A method for the manufacture of an elastic joint, which includes positioning an external casing member, an internal casing member and an elastomeric compound such that the external casing member surrounds the internal casing member, and such that the elastomeric compound is situated between the exterior surface of the internal casing member and the interior surface of the external casing member, and radially expanding an end portion of the internal casing member to thereby form an annular reinforcement on the end portion of the internal casing member, the step of radially expanding the end portion of the internal casing member being carried out by contacting a die member a plurality of times with the end portion of the internal casing member, the step of contacting the die member a plurality of times with the end portion of the internal casing member being carried out such that the force applied by the die member against the end portion of the internal casing member is exerted along different axes relative to the end portion of the internal casing member at different times.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the fabrication of elastic joints utilizing the bonding of an elastomer compound ring to two rigid coaxial armatures, one of which, during assembly, will be fastened to a fixed shaft, around which the other armature will swivel. The fabrication process applies a shaping to the armature destined to be fastened, by cold deformation of the material, which improves its axial crushing strength during bolting, along the axis of the fixed shaft to which the one of the two armatures is fastened.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For cylindrical elastic joints realized according to the prior art, two types of processes are used to achieve the bonding of an elastic ring between two rigid, coaxial tubular casings.
The first process consists of an assembly, under high prestress, of a ring of essentially constant thickness, made of vulcanized rubber, forcibly introduced between two necessarily cylindrical rigid elements, by means of a coupling press, as disclosed in document French Patent No. 1,119,841 (issued to Silentbloc).
The other process which uses adherization achieving an intimate physicochemical bond during reticulation of the elastomer compound between the elastomer compound and the rigid metal or plastic rings which surround it--the adherization being simultaneous with the molding of an elastic joint--has become the most widely used means for the realization of all types of elastic joints. For the simplest cylindrical coupling sleeves, designed for the angular movement of a vehicle suspension arm, for example, this process is described in French Patent No. 827,020 (issued to Metalastik).
Current practice is to improve the resistance to alternating fatigue (e.g., the alternating fatigue strength) of the elastomer by precompressing the elastic ring, by means of the swelling or expansion of the internal casing, or by radially hammering the external ring, as described, by way of example, in French Patent No. 1,415,871 (issued to Metalastik), which applies to cylindrical rings or rings having a partly spherical surface.
In both types of realization processes, the elastic ring is in a condition of major multidirectional compression, and the only zones where failure can occur are the exposed surfaces which are in contact with the atmosphere on the lateral edges of the elastic sleeve. An appropriate shape is given to this exposed surface so that it can resist rotational deformation, and the translation movements due to the axial elasticity. The two coaxial rings are parts which are included in the automobile manufacturers, attempts to reduce the weight of their vehicles. To achieve such a weight reduction, the exterior ring is sometimes made of plastic material. With regard to the internal casing, which continues to be made of metal and is fastened by axial tightening when bolted to the frame or the mounting, which connects it firmly to the joint shaft of the arm in question, it is no longer satisfactory to leave it a simple, thin metal tube, most frequently made of ordinary drawn steel.
The automobile manufacturer, who applies a torque to a steel screw which is generally of a better grade than the steel in the casing, will have a tendency to give the casing an annular cross section larger than that of the screw, which passes through the hole in its center. This results in a ratio between the outside and inside diameters of this metal casing which is at least equal to the square root of two.
The drawing of the metal also results in a work hardening of the material from which this tube is made, and the two components of the fastening are then stronger than the fastening member itself.
Thus the initial deformations during the tightening procedure effect the sheet metal blank, which is pressed against the end planes of the internal casing, which are also stressed by the head of the screw and the nut on the external surface of this blank.
Over time, the dynamic stresses exerted by the joint flatten this contact surface, where the risks of loosening are concentrated. The most economical solution consists of increasing the contact surface on the end plates of the internal casing, without having to improve the quality of the material.
To avoid an unnecessary increase in the weight of the internal casing, but primarily to leave space in the functionally useful part for the maximum possible thickness of the elastomer compound--which makes possible the deformation of the part as well as the antivibration function required of it--the internal casing becomes a tube of modulated variable thickness. It is normally, therefore, provided with a reinforcement (usually an extra thickness) on the lateral contact surfaces, and a lower and constant thickness in the central portion, or it follows an optimized law for the progression of the thickness over the entire piece, to achieve greater resistance to buckling during axial tightening.
The conventional processes for the realization of such casings often include the clamping of an additional washer, or a cutting (or undercutting) process with the removal of shavings. One disadvantage of these processes is that they are expensive. Deformation of the material is a more advantageous means, but is complicated by the existence of the internal hole. The cold deformation during rotation by the creep or extrusion of material is generally called "rotary extrusion" (sometimes referred to as "hydrospinning"). Examples of rotary extrusion devices are disclosed in French Patent No. 2,100,579 (issued to Messerschmidt-Boelkow-Blohm), which discloses a fixed milling tool and a hydromechanical drive, and in French Patent No. 2,389,428 (issued to the French Government), which discloses the rotary extrusion of conical parts using a single milling tool, balanced by the flange acting as a support on the blank.
A machine using a riveting die with conical movement around the zone where the material deformation is concentrated is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,289 (issued to VSI Corporation). This machine is, however, intended for shaping rivet heads and not for shaping hollow parts.
Orbital forging and riveting technology is discussed in "Noiseless Cold Forging", Machine Design, Jan. 10, 1974 authored by Donald R. Dreger.

Process for shaping a reinforcement on the extremities of the internal casing of an elastic joint, after molding, and its applications


One embodiment of an electric door lock according to the present invention is interchangeable between fail safe and fail secure modes and comprises a housing for receiving the internal components of the door lock. A latch bolt is mounted within the housing and is movable from partially extending from and retracted into the housing. A doorknob is mounted to the housing and is rotatable to retract the latch bolt. A solenoid assembly is also mounted within the housing and can be interchangeably arranged to cause the lock to operate a fail secure mode wherein the doorknob is prevented from retracting the latch bolt when the solenoid is not energized, or a fail safe mode wherein the doorknob is allowed to retract the latch bolt when the solenoid is not energized. The solenoid is nested in place within the housing in both modes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to door locks, and in particular to electric door locks that can be operated in both the fail-safe and fail-secure mode and comprises improvements to increase the operating life of the lock.
2. Description of the Related Art
Security doors to prevent theft or vandalism have evolved over the years from simple doors with heavy duty locks to more sophisticated egress and access control devices. Hardware and systems for limiting and controlling egress and access through doors are generally utilized for theft-prevention or to establish a secured area into which (or from which) entry is limited. For example, stores use such secured doors in certain departments (such as, for example, the automotive department) which may not always be manned to prevent thieves from escaping through the door with valuable merchandise. In addition, industrial companies also use such secured exit doors to prevent pilferage of valuable equipment and merchandise.
One type of door lock which has been used in the past to control egress and access through a door is an electromagnetic system which utilizes an electromagnet mounted on a door jamb, with an armature mounted on the door held by the electromagnet to retain the door in the closed position when the electromagnet is actuated. Such locking mechanisms are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,808, to Gillham, U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,910, to Geringer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,028, to Logan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,128 to Logan, Jr., et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,497, to Geringer et al. All of these references utilize an electromagnet mounted in or on a door jamb and an armature on the door held by the electromagnet to retain the door in the closed position. Such electromagnetic locking systems are quite effective at controlling egress and access through the door they are installed on. Unfortunately, however, such systems are quite expensive, and require a fairly complex installation, often with the electromagnet being mounted in the door jamb.
Another type of system which is known in the art is the electric door strike release mechanism, in which a latch bolt located in and extending from a locking mechanism located in a door is receivable in an electrically operable door strike mounted in the frame of the door. The door may be opened either by retracting the latch bolt into the locking mechanism to thereby disengage it from the door strike, or by electrically actuating the door strike mechanism to cause it to open and to thereby release the extended latch bolt from the door strike mechanism. Typically, such electrically operable door strikes pivot to allow the door to close without the door strike mechanism being electrically actuated. Such door strike mechanisms are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,107, to Hanchett, U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,010, to Hanchett et al., and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,180, to Helmar. Like the electromagnet/armature systems discussed above, electrically operated door strike systems are also expensive, and require a significant installation into the door jamb, which must usually be reinforced.
Electrically operable door locks have also been developed that can be installed on a door through which access is to be controlled by an electrically operable security system. Such a lock is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,073 to Geringer et al. The door opening mechanism of the door lock is selectively locked and unlocked by controlling the supply of electricity to the door lock to thereby control access or egress through the door. The electrically operable door lock uses an electromagnetic actuator to drive a locking member between a locked position in which it engages a latch actuating member to prevent it from being rotated to retract a latch bolt to open a door, and an unlocked position in which it is disengaged from the latch actuating member to allow it to be rotated to retract the latch bolt to open the door. By reversing the position of the electromagnetic actuator in the door lock apparatus, the system may operate in either a fail secure mode in which the electromagnetic actuator must be powered to unlock the door, or a fail safe mode in which the electromagnetic actuator must be powered to lock the door.
A universal solenoid actuator has been developed for use in either a fail-safe or a fail-secure lock mechanism or a push-type or pull-type mechanism and comprises a reversible coil assembly. Such an actuator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,067 to Frolov. It includes at least one plunger and a module for receiving electricity from a power supply and delivering the electricity to the coil assembly. The coil assembly includes a housing which defines a bore extending through the coil assembly, at least one coil surrounding the bore and first and second fittings at opposed ends of the bore. The plunger is received within the bore and is actuated upon application of an electrical potential to the coil assembly. When used with a fail-safe lock, the first fitting is affixed to the lock. When used with a fail-secure lock, the coil assembly is reversed to affix the second fitting to the lock. The coil assembly is terminated at opposite ends for first and second threaded fittings that are sized and shaped to be affixed to conventional lock mechanisms by merely threading the coil assembly into the locking mechanism. Whichever of the first and second fittings is not affixed to a lock mechanism can receive a threaded connector to deliver electricity to the coil assembly.
A door lock has also been developed in which an outside knob assembled at the outside of a door can be manually controlled to be operationally associated with or dissociated from the door lock. Such a lock is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,423 to Lin. When the door lock is fastened, the outside knob can be selectively decoupled from the door lock and become idle. The lock utilizes a manually-operatable controller that is shaped as a seesaw button that protrudes partially from the lock's front plate. By manually operating the button the outside knob is selectively decoupled. This helps prevent the door lock from being damaged and a force is exerted on the doorknob by external impact or by forcible turning.

