Disclosed is a catheter driver for use with a flexible, elongated catheter having opposite ends and an intermediate portion and intended for manipulation by a user during insertion of the catheter into the body of a patient. The driver of the invention is constructed for one-handed operation making it easier for the user to guide the catheter into the patient while operating the driver and obviating the need for relinquishing control of the catheter for advancing the driver. The driver includes an elongated body for being gripped by a band of the user. The body having a longitudinal axis and forward and rear ends, a longitudinally extending recess in the body for slidably receiving the intermediate portion of the catheter; and a lock structure operable by the same hand of the user for locking the intermediate portion of the catheter in the recess to allow application of axial thrust to the catheter.

Catheters are often used in exploratory and testing procedures to avoid invasive surgical procedures. Access to the patient's body is usually gained through existing body orifices, small incisions or punctures. In use, the catheter is progressively driven into the patient's body by pushing it along existing body cavities, tubes, ducts, or blood vessels to the target area within the patient's body. To avoid damage to body tissues, the catheter must be highly flexible. Furthermore, catheters are normally of small diameter to allow their use within small conduits and to increase flexibility. For example, the diameter of a catheter for use in a testing procedure is normally with the range of 0.10 mm to 4 mm. This small diameter makes manipulation of the catheter by the operator difficult, especially when working under aseptic conditions with talcum-treated latex gloves. Moreover, the light-weight and thin, wire-shaped portion of the catheter which remains external to the patient's body is naturally unstable and awkward to handle, in particular during insertion of the catheter deeper into the patient's body which requires pushing of the catheter by application of axial thrust to the portion of the catheter still outside the patient's body.
To overcome these problems and facilitate control and handling of a thin, highly-flexible catheter, it has been suggested to employ a modified pin vice having a handle portion provided with an axial through bore for insertion of the catheter so that it can be gripped by releasably closeable jaws of a chuck at the front end of the vice. The catheter is threaded through and tightly gripped by the jaws in the closed condition of the chuck. The catheter is progressively insetted into the body of the patient by pushing the catheter with the pin vice. Such a device provides the operator with substantially improved feel and grip of the catheter. However, this device is not practical in most applications and not cost effective. To change the position of the vice on the catheter, the chuck must be rotated relative to the body of the vice for opening and closing of the jaws. The observed technical weakness is that for this operation, the operator must use both hands, one to hold the handle and the other one to open or tighten the chuck. This means the physician setting the catheter, unless assisted by another person, cannot maintain control of the catheter's position and orientation in the patient's body, possibly leading to internal injury or damage to the catheter. The procedure is also time intensive. Moreover, the pin vice cannot be applied to the catheter after insertion thereof into the patient. It can also not be removed after insertion of the catheter is complete and may interfere with the subsequent testing procedure. In addition, the use of a pin vice is relatively costly since it normally does not withstand repeated sterilization rendering it unsuited for single use in aseptic environments.


A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel employs a cholesteric polarizer which passes light of a first circular polarization, but reflects light of a second circular polarization. The LCD panel may be monochrome or color; in the color embodiments, several different color filters are used, each having one or more cholesteric polarizers tuned to a specific bandwidth in the visible spectrum. These polarizers replace dyed (neutral or dichroic) polarizers of prior art LCD panels, and provide improved color purity. The invention may be enhanced by providing a light recycling scheme whereby the handedness of the circularly polarized light reflected by the polarizers is changed and redirected back to the polarizers. This recycling scheme may also be adapted to provide an overhead projector having a high output polarized light source, particularly useful in conjunction with an LCD panel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to optical polarizers, and more particularly to a novel liquid crystal display panel and an overhead projector which incorporate tuned cholesteric polarizers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Liquid crystal display (LCD) panels generally employ one of several different types of polarizers, including dyed stretched polymeric (neutral and dichroic), cholesteric or thin-film polarizers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,465 discloses an LCD panel (depicted in FIG. 1) which uses both neutral polarizers 1 and dichroic polarizers 2 in a stacked arrangement. The dichroic dyes and associated liquid crystal layers 3 are selected to provide desired optical responses in order to yield the three primary subtractive colors, magenta, cyan and yellow.
One drawback to conventional dyed polarizers is that they are absorptive, i.e., polarization occurs due to different absorption coefficients for light polarized in different directions. This results in a loss of more than 50% of the available light, which adversely affects illumination in display systems using LCD's. Absorption of this amount of energy can also lead to heat management problems. In some projection systems using LCD's, such as overhead projectors (OHP's), illumination difficulties may be overcome by providing a brighter light source, such as a metal halide lamp; this solution, however, is expensive, and typically exacerbates heat management problems, and further introduces a serious safety hazard.
Another drawback to dichroic dyed polarizers is that their spectral cutoffs are limited by the dyes themselves. In many uses, such as stacked, color supertwisted nematic (STN) LCD panels, these cutoffs are not as sharp as would be desired, and their use results in less than ideal color purity and brightness or, alternatively, necessitates use of neutral polarizers instead.
Cholesteric polarizers have sharper spectral cutoffs which can be employed to improve these uses, and are reflective rather than absorptive but, prior to the present invention, cholesteric polarizers have not been incorporated into flat panel LCD designs. These polarizers utilize liquid crystal material in which the elongated molecules are parallel to each other within the plane of a layer, but the direction of orientation twists slightly from layer to layer to form a helix through the thickness of the polarizer. Cholesteric polarizers are either right- or left-handed and, depending upon this handedness, transmit or reflect circularly polarized light in a narrow optical bandwidth. As suggested by Schadt et al. (see SID 1990 Symposium Digest pp. 324-326; and 29 Jap. J.Appl.Phys. pp. L634-L637 and pp. 1974-1984), the reflective properties of cholesteric filters may be exploited to recycle the reflected light. See also Maurer et al. (SID 1990 Symposium Digest pp. 110-113, and 1991 Record of the International Display Research Conference, pp. 57-59). Unfortunately, these devices are incompatible with the configuration of a flat LCD panel, such as is used in either direct view or with an OHP since, for example, their wide-aperture case does not generate highly polarized light; other of the devices are particularly unsuitable in stacked LCD designs.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,410, cholesteric polarizers are used to selectively block one of two images in a head-up/head-down display. While that patent further discloses the use of multiple polarizers to selectively block discrete color images, the polarizers are never used for manipulating the color tone of a single image. The configuration of the '410 device is also generally incompatible with that of an LCD panel. See additionally U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,966. It would, therefore, be desirable and advantageous to devise an LCD panel which incorporates cholesteric polarizers, but provides high efficiency, wide aperture transmission of the light for stacked LCD panel designs. It would be further advantageous if such a wide aperture polarized light source could be directly incorporated into an OHP to accommodate any type of LCD panel (e.g., color or monochrome). Finally, the systems would preferably impart greater brightness, and be usable over a wider range of operating temperatures.

Cholesteric polarizer for liquid crystal display and overhead projector

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


An air separation module includes a housing, a bundle of hollow fiber membranes, and a clam shell axial support assembly. The axial support assembly includes two supportive elements, each supportive element including a flow-through component. The flow-through component includes a plurality of openings through which a supply of fluid (e.g. oxygen enriched air) may pass. The axial support assembly is secured around the bundle of hollow fiber membranes at a position radially inward from the housing and radially outward from the fiber bundle.

The present invention generally relates to gas generating systems, such as on-board inert gas generating systems (OBIGGS) and, more particularly, to air separation modules (ASM) for gas generating systems.
The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) has issued safety mandates requiring that all new and existing aircraft inert the fuel tank to prevent explosions. One accepted method of fuel tank inerting is the OBIGGS. Aircraft have used the OBIGGS to protect against fuel tank explosions by replacing the potentially explosive fuel vapor/air mixture above the fuel in the ullage space of the tanks with nitrogen enriched air (NEA).
A key component of the OBIGGS is the ASM. The ASM may be configured to receive air, such as bleed air, and to provide a NEA flow to inert the fuel tank and an oxygen enriched air (OEA) flow. The OEA flow can be recaptured or vented overboard.
The ASM can include a housing having an inlet to receive air (e.g. bleed air), a NEA outlet and an OEA outlet. The ASM may include a bundle of hollow fiber membranes positioned within the housing. At least one end of the fiber bundle may be cast or potted in what is commonly referred to as a tubesheet. More commonly, both ends of the fiber bundle may be so encapsulated with the tubesheet. The tubesheets may serve to hold the fibers in a fluid-tight relationship such that the NEA flow may be isolated from the OEA flow. An inner tube, such as the inner tube described in US Patent Application 2010/0024649 A1, may be included within the fiber bundle to provide axial support.
The ASM utilizes membrane technology to separate oxygen from air. During operation, air may enter the housing through the inlet and pass through the bundle of hollow fiber membranes. Oxygen may be separated from the air flow due to diffusion through the fiber walls because the fiber walls may be more permeable to oxygen than to nitrogen. As the air flow travels through the ASM, the NEA flow may be generated by the loss of oxygen via permeation through the fiber wall. The NEA flow may exit the housing through the NEA outlet and the OEA flow may exit through the OEA outlet. Typically, an NEA oxygen concentration of 12% or less is sufficient to inert the fuel tank.
In fuel tank inerting systems, the amount of NEA flow may be the key performance metric. Higher NEA flow per size and weight of ASM translate into lower the OBIGGS size and weight. Further, it is desirable that the ASM have a long maintenance interval to reduce cost and delays associated with the servicing of the ASM.
As can be seen, there is a need to increase the NEA flow of the ASM. Further, there is a need to reduce the weight, size and maintenance interval of the ASM.

