmer. The unit includes a solid-state memory having digitally stored therein a set of words representing different emotions, as well as a click or other command signal instructing the subject to tactilely express the emotion represented by the word selected from the memory. The memory is controlled by a programmed microprocessor associated with a clock to produce a sentic cycle in the course of which words are selected from the set in a predetermined sequence, each selected word being followed by a series of time-spaced clicks. The digital output of the memory is converted into an analog signal that is reproduced so that it can be heard by the subject. The unit is provided with a finger rest which is to be pressed by the subject, who after hearing a selected word then hears a command click in the click series following the word. After each audible click, the subject then exerts finger pressure on the finger rest in a manner expressive of the emotion generated or evoked by the word.
The unit disclosed in my copending application does not use a pressure-sensitive transducer from whose output is derived a sentogram. In that unit, finger pressure is applied by the subject to a finger rest to obtain an emotional release and other psychological benefits, and sentograms play no role in this context.
Also of prior art interest are my U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,999,773, 4,763,257 and 4,704,682 (Clynes) which disclose systems in which music is imbued with a composer's inner pulse and/or with predictive amplitude shapes embodying emotional meaning. These patents are hereinafter referred to collectively as my music processing patents.

Computerized system for producing sentic cycles and for generating and communicating emotions


A metered dispenser includes a housing including a reciprocable piston drive stem including an inlet opening at a first end thereof, a floating piston at a second end, and a passage between the first and second ends. An inlet valve is provided adjacent the first end for permitting entry of liquid product into the passage. A biased cocking mechanism is reciprocally disposed substantially within the housing. A biased loading mechanism is movable in a second generally opposite direction by the cocking mechanism, and is engageable with the piston drive stem to move the drive stem in the second direction. When the cocking mechanism is moved from an initial rest position toward the second direction, a series of operations allow the loading mechanism to project the drive stem in the first direction to dispense a metered dose of liquid product through a discharge orifice provided adjacent the second end.

a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to liquid dispensers, and, more particularly, to a mechanically propelled metered dispenser for dispensing a predetermined quantity of liquid product.
b. Description of Related Art
Finger-powered dispensing pumps are known in the art, and generally include a finger operated pump head, which when depressed, discharges liquid product from a container having the pump mounted thereon. An exemplary finger-powered dispensing pump is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,169. Such pumps can be arranged as sprayers or atomizers in which a spray nozzle emits the pumped liquid as a spray, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,194,447 and 4,433,799. Alternatively, the pumps can be arranged as liquid dispensers in which a dispensing nozzle thereof is a discharge spout, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,625.
It is desirable that means be provided for metering the amount of liquid dispensed, and also that such means be easy for a consumer to operate. For example, if the pump is used on a spray dispensing bottle for a hair spray, a consumer may desire a generally repeatable amount of spray dispensed per pump actuation. However, if the pump is used with a medicine dispensing bottle, it is desirable that the dispensed amount be repeatable and precise for imparting the intended effect.
Such an exemplary metered dispenser for dispensing of medicine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,957 to Py. Specifically, referring to FIG. 1 of Py, there is disclosed an apparatus (10) for applying medicament and generally including an outer body (12), an inner body (14) and a piston body (16). When piston body (16) is located in the up position (see FIG. 1), medicament is permitted to flow from medicament chamber (33), through slots (46), and drop cavity (38) to fill the drop cavity. When piston body (16) is pushed toward outer body (12) and into a down position, the downward stroke of piston (18) forces the medicament in drop cavity (38) through channel (44) and into interface (25). During this downward stroke of piston (18), flexible rim (40) is forced outwardly into contact with cylindrical wall (36), thus preventing the passage of medicament in drop cavity (38) back into medicament chamber (33). The pressurized medicament flowing through channel (44) opens interface (25) by forcing flexible outer nozzle portion (22) away from inner nozzle portion (24) to open the nozzle and release the medicament. Once the medicament is released, outer nozzle portion (22) returns to its normal position in contact with inner nozzle portion (24) so as to close interface (25).
As readily evident from the afore-described operation of the Py metered dispenser, the dispenser requires piston body (16) to be pushed toward outer body (12) for dispensing of medicine through nozzle (20). When used adjacent an eye or a nostril for dispensing medicine, such a pushing action can lead to contact of the nozzle tip with a user's eye to contaminate the dispenser, and more importantly, can present a danger to the user's eye during repeated use if the nozzle tip indeed becomes contaminated. Yet further, since the amount of medicine dispensed is a function of piston body (16) which is pushed toward outer body (12), the amount of medicine dispensed can vary depending on whether a user completely pushes piston body (16) toward outer body (12), which can also be a function of a user's ability to push piston body (16) as required.
It would therefore be of benefit to provide a metered dispenser which is repeatable in operation to dispense a predetermined dosage of medicine or other products, and which is usable by a broad range of users to repeatedly dispense a metered dosage of medicine without fluctuations in the amount of medicine dispensed. It would also be of benefit to provide a metered dispenser which is simple and economical to manufacture and assemble, and which is robust in design and efficient to operate.
The following patents are representative of metered dispensers with feed-containing piston drive mechanisms:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,687 to Robert W. Norton describes a pipetting dispenser of the piston-cylinder type with interchangeable fittings by which the operative movement of the piston may be arranged to be in line with or at an angle to the axis of an attached pipette and having adjustable stop means to limit travel of the piston within predetermined limits, together with means automatically retracting the piston from its discharge position to a position in engagement with said adjustable stop means, thereby insuring the repeated dispensing of the like volumes of liquid from said pipette in successive operations of the dispenser, for any adjusted position of the stop means.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,585 to David M. Maurice discloses a method and apparatus for applying therapeutic eye drops to the eye by metering a predetermined volume of fluid and rapidly applying a pressure to one end of the metered fluid for forcing the fluid from a nozzle of means defining a small passageway such as and open-ended tube as a droplet having sufficient velocity to travel a generally horizontal distance in space to the eye. Unit dose application and multiple dose applications are included and provision is made for preventing anticipatory blinking of the eye during self-administration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,677 to Yuji Oshikubo describes a pipetting apparatus comprising a housing, a liquid receiving tube attached to the lower end of the housing and receiving a predetermined amount of a liquid sample herein, a cylinder piston device disposed in the housing for applying vacuum pressure on the upper end of the liquid receiving tube for sucking a liquid sample into the tube, a manually operable device for actuating the cylinder piston device, an air inlet for directing compressed air into the housing, and a manually operable valve for directing compressed air either to the upper end of the liquid receiving tube or to atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,895 to Dale C. Harris describes a present invention which relates to a hypodermic syringe having the same general appearance as a pen which is specifically adapted to provide for multiple measured injections of materials such as insulin or human growth hormone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,986 to Daniel Py describes and illustrates a cartridge for actuating a piston-like or accordion-like dispenser-vial for applying medication to any eye. The cartridge includes a housing for holding the dispenser-vial and a telescoping cylinder for compressing the dispenser-vial in the longitudinal direction to actuate the vial. The cartridge includes a locking mechanism for locking the telescoping cylinder to restrict its movement and a trigger mechanism for releasing the cylinder from the locked position so that a drop is released form the dispenser. The housing includes a finger for engaging the lower eyelid and exposing the conjunctival cul de sac.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,259 to Daniel Py discloses a cartridge for actuating a piston-like or accordion-like dispenser-vial for a applying medicament to an eye. The cartridge includes a housing for holding the dispenser-vial and a telescoping cylinder for compressing the dispenser-vial in the longitudinal direction to activate the vial. The cartridge includes a locking mechanism for locking the telescoping cylinder to restrict its movement and a lever mechanism for releasing the cylinder from the locked position so that a drop is released from the dispenser. The housing includes a finger for engaging the lower eyelid and exposing the conjunctival cul-de-sac.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,957 to Daniel Py discloses an apparatus used for applying medicament to an eye and to store the medicament in a medicament chamber. A nozzle is coupled in fluid communication with the medicament chamber and is formed by an outer nozzle portion and an inner nozzle portion received within the outer nozzle portion. A tight interface is defined between the inner nozzle portion and the outer nozzle portion and is normally in a closed position to prevent the passage of medicament through the nozzle. The interface opens in response to the flow of medicament of sufficient pressure into it to permit the passage of medicament through the nozzle for release into the eye.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,869 to Daniel Py describes and illustrates an apparatus used to apply medicament to an eye and to store the medicament in a medicament chamber. A nozzle is couples in fluid communication with the medicament chamber and is formed by an outer nozzle portion and an inner nozzle portion received within the outer nozzle portion. A seam is formed by the interface of the inner nozzle portion and the outer nozzle portion and is normally in a closed position to prevent the passage of medicament through the nozzle. The seam opens in response to the flow of medicament or sufficient pressure into the seam to permit the passage of medicament through the nozzle for release into the eye.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,246 B1 to John E. Harrold describes a present invention that relates to a metered, mechanically propelled, liquid dispenser. It has a main body cylinder having liquid and liquid advancing mechanism for advancing the liquid into a metered dosage dispensing chamber. There is a cocking mechanism which includes a lock pin, a stressed slot and rest slot. When the cocking mechanism is locked, the advancing means is moved and liquid is ready for firing from the metered dosage dispensing chamber through a dispensing orifice. The cocking mechanism is slowly rotated while holding the main body cylinder vertically and the pin is manually moved in the rest slot thereby causing a plunger to be forced by a spring to push against a stop on a trigger which advances the trigger to rapidly force the liquid out of the metered dosage dispensing chamber through the dispensing orifice. The dispensing orifice includes a one-way valve which allows the liquid to be dispensed while preventing air from returning to the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,663 B2 to John E. Harrold describes a present invention mechanically propelled, liquid metered dispenser includes a main housing with liquid storage and a liquid advancing component for either allowing liquid to flow out or assisting in the flow of liquid out of the main housing by exerting pressure, into a metered dosage dispensing chamber in response to a loading movement of a cocking mechanism. The chamber has an inlet connected to the main housing with a one-way valve to only permit flow of liquid into the chamber. The chamber also has an outlet orifice for dispensing liquid therefrom in a metered amount. The chamber ahs a reciprocal plunger and has a load and release component connected to it, which includes a cocking mechanism, a locking mechanism, and a spring. The cocking mechanism is functionally connected to the plunger so as to move in harmony therewith, or, more preferably, to move a relatively, short distance relative to the distance traveled by the cocking mechanism.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.

