A method and resultant structure of forming barrier layers in a via hole extending through an inter-level dielectric layer. A first barrier layer of TiSiN is conformally coated by chemical vapor deposition onto the bottom and sidewalls of the via holes and in the field area on top of the dielectric layer. A single plasma sputter reactor is used to perform two steps. In the first step, the wafer rather than the target is sputtered with high energy ions to remove the barrier layer from the bottom of the via but not from the sidewalls. In the second step, a second barrier layer, for example of Ta/TaN, is sputter deposited onto the via bottom and sidewalls. The two steps may be differentiated by power applied to the target, by chamber pressure, or by wafer bias. The second step may include the simultaneous removal of the first barrier layer from the via bottom and sputter deposition of the second barrier layer onto the via sidewalls. Chamber conditions in the first step, including balancing neutrals and ions, may be controlled to remove the first barrier layer from the via bottom while leaving it on the more exposed the field area.

The invention relates generally to processes for formation of vertical interconnects in integrated circuits. In particular, the invention relates to the use of a plasma sputter reactor for both etching and deposition.
Modem integrated circuits include several levels of metallization formed over the active semiconductor circuitry formed in the substrate, most commonly a silicon wafer. The multiple metallization layers are required to interconnect the millions to tens of millions of discrete semiconductor devices formed in a single integrated circuit. For advanced microprocessors, there may be five or more levels of metallization.
Each metallization layer includes a dielectric layer, for example, of silicon dioxide or possibly a low-k dielectric material deposited over the previous layer, a via (or contact) hole etched through the dielectric layer, and a metallization including a vertical metallic plug filled into the hole and a horizontal interconnect formed on top of the dielectric layer.
The formation of vias has become increasingly crucial with the continuing shrinkage of critical dimensions and the transition to copper rather than aluminum interconnects. Contacts to underlying silicon will for the most part not be explicitly described hereafter but can equally benefit from the various aspects of the invention.
A generic via is illustrated in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1. It includes a lower dielectric layer 12 (which in the case of a contact is a silicon-containing layer) having formed therein a conductive feature 14, such as another metallization or, in the case of a contact, a contact region of a transistor. An upper level dielectric layer 16 overlies the lower dielectric layer 12 and the conductive feature 14. Advanced plasma etching processes etch a via hole 18 through the upper dielectric layer 16 to the vicinity of the conductive feature 14. This explanation avoids many details about etch stop layers, horizontal interconnects, and advanced structures, particularly including dual damascene, but the fundamental concepts for the invention remain the same.
Prior to filling metallization into the via hole 18, the hole is lined with a barrier layer 20 to prevent the diffusion of aluminum or copper into the dielectric 16, which would short out the dielectric between neighboring via, or the diffusion of oxygen from the dielectric 16 into the metallization, which reduces the conductivity of the plug. Only thereafter is a metallization plug 22 filled into the via hole 18. In the case of copper metallization, the filling process typically includes a physical vapor deposition or sputtering (PVD) deposition of a copper seed layer followed by an electrochemical plating (ECP) of copper into the hole.
The barrier structure has become increasingly important as the lateral critical dimension has shrunk to 0.25 xcexcm and below while the vertical dimension has remained virtually static at between 0.7 and 1.5 xcexcm. As a result, the aspect ratio of the via hole 18 has increased, and the electrical resistance of the vertical electrical metallization has become increasingly important. This emphasis on reduced vertical impedance has been further heightened by the substitution of copper for aluminum as the most desired metallization since copper has a lower bulk resistivity. However, the controlling parameter is the total resistance along a path, including the resistance through the bottom barrier layer portion 24 at the bottom of the via 18. Particularly in the case of an inter-metal dielectric between two metallizations of the same metal, there is no need to include the bottom barrier layer portion 24 since the copper or other metal in the via 18 will be contacting a same metal in the conductive feature 14.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,985,762, Geffken et al. have disclosed directionally etching away the barrier layer exposed on horizontal surfaces of a copper dual-damascene structure but leaving the barrier layer on the sidewalls to protect the dielectric sidewalls from copper sputtered from the underlying copper feature. This process requires presumably a separate etching chamber. Furthermore, the process deleteriously also removes the barrier at the bottom of the trench in a dual-damascene structure. They accordingly deposit another conformal barrier layer, which remains under the metallized via.
In commonly assigned U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 09/518,180 filed Mar. 2, 2000, Gopalraja et al. have suggested that a self-ionized plasma sputter deposition of a copper seed layer for a copper metallization 22 can be used to remove the bottom barrier layer portion 24.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide a structure and method of making it which reduces the contact resistance at the bottom of a via.
It is further desired to provide such structure and method without unduly complicating the integrated circuit fabrication process.
One aspect of the invention includes removing a barrier layer formed at the bottom of a via by a sputter etching process performed in a plasma sputter deposition chamber. The same sputter deposition chamber may advantageously be used to then deposit a second barrier layer.
The invention also includes the aspect of removing the barrier layer at the bottom of the via and simultaneously depositing a second barrier layer on vertically extending sidewalls.
Another aspect of the invention includes removing the barrier layer at the bottom of the via while not removing the barrier layer from some other horizontally extending surfaces. The selective removal can be effected by simultaneously sputter depositing a second barrier layer on these other horizontal surfaces. The selective deposition of the second barrier layer can be advantageously followed by the sputter deposition in the same sputter reactor of another layer of the second barrier layer under different conditions such that the additional layer is also deposited on the via bottom.
The combined process may be performed in an inductively coupled plasma sputter reactor in which, during the removal step, the sputtering target is not energized and thus not sputtered, but, during the deposition of the second barrier layer, it is energized to be sputtered. During the removal step, the inductive coil generates a plasma of the sputtering working gas, and the wafer is biased to attract the working gas ions.
The invention includes structures achievable by the invention in which a barrier layer is coated on the sides of the hole but not its bottom. It also includes a dual-damascene structure in which the barrier is coated on the trench floor but not on the via bottom.