Air separation module with clam shell axial support


The injector nozzle includes a cylindrical needle which is axially reciprocated by an armature assembly. The needle has a needle tip terminating in a flat end surface with a spherical transition surface between the flat end surface and the side walls of the needle. Depending upon the diameter of the needle and the included angle of the valve seat, the diameter of the flat end surface may be less than the diameter of the orifice through the valve seat. The circular edge defined between the flat end surface and the spherical transition surface defines a location where the liquid fuel and air consistently separate from the needle in the valve-open condition whereby variations in the spray cone angle and the flow rate are minimized during steady-state and transient operating conditions.

As is well known, fuel injectors for injecting fuel into internal combustion engines typically include an armature assembly for axially reciprocating a needle within the interior of the fuel injector body in response to electrical energization and deenergization of an electromechanical actuator to selectively open and close a fuel flow passage through the tip of the fuel injector. The needle of the armature assembly typically reciprocates in relation to a valve seat between a valve-open position for flowing fuel through an orifice at the injector tip and a valve-closed position with the tip of the needle engaging the valve seat. Conventionally, the tip of the needle is provided with a spherical configuration for engagement with the valve seat.
Many fuel injectors provide a swirl to the fuel being injected. A swirl-type injector has the advantage of injecting a widely dispersed spray and promoting atomization with relatively low injection pressure. During the injection process, the pressurized fuel is forced to flow through tangential passages and creates a high angular velocity. As a result, the fuel emerges from the discharge orifice in the form of a thin conical sheet which produces a hollow cone spray and rapidly disintegrates into fine droplets. Because of the nature of the surfaces defining the flow passage in the valve-open position, i.e., the spherical tip of the needle and the frustoconical recessed portion of the valve seat, the liquid fuel sheet does not separate consistently from the needle tip at designed locations. That is, there is an interface between the liquid fuel and the air within the valve structure which does not separate from the tip of the needle at a well-defined constant location. This inconsistent separation causes substantial variations in the flow rate and the spray cone angle, i.e., the angle between the sides of the spray cone pattern during steady-state and transient operating conditions. For example, spray cone angle variations have been found to be as high as 5.degree. for spherical needles, while flow rate variations have been found to be approximately .+-.4.8% with the spherically-shaped needle tip. The consistency of the location of the separation of the liquid sheet from the needle tip is significant in accurately metering the fuel and forming the desired spray cone angle. It is particularly significant in a direct injection spark-ignited engine where fuel is injected directly into the combustion volume because there is only a very short time available for air/fuel mixing. Consequently, there is a demonstrated need to reduce variations in the spray cone angle and flow rate for fuel injectors.

Flat needle for pressurized swirl fuel injector


A system, method, and computer program product communicate data dictionary information of database objects through a redo stream in the form of metadata, which provides the association between the internal numbers used by a database schema to identify database objects and the corresponding user-defined names of the database objects, in the redo stream itself, so that the association information may be easily and quickly used in the analysis of the redo stream of the database transactions. A method of communicating data dictionary information of database objects through a redo stream comprises the steps of performing a change to a first database data table, logging redo information representing the change to the first database data table to a redo stream, and logging information relating to internal identifier mapping information associated with the first database data table to the redo stream.

The occurrence of a hardware, software, network, process, or system failures in a database system could result in corruption, inconsistencies, or errors to database data. To prevent such problems from occurring, many database systems implement recovery mechanisms capable of restoring the database to a consistent and error-free state if such failures are detected. Recovery mechanisms typically utilize one or more recovery logs or recovery files (collectively referred to herein as "recovery logs") to perform the recovery process. Recovery logs record information about the database data, such as changes to the database data or the state of database data as of a certain point in time.
A commonly implemented recovery log is a "redo log" or "redo stream". Redo streams contain records of all changes made to objects in a database system, regardless of whether the changes are committed or uncommitted. For example, the redo log may record a stream of data containing the identity of each data item that changed in the database, as well as the precise change that is made to the data item. If a failure occurs, the redo stream can be used during the recovery process to "redo" any changes that occurred prior to the failure, to place the database in a consistent state as of a specific point in time.
Since recovery logs, such as redo logs or streams, effectively become a historical repository for all changes made to the database data, the information recorded in the recovery logs can be used for many purposes beyond just system recovery operations. For example, the redo stream information may be used to drive asynchronous applications that provide a variety of functionality, such as:
Logical Standby where a standby database shadows a primary database by extracting committed transactions out of the redo stream and applying them;
Log Based replication where a replica site extracts committed changes made to the tables of interest and applies them to keep the replica tables synchronized; and
Log Analysis whereby a user issues Structured Query Language (SQL) queries against a fixed view to determine changes applied to the database.
For example, the redo stream may be analyzed by processing each record in the redo stream to reconstruct the equivalent Data Manipulation Language (DML) statement. DMLs belonging to the same transaction are grouped together and committed transactions are returned to the application.
However, since redo records only identify the modified schema objects (or the associated columns) by internally generated numbers, log analysis and subsequent application of transactions generate output that is not easily readable by a person. In order to produce output that is more easily readable by a person, a data dictionary may be used to provide the mapping between the numbers and the corresponding user defined names. For example, Structured Query Language (SQL) statements use column names and table names that typically have meaning to a person, while the internal database schema identifies the corresponding columns and tables with internally generated numbers.
Thus, the need arises to generate and utilize a data dictionary to provide the mapping between the internal numbers and the corresponding user defined names so that applications that utilize the redo stream can generate output that is more easily readable by a person. One conventional technique saved the data dictionary information in a file that was separate from the redo stream. Use of this data dictionary then required the entries in the data dictionary to be temporally matched with the entries in the redo stream, which was a difficult and time-consuming process.
The need arises for a technique by which information needed to provide data dictionary information of database objects relating to the association between the internal numbers used by a database schema to identify database objects and the corresponding user-defined names of the database objects may be generated so that the association information may be easily and quickly used in the analysis of a redo stream of the database transactions.

Communicating data dictionary information of database objects through a redo stream


An integrated circuit package may include a plurality of interconnects, and an integrated package substrate coupled to the plurality of interconnects and comprising an integrated circuit package substrate core. A first surface of the integrated circuit package substrate core may define a depression.

The core layer copper thickness of conventional integrated circuit package substrates continues to increase as such substrates are required to route increasing amounts of power. A substrate may be electrically and physically coupled to a motherboard using an array of solder balls. The motherboard, in turn, tends to flex during shock and vibration thereof, platform assembly and testing. The above-mentioned increased thickness results in increased substrate rigidity that may prevent the substrate from flexing to accommodate the motherboard flexing. The flexing mismatch results in forces on the solder balls which may decrease their reliability.
Conventional techniques to address the foregoing include increasing a solder ball pad size on the substrate and on the motherboard. Other techniques include designing a substrate such that its corner solder balls, which tend to experience the greatest flexing forces, are sacrificial (i.e., not critical to electrical function). The former technique may increase a package footprint, and the latter technique reduces I/O density. Notwithstanding their effectiveness in addressing the above issues, the trade-offs presented by these techniques may unacceptable in any number of usage scenarios.

Compliant integrated circuit package substrate


An electrical connector comprises an insulative housing (2), a plurality contacts (4) received therein, at least a pair of securing members (3) disposed on adjacent corners of housing (2). The securing members (3) are used for supporting a chip module and able to slide in an upright direction, which can solve the balance problem produced in process of mounting a heat sink.

1. Field of the Invention
This patent application claims priority to China Application No. CN 200620069562.2, filed on Feb. 21, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein its entirety.
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector for securing connecting an electronic package such as a chip module and a circuit substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Land grid array (LGA) electrical connectors are widely used in the connector industry for electrically connecting LGA chips to printed circuit boards (PCBs) in personal computers (PCs). Conventionally, one kind of the LGA connector mainly comprises an insulative housing, a multiplicity of contacts received therein, a metallic stiffener partly covering and reinforcing the housing, and a metal clip and a cam lever pivotably mounting on two opposite sides of the stiffener. The housing defines a multiplicity of terminal passageways in a rectangular array, for interferentially receiving corresponding contacts. In assembly, the housing firstly engages interferentially with stiffener. Then the clip and the lever are mounted on two sides of the stiffener. Successively, the assembled the housing with stiffener is further attached on a printed circuit board by a locking member. At last, the contacts received in the housing are soldered to the printed circuit board. Secondly, engaging the chip module with the electrical connector, the clip is rotated upward. The chip module is placed in the central cavity of the housing. The clip is rotated from a vertical portion to a horizontal portion to make the two opposite sides of the clip attach on corresponding sides of the chip module. The cam lever is rotated to drive the clip to gradually approach the housing until the pressing portions of the clip press the chip module downwardly to make the contact pads of the chip module contact with the contact portions of the contacts and make the chip module received in the central cavity therein. As a result, mechanical and electrical engagement between the chip module and the PCB via the electrical connector is attained.
However, there lies in some drawbacks that the locking structure used for securing the chip module is too complicate for produce, hence increasing the cost. In addition, when the lever is oriented to a horizontal level for pressing the clip downwardly, an anti-force will be produced, which can destroy the solder quality of the electrical connector with the printed circuit board. At last, when a heat sink is mounted on the housing, for two lateral sides of the heat sink are not mounted at the same time, so when one side of the heat sink is firstly pressed downwardly and locked, the chip module produces incline. When the other side of the heat sink is pressed downwardly and locked, the inclined chip module is difficult to pressed downwardly, which destroys the connection between the terminal and the contacting pads of the chip module.
Thus, there is a need to provide a new electrical connector that overcomes the above-mentioned problems.

