An apparatus for detecting a longitudinal force of a tire is provided with at least one mark (3) provided in on one circumferential line (j) in a tire (2), a first sensor (5) disposed in a vehicle body side (4) and capable of detecting a passage of the mark (3), a second sensor (7) capable of detecting a rotation angle (θ) of an axle (6), and a computing device (8) for computing a longitudinal force (Fr) of the tire (2) on the basis of an information of the first and second sensors (5, 7). The computing device (8) sequentially stores a rotation angle (θr) of the axle (6) when the mark (3) passes through the first sensor (5). Further, the computing device (8) computes a tire warp angle (αr) corresponding to a difference (θo−θr) between a no-load rotation angle θo (a rotation angle of the axle (6) in a no-load state) stored in advance and the rotation angle θr, and sequentially computes a tire longitudinal force (Fr) of a tire applied during the running from the warp angle (αr), using a previously determined relational equation F=f(α) between the warp angle (α) and the tire longitudinal force (F).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of detecting a longitudinal force of a tire which can detect a longitudinal force (a force in a tire circumferential direction) applied to the tire at a high precision on the basis of a warp angle of the tire, can accurately comprehend a rolling condition of the tire, and can make a contribution to a control of a vehicle control system, and a longitudinal force detecting apparatus used therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in order to secure a stability and a safety of a running motor vehicle, there has been developed various vehicle control systems such as an antilock brake system (ABS), a traction control system (TCS), an electric stability control (ESC) and the like. Further, in order to control these systems, it is necessary to accurately comprehend a rolling condition of the running tire.
For example, in the ABS, it is important to maintain a rolling state having a road surface friction coefficient as large as possible, and the road surface friction coefficient depends on a slip rate of a wheel under a fixed road surface state. Accordingly, the conventional ABS measures a speed of the vehicle and a rotating speed of the wheel, estimates the slip rate on the basis of the measured speed and rotating speed, and controls a lock/unlock of the tire in such a manner that the slip rate is maintained in a range near a position at which the road surface friction coefficient becomes maximum. In this case, on the assumption that a moving speed of the vehicle body of the motor vehicle is set to a vehicle body speed V1, and the speed of the motor vehicle specified by the rotating speed of the wheel (the tire) is set to a wheel speed V2, the slip rate can be expressed by the following expression.{(V1−V2)/V1}×100(%)
Further, the slip rate 100% means a state in which the wheel speed V2 equals to zero, that is, a state in which the wheel (the tire) slips while being completely locked.
However, since the road surface friction coefficient changes hour by hour in correspondence to the road surface condition, a relation between the road surface friction coefficient and the slip rate is not necessarily fixed. Accordingly, in the lock/unlock control of the tire on the basis of the slip rate, there is a risk that a problem the road surface friction coefficient becomes small is generated, even in the case that the slip rate is maintained in a predetermined range.
In order to correspond to the problem mentioned above, in recent years, there has been proposed a structure which measures a longitudinal force (a force in a circumferential direction) applied to the tire, and determining the road surface friction coefficient on the basis of the measured longitudinal force. Further, as a method of measuring the longitudinal force, the structure in Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 10-506346 (corresponding to International Publication No. WO96/10505) has been known.
In the Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 10-506346 (corresponding to International Publication No. WO96/10505), two reference points are provided on one radial line in a side wall surface, and a magnetic body is arranged in each of the reference points. Further, a magnetic sensor is fixed to two positions opposing to the respective reference points. Further, two magnetic sensors measure a relative temporal shift amount at a time of detecting passage of each of the magnetic bodies. Since the temporal shift amount is in proportion to a warp deformation amount of the tire, it is possible to determine the longitudinal force applied to the tire on the basis of the temporal shift amount.

Method of detecting longitudinal force of tire and longitudinal force detecting apparatus used therein


A semiautomatic visual trailing guide to assist a steerer in backing and loading trailers such as boat, recreational vehicle, or utility type. The device generally consists of a self-boosting self-latching mechanism capable of pivoting an element between a horizontal position and a vertical position while employing a force to hold in either position. The device is mounted on the rear most center of a trailer and will rotate the element to a visual position after being initially urged towards that position. The element is kept vertical by tension from the self-boosting self-latching mechanism until a forward force such as a boat, jet ski, or car push on the element and the element collapses to a horizontal position.

The invention relates to a visual trailering guide for use in backing up trailers to a specific location for parking, centering a trailer on a ramp leading into the water, and for use in guiding and centering a boat when loading the boat on a trailer that is partially underwater. Devices of many configurations have been developed to aid in the ability of a steerer to back an empty trailer. Some of these devices are discussed herein as way of examples of prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,768 issued Dec. 29, 1987, Capps, discloses a trailer guide, which allows the rollers to float upward as the trailer backs into the water. The rollers become submersed and unviewable for guiding the boat onto the trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,436 issued Sep. 25, 1990, Tusche, U.S. Patent No. 2003/0200911 A1 issued Oct. 30, 2003, Tateo et al., and U.S. Patent No. 2004/0211351 A1 issued Oct. 28, 2004, Emerson et al., show a spring and bracket type device affixed to a trailer for viewing. This type of configuration employs constant spring tension pushing the device against the boat at all times and may eventually wear or scar the boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,217 issued Jul. 16, 1985, Wood, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,815 issued Jun. 3, 1969, West, in each case, movement of the upward projecting arms, that act as guides, is from side to side. Devices of this design tend to remain substantially vertical at all times. This side-to-side motion of the guide arms usually requires the trailer to be some distance from the dock to facilitate such movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,594 issued Feb. 4, 1975, Gawthrop, shows a spring and bracket type device that locks into position by detent means. This device works much like U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,453 issued May 26, 1998, Bell, wherein these types of devices are maneuvered by hand to the full vertical position to engage the locking mechanism, which increases the time and effort of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,273 issued Jul. 14, 1970, Daifotes, shows a device that uses heat to release the device into its viewable position. This device is mechanically complex, expensive and difficult to install.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,944 issued Jan. 28, 1997, Massie, discloses an automatic deployment device. It requires two of these devices mounted on each side of the trailer to function properly, increasing cost and difficulty of installation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,064,617 issued Nov. 20, 1962, Meager, and U.S. Patent No. 2004/0011273 A1 issued Jan. 22, 2004, Gorbutt, show a device mounted on the front tongue of the trailer as opposed to the rear of the trailer. These devices do not provide a visual reference to the rear of the trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,145 issued Aug. 4, 1987 to Tingley discloses an automatic deployment type of device that extends the full with of the trailer. This device maintains constant contact on craft when the craft is loaded and may damage the craft. This device is complicated, costly and difficult to install.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,747 B1 issued Nov. 20, 2001, Ratican, U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,588 issued May 19, 1992, Walston, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,384 issued Jun. 17, 1975, White, all show devices that must be manually locked into position and manually unlocked to reposition, then manually relocked. This would be too difficult for the user of a water-type craft such as a boat.


Disclosed herein is a novel solubility enhancer capable of being employed in formulating safe and effective pharmaceutical formulations of partially soluble drugs, wherein the solubility enhancer is selected from dialkyl substituted amides of fatty acids having C6 to C16 carbon chain, preferably from N,N-dimethyl hexanamide, N,N-dimethyl octanamide, N,N-dialkyl decanamide, N,N-dialkyl dodecanamide or N,N-dialkyl hexadecanamide.

