An AC generator comprises a rotor and a stator having a three-phase winding. A three-phase inverter is connected to the three-phase winding. Here, the three-phase winding comprises at least two independent three-phase windings. Switching elements for respective phases of the three-phase inverter are connected in parallel by the number of the independent three-phase windings, and in-phase windings are individually connected to their parallel switching elements.

As a driving/electric-power generating system using a conventional vehicle AC generator, there has been known one in which has a three-phase winding and a three-phase inverter as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-7964.
In the driving/electric-power generating system for vehicle described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-7964, however, since the application of the three-phase inverter is considered for a vehicle AC generator having one three-phase winding, the three-phase inverter cannot drive a vehicle AC generator having plural set of independent three-phase windings. In the application of the three-phase inverter to the vehicle AC generator having two set of independent three-phase windings, for example in case of using the vehicle AC generator as an actuator (motor for driving), if assuming that in-phase windings having a phase difference in the two independent three-phase windings are connected to each other without particular considerations at driving, circulating currents flow in in-phase windings because the in-phase windings have the phase difference, thereby causing an increase in the amount of heat generated.
Also, since the vehicle AC generator becomes a three-phase generator at the generation of electric power, a ripple voltage of a rectified voltage increases. Further since a circulating current flows even at the power generation where an electrical phase difference exists between the in-phase coils, a generated current decreases. Accordingly, such a driving/electric power generating system is accompanied by the problem that noise increases as well as a reduction in the efficiency of power generation, and a reduction in efficiency due to an increase in the amount of generated heat is incurred.
An object of the present invention is to provide a driving/electric-power generating system for vehicle which can reduce the amount of heat generated at driving to improve drive efficiency and can increase the efficiency of generation of electric power.

Driving/electric-power generating system for vehicle


A gene, designated as CBF1, encoding a protein, CBF1, which binds to a region regulating expression of genes which promote cold temperature and dehydration tolerance in plants is described. CBF1 is used to transform microorganisms and can be used to transform plants.

(1) Summary of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gene, CBF1, encoding a protein, designated as CBF1, which binds to a region regulating expression of genes which are activated during acclimation to cold temperature and drought. The gene is expressed in microorganisms and can be used to produce recombinant plants.
(2) Description of Related Art
Environmental factors serve as cues to trigger a number of specific changes in plant growth and development. One such factor is low temperature. Prominent examples of cold-regulated processes include cold acclimation, the increase in freezing tolerance that occurs in response to low non-freezing temperatures (Guy, C. L., Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 41:187-223 (1990)); vernalization, the shortening of time to flowering induced by low temperature (Lang, A., in Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, Vol. 15-1, ed. Ruhland, W. (Springer, Berlin), pp. 1489-1536 (1965)); and stratification, the breaking of seed dormancy by low temperature (Berry, J. A. and J. K. Raison, in Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, Vol. 12A, eds. Lange, O. L., Nobel, P. S., Osmond, C. B. and Ziegler, H. (Springer, Berlin), pp. 277-338 (1981)). Due to the fundamental nature and agronomic importance of these processes, there is interest in understanding how plants sense and respond to low temperature. One approach being taken is to determine the signal transduction pathways and regulatory mechanisms involved in cold-regulated gene expression.
Strong evidence exists for calcium having a role in low temperature signal transduction and regulation of at least some COR (cold-regulated) genes. Dhindsa and colleagues (Monroy, A. F., et al, Plant Physiol. 102:1227-1235 (1993); Monroy, A. F., and R. S., The Plant Cell, 7:321-331 (1995)) have shown that, in alfalfa, calcium chelators and calcium channel blockers prevent low temperature induction of COR genes and that calcium ionophores and calcium channel agonists induce expression of COR genes at normal growth temperatures. Similarly, Knight et al (The Plant Cell 8:489-503 (1996)) have shown that cold-induced expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana COR gene KIN1 is inhibited by calcium chelators and calcium channel blockers. These results suggest that low temperature triggers an influx of extracellular calcium that activates a signal transduction pathway that induces the expression of COR genes. Consistent with this notion is the finding that low temperature evokes transient increases in cytosolic calcium levels in plants (Knight, M. R. et al, Nature 352:524-526 (1991); Knight, H., et al., The Plant Cell 8:489-503 (1996)). In addition, low temperatures have been shown to stimulate the activity of mechanosensitive calcium-selective cation channels in plants (Ding, J. P. and B. G. Pickard, Plant J. 3:713-720 (1993)).
Recent efforts have led to the identification of a cis-acting cold-regulatory element in plants, the C-repeat/DRE (Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, et al., The Plant Cell 6:251-264 (1994); Baker, S. S., et al., Plant. Mol. Biol. 24:701-713 (1994); Jiang, C., et al., Plant Mol. Biol. 30:679-684 (1996)). The element, which has a 5 base pair core sequence for CCGAC, is present once to multiple times in all plant cold-regulated promoters that have been described to date; these include the promoters of the COR15a (Baker, S. S., et al, Plant. Mol. Biol. 24:701-713 (1994)), COR78/RD29A (Horvath, D. P., et al, Plant Physiol. 103:1047-1053 (1993); Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, K., et al., The Plant Cell 6:251-264 (1994)), COR6.6 (Wang, H., et al., Plant Mol. biol. 28:605-617 (1995)) and KIN1 (Wang, H., et al, Plant Mol. Biol. 28:605-617 (1995)) genes of Arabidopsis and the BN115 gene of Brassica napus (White, T. C., et al, Plant Physiol. 106:917-928 (1994)). Deletion analysis of the Arabidopsis COR15a gene suggested that the CCGAC sequence, designated the C-repeat, might be part of a cis-acting cold-regulatory element (Baker, S. S., et al., Plant Mol. Biol. 24:701-713 (1994)). That this was the case was first demonstrated by Yamaguchi-Shinozaki and Shinozaki (Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, K., et al., The Plant Cell 6:251-264 (1994)) who showed that two of the C-repeat sequences present in the promoter of COR78/RD29A induced cold-regulated gene expression when fused to a reporter gene. It was also found that these two elements stimulate transcription in response to dehydration and high salinity and thus, was designated the DRE (dehydration, low temperature and high salt regulatory element). Interestingly, two other C-repeats present in the promoter of COR78/RD29A did not impart regulation in response to dehydration and high salt; whether they impart cold-regulated gene expression is not known. Recent studies by Jiang et al (Jiang, C., et al., Plant Mol. Biol. 30:679-684 (1996)) indicate that the C-repeats (referred to as low temperature response elements) present in the promoter of the B. napus BN115 gene also impart cold-regulated gene expression, but do not activate gene expression in response to dehydration.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,296,462 and 5,356,816 to Thomashow describe the genes encoding the proteins involved in cold regulation in Arabidopsis thaliana. In particular the DNA encoding the COR15 proteins is described. These proteins are significant in promoting cold tolerance in plants; however, the mode of activation is not described.
There is a need for a protein which regulates the expression of genes encoding cold and drought tolerance genes.

DNA and encoded protein which regulates cold and dehydration regulated genes


The present invention relates to a method of promoting bottled beverage products by promoting an individual bottle cooler made specifically for that bottled beverage product. The bottle cooler preferably comprises a container for containing ice and/or water that is adapted to have the beverage bottle positioned substantially therein, wherein regular ice and/or water from standard ice dispensers can be stored and sealed within the space between the bottle and container, to help keep the beverage inside cool. The space is preferably substantially sealed by a cap which is adapted with an opening and a sealing member that extends over the neck of the bottle, wherein the bottle can be held in substantial compression between the sealing member and one or more supporting surfaces extending substantially underneath the bottle.