Land grid array connector with reinforcement stiffener


A high Fe-containing zirconium composition having excellent corrosion resistance and a preparation method thereof. Specifically, disclosed are a high Fe-containing zirconium composition having excellent corrosion resistance and a preparation method thereof, the composition comprising: 0.5-1.0 wt % iron; 0.25-0.5 wt % chromium; 0.06-0.18 wt % oxygen; at least one element selected from the group consisting of 0.2-0.5 wt % tin, 0.1-0.3 wt % niobium and 0.05-0.3 wt % copper; and the balance of zirconium. The zirconium alloy has excellent corrosion resistance, and thus can be used as a material for nuclear fuel claddings, spacer grids and nuclear reactor core structures in light water reactor and heavy water reactor nuclear power plants.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high Fe-containing zirconium alloy composition having excellent corrosion resistance and a preparation method thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nuclear fuel claddings, spacer grids, and nuclear reactor core structures, which are used in nuclear fuel assemblies in nuclear power plants, become brittle due to high-temperature/high-pressure corrosive environment and neutron irradiation, and suffer reduction in mechanical properties due to a phenomenon of corrosion product growth, and thus alloy compositions thereof are very important. Accordingly, zirconium alloys having low neutron absorption cross sections and excellent mechanical strength and corrosion resistance have been widely applied in pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs) for several decades. Among zirconium alloys developed to date, Zircaloy-2 (comprising 1.20-1.70 wt % tin, 0.07-0.20 wt % iron, 0.05-1.15 wt % chromium, 0.03-0.08 wt % nickel, and 900-1500 ppm oxygen, the balance being zirconium) and Zircaloy-4 (comprising 1.20-1.70 wt % tin, 0.18-0.24 wt % iron, 0.07-1.13 wt % chromium, 900-1500 ppm oxygen, and up to 0.007 wt % nickel, the balance being zirconium), which comprise tin (Sn), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni), are most widely used.
However, in order to increase the economic efficiency of nuclear reactors, high burnup/extended cycle operations have recently been adopted, in which the cycle of nuclear fuel is extended to reduce the life-cycle cost of nuclear fuel. As the cycle of nuclear fuel is extended, the period during which nuclear fuel reacts with high-temperature and high-pressure water and steam is extended. For this reason, when Zircaloy-2 and Zircaloy-4 are used as materials for nuclear fuel claddings, a problem occurs in that the phenomenon of corrosion due to nuclear fuel becomes severe.
Accordingly, there is an urgent need to develop materials, which have excellent corrosion resistance to high-temperature and high-pressure water and steam, and thus can be used in nuclear fuel assemblies for high burnup/extended cycle operations. Thus, many studies focused on the development of zirconium alloys having improved corrosion resistance have been conducted. Herein, because the corrosion resistance of zirconium alloys is greatly influenced by the kind and amount of additional elements, processing conditions, heat treatment conditions, and the like, it is particularly important to establish optimal conditions that show excellent corrosion resistance.
With respect to major patents relating to nuclear fuel assemblies for high-burnup/extended cycle operations, which were registered after the middle of the 1980s, zirconium alloys mostly comprise iron, which can improve corrosion resistance, even when it is added in trace amounts. Also, in Fe-containing zirconium alloy compositions, it is a general tendency to increase the amount of added iron and to add other elements that have an effect of improving corrosion resistance. That is, zirconium alloys for high burnup/extended cycle nuclear fuels essentially contain a high concentration of iron, and optimal preparation processes thereof are established such that the zirconium alloys exhibit excellent performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,995 discloses a method for preparing a zirconium alloy comprising 0.005-0.025 wt % iron, 0.8-1.3 wt % niobium, 0.16 wt % and less of oxygen, 0.02 wt % and less of carbon, 0.012 wt % and less of silicon, and the balance of zirconium. This patent attempts to improve creep resistance by restricting the content of iron to within a range of very low values.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,573 discloses a process for preparing a zirconium alloy, having iron content higher than that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,995, and comprising 0.07-0.14 wt % iron, 0.5-2.0 wt % niobium, 0.7-1.5 wt % tin, 0.03-0.14 wt % nickel or chromium, 0.022 wt % and less of carbon, and the balance of zirconium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,985 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,131 relate to a manufacturing process, in which a "late stage" beta-quenching process is performed during the cold processing of a zirconium alloy having the same composition as that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,573. These patents attempt to improve creep resistance and corrosion resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,464 discloses an alloy composition having iron content about 20 times higher than that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,995, and comprising 0.02-0.4 wt % iron, 0.8-1.8 wt % niobium, 0.2-0.6 wt % tin, 30-180 ppm carbon, 10-120 ppm silicon, 600-1800 ppm oxygen, and the balance of zirconium, as well as a preparation process thereof. This patent attempts to improve corrosion resistance and creep resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,774 discloses an alloy composition comprising 0.2-0.5 wt % iron, 0.8-1.2 wt % tin, 0.1-0.4 wt % chromium, 0-0.6 wt % niobium, 50-200 ppm silicon, 900-1800 ppm oxygen, and the balance of zirconium, as well as a preparation process thereof. This patent attempts to reduce the variations in corrosion resistance according to the absorption of hydrogen by changing the content of silicon in the alloy and the difference of the process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,308 discloses an alloy composition that maintains its mechanical properties due to a decrease in the content of tin, and comprises 0.4-0.53 wt % iron, 0.45-0.75 wt % tin, 0.2-0.3 wt % chromium, 0.3-0.5 wt % niobium, 0.012-0.03 wt % nickel, 50-200 ppm silicon, 1000-2000 ppm oxygen, and the balance of zirconium. The above patent, the iron/chromium ratio was controlled to be 1.5, the added amount of niobium was determined by the added amount of iron which affects the hydrogen absorption property of the alloy. Further, the added amount of nickel, silicon, carbon, and oxygen was determined to provide excellent corrosion resistance and strength.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,790 discloses an alloy composition comprising 0.3-0.6 wt % iron, 0.5-1.5 wt % niobium, 0.9-1.5 wt % tin, 0.005-0.2 wt % chromium, 0.005-0.04 wt % carbon, 0.05-0.15 wt % oxygen and 0.005-0.015 wt % silicon. In this patent, the interparticle distance between intermetallides (Zr(Nb,Fe)2, Zr(Fe,Cr,Nb) and (Zr,Nb)3Fe) is 0.20-0.40 μm, and the intermetallides are at least 60 volume percent of the total amount of ferriferous intermetallides.
In Europe Patent No. 198,570, the content of niobium in a binary alloy consisting of zirconium-niobium is limited to 1.0-2.5 wt %. This patent also discloses that the temperature of heat treatment performed during a process for preparing the alloy can lead to improved corrosion resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,985 discloses an alloy comprising: 0.5-2.0 wt % niobium; 0.7-1.5 wt % tin; and 0.07-0.28 wt % of at least one element selected from among iron, chromium and nickel. Also, this patent discloses that the creep resistance of the material can be controlled by subjecting the material to various treatment processes.
As described above, there have been continued efforts to improve the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of zirconium alloys used as materials for nuclear fuel assemblies in nuclear powder plants. However, zirconium alloys having further improved corrosion resistance, which can secure the integrity of nuclear fuel in high burnup/extended cycle operations, are continually required in consideration of the tendency toward high burnup/expended cycle operations, in which the cycle of nuclear fuel is expanded to increase the economic efficiency of power plants, and the target burnup is increased.
Accordingly, the present inventors have conducted many studies to improve accelerated corrosion phenomena, which are most problematic when nuclear fuel claddings, spacer grids and structures, made of zirconium alloys, are used in high burnup/extended cycle operations. As a result, the present inventors have found that a zirconium alloy composition, containing 0.5-1.0 wt % iron and prepared using varying kinds of additional elements through an optimized preparation process, has excellent corrosion resistance compared to the prior Zircaloy alloys, thereby completing the present invention.