Interchangeable lock operable in fail safe or fail secure modes


A semiconductor device comprising an insulating film at least partially containing a fluorine-containing film, formed above a semiconductor substrate, and a titanium nitride film formed on the insulating film. The above titanium film functions as a barrier metal film for barriering the diffusion of fluorine (F) atoms.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device having a metal film wiring on an insulating film. More particularly, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device having improved adhesivity between the metal film wiring and the insulating film, and to a process for production of such a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As integrated circuits become finer and wiring-to-wiring intervals become a sub-micron level, the capacity between wirings increases sharply; as a result, delay in signal transfer by wiring increases and the operational speed of integrated circuit is affected adversely. Therefore, it has become necessary to reduce the capacity between wirings.
As the insulating film between wirings, a silicon oxide film (SiO.sub.2 film) has been used heretofore. The silicon oxide film has a dielectric constant of about 4.2 to 5.0. For reducing the dielectric constant to lower the capacity between wirings, a method is known which comprises adding fluorine (F) to a silicon oxide film to form a Si-F bond-containing insulating film (see, for example, Extended Abstracts of the 1995 International Conference on Solid State Devices and Materials, 1995, pp. 157-159, "Fluorine Doped SiO.sub.2 for Low Dielectric Constant Films in Sub-Half Micron ULSI Multilevel Interconnection"). The Si-F bond-containing insulating film has a dielectric constant of 3.0 to 3.6 which is lower by about 15 to 40% than that of the silicon oxide film.
The Si-F bond-containing insulating film, however, has poor adhesivity to a titanium (Ti) wiring layer, and the wiring layer is peeled. This problem is described below referring to accompanying drawings.
FIG. 15(a) to FIG. 15(c) are sectional views showing the steps of a process for producing a semiconductor device wherein two wiring layers are formed at the surface and a tungsten plug is formed in the contact hole. As shown in FIG. 15(a), on a substrate 1001 on which transistors, etc. have been formed, is formed a silicon oxide film 1002 as an insulating film; then, a titanium film 1003a, a titanium nitride film 1003b, an aluminum-containing metal film 1003c and a titanium nitride film 1003d are formed in this order, and dry etching is conducted to form a first wiring 1003 in a given pattern. Thereafter, an interlayer insulating film 1004 consisting of a Si-F bond-containing silicon oxide film is formed by high-density plasma CVD, after which part of the interlayer insulating layer 1004 and part of the titanium nitride film 1003d (which is the uppermost layer of the first wiring 1003) are selectively removed by dry etching to form a contact hole 1005 reaching part of the first wiring 1003.
Next, as shown in FIG. 15(b), a titanium film 1007a and a titanium nitride film 1007b are formed in this order; then, the substrate is heated to about 450.degree. C. and a tungsten film 1006a is formed by blanket tungsten CVD to fill the contact hole 1005 and cover the interlayer insulating film 1004. The titanium film 1007a and the titanium nitride film 1007b are used in order to enhance the adhesivity of the tungsten formed above the interlayer insulating film 1004, even when the interlayer insulating film 1004 is a F-free silicon oxide film. The titanium film 1007a also has a role of decreasing the contact resistance to the aluminum-containing metal film 1003c of the first wiring 1003 at the bottom of the contact hole 1005.
Next, as shown in FIG. 15(c), dry etching is conducted to remove the portion of the tungsten film 1006a above the interlayer insulating film 1004, other than the contact hole 1005, whereby a tungsten plug 1006b is allowed to remain in the contact hole 1005. Then, an aluminum-containing metal film 1007c and a titanium nitride film 1007d are formed in this order, and dry etching is conducted to form a second wiring 1007 in a given pattern.
In this process, however, when a tungsten film 1006a is formed at a substrate temperature of about 450.degree. C., part of the titanium film 1007a and part of the F contained in the interlayer insulating film 1004 react with each other to form a Ti-F compound, deteriorating the adhesivity between the titanium film 1007a and the interlayer insulating film 1004. Further, peeling occurs between the titanium film 1007a and the interlayer insulating film 1004 owing to the stress of the tungsten film 1006a.
A solution to this peeling is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 321547/1996. FIG. 16(a) to FIG. 16(c) are sectional views showing the steps of a process for producing a semiconductor device free from the above peeling.
As shown in FIG. 16(a), on a substrate 1101 on which transistors, etc. have been formed, is formed a silicon oxide film 1101 as an insulating film; then, a titanium film 1103a, a titanium nitride film 1103b and an aluminum-containing metal film 1103c are formed in this order, and dry etching is conducted to form a first wiring 1103 in a given pattern. Thereafter, an interlayer insulating film (consisting of a Si-F bond-containing silicon oxide film) and an interlayer insulating film 1104b (consisting of a F-free silicon oxide film) are formed in this order by high-density plasma CVD to form an interlayer insulating film 1104. Then, dry etching is conducted to selectively remove part of the interlayer insulating film 1104 to form a contact hole 1105 reaching part of the first wiring 1103.
Next, as shown in FIG. 16(b), a tungsten film 1106 is formed only in the contact hole 1105 by selective tungsten CVD. The above-mentioned titanium film 1007a and titanium nitride film 1007b, which are used for enhancing the adhesivity of the tungsten formed above the interlayer insulating film, are not required in this process because the tungsten film 1006 is formed only in the contact hole 1105.
Next, as shown in FIG. 16(c), a titanium film 1107a, a titanium nitride film 1107b and an aluminum-containing metal film 1107c are formed in this order, after which dry etching is conducted to form a second wiring 1107 in a given pattern.
Thus in the semiconductor device produced by the above process, the Si-F bond-containing silicon oxide film and the titanium film make no direct contact with each other; therefore, there takes place no peeling of the metal film wiring. In the process, however, since the tungsten film 1106 is formed directly on the aluminum-containing metal film 1103c, the resistance at the boundary of the two films is large.
Meanwhile, in recent years, in order to make small the resistance of plug in contact hole, it has become important to form the plug with an aluminum alloy having a specific resistance smaller than that of tungsten. Below is described a process for producing a semiconductor device wherein an aluminum-containing metal plug is formed in the contact hole.
FIG. 17(a) to FIG. 17(c) are sectional views showing the steps of a process for producing a semiconductor device wherein a two-layer wiring is formed at the surface and an aluminum-containing metal plug is formed in the contact hole between the two wiring layers.
As shown in FIG. 17(a), on a substrate 1201 on which transistors, etc. have been formed, is formed a silicon oxide film 1202 as an insulating film. Then, a titanium film 1203a, a titanium nitride film 1203b, an aluminum-containing metal film 1203c and a titanium nitride film 1203d are formed in this order, after which dry etching is conducted to form a first wiring 1203 in a given pattern. Next, an interlayer insulating film 1204 consisting of a Si-F bond-containing silicon oxide film is formed by high-density plasma CVD. Thereafter, dry etching is conducted to selectively remove part of the interlayer insulating film 1204 and part of the titanium nitride film 1203d which is the uppermost layer of the first wiring 1203, whereby a contact hole 1205 reaching part of the first wiring 1203 is formed.
Next, as shown in FIG. 17(b), a titanium film 1206a is formed. Then, an aluminum-containing metal film 1206b is formed by sputtering, in a state that the substrate 1201 has been heated to about 450.degree. C., whereby the contact hole 1205 is filled and the interlayer insulating film 1204 is covered by the aluminum-containing metal film 1206b. Here, the titanium film 1206a serves to make easy the filling of the aluminum-containing metal film 1206b in the contact hole 1205.
Next, as shown in FIG. 17(c), a titanium nitride film 1206c is formed, after which dry etching is conducted to form a second wiring 1206 in a give pattern.
In the above process, however, when an aluminum-containing metal film 1206b is formed at a substrate temperature of about 450.degree. C., part of the titanium film 1206a and part of the F contained in the interlayer insulating film 1204 react with each other to form a Ti-F compound; as a result, the adhesivity between the titanium film 1206a and the interlayer insulating film 1204 is deteriorated and peeling takes place at the boundary of the two films.
Thus, in using an aluminum-containing metal plug having a small specific resistance, there is a problem of the above-mentioned peeling.