Push-botton metered dispenser with feed-containing piston drive mechanism


A method of growing crystals from solution is described which includes growing crystals from a solution comprising ions under the combined effect of gravity and an applied magnetic field, in which the magnetic field in the range of about 1 to 10 times the strength of the Earth's magnetic field.

The preparation of high purity crystals is of interest in a range of scientific and industrial applications; however, macroscopic and microscopic fluctuations of composition which commonly occur in solution, make it a challenge to obtain high quality crystals.
There has been considerable investigation of the effect of magnetic field on crystal growth. Several reports suggest that a magnetic field affects the growth of crystals from an aqueous solution. Thus, application of a magnetic field decreases the growth rate of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (Zizic et al. J Crystal Growth 54:439 (1981)) and Rochelle salts (Mitrovic et al. Appl. Phys. A 51:374 (1990)). On the other hand, application of a magnetic field increases the growth rate of Fe(NH.sub.4).sub.2 (SO.sub.2).sub.2 (M. Schieber J Crystal Growth 1:131 (1967). Other studies have reported an effect of a magnetic field on phase composition in polytypic crystals (B. P. J. Prezedmojski Crystal Res. & Technol. 17:759 (1982)). In all these studies, very high magnetic field strengths in the order of 5000-20,000 Gauss (0.5-2.0 T) were applied. The effect of weak magnetic fields on crystal growth from aqueous solutions has not been investigated.
It has been known that space-grown crystals differ from those grown on Earth. As observed in the 1988 Shuttle Discovery experiment in a microgravity environment and a magnetic field which was about 80-90% of the Earth's magnetic field, lead iodide crystals grew uniformly throughout the solution and also uniformly on a membrane in the experimental chamber. This was very different from lead iodide crystals grown in laboratories on Earth, where the crystals grew only at the vertical membrane and then only at the bottom half of the membrane. Scaife et al. Chem. Mater. 2:777 (1990)!.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of growing crystals from solution under the combined effect of gravity and low magnetic field strengths.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for crystal growth in which the growth location, size and crystal quality may be controlled.