High Fe contained zirconium alloy compositions having excellent corrosion resistance and preparation method thereof


An image sensor includes a plurality of photosensitive pixel lines adjacent to each other in the sub-scanning direction, each of the photosensitive pixel lines having a number of photosensitive pixels arranged in the main scanning direction, and horizontal transfer registers disposed outside of the photosensitive pixel lines. A storage part for saving therein signal charges on a pixel-by-pixel basis is interposed between the photosensitive pixel lines and the horizontal transfer registers. Transfer of signal charges between the photosensitive pixel lines, storage part, and horizontal transfer registers are controlled by operating shift gates so that at a time point when exposure of the inside photosensitive pixel line has been finished, signal charges of the outside photosensitive pixel line is saved into the storage part to thereby secure a transfer passage for signal charges of the inside photosensitive pixel line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple-line image sensor for use in a color image reading device and, in particular, to an image sensor and an image reading device having a function of continuously changing the read sub-scanning density of a digital copying machine or the like, and also having a multiple-line storage means.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a color image reading device, there is widely used a color image reading device which includes, on one chip, a 3-line color sensor having three read lines for three colors R (red), G (green) and B (blue). In the color sensor of this type, image information corresponding to one line in a main scanning direction is read out in such a manner that manuscript information is reduction projected onto the surface of the 3-line color sensor by an image forming lens constituting a reduction optical system. Also, image information in a sub-scanning direction is read out by varying a positional relationship between a formed image and a sensor mechanically by use of suitable mechanical means such as a scanning mirror or the like.
Since the respective three read lines for the three colors, namely, R, G and B, in the 3-line color sensor are arranged at different positions on the sensor chip, they read lines on a document extending in the main scanning direction which lines are located at different positions in the sub-scanning direction. For this reason, a color image is read such that the document surface is read sequentially in time series with mechanical sub-scanning and then a registration correction is performed on readout signals. This registration correction is an operation in which the readout signals that are output in time series are delayed on a line-by-line basis so that read lines of the three colors have information as would be obtained by reading the same main scanning line on the document surface.
However, since the read image is quantized in the sub-scanning direction according to a distance (an amount of feed) of the read image to be moved in the sub-scanning direction during one read period (exposure time), the registration correction operation by means of the above delay scanning can only provide accuracy corresponding to an integer-multiple of the feed amount. A residual registration error may cause a case that a black fine line cannot be recognized properly in a digital color copying machine. This error can be eliminated if a read line gap is set at an integer-multiple of the feed amount in the sub-scanning direction. However, in the digital color copying machine, because reduction and enlargement of an arbitrary magnification is performed by changing the scanning density in the sub-scanning direction, the feed amount in the sub-scanning direction varies with the set magnification, which leaves a problem when it is intended to accommodate all magnifications.
FIG. 29 shows a general configuration of an image reading device using a 3-line color sensor, and FIG. 30 illustrates how color misregistration in the sub-scanning direction occurs in this 3-line color sensor.
In the image reading device using the 3-line color sensor, as shown in FIG. 29, to read an image of a document placed on a document placement glass 201, a reflection image of the document is reduction-projected progressively onto a 3-line color CCD sensor 205 through a lens 204 with scanning by a full-rate mirror 202 and half-rate mirrors 203. In this image reading device, for example, the pixel pitch of the sensor is 14 .mu.m, the document read resolution of the sensor is 16 dots/mm, and the projection magnification of the lens is 0.224 (=0.014.times.16). In the conventional 3-line color CCD sensor, the read pixel lines R, G and B are arranged in parallel to one another and, therefore, as shown in FIG. 30, different positions on the document surface are read. If the gap between the sensor pixel lines is 168 .mu.m, positions on the document surface which are spaced apart by 0.75 mm (=0.168/0.224) are read.
In the scanning by the full-rate mirror 202 and half-rate mirrors 203, since the lens 204/sensor 205 system is moved at a constant speed with respect to the document to be read and thus the document information is read and scanned relatively, different pieces of document information on the surface of the document placement glass are read out as the data of different read times by the 3-line color CCD sensor 205. For this reason, this registration correction can be made by delaying the outputs of the sensor on a line-by-line basis by use of a line FIFO of a color registration correction memory 206.
Next, there is shown a general formula to determine the number of delay lines necessary for a line gap correction that is needed when the read magnification is changed.
Del=Gap.times.Res.times.Mag PA1 Del: number of delay lines; PA1 Gap: three-color read line gap as converted a value measured on a document surface (in a conventional case, the gap between R and G as well as between G and B is 0.75 mm, and the gap between R and B is 1.50 mm); PA1 Res: read resolution (in the conventional case, 16 dots/mm); and PA1 Mag: read magnification (1.0 for 100%).
where
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Read magnification 100% 97.9% 95.8% 93.8% 91.7% ______________________________________ Number of delay 24 23.5 23 22.5 22 lines of R with respect to B Number of delay 12 11.75 11.5 11.25 11 lines of G with respect to B ______________________________________
Table 1 shows how the number of delay lines varies for magnification values around 100%. The number of delay lines varies according to the read magnification as shown in Table 1, and thus it is not always an integer. To correct this error, it may be conceivable to equalize the read centers of gravity of the three colors by using an average of data of lines adjoining a read line. However, since the operation to average data of the adjoining images is a blurring operation, the read resolution is deteriorated. Further, since the read resolution is deteriorated only in the color to be subjected to registration correction, a resolution balance between the three colors is lowered. This may disable proper recognition of a black fine line.
FIG. 31 shows an example of black fine line read data of the respective color sensors in a case where the delay amount does not correspond to an integral number of lines, and FIG. 32 shows an example of the read correction by delaying as well as a change of the center of gravity by moving average. As shown in these figures, as a result of execution of the center of gravity correction operation, the read image of G situated in the center of the 3 lines becomes unsharp and, as shown in FIG. 32, although they are the read data of the black fine lines, the values of the center portions thereof and the values of the edge portions thereof are not coincident in the three color read data. This results in coloration and muddy edges. As a countermeasure against this problem, Japanese Patent Examined Publication Nos. Hei. 6-81225 and Hei. 6-20221 have proposed a technique in which the registration correction of decimal portions is effected by independent operations in which the exposure periods of the three-color read lines are deviated from one another. The present inventors have also made a similar proposal in Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 7-10400.
Now, FIGS. 33A and 33B show examples of shift pulse input timings to the 3-line color CCD sensor and exposure phase timings variable according to the shift pulse input timings. The exposure period timings of the three colors can be changed by the supply timings of shift pulses that control the exposure period of the 3-line color CCD sensor. In an exposure timing control example of FIG. 33A, the number of correction lines between R and G and between G and B is n+1/2. In an exposure timing control example of FIG. 33B, the number of correction lines between R and G and between G and B is n+1/4 while the number of correction lines between R and B is 2n+1/2.
Now, FIG. 34 is an explanatory view of a conventional 3-line color CCD sensor, FIG. 35 is an explanatory view of a 3-line color CCD sensor of an intra-pixel transfer system, FIG. 36 is a block diagram of a reading device using the conventional 3-line color CCD sensor, FIG. 37 is a block diagram of a reading device using the 3-line color CCD sensor of an intra-pixel transfer system, and FIG. 38 is a graphical representation which shows a relationship between the sizes of line sensor gaps and the amplitudes of allowable speed variations. In the conventional 3-line color CCD sensor, for example, as shown in FIG. 34, horizontal transfer electrodes are arranged on both sides of their respective light-sensitive pixel lines. On the other hand, in the intra-pixel transfer system, for example, as shown in FIG. 35, the light-sensitive pixel lines of the three lines are arranged such that they adjoin one another, and their horizontal transfer electrodes are disposed on the outside thereof. As shown in FIGS. 36 and 37, the signal charges of the respective three colors are taken out from the horizontal transfer electrodes in such a manner that they are classified into Odd and Even signal charges.
By the way, the 3-line color registration correction in the 3-line color sensor is made in such a manner that the shifted read time is substituted for the shifted read position and then the time is delayed in a unit of lines by the memory. However, to achieve this correction, it is necessary that the feeding in the sub-scanning direction is a uniform linear motion of a high accuracy. Here, if the gap distance between the read pixel lines is great, then the delay time is long and is thus easy to be influenced by variations in the feeding speed of a long cycle, which requires a further accurate sub-scanning direction feeding motion. For this reason, it is desirable that the gap between the read pixel lines is narrower, more preferably, the sensor line gap is in the range of 1 to 2 lines. As can be seen clearly from FIG. 38, if the sensor line gap is less than 2 lines, the allowable range extends rapidly.
However, in the structure of the conventional 3-line sensor shown in FIG. 34, since the horizontal transfer electrodes are arranged as read-out electrodes on both sides of the light-sensitive pixel lines of the respective colors, there arises a problem when the gap between the read pixel lines is reduced down to the range of 1-2 lines. Also, there can be expected another means in which wires are provided between the pixels for taking out the output of the central pixel line of the three pixel lines. In this means, however, the areas of the pixels are reduced and thus the sensitivities of the pixels are decreased down almost to a half, which is insufficient for the specifications which require high speeds, high resolution and low noise.
Techniques for narrowing the sensor gap are proposed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. Hei. 6-65230 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho. 63-191467. These publications employ a system in which the signal charges of the inside photosensitive pixel lines of the respective photosensitive pixel lines of the 3-line sensor are read out through the outside photosensitive pixel lines. This system is referred to as an intra-pixel-line transfer system. That is, in these publications, by using this intra-pixel-line transfer system, the sensor line gap of the center line signals can be reduced down to the range of 1-2 lines through between the pixels without reducing the pixel areas of the sensor to lower the sensitivities of the pixels. An example employing this structure is shown in FIG. 35.
However, in the intra-pixel-line transfer system, since the read signal charges of the center pixel lines of the photosensitive pixel lines of the three lines are read out through the outside pixel lines, it is difficult to employ the above-mentioned exposure timing shifting technique. That is, the signal charges of G are sent from the photosensitive pixel lines of G situated in the center of the three lines through the R photosensitive pixel lines to the horizontal transfer electrodes of G. For this reason, if the exposure timings of R and G are shifted, it interferes with the read-out passage of G during R exposure.
Thus, because the exposure timing control is impossible, the gap between the light-sensitive pixel lines is set to be the integral multiple of the scanning density (which is normally determined by the gap between the pixels in the main scanning direction). This is because, when the scanning magnification is 100% which is the most standard magnification, the gap correction is made only on the integral lines, which eliminates the fear that the resolutions due to the registration correction error and registration correction can be lowered. Due to this restriction, though a photosensitive pixel line gap of less than 2 lines can be technically realized, the actual gap of the pixels themselves in the sub-scanning direction cannot help but 2 lines. There can also be employed a technique in which, by shortening the length of the photosensitive window of the pixel line in the sub-scanning direction, the pixel line gap in the sub-scanning direction can be set as 1 line. However, in this case, the sensor sensitivity is lowered. Further, in the conventional technique, there arises a problem that variations in the magnification cannot be read freely.