Semiconductor device and process for production thereof


This invention provides monoglycerides containing a conjugated fatty acid, and a process for producing the above described conjugated fatty acid containing monoglycerides in which all kinds of lipases can be used as catalysts.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to conjugated fatty acid containing monoglycerides and a process for preparing them. More particularly, this invention relates to conjugated fatted acid containing monoglycerides which are useful for such purposes as an emulsifier of foods and an additive for beverages, and to a process for preparing the conjugated fatted acid containing monoglycerides by the esterification reaction of conjugated fatty acid containing free fatty acid and glycerol as the substrates in the presence of lipase or by the continuous reaction of esterification and glycerolysis in the same reaction system.
2. Background Art
Conjugated linoleic acid has a variety of physiological activities such as anticarcinogenic, body fat reducing, antiarteriosclerotic and antiallergic effects, and used as a healthy food in the form of a free fatty acid but not in the form of a monoglyceride. Conventional fatty acid glycerol esters of non-conjugated fatty acids have been used as emulsifiers in various fields of foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and among them monoglycerides are most conveniently used. Conventional monoglycerides of non-conjugated fatty acids are industrially produced by chemical alcoholysis of oils and fats with two molar equivalents of glycerol in the presence or in the absence of metal catalysts at high temperatures and high pressures.
However, the conventional chemical methods cannot be applied to the preparation of conjugated fatty acid containing monoglycerides which contain unstable conjugated linoleic acid, and in this context no reports concerning conjugated fatty acid containing monoglycerides and the method of preparing them have been made as long as the present inventors are aware.
In addition, the methods for synthesizing monoglycerides of non-conjugated long chain fatty acids utilizing an enzyme reaction are disclosed for example in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 268299/1997 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 12112/1992. The former publication proposes the method for synthesizing efficiently a monoglyceride by glycerolysis of a triglyceride in the presence of a lipase derived from genus Pseudomonas. However, when a conjugated fatty acid monoglyceride is intended to be prepared by the method, the monoglyceride can be prepared only after the conjugated fatty acid, which is usually available in the form of a free fatty acid, is first converted into a triglyceride. In addition, the latter publication proposes the method for preparing a monoglyceride by esterifying a free fatty acid and a glyceride in the presence of mono- and di-glyceride lipase. In this method, the reaction is carried out at 30° C., so that the monoglyceride content in the total glycerides reaches 90% or more when the esterification degree is 60% or less, while a diglyceride as a by-product is observed and the contents of the monoglyceride and the diglyceride become substantially equivalent when the esterification degree is increased to a level of 90% or more.
Conjugated fatty acids possess a variety of physiological activities and employed as healthy foods in the free fatty acids as described above. The conjugated fatty acids are expected to be supplied in the form of monoglycerides for developing the uses as the additives or emulsifiers to a variety of foods, particularly drinks. However, because of the thermal-unstableness of the conjugated fatty acids as described above, the chemical method which has been conventionally used for the preparation of non-conjugated fatty acid glycerides cannot be applied to the preparation of the conjugated fatty acid glycerides, and the enzymatic methods which have hitherto been proposed for the preparation of non-conjugated fatty acid glycerides can be applied effectively only to the glycerolysis which uses a lipase derived from a specific microorganism (genus Pseudomonas) as a catalyst (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 268299/1997; J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc., 68, 6–10, 1991) and to the esterification reaction in which the esterification degree is maintained at a low level (Japanese Patent Publication No. 12112/1992).

Conjugated fatty acid containing monoglycerides and process for producing them

Abstract: This invention relate to monoglycerides containing a conjugated fatty acid (preferably in an amount of 50% or more of fatty acids).

Abstract: This invention also relates to a process for producing the conjugated fatty acid containing monoglycerides, in which the conjugated fatty acid containing a free fatty acid and glycerol are subjected to the reaction of esterification, or of esterification and glycerolysis in the presence of lipase as a catalyst.


A thin-film magnetic head comprises first and second magnetic layers, a gap layer provided between the first and second magnetic layers, a coupling portion for magnetically coupling the first and second magnetic layers to each other at a distance from a medium facing surface ABS, and a thin-film coil, part of which is disposed between the first and second magnetic layers. The second magnetic layer has a pole portion layer and a yoke portion layer. The thin-film magnetic head further comprises a non-magnetic layer that is in contact with the surface of the pole portion layer farther from the gap layer. The non-magnetic layer prevents the surface of the pole portion layer farther from the gap layer from being damaged during the manufacturing process of the head, and thereby maintains the flatness of the surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin-film magnetic head for use with a magnetic read/write apparatus such as a magnetic disc apparatus and a magnetic tape apparatus, and to the method of manufacturing such a thin-film magnetic head.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recording schemes for a magnetic read/write apparatus include a longitudinal magnetic recording scheme which employs the direction of signal magnetization along the surface of the recording medium (or in the longitudinal direction) and a vertical magnetic recording scheme which employs the direction of signal magnetization perpendicular to the surface of the recording medium. When compared with the longitudinal magnetic recording scheme, the vertical magnetic recording scheme is said to be less affected by the thermal fluctuation of a recording medium and therefore possible to implement a higher linear recording density.
In general, the thin-film magnetic head that employs the longitudinal magnetic recording scheme comprises: a medium facing surface (or air bearing surface) that faces toward a recording medium; a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer magnetically coupled to each other and including magnetic pole portions that are opposed to each other and placed in regions of the magnetic layers on a side of the medium facing surface, with a gap layer provided between the pole portions; and a thin-film coil at least a part of which is placed between the first and second magnetic layers and insulated from the first and second magnetic layers.
On the other hand, examples of the thin-film magnetic head that employs the vertical magnetic recording scheme include a ring head having the same structure as that of the thin-film magnetic head that employs the longitudinal magnetic recording scheme, and a single magnetic pole head for applying a magnetic field in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the recording medium with one main magnetic pole. Generally, for the single magnetic pole head, used as a recording medium is a two-layer medium that has a soft magnetic layer and a magnetic recording layer stacked on a substrate.
For thin-film magnetic heads, it is desired that the track width should be reduced so as to increase track density. For the purpose of achieving reduction in the track width without reducing the intensity of a magnetic field to be applied to the recording medium, various thin-film magnetic heads have been proposed, in which the magnetic layer including the magnetic pole portion is divided into a magnetic pole portion and a yoke portion that is magnetically connected to the magnetic pole portion, the magnetic pole portion having a saturated magnetic flux density higher than that of the yoke portion.
Examples of the thin-film magnetic head having the structure in which the magnetic layer including the magnetic pole portion is divided into the magnetic pole portion and the yoke portion as mentioned above are disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application (KOKAI) Nos. 2000-57522, 2000-67413, and Heisei 11-102506.
Any one of the thin-film magnetic heads disclosed in the aforementioned publications comprises the first and second magnetic layers. The second magnetic layer is disposed on the leading side in the traveling direction of the recording medium (or on the air-outflow-end side of a slider including the thin-film magnetic head), and is divided into the magnetic pole portion and the yoke portion.
In addition, in any one of the thin-film magnetic heads disclosed in the aforementioned publications, the yoke portion is arranged so as to detour around a coil in a region extending from a portion where the first and second magnetic layers are magnetically connected to each other to the magnetic pole portion.
In the thin-film magnetic head disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application (KOKAI) No. 2000-57522, the second magnetic layer has a main magnetic film and an auxiliary magnetic film. In this head, the magnetic pole portion is composed of a part of the main magnetic film located on a side of the medium facing surface, while the yoke portion is composed of the other part of the main magnetic film and the auxiliary magnetic film.
In the thin-film magnetic head disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application (KOKAI) No. 2000-67413, the second magnetic layer has a pole portion layer including the magnetic pole portion, and a yoke portion layer including the yoke portion. The pole portion layer is magnetically connected to the yoke portion layer at the rear end surface (opposite to the medium facing surface), at the side surfaces (perpendicular to the medium facing surface and a surface of the gap portion), and at the top surface (opposite to the gap portion).
In the thin-film magnetic head disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application (KOKAI) No. Heisei 11-102506, the second magnetic layer has a pole portion layer including the magnetic pole portion, and a yoke portion layer including the yoke portion. The pole portion layer is magnetically connected to the yoke portion layer at the side surfaces and at the top surface.
On the other hand, for the thin-film magnetic head employing the vertical magnetic recording scheme, an example of the structure of a single magnetic pole head is shown in FIG. 2 of "Nikkei Electronics, Sep. 25, 2000 Issue (No. 779), p. 206". This head has a single-layered magnetic layer including the main magnetic pole.
For example, to realize a magnetic read/write apparatus having an areal recording density of 60 G bits/inch2 or greater, the vertical magnetic recording scheme is expected to be employable. However, such a thin-film magnetic head has not been realized that is suitable for the vertical magnetic recording scheme and has characteristics capable of realizing a magnetic read/write apparatus having an areal recording density of 60 G bits/inch2 or greater. This is because of problems as discussed below that are present in the prior-art thin-film magnetic heads.
First, any one of the thin-film magnetic heads disclosed in the aforementioned publications is intended structurally for the longitudinal magnetic recording scheme and not suitable for the vertical magnetic recording scheme. More specifically, any one of the thin-film magnetic heads disclosed in the aforementioned publications has a thin gap portion and a short throat height, and the yoke portion is arranged to detour around the coil. This structure raises a problem that the magnetic pole portion develops a reduced magnetic field that is perpendicular to the surface of the recording medium. Furthermore, any one of the thin-film magnetic heads disclosed in the aforementioned publications is vulnerable to curving at the edge opposite to the gap portion of the magnetic pole portion, due to the etching for patterning the magnetic pole portion of the second magnetic layer or the steps subsequent to the formation of the magnetic pole portion. This raises a problem that a distortion occurs in the shape of the bit pattern of the recording medium, which makes it difficult to increase the linear recording density. Furthermore, any one of the thin-film magnetic heads disclosed in the aforementioned publications has a structure in which the yoke portion is arranged so as to detour around the coil, which raises a problem of having a long magnetic path, and this in turn causes a deterioration of the high-frequency characteristics.
On the other hand, in the thin-film magnetic head disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application (KOKAI) No. Heisei 11-102506, the pole portion layer is magnetically connected to the yoke portion layer only at the side surfaces and the top surface. This structure causes the head to have a small area of the connecting portion where the pole portion layer and the yoke portion layer are magnetically connected to each other. Accordingly, this raises a problem that the magnetic flux is saturated at the connecting portion, thereby causing the magnetic pole portion to generate a reduced magnetic field in the medium facing surface.
On the other hand, in the thin-film magnetic head shown in FIG. 2 of "Nikkei Electronics, Sep. 25, 2000 Issue (No. 779), p. 206", the magnetic layer including the main magnetic pole is made up of a single layer. In this head, in order to reduce the thickness of the magnetic layer in the medium facing surface, the entire magnetic layer is made thin. Accordingly, this raises a problem that the magnetic flux tends to be saturated halfway through the magnetic layer and therefore the main magnetic pole generates a reduced magnetic field in the medium facing surface.
If the end of the main magnetic pole on the air-outflow side is not flat in the medium facing surface, the shape of bit pattern of the recording medium is distorted, and as a result, the linear recording density is reduced. Therefore, to improve the linear recording density, it is desirable that the end of the main magnetic pole on the air-outflow side be flat in the medium facing surface.
According to the thin-film magnetic head shown in FIG. 2 of "Nikkei Electronics, Sep. 25, 2000 Issue (No. 779), p. 206", however, the entire magnetic layer has to be made flat in order to flatten the air-outflow-side end of the main magnetic pole in the medium facing surface. This causes the head to have a square and long magnetic path. Such a structure makes the head inefficient in terms of the intensity of magnetic field and high-frequency characteristics.