Commercial beverages, such as soda, juice, fruit drinks, sports drinks, water, etc., are often sold in bottles made of PET. A typical beverage aisle of a grocery store or refrigerator of a convenience store is full of a wide variety of bottled beverage products in all shapes and sizes. While most aluminum cans are sold in 12 ounce sizes, most PET bottles are sold in larger sizes, ranging from ½ liter to 3 liters, including the popular 20 ounce, 64 ounce and 2 liter PET sizes.
The development of larger PET bottle sizes has meant that the consumer receives more beverage per container. But the downside is that with more beverage, additional cooling is needed to keep the beverage in the bottle cool, i.e., for a longer period of time. For example, when a single serving 20 ounce bottle is purchased, more beverage means that it will take more time to finish the beverage, or that beverage will be left over. In either case, when the weather is warm, such as on a hot sunny day, or inside a hot car, exposure to high temperatures can result in the beverage becoming warm quickly without any means of keeping the beverage cold. Two liter and other larger sizes are susceptible to the same circumstances, such as during an outdoor picnic, or other function, where no refrigerator is available to keep the beverage cold.
In the past, resort has been made to using ice chests, but there are disadvantages to doing so. For example, because PET bottles are often larger than cans, larger ice chests are typically needed, in which case they can be quite cumbersome to use. Moreover, it is particularly burdensome to use an ice chest if only a single serving beverage is desired. Also, when two liter or other larger bottles are involved, it is often impractical to keep them in ice chests while the beverage is being served.
Many individuals choose to pour beverages into other containers, such as cups, mugs, sports bottles, thermal bottles, etc., with ice directly in the beverage to keep it cold. The disadvantage of this, however, is that as ice melts, the beverage becomes diluted. Also, because ice is often made with unfiltered tap water, impurities can be introduced into the beverage, which can, for instance, defeat the purpose of buying bottled water. Carbonation can also dissipate quickly as beverage is poured into another container. The containers also have to be washed after each use.
Archaic attempts have also been made, such as in the days when refrigerators were not available. For example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 81,814 and 303,815, wine bottle coolers with diaphragms to hold bottles in place are shown, but these designs are neither compact, nor suitable for bottles with twist off lids, since the bottles were free to rotate. In later years, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,998,072, 4,281,520, 5,555,746 and 5,904,267, containers with various compartments, sleeves and packs filled with refrigerants that could be frozen were also developed, but these were required to be frozen and refrozen after each use, and therefore, were not widely used. Various types of insulated containers were also developed, which helped to maintain the temperature of the beverage, with no ability to make the beverage any colder.
What is needed, therefore, is a new and improved method and apparatus for keeping beverages cold, which overcomes the disadvantages of previous cooling methods and apparatuses.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A technique for calculating the motion and stress at any location along a riser or mooring line that is connected to an oil platform using data from multiple motion sensors that are installed above the water level on the platform is disclosed. A relationship between motion at the locations of the motion sensors and motion at the point at which the riser or mooring line is attached to the platform is determined from a model of the platform. From this relationship, the motion at the location at which the riser or mooring line is attached to the platform is computed from motion that is measured by the motion sensors. The motion and stress at any location along the riser or the mooring line is calculated based on the acceleration at the location at which the riser or mooring line is attached to the platform.

In the past several decades, improvements in technology have enabled hydrocarbon resources to be extracted from offshore wells in ever-increasing water depths. Modern offshore oil platforms produce hydrocarbons from reservoirs located 25,000 to 30,000 feet or more beneath the water's surface and in water depths of 10,000 feet or more. Such platforms can accommodate large daily production rates of 150,000 to 200,000 or more barrels of oil and 40 million to 50 million or more cubic feet of natural gas. Offshore oil production accounts for approximately 30% of total global oil production and it is believed that this percentage will increase in coming years with continually improving deepwater drilling and production technologies.
FIG. 1 shows a simplified diagram of a floating oil production platform 100. The illustrated platform 100 is a semi-submersible floating production platform. The platform 100 includes large ballasted pontoons 102 below the water surface. The pontoons 102 are connected to the topsides portion 104 of the platform 100 by structural columns 106. The platform's equipment (not shown) is typically positioned across multiple decks in the topsides portion 104 of the platform 100. Such equipment can include mechanical equipment for drilling and other mechanical operations (e.g., a derrick and one or more cranes), one or more manifolds to receive produced fluids that are routed to the platform 100 via one or more risers 108 (FIG. 2) that extend between the platform and subsea wells, produced fluid separation equipment, produced fluid treatment equipment, produced fluid storage equipment, produced fluid transport equipment (e.g., pumps and compressors), platform utilities and controls (plumbing and electrical equipment, bilge and ballast controls, etc.), crew accommodations (e.g., lodging and dining accommodations and transportation accommodations such as a helicopter pad), and other platform operational equipment. The platform 100 is held in place by multiple mooring lines 110 (typically 6-12) each of which attaches to the platform (typically to the support columns 106) and to an anchor that is set in the sea floor often multiple miles from the platform 100. Mooring lines 110 are typically chain, but they can also be wire rope, synthetic fiber rope, or combinations of these materials.
While a semi-submersible platform is illustrated, there are several other types of floating oil platforms such as tension leg platforms; spar platforms; and monohull structures typically called floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facilities. These types of floating platforms have slightly different structures, but they all perform the same general functions. These different types of floating platforms are necessary in deeper water where it is impractical to fix the platform to the sea floor with a rigid structure.
Oil platforms are complex structures that are typically designed with a relatively long service life (e.g., 30 or more years). Over its long life, the platform 100 is exposed to a number of external environmental excitations such as wind, waves, and currents. These excitations impart a motion in the platform, which, in turn, transfers that motion to connected structures such as risers 108 and mooring lines 110. Because these connected structures are fixed at each end, the imparted motions create stress, which can ultimately lead to failure. Failure of a mooring line 110 or riser 108 can have significant consequences such as a disruption in production, damage to platform equipment, and/or loss of containment of produced fluids. It is therefore critical to predict with reasonable certainty the response of the platform 100 to external excitations (wind, wave, current, etc.) and the resulting extreme and fatigue loading of the risers 108 and the mooring lines 110.
The present standard approach for evaluating the response of a platform to external excitations is to perform predictive and model analyses. Such analyses provide a reasonable estimate of the response of a platform to typical conditions at the platform's location (e.g., typical meteorological and nautical conditions) and to anomalistic events (e.g., hurricanes) that might be expected over the platform's service life. However, these types of predictive methods are inherently limited for the following reasons. Analytic predictive models are mathematical algorithms based on linear wave kinematic theories whereas waves in extreme seas are highly non-linear and extreme response of the platform can only be roughly approximated. Predictions based on scale model tests in a wave basin are also approximations of actual responses because the Reynolds Number non-linear effects cannot be properly scaled. In both cases the predictive models rely on hindcast metocean data which in themselves are approximate predictions of actual conditions the platform will encounter over its design life.
Some platforms are designed with instrumentation such as strain gages on the mooring lines 110 and/or risers 108 to provide an actual indication of the load at the location of the instrument. However, there are several drawbacks to the use of such instrumentation as well. First, these types of instruments only evaluate the stress or strain at the particular location of the instrument. As noted above, risers 108 and mooring lines 110 are often multiple miles long and the measured load at the location of a single instrument is not necessarily representative of the load at another location along the same component. Thus, multiple instruments are typically installed at strategically-selected locations along the mooring lines 110 and/or risers 108. Second, the instruments are prone to failure as a result of the harsh conditions in which they are installed (e.g., in high pressure seawater). Moreover, their underwater location essentially guarantees that it will be cost prohibitive to replace the instrument when it does fail. Third, the instruments must be engineered as part of the component on which they are to be installed, which can undesirably increase engineering complexity and impact scheduling. Therefore, while instruments installed on the components to be monitored provide some feedback, they still fail to provide a full view of the loads to which the mooring lines 110 and risers 108 have been exposed.
There is therefore a need to monitor, anticipate, and intervene in advance of a failure of any one of the critical mooring 110 and riser 108 elements after a floating oil platform is commissioned.

