Methods and systems are provided for opportunistically mitigating an intermittent degradation of an active exhaust valve. In one example, a method may include differentiating between a permanent degradation of the active exhaust valve and an intermittent degradation of the active exhaust valve and adjusting actuation of the valve based on a vehicle operating condition and a road condition to mitigate the intermittent degradation.

An engine system for a vehicle may include an exhaust system with one or more exhaust ducts that are adapted to expel combusted exhaust gases to atmosphere (e.g., via one or more vehicle tailpipes). An active exhaust valve may be placed within each exhaust duct in order to control exhaust noise. For example, these valves may close in order to restrict air flow through the exhaust duct in which they are coupled, thereby controlling exhaust noise to a desirable level. A desirable level of exhaust noise may be attained by adjusting a position of the active exhaust valve. In some examples, these valves may be positioned in the exhaust ducts, after a muffler. During vehicle operation, contaminants such as pebbles, gravel, and other particles may enter the exhaust passage via the tailpipe and get stuck in the valve body of an active exhaust valve. If a contaminant is lodged in the valve body, movement of the valve may be restricted and the valve position may not be changed to a desired position corresponding to a desired engine exhaust sound.
One example approach for diagnosing a degradation of an active valve is shown by Uhrich et al. in U.S. 2018/0128145. Therein, an exhaust diverter valve positioned upstream of a muffler used to regulate exhaust noise, as well as reduce emissions and expedite heating, is diagnosed based on changes in temperature upstream of the valve, during a cold start, when the valve is closed. The temperature upstream of the valve during this specific condition is compared to a temperature upstream of the valve at engine start to diagnose degradation of the exhaust diverter valve.
However, the inventors herein have recognized potential issues with such systems. Upon diagnosis of degradation of an active exhaust valve if a mitigating step is not undertaken, the engine sound control system may become inactive until the engine is serviced. Inability to adjust engine sound based on operator preferences may reduce operator satisfaction. Also, if the valve is stuck in an open position, the operator may not be able to reduce engine (exhaust) sound which may be undesirable when the vehicle travels through areas such as schools, hospitals, where a louder noise is not expected. Also, prolonged engine operation without mitigating action may result in further deterioration of the valve.
In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a method, comprising in response to detection of an active exhaust valve being intermittently degraded, adjusting actuation of the valve based on a vehicle operating condition and a road condition In this way, by opportunistically or periodically operating the active exhaust valve in a healing mode, a contaminant stuck in an active exhaust valve may be dislodged and the engine sound may be continued to be adjusted based on operator preference for the remaining portion of the drive cycle.
As one example, a first active exhaust valve may be positioned in a first exhaust pipe of a first engine bank and a second active exhaust valve may be positioned in a second exhaust pipe of a second engine bank in a dual bank exhaust system. The engine sound control system may adjust the opening of each of the first active exhaust valve and the second active exhaust valve to a same position to achieve a desired level of exhaust noise. If during actuation of an active exhaust valve, based on feedback from a valve position sensor, it is observed that the valve position is not changing to the commanded position and the valve is stuck at an intermediate position, it may be inferred that the active exhaust valve is degraded, the engine sound control system may be deactivated, and a degradation recovery algorithm may be initiated. The valve may be operated in a healing mode for a first time to dislodge any contaminant stuck in the valve. A healing mode may include duty cycling the valve from a 10% opening to an 80% opening a plurality of times. If the degradation of the valve continues after the first operation in the healing mode, a timer may be set and the degradation of the valve is monitored periodically and a slope based analysis is carried out to determine if the degradation is permanent or intermittent in nature. If the degradation is determined to be intermittent, route and road information may be obtained from a navigation system and/or an external server. Segments in the drive cycle with increased possibility of vibration such as rough road conditions, acceleration/deceleration conditions, and high speed operation of the vehicle may be identified and valve may be operated in a healing mode for a second time to dislodge the stuck particle. The valve may also be operated in a healing mode after a threshold time period or distance traveled. If the degradation is cleared after the second operation in the healing mode, the engine sound control system is reactivated. If the degradation continues after the second operation in the healing mode, the degradation may be indicated as a permanent degradation and the operator may be notified.
In this way, by opportunistically or periodically operating the active exhaust valve in a healing mode, any contaminant stuck in the valve may be dislodged during a drive cycle without external interference. By mitigating the degradation during the drive cycle, it is possible to resume operation of the engine sound control system within the drive cycle, thereby improving operator experience. The technical effect of scheduling an operation of the active exhaust valve in the healing mode during specific driving conditions is that a higher engine vibration and air flow through exhaust passage may facilitate in forcing the stuck particle out of the valve. By differentiating between a permanent degradation and an intermittent degradation via a sloped based approach, it is possible to run a degradation recovery algorithm and resolve the intermittent degradation without disabling the engine sound control system for the entire drive cycle.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Methods and systems for an active exhaust valve


A method for compressing text includes steps of parsing words from text in an input file and comparing the parsed words to a predetermined dictionary. The dictionary has a plurality of vocabulary words in it and numbers or tokens corresponding to each vocabulary word. A further step is determining which of the parsed words are not present in the predetermined dictionary and creating at least one supplemental dictionary including the parsed words that are not present in the predetermined dictionary. The predetermined dictionary and the supplemental dictionary are stored together in a compressed file. Also, the parsed words are replaced with numbers or tokens corresponding to the numbers assigned in the predetermined and supplemental dictionary and the numbers or tokens are stored in the compressed file.

In distributed linked file systems like the World-Wide Web on the internet, there is frequently a need to store large amounts of information written in natural languages (such as English or German) as plain text in server systems and then to transmit that text information to other server or client systems efficiently. Additionally, there is a requirement to be able to perform full-text searches on all or part of the material stored quickly and efficiently either in client or server computers. These requirements exist not only in hypertext systems like the World-Wide Web on the internet, but also in distributed information query and retrieval systems or in database systems that accommodate storage of long text streams. Present methods of data compression that operate uniformly on all binary stored information are not necessarily well suited to supporting these long text streams both in terms of compression and decompression efficiency.
There are a number of conventional compression schemes, for example the compression scheme disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,426 to Carlgren et al. hereby incorporated by reference herein. While conventional systems such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,426 use word tokenization schemes for compression, they suffer from several inefficiencies that make them less suitable for distributed systems use. In conventional systems, tokens (word numbers) assigned to each unique word in the text are determined by processing the specific text to be encoded and developing a table that ranks the words by frequency of occurrence in the text. This document specific ranking is then used to assign the shortest tokens (typically 1-byte) to words having the highest frequency of occurrence and to assign longer tokens to the less frequently occurring words.
While conventional encoding achieves a high degree of compression it creates several other inefficiencies, particularly in a distributed hypertext system like the World-wide Web. First, each document has its own unique encoding for each word. Thus, in one document the word "house" might be assigned a numeric value of 103, and in another document the word "house" might be assigned the number 31464. This document specific tokenization means that a unique table or vocabulary must be maintained as part of each document that maps the tokens assigned to words. Second, a vocabulary table must be stored with the compressed text and must be transmitted with compressed text to any processor (client or server) that will either further store, search or decompress the document. Third, when such a frequency table is used as the primary mechanism for determining the encoding of tokens in the compressed text, the assignment of tokens to words is so tightly optimized to the frequency distribution of words in the particular encoded document that when the existing text needs to be updated by even a few words or phrases the entire encoding scheme must be redone to accommodate any new strings that may be present. Fourth, in order to encode strings of characters that do not constitute natural language words, the strings are assigned their own unique tokens. Examples of such character strings are numeric values, codes, table framing characters or other character-based diagrams. While conventional compression methods may be acceptable when documents contain only a small number of such strings, the encoding scheme can break down if the document requires representation of larger numbers of such strings. Examples of documents that might be difficult to encode are those that contain scientific or financial tables that have many unique numbers. Fifth, the close optimization of token assignment to word frequency may be complicated with documents that contain large numbers of unique words. Examples of these kinds of document include dictionaries, thesauri, and technical material containing tables of chemical, drug, or astronomical names. Lastly, conventional compression techniques do not easily accommodate documents that include text from more than one national natural language, such as for example a translated document that includes both U.S. English and International French.