Thin-film magnetic head including non-magnetic layer for maintaining flatness of the top surface of pole portion layer


Described are methods for inducing an immune response in a subject against an antigen from a malaria-causing parasite, preferably P. falciparum, the method comprising: (i) administering to a subject a priming composition comprising adjuvanted proteinaceous antigen-comprising circumsporozoite (CS) protein or an immunogenic part thereof from a malaria-causing parasite; (ii) administering to the subject a first boosting composition comprising a recombinant adenovirus vector that comprises nucleic acid encoding CS protein or immunogenic part thereof from a malaria-causing parasite; and (iii) administering to the subject a second boosting composition comprising a recombinant adenovirus vector that comprises nucleic acid encoding CS protein or an immunogenic part thereof from a malaria-causing parasite, wherein either the first boosting composition comprises a recombinant adenovirus vector of serotype 35 (Ad35) and the second boosting composition comprises a recombinant adenovirus of Ad26, or wherein the first boosting composition comprises a recombinant adenovirus vector of Ad26 and the second boosting composition comprises a recombinant adenovirus of Ad35.

Malaria currently represents one of the most prevalent infections in tropical and subtropical areas throughout the world. Per year, malaria infections kill up to 2.7 million people in developing and emerging countries. The widespread occurrence and elevated incidence of malaria are a consequence of the increasing numbers of drug-resistant parasites and insecticide-resistant parasite vectors. Other factors include environmental and climatic changes, civil disturbances and increased mobility of populations.
Malaria is caused by mosquito-borne hematoprotozoan parasites belonging to the genus Plasmodium. Four species of Plasmodium protozoa (P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae) are responsible for the disease in man; many others cause disease in animals, such as P. yoelii, P. knowlesi and P. berghei. P. falciparum accounts for the majority of infections in humans and is the most lethal type.
The two major arms of the pathogen-specific immune response that occur upon entry of the parasite into the body are cellular and humoral. The one arm, the cellular response, relates to CD8+ and CD4+ T cells that participate in the immune response. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) express CD8 and are able to specifically kill infected cells that express pathogenic antigens on their surface. CD4+ T cells or T helper cells support the development of CTLs, produce various cytokines, and also help induce B cells to divide and produce antibodies specific for the antigens. During the humoral response, B cells specific for a particular antigen become activated, replicate, differentiate and produce antigen-specific antibodies.
Both arms of the immune response are relevant for protection against a malarial infection. A possible malaria vaccine approach would be most beneficial if it would induce a strong cellular immune response as well as a strong humoral immune response. It is widely accepted that persistent protective immunity against malaria likely requires high levels of Th1 type immune responses targeting the pre-erythrocytic stage of the malaria parasites.
However, almost forty years after the feasibility of vaccination against malaria was first demonstrated by means of irradiated sporozoites, a vaccine modality that efficiently induces long-lived protective immunity remains elusive. The most advanced CS-based malaria vaccine candidate to date is RTS,S, a vaccine based on a fragment of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite (CS) protein, fused to and admixed with hepatitis B surface protein. This vaccine confers short-term protection against malaria infection with an efficacy of about 50% and induces particularly B-cell and CD4+ T-cell responses.
Albeit our understanding about the correlate(s) of protection for malaria is limited, there is ample evidence that circumsporozoite (CS) protein-specific antibodies, CD8+ T cells and Th1 cytokines, and, in particular, IFNγ, play a central role in controlling the pre-erythrocytic and early liver stages of malaria. Adenoviral vectors appear particularly suited for induction of IFNγ-producing CD8+ T cells required to combat malaria infection (Ophorst et al., 2006; Rodrigues et al., 1997), due to intracellular expression of a transgene inserted in the vector genome and efficient routing of expressed protein toward the class I presentation pathway.
WO 2006/040334 describes prime boost regimens for malaria vaccination by administering a replication-defective recombinant adenovirus comprising nucleic acid encoding a CS antigen from a malaria-causing parasite and further administering adjuvanted proteinaceous antigen comprising a CS protein or immunogenic fragment thereof, and, amongst many other possibilities, describes adenovirus serotype 35 (Ad35) and Ad26 as preferred adenoviruses. WO 2006/040334 teaches that priming with the viral vector and boosting with the proteinaceous antigen provides superior results in terms of immune responses compared to the reverse regimen, in particular, with respect to IFN-γ T-cell responses. A particularly preferred regimen described therein comprises priming with Ad35 encoding a P. falciparum CS antigen and boosting twice with RTS,S. Indeed, this regimen is also demonstrated to be superior to the regimen wherein the order of administration of the protein and adenovirus are reversed in the article by Stewart et al., 2007. Thus, Ad35 with a CS antigen appears to be a very suitable priming vaccine for boosting by CS protein.
Antibody as well as robust IFN-γ responses against the CS antigen have also been reported upon a heterologous prime boost vaccination schedule wherein Ad35 encoding CS was boosted with Ad5 encoding CS (Rodriguez et al., 2009).
It has also been shown for the LSA-1 antigen that Ad35 priming followed by protein boosting results in induction of IFN-γ producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, although it could also be seen that the types of immune responses might differ between different transgenes, e.g., CS antigen may behave different from, e.g., LSA-1 antigen (Rodriguez et al., 2008).
In the experience of the inventors, several other prime boost regimens may be different regarding the level of immune responses depending on the antigen, and/or directionality of the prime-boost with respect to the vector used (see also, e.g., Abbink et al., 2007).
Unpredictability of immune responses with respect to different antigens is further underscored by the observation that recombinant BCG (rBCG) expressing P. falciparum CS protein neither resulted in detectable CS responses when administered alone, nor primed CS responses in a prime-boost schedule with Ad35 expressing CS (unpublished), whereas, in contrast, another antigen cloned in rBCG could be boosted by subsequent administration of an adenoviral vector with the same transgene and the same has been shown for vaccination against tuberculosis (TB) by BCG followed by heterologous booster constructs containing TB transgenes (see Cayabyab et al., 2009, and references therein).
Thus, the level and type of immune responses upon vaccination is complex and not fully predictable because it may differ for different transgenes and depend on the type of antigen and administration regimen.
In addition, the most preferred regimen known to date requires Ad35 with a CS antigen followed by two boosts with RTS,S (WO 2006/040334; Stewart et al., 2007). Production of RTS,S (adjuvanted protein) is much more expensive than production of adenoviral vectors, and addition of adjuvant is by definition related to a possibility of more (local) side effects, as is known to the skilled person. Thus, administration regimens requiring less adjuvanted protein such as RTS,S while still being capable of strong immune responses would be beneficial.