Crystal growth under the combined effect of gravity and magnetic field


A two wire interface is disclosed that serializes messaging signals and GPIO signals into frames transmitted over a transmit pin. The two wire interface is configured to perform flow control by monitoring a voltage for the transmit pin.

General purpose input/output (GPIO) enables an integrated circuit designer to provide generic pins that may be customized for particular applications. For example, a GPIO pin is programmable to be either an output or an input pin depending upon a user's needs. A GPIO module or peripheral will typically control groups of pins which can vary based on the interface requirement. Because of the programmability of GPIO pins, they are commonly included in microprocessor and microcontroller applications. For example, an applications processor in mobile devices may use a number of GPIO pins to conduct handshake signaling such as inter-processor communication (IPC) with a modem processor.
With regard to such handshake signaling, a sideband signal is deemed as "symmetric" if it must be both transmitted and received by a processor. If there are n symmetric sideband signals that need to be exchanged, each processor requires n*2 GPIOs (one GPIO to transmit a given signal and one GPIO to receive that signal). For example, a symmetric IPC interface between a modem processor and an application processor may comprise five signals, which translates to 10 GPIO pins being necessary for the resulting IPC signaling. The need for so many GPIO pins for IPC communication increases manufacturing cost. Moreover, devoting too many GPIOs for IPC limits the GPIO availability for other system-level peripheral interfaces. The problem cannot be solved by moving the IPC communication onto the main data bus between the processors in that certain corner conditions are then violated.
To alleviate the pin demands suffered by conventional GPIO systems, a "virtual" GPIO architecture has been developed such in which multiple GPIO signals are serialized onto a single transmit pin such as through a finite state machine (FSM). The FSM receives the multiple GPIO signals from a GPIO interface that in turn receives the multiple GPIO signals from a processor. The GPIO interface also interfaces with conventional GPIO pins that transmit conventional GPIO signals. The distinction between the conventional GPIO signals and the virtual GPIO signals carried on the transmit pin is transparent to the processor. This is quite advantageous in that the processor needs no software modification to communicate through the GPIO interface. With regard to transmission, the processor thus presents a set of GPIO signals to the GPIO interface. Depending upon the number of conventional GPIO pins available, the GPIO interface will transmit a first subset of the GPIO signals over corresponding conventional GPIO pins. In contrast, the GPIO interface presents a remaining subset of the GPIO signals to the FSM, which serializes them and transmits them over the dedicated transmit pin.
During GPIO signal transmission, the dedicated transmit pin couples through a suitable transmission line such as a circuit board trace to a receiving integrated circuit's dedicated receive pin. A transmitting integrated circuit thus also includes a dedicated receive pin for receiving transmitted virtual GPIO signals from a remote integrated circuit. The FSM deserializes the received virtual GPIO signals into a first set of received GPIO signals that are presented to the GPIO interface. Similarly, the GPIO interface receives a second set of received GPIO signals through the conventional GPIO pins. The first and second set of received GPIO signals may then be presented to the processor in a conventional fashion through the GPIO interface. To the processor, it is thus transparent whether a given received GPIO signal was received on the dedicated receive pin as a virtual GPIO signal or over a conventional GPIO pin. The processor thus needs no software modification with regard to transmission or reception.
With regard to this advantageous virtual GPIO capability, note that a receiving circuit may not be ready to receive a frame of virtual GPIO signals (nor to receive conventional GPIO signals). Flow control allows such a receiving integrated circuit to indicate to the transmitting integrated circuit whether or not the receiving integrated circuit is able to currently receive data. In general, however, flow control requires the use of additional pins. For example, a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) interface includes a request to send (RTS) pin as well as a clear to send (CTS) pin. These two flow control pins are in addition to a dedicated receive pin as well as a dedicated transmit pin. The two additional flow control pins (RTS and CTS) for a UART interface thus increases pin count and contributes to higher manufacturing cost.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a GPIO architecture that can transmit and receive a plurality of GPIO signals using just a two-pin interface in which the flow control is multiplexed over the two-pin interface. More generally, there is a need in the art for multiplexed flow control for two-pin interfaces.

Impedance-based flow control for a two-wire interface system with variable frame length


In a squeeze roller assembly of a wet type developer of an electrophotographic printer, a shaft is rotatably installed in a frame. A first roller is fixed on the shaft for filming solid toner from a developing liquid onto a photosensitive belt. Second rollers are rotatably installed on the same shaft at both sides of the first roller. The first roller, attached to the central portion of the imaging surface of a photosensitive belt, rotates in the same direction as that of the conveying direction of the photosensitive belt. The second roller rotates in a direction opposite to the direction of the photosensitive belt by an inverse rotator. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the required installation space by having the first and second rollers share a common shaft as a rotating axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a squeeze roller assembly of a wet type developer for an electrophotographic printer and, more particularly, to a squeeze roller assembly for removing a liquid carrier from a developing liquid which is supplied to the photosensitive medium of an electrophotographic printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a wet type developer is used for developing a desired latent image on an imaging surface of a photosensitive medium such as a photosensitive belt. A squeeze roller assembly creates a film of solid toner, which is contained in the developing liquid, on to the imaging surface by compressing the imaging surface of the photosensitive belt and squeezing away the liquid carrier.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional squeeze roller assembly 210 comprises a first squeeze roller 211 and a second squeeze roller 212. The first squeeze roller 211 is installed to contact an imaging surface 111 of a photosensitive belt 11 and to be passively driven by the photosensitive belt 11 in the same direction as the movement of the belt. The second squeeze roller 212 is installed to contact both edges 111b of the photosensitive belt 11 and to be driven by a predetermined driving source (not shown) in an opposite direction in which the photosensitive belt 11 proceeds. The developing liquid for forming an image is supplied to the central portion 111a of the imaging surface 111. Reference numeral A denotes a contact line on which the first squeeze roller 211 and the photosensitive belt 11 are contacted. Reference numeral 213 denotes a developing roller for delivering the developing liquid I.sub.1 supplied through an injection nozzle 10 into the imaging surface 111 of the photosensitive belt 11. Reference numeral 214 denotes a cleaning roller for cleaning the photosensitive roller 213. The developing liquid I.sub.1 contains a liquid carrier I.sub.2.
The first squeeze roller 211 compresses the imaging surface 111, rotating in the same direction as that of the conveying direction of the photosensitive belt 11, to film the solid toner contained in the developing liquid I.sub.1 onto the imaging surface 111 and to remove the liquid carrier I.sub.2 contained in the developing liquid I.sub.1 from the imaging surface 111. The carrier I.sub.2, which is removed as mentioned above, runs down along the downstream side of the first squeeze roller 211 and drips to the inside of the main body 20. However, the remaining liquid carrier I.sub.3, which is pushed outward toward opposite ends of the first squeeze roller 211, goes over both ends 211a (FIG. 2) of the first squeeze roller 211, and resides in an area W of both edges 111b of the photosensitive belt 11. This is generally called a wrap-around phenomenon.
The wrap-around phenomenon is a type of capillary tube phenomenon, which occurs because the first squeeze roller 211 which contacts the first photosensitive belt 11 rotates in the same direction as that of the proceeding direction of the photosensitive belt 11. To remove the carrier I.sub.3 residing in the area W of both edges 111b of the photosensitive belt 11, the second squeeze roller 212 is rotated in the direction opposite to the conveying direction of the photosensitive belt 11 and first squeeze roller 211.
In the conventional squeeze roller assembly 210 having the above structure, the structure is complicated and the main body 20 of the developer must be large in order to secure the installation space for the squeeze rollers 211 and 212 since the first squeeze roller 211 and the second squeeze roller 212 are installed on separate rotating axes.