A major problem in developing pharmaceutical formulations is the poor solubility of pharmaceutical actives in water or any other commonly used medium and the subsequent poor bioavailability. To solve this problem different approaches have been taken which include developing suspensions, solubilizing in organic solvents, using salts of the drugs, developing prodrugs and using different types of drug delivery systems. Further, the insolubility of solid drug forms in common media such as water poses a major challenge because of the resulting low bioavailability of the active ingredients.
Many methods for solubilizing drugs have been developed that are based on the use of solvents or solubility enhancers, surfactants, complexation agents, or complex drug carriers. Surfactants and complexing agents have drawbacks of toxicity, and rapid precipitation of the solubilized drugs once administered to the patient or when otherwise diluted in an aqueous environment. Complex drug carriers, such as liposomes have limited utility due to the unstable nature of the carrier particles and the preferential uptake and localization of liposomal drugs to the reticuloendothelial system, namely, the liver and spleen. Conventional Solvents and solubility enhancers can be toxic and irritating when injected into humans, such that the use of this solubilization approach is largely restricted to therapies for acute, life threatening diseases where medical experts are constantly in attendance to administer palliative treatments to counteract the adverse effects of the solvents/solubility enhancers. Water miscible solvents/solubility enhancers also possess the undesirable feature of allowing the drug to rapidly precipitate when an aqueous environment is contacted.
When the aqueous solubility of a drug candidate is inadequate to permit solution formulations, solubility enhancers are often employed to improve solubility. The use of solubility enhancers can increase the solubility by several orders of magnitude. Some commonly used solubility enhancers are propylene glycol, polyethylene glycols, ethanol and sorbitol. The addition of a co-solvent can increase solubility of hydrophobic molecules by reducing the dielectric constant of the solvent. Some problems with the use of solubility enhancers are precipitation of the drug with dilution of solvent mixture and tissue damage or pain upon injection. This dilution occurs after administration of the drug into the body. Generally polyethylene glycol (PEG) is an excipient of choice based on its good solubilization properties and overall acceptability in terms of side-effect profile. Side effect profile of PEG was discussed by Pang S, N. J in Final report on the safety assessment of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) reported in Journal of American College of Toxicology (1993), 12, 429-457.
WO 9518603 discloses the property of soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone increasing the solubility of drug without negatively affecting the adhesivity of the composition or the rate of drug delivery from the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition.
WO 03064656 discloses the biotin carboxyl carrier protein (BCCP), as a protein folding marker and protein solubility enhancer in the orientated surface capture of products of heterologously expressed genes. Methods for increasing the solubility of proteins and determining the folded state of a protein are also disclosed in this reference. In addition the nucleic acid molecule encoding the biotinylation domain of the tag moiety can be used to increase the proportion of clones in a library that express the protein of interest.
WO 03028589 discloses the polymeric compositions having improved capability of solubilizing a drug in a hydrophilic environment to form a solution, which comprises a biodegradable polyester oligomer; and biodegradable AB-type, ABA-type, or BAB-type block copolymers and method of uses thereof.
Cheng Yiyun et al., in European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (2005), 40(12), 1390-1393 discusses the use of polyamidoamine dendrimers as solubility enhancers in the pharmaceutical preparation of Ketoprofen, wherein it states experimentally that the solubility of ketoprofen in the dendrimer solutions was proportional to dendrimer concentration.
Ming-Thau Sheu et al., in Journal of controlled release (2003), 88(3), 355-368 discusses the influence of micelle solublization by tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate on solubility enhancement and percutaneous penetration of estradiol. Results of this study show that the solubility of estradiol was improved in the presence of tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate through micellar concentration.
The present invention provides a novel solubility enhancer, which is capable to enhance the solubility of the partially soluble drugs and also avoid the limitation associated with the prior arts. Further the present invention provides an alternative method for the preparation of desirable formulations of such partially soluble drugs employing said novel solubility enhancer.


An image forming apparatus is provided with an image bearing member for bearing a toner image in conformity with specified image information, a transfer belt mounted on a plurality of rollers for transferring the toner image on the image bearing member to the outer surface thereof or a recording sheet placed on the outer surface thereof, a bending roller whose outer circumferential surface presses the outer surface of the transfer belt to bend the belt inwardly, a torque limiter having a specified cutoff torque and mounted on a rotary shaft of the bending roller, a drive motor for giving a driving force to the bending roller via the torque limiter, and a drive controller for driving the drive motor such that the circumferential speed of the bending roller is faster than the rotating speed of the transfer belt.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a belt conveyor and an image forming apparatus provided with this belt conveyor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known image forming apparatus such as a color printer is provided with: a plurality of image bearing members (photoconductive drums) for bearing toner images of different colors; an intermediate transfer belt to which the toner images on the respective image bearing members are successively transferred in a superimposed manner by rotating a plurality of rollers; and a bending roller (pressure roller) for bending the intermediate transfer belt inwardly by coming into contact with the outer side of the intermediate transfer belt (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-45631). In this image forming apparatus, a color toner image formed on the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt is transferred as a color image to a separately fed sheet. The sheet having the toner image transferred thereto is discharged to the outside after a fixing process is applied in a fixing unit.
In the image forming apparatus, the intermediate transfer belt is bent inwardly by the bending roller to make a space taken up by the intermediate transfer belt smaller and to make the apparatus smaller by arranging an other device (specifically, the fixing unit) in a space saved thereby.
When the outer circumferential surface of the bending roller comes into contact with the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt, residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt adheres and deposits on the outer circumferential surface of this bending roller and this toner adheres to the intermediate transfer belt again in some cases. If the residual toner adhered again to the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to the sheet, a problem of reducing image quality is caused.
In the above image forming apparatus, a cleaning member for cleaning the outer circumferential surface of the bending roller is provided to solve such a problem. In this way, the outer circumferential surface of the bending roller is constantly kept clean. A drive motor for driving the bending roller is also provided to prevent the difficulty of the bending roller to rotate due to a resistance by the contact of the cleaning member with the outer circumferential surface of the bending roller.
By doing so, the bending roller reliably rotates according to the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt despite the resistance caused by providing the cleaning member. Further, the outer circumferential surface of the bending roller is constantly cleaned. In this way, the image forming apparatus prevents the occurrence of an image defect in a toner image transferred to a sheet.
However, since the intermediate transfer belt and the bending roller are respectively driven by different driving sources in the above image forming apparatus, it is very difficult to set the rotating speed of the intermediate transfer belt and the circumferential speed of the bending roller equal to each other.
Specifically, in the intermediate transfer belt, there are cases where the rotating speed of the intermediate transfer belt varies due to the rotation nonuniformity of the driving source, belt speed nonuniformity caused by an error in dimensional accuracy and the like. In the bending roller as well, there are cases where the rotating speed of the bending roller varies to change the circumferential speed of the bending roller due to the rotation nonuniformity of the driving source, the dimensional accuracy of the roller, the speed nonuniformity of the roller surface caused by twist accuracy and the like. Thus, it is impossible to constantly set the rotating speed of the intermediate transfer belt and the circumferential speed of the bending roller equal, and the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt and the outer circumferential surface of the bending roller abrade against each other at different speeds in the above image forming apparatus.
If the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt and the outer circumferential surface of the bending roller abrade against each other, there are cases where the intermediate transfer belt is scratched and a transfer potential is made nonuniform to cause a transfer failure. Further, there are cases where these surfaces are ground to produce fine particles and these fine particles adversely affect a toner image transferred to a sheet to reduce image quality.