Image sensor, image reading device, and image reading method


The image forming apparatus comprises: a plurality of nozzles; a plurality of liquid supply channels each of which is communicated with a corresponding one of the plurality of nozzles and supplies a liquid to the corresponding one of the plurality of nozzles; a plurality of drive elements each of which applies pressure in the liquid in a corresponding one of the liquid supply channels so as to eject the liquid as a droplet from the corresponding one of the plurality of nozzles; a pressure determination device which is arranged through the plurality of liquid supply channels and determines a pressure of the liquid in each of the liquid supply channels applied by a corresponding one of the plurality of drive elements, the pressure determination device being separated from the plurality of drive elements; and a failed ejection detection device which detects failed ejection of the droplet from each of the plurality of liquid supply channels according to the pressure determined by the pressure determination device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus comprising a droplet ejection head in which a failed ejection detection unit for detecting failed ejections is embedded.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, one known example of an image forming apparatus is an inkjet recording apparatus (inkjet printer) that has an inkjet head (ink discharge head) with an alignment of multiple nozzles and that forms an image on a recording medium by discharging ink (ink droplets) from the nozzles while moving the inkjet head and the recording medium relative to each other.
Various methods are known in conventional practice as ink ejection methods for such an inkjet recording apparatus. Known examples include a piezoelectric system wherein a vibration plate that constitutes part of a pressure chamber (ink chamber) is deformed by the deformation of a piezoelectric element (piezoelectric ceramics), the capacity of the pressure chamber is changed, ink is led into the pressure chamber from an ink supply channel during this increase in pressure chamber capacity, and the ink in the pressure chamber is ejected as droplets during the decrease in pressure chamber capacity. Further, known examples also include a thermal inkjet system wherein ink is heated to create air bubbles for ejecting the ink by the expansion energy when the air bubbles grow.
In image forming apparatuses that have ink ejection heads such as an inkjet recording apparatus, ink is supplied from an ink storage tank to ink ejection heads via an ink supply channel, and the ink is ejected by the various ejection methods described above, but ejection must be stabilized so that the amount of ink ejected, the rate of ejection, the direction of ejection, and the shape (volume) of the ejected ink and the like are always constant.
However, during printing, the nozzles of the ink ejection heads are always filled with ink so that printing can be immediately performed upon receiving a print command, and the ink in the nozzles is exposed to air; therefore, the ink in the nozzles dries when it is not ejected for a long period of time, the viscosity of the ink increases, rigid ink droplets cannot be ejected, and the nozzles clog, which sometimes results in failed ejections. Also, the refilling of ink is sometimes slowed and unsatisfactory ejections may occur due to the accumulation of the air bubbles that are mixed in the ink supply channel or the like and block the supply of ink, or due to continuing ejections over a long period of time.
These reasons are the causes of failed ejection as described above, and maintenance must be performed on the ejection heads when stable ink ejection is no longer possible. In view of this, various methods have been proposed in conventional practice for determining whether ink has been ejected in a stable manner or if the ejection heads have failed to eject ink.
In one known example, a determination device is disposed for determining the state of displacement of a vibration element that varies the capacity in the ink chamber according to an electrical signal in order to discharge ink from ink droplet discharge ports, and the displacement of the vibration element has a high-frequency vibration component when air is mixed in the ink chambers during the recording operation. Therefore, irregularities in the state of displacement of the vibration element are detected by determining the displacement and identifying the state of failed ejection of the ink (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 55-118878).
Another known example is a failed ejection detection method that uses an inverse analysis technique of signal processing, which involves a drive circuit for a piezoelectric element and a circuit for adjusting the vibration waveform during the driving of the piezoelectric element, wherein the high frequency components of the vibration waveform of the piezoelectric element are converted to pulses and extracted, the repeating cycle of the vibration waveform is determined, and the presence or absence of air bubbles in the ink chambers or the state of unfilled ink or the like is determined from the variations in this cycle (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 63-141750).
Also, the capacity of the pressure chambers rapidly decreases when the piezoelectric elements are driven by a pulse signal, ink particles are ejected from orifices (ink ejection ports), and the pressure chambers return to their original states when the pulse signal is no longer applied, but the vibration of the ink produced at this time is transmitted to the piezoelectric element and the piezoelectric element creates an electrical signal.
In view of this, in another known example, an inverse analysis technique of signal processing is performed to a higher degree so that the output signal of the piezoelectric element is determined, and at least one of either the extent of the vibration damping time and the peak value range of the output signal is observed to determine which of the pressure chambers or ink chambers contain the air bubbles (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-29851).
Another known example has a pressure measuring device for determining the internal pressure of the ink supply channel in addition to the piezoelectric element for creating pressure to eject ink, in which a failed ejection detection unit is used to observe the variation in the voltage produced by the deformation of the piezoelectric element due to internal pressure variation in the ink supply channel immediately after ink has been ejected, ejection/failed ejection is determined based on the variations in the voltage produced, and the internal pressure of the ink supply channel as determined by the pressure measuring device is controlled by a pressurizing device on the basis of a failed ejection signal so as to reach a set pressure value, whereby a failed ejection recovery operation is performed (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-286124). In addition, the example described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-286124 has a buffer chamber that separates air bubbles in order to prevent the air bubbles from being mixed in the ink.
In another known example, as a developing technique of inverse analysis, an actuator (vibration inducing element) and a reflecting plate are provided to the opposite sides constituting the ink chamber so as to come into direct contact with the ink in the ink chamber, the vibration caused by the actuator is propagated into the ink, and the vibration reflected by the reflecting plate facing the actuator and returned back to the actuator is determined, whereby debris or air bubbles mixed in the ink chamber are detected (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-309874).
Additionally, as a typical example of an inverse analysis technique, the impedance at an arbitrary frequency of the piezoelectric element in the head is measured, frequency characteristics of the impedance are created, and the frequency characteristics are used to determine whether air bubbles have adhered to the piezoelectric element (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-334102).
However, the example disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 55-118878 has another determination device provided to the vibration element to determine the displacement of the vibration element, but with either a piezoelectric member with a bimorph structure or a push rod-type piezoelectric member, forming more than the minimum intervals necessary to manufacture the vibration element results in portions in which the pressure is lost, which is undesirable for efficiently producing force (pressure) for ejecting ink.
This drawback is particularly pronounced when a high-density head is manufactured. Also, generally the size of the driving element should be taken into greater consideration than the size of the determination element in terms of the function of creating an ink ejection force, but since there is a limit on how small the determination element can be, problems are encountered in that the difference in size between the determination element and the drive element decreases, the ratio of the vibration plate covered by the drive element further decreases as a result, there is a greater loss in force created (pressure) by the drive element, and, depending on the situation, the created force may not be sufficient for ejection.
The examples described in Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 63-141750, 4-29851, and 11-334102 are designed to detect failed ejection using a system referred to as an inverse analysis technique that also uses the drive element as the determination element. According to this system, using the drive element itself for ejecting ink as a determination element is advantageous in that no new components are needed, but it has a basic problem in that the drive signal and the determination signal must be separated.
Other problems are encountered in that determination is difficult to perform the moment the drive force for ink ejection is produced because the drive signal suddenly changes and the amplitude becomes too great, resulting in determination results being produced at times other than ejection, which causes the time in which determination is possible to be limited and also limits the information that can be obtained by such a determination; therefore, precise determination is not possible.
The example described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-309874 can also be considered a developing technique of inverse analysis, designed so that vibration is reflected by another member, it is determined when the vibration has returned to the drive element with a time difference, but the strength of the reflectivity of the reflective surface in contact with the ink must be increased to a certain extent with consideration for the strength of the reflected wave. Also, in order to separate the drive signal and the determination signal, the pulse range (time) of the drive signal and the distance between the drive element and the reflective plate must be increased so as to allow the time difference needed to separate these signals, which creates restrictions on the drive signal waveform and the dimensions of the ink pressure chambers, and these restrictions become more severe when ink is ejected at high speeds. Consequently, problems are encountered in that it is difficult to achieve this configuration, particularly in a high-density head wherein the pressure chambers have been reduced in size.
The example described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-286124 determines the internal pressure changes in the ink supply channel, which is a problem in that it is unsuitable for detecting pressure irregularities during discharge.
Furthermore, in any of the conventional techniques described above, particularly in a matrix-type head, which is a high density head spanning the page width, no suitable configuration is provided for detecting failed ejections.


