A first spacecraft comprises a drive mechanism. A second spacecraft comprises a valve for filling/draining the second spacecraft. The coupling assembly comprises a first connector comprising an actuating member configured to engage and open the valve and a coupling member configured to couple to the drive mechanism. A second connector comprises a stop portion and a bore for transferring fluid. Operation of the drive mechanism rotates the coupling member and the second connector together to screw the second connector onto the valve until the stop portion engages the valve, the actuating member being prevented from moving relative to the second connector to open the valve whilst the lock is in the locked state. Once the stop portion engages the valve, operation of the drive mechanism to exert a torque on the coupling member greater than a predetermined torque level moves the lock to an unlocked state wherein the actuating member is moveable relative to the second connector to engage and open the valve.

It is sometimes necessary to transfer fluid to or from a spacecraft after the spacecraft has been launched into space. For example, it may be necessary to refuel a spacecraft by transferring propellant to the spacecraft or to drain fuel or other fluids from the spacecraft for re-use or disposal.
Some spacecraft have a valve that allows for filling and/or draining of the spacecraft. The valves typically comprise a part that is moved, for example, slid or rotated, to open the valve to allow for the transfer of fluid to or from the spacecraft. However, such valves are often designed for filling/draining the spacecraft prior to launch, and it can be difficult make a fluid connection with the valve and then perform the movement necessary to open the valve once in space. Situations should be avoided wherein the valve is opened before a proper fluid connection is made with the valve because this could result in fluid being released into space. In particular, the release of fluid, such as propellant, into space can create contamination risks to the spacecraft, may result in coating of instruments, and can alter the thermal properties of the external surfaces.

Coupling assembly for fluidly connecting first and second spacecraft and a kit of parts for a coupling and a method of fluidly connecting first and second spacecraft using a coupling