Method of using a barrier sputter reactor to remove an underlying barrier layer


A tone correction apparatus corrects the tone of an input color image signal independently of each of a plurality of hue areas divided by a plurality of standard axes passing through a plurality of standard colors set on a hue coordinate system. The tone correction apparatus judges whether the hue of an input color image signal belongs to which one of first and second auxiliary hue areas, the first and second auxiliary hue areas being one of the plurality of hue areas divided by an auxiliary standard axis of an auxiliary standard color, and if the hue of the input color image signal is judged to belong to one of the first and second auxiliary hue areas, independently performs tone correction of the input color image signal with respect to color components along one standard axis of the plurality of standard axes surrounding the one auxiliary hue area to which the hue of the input color image signal belongs and along the auxiliary standard axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tone correction apparatus for digital color image signals, and more particularly to a tone correction apparatus suitable for applications to broadcast business and the like which require relatively sophisticated processes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various techniques of tone correction of color image signals have been known heretofore. Among these techniques, six-color independent tone correction is known.
With this six-color independent tone correction, the chromaticness (color saturation) and chromaticity (hue) of six standard colors, including R (red), Ma (magenta), B (blue), Cy (cyan), G (green), and Ye (yellow), are independently adjusted without changing the white balance, i.e., without coloring an achromatic signal. A specific example of six-color independent tone correction is described in JP-A-3-26658 and JP-A-3-272294.
An example of conventional six-color independent tone correction will be described.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional six-color independent tone correction apparatus.
In FIG. 1, three terminals R.sub.IN, G.sub.IN, and B.sub.IN are input terminals to which three R, G, and B digital signals constituting a color image signal to be tone corrected are supplied. R.sub.OUT, G.sub.OUT, and B.sub.OUT are output terminals from which corrected R, G, and B signals are output.
Three R, G, and B digital signals supplied to the input terminal R.sub.IN, G.sub.IN, and B.sub.IN are input to comparators 1 to 3 which compare levels of R and G signals, of G and B signals, and of B and R signals. The comparators 1 to 3 output signals representative of the comparison results. A hue area determination unit 4 sequentially judges as shown in FIG. 4 a hue area of each input signal in accordance with the comparison results of the comparators 1 to 3.
FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing hue areas. In this diagram, an input signal is classified into six hue areas which are partitioned by using axes or straight lines extending from the center to respective standard colors, as standard axes (standard lines). In accordance with the comparison results of the comparators 1 to 3, the hue area determination unit 4 discriminates between a color signal having a highest signal level, a color signal having a lowest signal level, and a color signal having a signal level or intermediate signal level between the highest and lowest signal levels. Since there are color signals having the same signal level, the priority order is set between R, G, and B to judge the hue area. In this example, the priority is set in the order of R, G, and B.
The hue of an input color image signal is judged whether it belongs to which hue area among the six hue areas, in accordance with a combination of the kind of a color signal having the highest level and the kind of a color signal having the second highest level.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the apparatus having the structure shown in FIG. 1. The operation of the apparatus will be described with reference to this flow chart.
The hue area determination unit 4 executes the processes at Step 501 to 504 shown in FIG. 5. Specifically, in accordance with the signals representative of the comparison results of the comparators 1 to 3, the hue area determination unit 4 detects the kind of a color signal having the highest level among the three R, G, and B color signals and the kind of a color signal having the second highest level. There are six combinations of kinds of these color signals, each combination being composed of a primary color of a color signal having the highest level and a complementary color between the color signal having the highest level and a color signal having a second highest level. These six combinations include (R:Ma), (B:Ma), (B:Cy), (G:Cy), (G:Ye), and (R:Ma). In accordance with the detection results of these levels, it can be judged whether an input image signal belongs to which hue area shown in FIG. 2.
First, a color signal having the highest level and a color signal having the second highest level are detected. Assuming that the relationship between levels of color signals is as shown in FIG. 3, the color signal having the highest level is R and the color signal having the second highest level is G.
Next, by using these determination results, a table stored in the hue area determination unit 4 shown in FIG. 4 is searched. In this example, since the color signal having the highest level is R and the color signal having the second highest level is G, the level relationship is R>G>B which corresponds to the relationship at the second lowest row of the table shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, the hue area of this input signal corresponds to the 6th area shown in FIG. 2.
Similarly, if the level relationship of an input signal is R>B>G, the hue area of the input signal corresponds to the 1st area, if B>G>R, then the 3rd area, if G>B>R, then the 4th area, and if G>R>B, then the 5th area.
In the above manner, the hue area determination unit 4 sequentially judges the hue area of each input digital signal, and supplies a signal 100 representative of the determination result to a primary/complementary color component calculator circuit 5, to a constant selector circuit 6, and to a data selector circuit 11.
In response to the signal 100 from the hue area determination unit 4, the primary/complementary color component calculator circuit 5 sequentially calculates primary and complementary color components of an input digital signal. The primary/complementary color component calculator circuit 5 includes selectors 51 to 53 and subtractors 55 and 56.
The selector 51 selects a color signal having the highest level among R, G, and B signals in accordance with the signal 100 representative of the determination result supplied from the hue area determination unit 4, and supplies the selected color signal to the subtractor 55. Namely, if the determination result indicated by the signal 100 from the hue area determination unit 4 is 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th area, the selector 51 selects R, B, B, G, G, or R signal, respectively.
The selector 52 selects a color signal having the intermediate level among R, G, and B signals in accordance with the signal 100 representative of the determination result supplied from the hue area determination unit 4, and supplies the selected color signal to an inverted input terminal of the subtractor 55 and a non-inverted input terminal of the subtractor 56. Namely, if the determination result indicated by the signal 100 from the hue area determination unit 4 is 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th area, the selector 52 selects B, R, G, B, R, or G signal, respectively.
The selector 53 selects a color signal having the lowest level among R, G, and B signals in accordance with the signal 100 representative of the determination result supplied from the hue area determination unit 4, and supplies the selected color signal to the inverted input terminal of the subtractor 56. Namely, if the determination result indicated by the signal 100 from the hue area determination unit 4 is 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th area, the selector 53 selects G, G, R, R, B, or B signal, respectively.
In the above manner, as shown in Steps 504 to 514 in FIG. 5, the primary/complementary color component calculator circuit 5 calculates the primary color component level and the complementary color component level as shown in FIG. 3 in accordance with each determination result indicated by the signal 100 supplied from the hue area determination unit 4. The primary color component level is the level of the color signal having the highest level subtracted by the level of the color signal having the second highest level, and the complementary color component level is the level of the color signal having the second highest level subtracted by the level of the color signal having the lowest level.
The color having the highest level corresponds to the primary color, and the components of the color signal having the lowest level correspond to the white components. Each complementary color can be determined from the information of the color having the highest level and the color having the lowest level. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4, the primary and complementary color components can be determined.
In the example shown in FIG. 3, since R has the highest level and G has the intermediate level, R constitutes the primary color components and Ye (yellow) which is an intermediate hue between R and G constitutes the complementary components. The quantity of the primary color components is R-G, the quantity of the complementary color components is G-R, and the quantity of B having the lowest level is the quantity of the white color components.
In the table shown in FIG. 4, although the lowest level of each color signal is not necessary for the determination of a hue area, it is necessary for the calculation of the complementary color components. This is the reason why the lowest level is written in the table of FIG. 4.
The signal representative of the determination result of a hue area given by the hue area determination unit 4 is also supplied to the constant selector circuit 6 which selects a specific gain constant in accordance with the determination result. The selected gain constant is supplied to multipliers 210 to 213. The primary and complementary color component quantities calculated by the calculator circuit 5 are multiplied by selected gain constants to correct the primary and complementary components.
For this correction, the constant selector circuit 6 is preset with specific gain constants corresponding to the 1st to 6th hue areas.
The constant selector circuit 6 includes registers 218 to 229 and selectors 214 to 217.
As described above, the subtractor 55 outputs a signal representative of the level of the primary color components of an input color image signal to supply it to two multipliers 210 and 211.
The other subtractor 56 outputs a signal representative of the level of the complementary color components of an input color image signal to supply it to two multipliers 212 and 213.
In accordance with the color signal having the highest level among R, G, and B signals which color signal corresponds to the determination result by the hue area determination unit 4, the selector 214 selects one of the registers 218 to 220 which store chromaticness adjustment coefficients K1 to K3 to be used for the color signal having the highest level. Similarly, in accordance with the color signal having the highest level among R, G, and B signals which color signal corresponds to the determination result by the hue area determination unit 4, the selector 215 selects one of the registers 218 to 220 which store chromaticness adjustment coefficients K4 to K6 to be used for the color signal having the highest level. The coefficients read from the registers selected by the selectors 214 and 215 are supplied to the multipliers 210 and 211.
In accordance with a complementary color (Cy for R, Ma for G, and Ye for B) not containing the color signal having the lowest level among R, G, and B signals which color signal corresponds to the determination result by the hue area determination unit 4, the selector 216 selects one of the registers 224 to 226 which store chromaticness adjustment coefficients K7 to K9 to be used for the complementary color. Similarly, in accordance with a complementary color identified from the determination result by the hue area determination unit 4, the selector 217 selects one of the registers 227 to 229 which store chromaticness adjustment coefficients K10 to K12 to be used for the complementary color. The coefficients read from the registers selected by the selectors 214 and 215 are supplied to the multipliers 212 and 213.
As above, the multiplier 210 outputs a signal representative of the primary color components multiplied by the chromaticness adjustment coefficient corresponding to this primary color, and the multiplier 211 outputs a signal representative of the primary color components multiplied by the chromaticness adjustment coefficient corresponding to this primary color. On the other hand, the multiplier 212 outputs a signal representative of the complementary color components multiplied by the chromaticness adjustment coefficient corresponding to this complementary color, and the multiplier 213 outputs a signal representative of the complementary color components multiplied by the chromaticness adjustment coefficient corresponding to this complementary color.
Of these outputs, an output of the multiplier 210 is supplied to a selector 231 constituting the data selector circuit 11 which is controlled by the hue area determination unit 4. The output of the multiplier 231 is added, via one of adder circuits 33 to 35 selected by the selection operation of the selector 231, to one of the original R, G, and B signals supplied from a corresponding one of the input terminals R.sub.IN, G.sub.IN, and B.sub.IN and judged to be the primary color by the hue area determination unit 4.
An output of the multiplier 211 and a polarity inverted output inverted by an inverter 230 are supplied to the selector 231 constituting the data selector circuit 11 controlled by the hue determination circuit 4. The output of the multiplier 211 and the output of the inverter 230 are added, via two of adder circuits 33 to 35 selected by the selection operation of the selector 231 excepting the adder circuit to which the output of the multiplier 210 is supplied, to two of the original R, G, and B signals supplied from corresponding two of the input terminals R.sub.IN, G.sub.IN, and B.sub.IN excepting the color signal judged to be the primary color by the hue area determination unit 4. In this manner, by changing the coefficients stored in the registers 218 to 223, the chromaticness and hue of each primary color can be independently adjusted as illustrated in FIG. 5.
Specifically, if the hue area of an input signal is in the 1st area, the chromaticness of the primary color can be adjusted as explained at Step 528, and the hue thereof can be adjusted as explained at Step 530. If the hue area of an input signal is in the 6th area, the chromaticness of the primary color can be adjusted as explained at Step 536, and the hue thereof can be adjusted as explained at Step 538. If the hue area of an input signal is in the 4th area, the chromaticness of the primary color can be adjusted as explained at Step 546, and the hue thereof can be adjusted as explained at Step 548. If the hue area of an input signal is in the 5th area, the chromaticness of the primary color can be adjusted as explained at Step 554, and the hue thereof can be adjusted as explained at Step 556. If the hue area of an input signal is in the 3rd area, the chromaticness of the primary color can be adjusted as explained at Step 562, and the hue thereof can be adjusted as explained at Step 564. If the hue area of an input signal is in the 2nd area, the chromaticness of the primary color can be adjusted as explained at Step 570, and the hue thereof can be adjusted as explained at Step 572.
The outputs of the multipliers 212 and 213 are supplied to an adder 239 and a subtractor 240. The adder 239 adds the outputs of the multipliers 212 and 213, and the subtractor 240 subtracts the output of the multiplier 213 from the output of the multiplier 212. The outputs of the adder 239 and the subtractor 240 are supplied to a selector 232, and added to respective ones of R, G, and B signals (R and G for Ye, G and B for Cy, and R and B for Ma) constituting the complementary colors not containing the color signal having the lowest level judged by the hue area determination unit 4, by respective ones of adders 36 to 38.
In this manner, by changing the coefficients stored in the registers 224 to 229, the chromaticness and hue of each complementary color can be independently adjusted as illustrated in FIG. 5.
Specifically, if the hue area of an input signal is in the 1st area, the chromaticness of the complementary color can be adjusted as explained at Step 532, and the hue thereof can be adjusted as explained at Step 534. If the hue area of an input signal is in the 6th area, the chromaticness of the complementary color can be adjusted as explained at Step 540, and the hue thereof can be adjusted as explained at Step 542. If the hue area of an input signal is in the 4th area, the chromaticness of the complementary color can be adjusted as explained at Step 550, and the hue thereof can be adjusted as explained at Step 552. If the hue area of an input signal is in the 5th area, the chromaticness of the complementary color can be adjusted as explained at Step 558, and the hue thereof can be adjusted as explained at Step 560. If the hue area of an input signal is in the 3rd area, the chromaticness of the complementary color can be adjusted as explained at Step 566, and the hue thereof can be adjusted as explained at Step 560. If the hue area of an input signal is in the 2nd area, the chromaticness of the complementary color can be adjusted as explained at Step 574, and the hue thereof can be adjusted as explained at Step 576.
The operation of this conventional example will be described in more detail by using a specific example.
As already described, of the coefficients to be stored in the registers 218 to 229, the coefficients K1 to K3 are used for adjusting the chromaticness of each of R, G, and B primary colors, the coefficients K4 to K6 are used for adjusting the hue of each primary color, the coefficients K7 to K9 are used for adjusting the chromaticness of each of Ye, Cy, and Ma complementary colors, and the coefficients K10 to K12 are used for adjusting the hue of each complementary color.
It is assumed here that the digital color image signal supplied from the input terminals R.sub.IN, G.sub.IN, and B.sub.IN is represented by: EQU R:G:B=0.8:0.4:0.4
The hue area determination unit 4 judges that the colors of the input signal are R and Ma because the R signal level is highest and the G signal level is lowest (in this case, although the levels of the G and B signals are the same, it is judged from the above-described priority order that the G signal level is lowest).
The selectors 51, 52, and 53 select corresponding R, G, and B signals. The subtractor 55 outputs an (R-B) signal having a signal level of 0.4, i.e., the primary signal components R' of the image signal, and supplies it to the multiplier 210. The output of the subtractor 56 has a level of 0, and so the complementary color signal components are not output.
In this case, since the judged color is R, the selectors 214 and 215 select the registers 218 and 221, respectively, which respectively store the coefficients K1 and K2 used for adjusting the chromaticness and hue of R color, respectively. Therefore, the multipliers 210 and 211 output the primary color components multiplied by the R color chromaticness and hue adjusting coefficients, i.e., R.times.K1 signal and R.times.K4 signal.
Further, since the color of the image signal is R, the selector 231 performs a selection operation so that an output of the multiplier 210 is added to the R signal by the adder 33, and an output of the multiplier 211 and an output of the inverter 230 are added to the G and B signals by the adders 34 and 35, respectively.
Therefore, the R signal of the image signal is added with a correction portion which is the primary color signal components R' of the image signal multiplied by the R color chromaticness adjusting coefficient K1, the B signal is added with a correction portion which is the primary color signal components R' multiplied by the R color hue adjusting coefficient K4, and the G signal is subtracted by this correction portion. As a result, R, G, and B signals of the digital color image signal whose chromaticness of the R signal was corrected by the coefficient K1 and hue was corrected by the coefficient K4, are output from the output terminals R.sub.OUT, G.sub.OUT, and B.sub.OUT. With the adjustment using the coefficients K1 and K4, the chromaticness and hue of the R signal can be adjusted independently from other color signals.
It is assumed that a color image signal is next input which has a level ratio of color signals of: EQU R:G:B=0.8:0.8:0.4
The hue area determination unit 4 judges that the colors of the input signal are R and Ye because the R signal level is highest and the B signal level is lowest (in this case, although the levels of the R and G signals are the same, it is judged from the above-described reason that the R signal level is highest).
The selectors 5, 6, and 7 select corresponding R, G, and B signals. The subtractor 56 outputs a (G-B) signal having a signal level of 0.4, i.e., the complementary signal components Ye' of the image signal, and supplies it to the multipliers 212 and 213. The output of the subtractor 55 has a level of 0, and so the primary color signal components are not output.
In this case, since the judged color is Ye, the selectors 216 and 217 select the registers 224 and 227, respectively, which respectively store the coefficients K7 and K10 used for adjusting the chromaticness and hue of Ye color, respectively. Therefore, the multipliers 212 and 213 output the complementary color components multiplied by the Ye color chromaticness and hue adjusting coefficients, i.e., Ye.times.K7 signal and Ye.times.K10 signal.
Further, since the color of the image signal is Ye, the selector 232 performs a selection operation so that an addition result of an output of the multiplier 212 and an output of the multiplier 213 added by the adder 239 is added to the R signal by the adder 36 and so that a subtraction result of an output of the multiplier 213 from an output of the multiplier 212 is added to the G signal by the adder 37.
Therefore, the R signal of the image signal is added with a correction portion which is the complementary color signal components Ye' of the image signal multiplied by the Ye color chromaticness adjusting coefficient K7 and added further to the components Ye' multiplied by the Ye color hue adjusting coefficient K10, the G signal is added with a correction portion which is the complementary color signal components Ye' multiplied by the Ye color hue adjusting coefficient K7 and subtracted further by the components Ye' multiplied by the Ye color hue adjusting coefficient K10. As a result, R, G, and B signals of the digital color image signal whose chromaticness of the Ye color signal was corrected by the coefficient K7 and hue was corrected by the coefficient K10, are output from the output terminals R.sub.OUT, G.sub.OUT, and B.sub.OUT. With the adjustment using the coefficients K7 and K10, the chromaticness and hue of the Ye signal can be adjusted independently from other color signals.
In this conventional example, as apparent from the above-described specific example, if the input signal is composed of only one of the primary and complementary color signals, then the output of the other color signal is 0. Therefore, the above-described operation is not affected in particular. If the input signal is composed of a mixture of both the primary and complementary color signals, the above-described operations are executed independently in parallel.
With this conventional example, a digital tone correction apparatus can be realized which can correct six colors independently by using ten adders/subtractors and four multipliers.
As described above, for tone correction of an R signal, for example, in the chromaticness direction, the primary color component quantity (R-G) multiplied by a specific constant K.sub.r is added to an image signal R.
If the constant K.sub.r is in the range from -1 to +1, this correction does not change a level difference (complementary color components) between the intermediate level and the lowest level and a quantity (white color components) of the lowest level.
For tone correction of a signal Ye in the chromaticness direction, the complementary color component quantity (G-B) multiplied by a specific constant K.sub.y is added to image signals R and G.
Also in this case, if the constant K.sub.y is in the range from -1 to +1, this correction does not change a level difference (primary color components) between the highest level and the intermediate level and a quantity (white color components) of the lowest level.
Therefore, if the constants K.sub.r and K.sub.y are properly selected, correction of the primary color R and the complementary color Ye in the chromaticness direction can be performed independently while preserving the white balance.