Belt conveyor and image forming apparatus


A heat exchange apparatus is composed of a plurality of tube banks arranged in rows each comprising a plurality of tubes arranged in a direction normal to a gas flow in a gas passage duct and in the heat exchanger, an interval of a space between mutually adjoining tube banks in the gas flow direction is less than eight times of a depth of a tube group disposed on an upstream side with respect to the gas flow and baffle plates are disposed in the respective tube banks for preventing a multibank tubing compound resonance. Each of the baffle plates disposed in an upstream side tube bank has an extension extending from a center of a most downstream side tube in the upstream side tube bank and having a length more than two times of a tube pitch in the gas flow direction, and each of the baffle plates disposed in a downstream side tube bank has an extension extending from a center of a most upstream side tube in the downstream side tube bank and having a length more than two times of a tube pitch in the gas flow direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present, invention relates to a heat exchanger utilized for a heat recovery steam generator in a combined cycle power generation plant or a convection section, and composed of a superheater, a reheater, an economizer and the like, of an outlet portion of a large-sized power generation radiant boiler In such a heat recovery steam generator or convection section, a plurality of tube banks are arranged in rows in a gas passage duct in a direction normal to a gas flow direction, and particularly, one in which the interval of a space between mutually adjoining tube banks is less than eight times the depth of a tube bank disposed on the upstream side and a resonance preventing baffle plate for preventing plural tube bank compound resonance is mounted in each of the tube banks. The depth is a distance from the central axis of the tube arranged on the most upstream side to the central axis of the tube arranged on the most downstream side as described hereinlater.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a general structure of a multi-pressure type natural circulation heat recovery steam generator, in which exhaust gas from a gas turbine or the like first flows into a gas passage duct 1 of a natural circulation type heat recovery steam generator and then flows into a SCR (Selective Catalytic Reactor) 4 through a superheater 2 and a high-pressure evaporator 3. In the SCR 4, nitrogen oxide in the exhaust gas is removed. The exhaust gas discharged from the SCR 4 subsequently passes a high-pressure economizer 5, a low-pressure evaporator 6 and a low-pressure economizer 7 and is then subjected to heat exchanging operation with fluid inside the tubes constituting the respective tube banks. After heat exchanging operation, the exhaust gas is discharged into the atmosphere through a chimney, for example. A high-pressure steam and a low-pressure steam generated during the above process is utilized for a driving source of a steam turbine or an auxiliary heat source, for example. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 8 denotes a high-pressure steam drum and numeral 9 denotes a low-pressure steam drum
The respective tube banks of the multi-pressure type natural circulation heat recovery steam generator of the character described above are constituted by a number of tubes 10, as schematically shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, extending in a direction normal to the flow direction of the exhaust gas. The tube arrangement (array) or layout shown in FIG. 7 may be called an in-line array and the tube arrangement or layout shown in FIG. 8 may be called a staggered array. Usually, a tube pitch in the exhaust gas flow direction is represented by P.sub.L and a tube pitch in the direction normal to the gas flow direction is represented by P.sub.T.
The tubes 10 are disposed, as shown in FIG. 9, in an exhaust gas duct 1 which is comprised and separated from an external portion by duct side walls 11, a duct top wall 12 and a duct bottom wall 13.
When the tube banks are utilized for the natural circulation type of exhaust heat recovery steam generator, a finned tube 15 formed by securing a fin 14 to the tube 10, as shown in FIG. 10, may be utilized to enlarge the heat transfer surface area of the tube 10. It is a well known phenomenon that when an external fluid is flown in such tube banks, a vortex called the von Kerman's vortex is periodically generated with back flow in the tubes 10.
Generation frequency f.sub.K (H.sub.z) of such vortex is shown by an equation: EQU f.sub.x =S V/D (1)
(S: the Strouhal number (0.2 in case of a single tube, but different in case of tube banks in accordance with tube array); V: gap flow velocity (flow velocity at an interval between the tubes) (m/s); D: outer diameter (m) of the tube)
While there exists a natural vibration mode determined by the physical properties of the gas between the duct side walls normal to the gas flow direction and the tube axis, and its frequency f.sub.n (H.sub.Z) is represented as follows (in the case of gas, this frequency is called the frequency of standing wave oscillation). EQU f.sub.n =nc/2L (2)
(n=1, 2, 3--; c: speed of sound (m/s); L: width between duct side walls)
In the equation (2), the acoustic velocity c depends on a temperature of the gas of external fluid of the tube.
FIG. 11 shows the primary mode acoustic resonance (the primary mode) on the top side thereof and the secondary mode acoustic resonance (the secondary mode) on the bottom side thereof where a represents a node while b represents a loop.
As the load of the gas turbine changes, the temperature and the flow velocity of the exhaust gas flow from the gas turbine changes, and in a case where there is arranged a tube bank in which the generation frequency f.sub.K of the vortex caused by the back flow of the tube bank substantially accords with the frequency of standing wave oscillation f.sub.n, acoustic vibration, so-called acoustic resonance, is caused between the duct side walls in the direction normal to the fluid flow direction and the axial direction of the tube, which may result in generation of noise harmful to an environmental area, thus being not desirable. Furthermore, in a case where the resonant frequency generation is a value near the natural frequency of the structure, vibration in a direction horizontal to the duct side walls or the tube may be caused.
In order to obviate such defects, in the prior art, as shown in FIG. 12, baffle plates 16 for preventing the generation of the acoustic resonance are inserted in the tube bank 15 by dividing the duct width with a depth substantially equal to the depth of the tube bank. In FIG. 12, the staggered tube array is shown as one example and two baffle plates 16 are inserted to prevent the acoustic resonance phenomenon to the secondary mode from generating.
In this arrangement of the baffle plates 16, acoustic resonance can be prevented in the case of the single tube bank. However, as shown in FIG. 13, for example, in the case of a heat exchanger constituted by a plurality of tube banks, it has been experienced that such acoustic resonance cannot be prevented by merely inserting such baffle plates 16.
FIG. 14 is a graph showing the influence of the numbers of the rows of the tube banks 15 on the acoustic resonance, and in the graph, examples of 6 rows, 4 rows and 3 rows of the tube banks are shown. As can be seen from this graph, in the cases of 6 rows and 4 rows, there are portions at which sound pressures project, thus causing the acoustic resonance, but in the case of 3 rows, no resonance is caused. However, it has been found through experiment that the acoustic resonance is caused when such 3 row tube banks are arranged in plural numbers. Such acoustic resonance caused in the arrangement of a plurality of tube banks is called herein as multibank tubing compound resonance.
FIG. 15 is a graph representing the relationship between the interval of the gap portions of the plural number of tube banks and the sound pressure level raising components upon the generation of the acoustic resonance in a case where two tube banks are arranged, and the sound pressure level raising component is shown by the ordinate at the generation of the acoustic resonance and values obtained by dividing the interval of the gap between the tube banks by the depth of the tube bank arranged on the upstream side are shown by the abscissa. The depth of the tube bank is the distance from the central axis of the tube arranged on the most upstream side to the central axis of the tube arranged on the most downstream side.
As can be seen from FIG. 15, in a case where a value obtained by dividing the gap distance by the depth of the tube bank arranged on the most upstream side is less than 8 times, the raising of the sound pressure level is not observed, but in the case of less than 8 times, the raising of the sound pressure level is observed. In view of this phenomenon, it is considered that phenomenon substantially the same as that in the case of the single tube bank is caused in the case of the gap distance between the upstream side tube bank and the downstream side tube bank being less than 8 times the depth of the upstream side tube bank. In the case of the single tube bank, it has been shown through experiment that the acoustic resonance cannot be prevented in a case where a gap exists between the resonance-preventing baffle plates inserted into the tube bank.
In addition, it has been determined that the noise level will rise when the tube bank depth LA on the upstream side in FIG. 15 is equal and the gap LB of the cavity portion is short, and similarly, that the noise level will also rise when the tube bank depth LA on the upstream side is deep and when the gap LB of the cavity portion is equal.
Further, even in the case of the plural tube banks, these tube bank respectively behave as a single tube bank in the case of the gap or distance between the upstream and downstream side tube banks being more than 8 times of the depth of the upstream side tube bank.


A “non pyrotechnic explosion device” closely replicates in sound and visual cue a “real” exploding device, but without the accompanying safety concerns.

The military and law enforcement (LE) communities are more frequently facing non-traditional threats from mines, booby traps and improvised explosive devices (IEDs); all of which have the potential to be combined with lethal gases, chemicals and even nuclear material to form weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
In the past, in an attempt to make training more relevant, the military and LE communities have relied on potentially dangerous pyrotechnic simulators or complex, expensive, and/or unrealistic electronic simulators.
In the civilian community, recreational scenario gamers (paintball, airsoft, etc.) are always looking for more "realistic" yet safe ways to replicate scenarios encountered by the military and LE communities. Part of the "realism" is scenarios where ordnance threats are present and potentially (simulated) dangerous.
To improvise, the civilian community has had to settle for "dud" simulators that relied on referees to make wound/kill calls or more recently, rely on mines/grenades that expel a marking paint that would create a simulated fragmentation on the victim(s), but provide no other visual or audible cue that a detonation has occurred. They also had the option of using cheap and potentially dangerous PVC mines that could not withstand the rigors of multiple, even simulated, explosions and therefore were a liability to their users.
In either case, there were no simulators that combined all of the most desirable elements in one device to provide an explosion simulator that is: "realistic" (loud report and visual signal/simulated smoke), safe (non pyrotechnic), durable, inexpensive to purchase and operate (reusable), simple, and reliable.
As a result, there became a demand from both the mil/LE communities as well as the recreational scenario community, for simulators that combined these desired elements into both special purpose and general purpose explosion simulators.

Abstract: This device is not only realistic and safe, but is inexpensive to operate and maintain, durable, and easy to transport and operate. It provides the user with numerous options for employment from mine, bomb, and improvised explosive device (ied) simulators to an artillery impact simulator. The device is comprised of a pressurized chamber, a pressure release device, an expulsion substance container, and a rupture-able/explosion tube assembly.


Methods and systems for encapsulating and de-encapsulating a customer frame component of a Provider Backbone Bridging header are provided. The customer frame component includes a customer local area network identifier and a customer destination address. The customer frame component can be received at an ingress port of a network device for transmission. Header information can be determined from the customer local area network identifier and the customer destination address. A key can be set in the header information to a predefined value for a Provider Backbone Bridging protocol. A backbone service instance identifier can be determined from the customer local area network identifier. The header information and backbone service instance identifier can be concatenated with the customer frame component to form a frame. The frame can be provided to an egress port of the network device for transmission, where the egress port is determined from the header information.

Provider Backbone Bridging, also referred to as Mac-in-Mac, has been standardized as IEEE 802.1ah-2008. Provider Backbone Bridging can allow isolation between different customer address spaces in Ethernet switches. Intermediate switches in a backbone domain can perform switching/forwarding of customer frames based on a backbone virtual local area network identifier, all without learning or using customer media-access control addresses. This isolation can be to the benefit of the customer at least from a security perspective, since the media-access control addresses of the customer are generally not learned or used for frame forwarding decisions in the core of a service provider network.