Efficient method for compressing, storing, searching and transmitting natural language text


A compressor may include a shell assembly, a non-orbiting scroll, and an orbiting scroll. The shell assembly may define a discharge chamber. The non-orbiting scroll includes a first end plate and a first spiral wrap extending from the first end plate. The first end plate may include a variable-volume-ratio port. The orbiting scroll may be disposed within the discharge chamber. The orbiting scroll includes a second end plate and a second spiral wrap extending from the second end plate and cooperating with the first spiral wrap to define a plurality of fluid pockets therebetween. The second end plate may include a discharge passage in communication with a radially innermost one of the fluid pockets and the discharge chamber. The variable-volume-ratio port may be disposed radially outward relative to the discharge passage and may be in selective communication with the radially innermost one of the fluid pockets.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
Compressors are used in a variety of industrial, commercial and residential applications to circulate a working fluid within a climate-control system (e.g., a refrigeration system, an air conditioning system, a heat-pump system, a chiller system, etc.) to provide a desired cooling and/or heating effect. A typical climate-control system may include a fluid circuit having an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion device disposed between the indoor and outdoor heat exchangers, and a compressor circulating a working fluid (e.g., refrigerant or carbon dioxide) between the indoor and outdoor heat exchangers. Efficient and reliable operation of the compressor is desirable to ensure that the climate-control system in which the compressor is installed is capable of effectively and efficiently providing a cooling and/or heating effect on demand.


A MOS cell based on a simple and self-aligned process is provides a planar cell forming a horizontal MOS channel, and a plurality of trench regions, which are arranged at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the planar cells. The new cell concept can adopt both planar MOS channels and Trench MOS channels in a single MOS cell structure, or planar MOS channels alone, while utilising the trenches to improve the current spreading of the planar MOS channels. Floating P-doped regions at the bottom of the trench regions protect the device against high peak electric fields. The orthogonal trench recesses are discontinued in their longitudinal direction to allow the planar channels to conduct electrons. The design can be applied to both IGBTs and MOSFETs based on silicon or wide bandgap materials.

Planar and Trench MOS cell designs exhibit a number of advantages and disadvantages for IGBT and MOSFET designs. For IGBTs, typical Planar and Trench designs are shown in FIGS. 1A and 2A. Both designs can incorporate an enhancement n-type layer for improved excess carrier storage as shown in FIGS. 1B and 2B.
FIG. 1A shows a prior art IGBT with planar gate electrodes in accordance to U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,793, for example. The IGBT 100 is a device with a four-layer structure, which are arranged between an emitter electrode (3) on an emitter side (31) and a collector electrode (2) on a collector side (21), which is arranged opposite of the emitter side (31). An (N-) doped drift layer (4) is arranged between the emitter side (31) and the collector side (21). A P-doped planar base layer (9) is arranged between the drift layer (4) and the emitter electrode (3), which planar base layer (9) is in direct electrical contact to the emitter electrode (3). A planar N-doped source region (7) is arranged on the emitter side (31) embedded into the planar base layer (9) and contact opening (14) to the emitter electrode (3). In addition, a planar P-doped layer (8) is arranged on the emitter side (31) below region (7) and embedded into the planar base layer (9) and contact opening (14) through region (7) and extending to region (8) is formed for the emitter electrode (3).
A planar gate electrode (10) is arranged on top of the emitter side (31). The planar gate electrode (10) is electrically insulated from the planar base layer (9), the planar source region (7) and the drift layer (4) by a planar insulating layer (12). There is a further insulating layer (13) arranged between the planar gate electrode (10) and the emitter electrode (3).
The planar cell concept offers a lateral MOS channel (15) which suffers from non-optimal charge spreading (so called JFET effect) near the cell resulting in low carrier enhancement and higher conduction losses. Furthermore, due to the lateral channel design, the planar cell design suffers also from the PNP bipolar transistor hole drain effect (PNP effect) due to the bad electron spreading out of the MOS channel. However, the accumulation layer between the MOS cells offers strong charge enhancement for the PIN diode part (PIN effect). The planar design also requires more area resulting in less cell packing density for reduced channel resistance.
On the other hand, the planar design provides good blocking capability due to low peak fields at the cell and in between. The planar design can also provide good controllability and low switching losses and the cell densities in planar designs are easily adjusted for the required short circuit currents. Due to the fact that there exist few high peak electric fields in the gate oxide regions, the planar design offers good reliability with respect to parameter shifting during operation under high voltages. Also, the introduction of n-type enhanced layers (17) in planar cells has resulted in lower losses rivalling those achieved with trench designs as explained below.
The trench cell concept for a trench IGBT 200 shown in FIG. 2A offers a vertical MOS channel (16) which provides enhanced injection of electrons in the vertical direction and suffer from no drawbacks from charge spreading (JFET effect) near the cell. Therefore, the trench cells show much improved carrier enhancement for lower conduction losses. Due to the vertical channel design, the trench offers also less hole drain effect (PNP effect) due to the improved electron spreading out of the MOS channel. Modern trench designs adopting mesa widths (trench to trench distance) below 1 μm achieve very low conduction losses since closely packed trenches can provide a strong barrier to hole drainage. Matching such a performance with less complex processes can be of a great advantage. The accumulation layer at the bottom of the trench gate (11) offers strong charge enhancement for the PIN diode part. Hence wide and/or deep trenches show optimum performance. Furthermore, the trench design offers large cell packing density for reduced channel resistance.
However, the trench cell design suffers from lower blocking capability near the bottom corners of the trenches due to high peak electric fields. This has also resulted in parameter shifting during operation due to hot carrier injection into the gate oxide. The trench design has also a large MOS accumulation region and associated capacitance resulting in bad controllability and high switching losses. The high cell densities in trench designs will also result in high short circuit currents. Finally, gate parameter shifts can occur under normal gate biasing stress conditions due to the trench etch process in relation to the silicon crystal orientation and the critical region at the n-source and p-base junction which is formed at the trench gate oxide (12′) which defines the device MOS parameters.
Hence, optimising the trench cell design to overcome the above drawbacks has normally resulted in higher losses when compared to the initial loss estimations and potential of trench designs. Many trench designs have been proposed with particular focus on the regions between the active MOS cells for lowering the losses and improving the device controllability. Another approach in previous inventions combines planar and trench designs were proposed to obtain the advantage of the planar designs (region between the cells) and trench designs (the cell) while eliminating some of the drawbacks of the planar and trench designs.
In U.S. Pat. No. 9,064,925, for example, the Trench Planar IGBT 300 shown in FIG. 3 combines both a planar and trench MOS cells in a single design. However, both the planar channel (15) and trench channel (16) are separated. Similarly, in "Trench emitter IGBT with lateral and vertical MOS channels" (Proc. 23rd Internat. Conf. on Microelectronics MIEL 2002, 163-166) an IGBT is described, which comprises trench gate electrodes and planar gate electrodes in one device.
A Trench Planar MOSFET cell (Solid State Electronics, V 38, No 4, page 821-828, 1995) represents the first publication of Trench Planar MOS cell design. A similar design was published as a Trench Planar IGBT (IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol 20, No. 11, November 1999, page 580). The Trench Planar IGBT 400 design shown in FIG. 4A consists only of a planar channel and proposes the use of a trench structure to improve the minority charge carrier accumulation. The concept proposed shallow trenches for improved blocking capability. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,441,046, a Planar Trench MOS IGBT 500 with an enhancement layer was described as shown in FIG. 4B. Similar to the Trench Planar MOS cell described above, the Planar Trench design includes a planar channel (15) and a trench channel (16) with the trench channel having higher doping levels compared to the Trench Planar design.
It is usual with such power transistor structures to spend significant effort in design and processing to ensure that the overall device performance is not impacted by the high electric fields at the bottom region of the trenches. Thus U.S. Pat. No. 10,090,297 for example, describes a power transistor configuration (202) as depicted in FIG. 5, including a P-doped floating layer (18) formed so as to partially wrap around the bottom of the trenches. It is therefore possible to alleviate collector-emitter voltage from burdening the trench during switching OFF phases. Thus, it is possible to suppress device failure due to sudden changes in voltage (dv/dt). This allows for the short-circuit resistance of the power transistor to be maintained. Furthermore, the short-circuit resistance can be improved by the floating layer (18) being deeper than the base layer (9), and the base layer (9) can be made shallow; therefore, it is possible to shorten the channel length by appropriately designing the depth of the base layer, thereby suppressing an increase in the on-state voltage drop.
The majority of the above patents describe an active trench connected to the gate in combination with a planar channel in a two-dimensional arrangement.
In a closely related prior art to the present invention, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,380,586 and 8,441,046 describe a trench IGBT 600 where planar channels (15) are orthogonally positioned in relation to the trench regions as shown in FIG. 6A for an embodiment having a discontinued trench at the emitter contact (3). A continuous trench cutting through the emitter contact (3) was also described. The main feature of this structure is the trench channel (16) which will provide electron injection in both lateral and vertical dimensions at the trench wall as shown in the cross-section A-A′ as shown in FIG. 6B. Such a power transistor will have different MOS parameters such as the threshold voltage for the vertical and lateral channels. Furthermore, for the discontinued version, the trench MOS channel (16) at the trench periphery near (10′) can become critical due to the sharp trench curvature in that region.
The structures described above also suffer from complex and critical alignment process steps such as N-source (7) and P-region (8) structuring which can also increase the cost and limit the option to reduce the cell dimensions for providing lower losses.
It is desirable to find a new MOS cell design concept that can still benefit from the combination of the trench and planar MOS cell concepts while enabling simple process steps and lower conduction/on-state losses.