Mooring line and riser stress and motion monitoring using platform-mounted motion sensors


In accordance with systems and methods of the present disclosure, an adaptive noise cancellation system may include an alignment filter configured to correct misalignment of a reference microphone signal and an error microphone signal by generating a misalignment correction signal.

Wireless telephones, such as mobile/cellular telephones, cordless telephones, and other consumer audio devices, such as mp3 players, are in widespread use. Performance of such devices with respect to intelligibility can be improved by providing noise canceling using a microphone to measure ambient acoustic events and then using signal processing to insert an anti-noise signal into the output of the device to cancel the ambient acoustic events.
In many noise cancellation systems, it is desirable to include both feedforward noise cancellation by using a feedforward adaptive filter for generating a feedforward anti-noise signal from a reference microphone signal configured to measure ambient sounds and feedback noise cancellation by using a fixed-response feedback filter for generating a feedback noise cancellation signal to be combined with the feedforward anti-noise signal. However, using traditional approaches, when a gain of the feedback path is strong, the response of the feedforward adaptive filter may diverge, thus rendering the adaptive system unstable.

Hybrid adaptive noise cancellation system with filtered error microphone signal


A passenger protection apparatus is mounted on a vehicle, and includes a detecting device for foreseeing and detecting a collision of the vehicle; a passenger protection device to be situated between a passenger and the vehicle for protecting the passenger upon the collision; a driving device for driving the passenger protection device reversibly in a direction approaching the passenger and a direction away from the passenger; and a control device for controlling the driving device according to the detecting device. The control device controls the driving device to move the passenger protection device prior to the collision from a first position to a second position closer to the passenger than the first position when the detecting device foresees the collision. The control device controls the driving device to move the passenger protection device from the second position to the first position when the collision is avoided.

The present invention relates to a passenger protection apparatus provided in an automobile or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a passenger protection apparatus having a structure in which a passenger protection device is deployed in a passenger protection region before a vehicle collision for protecting a passenger upon a vehicle collision.
Conventionally, various passenger protection apparatuses have been proposed for protecting a passenger from colliding with a sidewall of a vehicle such as a side window or a door in case of a vehicle accident such as a collision on a side of the vehicle. For example, Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2001-328504 has disclosed a passenger protection apparatus having an air bag provided along a side roof rail of an automobile. In the passenger protection apparatus, an air bag is deployed and expanded in a region between a passenger and a vehicle sidewall for protecting the passenger upon a vehicle accident. In order to protect the passenger more quickly with a high technical level, it is necessary to provide further advanced technology.
In view of the problems described above, the present invention has been made, and an object of the present invention is to provide a passenger protection apparatus for protecting a passenger upon a vehicle accident with an improved technology.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.


A tire labeling system (10) for printing a label (L) and applying the label (L) on a surface of a tire (T). A printer (12) is provided to print the label and an applicator (20) is provided to transfer the label (L) from the printer (12) to the tire (T) and apply the label (L) to the tire (T).

Tire labels are applied to all new tires and contain information about the tire's characteristics and other information required by law. To save costs, large quantities of labels are printed on rolls that are shipped to manufacturing facilities to be applied to the tires. The preprinted labels are loaded into a labeling machine located adjacent to a conveyor. As tires travel on the conveyor, they are brought into contact with a label at a point where the backing has been stripped away from the label allowing the label to be applied by contacting the tire to the exposed adhesive on the label.
As new performance data becomes available that affects the characteristics listed on the labels, new labels must be printed and shipped to the manufacturers and dealers to update those tires that had previously been labeled. The old label must be removed, and, due to the strong adhesive used to make sure the label does not come off during shipment, it is often difficult to completely remove the label before applying a new one.
At times, test data will become available that affects the characteristics of the tire listed on the label before the previously sent labels have been applied. In these cases, entire shipments of labels are scrapped. When viewed in the context of the extremely large number of tires produced and sold, the cost of replacing labels and scrapping old labels becomes significant, and may be on the order of millions of dollars.
Consequently, there is a need for a tire labeling system that can provide the printed information on the label on a per label basis. There is a further need for a tire labeling system that may be used to apply labels in an automated fashion.


A digital water timer may include a main body, a water valve, a locating base, a driving base, and a timer. The main body has a water inlet and a water outlet, and a valve tube protrudes from a lateral side of the main body. The water valve connected to the main body is controlled by the timer to achieve on/off operation of channels inside the main body. The locating base is secured on the main body, and the driving base is adapted to have rotation relative to the locating base and be secured at a specific position after rotated. The timer installed in the driving base comprises a display panel and an operation interface which are exposed externally for operation. The driving base with the timer is rotated relative to the locating base, and the display panel is adjusted as needed to provide an optimal view for operation.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, a conventional water timer comprises a water valve (60) and a timer (70). The water valve (60) has a water inlet (61) and a water outlet (62), and an electromagnetic solenoid (63) is formed at a lateral side of the water valve (60). The electromagnetic solenoid (63) is electrically connected to the timer (70) so as to control on/off operation of the water valve (60). The timer (70) is installed on the water valve (60) to provide power supply to the electromagnetic solenoid (63). Moreover, the timer (70) comprises a main body (71) which firmly covers and is connected to the electromagnetic solenoid (63), and the main body (71) has a solar panel (72), a display panel (73), and an operation interface (74) thereon. When in use, the water valve (60) is installed between watering pipes, and a user can set up the duration and interval of automatic sprinkling through the operating interface (74) and read the actual value through the display panel (73).
However, the conventional digital water timer has following disadvantages: the timer (70) with the display panel (73) is secured on the water valve (60) and cannot be rotated relative to the water valve (60), and the display panel (73), which usually is a LCD, has its limited in visual angles, so that the water timer is inconvenient to use when the display panel (73) is unable to rotate and adjust as needed and is easily restricted by factors such as light direction and terrain. Therefore, there remains a need for a new and improved design for a digital water timer to overcome the problems presented above.


The driving frequency of a head is changed in conformity with temperature, and density data is converted into an optimum head driving voltage in conformity with temperature, whereby the discharge driving frequency and driving voltage of the recording head become optimum under any temperature condition, and thus recording of high quality is ensured since irregularities cause by the temperature variation of the recording head are eliminated. The driving voltage is set by a drive control circuit that includes a plurality of limiters, one of which is chosen in accordance with ambient temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus for discharging ink to a recording medium to thereby effect recording of characters, images and the like, and in particular to an ink jet recording apparatus having a temperature compensating function.
2. Related Background Art
An ink jet recording apparatus of the type in which the driving voltage of an ink jet head is varied to vary the amount of ink discharge, whereby the recording dot diameter is varied to express half-tone, has already been proposed.
However, an apparatus of this type has the temperature characteristic that a value of the property of the ink which is recording liquid, i.e., the viscosity or surface tension of ink, is greatly varied by temperature and the discharge of the head itself is varied by temperature. Accordingly, the relation between the optical density on recording paper after recording and the voltage applied to the head is varied by temperature as generally show in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings. That is, as temperature becomes higher, the optical density becomes higher even for the same voltage applied to the head.
Therefore, if printing is effected at 10.degree. C. by the use, for example, of use of the same density-voltage data used at 25.degree. C. as has heretofore been done, there will occur an inconvenience that printing density becomes low and ink is not discharged in the low voltage area, and if printing is effected at 40.degree. C. by the use of the same density-voltage data used at 25.degree. C., there will occur various incoveniences, including the variation in the density in the image representation range, that the amount of ink discharge becomes great and print becomes to dark and the recording paper becomes unable to absorb ink and the ink oozes.
On the other hand, as the conventional temperature compensating method, there is a method of using a heater or the like to keep the value of the property of ink constant as disclosed in Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open Nos. 188363/1982 and 188364/1982, and a method of varying the voltage applied to the head in conformity with temperature as disclosed in Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open Nos. 27210/1980 and 14759/1983. However, the former method suffers from disadvantages such as bulkiness of the apparatus, increased capacity of the power source, which in turn leads to increased manufacturing cost, and unsatisfactory printing resulting from the production of soluble gas of ink caused by rapid heating.
The latter method is effective only with respect to binary images, and if the amount of ink discharge is to be varied by this method to thereby express half-tone, the circuit construction will become very complicated for non-linear variations in various characteristics, and this has led to higher cost and difficulty in putting this method into practical use. This latter method has further suffered from a problem that during low temperatures, increased viscosity of ink causes the return of meniscus after discharge to be delayed, which results in a reduced response frequency leading to the necessity of compensating for the frequency characteristic of the head at each temperature.