Methods and systems for encapsulating and de-encapsulating provider backbone bridging inside upper layer protocols


A flat panel display apparatus having high aspect ratio spacers and a method for the apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus has an emitter panel having a lower substrate, cathode electrodes and gate electrodes; a display panel having an upper substrate, transparent anode electrodes and fluorescent materials; a plurality of spacers having supporting walls having high aspect ratio and supporting legs respectively protruded from the supporting walls; and a sealing member for vacuum sealing peripheral regions of the emitter panel and the display panel. Therefore, the spacers are easy to be separately fixed in the display panel due to the supporting legs and vacuumizing of a space between the emitter panel and the display panel can be easily accomplished because the supporting walls and the supporting legs respectively have different heights.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flat panel display apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a field emission display (FED) apparatus including high aspect ratio spacers which have improved structures for maintaining a gap between an upper substrate and a lower substrate and to a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the recent trend in the field of display apparatus is to make a large-sized display apparatus with a high definition, the main emphasis of the research and development has been turned from a cathode ray tube (CRT) to new flat panel display devices such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an electroluminescent display (ELD), a plasma display panel (PDP) or a vacuum fluorescent display (VFD). The new flat panel display devices have many advantages and disadvantages in comparison with the CRT.
However, the FED, one of the new flat panel display devices, has been anticipated to resolve most of all the disadvantages of the above devices. The FED has such advantages as a simple structure of electrodes therein, a reduced power consumption, a high operation speed, a capability of a multiplexed addressing, a high definition, a wide viewing angle and a perfect color expression. Also, the FED can have a big size display panel since it adopts inner supporters.
The FED generally comprises a lower substrate on which cathode electrodes with emitter tips and gate electrodes are formed, an upper substrate on which anode electrodes and fluorescent materials are formed, and spacers formed between both substrates. The spacers maintain the space between the upper substrate and the lower substrate and the space has the highly vacuumed condition. As an intense electric field is developed among the cathode, the gate and the anode electrodes when the space is maintained in the high vacuum condition, electrons are emitted from the emitter tips by an electric field emission and a tunneling effect.
In the conventional FED, the spacer is generally formed according as a sealant is accumulated to a predetermined height and then sintered by a screen printing technique. Also, the spacer is formed by arranging pre-manufactured glass balls by a predetermined interval, by growing optical fiber between both substrates or by standing bar-shaped glass or ceramic material between the two substrates. Furthermore, the spacer is formed by a plating method using a photoresist pattern or the spacer is mounted by inserting into a groove formed on the upper substrate or on the lower substrate.
The screen printing technique is limited because the width of the spacer becomes substantially wide when the spacer has a height of above 200 xcexcm. When the spacer is made of the glass ball, the spacer has a low aspect ratio of about 1 due to the low aspect ratio of the glass ball with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,517.
In the method using the optical fiber, it is difficult to cut and fix the fiber for forming the spacer. The manufacturing process is very complicated in the plating method.
In the method that the spacer having a bar shape or a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shape is inserted into the groove as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos., 5,578,325 and 5,708,325, it is difficult to form the groove on the upper substrate or the lower substrate where the spacer is inserted. Further, it is more difficult to expose the electrodes and to coat the fluorescent material on the electrodes. When the spacer is made of the bar-shaped glass, the spacer may be bent during the sintering process or the emitter tip may be damaged by the falling of the spacer.
In general, the spacer of the FED preferably has not only a sufficient strength for maintaining the space between both substrates against an external pressure (that is, the atmospheric pressure) but also a minimized area for maximizing the active region of the FED. If the width of the spacer increases to maintain the space against the external pressure, the active region decreases due to the increased area of the spacer. However, the strength of the spacer is lowered if the width of the spacer decreases. In particular, the spacer should have a height of about 1,000 xcexcm when the fluorescent materials for a high voltage are coated on the electrodes so that the aspect ratio of the spacer (that is, the ratio of height over width) must be more than 10.
Considering the above-mentioned problems, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a flat panel display apparatus comprising high aspect ratio spacers having supporting walls and supporting legs which are integrally formed by exposing and etching processes and by using a photosensitive material.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a flat panel display apparatus comprising high aspect ratio spacers having supporting walls and supporting legs integrally formed by exposing and etching processes and by using a photosensitive material.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a flat panel display apparatus comprising a latticed spacer having supporting posts and connecting walls whose heights are lower than those of the supporting posts thereby accomplishing smooth evacuation of a space between an emitter panel and a display panel.
It is a forth object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a flat panel display apparatus comprising a latticed spacer having supporting posts and connecting walls whose heights are lower than those of the supporting posts thereby accomplishing smooth evacuation of a space between an emitter panel and a display panel.
To accomplish the first object of the present invention, a flat panel display apparatus comprises an emitter panel, a display panel, a plurality of spacers and a sealing member. The emitter panel has a lower substrate, cathode electrodes formed on the lower substrate and gate electrodes formed on the cathode electrodes. The display panel has an upper substrate, transparent anode electrodes formed on the upper substrate and fluorescent materials coated on the anode electrodes. The spacers maintains the emitter panel and the display panel by a predetermined gap. The spacers comprises supporting walls having high aspect ratio and supporting legs respectively protruded from the supporting walls.
Preferably, the supporting legs protruded from the supporting walls in a first perpendicular direction and in a second perpendicular direction in order to support the supporting walls. The sealing member keeps vacuum sealing peripheral regions of the emitter panel and the display panel.
The spacers are formed by exposing and etching a photosensitive material. The cross sections of the supporting walls have rectangular shapes, hexagonal shapes or trapezoid shapes and the cross sections of the supporting legs have triangular shapes by a tilt exposure method or rectangular shapes by a vertical exposure method. If the cross sections of the supporting walls have the trapezoid shapes, the upper ends of the supporting walls are attached to the display panel. The heights of the supporting legs are lower than heights of the supporting walls.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the lengths of the supporting walls are longer than a display region of the display panel and the supporting legs are formed at both lateral portions of the supporting walls which lie at the peripheral region of the display panel so that the spacers have bar shapes which are longer than the display region of the display panel.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the lengths of the supporting walls are shorter than the display region of the display panel and the supporting legs are formed at lateral portions of the supporting walls which lie at the peripheral region of the display panel so that the spacers have half bar shapes which are shorter than the display region of the display panel.
According to other embodiment of the present invention, the lengths of the supporting walls are shorter than the display region of the display panel and a plurality of supporting legs are formed at lateral portions of the supporting walls by predetermined intervals so that the spacers have rib shapes.
Preferably, the flat panel apparatus further comprises a plurality of fixing jigs having recesses for receiving lateral portions of the supporting walls where the supporting legs are formed in order to fix the spacers. The jigs are formed at the peripheral region of the display panel.
To accomplish the second object, a method for manufacturing a flat panel display apparatus comprising the steps of:
providing an emitter panel having a lower substrate, cathode electrodes formed on the lower substrate and gate electrodes formed on the cathode electrodes;
providing a display panel having an upper substrate, transparent anode electrodes formed on the upper substrate and fluorescent materials coated on the anode electrodes;
exposing and etching a photosensitive material to form a plurality of spacers comprising supporting walls having high aspect ratio and supporting legs respectively protruded from the supporting walls in order to support the supporting walls;
arranging the spacers between the emitter panel and the display panel by a predetermined interval for maintaining the emitter panel and the display panel by a predetermined gap; and
sealing peripheral regions of the emitter panel and the display panel and evacuating a space between the emitter panel and the display panel.
Preferably, the step of exposing and etching the photosensitive material to form a plurality of spacers further comprises the substeps of:
providing the photosensitive material having a predetermined thickness;
placing an exposing mask above the photosensitive material, wherein the exposing mask includes a pattern having a supporting line having a predetermined length and subsidiary lines protruded from the supporting line and the subsidiary lines have lengths shorter than a length of the supporting line;
exposing the photosensitive material by using the exposing mask;
heat-treating the exposed photosensitive material; and
etching an exposed portion of the photosensitive material to form the supporting walls formed according to the supporting line and the supporting leg formed according the subsidiary lines, wherein the supporting walls and the supporting legs are simultaneously formed.
More preferably, the substep of exposing the photosensitive material is performed by a tilt exposure method according to the following equation:
xcex8 less than tan(w/2H)
wherein xcex8, w and h respectively represent a tilt angle of the tilt exposure method, widths of the subsidiary lines and a thickness of the photosensitive material.
Also, the substep of exposing the photosensitive material is performed by a tilt exposure method according to the following equation:
xcex8 greater than tan(w/2h)
wherein xcex8, w and h respectively represent a tilt angle of the tilt exposure method, widths of the subsidiary lines and a thickness of the photosensitive material.
Furthermore, the substep of exposing the photosensitive material is performed by a tilt exposure method according the following equations:
xcex81 less than tan(w/2h) and xcex82 greater than tan (w/2h)
wherein xcex81 represents left and right tilt angles of the supporting line, w means width of the subsidiary lines, h represents a thickness of the photosensitive material and xcex82 represents left and right tilt angles of the subsidiary lines.
The substep of exposing the photosensitive material further comprises:
placing the exposing mask under the photosensitive material corresponding the step of placing the exposing mask above the photosensitive material; and
exposing the photosensitive material by using the exposing mask and by a tilt exposure method according to the following equation:
xcex81 less than tan(w/2h)
wherein xcex81, w and h respectively represent the left and right tilt angles of the supporting line, the widths of the subsidiary lines and the thickness of the photosensitive material.
The photosensitive material is composed silicon oxide (SiO2), lithium oxide (Li2O), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), sodium oxide (Na2O), silver oxide (Ag2O) and cerium oxide (CeO2), and the photosensitive material has a thickness of between about 0.2 mm and about 2.0 mm.
The step of providing the display panel further comprises:
forming a plurality of fixing jigs having recesses at the peripheral region of the display panel; and
forming at least one alignment mark for aligning the display panel and the emitter panel at the peripheral region of the display panel, wherein the fixing jigs and the alignment mark are simultaneously formed and the spacers are fixed by inserting lateral portions of the spacers into the recesses of the jigs.
To accomplish the third object, a flat panel display apparatus comprises an emitter panel having a lower substrate, cathode electrodes formed on the lower substrate and gate electrodes formed on the cathode electrodes, a display panel having an upper substrate, transparent anode electrodes formed on the upper substrate and fluorescent materials coated on the anode electrodes, a latticed spacer comprising a plurality of supporting posts having high aspect ratio and a plurality of connecting walls, wherein the supporting posts are respectively formed at lattice points in a display portion of the display panel, the connecting wall are respectively formed between the supporting posts, and a sealing means for vacuum sealing peripheral regions of the emitter panel and the display panel.
The latticed spacer is formed by a tilt exposing and etching a photosensitive material and heights of the connecting walls are lower than heights of the supporting posts.
Finally, to accomplish the forth object, a method for manufacturing a flat panel display apparatus comprising the steps of:
providing an emitter panel having a lower substrate, cathode electrodes formed on the lower substrate and gate electrodes formed on the cathode electrodes;
providing a display panel having a transparent upper substrate, transparent anode electrodes formed on the upper substrate and fluorescent materials coated on the anode electrodes;
exposing and etching a photosensitive material to form a latticed spacer comprising a plurality of supporting posts having high aspect ratio and a plurality of connecting walls, wherein the supporting posts are respectively formed at lattice points in a display portion of the display panel and the connecting walls are respectively formed between the supporting posts;
fixing the latticed spacer between the emitter panel and the display panel for maintaining the emitter panel and the display panel by a predetermined gap; and
sealing peripheral portions of the emitter panel and the display panel and evacuating a space between the emitter panel and the display panel to vacuumize the space.
Preferably, the step of exposing and etching the photosensitive material to form the latticed spacer further comprises the substeps of:
providing the photosensitive material having a predetermined thickness;
placing an exposing mask having a latticed pattern above the photosensitive material;
exposing a top and a bottom of the photosensitive material in a first direction and in a second direction by using the exposing mask;
heat-treating the exposed photosensitive material; and
etching an exposed portion of the photosensitive material in order to form the supporting posts having high aspect ratio and the connecting walls having heights lower than the heights of the supporting posts.
The substep of exposing the photosensitive material is performed by a tilt exposure method according to the following equation:
tan(w/2h) less than xcex8 less than tan(w/h)
wherein xcex8, w and h respectively represent a tilt angle of the tilt exposure method, a width of the latticed pattern and a thickness of the photosensitive glass.