A transportable and repositionable portion control system 10 has an integral portion weight sensing system 90 configured for use with an optional fry ribbon bridge assembly 190 in a portion control method. The portion 14 is held in a portion indexing area, or corral 20 on an upper surface 22 of the scale 10. A portion indexing area 20 is defined between spaced, upstanding container supports 24 and 26 which diverge from one another in a “V” shape and the spacing between the rails is selected to allow a selected variety of known containers such as a cup to be placed on surface 22 between the rails to ensure that the carton is properly located for the weight measurement that is to be carried out by the scale 10.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portion control system and method for apportioning cooked foods in a commercial food service or quick-service restaurant setting.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Weight check systems are known in the prior art for checking a customer's order or for checking the contents of a bagged order to determine if it is correct. The owners of this application also own U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,386, entitled "Computerized method and system for fulfillment of an itemized food order from a quick-service restaurant menu" which describes a system in which a customer's order is input into a computer system that is adapted to check for the correct food content by means of weighing the bagged order. The restaurant personnel are alerted by the computer system when the packaged order is either overweight or underweight when compared to a predetermined weight range for the total items ordered. While the system and method of the '386 patent is well suited for making sure the customer is given the proper items, it is not adapted specifically for portion control in the quick-service restaurant setting.
French fries are the most popular item served at most quick service or "fast food" restaurants. At one well-known fast food franchise organization, hundreds of millions of orders are sold each year. One of these quick service restaurants (e.g., McDonalds®) is renowned for its quality control methodology and training, which assures their customers of a consistent dining experience at its restaurants across the globe. For French Fries, McDonalds has established a selected weight (e.g., 2.6 ounces) as the average weight of a regular order of French Fries, and the chain bases its pricing, margin and yield calculations around this performance.
Because of the inconsistent length of French Fries, from under 2 inches to 6 inches, it is difficult for store personnel to control portion size. Although stores have access to portion measuring scales for weighing individual servings, these scales are not regularly used, because they add extra steps to the production process, add complexity, and reduce efficiency during busy or peak serving periods.
The common outcome, verified by owners and others familiar with store operations, is that store personnel fill servings visually, leaving extra fries in each bag or carton to minimize customer complaints and speed operations, typically resulting in a 2-3% shortfall in yield. A typical quick service store uses 400-500 pounds of frozen fries per day, translating to 1600-2000 orders served per day. Improving yield by 1% results in 16-20 more servings sold per day from the given quantity of fries, and an increased daily profit of $19-$26 per store, or over $600 per month. Therefore, improving the yield for French Fries represents the single most obvious, universal opportunity to improve the bottom line of "fast food" restaurants. Accordingly, a method or apparatus is needed that accurately determines the portion size or weight for each serving of a comestible such as French Fries, but only if that solution does not slow down service or the existing Fry preparation process.
Fresh, hot Fries are typically prepared at a stainless steel "fry station". Each station consists of a "fry tub" containing 1 or 2 receptacle bins for the temporary storage of hot fries, infrared heat lamps placed above the station for keeping the product hot (140-165 F), a shelf or shelves for retrieving paper serving containers of all 3 sizes, and a "fry ribbon." The Fry Ribbon is a special metal grate/railing sitting above the tub, designed to hold individual servings, and for allowing any dropped fries to fall through into the tub below. A typical fast food restaurant likely uses a fry station with features that have evolved over time and will likely continue to change, and there are many different sizes and shapes, as the design of fry ribbons has changed many times over the years and will continue to do so. A typical preparation and serving process is as follows:                1. Hot fries are dumped from a fryer basket into the tub.        2. The operator adds salt to the fries.        3. The operator places an empty pouch, bag or container on the fry ribbon or holds the container in his or her hand and uses a fry scoop to pick up fries from the tub and place them in the container. The fry order (i.e., serving or portion) is weighed and adjusted, if needed. When no adjustment is needed (meaning the fry order meets standards for quality and weight), the order container is placed (or slid) to one side (e.g., the left) for "first in-first out" dispensing to the customer.        4. The operator repeats the process with the next empty container        5. Each prepared serving remains on the fry ribbon until it is dispensed. Users typically place the serving containers in a horizontal row, with regular servings and large servings in separate rows on the fry ribbon.        6. As more servings are prepared, the operator slides the prepared servings toward the left.        7. As a customer order is prepared, fry servings are picked from the left side (first-in, first-out procedure).
The foregoing procedure is so ingrained in training and personnel habits that it must remain relatively undisturbed if fast food restaurant operators are to adopt any portion control solution. There is a need, therefore, for a convenient, flexible, inexpensive and unobtrusive system and method for automated weighing of individual packaged French Fry servings or portions for use in a restaurant or fast food setting. It is noted that French fries are a foodstuff or comestible which is often prepared, cooked or fried before being apportioned or packaged for (hopefully) immediate sale and delivery to the customer, and other foodstuffs present similar challenges. Thus, there is also a need for automated apportionment or weighing of individual packaged servings or portions of other comestibles for use in a restaurant or fast food setting. In order to meet this need, a system and method must provide a time-efficient and relatively fool-proof measurement method and apparatus, ensuring that the customer receives the correct quantity of product while avoiding excessive portions, which diminish profit levels for the restaurant. There is a need for a more versatile scale to weigh cooked food products to fit onto/into existing equipment designs that leave no area that is intended to accommodate a food scale.

Method for using a ribbon scale for adjusting the amount of french fries in a bag in a restaurant


A package for carrying and dispensing wipes is described. The package has a wallet-like configuration and includes a first compartment separated from a second compartment along a foldable seam. The package can be configured to carry any suitable wipes including facial tissue, bath tissue, and any suitable pre-moistened wipes.