Squeeze roller assembly of wet type developer for an electrophotographic printer


Semiconductor islands respectively comprise at least a Si.sub.1-x Ge.sub.x layer and a distorted silicon layer that exhibits essentially the same lattice constant as the Si.sub.1-x Ge.sub.x layer are formed on an insulating layer that is located on a carrier plate. The semiconductor islands are preferably formed by selective epitaxy and comprise p-channel MOS transistors and/or n-channel MOS transistors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of semiconductor devices and, more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved CMOS circuit.
Due to the structural miniaturizations in MOS technology, the properties of MOS transistors and CMOS circuits must be maintained through the micrometer range. However, in MOS transistors with channel lengths of, for example, less than 100 nm, short-channel and punch effects occur. These effects can in fact be partially compensated by an increased doping of the substrate, but the required high doping of the substrate results in, among other things, a deterioration of the charge carrier mobility in the channel. Additionally, in MOS transistors with channel lengths less than 100 nm, the subthreshold slope d In(I.sub.drain)/d V.sub.gate must be maximized so that, even at low operating voltages, the currents in the conductive condition and in the non-conductive condition can be clearly distinguished. Finally, in order to avoid extreme short-channel effects, flat source/drain regions must be utilized that exhibit a low specific series resistance on the order of 100 .OMEGA..mu.m.
2. Description of the Related Art
For increasing the charge carrier mobility, it has been proposed in the literature (see, for example, K. Rim et al., IEEE IEDM Tech. Dig., page 517 (1995) to realize n-channel and p-channel transistors in substrates that comprise strained silicon at least in the channel region of the transistors. Strained silicon is silicon whose lattice constant is increased in two spatial directions compared to unstrained silicon. Strained silicon is produced by growing silicon lattice-matched to a substrate having a higher lattice constant. Si.sub.1- Ge.sub.x is suitable as such a substrate material. The high defect densities in the Si.sub.1-x Ge.sub.x substrate is a problem in the manufacture of strained silicon.
It has been proposed (see A. R. Powell et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 64, page 1856 (1994)) to grow the Si.sub.1-x Ge.sub.x layer on the thinned silicon layer of an SOI substrate. Stresses in the Si.sub.1-x Ge.sub.x layer relax in this case into the thinned silicon layer lying therebelow, insofar as the germanium content in the Si.sub.1-x Ge.sub.x layer is less than 15 percent.
In order to manufacture very flat source/drain regions with low series resistance, Y. Mitani et al., IEEE VLSI Tech. Dig., page 91 (1996), has proposed that the source/drain regions be manufactured by etching depressions into the surface of the substrate and selective, in situ doped growth of amorphous silicon and subsequent recrystallization of the amorphous silicon. However, there are shortcomings to this design as well.
The present invention is based on the problem of providing an integrated CMOS circuit arrangement and a method for the manufacture thereof in which short-channel effects and punch effects are prevented and high charge carrier mobility is assured.

Integrated CMOS circuit arrangement and method for the manufacture thereof


A method for manufacturing a solar-power-generator substrate by cutting out a semiconductor substrate by slicing a semiconductor ingot and then by forming a texture structure on a surface of the semiconductor substrate by performing a surface treatment on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, includes: cleaning including cleaning and removing an organic impurity and a metal impurity adhering to the surface of the semiconductor substrate with a cleaning fluid containing an oxidizing chemical; and etching including removing a damaged layer on a substrate surface generated by the slicing and forming the texture structure on the surface of the semiconductor substrate by performing anisotropic etching on the surface of the semiconductor substrate with an alkaline aqueous solution, the etching being performed subsequent to the cleaning.