Fortified trench planar MOS power transistor


A simple, convenient, contaminant-resistant padding system for adding protective padding to a wide variety of hospital operating room and non-hospital related equipment is disclosed. The padding system includes an anchor having a first surface configured to be affixed to a mounting surface of an object to be protected and a second surface. The anchor also includes a protruding element formed on the second surface. The protruding element extends outward from the second surface. The system also includes a pad having a deformable recess configured to form-fit over the protruding element to hold the pad in place adjacent the mounting surface of the object to be protected. In various embodiments, the protruding element consists of one of the following shapes: hook-shaped, round, ball, oval, square, or rectangular. The deformable recess in the pad has a complementary shape. In various other embodiments, the pads can be shaped to fit over and protect one or multiple sides of an object to be protected.

There are numerous work environments where personnel are required to move about different types of equipment, some mounted at head height, and which have sharp corners or edges that can cause injury if accidentally bumped. A particular example of such an environment is a hospital operating room. In a modern hospital, video monitors, medical, and other equipment are commonly suspended, at head-height, from either the ceiling or a medical boom over the operating table. During an operation, doctors and other hospital personnel are typically intensely focused on their task and may frequently bump their head against the edges of the suspended monitors and equipment by accident, sometimes leading to injury. Currently there is no readily available solution to protect doctors and other personal from injury. Commercial edge padding products, such as Edge Guard, are typically porous and are ill-suited to a hospital environment due to both their tendency to absorb fluids and the fact that they are typically installed directly on the mounting surface with double-sided adhesive tape, making repetitive removal and replacement difficult. Further, contaminants and other fluids can easily accumulate under such a pad, creating a health hazard.
A simple, convenient, contaminant-resistant padding system for adding protective padding to a wide variety of hospital operating room and non-hospital related equipment is therefore needed.


It is possible to enhance the utilization efficiency of a light source and impart an orientation control performance and a pretilt angle to an orientation film in a short treatment time. Substrates to which orientation films are applied are mounted on stages which are sequentially transported to a main irradiation region and a sub-irradiation region. Light flux irradiated from a light source device having a single light source receives polarization treatment at a polarization unit, thus generating main polarized light and sub-polarized light. The main polarized light is irradiated to the orientation film formed on the substrate which is transported to a main irradiation region, thus imparting orientation control performance to the orientation film. Subsequently, the substrate is transported to a sub-irradiation region, and sub-polarized light is irradiated to the orientation film to which orientation control performance is already imparted, thus imparting a pretilt angle to the orientation film.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacture and a device for the manufacture of a liquid crystal display device which impart optical anisotropy in a fixed direction to a surface of an orientation film formed of an organic polymer film or the like that is applied to a substrate by irradiating polarized light to a surface of the organic polymer film or the like.
As an example of a device which displays various images which contain still images or moving images, a liquid crystal display device has been popularly used. This type of liquid crystal display device basically includes a liquid crystal panel in which a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between two substrates, wherein one substrate is made of transparent glass or the like. The liquid crystal panel is classified into a type in which given pixels are turned on and off by selectively applying voltages to various electrodes in pixels which are formed in a matrix array on the substrate of the liquid crystal panel and a type in which various electrodes forming pixels and active elements for selecting pixels are formed in a matrix array on the substrate of the liquid crystal panel, and the turning on and off of given pixels is effected by selecting the active elements. Particularly, the latter-type liquid crystal display device is referred to as an active matrix type liquid crystal display device, and it constitutes the most widely used liquid crystal display device in view of its excellent contrast performance, rapid display performance and the like.
The conventional active matrix type liquid crystal display device, depending on the difference in the method for controlling the orientation direction of the liquid crystal, is classified into a liquid crystal display device adopting a so-called vertical electric field method (also referred to as a TN method) in which the orientation direction of liquid crystal is controlled by generating an electric field by applying a voltage between pixel electrodes formed on one of two substrates and counter electrodes formed on another substrate, and a liquid crystal display device adopting a so-called lateral electric field method (also referred to as an IPS method) in which pixel electrodes and counter electrodes are formed on one of two substrates and the orientation direction of liquid crystal is controlled by forming an electric field in a direction substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate by applying voltages between the pixel electrodes and the counter electrodes.
As a typical example of the method which aligns liquid crystal molecules which constitute a liquid crystal layer in a given direction, an organic orientation film having the following constitution has been used. That is, the organic orientation film is constituted of an organic high molecular thin film, such as a polyimide-based film formed on the substrate, and a liquid crystal orientation control performance is imparted to the film by applying rubbing treatment to the film. Further, there also is a known technique which is referred to as optical orientation. In this technique, an orientation film which is formed of an organic high molecular thin film made of polyimide resin or the like is formed on a substrate, and a liquid crystal orientation control performance is imparted to the orientation film by the irradiation of light to the orientation film (for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,941 (literature 1), Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.34699/1993(literature 2), Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.281937/1994(literature 3), Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.247319/1995(literature 4).
Further, particularly, in the TN method, in addition to imparting of an orientation control performance to the orientation film, it is necessary to impart a so-called pretilt angle which causes the orientation axis of the liquid crystal molecules in a non-driven state to be tilted with respect to a surface of the substrate by a given angle. In the optical orientation technique which has been proposed conventionally, in general, first of all, when an orientation control performance is to be imparted to an orientation film, an optical orientation material is applied to the surface of a substrate, and a polarized light obtained by performing polarization treatment on a light flux from a light source using a first device is irradiated to the orientation film. Thereafter, using a second device in which a surface of the orientation film (the surface of the substrate) and the polarized light irradiating direction is arranged at an angle corresponding to the above-mentioned pretilt angle, polarized light is irradiated to the orientation film to impart a pretilt angle to the orientation film. Here, as an example of literature which discloses the related art relevant to imparting a pretilt angle to an orientation film using an optical orientation technique, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.142608/1998(literature 5).

Method and apparatus for imparting alignment to alignment layer through generation of two kinds of polarized light from a single light source and treatment with both


Disclosed herein is a magnetic write head comprising a main pole, a write gap over the main pole, a first hot seed layer over the main pole, wherein the first hot seed layer comprises a first hot seed material having a first anisotropy value, and a second hot seed layer comprising a second hot seed material having a second anisotropy value, the second anisotropy value being greater than the first anisotropy value, wherein at least a portion of the second hot seed layer is adjacent to the first hot seed layer to mitigate adjacent track interference. Also disclosed are methods to fabricate magnetic write heads having first and second hot seed layers.

Magnetic storage systems, such as hard disk drives, are used to store large amounts of information on tracks, such as the circularly-arranged, adjacent tracks of a magnetic disk. A magnetic head in a magnetic storage system typically includes a read/write transducer for storing magnetically encoded information on, and later retrieving that information from, a magnetic recording medium, such as a disk.
Because a magnetic recording head typically provides a strong writing field to achieve a high areal density, the writer may cause interference in adjacent tracks on the disk when writing to an intended track. This interference may result in the erasure of information previously written to adjacent tracks. The so-called adjacent-track interference may be particularly problematic as designers increase the number of tracks per inch and/or reduce the track pitch to increase the areal density of magnetic recording media.
Therefore, there is an ongoing need to design magnetic recording heads with improved adjacent-track-interference characteristics.

Magnetic write head with novel hot seed design to mitigate adjacent track interference


A method for managing wireless assets in a first coverage area based upon call activity in at least one second coverage area substantially adjacent with the first coverage area includes the steps of: (a) in no particular order: (1) selecting a parameter relating to the call activity; and (2) selecting at least one threshold value for the parameter relating to imminence of increased call activity in the first coverage area; (b) measuring the parameter in at least one region in the at least one second coverage area; and (c) when the parameter substantially meets the at least one threshold value, reserving a measure of call-handling capacity from call activity in the first coverage area for use in said at least one second coverage area.