Flat panel display apparatus having high aspect ratio spacers and method for manufacturing the same


Provided is a transformer having resonant inductance, the transformer including a core that includes a first leg formed in one side thereof, a second leg which is formed in the other side thereof so as to be electromagnetically coupled to the first leg, and a third leg which is formed between the first and second legs so as to be electromagnetically coupled to the first and second legs; a primary winding that is wound around one side of the third leg; a secondary winding that is wound around the other side of the third leg so as to induce power through electromagnetic induction with the primary winding; and a resonant inductance winding that is wound around the outside of the core so as not to be magnetically induced by magnetic fluxes generated from the primary and secondary windings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transformer having resonant inductance for zero voltage switching.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent DC/DC power supply devices have the following two features.
First, they require a high input voltage. Recently, as the harmonic wave regulation tightens, a power factor correction circuit is universally and compulsorily used in various electric and electronic products. As a result, most power supply devices include a power factor correction circuit and a DC/DC converter. As for a general a power factor correction circuit, a booster converter is used. In the booster converter, an output is always higher than an input. Therefore, the output of the power factor correction circuit ranges from 385 to 415 Vdc on the basis of current common input line (85-265 Vac). As the output voltage is used as an input voltage of the DC/DC converter, most DC/DC power supply devices have a high input voltage.
Second, they required a low-voltage and high-current output. Processors which are driven at a low voltage are frequently used to reduce power consumption of communication devices. Further, for users' convenience, a number of functions are added to the respective processors, and thus power consumed in the respective processors inevitably increases. Therefore, most DC/DC power supply devices have a low voltage and high-current output.
As the DC/DC power supply devices have a high input voltage, a low output voltage, and a high-current output, voltage stress should be considered in the primary side, and current stress should be considered in the secondary side. Further, the DC/DC power supply devices should have a simple structure and a small volume, in order to implement high-power density. In general, as the switching frequency increases, the size of power devices decreases. In this case, however, efficiency decreases due to a switching loss. Therefore, zero voltage switching is essential for high efficiency. Further, the zero voltage switching is performed using leakage inductance and additional resonant inductance of a transformer.


A method for the solid phase synthesis of N,N-disubstituted diazacycloalkylcarboxy derivatives of general formula (I) and (II) is claimed. Examples include piperazine-2-carboxamide. The method is applicable to the synthesis or large combinatorial libraries

Solid-phase synthetic techniques, in which a reagent is immobilized on a polymeric material which is inert to the reagents and reaction conditions employed, as well as being insoluble in the media used, are important synthetic tools. A polymeric reagent has the advantage of ease of separation from low molecular weight reactants or products by filtration or selective precipitation. The polymeric reagent can also be used in excess to effect fast and quantitative reactions such as in the case of acylations, or a large excess of reactants may be used to drive the equilibrium of the reaction towards product formation to provide essentially quantitative conversion to product, as seen in solid phase peptide synthesis. A further advantage of supported reagents and catalysts is the fact that they are recyclable and that they lend easily to automated processes. In addition, supported analogs of toxic and odorous reagents are safer to use.
Diazacycloalkyl-2-carboxy derivatives, especially piperazine-2-carboxamide groups, are present in numerous pharmacologically active compounds including, for example, farnesyl protein transferase inhibitors (See International Application No. PCT/US96/04172); platelet aggregation inhibitors (See U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,870); Factor Xa inhibitors (See International Application No. PCT/GB97/000270); alpha 1 adrenorecptor antagonists (See International Application No. PCT/US96/15223); tachykinin receptor antagonists (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,830); and angiotensin II antagonists (See International Application Nos. PCT/US92/04189 and PCT/US94/05789). Thus, the development of new synthetic methodology for preparing piperazine-2-carboxamides, particularly solid phase synthetic techniques which are especially useful for synthesis of large numbers of compounds through automated parallel synthesis or combinatorial library generation, is central to the rapid discovery of new therapeutic agents containing this functionality.
The solid phase synthesis of piperazine-2-carboxamide compounds is described in Breitenbucher et al., Tetrahedron Lett., 1998, 39, 1295–1298, in DiIanni Carroll et al., Bioor. Med. Chem. Lett. 1998, 8, 3203 and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,054.

Solid phase synthesis of n,n-disubstituted diazacycloalkylcarboxy derivatives


Process for the production of an isoprene containing rubber compound by dehydrogenation of an isoamylene containing feedstock supplied to a dehydrogenation reactor containing a particulate dehydrogenation catalyst comprising iron and potassium and having a pore diameter of at least 500 nanometers. The dehydrogenation reactor is operated at a temperature of at least 570° C. to dehydrogenate the isoamylene to produce isoprene. The product containing isoprene and unreacted isoamylene is recovered from the dehydrogenation reactor. Isoprene is polymerized to produce an isoprene containing rubber product. An unreacted feed component containing isoamylene is separated from the rubber product and recycled to the dehydrogenation reactor.

Isoprene, which is found in natural rubber, is also employed to produce synthetic polymers including polyisoprene and various isoprene-based rubbery copolymers such as styrene-butadiene type copolymers. Isoprene can be recovered as a byproduct of various refining operations or it can be produced by the dehydrogenation of isoamylene which can be in thermodynamic equilibrium with other methyl butene isomers, 2-methyl 1-butene and 3-methyl 1-butene.
Isoprene containing rubber products include cis- and trans-polyisoprenes, and copolymers of isoprene and of monomers such as styrene, butadiene, isobutylene and acrylonitrate. Such products can be produced by any suitable techniques employing commercial initiators and polymerization catalysts. For example, polyisoprene may be polymerized in the presence of a coordination catalyst based upon a titanium tetrachloride with a trialkyl aluminum co-catalyst, such as triethyl aluminum. The titanium tetrachloride catalyst may be combined with either ferric or vanadium trichloride to produce a polymer having a 97% trans 1, 4 microstructure. Various other isoprene containing polymers and co-polymers may be produced employing catalyst-initiator systems which are well known skilled in the art.

Dehydrogenation and polymerization process


Systems and methods are disclosed for testing semiconductors at the wafer level, specifically, systems and methods are disclosed that quantify line-edge roughness in terms of electrical properties and the impact of the line-edge roughness on device reliability and performance. A voltage ramp dielectric breakdown (VRDB) test is used to measure the breakdown voltage of the inter-digitated fingers of a semiconductor device. The distribution of breakdown voltage is used to measure the median breakdown voltage and the outliers which fan the extrinsic tail. Thereby, VRDB is used to quantify the impact LER will have on device reliability and performance. The systems and methods also provide a feedback tool to the fabrication process to control line edge roughness to a desired specification.