There has been a demand to improve the power-generation efficiency of solar power generators that will lead to a reduction in manufacturing costs. One method of improving the power-generation efficiency is to form an uneven structure on the surface of a silicon substrate of the solar power generator that allows the silicon substrate to efficiently absorb more sunlight. This uneven structure referred to as "texture" is a collective term for microasperities formed on the surface of the silicon substrate. An uneven structure, for example, is known that has convex portions in the form of quadrangular pyramids each surrounded by silicon (111) surfaces. With this texture, it is possible to allow repeated reflections a plurality of times in such a manner that sunlight once reflected by the surface of the texture reaches the surface of the texture again, thereby allowing absorption of more sunlight (an optical confinement effect).
During the manufacturing of the solar power generator, the texture is usually formed on the surface of the silicon substrate by immersing the silicon substrate in a high-temperature chemical solution (a wet etchant) obtained by adding, as an additive, organic matter such as IPA to an alkaline aqueous solution such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide and then by using the property that the etching rate is different depending on the surface orientation of silicon.
In order to improve the quality of the solar power generator, various manufacturing processes performed between a step of slicing and processing a silicon ingot into a substrate and a step of forming the texture structure on the surface of the substrate have been proposed.
When the substrate is sliced, chips and abrasive generated by the scraping of the wire adhere to the substrate. Such chips and the abrasive are cleaned and removed after the slicing. Further, processing strain caused by the slicing, referred to as a "damaged layer", is generated on the surface layer of the sliced substrate up to a depth of about 5 μm. When the damaged layer remains in the solar power generator, recombination of electrons is accelerated in the damaged layer, causing degradation of the characteristics of the solar power generator. Therefore, it is generally necessary to perform a step of removing the damaged layer.
For removing the damaged layer, a step is required in which the substrate surface is etched by using, for example, an alkali solution or a mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid to scrape the substrate surface. By performing such a step of removing the damaged layer, organic impurities and metal impurities that are contaminants remaining on the substrate surface are removed at the same time as the separation of a natural oxide film.
However, when a silicon active surface is exposed as a result of the removal of the damaged layer, organic impurities and metal impurities hindering formation of the texture easily adhere to the surface of the substrate, and therefore such a substrate cannot be placed in the air for a long time. As a method for preventing adhesion of impurities to the substrate even if the substrate is left in the air for a long time after the removal of the damaged layer, for example, a method is proposed in Patent Literature 1 in which a substrate from which a damaged layer has been removed is immersed in an oxidizing chemical solution to form a chemical oxide film on the substrate surface.
With Patent Literature 1, adhesion of organic impurities and metal impurities that are contaminants can be suppressed by forming a chemical oxide film on the active silicon substrate surface from which the damaged layer has been removed and thereby protecting the active silicon substrate surface. It is also disclosed that, because it is possible to leave the silicon substrate after removal of the damaged layer in the air for a long time, the process can be performed without taking care of the storage for the texture formation at the next step.
In this case, however, a device for removing the damaged layer and a device for forming the texture are required. That is, at least two processing devices are required. Further, a drying process and the like have to be performed during each of the treatments performed by the respective devices, making the process redundant.
In addition, Patent Literature 1 discloses that, although organic impurities and metal impurities also adhere to the oxidation film formed on the surface of the silicon substrate from the air, they are removed together with the oxidation film at the texture formation step, which is the next step, and therefore cause no problem.
However, organic impurities and metal impurities adhering to the oxidation film formed on the surface of the silicon substrate remain in the alkaline aqueous solution together with the oxidation film during wet etching that is performed to form the texture using an alkaline aqueous solution (an etchant). After the etching treatment, the alkali and the additive that have been consumed in a single etching treatment are compensated for, so that the etchant is used a plurality of times. Therefore, the organic impurities and the metal impurities separated from the silicon substrate are accumulated in the etchant and cause degradation of the performance of the etchant. Accordingly, there is a problem in that it becomes necessary to shorten the replacement period of the etchant and this leads to an increase in the chemical solution costs.

Method for manufacturing solar-power-generator substrate and apparatus for manufacturing solar-power-generator substrate


A wheel stability control system for an electric vehicle including an electric motor, a drive inverter, and an electronic control unit (ECU) including a computer readable, non-transitory memory (memory) and an electronic processing unit (EPU). The memory stores information including an optimal acceleration and deceleration curve and the electrical characteristics of the electric motor. The EPU calculates the electrical moment of the electric motor from inputs from the drive inverter and the electrical characteristics of the electric motor. The ECU compares the electrical moment and the angular speed of the motor with the optimal acceleration and deceleration curve, and if the acceleration or deceleration of the electric motor is out of a predetermined range when compared to the optimal acceleration and the optimal deceleration, it reduces the electrical moment applied by the electric motor.

In electric vehicles, as in traditional vehicles, maintaining control over the angular speed of the wheels is critical to maintaining traction with the road surface. A loss of fraction can occur from excessive acceleration or deceleration (i.e. hard braking). When accelerating, the wheels can receive excessive torque from the electric motor. This causes a loss of traction with the road surface and wheel spin. Similarly, when the wheels receive excessive braking force, the wheels lose traction with the road surface. Modern vehicle systems strive to eliminate a loss of traction and wheel spin with wheel stability control systems. These systems include, for example, antilock braking, traction control, and stability control.
Wheel stability control systems are limited in effectiveness by the ability of the vehicle's sensors to determine the vehicle's behavior. In some situations, the vehicle's sensors provide inaccurate or misleading information about the vehicle's behavior. This situation can arise even when the sensors are performing their function correctly and accurately. For example, a wheel angular speed sensor may be correctly detecting the wheel's angular speed, but if the wheel is not maintaining traction with the road surface, the information inaccurately describes the vehicle's speed. Inaccurate information about the vehicle can cause the wheel stability control systems to underperform. Therefore, systems and methods for gathering accurate information about a vehicle and using this information in modern control systems are highly desired.

Wheel stability control based on the moment of an electrical motor


A new Power Drill Leverage Tool Assembly for providing additional leverage force upon the power drill bit in engaging a material to be drilled or reamed. The inventive device includes a tool member having a first end, a second end, a casing engaging tool for engaging a power drill casing, and a casing hole engaging tool for engaging a power drill casing hole, a handle member attachable to the tool member at the first end, and a link chain attachable to the tool member second end and to the workpiece.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to force applying devices and more particularly pertains to a new Power Drill Leverage Tool Assembly for providing additional leverage force upon the power drill bit in engaging a material to be drilled or reamed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of force applying devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, force applying devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art force applying devices include U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,926; U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,397; U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,119; U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,579; U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,893 and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 278,791.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new Power Drill Leverage Tool Assembly. The inventive device includes a tool member having a first end, a second end, a casing engaging tool for engaging a power drill casing, and a casing hole engaging tool for engaging a power drill casing hole, a handle member attachable to the tool member at the first end and a means for attaching the tool member second end to the workpiece.
In these respects, the Power Drill Leverage Tool Assembly according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing additional leverage force upon the power drill bit in engaging a material to be drilled or reamed.


A method of fabricating local interconnect on a silicon-germanium 3D CMOS includes fabricating an active silicon CMOS device on a silicon substrate. An insulator layer is deposited on the silicon substrate and a seed window is opened through the insulator layer to the silicon substrate and to a silicon CMOS device gate. A germanium thin film is deposited on the insulator layer and into windows, forming a contact between the germanium thin film and the silicon device. The germanium thin film is encapsulated in a dielectric material. The wafer is heated at a temperature sufficient to flow the germanium, while maintaining the other layers in a solid condition. The wafer is cooled to solidify the germanium as single crystal germanium and as polycrystalline germanium, which provides local interconnects. Germanium CMOS devices may be fabricated on the single crystal germanium thin film.