Various different types of disposable wiping products are currently available on the market. Such wiping products can include, for instance, facial tissues, bath tissues, paper towels, napkins, and the like. In addition to dry products, saturated or pre-moistened wiping products have also gained in popularity in the recent past.
Saturated or pre-moistened wiping products are used in a variety of different wiping and polishing applications. For instance, pre-moistened wipes are commonly sold in a stack of individual, folded sheets packaged in a plastic container for use as baby wipes. In other applications, the wipes are treated with an antibacterial agent and packaged as a sanitary wiper.
Pre-moistened wipes are also produced containing a disinfectant and/or a cleaning composition. In these applications, the pre-moistened wipes are used to clean and disinfect adjacent surfaces, such as countertops, flooring, and bathroom surfaces.
Pre-moistened products are also constructed that disintegrate when placed in water over a period of time. These products are marketed as being "flushable" down a standard commode. Such pre-moistened wipes are gaining in popularity as a replacement to dry bath tissue.
Wiping products, such as those described above, are packaged in various different formats. For instance, the wiping products can be packaged in containers made from plastic or from paperboard. The package can be configured to contain a relatively large number of wipes or, for some pre-moistened wipes, configured to only contain a single wipe. What is needed, however, is a package for carrying a relatively small amount of wipes for individual use. For instance, in some applications, a need exists for a package for pre-moistened wipes that can be discretely carried by an individual. Such a package, for instance, may be particularly well suited to holding flushable pre-moistened wipes.


An elongate tibial plateau-leveling osteotomy fixation plate is disclosed. The plate generally conforms in three dimensions to the proximal tibial segment and metaphysis that are separated and rotated for such fixation. The plate has formed therein six holes, three in a proximal triangular expanse overlying the metaphysis and three in a distal elongate expanse overlying the proximal tibia, with the cylindrical osteotomy lying between these sets of holes. Two of the holes in the triangular expanse are elongate, with their long axes intersecting at the center of the curvilinear osteotomy. The two elongate holes include in their circular ends oppositely 45.degree. beveled features that allow the plate, when secured by fasteners or screws in all six holes, compressibly or distractably to urge the proximal tibia and the metaphysis together or apart along a radius of the osteotomy that generally bisects the arc of the curvilinear cut, or neutrally to fix them in a position of neither compression nor distraction. All six holes include in their remaining regions arcuately curved "countersink" beveled features that conform with the curved head of the screws with which the plate is fixed to the osteotomy site. The compressive/distractive forces incident to securing one or more screws through the elongate hole(s) into the metaphysis cooperate with the forces incident to securing one or more screws through the round hole(s) into the proximal tibia, thereby better to fix the plate against inadvertent movement relative to either section.

The invention relates generally to fixation of cut and rotated bone portions following a proximal, tibial osteotomy. More particularly, the invention concerns a fixation plate and fasteners for use in fixing the proximal tibial and metaphyseal tibial portions as a final step in performing a tibial plateau-leveling curvilinear-cut and rotate osteotomy.
A proximal tibial osteotomy for leveling a canine's tibial plateau involves producing in the proximal tibia a curvilinear through cut that separates the metaphysis from the proximal tibia, rotating the metaphysis relative to the proximal tibia a predetermined amount that effectively levels the tibial plateau and fixing the metaphysis relative to the proximal tibia by suitable means. Such an osteotomy is described in detail in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,973 entitled "Proximal, Tibial Osteotomy for Leveling A Tibial Plateau", which issued Jul. 7, 1987, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference. While the osteotomy method disclosed therein is effective in leveling the tibial plateau, fixation as by pinning and/or wiring is not always as effective as desired in the short and long-term fixation of the cut and separated, and relatively rotated, tibial portions. Less secure fixation can result in retarded osteosynthesis and, ultimately, failure of the proximal tibia and/or the femoro-tibial joint.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a fixation plate and fasteners for use in fixing the relatively rotated bone segments that result from a tibial plateau-leveling osteotomy.
Another object is to provide such a plate that accommodates a wide range of choice in compressively, distractively or neutrally impacting the bone segments in their fixation relative to one another.
Yet another object is to provide such a plate the formed screw holes of which maximally conform along at least one axis, to fasteners used in securing the plate to the osteotomy site.
Another important object of the invention is to provide such a plate that generally conforms in three dimensions to the proximal tibia for which it is particularly suited.
Still another object is to provide such a plate with a plural screw hole configuration that, with fasteners properly inserted therethrough into the bone segments, provides for better securement of the plate to the proximal tibial site due to cooperation among certain of the hole/fastener pairs.
It is also an object of the invention to provide such a fixation plate and fastener set that easily and cost-effectively are manufactured.
In brief summary of the invention, an elongate tibial plateau-leveling osteotomy fixation plate is provided that in cross-sectional view along its long axis is curved to conform along its extent with the differently cross-sectionally curved proximal tibial segment and metaphysis. The plate is shaped and dimensioned in its generally sagittal planar extents to conform in part with the elongate proximal tibia, with a generally triangular, cranially extending expanse at its proximal end. The plate preferably has formed therein six holes, three triangularly arrayed in the triangular proximal expanse overlying the metaphysis and three linearly arrayed in the elongate distal expanse overlying the proximal tibia (with the preferably cylindrical osteotomy cut, separated, relatively rotated and conformingly mating surfaces extending between these sets of holes).
Preferably two of the holes in the triangular expanse are elongate, with their long axes intersecting at the center of the curvilinear osteotomy. The two elongate holes include in their circular ends oppositely 45.degree. beveled features that allow the plate, when secured by screws in all six holes, compressibly or distractably to urge the proximal tibia and the metaphysis together or apart along a radius of the osteotomy that generally bisects the arc of the curvilinear cut, or neutrally to fix them in a position of neither compression nor distraction. All six holes include in their remaining regions arcuately curved "countersink" beveled features that conform precisely with the curved head of the screws with which the plate is fixed to the osteotomy site. The compressive/distractive forces incident to securing one or more screws through the elongate hole(s) into the metaphysis cooperate with the forces incident to securing one or more screws through the round hole(s) into the proximal tibia, thereby better to fix the plate against inadvertent movement relative to either section.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and the following description of the preferred embodiment.