There has been an increasing demand for semiconductor devices with higher packing densities that are smaller and more precisely formed. Achieving these objectives continues to drive the semiconductor manufacturing industry to improve every aspect of the fabrication process. While there are numerous steps involved with fabricating semiconductors, the steps can be broken down into two major processes. The first major process is the front end of line (FEOL) process which begins with a starting wafer up to the first-metal cut. The second major process is the back end of line (BEOL) process which has been defined as all process steps after the first-metal cut.
Due to high-volume processing of semiconductors and the increased demands of high device reliability and performance, structural defects as well as other undesirable attributes must be constantly monitored and fabrication parameters modified to mitigate the undesirable attributes. Real-time testing and analysis as well as production line control is highly advantageous to prevent scrapping large volumes of production wafers.
During semiconductor fabrication, undesirable structural defects in the dielectric layers, such as line edge roughness (LER) may occur. LER refers to the variations in the sidewalls of features and may originate from LER in a patterned photoresist. LER in photoresists can be caused by various factors such as LER on chrome patterns residing on the reticle, image contrast in a system for generating the photoresist pattern, a plasma etch process which can be used to pattern the photoresist, natural properties and/or weaknesses of the photoresist materials, and the photoresist processing method. In addition, LER appearing in fabricated structures can occur as a result of damage to the patterned photoresist during an etch process.
LER present in the metal lines of the device could negatively impact the BEOL reliability of the device through various factors. First, the effective spacing of the metal lines may be reduced, resulting in an increase in the electrical field for a given voltage difference between the lines. The sharp corners caused by LER may result in a higher local electric field which could be more than two times the nominal field. In addition, LER may increase the total surface area between the lines, increasing the probability of, for example, Cu (copper) diffusion between the lines.
Such wafer defects have prompted wafer fabrication facilities to initiate wide-spread process controls in an attempt to mitigate wafer defects and increase wafer throughput. Currently, wafer fabrication facilities monitor thousands of wafer parameters in order to achieve the above-mentioned goals. Accordingly, control protocols, such as wafer level reliability (WLR) testing, continue to gain popularity as process controls for identifying potential factors that can detrimentally affect device reliability. However, there remains a need in the art for systems and methods that improve efficiency and speed in wafer fabrication while predicting the impact defects may have on device reliability and performance via real-time testing and analysis. There is also an unmet need to communicate, via a feedback method, the wafer reliability information to a fabrication facility and provide for timely and effective parameter adjustments during the fabrication process.

Quantifying and predicting the impact of line edge roughness on device reliability and performance


A line pressure control system of an automatic transmission includes a hydraulic pump for generating hydraulic pressure, a regulator valve for adjusting the pressure from the hydraulic pump to a predetermined level, a torque converter control valve for adjusting a partial pressure from the regulator valve, a damper clutch valve receiving the adjusted pressure from the torque converter control valve for feeding the pressure to a damper clutch, a damper clutch solenoid valve for controlling the damper clutch valve, a reducing valve for reducing a partial pressure from the regulator valve and then supplying the reduced pressure to the damper clutch control valve, wherein the regulator valve includes a valve body, first and second valve spools coaxially inserted into the valve body, a sleeve encapsulating the second valve spool, and a coil spring interposed between the first and the second valve spools.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydraulic pressure control system of an automatic transmission capable of adjusting line pressure of the hydraulic system.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, a conventional automatic transmission for a vehicle includes a multi-stage gear shift mechanism connected to a torque converter, and a plurality of friction elements actuated by hydraulic pressure for selecting a gear stage of the gear shift mechanism.
In such hydraulic control systems, hydraulic pressure generated by a hydraulic pump is selectively supplied to each friction element by a plurality of control valves such that automatic shifting is realized in accordance with a driving state of the vehicle and engine throttle opening.
The above hydraulic control system generally comprises a pressure regulating controller for controlling hydraulic pressure generated by the hydraulic pump, manual and automatic shift controllers for selecting a shift mode, a hydraulic pressure controller for controlling shift response and shift quality, a damper clutch controller for actuating a damper clutch of the torque converter, and a hydraulic pressure distributor for supplying an appropriate amount of hydraulic pressure to each of the friction elements.
The hydraulic pressure distributor distributes a variable amount of pressure in accordance with an ON/OFF or duty operation of solenoid valves by a transmission control unit such that shift control is realized.
FIG. 4 shows a conventional line pressure control system in such a hydraulic system.
As shown in FIG. 4, the hydraulic pressure generated by the hydraulic pump 200 is adjusted so as to have a predetermined level of line pressure, by a regulator valve 202. Partially, the regulated line pressure is adjusted by a torque converter control valve 204 and then supplied to a damper clutch valve 206 under control of the damper clutch solenoid valve S1, and partially the pressure level of the line pressure is reduced so to be supplied to the damper clutch control valve 206 or to friction elements via hydraulic pressure control means and hydraulic pressure distribution means by driver""s manipulation of a manual valve 210, that converts ports so as to direct the pressure to appropriate lines.
The regulator valve 202 is controlled by pressure from the manual valve 210 via a forward pressure line 212 in ranges of N, D, 2, and L; by pressure via a pressure line 214 which is connected to the friction elements that operate in third and fourth speed of D range; and by reverse pressure via a reverse pressure line 216 connected to the main valve 210 in range R.
In this conventional line pressure control system, however, since the pressure control is performed by pressure from the lines 212, 214, and 216 biasing the valve spool of the manual valve, and an elastic force of a spring 218, it is difficult to electrically and actively control the line pressure, resulting in mileage reduction of the vehicle.
The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above problems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a line pressure control system of an automatic transmission capable of maintaining optimal line pressure in a present running condition so as to improve gasoline mileage, and making a line pressure control range broader using a full line pressure control mechanism by adapting a line pressure control solenoid valve.
To achieve the above object, the line pressure control system of an automatic transmission of the present invention comprises a hydraulic pump for generating hydraulic pressure, a regulator valve for adjusting the pressure from the hydraulic pump to a predetermined level, a torque converter control valve for adjusting a partial pressure from the regulator valve, a damper clutch valve receiving the adjusted pressure from the torque converter control valve for feeding the pressure to a damper clutch, a damper clutch solenoid valve for controlling the damper clutch valve, a reducing valve for reducing a partial pressure from the regulator valve and then supplying the reduced pressure to the damper clutch control valve, wherein the regulator valve comprises a valve body, a first and a second valve spool coaxially inserted into the valve body, a sleeve encapsulating the second valve spool, and a coil spring interposed between the first and the second valve spools.

Line pressure control system of automatic transmission


The present invention relates to the analysis of current sensor signals of a multi-phase electrical system. According to the invention, signal paths between a current sensor element and a measuring device are coupled to a predetermined electric potential for a short time. A change in the subsequent measurement results can then be analyzed to see if they are indicative of a possible malfunction during the measurement.

The present invention relates to a device for diagnosing a detection of a polyphase electric current, and to a method for diagnosing sensor signals of a detected polyphase electric current.
For the regulation of electrical machines in electrical drive systems, the phase currents of the electrical machine are set. This necessitates continuously detecting the phase currents and subsequently regulating said phase currents for setting a predefined setpoint torque. Errors in the detection of the electric phase currents can lead to an undesired acceleration or deceleration of the electrical machine. Therefore, the plausibility of the detected phase currents has to be verified.
The document DE 10 2012 217 116 A1 discloses a method for determining the phase currents of an electrical machine with a power convertor. Said document proposes, in particular, not detecting the currents in all the electrical phases metrologically, but rather determining the phase currents of some phases computationally.

Device and method for diagnosing the detection of a multi-phase electric current


An elastomeric electrical connector (30) comprises an elastomeric core (32) having sides (48) extending in a longitudinal direction between opposite ends (46), and a flexible film (34) having circuit traces (36) thereon wrapped around the core. One of the sides (48) has a relief (50) and the flexible film has a crease (40) directed into the relief. The crease predisposes a portion of the flexible film to gather in the relief when the core is compressed in the longitudinal direction, thereby preventing circuit traces on loose flexible film from causing inadvertent electrical shorts.

Elastomeric electrical connectors of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,413 are sold by AMP Incorporated of Harrisburg, Pa. under the trademark AMPLIFLEX and are commercially available in many different geometries. One of these geometries is a relatively tall and thin connector 10 which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The connector 10 includes an elastomeric core 12 and a flexible film 14 having circuit traces 16 thereon wrapped around the core. The connector 10 is housed between walls of a slot 2 in a dielectric housing 4 and is compressed between opposed substrates 5 and 6 on opposite sides of the housing. The substrates have respective sets of electrical contact pads 7a, 7b, 7c and 8a, 8b, 8c. The pads 7b and 8b are electrically interconnected by the circuit traces 16 on the connector 10.
In an uncompressed state, the connector 10 has curved surfaces at upper and lower ends 18, 19, and has a uniform width between the ends. As the connector is compressed in the vertical or elongation direction, natural tackiness of the core 12 keeps the flexible film 14 substantially adhered to the sides of the core and prevents the film from buckling. This compression causes the core to swell and causes the ends 18, 19 of the core to distort to a flat shape. This distortion causes the film to separate from the core. As a result, a portion of the film and circuitry may collect near an end of the connector, thereby leading to problems in the form of pinched circuitry and electrical shorting to adjacents rows of contact pads 7a, 7c, 8a, 8c on the substrate. In FIG. 1, the slot 2 has beveled edges 3 to provide space in which loose circuitry 22 can collect. This slot design alleviates pinching of the circuitry, but shorting to adjacent contact pads can still occur. In FIG. 2, the slot does not have beveled edges. This slot design hinders shorting but causes pinching of loose circuitry 24 which may lead to shorting as well. There is a need for an elastomeric electrical connector which overcomes these problems.