The present invention is directed to a method for managing wireless assets in a coverage area, and especially to managing wireless assets in a first coverage area based upon call activity in at least one second coverage area substantially adjacent with the first coverage area.
Wireless network technology is a key technology for providing mobile computing and communication capabilities. A fast growing population of users seeks a variety of mobile services, such as voice, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), videophone and other services. Such a growing and widespread demand for such a variety of services has made radio resource management of wireless networks a key design issue in constructing wireless networks.
Wireless communication networks, including cellular telephone networks and third generation wireless networks (e.g., Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and CDMA2000) require efficient wireless asset, or radio resource, management techniques for effectively employing limited bandwidth resources in high traffic environments. The management of radio resources is especially intricate and difficult in systems where users may be handed off among neighboring network controllers as they travel among various coverage areas.
Under normal traffic conditions the allocated radio resources of a network coverage area or cell can accommodate all of the demands of mobile users operating in the cell. However, during peak load periods, and especially in bursty traffic conditions, the radio resources of a cell may not be sufficient to meet all service demands that are made. Such an occurrence of a bursty demand increase is sometimes referred to as a "hot spot". Hot spots can cause unacceptable degradation of network performance as may be manifested for example in dropped calls, fast busy signals indicating the network is busy, or similar shortcomings in communication services. Resource borrowing is one technique that may be employed to maintain acceptable service levels in hot spots or during other high traffic periods. Resource borrowing provides that wireless assets or resources, such as bandwidth, frequency or another measure of communication capacity or call handling capacity, is borrowed from a neighboring cell or call coverage area (lending call coverage area), usually an adjacent cell or call coverage area. A cell or call coverage area (borrowing call coverage area) that experiences service demands in excess of its capacity can send a borrowing request to a neighboring cell. The lending cell can permit use of certain of its capacity by the borrowing cell and in such manner the borrowing cell can gather sufficient additional resources to satisfy the increased service demand at the hot spot or other high traffic demand area.
Previous resource borrowing techniques or methods have failed to address timeliness of resource borrowing and the result has often been there is unnecessary or wasteful borrowing. Wasteful borrowing places an unnecessary burden upon lending cells. A new demand may arise in a cell, for example, when a user places a new call in the cell or when a user enters the cell from an adjacent cell in a hand off operation. When a new demand arises in a cell, once it is determined that additional resource is required to meet the new demand a resource borrowing demand process is initiated. Time is spent in such activities as contacting one or more neighboring cell as a potential lending cell, checking resources available for lending by the neighboring cells, selecting particular base stations in the neighboring cells that can lend resources, and transferring resources that are identified as available for lending from their resident base station to the base station of the borrowing cell. Often this rather lengthy multi-step process takes too long for an individual caller who made the additional service demand requiring borrowed resources and the caller hangs up, or the borrowing cell times out and drops the call. The time out aspect of service interruption is particularly likely to occur in third generation wireless networks during handoff operations because of particular real time limits imposed in those networks' operations.
There is a need for an improved method for managing wireless assets in a first coverage area or cell based upon call activity in at least one second coverage area or cell that can more efficiently effect resource borrowing to support operations in the at least one second coverage area.

Method for managing wireless assets in a coverage area


The present invention relates to a tire rim for wheels of cycles in general adapted to allow an easy and firm assembling of the tire, and has the main feature that the rim comprises a body the cross-section of which defines a well for the tire, laterally delimited by ridges adjoining recesses for the tire bead, which recesses are delimited on their outside by a hook portion or rim flange having a top inwardly curved crook portion.

The present invention relates to a tire rim for wheels of cycles in general adapted to allow an easy and firm assembling of the tire.
As is known, tire rims for wheels of cycles and the like are conventionally formed by a body which defines side walls delimiting a region for housing therein the tire and operating as a tire bead restraining element.
With the disclosed arrangement difficulties are frequently encountered in assembling the tire to the tire rim and, moreover, it is not possible to provide a precise coupling of the tire bead to the side edges of the rim.
This can be caused by a not perfectly symmetrical and balanced coupling of the tire, with the self-evident drawbacks deriving therefrom, even during the running of the cycle, because of a not proper balancing of the rim.

Tire rim for wheels of cycles in general adapted to allow an easy and firm assembling of the tire


A pressure sensor subsystem measures the pressure within a fuel pump and outputs an under-pressure signal when the measured pressure is below a predetermined threshold pressure value. A temperature sensor subsystem measures the temperature within the fuel pump and outputs an over-temperature signal when the measured temperature is above a predetermined threshold temperature value. A timing circuit monitors the pressure sensor subsystem and the temperature sensor subsystem for output of the under-pressure and over-temperature signals and outputs a pump disconnect signal when at least one of the signals is output for a prescribed time duration. A power controller disengages power from the pump upon output of a pump disconnect signal by the timing circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to fuel systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for monitoring operating conditions within an aircraft fuel pump for automated shutdown.
2. Description of the Related Art
An aircraft fuel system must provide for storage of the required amount of fuel and for the delivery of this fuel to the engine(s) at the proper rate and pressure. Nearly all aircraft engines, and particularly complex aircraft using high powered turbine engines, are equipped with a pressure fuel-feed system. In these systems, fuel is drawn from fuel tanks by electrically-driven primary fuel pumps and delivered to the engine at the desired pressure. Alternate fuel pumps serve as backups if a primary fuel pump fails, the alternate fuel pumps providing built-in redundancy in the fuel supply system. The fuel pumps are designed to deliver a continuous supply of fuel at the proper pressure at all times during engine operation. The absence of fuel at the proper pressure within the fuel pump may be indicative of an inadequate fuel supply to the pump. Such a condition is often referred to as a "dry-run" condition. Failure to detect a dry-run condition may cause irreparable pump damage, and could ultimately lead to pump failure and a possible fire danger.
In an attempt to avoid pump damage, complex aircraft which are equipped with fuel pumps are often provided with some type of fuel-pressure warning system. Known pressure warning systems generally include a pressure switch positioned within the fuel pump. When the fuel pressure drops below a safe minimum, the pressure sensor outputs a signal which in turn, illuminates a warning light situated in a conspicuous place in the instrument panel to serve as a warning to the pilot. The engine can continue to run because of built-in redundancy in the fuel supply system, usually provided by backup pumps. However, such, existing fuel systems employing known pressure warning mechanisms require operator input to avoid potentially dangerous pump operating conditions in response to warnings provided by the sensors.
In addition to inadequate fuel pressure within a fuel pump, a high temperature within a fuel pump may also be indicative of a dry-run condition. The presence of adequate fuel tends to keep the internal temperature of the fuel pump at or below a safe operating temperature. When inadequate fuel is present, the operation of the motor within the fuel pump causes the internal temperature to increase. When the fuel pump internal temperature is above the safe operating temperature for a prescribed time interval, a dry run condition may exist. The safe operating temperature and the prescribed time interval are dependent on the type of aircraft and pump. Conventional aircraft fuel pump systems do not take the temperature of the fuel pump into account when mounting pump operations.
Those skilled in the art have recognized a need for fuel systems that eliminate the need for operator intervention when certain operating conditions within the system fall outside of an acceptable range of operation. The need for a system capable of monitoring fuel pump temperature has also been recognized. The invention fulfills these and other needs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The disclosure relates to a process including depositing an imprintable layer on a substrate. The imprintable layer is imprinted into the pattern of an imprint-fabricated ribbon. The pattern from the imprintable layer is transferred to the substrate to be used to fabricate the imprint-fabricated ribbon.

Prior art nano-scale sensors are used in a large number of applications, and have been found particularly suited in the fields of chemical and/or biological sensing and analysis. Such prior art nano-scale sensors are typically produced individually by non-repetitive (and therefore inefficient) methods that do not use batch processing manufacturing techniques. Prior art nano-scale sensors find application in such analysis techniques as gas chromatography, ionically coupled plasma atomic analysis (ICPAA), wet chemical analysis, PCR (polymerase chain reaction), mass spectroscopy via laser volatilization, electrophoresis, and fluorescent tagging methods, to name a few.
Chemical and/or biological sensing and analysis traditionally requires a long time to obtain meaningful data, involves remote or cumbersome equipment, requires large sample sizes, demands highly trained users, and involves significant direct and indirect costs. Direct costs relate to the labor, procedures, and equipment required for each type of analysis. Indirect costs partially accrue from the delay time before actionable information can be obtained, e.g., in medical analyses or in the monitoring of chemical processes. Indirect costs of certain chemical or biological analyses can outweigh the direct costs.
Certain embodiments of biological and/or chemical analysis equipment use loose tubular wires or tubes whose electrical resistance is measured using a two terminal configuration. The term "loose" indicates that the wire or tube is not initially secured to the substrate and so must subsequently be affixed to it.
Advantages of the loose tube type of construction of sensors are simplicity and ease of laboratory demonstration. Minute wires can also be deposited directly on a substrate by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, which is also time consuming and expensive. However, it is difficult and expensive to manufacture loose nano-scale wires or tubes in a sufficiently reproducible way for useful sensing applications.
Some analytical techniques also require arrays of sensors to sense some parameter over a two-dimensional or three-dimensional configuration. It is difficult to fabricate loose tubes or wires into arrays in large quantities, especially when the tubes or wires are in the nano-scale. Typically, each wire or tube for sensor within the array is individually fabricated, which is time consuming and expensive.
There is therefore a need for a technique for manufacturing nano-scale wires and tubes in a less expensive, more reproducible, and more production-friendly manner than permitted by present-day techniques.