A tape cassette protective cover is designed to fit securely over the open tape transport region of a tape cassette. The cover includes a C-shaped plastic cover having a semi-circular lip which fits over the apertures in a tape cassette. The cover has an elongated walled trough section with a corresponding end section at each end which fits over the sides of the tape cassette. Each end section is grooved or perforated, such that the protrusion located at the sides of a tape cassette slides into the end section and securely fits within the groove or the perforation.

The present invention relates to a tape cassette protective cover which is designed to fit securely over the open tape transport region of a tape cassette. 2. The Prior Art
Attempts have been made in the past to provide protective means for tape cassettes. Prior proposals are as follows.
The Minkow U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,331 discloses a shield for magnetic tape cassettes having a rectangular outer edge which protects the open tape transport region of a tape cassette and an apron folded at a 90.degree. angle with respect to the outer edge. The apron extends over the apertures at the bottom of the tape cassette and has two spaced prongs which are fitted into the two large winding apertures located at the center of the tape cassette.
The Bowers U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,345 shows a protective cap for a recording tape cassette having a plastic strip cover that extends along the bottom tape region of a tape cassette. The strip cover has a plurality of prongs at its inner side which are designed to be inserted into the bottom of the tape cassette.
The Spiroch U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,180 discloses a device for the storage of magnetic tape cassettes having an elongated plastic rail that is fitted over the bottom of a tape cassette. The plastic rail has U-shaped cross-sectional configuration with panels that grip and securely fasten to the bottom of the tape cassette. Nibs or projections are provided at the inner surface of these panels and are inserted into the apertures located at the bottom of a tape cassette. This device is mainly a rail to be used in conjunction with a storage case for tape cassettes.
The Oishi U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,712 shows a magnetic tape cassette receiving casing. The cassette shown in the drawings has a rotatable cover. Although the cover is rotatable, it has an elongated strip covering the bottom of a tape cassette with two side portions which grip the sides of a tape cassette, giving it a C-shaped configuration.
The Bierwas U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,856 shows a container for a tape cassette having a U-shaped bracket which fits over the outer portions of a tape cassette.
Other prior art of interest are as follows:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s) ______________________________________ 4,272,167 Kempster 3,909,088 Dennehey et al. 3,635,350 Wolf Re. 30,184 Ackeret Des. 223,739 ______________________________________