An assay for detecting in a test sample, an analyte that undergoes auto-oxidation is disclosed. The assay comprises the steps of forming a reaction mixture by combining in an aqueous medium (i) a sample containing the analyte and (ii) a stabilizer that reduces the rate of radical mediated auto-oxidation of the analyte. The reaction mixture is incubated for a period of time and the rate of auto-oxidation is detected. When the detected rate of auto-oxidation is substantially zero, a sufficient quantity of an enzyme is added, that catalyzes the oxidation of the analyte. In the presence of the stabilizer, the analyte can be oxidized to a product species. The product species, the analyte, or both can be detected.

Diagnostic assays play a significant role in the detection and diagnosis of diseases. The development of diagnostic assay technology has made possible the precise measurement of minute amounts of analyte in samples of serum, plasma, saliva, cerebral spinal fluid, amniotic fluid and urine. Applications of such assays include measuring drug concentrations administered to patients for the treatment of diseases and detecting blood components resulting from diseases including cancer. Thus, their applications in the fields of biology and medicine have made them increasingly important and versatile as diagnostic tools.
There are complications, however, with the uses of assays. The sensitivity and accuracy of these assays are often limited by the instability of the analyte of interest due to the conditions of the assay. Such limitations can make detection and measurement of the analyte of interest unreliable, as well as decrease the sensitivity of the assay.
The effects of these limitations can be disastrous since their presence in assays could cause inaccurate results leading to misdiagnosis and potentially inappropriate treatment.
In certain liver diseases such as hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, or obstructive jaundice, the diconjugate bilirubin species is believed to be elevated in early stages of the disease.
Bilirubin is a typical metabolic product of hemoglobin which is an oxygen carrier in blood. Determination of the amount of bilirubin in body fluid, especially blood, is important for detection of hemolysis and for checking liver function. One symptom of excess bilirubin in blood is jaundice. Determination of the bilirubin content in blood has been an important item of clinical chemical testing.
Bilirubin is a yellow colorant which itself has an absorption peak at 435 nm or 465 nm and molecular absorptivity coefficient of about 5.times.10.sup.4 C.sub.33 H.sub.36 O.sub.6 N.sub.4.
Bilirubin can be detected by examining the density of green color formed when bilirubin is oxidized by an oxidizer to biliverdin and by knowing precisely how this density is proportional to bilirubin content. This method is associated with qualitative testing. Disadvantages with this method is that it can be difficult to quantitate the amount of bilirubin in a sample.
Various calorimetric methods for determining bilirubin concentration have been proposed. In one method, bilirubin is coupled with a diazonium salt such as diazosulfanilic acid and the amount of the resulting colorant is measured in a spectrophotometer to estimate the bilirubin content. However, since the bilirubin content in the blood serum of a healthy subject is very small, it can be difficult to achieve accurate determination of the bilirubin concentration using this method. bilirubin is extracted from an aqueous solution with a hydrophobic organic solvent. A disadvantage with this method is that it can take time to extract the bilirubin from an aqueous solution and it can require large amounts of sample which can be difficult to concentrate, which can lead to low extraction recovery. A further disadvantage associated with this method is that this method may not be specific for measuring the conjugated species of bilirubin.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a sensitive specific assay that can accurately determine the presence of an analyte in a sample that undergoes auto-oxidation. Further, it would be advantageous to have an assay which would be capable of satisfying the above criteria yet able to maintain the standardization of the assay by avoiding auto-oxidation.


An integrated LDMOS transistor comprises a semiconductor substrate (11), an LDMOS gate region (17), LDMOS source (14) and drain (15) regions, and a channel region (13) arranged beneath the LDMOS gate region, where the channel region interconnects the LDMOS source and drain regions. The LDMOS gate region comprises first (18a) and second (18b) gate insulation layer regions, a centrally located gate-dividing insulation region (19) provided between the first and second gate insulation layer regions, and first (20a) and second (20b) individual gate conducting layer regions, each being provided on top of a respective one of the first and second gate insulation layer regions, and each being an etched outside spacer region at the centrally located insulation layer region.

The speed of an LDMOS transistor is determined by the transconductance gm and the input capacitance Cin, and more specifically, the speed is proportional to gm/Cin. By reducing the capacitance without changing the transconductance, the speed is increased with no additional drawbacks assuming that the process lithography is maintained unaffected.
An improved performance using a scaled down device with a channel length shorter than the smallest mask dimensions that process lithography of today permits, has been obtained in several manners. One common method is to use a diffusion step that defines a critical length such as the channel length or the length of the gate, see e.g. the published U.S. patent application Ser. No. 20020055220 A1.

LDMOS transistor device employing spacer structure gates


A writing instrument includes a tubular body, a guide sleeve, an outer sleeve, and a holder. The outer sleeve includes at least one groove on an inner surface thereof, and the guide sleeve includes at least one rib on a forward portion thereof to engage the groove of the outer sleeve. An inclined surface continuously inclining relative to the axial direction of the outer sleeve is formed at a rearward end portion of either side wall of the groove such that a width of the groove becomes wider in a direction of the rearward end. An inclined surface continuously inclining relative to the axial direction of the outer sleeve is formed at a forward end portion of either side wall of the rib such that a width of the rib becomes smaller in a direction of the forward end. An inclined angle of the inclined surface of the groove is not less than that of the inclined surface of the rib.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a writing instrument, and more particularly to a writing instrument in which a stick-shaped object can be extended outwardly of the writing instrument by rotating a tubular body relative to an outer sleeve.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional writing instrument is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-397, which includes a cap having a guide sleeve rotatably assembled therein. The guide sleeve has axially extending slits formed therein and an eraser holder assembled thereto with outward projections of the holder fitting into the slits. Therefore, the eraser is movable in the axial direction of the guide sleeve.
A spiral-grooved sleeve is assembled around the outer circumference of the guide sleeve, and includes two half assemblies (e.g., two portions). The spiral-grooved sleeve is assembled integrally with the cap such that the spiral-grooved sleeve is not rotatable relative to the cap. The spiral-grooved sleeve is formed with a spiral groove which receives a tip of the outward projections of the eraser holder. The rearward end portion of a joint is fittingly mounted into the forward end portion of the guide sleeve, such that the joint and the guide sleeve are not rotatable relative to each other. The forward end portion of the joint is fitted into the rearward end of an outer sleeve which accommodates a writing member therein. The joint and the outer sleeve are assembled so that they are not rotatable relative to each other.
A rib-to-groove fitting engagement connects the guide sleeve to the joint such that they are not rotatable relative to each other. Likewise, a rib-to-groove fitting engagement connects the joint to the outer sleeve such that they are not rotatable relative to each other.
However, to fit the rib into the groove, the joint must be angularly accurately positioned about an axis thereof with respect to the guide sleeve and the outer sleeve. Fitting the guide sleeve into the joint, or fitting the joint into the outer sleeve requires a time-consuming assembly operation.
Another problem is that it is difficult to manufacture the rib and groove such that they are precisely configured to each other and such that the assembly does not rattle after the rib and groove have been assembled. Moreover, if the rib and groove are configured to each other with very small gaps therebetween, they are difficult to readily assemble. Consequently, a certain amount of rattling between the guide sleeve and the outer sleeve results.