Sensor produced using imprint lithography

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A new hop plant named ‘HBC 843’ is disclosed. ‘HBC 843’ is used for its exceptional and unique aromatic qualities, and is suitable for beer flavoring.

'HBC 843' is a product of a controlled breeding program carried out by the inventors in the Yakima Valley of Washington State. 'HBC 843' was one of several seedlings resulting from a controlled cross made in 2012 with female parent '21055T', an unpatented variety, and male parent '83-95', also an unpatented variety. Seedling plants from this cross were planted in 2013 and screened for disease resistance and sex in a greenhouse and field nursery near Granger, Wash. A single plant of 'HBC 843' was selected in 2016. In 2016, 'HBC 843' was asexually reproduced via softwood cuttings, and expanded to 30 (thirty) plants in an evaluation block near Toppenish, Wash. In 2019, 'HBC 843' was further expanded to a one (1) acre test block near Moxee, Wash., with plants asexually reproduced via softwood cuttings produced from the evaluation block near Toppenish, Wash. The 'HBC 843' plants have now been observed and evaluated for several years. Throughout several generations of asexual propagation, 'HBC 843' has been observed to retain its distinctive characteristics and remain true to type.


A semiconductor device comprises an element region and a terminal region that surrounds the element region. The semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor region having a first conductivity type and a second semiconductor region having a second conductivity type and provided on the first semiconductor region. A third semiconductor region having the first conductivity type is provided on the second semiconductor region. A first electrode is electrically connected to the first semiconductor region. A second electrode is electrically connected to the third semiconductor region. A third and a fourth electrode are disposed in the element region. A distance from the first electrode to the third electrode is less than a distance from the first electrode to the fourth electrode.

In a semiconductor device such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or the like, an element region where transistors are disposed may be surrounded by a terminal end region and a local breakdown may occur in the element region in the vicinity of the terminal end region. This may occur, for example, because a spot where avalanche breakdown easily occurs (a so-called hot spot) may be generated between the element region and the terminal end region. There is a phenomenon in which a hot spot moves between the element region and the terminal end region several times, when a charge such as a surge is applied to the element region, for example. When a hot spot moves between the element region and the terminal end region, a breakdown voltage of the element region may eventually exceed a critical breakdown voltage, and this causes local breakdown in the element region. A semiconductor device which prevents such local breakdown and has a high breakdown voltage would be desirable.

Semiconductor device with varied electrodes


A light source for generating a light beam which can be focused in many different directions or varied in intensity under control of a user's hand. A light sensor for detecting the focused light beam and generating a sensor signal based on either the light beam's area of coverage on the light sensor or the light beam's intensity. A modulation apparatus for receiving the sensor signal and in response modulating a computer variable and/or an electronic signal. A freeze circuit for inhibiting modulation when the sensor signal either exceeds or falls below a predetermined maximum or minimum level.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to tracking devices. More particularly the present invention pertains to an optical tracking device for use in a computer and/or electronic control system.
2. Discussion of Background Art
Two Dimensional (2D) Tracking Devices
Currently, some of the 2D tracking devices used to move a cursor on a computer display or within an electronic control system are a Mouse, a Track-Ball, a Track-Stick, and an Electro-Static Sensor. While these system all can move the cursor, they are ergonomically inefficient since they require the small muscles of a user's hand and wrist to continuously work in order to move the mouse, spin the track ball, move the track stick, or drag a finger on the electro-static surface. As a result, when these devices are used for more than a short time the user's hand and wrist muscles become fatigued and pain can result. Prolonged use may lead to repetitive strain injuries.
Three Dimensional (3D) Tracking Devices
Many 3D tracking devices not only suffer from the 2D tracking device problems described above, but also require that the user activate buttons or additional keyboard controls to achieve 3D cursor movement. Since such systems lack simultaneous cursor control in all three degrees of freedom, an unnatural and awkward interface is presented to a user.
For example, a track-ball by itself only allows motion in 4 directions (side-to-side, and back-to-front) resulting in only two degrees of motion. The track-ball requires an additional button for generating any up-and-down cursor movement (i.e. pressing the left button and rolling the track ball forward can be used to move the cursor up-and-down). Track-sticks with a vertical position slide type of device have also been used; however, these devices lack precision in controlling the vertical position, are too large for laptop computers, and require that a user's hand be totally dedicated to the track-stick, thus restricting the user's ability to maintain control of the cursor while moving a hand between a key board and the track-stick.
Other 3D tracking devices, such as those that use gloves or other sensors which measure electrical properties such as resistance and parameterize them to generate location and motion data, provide a more natural feel to the user, but are typically very bulky, are difficult to use, and are quite expensive.
What is needed is a less expensive and more ergonomically efficient apparatus and method for 3D tracking.

Apparatus and method for optically modulating electronic signals and computer data


A plating apparatus and method bubbles generated at the plating surfaces easily removed and the uniformity of the thickness of the plated film within the plated surface can be improved. The plating apparatus has a cassette table for loading a cassette in which a substrate having a plating surface is contained. An aligner for aligning the substrate, a rinser-dryer for rinsing and drying the substrate, and a plating unit for plating the substrate are also provided. The plating unit includes a plating vessel containing a plating solution, and a holder holds the substrate to immerse the substrate in the plating solution in the plating vessel. The plating surface is exposed to a nozzle which ejects the plating solution toward the plating surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for plating a substrate, and more particularly to an apparatus and method used for plating metal films on a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer having fine interconnection grooves, holes or apertures of resist films thereon, or for forming solder bumps or protruding electrodes for electrically connecting to electrodes of semiconductor chip packages.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) process or "flip-chip" process, the surface of a semiconductor chip having interconnects is formed with bumps or protruding electrodes comprised of gold, copper, solder, or nickel, or a layered structure of the above-mentioned materials, for electrically connecting with other chip package electrodes or TAB electrodes.
Such bumps can be formed by processes such as electroplating, vapor deposition, printing, and ball-bumping. Recent trends of increasing numbers in I/O terminals on semiconductor chips and smaller pitches of interconnections have lead to a wide use of electroplating, which can provide fine structure metallization and relatively stable operation.
Electroplating processes can be generally categorized in two types: a fountain type or cup type process in which a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is plated while the surface to be plated faces downward and a plating solution flows upward to metallize the surface; and a dip type process in which the substrate is vertically placed in a plating vessel (container, cell, or the like) and the solution is supplied from the bottom to overflow from the top of the plating vessel.
FIG. 28 shows an example of a conventional dip type electroplating unit. The electroplating unit comprises: a substrate holder 10 for detachably holding a substrate W such as a semiconductor wafer; a plating vessel 16 containing a plating solution 12 in which the substrate W supported by a substrate holder 10 and an anode 14 are immersed so as to confront each other; and a power source 18 for applying plating voltage between the anode 14 and feeder layer (seed layer) formed on the surface to be plated of the substrate W to supply plating current. An overflow vessel 22 is provided beside the plating vessel 16 for receiving a plating solution 12 which has flowed over an upper edge of an overflow weir 20 of the plating vessel 16. The overflow vessel 22 and the plating vessel 16 are communicated through a circulation line 24 provided with a circulation pump 26, a thermostat unit 28, and a filter 30. Thus, the plating solution 12 driven by the circulation pump 26 is supplied to and fills the plating vessel 16, and then overflows the weir 20 to flow into the overflow vessel 22 and returns to the circulation pump 26 for circulation.
With the plating unit, and by supplying the plating solution 12 into the plating vessel 16 from the bottom portion to overflow the weir 20, arranging the substrate holder 10 in the plating solution 12 within the plating vessel 16 so as to confront the anode 14, and applying prescribed plating voltage between the anode 14 and the substrate W, a plated film is formed on the surface of the substrate W.
A plurality of paddles 34 (agitating rods) are vertically suspended from a lower surface of a paddle shaft 32, which is arranged above the plating vessel 16, horizontally between the substrate holder 10 and the anode 14, and parallel to their surfaces. The paddle are reciprocated horizontally in a direction parallel to the substrate W via the paddle shaft 32 to agitate the plating solution 12 within the plating vessel 16, so as to facilitate the formation of a plating film with uniform thickness.
Also, the substrate holder 10 used in the conventional dip type electroplating unit can detachably hold the substrate W while sealing the peripheral edge surface and the rear surface to expose the front surface to be plated. The substrate W is immersed in the plating solution 12 together with the holder for plating.
It is necessary to securely seal the peripheral portion of the substrate to prevent the plating solution from infiltrating to the rear surface of the substrate, which solution confronts the surface to be plated when the holder is immersed into the plating solution. A conventional substrate holder comprises a pair of supports (holding members) which are open- and closeable to each other, and one support is provided with a fixer ring. The substrate holder is used to hold a substrate by driving the fixer ring to rotate, while the substrate is held between the supports, to push the one support toward the other so that the a seal ring attached to the one support is pressed against the peripheral region of the substrate surface for sealing.
When the substrate is subjected to a series of steps including plating and other accompanying processes, the substrate is held by the holder and the holder having the substrate is transferred to plating or processing vessels, and the substrate is immersed into the plating solution or other processing solutions together with the holder.