A shifting device (4) is provided for an automatic transmission and has an additional manual shifting function. The device includes a selector lever (6), which is mounted pivotably on a gear shift lever (10) such that different, automatically shiftable gears can be preset in a first shift gate (1) and individual, manually shiftable gears can be preset in a second shift gate (2). A housing (5) is provided, in which the gear shift gate (10) is mounted with the selector lever (6) pivotably in such a way that shifting between a predetermined gear (“D”) of the first shift gate (1) and a neutral position (“M”) of the second shift gate (2) is made possible. The further shifting from the predetermined gear (“D”) of the first shift gate (1) into at least one other gear (“3”) of the first shift gate is prevented by a lock, which is overcome by the actuation of an actuating element. The lock is formed by a stop (15) of the housing (5) and an intermediate piece (18) arranged on the gear shift gate (10) between the selector lever (6) and the stop (15).

Such a shifting device is described, for example, in DE 38 07 881 C2. It combines in it the advantage of the shifting of a conventional automatic transmission with those of a transmission to be shifted manually. By pivoting a selector lever, which is mounted pivotably on a gear shifting gate, different automatically shiftable gears, e.g., "P," "R," "N," "D,", "3," "2" and "1" can be preset in a first shift gate. Via a cross gate, the selector lever is shifted over from the first shift gate into a second shift gate, in which individual, manually shiftable gears are preset, e.g., a first gear, a second gear, a third gear and a fourth gear, i.e., the forward gears. The shifting of the manually shiftable gears in the second shift gate is performed by pivoting the selector lever in two opposite directions, e.g., the direction of travel and the direction opposite the direction of travel, as a result of which a plus sensor and a minus sensor respond, which initiate an upshifting or downshifting of the manual gears.
Shifting between defined gears in the first shift gate is usually prevented in such shifting devices by a lock, which can be overcome by actuating an actuating element. For example, shifting from the gear "P" into the gear "R" is possible only by actuating the actuating element simultaneously with the application of the brake. The actuating element is usually a pushbutton at the knob of the selector lever. Shifting from "P" to "R," from "R" to "P" and from "N" to "R" usually also requires the actuation of an actuating element to overcome the shift lock.
If the automatic shifting device is a shifting device with an additional tip shifting function (manual shifting or Tiptronic), the selector lever is usually pivoted from the gear "D" via the cross gate into the second shift gate, where the individual gears can be selected manually by tapping or pivoting the selector lever in the "+" and "−" directions. The selector lever, which is mounted pivotably on the gear shift gate for selecting the individual gears in the two gates, is pivoted together with the gear shift gate during the shifting from the first shift gate into the second shift gate. The shift locks referred to above are usually seated on the gear shift gate, because they are to block the pivoting of the selector lever on the gear shift gate. If additional gears, which can be selected only after overcoming the shift lock, are provided after the gear "D," the movement of the selector lever in the second shift gate is thus also blocked in one of the two directions for selecting the manually shiftable gates. However, this is not desirable, because no shift locks shall be provided precisely during the manual shifting, and the manual shifting shall be made possible by a slight tapping or pivoting of the selector lever.

Shifting device for an automatic transmission


This invention relates to a method of making a pollutant harmless by treating a material to be treated containing the pollutant. The method comprises the steps of: heating the material in a pressure resistant vessel hermetically to obtain a heated material; supplying the heated material from the vessel to a nozzle; and jetting out the material from the nozzle to collide against a collecting member arranged opposite to the nozzle.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of making a pollutant such as an exhaust gas, a polluted water and soil or the like harmless and to an apparatus conducting the method.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, environmental problems have been caused by pollution of air and soil due to dioxin generated by burning a waste, pollution of rivers, lakes and marshes due to a waste acid or alkali or the like, pollution of an underground water due to a waste water from a factory containing a solvent such as an organic chlorine compound (for example, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene), pollution of soil due to mercury, cadmium, lead, zinc, cyanogen, arsenic, chromium, copper, fluorides, an organic chlorine compound or the like.
Conventionally, the polluted water has been treated by neutralizing, while the polluted soil has been treated by burning or burying.
However, the burying treatment is wrong because a new secondary pollution may be caused. Further, a method, in which the polluted soil is melted with taking a long time and then cracked (vitrified), requires a long treatment period and a high treatment cost.