Known silicon-germanium CMOS structures are fabricated above, or on, a conventional silicon CMOS, and a dielectric layer is provided to separate the convention silicon CMOS from the germanium CMOS. The interconnection between the silicon CMOS and germanium CMOS is difficult to fabricate. This invention provides a local interconnect between the silicon CMOS and germanium CMOS that can significantly increase the device density.
Liu et al., High quality single-crystal Germanium on insulator by liquid-phase epitaxy on Silicon substrate, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 84, no. 14, pp 2563-2565.

Method of fabricating local interconnects on a silicon-germanium 3D CMOS


An endoscopic accessory medical device is provided. The device can include a handle, a flexible shaft, and an end effector. The handle can include an actuator for operating the end effector through a wire or cable pulling member that extends through the flexible shaft. The handle and actuator can be operable with a single hand, such that the operation of the end effector can be accomplished with the same hand that is used to hold the handle and advance the end effector through an endoscope. The handle can include an actuation mechanism that is decoupled from operation of the end effector when the actuator is in a first open position, which becomes operatively coupled to the end effector when the actuator is moved to a second position, such as by squeezing the actuator, and which operates the end effector when the actuator is moved further to a third position.

Endoscopists typically perform diagnosis and therapy using a flexible endoscope such as a gastroscope, colonoscope, enteroscope, cystoscope, or other types of endoscopes. The endoscope provides the endoscopist with the ability to visualize the inside of a lumen, and is often designed with an integral working channel through which small accessory devices may be passed to perform therapy at various tissue sites within a body.
Guiding the flexible endoscope to the desired location within a body lumen requires a high level of skill. For example, navigating a tortuous bending colon or introducing a gastroscope into an esophagus can be a difficult and time-consuming part of a procedure. Therefore, much of the endoscopist's skills are related to using and handling the endoscope. Unlike certain procedures in laparoscopic surgery where an assistant may hold the camera, use of a gastroscope typically requires that the endoscopist always maintain the scope with at least one hand, leaving only one hand to introduce and operate accessories through the integral working channel of the scope.
Current handle designs typically require the use of an operator's thumb to actuate the end effector. Among the current designs are pistol grips, syringe grips, and scissor grips. These existing designs do not allow an endoscopist to both feed and operate (e.g. slide, open, close, actuate, etc.) the accessory being used with the endoscopist's single free hand.
Therefore, an assistant is typically used to operate (slide, open, close, actuate) an accessory such as a forcep or snare to take biopsies or remove polyps. For example in a gastrointestinal procedure, a right handed endoscopist typically holds the endoscope controls in his/her left hand and may advance an accessory device into the working channel of the endoscope with the right hand by grasping the shaft of the accessory. An assistant, who stands close to the endoscopist, is employed to open, close, or otherwise acuate the accessory when given the verbal direction by the endoscopist. The endoscopist feeds the accessory to the desired tissue area using a combination of articulating the endoscope with the left hand and feeding the accessory forward with the right hand, and verbally signals the assistant when to open or close the jaws to remove a portion of tissue.
Although this procedure using an assistant is used, there may be delays or miscommunication between endoscopist and assistant as to when or where to operate an accessory that results in procedure delays, misdiagnosis, or incomplete tissue removal. Another issue that occasionally arises when using an endoscopic accessory is that winding or otherwise positioning a long, flexible accessory instrument in a tortuous path can result in a reduction in ability to open or close the end effector at the distal end of the device. This loss in the ability to open or close the device results from the free floating pull cable (typically inside a long flexible device) being placed in tension as the shaft is wound, causing the end effector to partially close independently of actuation of the handle. Such limitations in the end effector motion may reduce the ability to perform a procedure, or reduce the force with which jaws close, affecting an operator's ability to sample tissue adequately.

Method of operating an endoscopic device with one hand


The object of the present invention is to provide a composition which exerts a higher effect on recovering health from articular disorders than that attained by amino sugars and glycosaminoglycans. The present invention solves the object by providing an agent for treating articular disorders, comprising an amino sugar and trehalose as effective ingredients.

Articulations in mammals including humans are mechanically stimulated during their physical activities and exposed to risks such as inflammation and physical destruction. Examples of factors of causing disorders in articulations (hereinafter, briefly called "articular disorders") are infections, injuries, allergies, metabolic disorders, corpulences, and blood circulation disorders. It has been pointed out that the crisis rate of articular disorders increases as aging, and articular disorders are becoming to be a social problem in this aging society.
As articular disorders generally accompany inflammations, they are treated with anti-inflammatories in many cases. However, treatments thereof can be only effective for temporarily suppressing some symptoms accompanied by articular disorders such as pains and swellings. There is nothing but the action of recovery by living bodies to intrinsically cure the disorders.
The specification of Japanese Patent No. 2,971,579 discloses a composition comprising an effective amount of an amino sugar or a salt thereof, and a glycosaminoglycan or a salt thereof for treating damaged connective tissues and arthritis or for keeping treated conditions. The composition promotes the recovery action of living bodies on damaged connective tissues through the functions of amino sugars and glycosaminoglycans. It may be as a proposal to solve the problem of current treatments with anti-inflammatories. However, the establishment of more effective agents for treating articular disorders, which use the above functions of amino sugars and glycosaminoglycans, has been desired to solve the problem of articular disorders becoming to be a social problem. In addition, these amino sugars and glycosaminoglycans may give some people a strange taste and flavor when taken orally, and therefore, it has been greatly expected that agents for treating articular disorders should be improved in their taste and flavor although it contains amino sugars and glycosaminoglycans.

Kabushiki Kaisha Hayashibara Seibutsu Kagaku Kenyujo


A turbocharger arrangement for a variable geometry turbocharger including pivotable vanes (34) with each vane (34) having a respective vane bore (38) for receiving a vane post (28) into a vane first planar surface (80) and a respective actuation post (36) projecting outwardly from the first planar surface (80).