Heterologous prime boost vaccination regimen against malaria


This above ground sprinkler system for a water supply provides a main supply hose having an inlet connected to the water supply and an outlet. A main valve is disposed between bib end of the hose and the water supply. A central station including a water supply inlet is connected to the main supply hose outlet and a plurality of hose outlets, each having an associated flow control valve, supplies water to sprinklers, or similar devices at the outer end of hoses which are connected at their inner ends to the outlets. A control system for directing the water supply to the individual hose outlets is provided including a timer. A relief valve is provided for draining water from the main supply hose and a backflow preventor valve is provided for preventing back-siphonage into the water supply. A pressure actuated warning alert system is provided to indicated venting failure.

This invention relates generally to sprinkler systems and particularly to portable, above ground sprinkler systems for lawns and gardens having a main line from the water supply to the sprinkler system and a valve system for draining the main line and for preventing backflow siphonage into the water supply.
Sprinkler systems used for lawns and gardens are well-known and may be divided generally into above ground systems and below ground systems.
Above ground systems are exemplified by the system sold under the trademark WaterMonster by the company of the same name located at Lancaster, Ga. Such systems include a central unit having an inlet connected to a domestic water supply and several outlet valves each having a connection for one end of a conventional garden hose, the other end of each hose being connectible to a watering attachment. The valves are controlled by a timer so that they operate consecutively at selected time periods. Known above ground systems do not provide back-siphonage protection of supply hose drainage.
Below ground systems are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,403. This patent discloses a system having a plurality of sprinkler heads mounted in series and connected to a common water supply for consecutive operation by a timer. The sprinkler heads are of the pop-up type which have the advantage of being below grade when not in use which facilitates lawn mowing but below ground system lack the versatility of the above ground systems. U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,403, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses the use of backflow preventer and each sprinkler is provided with a self-contained timer system. Below ground systems are much more elaborate than above ground systems and accordingly are much more expensive with respect to the cost of components and require professional installation.
This sprinkler system overcomes the above disadvantages in a manner not revealed in the known prior art.

Sprinkler system with relief and backflow preventer valve and warning system


Refrigerant is metered through the expansion valve based on compressor discharge temperature and ambient air temperature measurements. The microprocessor-based control system selects the appropriate stepper motor valve setting to achieve optimal performance. The temperature measurements used in the control system are decoupled from fluctuations due to shifting of the refrigerant dry out point. This allows the system to be operated at much lower superheat temperatures than heretofore attained, yielding improved performance and longer component life.

The present invention relates generally to electronic control systems for air conditioners, heat pumps and refrigeration equipment. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method using digital circuitry for controlling the flow of refrigerant through the refrigeration system to optimize efficiency and extend component life.
Air conditioning systems, heat pump systems and refrigeration equipment use a considerable amount of electrical energy. Every year more and more owners of residential and commercial buildings will add central air conditioning and heat pump systems. As demand for energy climbs and as energy becomes more costly, it is expected there will be a considerable emphasis placed on improving the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle.
One area which appears promising is to improve the manner in which refrigerant is metered through the system. The refrigerant cools by evaporation in a heat exchanger commonly called an evaporator coil. The refrigerant is metered to the evaporator coil through an orifice sometimes called an expansion valve. Ideally a refrigeration system should meter just enough refrigerant into the evaporation coil, so that the refrigerant extracts heat throughout the entire length of the coil as it evaporates. Due to the changing dynamics of the system, changes in thermostat setting, changes in load from sun, wind and so forth, the optimal performance is not always easy to achieve.
For example, when the temperature surrounding the evaporator coil is high, refrigerant is rapidly converted from the liquid phase to the gaseous phase and there may not be enough refrigerant in the liquid phase to fill the entire evaporator coil. When this occurs, efficiency suffers, since, in effect, some of the evaporator coil is being wasted. On the other hand, if the temperature surrounding the evaporator coil is low, there may not be enough heat present to cause all of the refrigerant to evaporate from the liquid phase to the gaseous phase When this occurs, liquid refrigerant may enter the compressor, degrading efficiency and possibly damaging the compressor. Conventional refrigeration systems have employed a number of different control schemes for metering the refrigerant into the evaporator coil. Although purportedly successful to some degree, there still remains a great deal of room for improvement.
The present invention addresses this problem through the use of a microprocessor-based control system and digitally controlled valve. Precise metering of refrigerant is made possible by a decoupled sensing arrangement which is virtually immune from previously troublesome errors caused by changing system dynamics. The system is able to maintain efficient operation at low temperature levels not heretofore readily attained.
The result is a state-of-the-art air conditioning or heat pump system which offers high efficiency and greater comfort. Because the flow of refrigerant is controlled accurately, the likelihood of introducing liquid-phase refrigerant into the compressor is greatly reduced. This results in longer compressor life.
For a more complete understanding of the invention, its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following specification and to the accompanying drawings.

Control system for heat pump having decoupled sensor arrangement


A solid calcium hypochlorite composition comprising a mixture of: solid calcium hypochlorite; a scale-inhibiting effective amount of a primarily scale-inhibiting alkali metal phosphate; and an effective residue-dispersing amount of primarily residue-dispersing alkali metal phosphate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to blends of calcium hypochlorite with at least one condensed phosphate that is useful as scale-inhibitor and at least one condensed phosphate that is useful as a residue disperser. In particular, a preferred embodiment of this invention relates to homogeneous blends with calcium hypochlorite with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) and sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP).
2. Brief Description of Art
Calcium hypochlorite is a commonly used chlorine compound that is highly effective against bacteria, algae, slime, fungi and other harmful microorganisms. Its primary use is chlorinating swimming pool, spa and hot tub water. Additionally, calcium hypochlorite is used to treat water supplies and sewage. Calcium hypochlorite is also used in cleansing compositions for bathroom and kitchen use.
The most popular form of calcium hypochlorite when used for chlorination is tablets or granules. However, calcium hypochlorite can also be formed into briquettes, pellets, or can be put into solution. Typically, the tablets, granules, and the like, are inserted into a chlorination unit that is attached to the body of water to be chlorinated. The water is passed through the chlorination unit where the calcium hypochlorite dissolves upon contact with the water.
Despite its popularity, there are drawbacks when calcium hypochlorite is used in water chlorination. For instance, when calcium hypochlorite is dissolved in water, calcium ions are released which can form calcium carbonate in solution. When the alkalinity level of the water becomes high, calcium carbonate is likely to precipitate from solution in the form of hard surface scale deposits and also form suspended solid residues.
Such scale deposits can partially or totally block passages in the chlorination unit and its outlets. Blockage of these passages reduces the amount of chlorinating agent that ultimately reaches the body of water. Ultimately the water is not properly chlorinated which may lead to microorganism build up in the water. High microorganism amounts are sought to be avoided due to the known harms to humans and animals.
Typically, to remove scale deposits, a strong mineral acid such as hydrochloric acid is applied to the affected surfaces. This application may be required up to twice a week depending on the volume of water being chlorinated and its pH. This technique is time consuming, laborious and is not cost effective.
It is known in the art that the addition of a certain alkali metal phosphates to calcium hypochlorite prevents some scale deposits. Scale inhibitors have been blended with calcium hypochlorite. However, the use of a scale inhibitor with calcium hypochlorite could result in the suspension of more residues. For example, when a scale inhibitor is used to remove scale deposits from affected surfaces, more small particles are created. Consequently, these small particles may agglomerate and may plug small openings that are nearby.
Therefore, what is needed in the art is a composition that treats or prevents scale deposits while also keeping suspended residues from agglomerating. Most preferably, what is needed in the art is a composition that both treats or prevents scale deposits and also prevents small particles from thereafter agglomerating and plugging up small openings.
It is noted that various alkali metal phosphates have been added to calcium hypochlorite for a variety of reasons. Depending on the use of the end product, phosphates have been added for a sequestering effect, to assist in the cleansing action, or to inhibit scale formation.
More specifically, products have been developed that incorporate an amount of alkali metal phosphate with the calcium hypochlorite to achieve stronger cleansing results or scale inhibiting results. Unfortunately to achieve these results, a large amount of alkali metal phosphate salts are usually added. Examples of prior art references teaching adding phosphates to calcium hypochlorite include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,495 relates to mixtures of calcium hypochlorite with various alkali metal salts such as phosphates. The examples provide teachings of certain blends that employ in excess of 30% of phosphate in the calcium hypochlorite blend.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,639,284 relates to bleaching compositions diluent salts in particulate form and in specified ratios to form homogeneous granules. The weight ratio of the STPP to calcium hypochlorite is not be less than 2.9 parts of STPP per part of calcium hypochlorite and not more than 8.6 parts of STPP per part of calcium hypochlorite. These ratios are preferred in order to maintain the available chlorine content of the product at convenient levels.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,216 relates to a calcium hypochlorite composition containing at least about 55% calcium hypoclhlorite uniformly mixed with water-soluble hydrated inorganic salt. The inorganic salt would be a quantity sufficient to provide a water content for 3% to 11% in the total mixture. An example of an inorganic salt in this patent was sodium tripolyphosphate hexahydrate (STPP.6H2O). This patent teaches that the hydrated inorganic salts may be present in amounts from 5 to 20% by weight of the mixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,490 relates to a layered cleansing block composition containing a bleaching agent such as calcium hypochlorite in an inner layer. The cleansing block also includes a water-softening agent such as STPP or SHMP. The phosphates may constitute 10% to 50% of the total cleaning composition.
PCT application No. WO 99/29632 relates to a calcium hypochlorite composition comprising a mixture of calcium hypochlorite and a scale-inhibiting amount of a solid alkali metal phosphate. Examples of the phosphates include tripolyphosphate, pyrophosphate, trimetaphosphate, hexametaphosphate or mixtures of such phosphates. The only experiments in this PCT application employed STPP. The phosphate may be present in amounts from about 0.05% to 4% by weight of the total weight of the composition.
Ideally, it is desired to have a calcium hypochlorite composition that includes one additive to prevent or inhibit scale formation and further contains another additive to aid in dispersing suspended residues. These ideal additives would be inexpensive, easily manufactured and would not interfere with calcium hypochlorite's properties. The present invention provides an answer to this desired composition.