Ink jet recording apparatus for accurately recording regardless of ambient temperature


Methods for preparing a semiconductor assembly are disclosed. In an implementation, the technique includes providing a support substrate and a bonding surface thereon, providing a donor substrate having a weakened zone that defines a useful layer and a bonding surface on the useful layer, and providing an interface layer of a predetermined material on the bonding surface of either the support substrate or the useful layer to provide a bonding surface thereon. The method also includes molecularly bonding the bonding surface of the interface layer to the bonding surface of the other of the support substrate or the useful layer to form a separable bonding interface therebetween, and to thus form the semiconductor assembly, and heat treating the semiconductor assembly to a temperature of at least 1000 to 1100° C. without substantially increasing molecular bonding between the bonding surface of the interface layer and the bonding surface of the other of the support substrate or the useful layer, so that the separable bonding interface maintains a sufficiently weak bond that can later be overcome by applying stresses to detach the useful layer from the donor substrate.

This invention generally relates to the manufacture of semiconductor substrates, particularly for use in the electronics, optoelectronics or optics industry.
Substrates composed of a film or thin layer on a thicker support are known. Electronic, optoelectronic or optical components are fabricated in the thin film or useful layer of such a substrate. During manufacturing, the thin film is separated from the support and if necessary applied onto another support. Techniques have recently been developed for separating a useful thin layer from its support.
The "epitaxial lift off" technique is well known in the domain of elements in the Group III-V classification, and consists of inserting a second thin layer between a support and a thin layer. The second thin layer is called a sacrificial layer, and this sacrificial layer is epitaxially grown. A first epitaxy operation is used to fabricate the sacrificial layer on the support, and the useful thin layer is also made by epitaxy. The sacrificial layer is made so that it can be selectively etched with respect to the support and the useful thin layer. For example, an AlAs sacrificial layer is formed between a GaAs support and a useful layer of AlGaAs. In this known technique, the sacrificial layer obtained by using a hetero-epitaxy process is monocrystalline and is thin. Its nature depends on the support material upon which growth takes place.
The epitaxial lift off technique has been described in an article called: "Ultra-high efficiency light-emitting diodes through epitaxial lift-off packaging" by M. Sickmiller et al., International Symposium on Microelectronics, 1998. Its usefulness has been demonstrated for support surfaces and thin layers with an area on the order of a few square centimeters. However, further tests have cast doubt on the feasibility of this technique for significantly larger areas, for example, areas on the order of a few hundred cm2 which are used in industrial substrates.
Another solution for making a separable bond consists of forming a molecular bond between a support and a thin layer, and then separating at the bonding interface at the opportune time. Bond forces obtained during this type of bonding vary depending on different parameters (such as the roughness of the surfaces, the hydrophilic properties of surfaces, the chemical affinity between materials, their tendency to creep, the temperature, and the like). In some cases, forming a separable bond in this manner could be considered. However, after using this type of bonding technique, if the thermal budget applied to the thin layer is large, then the bonding interface will be reinforced and separation will become more difficult, if not impossible.
During the manufacture of substrates for LEDs, the temperatures of some treatments (particularly epitaxy using the MOCVD technique) can reach or significantly exceed 1000 to 1100° C. In particular, when manufacturing substrates for LEDs, it may be necessary to carry out heat treatments on the support and thin film assembly using such high temperatures. For example, thermal oxidation steps or surface smoothing steps under a hydrogenated atmosphere may be required to prepare the surface before nitrides or other elements are deposited by epitaxy. These steps can occur at temperatures of more than 1150° C. If a molecular bond has been formed between two oxide layers, for example, that were added onto a support and a thin layer made of silicon carbide SiC, such temperatures would considerably increase the bonding forces causing them to reach a value of at least 2 Joules/m2. Such a high bonding force makes separation impossible. It would thus be beneficial to provide a separable bonding interface, particularly for manufacturing substrates for LEDs such as blue, green or ultraviolet (UV) LEDs, which maintains separable properties even after treatment at high temperatures (in the range of about 1100° C. to about 1150° C. or more).

S.O.I.Tec Silicon on Insulator Technologies


An apparatus senses the pressure changes in a collector box or relief box of a furnace due to changing wind conditions, and adjusts the gas flow accordingly. The apparatus controls the main gas valve of the furnace through a regulator loop. The regulator loop has a first port that communicates with a chamber below the main diaphragm of the valve, and a second port that communicates with a chamber above the main diaphragm. The regulator includes two diaphragms linked rigidly. A feedback pressure channel is connected to the collector box or the relief box, at one end, and to a feedback pressure tap at the other end. An increase in wind at the furnace vent causes changes in pressure in the collector box and the relief box. This change in pressure is delivered to the feedback pressure tap. When the pressure at the feedback pressure tap increases, the top diaphragm and the bottom diaphragm both move upward. As the pair of diaphragms move upward, there is relatively more flow through the second port and relatively less through the first port, causing a pressure differential across the main diaphragm; a higher pressure then exists above the main diaphragm compared to the pressure below the main diaphragm. The main valve then moves toward the closed position. When the pressure at the feedback pressure tap decreases, the diaphragms move down. This causes relatively more flow through the first port and relatively less flow through the second, causing the valve to open.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to an apparatus for controlling gas flow for combustion in a furnace. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved valve for adjusting the gas flow in a furnace in response to downstream pressure changes.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In conventional gas-fired forced air furnaces a thermostat senses the temperature in the comfort zone relative to a predetermined set point temperature. When the temperature is below the set point, the thermostat closes to supply thermostat ac power to the furnace as a call for heat. This initiates a sequence of events that ultimately causes the furnace to come on. A draft inducer motor is enabled to flow air through the heat exchangers for combustion, after which a gas valve is actuated to supply gas to the gas burners. An ignition device is also actuated to light the burners. A flame sensor then proves burner ignition. Then, after a predetermined blower delay time, which varies with furnace design, the furnace blower is actuated. The blower circulates room air from the return air duct over the furnace heat exchangers to pick up heat from the hot combustion products (carbon dioxide and water vapor). The heated circulating air then goes into the supply air plenum and is distributed by ductwork back to the living space. When the living space is warmed sufficiently to reach the thermostat set point, the thermostat terminates the call for heat. When this happens, the blower and burners go through a shut off sequence and the furnace awaits the next call for heat.
The present invention relates to the control of gas flow to the burners. When the draft inducer motor is in operation, a substantial step-up in pressure occurs between the intake of the draft inducer housing (the collector box) on the one hand, and the outflow of the draft inducer housing (the relief box) on the other hand. Typically there is negative pressure (relative to atmospheric pressure) at the intake, and positive pressure at the outlet.
The negative pressure is used to draw combustion air through the furnace heat exchangers. The positive pressure results when the furnace is installed as a category III vented appliance. Under certain outside conditions, such as high wind conditions, back pressure on the vent causes the draft inducer to become overloaded. The overloading of the draft inducer prohibits the device from providing the air required for proper combustion. Operating under this lean condition, the furnace can produce unwanted products of combustion, such as carbon monoxide. Therefore, an apparatus is needed which senses the pressure changes caused by changing wind conditions and adjusts the gas flow to the burners accordingly.