Method of making pollutant harmless and apparatus for conducting the method


The present invention relates to an isolated protein or polypeptide corresponding to a protein or polypeptide in Erwinia chrysanthemi which elicits a hypersensitive response in plants. The encoding DNA molecule alone in isolated form or either in an expression system, a host cell, or a transgenic plant are also disclosed. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of imparting pathogen resistance to plants by transforming a plant with the DNA molecule of the present invention.

Interactions between bacterial pathogens and their plant hosts generally fall into two categories: (1) compatible (pathogen-host), leading to intercellular bacterial growth, symptom development, and disease development in the host plant; and (2) incompatible (pathogen-nonhost), resulting in the hypersensitive response, a particular type of incompatible interaction occurring, without progressive disease symptoms. During compatible interactions on host plants, bacterial populations increase dramatically and progressive symptoms occur. During incompatible interactions, bacterial populations do not increase, and progressive symptoms do not occur.
The hypersensitive response is a rapid, localized necrosis that is associated with the active defense of plants against many pathogens (Kiraly, Z., "Defenses Triggered by the Invader: Hypersensitivity," pages 201-224 in: Plant Disease: An Advanced Treatise, Vol. 5, J. G. Horsfall and E. B. Cowling, ed. Academic Press New York (1980); Klement, Z., "Hypersensitivity," pages 149-177 in: Phytopathogenic Prokaryotes, Vol. 2, M. S. Mount and G. H. Lacy, ed. Academic Press, New York (1982)), which are hereby incorporated by reference). The hypersensitive response elicited by bacteria is readily observed as a tissue collapse if high concentrations (.gtoreq.107 cells/ml) of a limited host-range pathogen like Pseudomonas syringae or Erwinia amylovora are infiltrated into the leaves of nonhost plants (necrosis occurs only in isolated plant cells at lower levels of inoculum) (Klement, Z., "Rapid Detection of Pathogenicity of Phytopathogenic Pseudomonads," Nature 199:299-300; Klement, et al., "Hypersensitive Reaction Induced by Phytopathogenic Bacteria in the Tobacco Leaf," Phytopathology 54:474-477 (1963); Turner, et al., "The Quantitative Relation Between Plant and Bacterial Cells Involved in the Hypersensitive Reaction," Phytopathology 64:885-890 (1974); Klement, Z., "Hypersensitivity," pages 149-177 in Phytopathogenic Prokaryotes, Vol. 2., M. S. Mount and G. H. Lacy, ed. Academic Press, New York (1982), which are hereby incorporated by reference). The capacities to elicit the hypersensitive response in a nonhost and be pathogenic in a host appear linked. As noted by Klement, Z., "Hypersensitivity," pages 149-177 in Phytopathogenic Prokaryotes, Vol. 2., M. S. Mount and G. H. Lacy, ed. Academic Press, New York which is incorporated by reference, these pathogens also cause physiologically similar, albeit delayed, necroses in their interactions with compatible hosts. Furthermore, the ability to produce the hypersensitive response or pathogenesis is dependent on a common set of genes, denoted hrp (Lindgren, P. B., et al., "Gene Cluster of Pseudomonas syringae pv. `phaseolicola` Controls Pathogenicity of Bean Plants and Hypersensitivity on Nonhost Plants," J. Bacteriol. 168:512-22 (1986); Willis, D. K., et al., "hrp Genes of Phytopathogenic Bacteria," Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 4:132-138 (1991), which are hereby incorporated by reference). Consequently, the hypersensitive response may hold clues to both the nature of plant defense and the basis for bacterial pathogenicity.