Calcium hypochlorite/scale inhibitor/residue disperser triblend


A bale of ferrous scrap for use in a steel making process where the bale comprises a compacted volume of scrap with an external marginal layer surrounding a center portion of the bale and a package of elements formed from commingled flux being compacted into the center portion and encapsulated in the bale.

In producing molten steel, a steel mill normally employs either a basic oxygen furnace or an electric arc furnace. When using a basic oxygen furnace, molten pig iron and solid steel scrap are converted into steel of the desired carbon content and temperature using high purity oxygen. The furnace or converter is a barrel shaped, open topped, refractory lined vessel that can rotate about a horizontal trunnion axis. The operational steps of the process involve charging scrap into the vessel, followed by charging of hot molten pig iron onto the scrap. When charging is complete, oxygen is blown through a lance to remove silicon, carbon, and phosphorous from the molten pig iron. The scrap melts during the process, commingling with the molten pig iron to form a bath of liquid steel. This process raises the temperature of the liquid steel made from the scrap and hot metal to above 2850° F. Flux is charged into the vessel for the purpose of combining with the silicon and phosphorous originating from the molten pig iron, thereby forming a molten slag. This slag also absorbs sulfur originating from the molten pig iron and steel scrap. Scrap is an important constituent of the basic oxygen process because, as the scrap melts it absorbs the heat generated by the oxidation of carbon contained in the molten pig iron. In an electric arc furnace, it is quite common to use bales of steel scrap as the source of iron units to be melted. In both a basic oxygen process and an electric arc process, the use of steel scrap presents processing difficulties. Compacted bales of steel scrap with variable compositions are shipped to the steel mill from many locations.
Depending on the source of the scrap, there are different levels of sulfur in the scrap and there is no technique to determine exactly how much sulfur is in the steel of a compressed scrap bale. On the other hand, it is standard practice to desulfurize molten pig iron before it is used for steel making.
In a basic oxygen furnace, the scrap is about 25-30% of the charge. Large pieces of scrap, such as compressed bales, which are preferred for logistics and handling, melt at the end of the process. When the steel scrap is completely melted, the sulfur contained in the steel scrap is released into the bath. Removing this sulfur with the use of standard fluxes requires a substantial amount of time to assure that the molten metal is sufficiently desulfurized for subsequent use in steel making. Thus, using bales of scrap delays the steel making process by requiring a longer processing time for sulfur removal in the melting furnace. Increased time is costly and constitutes a disadvantage of using steel scrap. The steel mill desires to desulfurize the molten steel as fast as possible so that the molten metal is ready for use in a very short time. Ideally, the molten steel should be removed from the furnace as soon as the molten metal has reached the desired tapping temperature. If the sulfur content of the steel bath is too high at tap, then it must be removed downstream of the vessel in the steel ladle at significant expense with a large negative impact on productivity. There is a need for improving the melting process using bales of scrap steel so that the molten metal is rapidly desulfurized to allow tapping the molten metal essentially as soon as the steel scrap has melted. This can not be done with the present technology since significant amounts of sulfur are locked in the solidified steel of the scrap.


Supply of power is ensured on use without requiring troublesome works such as battery replacement work and charging work. Specifically, hearing aids, which collect sound, amplify the collected sound, and output the amplified sound, boosts electromotive force generated by the Peltier module derived from temperature difference between a human-body contact portion and an ambient-air contact portion, and causes sound collecting units, a controller IC, a speaker to operate by the boosted voltage.

There have been devised and embodied hearing aids that moderate hearing impairment by amplifying and outputting collected sound. In order to support user's preferences and use conditions, such hearing aids are various in forms, such as a Behind-the-Ear (BTE) type and a Completely-in-Canal (CIC) type, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-162997. Any of these hearing aids are driven by an internal battery or a rechargeable battery, and therefore no longer work when supply of power is unexpectedly stopped depending on frequency or duration of use, which is a nagging problem in these hearing aids.
These hearing aids driven by such an internal battery prevent the unexpected stop of power supply by providing an advance notice of battery replacement time or charging time. Such battery replacement work or charging work is, however, very troublesome for the hearing aids used on a daily basis.
The present invention has therefore been proposed in view of the foregoing circumstance, and an object thereof is to provide a hearing aid that reliably supplies power when used without requiring troublesome work such as battery replacement work and charging work.


A square channel shaped template of ultra-thin rigid plastic, metal or other material has one or more mating configurations of pencil-point-size marking holes in the two opposing faces of the channel. Each configuration of marking holes matches a configuration of screw holes on a door fixture or door hardware to be mounted on a door. Each configuration of holes may be distinguished by a visible line through the marking holes of each configuration. The template straddles an edge of a door at a measured distance along the edge and fits on the edge with the door closed in a door frame for marking either one or both sides of the door with a mating configuration of marks on the door for drilling.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to templates used to mark doors for drilling and in particular to a double-sided ultra-thin reusable template for marking hole drilling locations on doors for mounting fixtures, which template straddles an edge of a door and is sufficiently thin to allow the door to be closed with the template in place to align with elements on the frame with small pencil point size holes on the template on both sides of the door for marking purposes only, not intended for drilling so that the template is reusable
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is essential to provide accurate drilling of holes in doors for mounting hardware, such as automatic door closures and door knob and lock hardware. The door will not function properly without precise alignment of the hardware elements on the door. Prior art devices are primarily intended for drilling through large screw-sized holes in the template so that the template normally can be used only once due to damaging the holes and the accuracy of the template during drilling. Furthermore the prior art door template patents are for devices which are too thick to be in place on the door with the door closed in the frame and therefore the prior art templates do not provide accurate alignment with mating elements on the door frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,352, issued Nov. 12, 1996 to Matadobra, claims a unitary door routing template for routing hardware mounting apertures in doors which affords expedient placement of the template and the cutting of hardware mounting holes while minimizing expense and hazards to operating personnel. The template comprises two elongated, planar, unobstructed, opposing sides for engaging the front and back sides of a door, the template sides being integrally formed with and extending generally perpendicular to an end plate which engages the door edge. The planar opposing sides are spaced from each other at the end plate by a distance equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the door and, preferably, gradually converge away from the end plate so that, when placed over the door, they provide a stabilizing grip on the door surfaces. The entire template, and particularly the template in the vicinity of the router guide holes, is preferably formed of flexible friable material, such as plastic, and has a thickness greater than ¼ inch to prevent disintegration of carbide router bits in use due to kick-back and contact of the bit with the template.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,285, issued May 19, 1992 to Brydon, shows a three-sided drilling template for a door that is formed from a rigid material. The first and second sides of the template are parallel and contact opposite sides of the door. The third side of the template, orthogonal to and bridging the span between the first and second sides of the template, contacts the edge of the door. A plurality of through guide holes are located in each side of the template and mark the centers of mounting holes for the mounting of operating hardware such as door locks and knobs. Markings on the template indicate the specific purpose of each through guide hole, and marked circles concentric with the through guide holes indicate the correct size of the mounting holes. A rectangular extension on the interior surface of the third side fits into a lock face recess previously formed or pre-machined in the edge of the door for accurate alignment of the template to the door.
U.S. patent application No. # 20040020809, filed Feb. 5, 2003 by Allan, et al., provides a template assembly for locating required mounting holes for door lock that has a generally U-shaped flexible end template, support clips pivotably attached to free ends of the end template, and side templates attached to the support clips. The end template has a center hole locating mark, and the side templates have lock cylinder hole locating marks and a strike plate hole locating mark. Alternatively, the side templates are pivotably attachable directly to the free ends of the end template. Alternatively, the template assembly is a one-piece construction, having integrated end template and side templates, the side templates not being pivotable relative the end template.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,449, issued Feb. 27, 2001 to Diaz, describes a 3 sided bracket shaped template for accurately drilling door knob and lock holes in doors comprising a template plate a at right angle to a lock plate again at a right angle to a reverse plate. The template plate and reverse plate each contain rectangular apertures for drill passage, and the template plate further has zee bracket sleeves on the bottom and both sides of the rectangular aperture for slidably mounting removable plate guides each with different perpendicular cylindrical extension guide for drills of varying sizes. The lock plate also has a centered circular hole with a tubular drill guide perpendicular to the lock plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,125, issued Dec. 29, 1987 to Livick, discloses a drilling template for accurately positioning latch holes and lock cutouts in door stiles. The template includes a pair of spaced, parallel, rectangular, frame member that are rigidly interconnected at one end. The frame members straddle a vertical door stile with the interconnecting end firmly against the edge of the stile. Clamps on one frame member are then tightened. A latch hole drilling guide is centered in a plate at the interconnecting end of the frame, and various diameter hole saw guides on removable side plates are positionable at any of a plurality of selected positions along the length of the frame to provide cutout positions for any of many lock backsets.
What is needed is an ultra-thin door marking template which straddles an edge of a door so that the door may be closed in the door frame with the template in place for accurate alignment of the door holes with mating holes on the frame for attaching related hardware and preferably with pencil point size marking holes on both sides of the template to mark both sides of the door for through bolt drilling and to allow drilling from either side of the door and which template is reusable since the marking does not damage the template.