Differential pressure modulated gas valve for single stage combustion control


Methods and kits for measuring a component to be measured by reacting the component in the presence of a fatty acid alkanolamide, with a first antibody which binds to the component, then reacting a labeled second antibody that binds to the component so as to form an immunocomplex comprising the first antibody, the component and the labeled second antibody. The amount of the label in the formed immunocomplex is measured and correlated to the amount and concentration of component.

Immunological measurement methods are being used as methods for measuring components in specimens. Immunological measurement methods include many methods such as the RIA method (radioimmunoassay), EIA method (enzyme immunoassay), CLIA method (chemiluminescent immunoassay), CLEIA (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay), LA method (latex agglutination method), TIA method (turbidimetric immunoassay), and immunochromatography method. In these assays, when the measurement is carried out by immunological techniques, the antigen-antibody reaction between a component (or antibody) in a specimen and an antibody (or antigen) against it is utilized. Furthermore, in these immunological assays, a calibration curve (standard curve) is made in advance by plotting onto a graph the relationship between numerical values (absorbances) obtained by measuring a standard material having known concentrations and their respective measured values (concentrations), and the measured values of the component of interest in the specimen is obtained. Recombinant antigens which can be prepared in large amounts and for which raw materials are readily available are commonly used for the standard material to be used in these assays.
However, the immunoreactivity of a recombinant antigen does not necessarily match that of the native antigen, which is the component in the specimen, and the reactivity may also differ depending on the buffer and additives used during the assay. In particular, when the reaction temperature during the antigen-antibody reaction changes, the difference in reactivity of the two become prominent, and this causes the problem of producing variations in measured values due to temperature (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).
MxA protein is a protein in the series of proteins induced by type I interferon (interferon α/β), has a molecular weight of 78 kDa, belongs to the Dynamin superfamily, has GTPase activity, and is expressed in the cytoplasm of leukocytes, particularly mononuclear cells. Regarding its function, it is known to have an antiviral effect due to inhibition of virus proliferation, and it is said to be involved in the establishment of antiviral conditions of an organism in the early stage of viral infection (see Non-Patent Documents 1 to 4).
The MxA protein found in several animal species has a characteristic amino acid sequence in its amino acid terminus. The N-terminal G domain is a part necessary for antiviral action and activity as GTPase, and the C-terminal region is abundant in α helical structures and has a leucine zipper structure. These two parts have been reported to react with each other intramolecularly, or cause self aggregation by binding with each other intermolecularly (see Non-Patent Document 5).

Method and kit for measuring component in the presence of fatty acid alkanolamide or nonionic polyoxyethylene surfactant


A system and method for supplying media to a device. The novel system includes a first tray for holding a first supply of media, a first mechanism including a shaft adapted to feed media from the first tray to the device when the shaft is rotated in a first direction, and a second mechanism for moving the first tray from a first position to a second position when the shaft is rotated in a second direction.

Media sheets are supplied to a typical printer by a supply tray (also known as an input tray), which holds a supply of the print media, such as paper, in a location that permits. paper to be brought into engagement with a feed mechanism of a printer. The feed mechanism contacts the top sheet of the media supply and advances that sheet into the printer. These feed mechanisms are often referred to as "pick and feed" rollers. From the pick and feed roller, the media sheet is moved into a print zone where an image or text is printed on the sheet.
Supply trays are normally adaptable to handle various sizes of paper. To this end, adjustable guides are built into the supply trays to ensure that whatever size paper is provided, it is advanced uniformly (i.e., without undesirable skewing) into the printer. With this type of input tray, the user is often required to remove the existing supply of paper from the tray before adding a different sized media. This slows the printing operation and requires physical interaction with the printer, which can be undesirable particularly for networked printers having users at remote locations.
Hence, a need remains in the art for a system or method for supplying small sized media to a printer that does not require physical interaction between the user and the printer.

System and method for supplying media to a device

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A container comprises an opening whose cut edge is covered by a protective covering layer. The protective covering layer is formed to have a tube-shaped area in which a plane area is joined to both ends. The tube-shaped area covers the cut edge of the opening. One plane area adheres to the container inner surface, and the other plane area adheres to the container outer surface. The protective covering layer is made from a single foil piece which is applied to the container wall comprising the opening and thereafter shaped into its form. At least one of the plane areas is thus formed and adhered to the container wall.