The hrp genes are widespread in gram-negative plant pathogens, where they are clustered, conserved, and in some cases interchangeable (Willis, D. K., et al., "hrp Genes of Phytopathogenic Bateria," Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 4:132-138 (1991); Bonas, U., "hrp Genes of Phytopathogenic Bacteria," pages 79-98 in: Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology: Bacterial Pathogenesis of Plants and Animals--Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms, J. L. Dangl, ed. Springer-Verlag, Berlin (1994), which are hereby incorporated by reference). Several hrp genes encode components of a protein secretion pathway similar to one used by Yersinia, Shigella, and Salmonella spp. to secrete proteins essential in animal diseases (Van Gijsegem, et al., "Evolutionary Conservation of Pathogenicity Determinants Among Plant and Animal Pathogenic Bacteria," Trends Microbiol. 1:175-180 (1993), which is incorporated by reference). In E. amylovora, P. syringae, and P. solanacearum, hrp genes have been shown to control the production and secretion of glycine-rich, protein elicitors of the hypersensitive response (He, S. Y., et al. "Pseudomonas Syringae pv. Syringae Harpin.sub.Pss : a Protein that is Secreted via the Hrp Pathway and Elicits the Hypersensitive Response in Plants," Cell 73:1255-1266 (1993), Wei, Z.-H., et al., "HrpI of Erwinia amylovora Functions in Secretion of Harpin and is a Member of a New Protein Family," J. Bacteriol. 175:7958-7967 (1993); Arlat, M. et al. "PopA1, a Protein Which Induces a Hypersensitive-like Response on Specific Petunia Genotypes, is Secreted via the Hrp Pathway of Pseudomonas solanacearum," EMBO J. 13:543-553 (1994), which are hereby incorporated by reference).
The first of these proteins was discovered in E. amylovora Ea321, a bacterium that causes fire blight of rosaceous plants, and was designated harpin (Wei, Z.-M., et al, "Harpin, Elicitor of the Hypersensitive Response Produced by the Plant Pathogen Erwinia amylovora," Science 257:85-88 (1992), which is incorporated by reference). Mutations in the encoding hzpN gene revealed that harpin is required for E. amylovora to elicit a hypersensitive response in nonhost tobacco leaves and incite disease symptoms in highly susceptible pear fruit. The P. solanacearum GMI1000 PopA1 protein has similar physical properties and also elicits the hypersensitive response in leaves of tobacco, which is not a host of that strain (Arlat, et al. "PopA1, a Protein Which Induces a Hypersensitive-like Response on Specific Petunia Genotypes, is Secreted via the Hrp Pathway of Pseudomonas solanacearum,"EMBO J. 13:543-553 (1994), which is incorporated by reference). However, P. solanacearum popA mutants still elicit the hypersensitive response in tobacco and incite disease in tomato. Thus, the role of these glycine-rich hypersensitive response elicitors can vary widely among gram-negative plant pathogens.
E. chrysanthemi is unlike the bacterial pathogens that typically elicit the hypersensitive response, because it has a wide host range, rapidly kills and macerates host tissues, and secretes several isozymes of the macerating enzyme pectate lyase (Barras, F., et al., "Extracellular Enzymes and Pathogenesis of Soft-rot Erwinia," Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 32:201-234 (1994), which is incorporated by reference). Nevertheless, pectic enzyme secretion pathway mutants of E. chrysanthemi EC16 cause a typical hypersensitive response (Bauer, D. W., et al., "Erwinia chrysanthemi hrp Genes and Their Involvement in Soft Rot Pathogenesis and Elicitation of the Hypersensitive Response," Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 7:573-581 (1994), which is incorporated by reference). Furthermore, elicitation of the hypersensitive response by E. chrysanthemi is dependent on a hrp gene that is conserved in E. amylovora and P. syringae and functions in the secretion of the E. amylovora harpin (Wei, Z.-H., et al., "HrpI of Erwinia amylovora Functions in Secretion of Harpin and is a Member of a New Protein Family," J. Bacteriol. 175:7958-7967 (1993)i; Bauer, D. W., et al., "Erwinia chrysanthemi hap Genes and Their Involvement in Soft Rot Pathogenesis and Elicitation of the Hypersensitive Response," Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 7:573-581 (1993), which are hereby incorporated by reference).