Apparatus and method for plating a substrate


A device for preparation of a machining electrode, especially a machining electrode or bar sinking electrode in an EDM machine for feed into an electrode guide system. The device employs a suction and advance device for suction and advance of the machining electrode and at least one pressure equalization device. Additionally, an electrode change device is disclosed having at least two devices for preparing the machining electrode and a method for preparation of a machining electrode.

The present system concerns a device and method for introducing a machining electrode, especially a wire or bar sinking electrode to an electrode guide system oan electrical discharge machining (EDM) machine.
EDM machines are used to machine work pieces by electric spark discharge between an electrically conducting work piece and a machining electrode. In particular, the work piece can be cut by means of a wire electrode or machine with a bar sinking electrode by boring or cavity sinking. In this case, in addition to ablation of the material particles of the work piece, the machining electrode itself is also ablated. As a result, new electrode material must continuously be supplied. For example, a wire electrode is unwound from a spool or a bar-like machining electrode and is guided through the work zone of the EDM machine in order to continuously supply new electrode material.
A new machining electrode must initially be prepared for feed and, in particular, brought to a position suitable for feed (hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9cintroduction of the machining electrodexe2x80x9d). Corresponding preparation or introduction devices are described in EP 0 161 657 (xe2x80x9cDevice for guiding a wire or band-like cutting electrode on a machine toolxe2x80x9d) and in JP 5-185322 (xe2x80x9cElectrical wire EDM machinexe2x80x9d). In both cases, preparation is by hand.
There is a need to provide an improved device and an improved method for preparing a machining electrode, especially a wire electrode or bar sinking electrode of an EDM machine for feed into an electrode guide system.
The above need is met by the present system by using a device for introducing a machining electrode, especially a wire electrode or a bar sinking electrode to an electrode guide system of an EDM machine having at least one means of suction and advance to draw in and advance the machining electrode and at least one pressure equalization device to reduce a fluid pressure provided in front of the suction and advance device in the direction of electrode advance.
The above need is also met by the present system by using an electrode change device, which comprises at least two devices according to the teachings of the present system for preparation of the machining electrode, and is movable relative to an input element of the electrode guide system for alternating introduction of the corresponding machining electrode.
Further, the above need is a met by a method for introduction or preparation of a machining electrode (e.g, a wire electrode or a bar sinking electrode) to an electrode guide system of an EDM machine, in which a fluid is first injected between a main nozzle formed as outer nozzle and an inner nozzle. Next, an underpressure is produced by this fluid injection in a hole of the inner nozzle and a machining electrode is drawn in and the drawn-in machining electrode is advanced. The fluid pressure is then reduced in at least one pressure equalization device connected in front of the main nozzle.
Unlike the known devices and methods for preparing a machining electrode, the machining electrode of the present system can also be drawn in during threading into the preparation device. This is particularly advantageous for fine erosion wires (electrodes) that can scarcely be manipulated by hand without aid. Because of this, the area of application of EDM machines for novel uses is expanded and, the work demands for an operator are substantially reduced. Moreover, the pressure built up in the device at the entry of the device for drawing-in and advance of the machining electrode can be at least largely reduced by the pressure equalization or pressure relief device and undesired emergence of pressure-generating fluid thereby avoided at the input of the device.
According to a variant of the present system, the suction and advance device includes a main nozzle that is essentially aligned along a main axis. A fluid can be injected into the main nozzle. By injection of fluid into the main nozzle on its injection side, an underpressure that initially draws in the machining electrode can be generated and the drawn-in machining electrode then advanced. In this manner the suction and advance devices are implemented in particularly simple fashion. It is also possible to transport the machining electrode with the fluid used for the suction process through the electrode guide system of the EDM machine.
According to another variant, the main nozzle is an outer nozzle with an inner nozzle and a tapering flow gap running between the outer and inner nozzle. The fluid can be injected into a flow gap between the inner wall of the main nozzle and the outer wall of the inner nozzle. The machining electrode can initially be drawn in through the hole of the inner nozzle and then advanced.
The underpressure required for the suction process can therefore be generated particularly simply and effectively.
According to yet another variant, at least one relief chamber is arranged along the main axis in front of the entry to the hole facing away from the main nozzle as a pressure equalization device. The fluid flowing to the input of the device from this relief chamber can be taken off through a bypass after it has reduced its overpressure in the relief chamber. Relief chambers are particularly suited for pressure equalization. The fluid, if it escapes into the chamber, is dammed up there and loses flow energy, especially when the chamber is also preferably filled with fluid. The fluid is discharged from the device through the bypass of the relief chambers according to the pressure prevailing there. In this manner, the situation is avoided in which the fluid emerges in an undesired and uncontrolled fashion, for example, at the output of the device according to the invention.
In another variant the device includes two or more relief chambers. In principle, it is sufficient to use only one relief chamber. To largely avoid undesired fluid escape at the most tolerable possible cost, however, it is expedient to use two or more relief chambers arranged in sequence, which cause a cascade-like pressure reduction.
Fluid is also preferably dischargeable from the relief chambers through the bypasses essentially against gravity. In principle, it is possible to divert the fluid in any direction. This preferably occurs against gravity, but a situation occurs in which diversion only takes place if an overpressure develops in the chamber. That is, during advance of the machining electrode in the electrode guide system of the EDM machine, fluid will penetrate into the relief chamber owing to the counterpressure prevailing in the system. Since this occurs under a certain pressure or counterpressure, part of the fluid will traverse the relief chamber in a jet along the machining electrode. Another part, however, remains in the relief chamber so that this is filled with fluid. As soon as the relief chamber is filled with fluid, the fluid along the machining electrode is braked by the other fluid at rest, diverted and possibly swirled so that the fluid pressure in and behind the relief chamber is significantly reduced. As a result, the fluid pressure in the relief chamber will build up to an overpressure and convey fluid from the bypass against gravity.
In principle, discharge of fluid from the relief chambers could also be achieved with a bypass with gravity if this were to have a sufficiently narrow diameter, for example. However, the discharge of fluid from the relief chambers is achieved more simply and more effectively in the manner described above.
The separation devices make it possible, for example, to cut a wire-like machining electrode after preparation in the device. Since the machining electrode is generally fed from an endless roll, the cutting device is also required in order to be able to separate the machining electrode at the end of the unwinding process from a partial piece remaining on the roll or in any case outside of the electrode guide system without involvement of an operator.

Device and method for introducing a machining electrode into a EDM machine


Methods for on-site remediation of contaminated natural resources and fabrication of construction products therefrom. A mobile treatment facility is provided at the site of the contaminated natural resources. Contaminated sediment, soil, pulp and/or liquids are obtained from the site and processed on-site to obtain a variety of construction materials, including coarse and fine particulate material, bricks, concrete products, pellets and aggregate material. Coarse, sand-like materials are fabricated from decontaminated clay-based based materials and used in the fabrication of concrete products. Waste streams are combined to optimize their mutually neutralizing properties. Contaminants such as inorganics and heavy metals are immobilized as water-insoluble complexes in the matrix of the resulting products. Organic contaminants are volatilized and/or burned off, and thermochemical reactions of inorganic contaminants are induced, in a high-temperature irradiation treatment. Contaminated sediments and soils can be substantially reduced in weight and volume, with or without remediation, so that they can be transported in compact form to disposal and storage sites.