Double-sided ultra-thin door marking template


A semiconductor wafer, which has a diffractive grating array acting as a alignment mark, is irradiated with a polarized light beam while relatively moving the semiconductor wafer and the polarized light beam. The polarized light beam consists of a polarized component which vibrates in a direction substantially perpendicular to the diffractive grating array. A diffractive light beam from the wafer is received to measure the light intensity thereof. On the basis of the measured intensity, the diffractive grating array is detected. Thus, it is possible to accurately detect the alignment mark.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for detecting alignment marks which are used in measuring a reference position to which a mask pattern and a semiconductor wafer pattern are aligned during exposure.
2. Description of the Background Art
In an exposure apparatus which is used to obtain a resist pattern, to have an excellent mask-wafer alignment accuracy is as important as to have an excellent resolution. Briefly speaking, "alignment" as termed in the semiconductor industry refers to aligning a mask pattern to a previously formed wafer pattern. In actual procedures, "alignment" involves detecting the alignment marks, and aligning mask marks to the alignment marks which are previously formed on a semiconductor wafer at predetermined positions.
FIG. 1 shows an example of alignment marks. In FIG. 1, alignment marks are diffraction gratings 6 which are formed on scribe lines 2 scribed on a semiconductor wafer 1. Lines of the diffraction gratings 6 extending in a direction X are a diffraction grating array 3Y, hereinafter referred to as "a Y-mark." The Y-mark is used to detect the position of an alignment mark which extends in a direction Y (described later). Lining in the direction X, the diffraction gratings 6 form a diffraction grating array 3X which is used in detecting the position of an alignment mark which elongates in the direction X. The diffraction grating array 3X will be hereinafter referred to as "an X-mark."
FIGS. 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams for explaining a conventional alignment method. A first step of the conventional alignment method is to split a laser beam into two laser beams, one for illuminating an X-mark and the other for illuminating a Y-mark. The illumination laser beams 4 thus produced are illuminated onto the semiconductor wafer 1 at preselected laser beam illumination positions through a projection optical system. As shown in FIG. 2B, the laser beam 4 for illuminating the Y-mark irradiates the semiconductor wafer 1 in the shape of a strip which extends in the direction X. The laser beam 4 for illuminating the X-mark, on the other hand, falls on the semiconductor wafer 1 in the shape of a strip extending in the direction Y (not shown). The semiconductor wafer 1 is moved in the direction Y to scan the Y-mark illumination laser beam 4 on the semiconductor wafer 1 (FIG. 2B), during which the signal intensity of a diffractive light beam from the semiconductor wafer 1 is successively measured. The signal intensity of the diffraction light beam varies a the semiconductor wafer 1 slides. More precisely, when a Y-mark 3Y comes to the laser beam illumination position, a diffraction light beam is produced by the diffraction gratings 6 of the Y-mark 3Y, thereby largely changing the signal intensity under measurement. Hence, a Y-coordinate of the Y-mark 3Y is detected by measuring a change in the signal intensity of the diffraction light beam. An X-coordinate of an X-mark 3X is detected in a similar manner: The semiconductor wafer 1 is moved in the direction X to scan the X-mark illumination laser beam 4 on the semiconductor wafer 1 and the signal intensity measurement is carried out during the scanning. Thus, it is possible to detect the X- and the Y-direction alignment marks of the semiconductor wafer 1.
However, theory and reality do not always agree. In an actual structure of the semiconductor wafer the diffraction gratings 6 forming the X- and the Y-marks 3X and 3Y do not have ideal configurations as those shown in FIG. 2A due to the existence of an overlying element such as a metal film 5 as shown in FIG. 3. Metal particles deposited arrisways the surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 are especially problematic because such deposition causes the diffractive gratings 6 of the X- and the Y-marks 3X and 3Y to have asymmetric configurations. This makes it impossible to produce desirable diffraction light beams. Since desired diffraction light beams are not obtainable, chances are that the alignment marks of the semiconductor wafer 1 cannot be accurately detected.
If the diffractive gratings 6 each have an ideal configuration as shown in FIG. 4, the intensity of a diffraction light beam becomes strongest (intensity peak P) when the diffractive gratings b are located at the laser beam illumination position. Hence, it is possible to detect the positions of the diffractive gratings 6 by finding where the intensity peaks P are observed. The opposite case is illustrated in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, the diffractive grating 6 has an asymmetrical shape due to a metal film 7 deposited thereon. Due to the asymmetrical shape of the diffractive grating 6, the intensity of a diffraction light beam grows extremely strong for more than once, exactly three times in the example of FIG. 5 (intensity peaks P1 to P3), in the vicinity of the diffractive grating 6. As a result, it becomes very difficult to detect the precise position of the diffractive grating 6.
Thus, in the conventional alignment method, a film formed on the semiconductor wafer 1 deteriorates a detection accuracy of detecting the X- and the Y-marks 3X and 3Y (i.e., diffraction grating arrays) which function as alignment marks.

Method of and an apparatus for detecting alignment marks


An optical film, which contains a cellulose acylate, at least one compound of formula (I) in an amount of 0.01 to 20 mass parts, and at least one cyclic compound having at least three substituents in an amount of 0.01 to 20 mass parts, to 100 mass parts of the cellulose acylate:

A cellulose acylate film has moderate moisture permeability and is easily processed. Among cellulose films, a cellulose acylate film has higher optical isotropy (a lower retardation value) than other polymer films. Therefore, it is common to use a cellulose acylate film in applications requiring optical isotropy, such as for a polarizing plate. On the other hand, it is demanded that optical compensation sheets (retardation films (or phase-contrast films or phase difference films)) for use, for example, in a liquid crystal display device, have optical anisotropy (high retardation value), on the contrary. Therefore, a synthetic polymer film, such as a polycarbonate film or polysulfone film, which has a high retardation value, is commonly used as the optical compensation sheet.
As described above, in the technical fields of optical materials, a synthetic polymer film is used when it is required for a polymer film to have optical anisotropy (high retardation value), and a cellulose acylate film is used when it is required for a polymer film to have optical isotropy (low retardation value), in general.
However, in these days, another-type of cellulose acylate film having a high retardation value is demanded, so that it can also be used in applications (for example, an optical compensation sheet) for which optical anisotropy is required. It is proposed that a cellulose acylate film be used as a phase-contrast film by imparting optical isotropy to the film, and technologies corresponding to this are proposed (for example, European Patent Application Publication (Laid-Open) No. 0911656A2). In the above European Patent Application Publication No. 0911656A2, an aromatic compound having at least two aromatic rings, and particularly a compound having a 1,3,5-triazine ring, is added, and orientation process is carried out, in order for a cellulose acylate film to have a high retardation value, in practice.
As measures to increase the retardation of a cellulose acylate film, known are, for example, (1) a method in which a cellulose acylate film is oriented, to increase the orientation of its molecular chain; and (2) a method in which a highly anisotropic low-molecular compound is added. For example, there is disclosed a method in which a cellulose acylate propionate film is oriented using a tenter, in JP-A-2003-73485 ("JP-A" means unexamined published Japanese patent application). Also, JP-A-2002-182215 discloses a method in which a cellulose acylate film, to which a disk-like compound is added, is oriented using a tenter. The above methods, however, have the problem that, if it is intended to obtain a high retardation value, variations in retardation and slow axis within the surface of the film are increased, and therefore the problem must be improved.
Generally, it is known that a cellulose triacetate is a high-molecular raw material that can be oriented with difficulty, and it is difficult to make the cellulose triacetate have a large birefringence. However, in the above European Patent Application Publication No. 0911656A2, additives are oriented at the same time by orientation process, thereby making it possible to increase birefringence and attaining a high retardation value. This film has such a merit that an inexpensive and thin-film liquid crystal display device can be obtained, because this film can double as a protective film of a polarizing plate.
It is essential, today, to develop a thin-layer liquid crystal cell to reduce the mass of a liquid crystal display device and production cost. The optical performance required for an optical compensation sheet is a higher Re retardation value, and it has become necessary to provide a film having a lower Rth retardation value.
However, the inventors of the present invention, having made earnest studies as to the method disclosed in European Patent Application Publication No. 0911656A2, have, as a result, clarified that this method has the problem that, if it is intended to attain a high Re value, the Rth value increases, and it is therefore difficult to attain a higher Re value and a lower Rth value, with the result that, in the case of setting the aforementioned Re retardation value and Rth retardation value individually, they cannot be set compatibly. There are, besides the above European patent publication, patent documents, for example JP-A-2001-116926, which disclose techniques concerning the optical performance of a VA phase-contrast film. In the publications, no method of making a desired Re value and a desired Rth value compatible with each other is clearly described.
Also, as mentioned above, a cellulose ester film is eventually used as an optical compensation sheet doubling as a polarizing plate protective film. Along with developments of products with high precision, there is a strong demand for a high-quality cellulose ester film.
In order to use a cellulose acetate film as an optical compensation sheet doubling as a polarizing plate protective film in a liquid crystal display, in particular, lubricity (scratch resistance) of the surface of a film is required. Specifically, when a polarizing plate is produced using a polarizing film and the above film, a treatment for saponification of the film (hydrophilic treatment), a process of adhering the polarizing film onto the film by using an adhesive, and further a conveying work(s) for performing these steps, are carried out. When the scratch resistance of the film surface is insufficient, and as a result the film surface is damaged during the above operations, a liquid crystal display into which a polarizing plate using such a film is incorporated has a fatal surface defect.
A cellulose acetate film may be obtained by a solvent film forming method comprising: casting a dope, obtained by dissolving cellulose triacetate having a bonded acetic acid amount (degree of acetylation) of 60 to 62% together with a plasticizer in a mixed solvent of methylene chloride and methanol, on a drum that is continuously rotated, or a moving band (support), and then vaporizing the solvent. Then, to improve scratch resistance, silicon dioxide, which is currently used, is dispersed in a solvent, or a mixed solution of a solvent and cellulose triacetate; the resulting dispersion is mixed with the above dope, and the resulting mixed solution is cast and dried, to thereby produce a cellulose triacetate film. By this processing, irregularities are formed on the surface of the film, to impart lubricity to the surface.
However, when silicon dioxide is used as a matting agent to improve the aforementioned lubricity, a large coagulate is generated in the film, posing the problem that the transparency of the film is deteriorated.
First, the reason a high Re/Rth ratio is not attained by the method disclosed in the European Patent Application Publication No. 0911656A2 will be explained.
In the case of considering that the thickness of a film is fixed, the retardation of the film is determined by the refractive index and amount of a raw material and the orientation state. In the method disclosed in the European Patent Application Publication No. 0911656A2, the retardation of the film is determined by the three-axis refractive indexes and orientation state of the cellulose triacetate, as well as the refractive index, amount to be added, and orientation state of the disk-like compound serving as an additive. Although other additives, such as a plasticizer, slightly affect the development of retardation, their effects are generally small and can be therefore omitted.
Cellulose triacetate is a raw material that can be oriented with difficulty, usually, and it is therefore difficult to increase the ratio of orientation. It is therefore difficult to accomplish a large retardation value. In the case of attaining high retardation by using cellulose triacetate in the manner as in European Patent Application Publication No. 0911656A2, the additives largely contribute to the developed retardation.
The Re retardation value and the Rth retardation value are both defined as refractive indexes in three-axis directions, and therefore the ratio Re/Rth is mostly determined by an additive that largely contributes to the development of retardation. By investigating the Re/Rth ratio vs the orientation ratio, it was found that both are proportional to each other, and the Re/Rth ratio is increased as the orienting ratio is increased. In the case of varying the amount to be added, the same proportional relation is also obtained: The Re/Rth ratio is increased as the amount to be added is increased. The gradient of the Re/Rth ratio to the orienting ratio is determined by the raw material to be added. It was found that, in the case of the disk-like compound described specifically in the European Patent Application Publication No. 0911656A2, the gradient is small.
The orientation states of cellulose triacetate and additives, which orientation determines the retardation value, differ depending on the orienting method. Generally, a roll orienting method and a tenter orienting method are known, as examples of a monoaxially orienting method. In the former method, the width of a film is shrunk, making ny small, and therefore the (nx−ny) value is easily made larger, so that Re tends to be developed. In the latter method, a film is oriented in the transverse direction in the condition that the carrying direction is limited, and the (nx−ny) value is therefore scarcely made large. Therefore, the Re/Rth ratio to the orienting ratio is smaller in the latter case than in the former case.
Because the tenter orienting method has a tendency to decrease the dispersions of film thickness and optical performances, it is suitable as a method of producing an optical compensation sheet for a liquid crystal display device. When this method is applied to the aforementioned disclosed example, the increment of the Re/Rth ratio is about 0.01 or less, per 1% of the orienting ratio. When the target value of Re is close to the target value of Rth and the Re/Rth ratio is about 0.5, the orienting ratio must be 50% or more. It is difficult to actually attain this orienting ratio stably in the case of cellulose triacetate film resistant to orienting.
Also, as to the amount to be added, it is difficult to attain the optical performances to be intended by a possible increase in the amount to be added.
Other and further features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Optical film, optical compensation sheet, polarizing plate, and liquid crystal display device

Abstract: wherein R1 to R7, R9 and R10 each independently is a hydrogen atom or a substituent; at least one of R1 to R5 is an electron-donating group; R8 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkinyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an acylamino group, an alkylcarbonyloxy group, a cyano group, or a halogen atom; and    an optical compensation sheet, a polarizing plate, and a liquid crystal display device, each of which uses the optical film.


The present invention is concerned with the identification of a failed communication network component of an industrial communication network and of a substation automation system in particular. This is achieved by supervising communication paths of a communication network having components. A failure status or operating status of each communication path is determined and reported. Any network component that is part of an operating path is regarded as operating, i.e. failure-free, whereas all other network components are considered as non-operating or potentially failed. If there is more than one non-operating component, additional suitable communication paths are evaluated, until one single failed network component is identified and subsequently reported as requiring repair or replacement. The invention is particularly applicable in cases where some of the network components, i.e. the lines or some nodes of the communication paths, are passive components or non-intelligent devices that are unable to report an operating status themselves.

In industrial communication networks of distributed control systems, reliability or availability is a key issue, because a failing communication network generally entails an interruption of the controlling process, which might lead to a shut down of the controlled industrial process. The fast identification of a failed or otherwise inoperable component of the industrial communication network is thus important. This is particularly valid for the field of Substation Automation (SA), as the reliability of a SA system has an immediate impact on the reliability of an entire power network.
Substations for power distribution in high and medium voltage power networks include primary or field devices such as electrical cables, lines, busbars, switches, breakers, power transformers and instrument transformers. These primary devices are operated in an automated way via a Substation Automation (SA) system responsible for controlling, protecting and monitoring of substations. The SA system comprises programmable secondary devices, so-called Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED), interconnected in a SA communication network, and interacting with the primary devices via a process interface. The IEDs are generally assigned to one of three hierarchical levels, namely the station level with the operators place including a Human-Machine Interface (HMI) as well as the gateway to the Network Control Centre (NCC), the bay level with its Bay Units (BU) for protection and control, and the process level. Process level units comprise e.g. electronic sensors for voltage, current and gas density measurements as well as for switch and transformer tap changer positions, or breaker-IEDs controlling an actuator or drive of a circuit breaker or disconnector. Intelligent actuators or breaker IEDs may be integrated in the respective intelligent primary equipment and connected to a Bay Unit via a serial link or optical process bus. The BUs are connected to each other and to the IEDs on the station level via an inter-bay or station bus.
A reliable SA system is typically required to continue to be operable even if a component fails, i.e. a single point of failure that causes the substation to become inoperable is unacceptable. A failure of a component of the SA communication network, due to e.g. a loss of a communication port caused by a failing diode for a fibre optic link, can result in the loss of access to the complete substation, one single bay or only one IED. Albeit the failure rate of the electronic ingredients of an individual IED is already very low, redundancy is one way to increase reliability of the SA system. Redundancy can be achieved by doubling components, or by benefiting from an inherent redundancy of a ring-type communication link. Even in such redundant SA communication networks, it is important to detect errors or failed components, in order to repair or replace the component and re-establish the vital redundancy. Hence, of all the components of the SA communication network, including IEDs, Ethernet switches, Ethernet lines, fibre-optical lines, hubs and opto-electrical star couplers, it is important to know the availability, in other words, a failure of a component has to be localized and diagnosed as quickly as possible in order for a repair or replacement to be arranged for.
In SA communication networks based on the novel Standard IEC 61850, the use of fibre optics and switches overcomes some limitations of the Ethernet like collisions and allowed length extensions. However, opto-electrical star-type couplers working exclusively with electro-optical conversion on a physical level, Ethernet hubs working exclusively with electrical connections, as well as all interconnecting physical lines, are passive components deprived of any intelligence or programmability.
In industrial communication networks with intelligent or active devices such as routers or Ethernet switches, these devices can themselves identify as being out of order or otherwise in need of maintenance. The result of such as self-diagnosis is then transmitted by means of dedicated protocols such as the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to a monitoring device for evaluation. SNMP is the Internet standard protocol developed to manage nodes (servers, workstations, routers, and switches etc.) on an IP network. The protocol can support monitoring of intelligent network-attached devices for any conditions that warrant administrative attention. However, the particular data transmitted is often device-specific and can only be interpreted correctly by communication experts. In addition, and unless supplemental intelligence is provided for monitoring passive or non-intelligent components, a failure of the latter cannot be identified this way.

Monitoring an industrial communication network