Turbochargers are widely used on internal combustion engines and, in the past, have been particularly used with large diesel engines, especially for highway trucks and marine applications.
More recently, in addition to use in connection with large diesel engines, turbochargers have become popular for use in connection with smaller, passenger car power plants. The use of a turbocharger in passenger car applications permits selection of a power plant that develops the same amount of horsepower from a smaller, lower mass engine. Using a lower mass engine has the desired effect of decreasing the overall weight of the car, increasing sporty performance, and enhancing fuel economy. Moreover, use of a turbocharger permits more complete combustion of the fuel delivered to the engine, thereby reducing the overall emissions of the engine, which contributes to the highly desirable goal of a cleaner environment.
The design and function of turbochargers are described in detail in the prior art, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,705,463, 5,399,064, and 6,164,931, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Turbocharger units typically include a turbine operatively connected to the engine exhaust manifold, a compressor operatively connected to the engine air intake manifold, and a shaft connecting the turbine and compressor so that rotation of the turbine wheel causes rotation of the compressor impeller. The turbine is driven to rotate by the exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust manifold. The compressor impeller is driven to rotate by the turbine, and, as it rotates, it increases the air mass flow rate, airflow density and air pressure delivered to the engine cylinders.
As the use of turbochargers finds greater acceptance in passenger car applications, three design criteria have moved to the forefront. First, the market demands that all components of the power plant of either a passenger car or truck, including the turbocharger, must provide reliable operation for a much longer period than was demanded in the past. That is, while it may have been acceptable in the past to require a major engine overhaul after 80,000–100,000 miles for passenger cars, it is now necessary to design engine components for reliable operation in excess of 200,000 miles of operation. It is now necessary to design engine components in trucks for reliable operation in excess of 1,000,000 miles of operation. This means that extra care must be taken to ensure proper fabrication and cooperation of all supporting devices.
The second design criterion that has moved to the forefront is that the power plant must meet or exceed very strict requirements in the area of minimized NOx and particulate matter emissions. Third, with the mass production of turbochargers, it is highly desirable to design a turbocharger that meets the above criteria and is comprised of a minimum number of parts. Further, those parts should be easy to manufacture and easy to assemble, in order to provide a cost effective and reliable turbocharger.
Turbocharger efficiency over a broad range of operating conditions is enhanced if the flow of motive gas to the turbine wheel can be controlled, such as by making the vanes pivotable so as to alter the geometry of the passages therebetween. The design of the mechanism used to effect pivoting of the vanes is critical to prevent binding of the vanes. Other considerations include the cost of manufacture of parts and the labor involved in assembly of such systems.
Prior art mechanisms that attempt to provide reliable mechanisms to this end include U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,603 which discloses an exhaust gas turbocharger comprising a turbine with a guide apparatus including an array of guide vanes arranged concentrically around a rotor axis and pivotable between two end limits and an adjusting mechanism for pivoting the vanes. A first "securing" ring is arranged at the side of a bearing housing for mounting a first trunnion of each guide vane that is also mounted at the side of an oppositely disposed turbine housing. The arrangement makes possible a compact construction that can be fabricated at reduced cost and assembled easily. This is achieved by an assembly containing the guide apparatus and the adjusting mechanism. Further, the assembly includes a second securing ring arranged at the side of a turbine housing for mounting a second trunnion of each guide vane.
However, the above mentioned design of Engels, for example, contains numerous moving parts that must not only be fabricated individually, but that are also costly to assemble, require more maintenance, and have higher failure rates than are desired. In addition, friction wear can be a problem with such a design.
Subsequent efforts in this area have included the approach disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,464 (Arnold). The vanes of Arnold are pivoted by two posts extending from opposite surfaces of the vanes. A pivot post is received in a respective hole in one vane surface whereas an actuation post extends from the other side of the vane and is received by a ring. When the ring is pivoted, the actuation post extending from the vane is moved, and, because the pivot post is spatially fixed, the vane is pivoted. In operation under flow conditions, the vanes are under significant forces due to (1) the motive gas, (2) the force applied to pivot the vanes through the actuation post, and (3) the force on the vane about the pivot post. These forces result in a cantilevered load on the vanes which introduce stress in the vanes and the various posts. Over hundreds of thousands of turbocharger cycles, the vanes ultimately become torqued due to the cantilevered loads and hystereis. Over time, the vanes will become begin to deform and stick and ultimately break or lock.
The present inventors thus saw a need for a mechanism to provide a variable geometry turbocharger providing extremely high reliability, being cost efficient and inexpensive to manufacture, and that did not possess the negative qualities of the prior art mechanisms.


Provided is a jig enabling detachment and attachment of a probe head from and to an electric connecting apparatus without using a special holding device. A jig (50) is applied to an electric connecting apparatus (10) electrically connecting a device under test to a testing apparatus for the device under test. The electric connecting apparatus includes a wiring substrate (22) and a probe head (28) secured to the wiring substrate with a plurality of set screws (26) and including a plurality of probes (34) made of a magnetic body. The jig (50) includes a plate (52) and a magnet (54) attached to the plate. The plate can detachably be attached to the probe head, and the magnet is opposed to a lower end portion (34 b) of each of the probes.

An electric connecting apparatus to which the present invention is applied includes a wiring substrate and a probe head attached to the wiring substrate. A probe head used for a vertical probe card includes a plurality of probes each including upper and lower end portions and an intermediate portion between the upper and lower end portions and made of a magnetic body and a support body supporting the probes. The support body includes an upper plate and a lower plate which are parallel to each other, the upper plate includes holes allowing the lower end portions, the intermediate portions, and the upper end portions of the respective probes to pass therethrough, and the lower plate includes holes allowing the lower end portions of the respective probes to pass therethrough and preventing the intermediate portions of the respective probes from passing therethrough.
Meanwhile, each probe of the probe head is subject to abrasion, bending, breakage, a conduction failure, and the like due to usage thereof, and the probe head is detached from the electric connecting apparatus for replacement of the probe. In the probe head detached from the electric connecting apparatus, each probe is in a state of enabling movement in an axial direction thereof and enabling the lower end portion thereof to stick out of the hole of the lower plate of the support body along with the movement. For this reason, detachment of the probe head and attachment (reattachment) thereof after probe replacement are performed in a state in which the vertical direction of the probe head is kept to prevent the probe head from being turned upside down. However, since some electric connecting apparatuses weigh over 10 kg, for example, detachment and reattachment of the probe head are required to be performed in a state in which the electric connecting apparatus is held by a special holding device.