Tone correction apparatus for digital color image signal


Embodiments of the invention may be used to optimize communications between a first routing device and a second routing device. The first routing device may receive a packet for forwarding towards a destination. The first routing device may modify the packet to announce the presence of the first routing device to other routing devices. Thereafter, a second routing device may receive the modified packet and recognize the presence of the first routing device. In turn, when sending a packet back towards a source address identified in the modified packet, the second routing device may modify such a packet to announce the presence of the second routing device to the first routing device. Thereafter, the first and second routing device may optimize traffic between the first and second routing device.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to network traffic management. More specifically, embodiments of the invention are related to allowing transparent network service enhancement among wide-area application services.
2. Description of the Related Art
Network traffic management techniques have been developed that enhance performance of TCP based applications by applying various compression algorithms to data traffic between two routing devices on a network. The enhanced services such as data compression and data acceleration are provided within the same network stream established between two endpoints, instead of through tunnels or other data streams. This transparent data transfer technique allows for the network traffic to be monitored with normal networking tools.
In some cases, a first routing device between the two endpoints may compress traffic in between the first routing device and a second routing device. Further, the routing devices may alter packet sequence numbers. Once the traffic reaches the second routing device, the data packets may be decompressed and given the original sequence number.
Problems arise when a state tracking firewall, or intrusion prevention system (IPS) is interspersed somewhere within the traffic flow between the two endpoints. State tracking firewalls and IPS may drop TCP packets with modified sequence numbers. This prevents the compressed data packets from reaching a destination. On the other hand, if a routing device used to decompress data packets fails while using original sequence numbers, the endpoint may try to process the compressed data packets as if they were uncompressed, leading to data corruption.
Accordingly, what is needed is a technique for providing enhanced traffic services to traverse each section even when there is a state tracking firewall.