The Earth's natural resources comprise the basic raw materials for many types of construction materials and products. However, these resources may be contaminated with organic and inorganic contaminants with pollutants from nearby industrial processes and thus may not be suitable for use in their contaminated state for building and construction products. The cleanup of such natural resources can require a substantial outlay of equipment, energy and resources and can thus be prohibitively expensive.
A significant component of the expense of cleaning up natural resources is the cost to transport the contaminated resources (soil, water, etc.) to and from a remediation or treatment facility.
Mobile remediation apparatus for dredging waterways and for fabrication of construction products from the dredged material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,608 to Gurfinkel et al.
Three primary materials used in the building and construction industries are concrete, brick and fill material. Concrete is typically manufactured from a mixture of approximately 30% coarse material, such as sand, 30-50% aggregate or other coarse particulate matter, 7-15% cement binder, and 14-21% water. Concrete is formed by placing the mixture in forms and allowing the mixture to cure for up to several days.
Brick is typically manufactured from clay or silt (at least 50% by weight), which is comprised of relatively fine particulate matter, no more than about 30% by weight sand, and between 8 and 12% water. Bricks are formed by placing the clay mixture in molds and drying and baking the mixture for up to several days to drive off the moisture and form a hard, brittle product, which is then cooled slowly. The bricks can be optionally glazed and/or colored to seal them and provide decorative or identifying markings.
The term "coarse", as used herein, means any particulate material having a mean particle size of at least 0.063 mm. The term "fine", as used herein, means any particulate material having a mean particle size of less than 0.063 mm. The term "sediment", as used herein, means a material comprising up to about 50% water and at least one of sand, soil, silt, clay and loam. The term "pulp", as used herein, means a material comprising at least 50% water and at least one of sand, soil, silt, clay and loam. The term "contaminant", as used herein, means any type of substance which is present in the environment in amounts which are toxic to health and/or life. The term "industrial waste", as used herein, means any solid, liquid or gaseous byproduct of an industrial process, including, but not limited to, solvents, chemicals, carcinogens, organic and inorganic materials, combustion products, and the like. The term "hazardous waste", as used herein, means any solid, liquid or gaseous waste product of a chemical, biological, or biochemical process, including, but not limited to, radiological, medical, bacteriological, chemical and other infectious waste. The term "heavy metals", as used herein, means any compound or complex of a metal which may be considered toxic if ingested or absorbed into the body in more than miniscule amounts, including, but not limited to, mercury, lead, bismuth, arsenic, cadmium, gold, silver, platinum, nickel, chromium, aluminum, beryllium, and molybdenum. The term "clean", as used herein, means to remove impurities in a liquid or steam washing process. The term "decontaminated", as used herein, means a product in which contaminants have been immobilized as complex compounds or neutralized so that the contaminants are not susceptible to leaching or otherwise escaping from the product into the environment.

Method for on-site remediation of contaminated natural resources and fabrication of construction products therefrom


A coupling structure capable of coupling a metal plate-like member and a resin chassis member with high assembling efficiency and sufficient coupling strength while preventing damage to parts is disclosed. The coupling structure is a structure for coupling a housing plate as a resin chassis member to a base plate as a metal plate-like member in a direction to overlap the housing plate with the base plate. The housing plate includes a latch having a pair of arm members extending along a direction parallel with a coupling face to the base plate and whose distal ends are spaced out from each other, and the base plate includes a coupling hook formed upright toward the side of the housing plate and engaged between the pair of arm members.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to input devices having a coupling structure in general, and particularly to a coupling structure for coupling a resin chassis member to a metal plate-like member in a direction to overlap each other.
2. Description of Related Art
For an input device having a coupling structure to couple a resin keyboard frame to a metal base plate in a direction to overlap each other, a locking hole opened downward or laterally in the lower surface of a frame is provided, and a locking claw projecting upward towards the frame side is provided on the top face of a base plate. Then, the frame and the base plate are slide relative to each other after the locking claw is inserted into the locking hole to put the locking hole and the locking claw into an engaging state.
In the above-mentioned structure, since the locking hole and the locking claw project towards a coupling direction in which the frame and the base plate overlap, there is a problem that it is difficult to make the structure thinner.
Further, in the above-mentioned structure, the locking hole and the locking claw are engaged with each other by sliding them. However, in order to further improve the assembling efficiency, a structure is considered in which, for example, the locking hole and the locking claw are pressed in the up-and-down direction without sliding them to engage them directly. In this structure, however, an engaging claw is required to be flexed and deformed to some extent when engaged in the locking hole. In other words, it is necessary to further increase the amount of upward projection in order to secure a sufficient flexural amount of the engaging claw, and this makes it further difficult to make the structure thinner. In addition, in order to prevent the engaging state from being released when an impact is given, it is necessary to set a sufficient engagement allowance between the locking hole and the locking claw, and there is concern that the flexural amount of the locking claw may exceed an acceptable amount during the assembly to damage the locking claw.
Consequently, it would be desirable to provide a coupling structure capable of coupling a metal plate-like member and a resin chassis member with high assembling efficiency and sufficient coupling strength while preventing damage to parts.


The invention is a device for purifying drinking water that has at least one fibrous structure. Preferably, there is an upstream and downstream fibrous structure. Each fibrous structure is a mixture of nano alumina fibers and second fibers arranged in a matrix to create asymmetric pores and to which fine, ultrafine, or nanosize particles are attached. Preferably, the device has an upstream antimicrobial for sterilization of retained microbes. The device is substantially more efficient at removing soluble contaminants such as halogens from a fluid stream than those previously available and is also able to retain turbidity, bacteria, and virus.

The prior art provides many types of materials which filter water soluble contaminants as well as particulate matter. These filters, while fairly effective in the applications for which they were designed, do not reduce the contaminant level sufficiently. Such filters are expected to meet environmental guidelines, while having higher dirt holding capacity, lower pressure drop, lower cost and greater durability. They include those for point of entry (POE, for example, whole house or whole building), point of use (POU, for example, at a specific faucet), in a pitcher, or in a portable device. Pitchers and many portable devices require a low pressure drop, since flow must be achieved by a manually driven pump, by gravity, or by suction, as in a straw device. As the particulate reduction requirements increase, thicker filters become necessary, with commensurate increases in pressure drop.
The need for safe drinking water is growing rapidly, particularly in the developing world, Rapid population growth in China is stressing water supplies and there is little focus on improvement of municipal water systems, particularly in rural areas. For years locals have relied on the river to provide them with drinking water and to irrigate their crops. Now, though, many of those same people are dying of cancer. Many small hamlets have joined the ranks of what China's media calls the country's "cancer villages."
The situation is graver in African communities, where most of the time there is no power or local sources of water, and drinking water is carried from heavily contaminated surface sources. The death rate from gastro-intestinal diseases is endemic throughout these areas, and millions, particularly infants, die from waterborne diseases.
Fibrous media is used to remove microbial pathogens. Activated carbon is capable of removing the bad taste and odor from water as well as chlorine and other reactive chemicals such as halogenated hydrocarbons and pesticides that can be carcinogenic. Ion exchange resins are used to remove metal and other ions from water. However, no single material or chemical exists that is able to remove all contaminants.
Granular activated carbon (GAC), useful for retaining many soluble contaminants, is difficult to design into useful filters, particularly where the device is portable and subject to vibration and motion. Loose particles migrate causing channeling and clogging of the bed. Carbon filter blocks are readily fouled by small particles, and a prefilter is necessary to protect them.
Non-woven fibrous media are used extensively for filtering water of both particulate and chemical contaminants. Such a structure minimizes channeling and also allows significant filter design variations. Non-wovens are manufactured by low cost assembly methods such as paper making and are used extensively in residential and commercial water purification devices.
While having approximately equivalent (BET) surface area and iodine number, powdered activated carbon (PAC) has higher external surface area than GAC and it is generally recognized that it would have superior adsorption kinetics than GAC. However, combining it into a non-woven matrix is difficult because adhesives are required to attach it to the fiber matrix. U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,394 states that "The very act of using an adhesive to hold the particles results in a portion of the surface of the powder particles being contaminated by the adhesive and therefore becoming ineffective for filtration. A balance has to be met between the strength of the immobilization versus the maintaining of effectiveness of the powder layer. In order to minimize this contamination, larger particles are often used so that the point of contact between the surface adhesive and powder particles is small. In typical gaseous applications using activated carbon the particles are frequently 100 microns and larger; and, finely powdered activated carbon is basically only used in liquid decolorization applications despite the fact that fine powder activated carbon holds the potential of much more rapid kinetics".
Preferred filters would remove taste and odor-causing small molecules, cysts such as Cryptosporidium, bacteria, virus, turbidity (that might be toxic and might also harbor pathogens), chlorine and halogenated organics formed by chlorination of pathogens, and organic matter. The U.S. EPA Guide Standard provides criteria for mechanical filters for drinking water. Retention should be >6 LRV (log retention value) for bacteria, >4 LRV for virus and >3 LRV for cysts, while in a background of A2 fine test dust, an organic contaminant and under adverse conditions of salinity, pH and temperature.
Iodine has been used to sterilize drinking water. Problems arise because it is necessary to enrich the water with a large quantity of iodine (at least 1 mg/l). The iodine has to remain in contact with the water for a long time, followed by the subsequent removal of iodine from the outflowing water. At iodine concentrations in water exceeding 4 mg/l, water acquires a distinct iodine odor. Long term consumption of iodinated water affects the thyroid gland. Scavenging of iodine downstream of the filter is necessary to assure a concentration below 0.5 μg/l.
Given this, there is a need among consumers for drinking water filter devices with better adsorption efficiency for soluble contaminants, superior microbial and particulate retention and that also has a low pressure drop, and preferably a pressure drop that is low enough to be used with gravity feed.