A differential input operational amplifier has a voltage clamp differential transistor pair coupled to an input differential transistor pair of the operational amplifier. The voltage clamp differential transistor pair limits the output voltage of the operational amplifier by taking over control of the operational amplifier circuits from the input differential transistor pair as the output voltage approaches a clamp voltage value. A reference voltage may be used to set the output voltage at which the input differential transistor pair will be clamped by the voltage clamp differential transistor pair. Below the clamp voltage, operation of the input differential transistor pair will not be affected. At the clamp voltage the input differential transistor pair will no longer control the output of the differential amplifier, rather the voltage clamp differential transistor pair will control the maximum voltage output of the differential amplifier. Both positive and negative limiting of the operational amplifier output voltage may be accomplished.

In switch mode power supplies, the maximum output current is directly dependent upon the maximum output swing of the error amplifier of an operational amplifier. The required maximum output swing of the error amplifier is different from the power supply of the system or from the maximum output swing of the operational amplifier and it is difficult to obtain good precision within the operational amplifier. Several techniques have been used to limit the output swing, e.g., components such as Zener diodes may be placed in the output amplifier to clamp the output signal swing. Regulation of the power supply of the amplifier may be used to guarantee a maximum output voltage. In some cases, these applications dissipate a lot of power. Clamping with Zener diodes in the control loop has also been used to limit the output voltage of an operational amplifier.
However, what is needed is a way to minimize power dissipation (energy consumption) when controlling an output swing of an operational amplifier so as not to exceed a reference value.

Clamping circuit for operational amplifiers


A paper identifying method and a related device, used for accurately identifying soilage conditions of paper according to the recency degree of the paper. The method in an embodiment of the present invention comprises: obtaining a pixel gray value group of an image of input paper, the pixel gray value group being a combination of gray values of sampled pixels of a specified region of the input paper; obtaining an average value of gray values of all pixels in the pixel gray value group, and using same as a first average gray value; comparing the first average gray value with a recency threshold to determine the recency level of the input paper; obtaining the soilage depth of each of N regions of the input paper, the N being an integer greater than or equal to 1; and determining the soilage level of the input paper according to the soilage depth of the N regions, the region area and a soilage threshold, the soilage threshold corresponding to the recency level.

With the developments of economy and society, more and more banknotes have been issued and the currency of the banknotes is more frequent. Like those products that are recycled and destroyed after a period of use due to quality degrading, banknotes are also recycled and destroyed if they are degraded in quality after a period of use. Especially in some center branches of banks where a huge amount of banknotes are dealt, in the case that the banknote should be recycled and destroyed due to the stain, it is a tremendous amount of work to select the stained banknotes to be recycled and destroyed from all the banknotes in accordance with their categories. If the task is done manually, it is a laborious and time-consuming task which has a high cost. However, if the task is executed by a machine, the amount of manual labor will be saved, thus greatly reducing the cost of classifying stained banknotes.
In the prior art, a region of a paper on which a stain detection object is located is stored in advance as a detection object region, and the number of pixels of an image printed in the detection object region is stored in advance as a reference pixel number which is used for the comparison.
In practical applications, an aging degree of a paper-like medium to be detected may affect the determination of its stain depth, therefore if the stain determination is performed according to the prior art by using image pixels of a new paper-like medium as reference pixels, errors in the stain determination may be caused in the case where the paper-like medium to be detected is relatively old.

Paper identifying method and related device


An agricultural applicator machine has a frame and at least one horizontally extending boom assembly. The boom assembly pivots to a folded position in which it is secured in a boom-cradle mechanism. The boom-cradle mechanism includes a crossmember and a boom rest at an outer end of the crossmember, the boom rest having a rigid inboard boom stop, a rigid outboard boom stop, and a saddle portion. The inboard boom stop extends from the saddle portion in an out-of-phase configuration relative the outboard boom stop. The boom-cradle mechanism has a locking assembly having an actuator assembly configured to rotate the crossmember, and thus the cradle boom rest. The actuator assembly connects to the crossmember through a linkage assembly. The actuator assembly causes the crossmember to rotate causing the boom rest to move between an open position and a locked position.

With conventional agricultural applicator machines, such as sprayers and spreaders, an operator may drive the machine forward in a field to dispense agricultural products such as fertilizer, insecticide, herbicide, seed, etc. Agricultural applicator machines dispense the agricultural products as solid granules or liquids. The agricultural applicator machine has a central product bin and a boom assembly to distribute the agricultural product across a wide swath as the boom support vehicle or implement passes through the field. Boom widths of between 60 and 120 feet are common.
The typical boom assembly is configured to pivot or fold between operative and inoperative positions relative to the boom support vehicle. In its operative position, the boom assembly commonly extends in a laterally outward direction from the boom support vehicle such that the agricultural applicator covers a large surface area with each pass across a field. The weight of the boom assembly generally correlates with the operative length of the boom.
Upon completing distribution of the agricultural products to the field, the boom assembly is typically configured to fold to a retracted, inoperative position because a boom of typical widths cannot be safely transported on public roads. The preferred folded, inoperative position of the boom assembly is generally parallel to the direction of travel of the support vehicle such that the boom assemblies and support vehicle have a narrow profile for transport from the field and on a roadway. This is done by a variety of hydraulic or manual fold steps.
Before transport, the boom assembly is mechanically retained close to the chassis of the support vehicle to make sure the boom assembly does not unintentionally extend on the road. The mechanism which retains the boom assembly is commonly called a boom rack, boom rest, or boom cradle. Although cradle structures are commonly employed on support vehicles, known cradle structures have drawbacks when transporting the folded boom assemblies. For example, when traveling on roadway in the inoperative, folded position, the boom assembly is known to bounce on the cradle structure. In fact, the boom assemblies can bounce out of the cradle structure, increasing potential opportunities for damage to the boom assembly and/or the cradle structure.
Therefore, there is a need or desire for enhanced cradle mechanism for restraining/locking a boom in a cradle structure for transport on the roadway. The cradle mechanism should be configured to be utilized with wide variety of boom carrying agricultural vehicles, applicators, and implements.

Rotating boom cradle mechanism for agricultural applicator