A method of producing a multilayer capacitor has steps of preparing a plurality of first and second ceramic green sheets, a step of laminating the plurality of first and second ceramic green sheets, and a step of cutting a ceramic green sheet laminate body along predetermined intended cutting lines to obtain laminate chips of individual multilayer capacitor units. When preparing the first ceramic green sheets, first and second internal electrode patterns are formed so that the first and second internal electrode patterns are alternately arranged in a perpendicular configuration, with the first and second internal electrode patterns being continuous across intended cutting lines.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of producing a multilayer capacitor with an element body including a capacitance section and an ESR control section.
2. Related Background Art
There is a known multilayer capacitor having an element body of a nearly rectangular parallelepiped shape in which a plurality of internal electrodes are laminated together with a dielectric layer in between (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-168621 hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1). In the multilayer capacitor described in Patent document 1, the element body includes a capacitance section and an ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) control section.
The capacitance section is configured in a structure in which a first internal electrode exposed in a first side face and connected to a first polarity and a second internal electrode exposed in a second side face opposed to the first side face and connected to a second polarity alternate with at least one dielectric layer in between. The ESR control section is configured with a third internal electrode exposed in the first side face in which the first internal electrode is exposed and in a third side face adjacent to the first side face, and connected to the first polarity, and a fourth internal electrode exposed in the second side face in which the second internal electrode is exposed and in a fourth side face adjacent to the second side face, except for the first and third side faces in which the third internal electrode is exposed, and connected to the second polarity.
In the capacitance section the first and second internal electrodes are connected to connection conductors only and in the ESR control section the third and fourth internal electrodes are connected to the respective connection conductors and external electrodes. In the multilayer capacitor described in Patent Document 1, therefore, the connection conductors to which the first and second internal electrodes are connected in parallel are connected in series to the external electrodes and, therefore, a higher ESR can be achieved when compared with the conventional configuration where the internal electrodes are connected in parallel to the external electrodes.

Methods of producing multilayer capacitor


An absorbent article that contains a lateral flow assay device for testing a bodily fluid, such as urine, blood, mucous, saliva, etc., is provided. The lateral flow assay device includes a chromatographic medium (e.g., porous membrane) that defines a detection zone that provides a signal indicative of the presence or absence of the analyte. The device may also include a control zone that provides a signal indicative of whether a sufficient amount of bodily fluid has been provided and tested. Regardless of its specific configuration, the lateral flow assay device is integrated into the absorbent article to provide a user or caregiver with rapid information about a health condition. For example, the device may be integrated into a diaper to provide information about the presence of enzymes or other compounds often encountered with a patient having a urinary tract infection. This information may provide an early warning system to allow the user or caregiver to seek additional testing and/or treatment. Alternatively, semi-quantitative or quantitative results may be derived from the test.

Multiple tests have been developed for detecting components in urine. Such tests can provide information about overall health as well as provide an indication of a health problem. When timely administered, such tests may also be able to provide an early indication of a health problem, which may be very advantageous for effective treatment. By way of examples, urine testing can be used to detect urinary tract infections, diabetes (including diabetic ketoacidosis), parasites, dehydration, dietary defects, cancer, high blood pressure, kidney disease, asthma, severe emphysema, alcoholism, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), glomerulonephritis, and leukemia.
Such tests may be performed by having a patient voluntarily collect and provide a sample. However, patient collected urine samples may not be readily available with certain test subjects such as children, elderly adults, and injured or non-ambulatory patients. Additionally, it may be preferable to collect and test urine samples from these subjects at certain times or conditions where the patient is not necessarily in the presence of medical or otherwise specially trained personnel. Frequently, such subjects may be provided with a diaper or other absorbent article to collect urine and provide for disposal in a hygienic manner. Of course, these articles must be periodically checked to determine whether urine and other bodily waste has been collected.
Specific developments have been provided for collecting and detecting urine samples using a diaper and/or an absorbent article. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,713,660 indicates a disposable article that includes a biosensor adapted to detect a specific biological analyte in bodily waste. U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,496 indicates a disposable diaper having one or more chemical reagents applied to the absorbent region that change color when certain components are present. U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,236 indicates a disposable absorbent product that includes a chemically reactive means that is applied, for example, to one or more layers of the absorbent product.
Despite these developments for absorbent articles, a need for improvement remains. An absorbent article that includes a device not only capable of testing a bodily fluid such as urine for one or more particular component(s) but also equipped for indicating that such fluid has been collected and tested would be particularly beneficial. Additionally, an absorbent article that can also provide, in certain embodiments, an effective urine test for detecting and reporting a urinary tract infection would also be particularly beneficial.

Absorbent article containing lateral flow assay device


Aerial and die mounted cams are provided with dual opposed wearplates on bearing surfaces.

The following U.S. patents are incorporated by reference herein and disclose representative Aerial and Die Mount Cams:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,296 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,705 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,907
In these references, as the ram of the press is lowered, camming surfaces react between relatively slidable parts to cause a tool to be shifted laterally against a workpiece to effect some stamping, bending, punching or like operations thereon. Such slidable parts are subject to wear at their relatively sliding surfaces. As the accuracy or precision of the press is dependent on repeatability in the movement of its parts, it is extremely important that the wearing surfaces between the sliding parts not be allowed to degrade, and this has led to the necessity of frequently replacing worn surfaces.
Heretofore, it has been common practice to provide wear plates of relatively soft metal on one of the sliding parts. Such plates bear against cast iron surfaces of the opposing part, so that such plates rather than the opposing cast iron part wear away. While this has proven to be helpful, it still has required periodic replacement which may result in downtime for the press during production runs, which becomes a very costly procedure.
In addition, certain prior art, particularly U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,705, discloses a guide arrangement between the slide cam base 13 (sometimes referred to as a cam adapter) and the tool holder or slide cam 17 which prevents meandering of the slide cam 17 (and in turn the tool 43 carried thereby) in the event of wear between the opposed sliding surfaces of the cam adapter and the slide cam. While such design may prevent wandering or meandering of the slide cam, it limits the effective loading that can be imposed between the relatively sliding parts, not merely because of the limited surface area between the parts across which the loading is to be spread, but also because of the design, the working loads impose substantial tensile stresses on the slide cam which are directed laterally as viewed in FIG. 2 of such patent. These stresses are in a direction which tends to fracture the slide cam along a vertical plane coincident with the crest line 15, and thus the design substantially limits the effective working loads the slide cam can safely handle.

High performance aerial and die mount cams


Diene rubber compositions are described containing a diene elastomer, a reinforcing inorganic filler, and a coupling agent wherein the inorganic filler includes a silica having the following characteristics:                (a) a BET specific surface area between 45 and 400 m2/g;        (b) a CTAB specific surface area between 40 and 380 m2/g;        (c) an average particle size (by mass), dw, of 20 to 300 nm;and at least one of the following characteristics, preferably two and more preferably all three:        (d) a particle size distribution such that dw≧/CTAB)−30;        (e) a porosity which meets the criterion L/FI≧−0.0025 CTAB+0.85;        (f) an amount of silanols per unit of surface area, NSiOH/nm2; NSiOH/nm2≦−0.027 CTAB+10.5.These diene rubber compositions can be used for the manufacture of tires or of semi-finished products intended for tires.

The present invention relates to diene rubber compositions reinforced with an inorganic filler, which are intended for the manufacture of tires or of semi-finished products for tires, in particular for the treads of these tires.
In order to obtain the optimum reinforcement properties imparted by a filler in a tire tread and thus high wear resistance, it is known that this filler should generally be present in the elastomeric matrix in a final form which is both as finely divided as possible and distributed as homogeneously as possible. Now, such conditions can only be obtained insofar as this filler has a very good ability firstly to be incorporated into the matrix during mixing with the elastomer and to be disagglomerated, and secondly to be dispersed homogeneously in this matrix.
It is known that carbon black has such abilities, which is generally not true of inorganic fillers, in particular silicas, because, for reasons of mutual attraction, these inorganic filler particles have an irritating tendency to agglomerate together within the elastomeric matrix. The harmful consequence of these interactions is to limit the dispersion of the filler and hence the reinforcing properties to a substantially lower level than that which it would be theoretically possible to achieve if all the (inorganic filler/elastomer) bonds that could be created during the mixing operation were in fact obtained; these interactions furthermore tend to increase the consistency of the rubber compositions in the uncured state and therefore to make them more difficult to work ("processability") than in the presence of carbon black.
Since fuel economies and the need to protect the environment have become priorities, it has proved necessary to produce tires having reduced rolling resistance, without adversely affecting their wear resistance.
This has been made possible in particular due to the use, in treads for these tires, of new rubber compositions reinforced with inorganic fillers, in particular specific silicas of the highly dispersible type, which are capable of rivaling a conventional tire-grade carbon black from the reinforcing point of view, while offering these compositions a lower hysteresis, which is synonymous with lower rolling resistance for the tires comprising them, and also improved grip on wet, snow-covered or icy ground.
Treads filled with such highly dispersible silicas (referred to as "HD" or "HDS" for "highly dispersible" or "highly dispersible silica"), usable in tires having low rolling resistance which are sometimes referred to as "Green Tires" because of the energy saving offered to the user ("Green Tire concept"), have been described in large numbers. Reference will be made in particular to patent applications EP 501 227, EP 692 492, EP 692 493, EP 735 088, EP 767 206, EP 786 493, EP 881 252, WO99/02590, WO99/02601, WO99/02602, WO99/06480, WO00/05300 and WO00/05301.
These documents of the prior art teach the use of silicas of HD type having a BET specific surface area of between 100 and 250 m2/g. In practice, one HD silica of high specific surface area forming a reference in the field of "Green Tires" is in particular the silica "Zeosil 1165 MP" (BET surface area equal to approximately 160 m2/g) sold by Rhodia. Use of this silica "Zeosil 1165 MP" makes it possible to obtain good compromises in terms of tire performance, in particular satisfactory wear resistance and rolling resistance.
The advantage of using a silica having a high specific surface area lies mainly in the possibility of increasing the number of bonds of the silica with the elastomer and therefore of increasing the level of reinforcement thereof. This is why it appears advantageous to use in rubber compositions for tire treads silicas having a high specific surface area, possibly greater than that conventionally used of the order of 160 m2/g, in order in particular to improve the wear resistance of these treads. Nevertheless, the dispersibility of the filler and the increase in its specific surface area are considered to be contradictory characteristics, because a large specific surface area assumes an increase in the interactions between objects of filler, and therefore poor dispersion thereof in the elastomeric matrix and difficult processing.