A surface treatment plant for vehicle bodies having a first treatment area which comprises a first conveyor system enabling a vehicle body to be conveyed through the first treatment area, and a second treatment area which includes a second conveyor system enabling the vehicle body to be conveyed through the second treatment area. A transfer device enables the vehicle body to be transferred from the first conveyor system to the second conveyor system. The transfer device includes supports which engage on regions of the vehicle body and at least one is arranged in particular on the highest point of the horizontal and the vehicle body is oriented roof upwards. Also a method for conveying vehicle bodies through a surface treatment plant.

The invention relates to a surface treatment plant for motor vehicle bodies, having    a) a first treatment area which comprises a first conveyor system by means of which a motor vehicle body can be conveyed through the first treatment area;    b) a second treatment area which comprises a second conveyor system by means of which the motor vehicle body can be conveyed through the second treatment area.
The invention relates in addition to a method for conveying motor vehicle bodies through a surface treatment plant, in which a motor vehicle body is conveyed by means of a first conveyor system through a first treatment area and by means of a second conveyor system through a second treatment area.
After construction of the shell, motor vehicle bodies are subjected to a surface treatment, which comprises in total a relatively large number of individual treatment steps. Consequently, a surface treatment plant for motor vehicle bodies comprises many different treatment areas, through which the motor vehicle bodies that are to be treated must pass in a fixed order.
In surface treatment plants known on the market, the motor vehicle bodies are conveyed into different treatment areas by means of different conveyor systems that are adapted to the particular treatment in question.
A treatment area can also comprise a plurality of treatment regions in which different types of treatment can be carried out, but the conveyor system does not change. As long as the motor vehicle bodies are conveyed through successive treatment regions by means of one and the same conveyor system, those treatment regions belong to one treatment area.
A surface treatment plant for motor vehicle bodies comprises, for example, the following treatment areas TA, which may be divided into treatment regions denoted TR and between which a transfer region is arranged in each case:
TA-1TR-1Pretreatment (one or more dip tanks)TR-2Cataphoretic dip coating (CDC)Transfer regionTA-2CDC drierTransfer regionTA-3TR-1CDC auditTR-2CDC polishingTR-3Seam sealingTransfer regionTA-4UndercoatingTransfer regionTA-5FillerTransfer regionTA-6Filler drierTransfer regionTA-7TR-1Filler auditTR-2Filler polishingTransfer regionTA-8Top coatTransfer regionTA-9Top coat drierTransfer regionTA-1TR-1Top coat auditTR-2Spot repairTR-3Cavity sealing
In a transfer region, the motor vehicle body is transferred from the conveyor system of a first treatment area to the conveyor system, which is different therefrom, of a subsequent, second treatment area.
In surface treatment plants known on the market, the motor vehicle bodies are secured to so-called skids and conveyed through the individual treatment areas. The skid with the motor vehicle body is normally transferred from a first conveyor system to a second conveyor system, which conveyor systems both cooperate with the skid but are structurally different, because different treatment areas mostly also require different conveyor systems. Examples which may be mentioned are an electrified monorail system for dipping treatment and a chain conveyor for a drying operation.
In the individual treatment areas, such a skid in most cases undergoes the same treatment as the motor vehicle body secured thereto. Accordingly, in the first treatment area designated TA-1 above, for example, a skid is guided together with the motor vehicle body through the dip tanks that are present. Some of the treatment liquid is accordingly also used for the skids.
The motor vehicle body also traverses the subsequent CDC drier in treatment area TA-2 on a skid. Accordingly, with each motor vehicle body, the associated skid is also heated up each time and is subsequently allowed to cool down again with the motor vehicle body. As a result, a considerable amount of energy is used in each drying operation for heating the skid.
In treatment areas in which the skid does not undergo any direct material treatment, it must nevertheless be carried together with the motor vehicle body. The total mass of the motor vehicle body and the skid that is to be conveyed is accordingly considerably higher than the mass of a motor vehicle body alone. For example, a motor vehicle body weighing approximately 400 kg is conveyed on a skid that weighs approximately 150 kg. Because greater masses have to be moved, more energy must also be utilised for transporting the motor vehicle body and the skid than for transporting a motor vehicle body on its own.
Overall, in the case of the conventional techniques of conveying motor vehicle bodies with a skid, the overall energy balance in respect of the motor vehicle bodies that are to be treated is impaired and the overall operating costs of the plant are accordingly increased.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a plant and a method of the type mentioned at the beginning which take that idea into account.

Surface treatment plant for motor vehicle bodies


Adapting to load currents which differ by more than 100 times between a scanning mode and a hold mode, a frequency of pump operation is decided according to the maximum value of the load currents, and circuit elements of a power supply, for example, such as capacitance of a capacitor for pump operation or a smoothing capacitor, element configurations of switching elements, or capacitance or resistance value of a CR oscillator are set based on this frequency, so that a load current detector lowers the frequency of the pump operation under light load to reduce a self-loss of power in the power supply. This realizes a charge-pump power supply which is installed in a liquid crystal display device of a terminal device of a portable phone, with reduced power consumption under light load and a longer standby time.

Portable electrical equipment as represented by terminal devices of portable phones has been rapidly advancing over the last years, and expectations are high for these devices. The choice of image display device by these devices is a liquid crystal display device, which is thin and light-weight and low power consuming. Currently, terminal devices of portable phones use a liquid crystal display device of the simple-matrix variety. However, in anticipation of improved performance or much faster data communication speed, these devices are expected to be used in a variety of ways, such as portable TV telecommunications and Internet connection. For these purposes, a liquid crystal display device of the TFT active-matrix variety, which has a high display quality and fast response, is most suitable.
Here, the terminal device of the portable phone is commonly required to constantly display various information such as availability of communication, time, or remaining life of a battery, as shown in FIG. 8, even during standby in which no conversation or data communication is carried out. However, the power consumption of the liquid crystal display device during standby greatly influences the remaining life of a battery, and, in effect, influences the total standby time. It is known in industry that the terminal device of a portable phone, which does not allow the use of a large battery, with the total standby time of less than 200 hours is practically useless or unmarketable.
FIG. 9 shows one example of a relationship between power consumption of a liquid crystal display device and a total standby time of a terminal device of a portable phone. As can be seen from FIG. 9, the power consumption of the liquid crystal display device needs to be about 3 mW to have the total standby time of more than 200 hours. In terminal devices of portable phones currently available, the power consumption of the entire device is about 5 mW, whereas that of the STN liquid crystal display device of the simple-matrix variety is about 1 mW. This meets the foregoing requirement.
This is not the case for the liquid crystal display device of the TFT active-matrix variety, which consumes power in a range of 30 mW to several hundred mW, and the total standby time is only around 50 hours. This practically requires charging the battery every other day. It was therefore impossible to bring the liquid crystal display device of the TFT active-matrix variety for use as the liquid crystal display device which requires a constant display of various information even during standby.

Image display device using a scanning and hold display mode for power saving purposes