A method is provided for manufacturing an ink jet recording head including a reservoir to which ink is supplied from outside, a pressure generating chamber leading to the reservoir, and a nozzle orifice leading to the pressure generating chamber. According to the method, the ink jet recoding head is fabricated by conducting semiconductor processes such as a film forming step, a photolithography step, an etching step and the like, on a single substrate. Thus, there is no need for multiple substrates or adhesives.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an ink jet recording head, an ink jet recording head and an ink jet recording device. The invention particularly relates to a method with which it does not need to joint substrates adhesively and it is possible to prevent a nozzle orifice from being blocked with adhesive.
2. Related Art
Referring to FIG. 10A, an ink jet recording head 200, which is an example of related art, has a piezoelectric element 201 (or piezo-element), a driver circuit 203 that drives the piezoelectric element, a sealing plate 205 that is used for sealing the piezoelectric element, a reservoir 207 to which an ink fluid is supplied from outside, a substrate 210 that has a vibrating plate 209 and a pressure generating chamber 211, and a nozzle plate 220 that has a nozzle orifice 213. Referring to FIG. 10B, the above-mentioned parts and components are assembled and bonded adhesively in the ink jet recording head 200. The piezoelectric element 201 is further coupled to the driver circuit 203 through wire-bonding.
In recent years, the nozzle orifices are highly densely arranged and it is getting harder to couple the piezoelectric element 201 and the driver circuit 203 by wire bonding and the bonding technique almost reaches to a technological limit for today's ink jet recording head. In order to tackle this problem, a manufacturing method that solves the problem has been disclosed. JP-A-2001-205815 is a first example of the related art and JP-A-2001-162794 is a second example of the related art. The examples disclose a method in which the driver circuit is directly formed on the substrate or the sealing plate. According to the method, the piezoelectric element and the driver circuit are coupled each other through a metal wiring line which is formed by using a photolithography technique, or coupled through flip-chip mounting thereby more minute distant coupling is possible compared with the wire bonding technique. Through such method, it is possible to accommodate the dense arrangements of the nozzle orifices.
However the methods disclosed by the first and second examples are developed on a condition that the substrates are adhesively bonded each other. More specifically, substrates on which elements are provided or processed are jointed and bonded therefore the manufacturing process becomes complicated and it is difficult to reduce a manufacturing cost. Moreover, according to the method of the examples, adhesive is used to bond the substrates but the adhesive is sometimes leaked out from the jointing part and subjected to cover the nozzle orifice. As the size of the nozzle orifice becomes smaller and those nozzle orifices are more densely arranged, chances of blocking the opening with adhesive increase.

Method of manufacturing ink jet recording head


The present invention provides a holster for holding an object in a left handed, a right handed, a straight draw, and/or a cross draw arrangement in a first orientation or a second orientation. The holster is worn between the torso of the wearer and the wearer's waistband for carrying or concealing the weapon. The holster is vertically and angularly adjustable for providing a comfortable fit and easy access to the weapon by the wearer. The holster mounts onto the wearer's waistband while allowing the wearer to tuck his shirt between the holster and the waistband.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to holsters. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to holsters that are worn between a wearer's body and the wearer's clothing, sometimes referred to as "inside-the-waistband (IWB) tuckable holsters".
IWB tuckable holsters are often worn by law enforcers and civilians for concealing and carrying handheld weapons and other objects. However, existing holsters are limited in the ways they can be attached to the wearer's clothing. This restricts where the wearer can conceal a weapon in relation to his torso. The angle and the height at which the weapon is holstered is also restricted, which prevents the wearer from concealing the weapon in an optimal position and orientation according to his stature, arm reach, etc.


A multiuse treadmill apparatus including a treadmill, a support structure comprising a right pole and a left pole, a pair of handles, a control panel, a display screen, a plurality of controls, a pair of support frames, a pair of top support bars, and a pair of bottom support bars. A plurality of hooks are continuously disposed. Each of the plurality of hooks has an apex perpendicularly disposed towards the back side of the treadmill. The plurality of hooks are configured to engage a plurality of resistance bands. A pair of weight sensors comprising a right weight sensor and a left weight sensor are centrally disposed within the right deck and the left deck, respectively. The right weight sensor and the left weight sensor are configured to turn the motor off when a minimum weight is downwardly applied to the right deck and the left deck, respectively.

Various types of treadmills are known in the prior art. However, what has been needed is a multiuse treadmill apparatus comprising a treadmill, a support structure, a ii plurality of hooks that are configured to engage a plurality of resistance bands, a right deck and a left deck that is at least three feet in width, and a pair of weight sensors centrally disposed within the right deck and the left deck on the treadmill. Thus, a user can incorporate upper body resistance training with cardiovascular training in a much more efficient and effective manner. The pair of weight sensors and the wider width of the right deck and the left deck allows a user to incorporate lower body exercises and strength training while safely remaining on the treadmill. What has been further needed is a plurality of exercise programs that are configured to incorporate the use of both the treadmill and the plurality of resistance bands by a user.


A heat exchanger that a tube member 2' has beads 21 protruded from the face of one plate toward the other plate, tube member 2' is held by block members 31, 31, a forming jig 40 is inserted between medium passages 24, 24 formed by the beads 21 to hold to press the beads 21 at an end 2a of the tube member 2' to mutually adhere the faces of the beads 21 on the outer face of the tube member 2', and recesses formed by the mutually contacted faces of the beads 21, 21 have a cross-sectional area of about 0.2 mm.sup.2 or below. And, a region where the recesses have a cross-sectional area of about 0.2 mm.sup.2 or below is within 10 mm outside header pipes 3, 4.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a heat exchanger, comprising tubes for a heat exchanger, each tube formed by bending a single plate or stacking two plates, and to communicate with header pipes, and a method of producing the same.
2. Prior Art
A conventionally known heat exchanger comprises a plurality of tubes for making heat exchange of a medium, and header pipes for distributing and collecting the medium, and wherein the tubes are communicatively connected to header pipes.
As shown in FIG. 13, a tube used for such a type of heat exchanger includes a tube 60 which is known being formed by an extrusion molding. This tube 60 is formed into a flat tube by the extrusion molding of an aluminum or aluminum alloy material which is excellent in forming property, and integrally forming partition walls 61 at predetermined intervals in the breadth direction of the tube, to divide a single internal passage 62 into a plurality of passages 62a.
As shown in FIG. 14, it is known that an inner fin type tube 70 is formed by inserting inner fins 71, which are made of another member and have a serpentine cross section, into the tube 70 to divide an inner passage 72 of the tube into a plurality of passages 72a by the inner fins 71.
It is also known to form a metallic plate of aluminum light alloy or the like into a predetermined tube (hereinafter called the tube member) and to braze the tube member as required. This plate is formed by rolling or pressing.
The plate used for such a tube member is generally a brazing sheet having a brazing material claded on its entire surface. Brazing of required parts of the tube member and brazing of other required parts of the heat exchanger are performed by heating an assembled body which was formed into one body by assembling the tube members, header pipes and other parts by means of a jig and the like.
As shown in FIG. 12, for example, a tube member 50' is formed into a predetermined tube by forming beads 51, 51 at appropriate intervals on a strip plate, forming bonding sections 52, 52 at the edges of the plate in its breadth direction, and bending the plate along a bending part 53 at the center in the breadth direction. A plurality of medium passages 54, 54 divided by the beads 51, 51 are formed in the tube. And, the tops of the beads 51, 51 and the opposed inner parts of the tube and the bonding sections 52, 52 are bonded by brazing. The beads can be formed into various shapes such as circular or ellipse depending on uses.
As described above, where a plurality of passages are formed in the tube by the partition walls, inner fins or beads, the inner pressure resistance of the tube itself can be improved, and an appropriate turbulence can be produced in the flow of a heat exchange medium to improve a heat exchange efficiency.
Since the tube 60 formed by the extrusion molding is made of the aluminum or aluminum alloy suitable for the extrusion forming as described above, the fin is often made of a fin material having a brazing material claded in combining the tube and the fin. Where the fin material having the brazing material claded is used to form the fin, a die for forming the fin is abraded heavily, maintenance costs increase, fin material costs increase, and costs in general are increased.
And, the inner fin type tube 70 is needed be produced by separately producing the inner fin 71 and inserting it into the tube 70, resulting in increasing material, fabricating and assembling costs.
On the other hand, the tube member 50' having the beads 51 formed is considered having a lot of advantages in view of production processes, production costs and the like. In this case, the ends of the tube member 50' are inserted into and brazed with the tube holes of the header pipes, and it is required that the joint sections are brazed well to secure the fluid tightness of a medium.
But, since the recesses of the beads 51 at the ends of the tube member 50' form a relatively large gap between the end of the tube member 50' and the tube hole, the brazing becomes defective conventionally, and a ratio of quality products is lowered.
Therefore, the invention described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 4-86489 discloses a tube, which is formed by bending a plate to adhere tightly along the longitudinal direction of the tube to form a bent double-walled projection, so that the leading end face of the projection is contacted with the opposed plate face. Since this tube is formed by bending a plate to adhere tightly to form the double-walled projection, the upper and lower faces of the tube become substantially flat, and the tube can be assembled to the header pipe without forming a gap, so that a problem of brazing property can be remedied.
But, it is hard to uniformly form the double-walled projection, which was formed by bending to tightly adhere the plate, along the longitudinal direction of the tube, and the production process becomes complicated. And, since the top of the double-walled projection formed on the tube is in contact with the plate face, the contact area is reduced, the brazing property is degraded, and the pressure resistance is lowered.
On the other hand, since the beads can be formed uniformly and quickly by rolling, pressing or die forming before or simultaneous with forming the tube, the production process is simple and easy. And, since the bead tops can be bonded to the plate face, the brazing area is increased to improve the brazing property, and the pressure resistance is improved.