Diene rubber composition for tire comprising a specific silica as reinforcing filler


A clutch device for a roller sand for controlling reciprocating movement of a roller includes a belt wheel, a connecting shaft and a adjusting button. The roller sander consists of a base, a motor set, a roller set and a linking device. The belt wheel is pivotally connected with the connecting shaft, mounted around by a belt that is also mounted around a belt wheel of a shaft of the motor set. In addition, the belt wheel of the clutch device is provided with plural fixing grooves at its front end. The adjusting button is connected with the connecting shaft, provided with a fixing bar fitting in a slot in an annular outer surface of said connecting shaft. Then the adjusting button is pushed in or pulled out to let the roller reciprocate or not. Therefore, two operating ways are optional for the roller sander.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a roller sander, particularly to one having a manual clutch device for controlling a roller in reciprocating movement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A common conventional roller sander is mainly composed of a base 1 having a conveyer at a preset position above it, a motor set 2 fixed at a preset position at one side of the base 1, a roller set 3 having a sanding cloth wheel able to be driven by the motor set 2, and a linking device 4 mounted by a belt that is mounted around a shaft of the motor set 2 as well, enabling the roller set 3 to reciprocate so that grinding precision may be upgraded thereby. But, if a work of a large thickness is to be ground or if a lower precision for a work is acceptable, the conventional roller sander cannot save time for grinding because it has only one way of grinding with the roller set 3 always reciprocating for high degree of grinding, causing a low efficiency and a high cost for low precision sanding.

Manual clutch device for a roller sander for controlling reciprocating movement of a roller


A printed wiring board having a shielding layer for use in an integrated circuit is disclosed. The printed wiring board comprises an insulating sheet having a connecting through hole portion, a printed wiring circuit provided on one or both surfaces of the insulating sheet, an insulating layer having a thickness of 20.about.50 .mu.m which is provided on the printed wiring circuit, and an electromagnetic shielding layer provided on the insulating layer.

The present invention relates to a printed wiring board having a shielding layer.
A printed wiring board having an electromagnetic wave shielding layer provided through an insulating layer is well known from Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 213,192/87. The printed wiring board 9 disclosed in this Japanese Patent Laid-open comprises, as shown in FIG. 3, an insulating sheet 1, printed wiring circuits 2 formed on both surfaces of the insulating sheet 1, an insulating layer 4 provided on a part of the printed wiring circuits 2, an electromagnetic wave shielding layer 5 provided on the insulating layer 4 and a part of the printed wiring circuit 2 and a solder resist layer 6 provided on the shielding layer 5.
In the forming portion of the printed wiring circuit 2 and the shielding layer 5 in the conventional printed wiring board 9 having the shielding layer 5, the insulating layer 4 is formed on the printed wiring circuit 2 by a screen printing process, and as shown in FIG. 3b, on a connecting land 20 to the shielding layer 5 in the printed wiring circuit 2, a relief angle portion 40 having the same diameter as that of the connecting land 20 (for example, 3 mm.phi.) is provided, and then a grounded circuit 5a is formed on the relief angle portion 40 together with the shielding layer simultaneously.
Between the relief angle portion 40 formed on the connecting land 20 and the insulating layer 4, however, uneveness corresponding to the thickness of the insulating layer 4 formed on the printed wiring circuit 2 is present, so that the thickness of outer periphery portion 5b of the grounded circuit 5a out of the shielding layer 5 formed by the screen printing process becomes thin compared with the thickness of the other shielding layer 5 and thus the shielding ink does not fill in or flow in the relief angle portion 40 smoothly, thereby causing an unevenness of the shielding layer and failing a formation of proper grounded circuit 5a.
At the relief angle portion 40, moreover, the grounded circuit 5a having a thickness more than necessary is formed (for example, if the thickness of shielding layer 5 is about 20 .mu.m, the grounded circuit 5a having a thickness of about 50 .mu.m is usually formed at the relief angle portion) while this grounded circuit 5a is commonly formed by the shielding paste, so that the more the thickness of coated film, the less the flexibility, and thus the grounded circuit becomes brittle (for example, a crack is caused in the grounded circuit 5a in the case of thermal expansion and shrinkage under solder dipping.)

Printed wiring board having shielding layer


An illumination apparatus includes at least one light source for outputting light, a light guide for guiding light input from the at least one light source through multiple reflections in the light guide, at least one groove formed on the light guide to reflect incident light, and a light extraction pattern formed on a surface of the light guide to output the incident light to an exterior of the light guide.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an illumination apparatus, and more particularly, to an illumination apparatus using a light guide and a portable terminal having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An illumination apparatus with a light guide is generally used as the backlight for a Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), or to illuminate portable terminal keypads. Such an illumination apparatus conventionally includes a light guide having the shape of a rectangular flat board and guiding light through multiple reflections between its upper and lower surfaces. The light guide includes light extraction patterns provided to output the light within the light guide to the exterior at the upper and lower surfaces.
U.S. published application No. 20060260922, published on 23 Nov. 2006 and entitled "Keypad and Keypad Assembly", discloses a light guide panel for keypad illumination. The light guide panel illuminates a plurality of key buttons on the keypad by reflecting the light towards the panel exterior. The light is generated by luminous elements and is input into the guide. The panel includes a plurality of reflection patterns that are locally formed on the key buttons on a one-to-one basis, to reflect a part of the light propagating in the light guide panel toward the associated key buttons for each pattern.
Since most consumers consider the design of manufactured goods in purchasing portable terminals, attempts are being made to improve external illumination of the products.
The illumination apparatus with a light guide is attractive due to its efficient use of resources and high illumination uniformity. However, when used for external illumination of portable terminals, the conventional illumination apparatus with a light guide has low resource efficiency and difficult implementation, as well as inefficient light-output.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an illumination apparatus with a light guide, which can be efficiently applied for external illumination of portable terminals.

Illumination apparatus using light guide and portable terminal having the same


A temperature sensor, such as a thermistor, senses the temperature inside a power source connector, or other portion, of a power supply. This sensed temperature may then be used to determine if the output power should be reduced or switched off in order to avoid overheating of the connector, or other portion of the power supply. Overheating of the power supply may occur, for example, if contact between the connector and a cigarette lighter power receptacle is incomplete. A microcontroller may be used to monitor the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and reduce or disable the power supply if the temperature is above a threshold temperate. Accordingly, heat damage to the plastic components of the power supply, the cigarette lighter receptacle, may be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to power supplies and, more specifically, to power supplies configured to monitor temperature of components external to a power supply housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to power many electronic devices, such as household appliances, stereo components, and computing devices, for example, those devices typically include a power supply configured for coupling with an external power source. External power sources may include wall outlets, cigarette lighters in automobiles or other vehicles, and in seat power delivery systems in aircraft.
Power supplies typically include at least two connecting cables, one for coupling with a power source and another for coupling with an electronic device. Each of these cables includes respective connectors for coupling with the power source and electronic device. In the event that short circuits or other faults occur in one or more of the electrical cables, the heat generated by the short circuit may melt the plastic cable housing, potentially causing further damage to the cable, the power, supply, the power source, the electronic device, and the user of the power supply. However, current power supplies do not monitor the temperature of anything outside the main power supply housing and such an overheating condition may not be recognized. Accordingly, systems and methods for monitoring the temperature of components outside of the power supply housing portion of the power supply, such as cables and connectors, are desired.
For many types of power sources, the mechanical -configuration of a connection portion of the power source is standardized. Thus, power supply manufacturers may develop power supplies according to the applicable standard for a particular type of power source and have a reasonable assurance that the power supply will be compatible with that type of power source. For example, the receptacle of a vehicle cigarette lighter located in an automobile, water vehicle, or other recreational vehicle (referred to herein generally as a "vehicle receptacle") is standardized so that manufacturers may produce power supplies for various electronic devices that may be powered via the vehicle receptacle. However, some automobiles are not in compliance with the standardized vehicle receptacle specifications. Thus, power supplies having standardized vehicle connectors may not properly engage with these out of specification vehicle receptacles. In addition, even a vehicle receptacle designed in compliance with standardized vehicle receptacle specification may have an incomplete connection with a power supply connector. If a vehicle connector is incompletely contacting the vehicle receptacle, there is a possibility for heat generation in the vehicle connector and melting or other damaging of components in the connector.
Accordingly, systems and methods for monitoring a temperature of various portions of a power supply, such as the vehicle connector, are desired. In addition, systems and methods for reducing damage to a power supply when an overheating situation is detected, such as may be caused by an incomplete or improper connection between a power supply connector and a vehicle receptacle, are desired.