The present invention relates to a process for covering a cut edge of an opening of a container with a protective covering layer, including a tube-shaped area covering the cut edge, a plane area adhering to the outer surface of the container and a plane area adhering to the inner surface of the container.
The present invention relates further to a container comprising at least one container wall which has an opening with a cut edge being covered by a protective covering layer which covers at least a part of the inner surface and the outer surface of the container wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,401 describes a process for covering a cut edge in which a protective covering layer is made from two sheet-like foil pieces. The two foil pieces of foil are applied to the container wall which comprises the opening. One foil piece is laid onto the outer surface, and the other foil piece is laid onto the inner surface of the container wall, whereby the opening of the container wall is completely covered by the associated foil piece. The cut edge is covered in that one foil piece, or both foil pieces are formed from the surface of the container wall in through the opening. Both foil pieces are melted together in the area of the cut edge so that a single protective covering layer is made which, as a result of the melting, adheres to the cut edge. An opening is made in both pieces of foil, and the opening of each has a smaller cross section than that of the original opening of the container wall, which comprises a cut edge to be covered. The material separated from the two foil pieces during the setting in of the openings is fed off as waste.
In the known process, the tube-shaped area which covers the cut edge arises from processes of shaping, melting and the setting in of openings in both the foil pieces. The two plane areas of the protective covering layer bordering the tube-shaped area are formed by the portions of both pieces of foil which are applied to the surfaces of the container wall but not formed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,359 describes the filling openings of tin cans being closed by a so-called pull tab which is made of an aluminum layer and a synthetic foil adhered to same. While the pull tab is partly pressed into the filling opening by a punch, the synthetic foil is pulled off to lay around the edge of the filling opening.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an edge protection in a container which is simple and cost-effective to produce.
This object has been achieved in a process according to the present invention by producing the protective covering layer from a single foil piece which is applied to the container wall comprising the opening and then formed, wherein at least one of the plane areas is formed and adhered to the container wall.
The object has also been achieved in a container according to the present invention by making the protective covering layer from one piece of material to cover only the area of the outer surface of the container wall which borders the opening.
The process and form of the protective covering layer according to the present invention lead to a significant simplification in relation to the production and the application of the protective covering layer in the cut edge. The foil materials are not melted in the area of the cut edge, nor are melted foil pieces adhered to same.
Single pieces of foil of various forms can be used for the protective covering layer which afford a low labor-consuming application to the opening. Depending on the shape of the foil supplied, a smaller or larger number of procedural steps for applying it to the cut edge must be carried out. The foil can be supplied already pre-formed to such a degree that only one of the plane areas must be produced by forming the foil and adhered to the container wall.
The plane areas of the protective covering layer are adhered to the inner and outer surfaces of the container wall after feeding and forming of the foil. The tube-shaped area of the protective covering layer which covers the cut edge does not need to be adhered thereto. It is, however, possible in certain embodiments of the invention to adhere the protective covering layer to the cut edge.
Whatever the form of the fed foil, either no foil material waste or very little waste is produced by the manufacture and application of the protective covering layer to the cut edge. In contrast to known processes, a significant saving in material is thus achieved.
The present invention can be applied usefully to all containers where it is to be avoided that a medium, in particular the liquid contents, leaks into the container wall. In the area of the opening, the surface of the container wall is often broken open, such as then when the opening is produced by cutting or punching. By applying the protective covering layer, the same or a similar protection can be made in the area of the edge as exists in the other areas of the container irrespective of the outer shape of the container. The foil is advantageously formed and/or adhered to the container wall with the aid of heat. Heat sealing is particularly suitable method in this regard.
An advantageous aspect of the present invention is the use of a foil for the production of the protective covering layer which is formed from a plane section and a tube-shaped section. It is thereby possible to feed the foil in this form to the container wall or to produce this form at the container wall after the foil has been fed thereto. The plane section is laid and adhered onto the inner surface or the outer surface of the container wall, whereby adhering can take place before or after the complete forming or simultaneously with the complete forming of the foil into the protective covering layer. The plane section of the foil laid and adhered onto the surface forms one of the two plane areas of the protective covering layer.
The tube-shaped section is guided into the opening of the container wall to cover the cut edge of the opening while a portion projects out of the opening. The part of the tube-shaped section of the foil lying inside the opening forms the tube-shaped area of the protective covering layer which covers the cut edge. As already mentioned, the tube-shaped section can be formed before or after the foil is fed by forming the foil at the container wall.
The portion of the tube-shaped section of the foil which projects out of the opening of the container wall is formed and adhered to the container wall surface which is opposite the plane section of the foil. The second plane area of the protective covering layer is thus formed.
In one advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the foil has a sheet-like form, from which the tube-shaped section is formed. It is advantageous when an opening is made in the sheet-like foil, whereby the border area is formed into the tube-shaped section.
The foil is advantageously laid against the inner surface of the container wall and adhered thereto such that the plane section of the foil forms a protective layer for at least one part of the container inner surface. In this embodiment, the protective layer normally provided for the container inner surface can also be used as a protective covering layer for the cut edge of the container opening.
In another advantageous embodiment, the foil is laid against the inner and outer surfaces of the container wall so that only the area of the inner surface and/or of the outer surface bordering on the cut edge of the container wall is covered.
In a still further advantageous embodiment, the foil fed to the container wall has a tube-shaped form guided into the opening so that a portion covering the cut edge, a portion rising over the outer surface above the opening and a portion rising over the inner surface above the opening are formed. After the pre-formed foil has been fed to the container wall, each of the portions rising above the opening are formed again and adhered against those container wall surfaces which are turned theretowards. The portions now formed again and adhered against the surfaces of the container wall form the plane areas of the protective covering layer. The tube-shaped area of the protective covering layer is formed from the rest of the tube-shaped foil which remains inside the opening.
In a container with an edge protection according to the present invention, a protective covering layer is applied at the cut edge of the container opening. The protective covering layer is made from one piece of material and only covers the area of the outer surface of the container wall bordering the opening.
In an advantageous development of the present invention, the protective covering layer covers only the area of the inner surface of the container wall bordering the opening. The protective covering layer then has a rivet-like form and can be manufactured with a very small amount of material.
Another advantageous aspect of the present invention is that the protective covering layer is formed to cover the inner surface of a container lid. It is advantageous when the protective covering layer which covers the lid simultaneously forms the protective layer of the inner lid surface. The protective layer usually necessary for a container to prevent the contents from leaking through to the container wall inner surface is then used at the same time as a protective covering layer for the cut edge of the container opening. The procedure can then be removal of the cardboard in the area of the opening, punching a hole in the protective layer and then placing the protective layer around the edge to be protected.
Advantageously, a pull tab is adhered to the container wall outer surface. The pull tab can be attached to the protective covering layer of the cut edge, for example after the container has been filled, so that the opening is closed in a leak-proof way.
The production of a container with a protective coating along an edge segment is described in our copending application Ser. No. 08/418,798, filed Apr. 7, 1995, now allowed. The disclosure therein is incorporated herein by reference.

Process for covering cut edge of a container opening with protective layer


A carbon component having a hole therein and an outer surface covered with a ceramic coating, and a method for manufacturing the carbon component are provided. The carbon component includes two carbon plate members joined together. The hole is defined by a groove formed on a mating surface of at least one of the carbon plate members and a mating portion of the other of the carbon plate members, which opposes the groove. An inner surface of the hole including a surface of the groove is entirely covered with a ceramic coating.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carbon component and a method for manufacturing the carbon component.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a CVD system for epitaxially growing silicon or a compound semiconductor wafer, a susceptor has been used for mounting thereon a wafer. A conductive graphite base material has generally been used in the susceptor for generating heat by means of induction heating. Since graphite exhibits low electrical resistance, high heat resistance and chemical stability, it can be preferably used in such a field of CVD system. However, since a process rate is important for epitaxial growth, wafers are exchanged even at a relatively high temperature before an interior of the CVD system is sufficiently cooled, so that the susceptor is exposed to the atmosphere while still remaining heated. Therefore, if the graphite is used for a base material as it is, there will arise a problem of the base material reacting with air, to thus become heavily deteriorated. In a system of using a CVD susceptor for epitaxial growth of gallium nitride, and the like, ammonium is used as a source gas. When decomposed by heat, ammonium produces hydrogen and nitrogen. Although nitrogen is used as a source gas for a gallium nitride film, hydrogen reacts with the graphite at a high temperature, to thus produce a hydrocarbon gas, like methane. Therefore, the graphite is eroded. For this reason, in order to prevent reaction of the atmosphere or hydrogen with graphite, the susceptor made of graphite is coated with ceramic, like SiC (see, for instance, JP-B-4071919 or JP-A-2004-200436). The contents of JP-B-4071919 and JP-A-2004-200436 are incorporated herein by reference.

Carbon component and method for manufacturing the same


Provided is a bracket for fixing a fire-fighting sprinkler, which is equipped with a locking part including a cam protrusion having an eccentric axis and configured to securely fix a support frame and a sprinkler by pivotal movement, thereby enabling a technician to easily mount or demount the bracket at a desired position without any interruption.

Fire-fighting sprinklers are connected to a plurality of branch pipes which are branched from a fire-extinguishing liquid supply pipe and are fixed to support frames with a constant interval therebetween using center brackets. There are many kinds of center brackets for supporting sprinklers. One of them is a center bracket having a structure that can be assembled and disassembled. When using such a center bracket, individual components are assembled and a sprinkler is fixed by fastening a bolt. However, in order to support the sprinkler, the center bracket should be first disassembled and then a bolt should be additionally fastened to assemble the center bracket and fix the sprinkler. Therefore, the sprinkler fixing process is complicated and inconvenient.
An integral type center bracket developed by the present inventor is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2005-0052415. Another type of center bracket for a fire-fighting sprinkler developed by the present inventor is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0440808.