Heat exchanger and method of producing the same


A method of preparing teeth for the adhesion of a component includes applying to at least one tooth a solution of liquid phosphoric acid and an abrasive such as pumice, removing the solution, and applying an adhesive for placing a component on the teeth.

In the orthodontal and dental arts, it is known that prior to affixing orthodontal and dental components, such as braces and bondings, for example, it is necessary to prepare the teeth. This often involves cleaning the teeth thoroughly and preparing the teeth for adhesion of the components. Poor preparation can lead to premature failure of the adhesion.
The teeth may be cleaned using a prophy cup attached to a dental handpiece with prophy paste, then rinsed with water. Thereafter, a solution containing phosphoric acid is applied to each affected tooth for a period of time. Care must be taken in applying the phosphoric acid so as not to leave an excess in contact with the gums and with the surrounding tissue. The phosphoric acid is then washed away with water to avoid damage to gums and teeth. These steps provide for an opening of the enamel tubules that will facilitate bonding of an orthodontal or dental component.
The preparation of the teeth in such a manner can be mechanically demanding of the orthodontist or dentist, particularly in connection with a set of braces. The process requires several ingredients and numerous steps, and can become cumbersome and tedious.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,950 to Croll seeks to provide an alternate method for preparing teeth for bonding. Brace adhesion is not addressed at all in Croll. Croll teaches a gel etchant containing phosphoric acid, fumed silica, and silicon carbide particles. Croll states that phosphoric acid etchant, in liquid or gel composition is known. However, Croll dislikes the liquid form of phosphoric acid because, Croll argues, it is characterized by "uncontrolled flow" over the surfaces of the teeth. Croll prefers the gel because, he states, it holds its position on the teeth better. Despite Croll's teaching away from liquid etchants over twenty years ago, it is believed that currently, dentists and orthodontists prefer using the pumice and then a liquid phosphoric acid. The pumice and the liquid phosphoric acid are more effective and less expensive that Croll's method. Further, careful placement of the gel on the teeth is required so as to avoid the gel from contacting the gums and other tissue. In addition, because of the nature of gels, the rinsing process is more difficult.
Thus, an inexpensive, yet still effective, method and product are desired to prepare the teeth. Preferably a novel method and product would be easy to use, reduce the number of steps involved in preparing the teeth and/or increase the effectiveness of the bonding surface through superior preparation.


An image producing and transfer apparatus which utilizes a base sheet covered with a tacky adhesive which in turn is covered with a liner sheet composed of a plurality of individually removeable liner segments. Part of the apparatus includes a plurality of break-away members which are manufactured at the same time as the apparatus and of the same material of construction and the same die cutting process to become a tool in the method of this invention. Each break-away member includes a tacky adhesive surface which, when applied to the outer surface of one of the liner segments, facilitates the removal of that liner segment thereby exposing an area of the tacky adhesive which can now be covered with a particulate matter. All liner segments are removed in this manner. When all liner segments have been removed and the particulate matter applied, there remains a border segment. A liquid glue is coated onto the completed image of this particulate matter with some of this glue coating the border segment. This border segment is removed and thereby removes all excess glue. An exterior structure such as a woven fabric is placed onto the liquid glue. The glue is allowed to dry and the base sheet with its tacky adhesive is then peeled away from the glue impregnated particulate matter, thereby transferring the particulate matter image onto the fabric.

1) Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates to construction of images and more particularly to the producing of an image of a desireable set of colors on an exterior structure such as a piece of fabric, a canvas or other porous material.
2) Description of Prior Art
The producing of images by individuals on exterior structures such as fabric shirts, canvasas and other similar types of structures is normally accomplished by somehow imprinting or hand drawing an outline of the desired design and then carefully coloring that outline design on the exterior structure. This type of image producing arrangement requires a certain amount of artistic skill and most people just do not have the skill necessary to produce an attractive, accurate image using that method.
A desireable way to reproduce an image is by using a colored particulate matter such as glitter, sand, sawdust and so forth. For example, different colors of glitter could be utilized in a particular pattern to produce an image such as a flower on a garment. The obvious way to produce such an image would be by applying it directly to the exterior structure, such as on the front of a shirt, using glue and dry glitter or a glitter paint. Again, such direct application requires a certain amount of artistic skill which not everyone has.

Particulate matter image transfer apparatus


A method and tool for conducting charged-particle beam direct write lithography is disclosed. A disclosed method involves condensing an initial design file down to a set of profiles and a pattern of relative locations to form a formatted pattern file. The formatted pattern file is adjusted to accommodate desired pattern corrections. Portions of the formatted pattern records are extracted to form data strips that have a plurality of channels with a pattern of profiles and spatial indicators. Data strips are sequentially read to construct a printable pattern of profiles and spatial indicators that specify the locations of the profiles. Additionally, the pattern of profiles are sequentially printed from each data strip onto a substrate to form the desired pattern on the substrate.

Until recently it was not feasible to consider electron beam (e-beam) lithography as an efficient method of mass producing wafers. Older e-beam writers, while intensely precise, had extremely long process times making them notoriously slow. In fact such e-beam writers, due to the low rate of pattern transfer, were usually only used to form masks or small portions of wafers requiring extraordinary precision.
With the recent advent of newer type e-beam lithography devices it has become increasing more likely that such devices may be used to pattern wafers on a more substantial scale. Such devices include certain Dynamic Pattern Generators (DPG's) which embody new possibilities for Direct Write (DW) using e-beam lithography. In addition to the foregoing, the invention of reflective electron beam lithography (REBL) also presents the potential for new processing technologies. One such new device is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,870,172 entitled "Maskless Reflection Electron Beam Projection Lithography" dated Mar. 22, 2005 which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes, including, a specific illustration of a REBL device.
Although such devices show tremendous potential, they also present enormous application challenges to those of ordinary skill in the photolithographic arts. One among many such challenges is a data processing challenge. Most current implementations of methods of implementing a patterned electron beam require that each separate element of a beam patterning device to be individually actuated to enable a selected portion of the e-beam to be active so that a pattern can be produced. Additionally, it is appreciated that such patterns change as an e-beam is scanned across a die surface. Thus, tremendous amounts of information must currently be processed on an element-by-element basis as the e-beam scans across a surface to transfer a pattern. Those of ordinary skill appreciate that data rates of on the order of tens of terabit (Tb) per second (10+12 bps) are required to enable many of these technologies in order to produce a reasonable throughput. Current technologies are not able to handle such data rates in current implementations of charged particles or optical patterning devices.
What is needed is a method and apparatus for addressing these challenges and providing a reliable and fast method for processing and applying pattern data. Thus, the embodiments of the disclosed invention are disclosed with the intention of solving at least some of the existing problems in the art. The embodiments of invention present substantial advances over the existing methodologies and overcome many limitations of the existing art. These and other inventive aspects of the invention will be discussed hereinbelow.

Method of data encoding, compression, and transmission enabling maskless lithography