Elastomeric connector with control of loose circuitry


An automotive air conditioning apparatus includes a forced water supply system 12 and a heat pump system 14. The temperature of the vehicle interior is controlled by the heat pump system under ordinary atmospheric temperature conditions. However, at very low temperatures, for example, at the temperature of -5.degree. C. or lower, the temperature of the vehicle interior is controlled by the forced water supply system. According to this air conditioning arrangement, it is possible to achieve energy-efficient air conditioning even under very low temperature conditions and to prevent any compressor damage due to the liquefaction of the refrigerant.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 8-20226 discloses an automotive air conditioning apparatus. This air conditioning apparatus includes a heat pump system which heats the air by utilizing the heat generated when a compressible refrigerant is compressed, and a forced water supply system which heats the air by utilizing heated water.
In such an air conditioning apparatus, the heat pump system is only operated when the outside air temperature is higher than a specified temperature. If the outside air temperature is lower than the specified temperature, the heat pump system is not operated alone, but the forced water supply system is complementarily operated in conjunction with the heat pump system to prompt the rate of heating.
However, in a very low-temperature environment, i.e., about -5.degree. C. or lower, the refrigerant of the heat pump system is unable to receive sufficient heat from the outside air. Therefore, the air conditioning apparatus could not exhibit good heating performance corresponding to the electric power consumption. This results in poor heating efficiency. In the case of electric motor cars in particular, if any part of the electric power accumulated in the battery is consumed for air conditioning purposes, the distance which the car can run is correspondingly reduced. Therefore, the development of an air conditioning apparatus which can exhibit particularly good power efficiency has been desired.
Futhermore, in the heat pump system, another problem is that the refrigerant in an uncompressed state will become liquefied under very low temperature conditions. When the liquefied refrigerant is fed to the compression chamber of the compressor, the compressor may be damaged with the result that the heat pump system will become inoperative.

Apparatus and method for air-conditioning a vehicle

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Provided is an apparatus and method of displaying power line communication (PLC) channel information. The apparatus for displaying PLC channel information includes a channel information determining unit which performs channel estimation of a PLC channel, and, based on the channel estimation, determines channel information on the PLC channel including a bandwidth of the PLC channel which is available for a user in a PLC network; and a channel information displaying unit which displays the channel information to the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to power line communication (PLC), and more particularly, to an apparatus and method of displaying channel information in a power line communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In some cases, it must be determined whether power line communication (PLC) can be performed between different points (for example, a point A and a point B). At this time, PLC devices are installed at the point A and the point B and then perform a communication application. By determining whether the communication is performed well by the communication application, it is determined whether the PLC can be performed between the two points A and B. Accordingly, when it is difficult to install a communication device or it takes much time and effort to execute the communication application, it takes much time and effort to find an adequate communication point.

Apparatus and method of displaying power line communication channel information


A retractable load support system for effectively lifting a load in a controlled manner. The retractable load support system includes a frame, a gerotor attached to a main shaft within said frame, a first spool attached to the gerotor, a biasing device connected to the first spool applying a biasing force to the first spool and an elongated member attached to the first spool. The main shaft is rotatably supported within the frame by a one way bearing allowing the main shaft to rotate when the elongated member is drawn downwardly to reduce the resistance of the gerotor. The main shaft is supported substantially stationary within the frame by the one way bearing preventing the main shaft from rotating when the elongated member is drawn upwardly onto the first spool thereby lifting the load in a controlled manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to bicycle storage devices and more specifically it relates to a retractable load support system for effectively lifting a load in a controlled manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Bicycle storage devices have been in use for years. Conventional bicycle storage devices are typically comprised of non-movable hook structure that is attached to the ceiling or a wall. One or both of the wheels are then positioned upon the non-movable hook to elevate the bicycle above the floor of a garage or other area.
The main problem with conventional bicycle storage devices is that they require the user to manually lift the bicycle which can require significant physical effort. In addition, lifting a bicycle can be difficult because of the awkward and unbalanced nature of the bicycle, particularly with the front wheel of the bicycle rotatably attached to the frame of the bicycle. A further problem with conventional bicycle storage devices is that they are not suitable for use on ceilings of extreme heights.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for effectively lifting a load in a controlled manner. Conventional bicycle storage devices do not provide for a convenient system for raising and lowering a load with respect to a storage position.
In these respects, the retractable load support system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of effectively lifting a load in a controlled manner.


An embodiment of the invention provides a thin film transistor substrate includes: a substrate; a plurality of transistors on the substrate, wherein each of the transistors includes: a light-blocking layer on the substrate; an active layer on the light-blocking layer; a gate insulating layer on the substrate and covering the active layer; a gate electrode on the gate insulating layer and over the active layer; a source electrode on the substrate and electrically connected to the active layer; and a drain electrode on the substrate and electrically connected to the active layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor, and in particular relates to a thin film transistor substrate with a light-blocking layer and manufacturing methods thereof and a display.
2. Description of the Related Art
As display technology progressively develops, everyday life conveniences for people increase, due to the multitude of displays available. Light and thin features are desired for displays. Thus, flat panel displays (FPD) are now the most popular type of displays desired. There are many kinds of FPDs provided, among which liquid crystal displays (LCD) are popular among consumers because of the advantages such as efficient space utilization, low power consumption, no radiance, and low electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Liquid crystal displays are mainly formed by an active array substrate, a color filter substrate and a liquid crystal layer therebetween. The active array substrate has an active region and a peripheral circuit region. An active array is disposed in the active region, and a driving circuit with thin film transistors is disposed in the peripheral circuit region.
In the related art, liquid crystal displays (LCD) mainly use backlight modules as light sources during displaying the screen. However, when the light generated from the backlight module irradiates the active layer of the thin film transistor, the active layer is apt to generate a photo current, which affects electrical properties of the thin film transistor.
When the LCD adopts top-gate thin film transistors, the active layers of the top-gate thin film transistors are directly exposed to the light generated from the backlight module, and thereby the light affects electrical properties of the thin film transistors. When the LCD adopts bottom-gate thin film transistors, the bottom gate may block the light, but the active layers of the bottom-gate thin film transistors are easily damaged in subsequent processes (such as the forming processes of the source electrode, the drain electrode and the protective layer covering the source electrode and the drain electrode), which affects electrical properties of the thin film transistors.

Thin film transistor substrate and manufacturing method thereof, display


A sound image localization control device reproduces an acoustic signal on the basis of a plurality of simulated delay times and a plurality of simulated filtering characteristics as if a sound image ware located on an arbitrary position other than positions of separately arranged transducers. A convolver which is main device of the sound image localization control device comprise of a plurality of delay elements having the plurality of simulated delay times for delaying an audio signal to constitute a direct sound signal and a plurality of reflection sound signals. And the convolver includes a plurality of Infinite Impulse Response filters for filtering the direct sound signal and the plurality reflection sound signals on the basis of the plurality of simulated filtering characteristics respectively. The plurality of the Infinite Impulse Response filters includes filters having filtering characteristic which emphasize lower frequency said of predetermined reflection sound signals among the plurality of the reflection sound signals compared with the plurality of simulated filtering characteristics corresponding to the predetermined reflection sound signals. Output signals of the plurality of the IIR filters are added each other by adder, then filtered by a Finite Impulse Response filter.