Bracket for fixing fire-fighting sprinkler


A disadvantage of continuously casting thin metal strips in a continuous casting plant (1) wherein the casting strand (7) exits the mould (2) in a downward direction and is guided in a vertical strand guide (3) with the help of pairs of driver rolls (4, 5) for supporting and conveying the strand (7), is that the force with which the driver rolls (4, 5) are pressed against the strand (7) results in the unchecked rolling of the strand while it is still soft. The aim of the invention is to solve this problem. To that end, the driver rolls (4, 5) are pressed against the strand (7) with a variable pressure (P1, P2) which is regulated xe2x80x9con-linexe2x80x9d in accordance with the thickness (d3, d4) of the strand (7), in such a way as to obtain and maintain a constant strand thickness.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and a device for continuously casting thin metal strips in a continuous casting device with an oscillating, water-cooled casting mold, a vertical strip guide arranged underneath it with devices for supporting and cooling the strand up to the point of solidification, one or more driver roll pairs which are pressed against the strand for supporting and conveying the strand, a device for bending the strand, and a device for bending the strand back.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the known prior art for continuously casting metal strips of minimal thickness (up to approximately 80 mm), the minimal strand thickness is achieved by a special shaping of the continuous cast plates and/or by squeezing the strand while the core is still liquid. Such a continuous casting device, as can also be taken from the company brochure xe2x80x9cCSP/Compact Strip Production/Das neue Giexcex2- und Walzverfahren fur die wirtschaftliche Bandherstellungxe2x80x9d (The new casting and rolling method for economical strip manufacture), No. W4+9/319/company SMS Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft/4000/8/87, is comprised typically of an oscillating casting mold, a vertical strand guide arranged underneath thereof and provided with water jets for cooling the strand to the point of complete solidification, and one or more driven roll pairs for conveying the strand out. In order for the casting device to be able to transport the strand out, the driver rolls are pressed with a certain pressure against the strand which prevents their slipping. A special feature of these continuous casting devices is the arrangement of the driver rolls for conveying the strand below the point of complete solidification wherein The absence of the liquid core in the strand ensures that the strand will not yield to the driver roll pressure and a sufficiently large tension force is produced on the strand.
In this connection, it is known to press the driver rolls with hydraulic cylinders against the strand wherein the pressure during the casting process is invariable. This solution has been successfully employed for casting low-carbon and austenitic stainless steel. However, when casting steels which are very soft at the temperature of 1100xc2x0 C. , such as, for example, Si-alloyed steels, stainless ferritic steels, high carbon-contents steels, the pressure of the rolls for generating the Conveying force results; in a thickness reduction of the strand. Moreover, the required advancing pressure of the driver rolls in practice is adjusted substantially higher than would actually be sufficient in order to exclude with certainty the risk of slipping of the driver rolls, which is identical to the standstill of the strand. With this increased pressure, the strand is actually rolled in an uncontrolled fashion by means of the driver rolls with a thickness reduction of, for example, up to 8 mm for a 60 mm strand thickness.
Since the strength of the strand continuously and constantly changes as a function of all casting parameters which affect the strand temperature (e.g., parameters such as temperature of the melt, casting speed, intensity of secondary cooling), the thickness reduction of the strand is a variable parameter that cannot be influenced in the case of an invariable driver roll pressure. For controlling the forces which are exerted by the oppositely arranged guide rolls of a strand casting machine onto a strand passing therebetween, it is proposed according to DE 27 47 000 A1 to measure these forces and, in the case of deviations from a standard value, to readjust the size of the roll gap by a simple rotation of a nut or of a bolt. Such a readjustment or correction can be carried out quickly between individual casting runs. However, during the casting runs, the disadvantage of an uncontrolled rolling action remains.
The disadvantages of the uncontrolled and variable rolling of the strand by driver rolls are as follows:
splitting of the edges of the strand
irregular thickness reduction of the strand
difficulties in regard to the synchronization of the motor drives of the strand casting device because of the unknown length change of the strand
difficulties in regard to maintaining the preset coil weight.
In order to avoid the undesirable uncontrolled rolling of the strand by the driver rolls, the roll pressure cannot surpass a certain limit.
The required conveying force can be achieved by increasing the number of roll pairs, by increasing the roll diameter, and by driving all rolls.
The disadvantages of all these measures are increased investment costs for the device technology and the additional production cost resulting from the increased service expenditure. The smaller the strand thickness, the greater the aforementioned disadvantages, because the strand weight, which supports the conveying force, is correspondingly smaller as a result of the reduced cross-section and, additionally, the shorter device height.
It is an object of the invention to develop a continuous cast device as well as a method for continuously casting thin metal strips with which the driver rolls for conveying the strand cause a predetermined thickness reduction of the strand with greatest possible constancy and maintain it during the entire casting process by means of a device-technological expenditure as minimal as possible.
The above object is inventively solved for a method of continuously casting thin metal strips in a casting device comprising an oscillating, water-cooled casting mold and a vertical strand guide positioned underneath it in that, for a defined thickness reduction of the strand of at least 2%, relative to the strand thickness at the point of complete solidification of the strand, and for maintaining constant a previously adjusted nominal strand thickness, at least one driver roll pair is pressed against the strand continuously during the entire casting process with a variable, defined pressure.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are provided in the dependent claims wherein the aforementioned object is solved with respect to the device with at least one driver roll pair arranged below the point of complete solidification of the strand, which is connected to means for detecting the driver roll gap width and to means for generating and transmitting a variable pressure of the drive roll pair onto the strand.
When casting thin strands of soft steels, it is unavoidable that a rolling of the completely solidified strand occurs between the driver roll pairs when the number of driven driver roll pairs with large diameter is not to be increased and a standstill of the strand is to be avoided with certainty. Accordingly, in accordance with the method of the invention this rolling is carried out in a controlled fashion with a total strand thickness reduction, which is at least 2%. In this context, the thickness reduction of at least 2% is so great that the slipping of the driven rolls is prevented; it can be so great that the advantages of an increased strand thickness do have an effect in the area of the casting mold and the secondary cooling.
According to the invention, this controlled thickness reduction of the strand by means of at least one driver roll pair, while simultaneously keeping a previously adjusted nominal strand thickness constant, is achieved in that at least one driver roll pair conveying the strand out is pressed with a variable defined pressure continuously against the strand directly after its complete solidification. Accordingly, the actual roll spacing which corresponds to the strand thickness is continuously measured and is compared in a measuring and control device with the previously adjusted nominal strand thickness. Based on the measuring data comparison, the pressure with which the driver roll pair is pressed against the strand is controlled online by means of a hydraulic pump which is connected with the measuring and control device such that at all times the predetermined nominal strand thickness is obtained and maintained.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the driver roll pairs which convey the strand out are pressed with a variable pressure against position-adjustable abutments. Depending on the desired nominal strand thickness, the position-adjustable abutments are moved into corresponding positions so that a constant roll spacing corresponding to the nominal strand thickness results. The pressure acting against the abutments is at least so great that the roll spacing remains unchanged during the normal casting operation and that it is ensured that the roll pairs can be opened when the cold strand passes through or when casting disturbances occur.
Since during the casting operation the roll resistance, during rolling to the required minimum thickness reduction of 2% can change, it is required to exert the pressure in a variable manner onto the abutments in accordance with the predetermined thickness reduction in order to make possible an opening of the roll pairs for disturbances.
According to the invention, the discussed alternative possibilities cannot only be applied individually but can also be combined with one another. For example, it is possible to form a continuous casting device witty at least two driver roll pairs wherein the width of one driver roll pair can be controlled online with a variable pressure while the width of the other driver roll pair remains unchanged by the pressure which acts against an abutment. For a combination of these two alternatives, the total thickness reduction according to the invention is also at least 2%.
By means of the directed thickness reduction, i.e., a controlled rolling of the strand already by means of the driver rolls, a new concept of thin slab technology results wherein, in contrast to known methods (CPR, LCR ISP), the rolling of the strand is already carried out by means of the driver rolls directly after its complete solidification. This is achieved without special technological expenditure and, in contrast to the aforementioned known methods, does not reduce the casting output.
The rolling of the completely solidified strand, independent of which steel is being used, makes it possible furthermore to increase, without reduction of the casting output, the strand thickness in the area of the casting mold so that known improvements of the steel quality result. With the controlled rolling by means of the driver rolls it is also possible to produce thin strands which can be wound up without impairing their quality, thus resulting in new advantageous device concepts.
The strand casting device according to the invention is comprised of: a vertical strand guide positioned below the oscillating casting mold with devices for supporting and cooling and optionally squeezing the strand up to the point of its complete solidification; with at least one driver roll pair which is pressed against the strand for supporting and conveying the strand; a device for bending the strand; and a device for bending back the strand. At least one driver roll pair is connected directly below the point of complete solidification of the strand with means for producing a variable pressure, These means, which may be, for example, piston-cylinder units supplied by a hydraulic pump, are connected to a measuring and control device. The measuring and control device measures continuously by means of a measuring sensor, for example, an inductive travel sensor, the actual strand thickness between the driver roll pair, compares this measured value with a previously adjusted nominal value, and controls online, in the case of deviations from this nominal value, the pressure to be applied by the corresponding piston-cylinder unit.
In an alternative continuous casting device according to the invention, position-adjustable abutments are provided at least one driver roll pair against which the pressing means, for example, piston-cylinder units, are pressed with a variable pressure. The position-adjustable abutments are formed in this connection such that the roll spacing cannot fall below a previously adjusted value, while surpassing of the desired rolls spacing is prevented by the pressure and is possible only when the cold strand passes through and during casting disturbances.