A sheet formed by using as a main component an aliphatic polyester having a melt viscosity of 1.0.times.10.sup.3 -1.0.times.10.sup.6 poises at a temperature of 190.degree. C. and a shear rate of 100 sec.sup.-1, and having a melting point of 70.degree.-190.degree. C. The sheet of the present invention is biodegraded when buried in soil and is excellent in mechanical properties and transparency. The sheet is also superior in non-absorbency of aroma as well as heat-sealability and formability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to polyester sheet having excellent heat stability and mechanical strength which are prepared by using aliphatic polyesters with biodegradability and sufficiently high molecular weights and specific melt properties for practical use.
Further, the present invention relates to polyester stretched sheet formed by using the above aliphatic polyesters.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to polyester sheet having low affinity to aromatic substances. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sheet suitable as a material for packaging raw materials, intermediate or finish products, such as food and cosmetics, that contain aroma substances.
2. Discussion of the Background
Recently, with the expansion of the packaging industry, an increasing amount of plastics is being used to form various packaging materials. As a result, people have become very much concerned about the danger that the resulting waste from the increasing amount of plastics may pollute rivers, oceans and soil. To prevent such pollution the development of biodegradable plastics has been desired; for example, poly(3-hydroxybutylate) produced by fermentation methods using microorganisms, blends of general-purpose plastics and starch, a naturally occurring polymer, and the like are already known. The former polymer has a drawback in that it is poor in molding properties because the polymer has a heat decomposition temperature close to its melting point and a raw material efficiency is very bad because it is produced by microorganisms. On the other hand, since the naturally occurring polymer of the latter does not by itself have thermoplasticity, the polymer has defects in molding properties, and is greatly limited in its range of application.
On the other hand, although it is known that aliphatic polyesters are biodegradable, they have hardly been used because polymeric material sufficient enough to obtain practical molded product cannot be obtained. Recently, it has been found that a ring-opening polymerization of .epsilon.-caprolactone produces a higher molecular weight polymer, and proposed to use the polymer as a biodegradable resin. However, the resulting polymer is limited to only special applications because of a low melting point of 62.degree. C. and a high cost thereof. Further, although glycolic acid, lactic acid and the like are polymerized by a ring-opening polymerization of glycolide and lactide thereof to obtain polymers with higher molecular weights so as to be sometimes used as medical fibers and the like, the polymers are not used in great amounts as packaging materials because their decomposition temperatures are close to their melting point and they have defects in their molding properties.
Although most of these are applied to plastic sheet, it is no exaggeration to say that high molecular weight polyesters (referring to polyesters having number-average molecular weights of at least 10,000) generally used for the plastics are limited to polyethylene terephthalete, a condensate of terephthalic acid (including dimethyl terephthalate) and ethylene glycol. Although there are cases of 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid being used instead of terephthalic acid, there are no reports of trials which obtained polymers with biodegradability.
Therefore, it is safe to say that there has been no concept of trying to make the sheet in practical use by injection molding using biodegradable aliphatic polyesters in which aliphatic dicarboxylic acid was used
One of the reasons why this application concept has not been thought of is felt to be that in spite of the required special molding conditions and physical properties for the above sheet, most of the above-mentioned aliphatic polyesters have melting points of 100.degree. C. or lower even if they are crystalline, and have poor heat stability when melted above that. Of further importance is that the properties, particularly mechanical properties such as tensile strength, of these aliphatic polyesters show markedly poor values even when they are the same level of number-average molecular weight as the above-mentioned polyethylene terephthalete, so just conceiving that the molded articles having required strength and the like would be obtained was difficult.
Another reason seems to be that studies for improving the physical properties of the aliphatic polyesters by increasing their number-average molecular weights have not been sufficiently advanced because of their poor heat stability.
Aroma substances are an important factor for increasing the commercial value of many products, for example, foods, cosmetics, detergents, paints, adhesives, tea, coffee and spices.
Many foods contain very small amounts of various aromatic substances. The proportion of aroma substances contained in a food are specifically fixed so as to provide an aroma characteristic to the food. A variety of aroma substances are added to many commercial products so as to enhance the aromas thereof or add extra aroma thereto, thus increasing the commercial values thereof.
Many organic compounds are known as aroma substances, for example: terpene hydrocarbons such as p-menthane, pinene, d-limonene, myrcene, terpinene, carene, sabinene, and .beta.-caryophyllene; terpene alcohol compounds such as geraniol, nerol, citronellol, terbineol, linalol, menthol, nerolidol and borneol, and esters thereof; terpene aldehyde compounds such as ciral and citronellal; alcohols such as octanol, benzine alcohol and eugenol; esters such as ethyl caproate, amyl benzoate and ethyl cinnamate; and many others.
The products containing such aroma substances are packaged by using packaging materials made of glass, metal or synthetic resins when stored, transported and sold. Particularly, packaging and/or container materials employing synthetic resin sheets and thermally-formed containers are used as simple packaging and/or container materials to pack many commercial products because these packaging materials can be easily produced due to advances in multi-layer and heat-seal techniques and because the packaging and/or container materials are inexpensive, facilitate automatic packaging and decorative printing thereon, and completely barriers oxygen and moisture.
However, many synthetic resin sheets used to form the above-mentioned packaging materials rapidly absorb large amounts of aroma substances added to or originally contained in the products packaged therewith, so the products packaged therewith lose their aroma and commercial values.
Further, because these synthetic resin sheets absorb different aroma substances at different absorption rates, a synthetic resin sheet packaging a product may take up certain aroma components over the other aroma components from the product. If this happens, the aroma of products made up of a certain combination of many aroma substances change, thus significantly reducing the commercial value of the product.
The term "absorption" means a phenomena in which aroma substances move out of a packaged product and dissolve and diffuse into the synthetic resin of the packaging material or a phenomena in which aroma substances in a solution move out therefrom and dissolve and diffuse into the synthetic resin.
The relations between synthetic resins and aroma holding and absorption of aroma substances are described by, for example, Watanabe Wataru et al. in Nihon Shokuhin Kogyo Gakkai-shi, 10, No. 4, p. 118 (1963), a special issue of Shokuhin Kogyo, Shokuhin no Housou to Zairyo, Korin (1980), by Boda Shigeyuki in Japan Food Science, p. 49 (March, 1987), and by Preceedings of Future--Pak '87 (Ryder Association Inc.) Nov. 9-11 (1987).
Various methods related to containment of aroma are known, for example: a method in which a layer to be in contact with a product packaged with the sheet (the innermost layer) is formed of any one or more of polyethylene terephthalate, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer and nylon (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 57-163654 and 60-48344); a method in which a mixture of polyester and polyamide is used to form the innermost layer (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 61-64449); a method in which ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer is laminated on a corona-treated or flame-treated low-density polyethylene laminated on a paper board (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 63-3950); and a method in which ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer is laminated on an adhesive layer formed on polyolefin, the ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer being used as a heat-seal layer (Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. 63-21031). However, any of these methods has problems in that the polymer has a higher melting point and poorer heat-seal characteristic and is more brittle than polyolefin.
A different type of method is proposed (for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 59-174348 and 59-174470), in which method the resin forming the innermost layer has been mixed with aroma substances that are expected to be absorbed therein. However, when food aroma substances for food are mixed with the innermost layer resin, the aroma substances deteriorate due to heat, or the mixing proportions of the aroma substances change, thus resulting in an aroma different from the aroma of the product to be packaged.
Polyolefin resins, such as polypropylene, intermediate or low-pressure polyethylene, high-pressure polyethylene, or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (referred to as "EVA" hereinafter), which have good heat-seal characteristics and good moisture blocking characteristics, strongly absorb terpene hydrocarbons but do not substantially absorb alcohol or ester aroma substances; in particular, they barely absorb alcohol aroma substances. Therefore, the packaging materials formed of polyolefin resins are liable to change the proportions of the aroma substances contained in the products packaged therewith and thus change the aroma of the products, thereby significantly reducing the commercial value of the products.
The permeation or diffusion of the aroma substances contained in a film to the outside of the film can be prevented by laminating aluminium foil on the inside surface of the film. Recently, instead of aluminium, a plastic film having a good gas-barrier characteristic is laminated on the film.
However, even if permeation and diffusion of aroma substances is prevented, absorption of aroma substances of a packaged product into the resin forming the innermost layer of the packaging material is inevitable as long as a food containing aroma substances is in contact with the surface of the innermost material, which surface easily absorbs the aroma substances.
Another important characteristic required for a packaging material is a characteristic for sealing a product packaged therewith. For a good sealing characteristic, a film resin having good heat-sealing characteristics is used.
Known general-purpose resins, such as polypropylene, intermediate or low-pressure polyethylene, or high-pressure polyethylene, having excellent film-formabilities easily absorb large amounts of terpene hydrocarbon aroma substances. Therefore, these resins can not be suitably used as the above-described resins which do not substantially absorb aroma substances.
An ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer having a vinyl alcohol component (referred to as "EVOH" hereinafter) significantly prevents absorption of aroma substances thereinto but has a poor heat-seal characteristic. Thus, EVOH is not very suitable as an inside-laminate material of a film-type packaging material. As an EVOH having a vinyl alcohol content of less than 25 mol % lacks sufficient gas barrier characteristics and because an EVOH having a vinyl alcohol content of more than 75 mol % cannot be extrusion-formed in substantially the same manner as polyolefin, an EVOH having a vinyl alcohol content of 25-75 mol % is normally selected in order to achieve good gas barrier characteristics. Such an EVOH can be extrusion-formed in substantially the same manner as polyolefin resins and can substantially prevent gas permeation. In fact, such an EVOH is often used for those purposes. However, because such an EVOH lacks the good heat-sealing characteristics required for an inside-laminate material of a film-type packaging material, it has hardly ever been used as an inside-laminate material of a heat-seal packaging material.
On the contrary, aromatic polyesters have good characteristics for preventing absorption of aroma substances thereinto but poor heat-sealing characteristics. Therefore, the aromatic polyesters have hardly been used as inside-laminate materials for heat-seal packaging materials.
Thus, it has become apparent that there is a great need for development of an inside-laminate material for a film-type wrapping material which is excellent in these two contradictory characteristics, that is, the characteristic for preventing absorption of flavor substances and the characteristic for heat-sealing.
Due to the broader use of plastic wrapping materials, there is a possibility that the resulting large amount of plastic waste may pollute rivers, oceans and soils. To prevent this possible pollution, there is a great expectation regarding the development of plastics which can be biologically degraded.
An object of the present invention is to provide an aliphatic polyester sheet formed of a material containing as a main component a biodegradable aliphatic polyester, the material having molecular weights high enough for practical use of the sheet, which sheet has substantial biodegradability and excellent mechanical properties, for example, excellent heat stability and tensile strength.
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a polyester stretched sheet formed by using the above aliphatic polyester.
Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a polyester sheet which is formed by using the above aliphatic polyester and which can be suitably used as an inside-laminate material for a film-type packaging material having both good characteristics for preventing absorption of aroma substances and good characteristics for heat-sealing.