The present invention relates to a sound image localization control device for processing sound image localizing signals. The localization of a sound image provided by a 2-channel speaker or a 2-channel headphones is to localize the sound image as if it were located in a position other than a position of the speaker or the headphone. In order to realize such sound image localization, digital filters are used which are constructed such that sound pressure around eardrums of a listener which is caused by a virtual sound source at a desired location becomes equal to a sound pressure caused by the speakers or the headphone by allowing crosstalk in a head related transfer function (HRTF) measured at a head of a listener or a dummy head in a case of the 2-channel speaker or by partially cancelling a headphone characteristics or providing crosstalk in the headphone characteristics in a case of the headphone.
FIG. 1 shows a principle of a sound image localization control device proposed by the same assignee of this application and disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H6-17839.
According to the device shown in FIG. 1, transfer function cfLx and cfRx at a desired location x are preliminarily provided as coefficients for realizing the device by convolver processing in such as Finite Impulse Response filters (FIR filters) or Infinite Impulse Response Filters (IIR filters) and, in a case where a sound source X is to be located at a desired position, the transfer function cfLx based on an actual measurement and stored in an ROM is transferred to the FIR digital filter to perform a convolution progressing of signals from the sound source X and to reproduce the thus processed signals by a pair of speakers SP1 and SP2.
Data preliminarily stored in the ROM are obtained through a measuring system shown in FIG. 2.
According to the system shown in FIG. 2, a pair of microphones ML and MR are set on ears of a dummy head (or human head) DM. Sound from a speaker SP which includes source sounds (reference data) refL and refR and sounds to be measured (measurement data) L, and R is received by the microphones ML and MR and the reference data refL and refR and the measurement data L and R are recorded in recorder DATs in synchronism with each other. The transfer function which is wave-shaped in a predetermined manner on the basis of the recorded data is thus obtained.
In case where the sound source localization is performed by the above mentioned convolver processing, such problems as better feeling of distance with longer impulse response time of the processing system, inversion of forward and rearward sound images, rise of localized sound image (imaginary sound image) in which a listener hears sound from a high level position and localization of a front median sound image in a listener's head in which a sound image located in front of the listener is located in his head may hardly occur.
The simplest method for realizing this localization processing utilizing the convolver processing is to prepare a FIR filter having long convolution coefficient length and to convolute a long filter coefficient determined on the basis of HRTF measured in an echo room by using the above mentioned system.
Since, however, the size of hardware is usually limited, it is impossible to make the impulse response time arbitrarily long. In general, in order to solve this problem, an echo sound structure in the echo room is simulated and a resultant echo sound is added to the sound.
FIG. 3(B) shows a filter construction which is considered generally in lieu of the FIR filter. The filter shown in FIG. 3(B) is constructed with delay elements (D0 to D6) and IIR filters. The impulse response waveform in this construction is shown in FIG. 3(C).
On the other hand, FIG. 3(A) shows the impulse response waveform when the filter is constructed with using FIR filters having long convolution coefficients. The impulse response waveform shown in FIG. 3(A) is similar to a desired impulse response waveform. As is clear from these waveforms, when the filter is constructed with the IIR filters, the reproducibility of response waveform similar to the desired impulse response waveform is low. That is, although the filter constructed with IIR filters is advantageous in that it can be realized with simplified construction simplified by an extent corresponding to in the order of a single digital signal processor IC chip, it is defective in that a listener hears sounds as if a sound image were located within his head or in the vicinity of a surface of the head or in an elevated level, so that the distance feeling to a sound image is lost.


A valve device includes a housing, a flow duct and a valve body. The valve body is arranged in the flow duct and bears with a sealing section against a housing-side sealing seat when the valve device is closed. The valve body is guided along a movement axis by a housing-side guide surface and bears with a stop surface against a housing-side movement limiting surface when the valve device is open to the maximum. The guide surface is provided by a guide element, and the sealing seat and the movement limiting surface are provided separately by the guide element.

The disclosure relates to a valve device in accordance with the following description and to a high pressure pump as described below.
Valve devices, for example outlet valves of a high pressure pump of a fuel system of an internal combustion engine, are known on the marketplace. Frequently, valve devices of this type have a valve body which can bear on a sealing section against a housing-side sealing seat and thus close the valve device.
EP 2 388 470 A1 and EP 2 302 195 A1 have disclosed valve devices which have guide faces for guiding the valve body along a movement axis and movement limiting faces for limiting an opening travel of the valve body.
The present disclosure is based on the object of specifying a valve device which can be produced as economically as possible.


Embodiments of the present invention include a fiber optic seismic sensing system for permanent downhole installation. In one aspect, the present invention includes a multi-station, multi-component system for conducting seismic reservoir imaging and monitoring in a well. Permanent seismic surveys may be conducted with embodiments of the present invention, including time-lapse (4D) vertical seismic profiling (VSP) and extended micro-seismic monitoring. Embodiments of the present invention provide the ability to map fluid contacts in the reservoir using 4D VSP and to correlate micro-seismic events to gas injection and production activity.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to apparatus and methods for in-well seismic sensing using fiber optic accelerometers. Embodiments of the present invention also are directed to apparatus and methods for in-well seismic sensing using optical hydrophones.
2. Description of the Related Art
Installing permanent seismic sensors in a wellbore to detect the movement of fluids over time in a surrounding reservoir would represent a significant advance in reservoir management, and is considered by many as a key element for instrumented oilfields. As companies focus more on maximizing recovery in existing and future fields, improved production and reservoir management is becoming increasingly important.
Conventional borehole seismic techniques, such as vertical seismic profiling ("VSP"), have been utilized for many years. VSP typically involves suspending an array of geophone sensors temporarily in the wellbore on a wireline, while actuating a seismic source at the surface. The sound waves generated by the source penetrate the earth and are reflected by rock and fluid interfaces, with the reflected signals being picked up by the geophones. As the surface source and/or geophone array is moved, a different set of reflections is received, helping to build up a seismic image of the subsurface in the vicinity of the well. Compared with normal seismic surveys which have both source and sensors at the surface, the result is a more detailed image of the reservoir, in which the distance that can be 'seen' from the wellbore is roughly determined geometrically by the depth of the well and the sensor locations. A variation on this theme is to locate the seismic source in a nearby wellbore rather than on the surface. Both of these methods are typically referred to as "active" monitoring.
Additional information can be gathered using conventional downhole seismology by "passive" monitoring in which no seismic source is used. Instead, the downhole sensors detect the natural seismicity of the reservoir and near-well region, for example, the "microseismic" signals emitted by rock formations as they are compacted and crack. Such passive monitoring has been used, for example, to verify the sinking of seabeds during gas extraction, and more generally to detect fluid movement through formations.
Another type of seismic downhole sensor which is currently utilized is a hydrophone. Hydrophones are used in a number of applications involving sensing acoustic pressures in fluidic media (e.g., liquid).
While seismic data can be actively or passively gathered using wireline-deployed geophones or hydrophones, seismic readings can only be taken periodically and require well intervention, perhaps requiring the cessation of fluid flow (i.e., production or injection) in the well. Moreover, while permanent geophone arrays have been deployed in relatively shallow wells, they are unsuitable for deeper deployments because their complexity and associated electronics cannot withstand the high temperatures and pressures encountered downhole for long periods of time. Downhole components must be adequately secured in place in the wellbore and must survive and consistently perform for as long as 20 years.
By contrast, optical sensors, such as optical fiber-based sensors, are significantly more resilient and have no moving parts or electronics to potentially be damaged by the downhole environment. Optical sensors have been deployed in wells to detect pressures, temperatures, distributed temperatures, flow rates, and even phase fractions.
There is therefore a need for a seismic system which may be permanently deployed in a well which is more resilient and resistant to damage due to the downhole environment. There is also a need for a seismic system which is suitable for permanent, deep deployments. Additionally, there is a need for a seismic system deployable in a well which can withstand high temperatures and pressures downhole for long periods of time.

Permanently installed in-well fiber optic accelerometer-based seismic sensing apparatus and associated method


A time division multiple access frame structure includes a signal transmission section allocated for transmitting reference signals from a plurality of ground reference stations; a relay section for relaying the transmitted reference signals by a plurality of aeronautical satellite relay stations selected by a central station; and a data transmission section for data transmission of the central station, the plurality of ground reference stations, or the plurality of aeronautical satellite relay stations, wherein the signal transmission section, the relay section, and the data transmission section are time division multiplexed with each other.

Military networks, such as Link-16, are intended for military tactical data exchange, and accurate positioning of moving objects such as aircrafts has a significant impact on the construction of military tactics.
A ground reference point directly transmits a message for positioning to a moving object whose visible ray is guaranteed from the ground reference point, and measures a position of the moving object through a message propagation time.
For a moving object whose visual line is not guaranteed from the ground reference point, positioning is performed by relative navigation based on a moving object whose visible ray is guaranteed, and the moving object whose visual line is guaranteed becomes the origin of relative navigation coordinates and measures a relative position of corresponding military equipment. However, there is a problem that accuracy of the positioning is deteriorated because a moving object to be positioned moves continuously while a time difference occurs between messages transmitted for positioning.

Positioning method based on time division multiple access, positioning system, and frame structure used therein

AJOU UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION


A panel for accepting a switch is disclosed, the panel having a generally rigid member with a front side and a back side. The generally rigid member also has a first edge and a second edge defining an aperture, through which the switch passes at least partially through. The back side of the rigid member has a first rib that extends therefrom, the first rib being proximate to the first edge and having a step that is operable to engage a barb of the switch that passes at least partially through the aperture. The back side also has a second rib that extends therefrom, the second rib being proximate to the second edge and also operable to engage a barb of the switch passing at least partially through the aperture.

A variety of electronic devices are used by individuals. Such electronic devices can require switches for lights, an air conditioner, a heater and the like. In particular, a motor vehicle contains a plurality of switches that control various devices and/or functions therein. For example, switches within the interior of the motor vehicle are used to turn on and/or off windshield wipers, an air conditioner, a heater, a rear windshield deicer, an interior lamp, a cruise control and the like. Thus, the interior of the vehicles requires a structure that affords for the mounting of switches.
An illustrative example of a prior art switch and the surrounding structure is shown in FIG. 4. In this figure, a panel P has an aperture into which a switch bezel BZ having a switch S attached thereto is inserted into the aperture of the panel P. Though being useful, the use of the switch bezel BZ incorporates an additional piece of equipment when the switch S is attached to the panel P. However, if switch bezel features are incorporated into the panel P, at least one of an inner rib r is die locked since the panel is typically molded with a die direction that is angled with respect to the inner rib r. Therefore, a switch mount that allows for a switch having barbs b to be attached to the panel P, and yet does not require a switch bezel BZ and/or does not result in a die lock portion, would be desirable.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.