Method and device for continuously casting thin metal strips


A gaming machine comprises a symbol selector for selecting a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols for display during play of a base game, the set of symbols including a plurality of non-configurable symbols and a plurality of configurable symbols; a random number generator for generating random prize values; a value assigner for assigning a generated random prize value to each selected configurable symbol; and an outcome evaluator for monitoring play of the base game, wherein a feature game is triggered in response to a trigger event, the trigger event comprising a predefined number of the plurality of configurable symbols being selected by the symbol selector for display. During the feature game, the symbol selector is further configured to 1) hold the selected configurable symbols that comprise the trigger event on the display; 2) remove at least one of the selected non-configurable symbols from the display; and 3) replace any removed non-configurable symbol with another symbol selected from the set of symbols.

In existing gaming systems, feature games may be triggered for players in addition to the base game. A feature game gives players an additional opportunity to win prizes, or the opportunity to win larger prizes, than would otherwise be available in the base game. Feature games can also offer altered game play to enhance player enjoyment.
While such gaming systems provide players with enjoyment, a need exists for alternative methods to provide feature games in gaming systems, and for a larger variety of types of feature games, in order to maintain or increase player enjoyment.

System and method for providing a feature game

ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED


The present invention relates in general to weatherstrips for vehicle closures and more particularly to a weatherstrip for providing a seal between a first window glass panel and a second window glass panel. More particularly, a weatherstrip is provided and includes a resilient base portion having an extending member and two legs adapted to engage a second window glass panel and a resilient lip portion integral with and extending from the base portion toward a first window glass panel. The resilient lip portion is forked, having a sealing lip and a longer lip attached to the base of the sealing lip, wherein the longer lip has a bulbed end portion. The resilient lip portion is also self-biased with its resilience toward the second window glass panel so that it is sealingly engageable with the first window glass panel. When water pressure deflects the longer lip of the resilient lip portion, the bulb at the end thereof contacts the extending member of the base portion, creating a closed elongated area, ensuring that the sealing lip is deflected towards the longer lip, and preventing water leakage.

In the past, weatherstrips useful for providing a sealing arrangement between the window glass panel of a vehicle's front door and the rear quarter window glass panel or rear door glass panel had a center sash cemented to the front end portion of a rear quarter window glass panel. The weatherstrip had a resilient strip fitted in the center sash and included a lip portion sealingly engageable with the rear end portion of the front door window glass panel.
The weatherstrip having a center sash has the following disadvantages. The interval between the front door window glass panel and the rear quarter window glass panel generally becomes large, resulting in deteriorated appearance. The center sash also needs to have a considerable width, which gives rise to a defective sealing arrangement between the upper end portion of the rear quarter window glass panel and a body side weatherstrip (not shown) mounted on a vehicle body roof side portion. This is due primarily to the considerable difference in thickness between the part having a center sash and the part which is not provided with a center sash. Furthermore, since the center sash tends to be exposed, the center sash must be coated to give it a more refined appearance. Typically, an expensive material such as stainless steel or plated sheet steel is utilized for the coating, thus resulting in an expensive cost and increasing the overall cost of the weatherstrip assembly.
In an attempt to overcome these problems, weatherstrips comprising a resilient L-shaped base portion located at one end having a rigid core member embedded therein and a resilient lip portion located at the other end have been developed. The resilient lip portion typically is substantially J-shaped in cross-section and forms a sealing point with the front door window glass panel. However, with this design, a large dimension of seal overlap is required between the resilient lip and the glass panel to limit leakage. This creates a clearance problem when the glass is in a storage position or when the glass panel travels to the storage position.
In an effort to prevent the large dimension of seal overlap and thus the traveling and storage clearance problems, the resilient lip portion of the weatherstrip is reduced in length. This, however, creates a water leakage problem along the sealing point when water pressure is exerted against the weatherstrip.
There thus remains a need for an improved weatherstrip. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of heretofore known weatherstrips, and in particular, to provide a weatherstrip which is fully effective against leakage even under extreme conditions, such as heavy rainfall.

Enhanced weatherstrip mounted on glass with opposite side seal


According to one embodiment, a storage medium includes a burst cutting area at an inner periphery, wherein the burst cutting area has includes plural burst-cutting-area data areas.

1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to a storage medium such as an optical disk, a reproducing method, and a recording method of the storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an optical disk such as a digital versatile disk (DVD), a burst cutting area, a system lead-in area, a connection area, a data lead-in area, and a data area are allocated from its inner periphery side. Identification information on a DVD standard type is recorded in the burst cutting area. A data structure in the burst cutting area is described in Japanese Patent No. 3308954 (FIG. 2). Here, there exists only one BCA data area surrounded by one BCA preamble and one BCA postamble.
In a conventional optical disk, since there is only one BCA data area, there has been a possibility that BCA data cannot be reproduced under the influence of dust or scratch which has been produced on a surface of the disk.

Information storage medium including a system lead-in area, a connection area, a data lead-in area and a data area


A copy sheet collection station, in one embodiment as used in an ink jet printer, incorporates an exit guide ramp which prevents the sheets deposited into the output tray from being smeared by successively deposited sheets. The exit guide ramp comprises a sheet support surface balanced on a pivot edge, the position of the ramp on either side of the pivot point effectively forming an articulated ramp. A ramp segment on the print zone exit side of the printer has a greater mass than the remaining segment. As the copy sheet exits the print zone and moves along the surface of the ramp, it extends past the ramp edge in cantilevered fashion. At some point, the weight of the paper overcomes the mass of the print side ramp segment causing the ramp member to rotate clockwise, lowering the sheet to its final position in the output tray. Once the sheet clears the edge of the ramp, the ramp rotates back to its unloaded position.

The present invention relates to a copy sheet stacking apparatus, and, more particularly to a copy sheet stacking apparatus that controls a lead edge trajectory path of a sheet as it exits a print area in order to prevent the back of the exiting sheet from affecting the front of a previously deposited sheet whose recorded image may not be completely dry.
Commercial copiers and printers typically have two copy sheet stations, a first paper feed station for feeding copy sheets into a path which carries the sheet through an image recording station, and a second sheet station where the output prints carrying a recorded image are conveyed and deposited. A particular problem for printers which form images by depositing ink into the recording zone (e.g. thermal and piezoelectric ink jet printers) is the smearing of ink on a sheet previously deposited in an output tray by the sliding contact of the leading edge of the subsequently exiting sheet. If the printer output rate is slow enough, this may not be a problem. However, as output copy rates increase, the ink smearing problem becomes more significant. Various approaches to alleviating this smearing problem are known and practiced in commercial printers and in the prior art. HP Deskjet 500 ink jet printers incorporate a minimum time delay into the system before sheets are deposited by suspending the printed sheets on opposed support rails which are subsequently withdrawn to allow the sheet to fall onto a previously deposited sheet. This process, as disclosed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,963, requires a relatively complex mechanism, which adds to the printer cost. Another alternative is to select a fast drying ink; however, such inks may not be the most appropriate ink for a particular printer design. A still further approach, which adds to the cost and complexity of the system, is the use of a heating device to dry the ink on the printed sheet.

Copy sheet stacking apparatus with articulated exit guide ramp