A replacement sleeve for a heat insulative thumb tab that fits over a lever on a heated tool such as a hair curling iron. The replacement sleeve is preferably constructed of three parts: a base layer, a patch layer, and an insert layer. The base layer is an elongate strip of material, preferably made from leather. The patch layer is preferably made from a soft leather, such as suede. The insert layer is preferably made of a resilient type of material, such as cotton. The elongate strip of material is folded about a transverse fold line which separates the base layer into an upper portion and a lower portion. The lower portion is secured to one side of the upper portion to define a channel therebetween. Secured to the opposite side of the base layer upper portion are the intermediate layer and the upper layer. The assembled sleeve is sized and configured for insertion of a curling iron lever into the channel, such that all three layers provide the user with protection against heat retained by the lever.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a hair styling appliance. More specifically, the invention is a padded leather sleeve adapted for use as an insulator for the clamp lever of a curling iron. This sleeve of the present invention replaces a thumb tab that has been damaged or lost, for continued use of the appliance without risk of burn injuries.
2. Description of Related Art
Hair curling irons typically have a cover which can be lifted off a heating element by pushing a lever. For example, FIG. 3 shows a typical hair curling iron 10. The hair curling iron 10 has a handle 12 with a source for power 12A. Extending from the handle 12 is a barrel 14 containing a heating element (not shown) Adjacent barrel 14 is a clamping member 16 that holds the hair as the curling iron 12 is turned. The clamping member 16 has a pivot point on the barrel 14 in close proximity to the handle 12. At the pivot point, an arm 14A is attached, arm 14A allows the curling iron 10 to rest atop a surface with the heated barrel 14 raised above the surface. Also, extending from the clamping member 16 is a lever 18. Lever 18 allows the user to manipulate the clamping member 16 about the barrel 14. The lever 18 is generally controlled by the thumb or forefinger of the user. As the lever 18 becomes heated by the conduction of heat, a heat insulating tab 20 is generally provided to prevent the thumb or forefinger of the user from being burned. Often, heat insulating tab 20 becomes damaged or broken (as illustrated in FIG. 3), rendering the curling iron 10 virtually useless. The lifespan of the curling iron 10 may be effectively increased by providing a means for replacing a damaged or broken heat insulating tab 20. Therefore, a need exists for a convenient way of replacing the heat insulating tab 20. The instant invention solves this problem by providing a heat-insulating sleeve that easily fits over the lever of a curling iron.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,756, issued on Jul. 18, 1978, to Jiichi Yamano, discloses an electrically heated curling iron and a stand therefor, including a thermal insulating handle, but does not disclose any means for replacing a broken thumb tab.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,878, issued on Jan. 5, 1982, to Wilbur W. Silva, discloses a curling iron holder with a thumb lever, but does not disclose any replaceable means of covering the thumb lever.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,519, issued on Apr. 8, 1986, to Arnold Thaler, David Friedson, and Lai Kin, discloses a flocked curling iron with a projection that terminates in a molded piece with a depression for receiving the user's thumb. The instant invention is distinguishable in that it discloses a replaceable cover for a part pushed by the user's thumb.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,249, issued on Sep. 12, 1989, to Charles W. Howard, discloses a safety device for hair curling heating irons which prevents burns. The safety device includes spaced non-heat conductive ribs which surround the barrel and clamping member. The curling iron itself contains a thumb tab at the end of the lever, but it does not disclose any means of replacing the thumb tab.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,942, issued on Oct. 31, 1989, to John J. Raab, discloses a thermally-insulated curling iron with a pivoted spoon having an extension with a thumb button. The curling iron of Raab does not disclose any sleeve covering the thumb button.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,967, issued on Oct. 11, 1994, to Yinon Barzilai, William Levy, and Robert Sherwood, discloses a hair styling appliance heater and control, having a heat insulated handle with a cool tip.
Swiss Patent No. 452,728, published on May 31, 1968, to Ingeburg Kohl, discloses a curling iron with a lever having a cap, but does not disclose a replaceable covering for the lever.
British Patent No. 2,022,406, published on Dec. 19, 1979, inventor Henri Smal, discloses an appliance, in particular a heated hair brush, with a disengageable handle.
British Patent No. 2,065,471, published Jul. 1, 1981, inventor Annibale (Nino) Suda, discloses electrical hair-waving tongs with a heat-insulated tong grips.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.

Thumb tab replacement sleeve in combination with a hair styling appliance


Four (4) methods to reduce stalk shear in a corn head row unit utilize a non-variable or dependent drive system. The four methods described include altering the gearbox ratio, increasing the lengths of the fluted portion of the stalk roll, increasing stalk roll diameter or reducing the size of the gathering chain drive sprocket. A method for reducing the size of the gathering chain drive sprocket includes the steps of providing a kit with a kit gathering chain drive sprocket of reduced size and replacing the gathering chain drive sprocket with the kit gathering chain drive sprocket.

This invention relates to corn harvesting machinery and more particularly the corn row unit of the corn head commonly used with modern self-propelled combines. Corn heads include individual row units normally designed for harvesting a single row of crop material. To accommodate various spacings between rows of crops, these row units are usually adjustably attached to a horizontally disposed frame member. The modern trend in corn headers appears to be one of placing the row units at a low profile to the ground, closer together and providing for increasingly larger throughputs.
Each row unit contains a row crop divider, a row unit hood, gathering/conveying chain(s), two stripper plates, two stalk rolls, a row unit frame, and a gearbox. The gearbox powers the row unit for gathering corn plants then stripping, separating, and conveying ears of corn from the corn plant.
The transversely disposed power input shaft is powered by the combine and delivers rotational power to the individual row units. As can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,110, for example, this power input shaft is commonly placed within the gearbox and continues therethrough from one gearbox to the next. To save costs, reduce complexity, and provide constant lubrication the internal gears are contained in a sealed gearbox. The slip clutch for each respective gearbox is seen affixed to a member contained within the gearbox and movable therewith. Typically the operating speed relationship of the stalk rolls and gathering chains is fixed as is the size of the external sprockets and stalk rolls.
As shown in FIG. 1, corn heads are provided with several row crop dividers for retrieving, lifting, and directing the rows of corn stalks toward their respective ear separation chambers. FIG. 2 shows a top isolated view of the row crop divider and more particularly the gathering chains and stalk rolls of the corn row unit as typically found in the prior art.
FIG. 3 shows the side view of a row unit found in the prior art. The stalk rolls are powered by a gearbox. As the stalk rolls rotate, the flutes on the stalk rolls pull the corn stalk downward. Two stripper plates located above the stalk rolls and on both sides of the corn row are spaced wide enough to allow to the corn plant to pass between them but narrow enough to retain the ear of corn which contain grain. This causes the ears of corn to be separated from the corn plant as it is pulled downward through the stripping plates. The stalk rolls continue to rotate ejecting the unwanted portions of the corn plant below the corn head thereby returning the unwanted portions to the field. The cooperative interaction of the stalk rolls, the stripping plates and the gathering chains of the row unit are defined as the ear separation chamber.
In the past 30 years four (4) external factors have impacted corn harvesting: (1) Corn stalk harvest heights have continued to increase. (2) Corn yields have doubled through improved genetics, fertilization, populations, and row spacings. (3) Genetics also improved insect resistance, which improved plant health, stalk vigor, and increase height at harvest time. (4) Harvesting machines are larger with increased horsepower, capacity, ground speed and utilize corn heads with more row units. These factors in combination require that during ear separation modern row units must: (1) Increase the rate of ear separation. (2) Ensure that the corn plant is not severed from its roots system. (3) Increase the speed at which corn stalks are ejected from the row unit. (4) Retain minimal amounts of MOTE (material other than ears) in the heterogeneous material being delivered to the combine for threshing.
Through research, operations, and testing, applicant has found that a major evolving problem in harvesting today's corn hybrids is a large build up of plant material (MOTE plus ears) in front of the cross auger during operation of the corn head. Combine operators commonly refer to this mass of material as "trash", "muskrat huts", "hair ball", or simply "a pile of fluff". The accumulation of MOTE reduces the efficiency of the corn head. Many times operators claim this accumulation of trash or fluff will occur during the best operating times of the day. This is especially the case when the corn is extremely dry as may be found on fall afternoons with low humidity. The appearance of this fluff or trash may be severe enough to require harvesting equipment to shut down.
During field testing, several kill stop examinations of this large pile of trash confirmed that it is composed of long pieces or the top portion of the corn plant, which had been sheared off or broken off by the gathering chain paddles. When harvesting down corn it was also noticed that root balls were unnecessarily being pulled out of the ground and dragged into the corn head due to excessive gathering chain speed.
Previous to this invention, the prior art in this field has taught that to increase row unit capacity, travel speeds and reduce trash intake the gathering chain speed should be increased. U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,928 ('928) teaches a dependent drive system employing an eight (8) tooth gathering chain drive sprocket. As taught by '928, the gear means within the gear housing drives not only the stalk rolls but also the endless gathering chains. Based on applicant's experience, this (8) tooth gathering chain sprocket appears to be the predominate size still in use with John Deere dependent drive systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,070 issued to Chamberlain ("Chamberlain") teaches that the optimum gathering belt speed is approximately equal to the ground speed of the harvester. If the ground speed of the harvester needs to be decreased due to crop or environmental conditions, the gathering belt speed must be decreased. According to Chamberlain to meet this challenge, an independent drive system allowing independent speed control of both the gathering belts and stalk rolls is required.
There are numerous disadvantages and weaknesses in the teachings found in Chamberlain. A corn head with both variable knife and gathering belt speed requires additional elements such as motors, gearboxes and driveshafts. This increase in equipment increases the weight of the corn head and the power required to drive the head, increasing both the cost of manufacture and operation. Additionally. Chamberlain does not teach a method to convert an existing corn head having a dependent drive system. Furthermore, Chamberlain teaches that for high ground speed operations, the gathering belt speed must be higher to match the ground speed.
Field testing and experimentation by the applicant have shown that in fact reduction of gathering chain speed reduces stalk shear allowing increased ground speed operations through improved ear separation and threshing efficiencies. It has been found that when the gathering chain paddle and the corn plant enter the row unit at the same time, the stalk roll flutes are going to start pulling the corn plant downward. At the same time the gathering chain paddle is pushing the stalk up the ear separation chamber. At this point the corn stalk is simultaneously moving both laterally and vertically. If the corn stalk reaches the end of the ear separation chamber before the stalk roll consumes the majority of the corn stalk, lateral movement stops because the corn plant stalk has reached the end of the stalk rolls and is lodged against the gearbox. The gathering chain paddle then shears the upper portion of the corn stalk off with the corn plant ear attached and pushes both into the cross auger.
The problem at its most basic is that the stalk roll flutes and the gathering chain paddles are applying energy to the stalk in different directions producing a shearing effect. When the corn stalk reaches the end of the stalk rolls and stops moving horizontally, the movement of the corn stalk becomes restricted. This then allows the stalk to be sheared by the gathering chain paddle resulting in the separation of the stalk from itself. Analysis of stripper plates indicates pronounced wear at the row unit separation point. This would indicate there is significant pressure and wear at this point due to stalks separating against the stripper plate.
Additionally, field testing indicates the node below the ear may be weaker than other nodes in the stalk. The weakness in this node accentuates the tendency of the prior art to separate the stalk from itself when the stalk is subjected to shear. Recently improved agronomic technology and corn genetics have produced taller corn stalks at harvest time further highlighting this problem.

Method and apparatus for stalk shear reduction


A motor seat device includes a drive device for displacing a part of the seat in a particular direction. Data for operating the drive device in reaction to a presetting process is stored in a pre-setting memory. A memory drive device controls the drive device according to this operating data. The drive device is further controlled by having a control mechanism process the operating data issued from the drive device during its inertia rotation. The drive device is elastically coupled to the displaceable part so that an at least temporarily asynchronous movement can occur between the drive device and the displaceable part. The position of the displaceable part is determined by evaluating a signal generated by a drive movement of the drive device. The torque of the drive device or a parameter correlating thereto is evaluated to correct a position error caused by the asynchronous movement.

A motor seat device, such as the device disclosed in DE 41 08 295 A1 includes a displacement motor for displacing a motor vehicle seat in a forward or backward direction, a lift motor for moving the seat up and down and an incline motor for adjusting the angle of incline of the backrest of the seat. Data for operating the corresponding motors in reaction to a presetting process is stored in a pre-setting memory. A memory drive device drives the motors according to this operating data. By operating a manual switch device the motors are driven by a manual drive device. Controlling the motors in the event of actuation of the manual switch device when the motors are driven by the memory drive device is carried out by having a control mechanism process the operating data issued from each motor during its inertia rotation as signals in the same direction as directly before the inertia rotations of the relevant motors.
The adjusting devices of modern motor vehicle seats have self-locking displaceable elements in order to ensure the security of the vehicle seat in the event of a crash and to prevent the seat from being moved forwards by crash forces. As a result of the self-locking action of the displaceable elements, the adjusting devices of modern vehicle seats have a tendency to act sluggishly or slow. As such, the problem of errors in the start-up position through inertia rotations of the adjusting systems with the driving motors is rather less. It is questionable whether the accuracy of the determination of the actual position of the adjusting devices is adequate for approaching the stored position.
The object of the present method and device is therefore to improve the accuracy of determining the actual position of a part of a motor vehicle seat which can be displaced by a drive device without increasing the costs of sensors for detecting the position or impairing the self-locking properties of the adjusting device.

Method and device for determining a position of a part of a motor vehicle seat which can be displaced by means of a drive device

Brose Fahrzeugteile GmnH & Co KG, Coburg


A developing device includes an agitating member, a magnetic roller, a lower housing, an upper housing and a blade member. The lower housing includes a first housing part including a first edge having a first contact face and a first facing surface at a blade member's side. The upper housing includes a second housing part including a second edge having a second contact face contact with the first contact face and a second facing surface facing to the first facing surface. The blade member is attached to the upper housing and arranged at a gap to the lower housing. Between the first and second facing surfaces, a width at a blade member's side is broader than a width at a first contact face's side. The first and second facing surfaces are bonded by an adhesive agent. The gap is sealed by the adhesive agent.

The present disclosure relates to a developing device developing a latent image by using a toner, an image forming apparatus including the developing device, and a method of manufacturing the developing device.
An image forming apparatus of an electrographic manner includes a developing device developing a latent image by using a toner. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a conventional developing device 160 includes a housing 310 and a cover 311. In an upper part of the housing 310, an opening 312 is formed and, inside the housing 310, a screw 330 and a magnetic roller 320 are arranged. By mounting the cover 311 to the opening 312, scattering of a developer from the housing 310 is prevented.
In the above-mentioned developing device 160, the cover 311 is attached to the housing by using bis, and when this attaching, an elastic member, such as sponge, is inserted between the housing 310 and the cover 311 to ensure sealing performance. In order to improve sealing performance, the cover 311 may be bonded to the housing 310. However, because the cover 311 prepared for preventing scattering of the developer has low rigidity, even if the cover 311 is bonded to the housing 310, the cover 311 does not contribute to improvement of strength and rigidity of the housing 310. In order to improve strength and rigidity of the housing 310, a thickness of the housing 310 may be thickened or material having high Young's modulus may be used, but problems of cost increase and of processing difficulty due to high Young's modulus may be caused. Moreover, when the cover is bonded to the housing by an adhesive agent, the adhesive agent may be protruded to the inside of the housing. In such a case, there is a problem that the adhesive agent is hardened inside the housing to obstruct agitating and conveying of the developer.
Further, the developing device is provided with a blade member restricting a layer thickness of the developer carried on the magnetic roller. Conventionally, when a gap between the blade member and the housing is sealed by a sealing element, such as sponge, simplifying of sealing is required.

Developing device, image forming apparatus and method of manufacturing developing device


A high efficiency fluid filter arrangement wherein a combined layer of scrim and filter media applications is of empirically relatively estimated weight size and depth with intermediate pleat spacing so as to arrive at a combined filtration capability value in keeping with selected approved test standards.

The present invention relates to fluid filter media material and more particularly to a unique and novel arrangement for combining scrim and filter media materials of selected characteristics in a combined pleated arrangement capable of having a desired pressure drop with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV).
The present invention finds its background in the development of melt blown filter media materials and particularly in the inventive features set forth in several patents issued to Kyung-Ju Choi. Included among these several patents are: U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,812, issued Mar. 10, 1998, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,373, issued Apr. 6, 1999—both of which patents relate to melt blown fiber attenuating die structure; U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,373, issued Oct. 19, 1999, which patent relates to fiber layer positioning; U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,209, issued Nov. 2, 1999 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,427, also issued on Nov. 2, 1999, which patent relates to fiber spinning arrangements; and, U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,318, issued Dec. 12, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,241, issued Dec. 26, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,653, issued Jul. 3, 2001 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,839, issued Jun. 4, 2002—these last four patents relating to melt blown pleated filter arrangements, with particular attention being noted as to the pleat spacing arrangements of FIGS. 1, 5 and 11 of aforenoted U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,241. Attention further is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,321 and No. 5,427,597, both of which were issued to R. J. Osendorf on Apr. 26, 1994 and Jun. 27, 1995, respectively and which relate to pleated and dimpled filter media in cylindrical form.
In addition, attention also is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,555, issued on Dec. 10, 1991 to K. Enbom; U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,202, issued on Feb. 18, 1992 to H. J. Lippold; U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,447, issued Mar. 1, 1994 to H. J. Lippold; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,014, issued Sep. 8, 1998 to K. Kahler. These four patents teach comparatively complex filter media offset and spacer dispensed arrangements for spacing the pleats of such filter media.
Finally, attention is directed to Table 12-1 at page 26 of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 52.2—1999, which sets forth Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) parameters and to page 1 of the LMS Technologies, Inc., Bloomington, Minn. 55439 Test Reports—AHRAE Test Standard 52.2 showing the Test Results requested by Applicant's employer, AAF International, Louisville, Ky.
In accordance with the present invention, a unique, novel, straight-forward, efficient and economical method of pleating and spacing a combined scrim and filter medium and a unified product of the same is provided. The inventive method and related inventive product can be readily and inexpensively manufactured and assembled in a novel manner with a minimum of steps and a minimum of parts, effectively utilizing and inventively adding to the know-how of arrangements as set forth in the afore described and enumerated issued U.S. Patents.
As can be realized from the description set forth hereinafter, the present invention provides a novel and unique combined filter arrangement, including a novel method and unified product of making the same, the unique combined filter media product produced by the novel method steps obtaining a desired efficiency at a desired low pressure drop.
Various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth herein.

Method of forming combined pleated scrim and filter media materials and product of same