Hypersensitive response elicitor from Erwinia chrysanthemi


A conductive member of zero insertion/extraction force integrated circuit socket, including spring sections and contact sections is provided. The spring sections and contact sections of the conductive members are interlaced with each other and arranged on the blank. The unfolding pitch of the blank is equal to the insertion pitch, whereby a maximum utility ratio of the blank is achieved and the conductive members, made by punching the same blank, can be fully inserted into the same row of insertion holes of the insulating seat body at the same time during the insertion operation.

The present invention is related to conductive members of zero insertion/extraction force integrated circuit sockets, which utilize the production blank optimally. The conductive members are made by punching the same blank and can be fully inserted into the same row of insertion holes of the insulating seat body during the insertion operation.
In order to facilitate replacement and progress, an integrated circuit, including a central processor unit (CPU), is generally indirectly electrically connected with a printed circuit board via an integrated circuit socket soldered on the printed circuit board. A conventional integrated circuit socket includes an insulating seat body and multiple conductive members. The insulating seat body is formed with multiple insertion holes. The distance between each two adjacent insertion holes is defined as an insertion pitch. According to the updated specification regulated by U.S. major manufacturers, the pitch of the insertion pins of integrated circuit is 1.27 mm. As shown in FIGS. 37, 38 and 39, such a pitch is very small so that it is impossible to make effective conductive members on a metal blank at each conventional interval of 1.27 mm. In addition, it is impossible to manufacture such a conductive member A having two opposite spring sections B and contact sections C for clamping the insertion pin of the integrated circuit which are formed on two sides of the conductive member. When unfolded, the spring sections and contact sections are wider than 1.27 mm. Therefore, it is impossible to cut the blank within 1.27 mm to form spring sections and contact sections wider than 1.27 mm.
Therefore, generally, a complete conductive member is made at two insertion pitches P, that is, P=2.54 mm. However, this leads to two problems as follows:
1. The pitch of the punched row of conductive members is 2.54 mm, while the pitch of the insertion holes of the insulating seat body is 1.27 mm. Therefore, twice the number of insertion operations are required to fully insert the conductive members into the entire row of insertion holes of the insulating seat body. As a result, manufacturing time is doubled.
2. The utility ratio of the blank is low. A width of 1.27 mm is inevitably wasted.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a conductive member of zero insertion/extraction force integrated circuit socket. A complete conductive member can be cut within each 1.27 mm pitch. That is, the unfolding pitch of the entire row of conductive members is 1.27 mm. Accordingly, the conductive members, made by punching the same blank, can be fully inserted into the same row of insertion holes of the insulating seat body at the same time during the insertion operation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide the above conductive member of zero insertion/extraction force integrated circuit socket in which a complete conductive member can be cut within each 1.27 mm pitch so that a maximum utility ratio of the blank is achieved.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide the above conductive member of zero insertion/extraction force integrated circuit socket in which each of the contact sections of any conductive member has a first slope which first contacts with the insertion pin of the integrated circuit. The first slope serves to guide the insertion pin to more easily insert into the space between the opposite contact sections.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide the above conductive member of zero insertion/extraction force integrated circuit socket in which each of the contact sections of any conductive member has a second slope which further contacts the insertion pin of the integrated circuit. The second slope serves to prevent the insertion pin from slipping out of the space between the contact sections, whereby the insertion pin of the integrated circuit is more firmly clamped and fixed.
The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

Conductive member of zero insertion/extraction force integrated circuit socket


An osteogenic composition is provided for implantation at or near a target tissue site beneath the skin, the osteogenic composition comprising a growth factor and a coloring agent, wherein the coloring agent imparts color to the growth factor to allow the user to see the growth factor at or near the target tissue site. In some embodiments, a method is provided for accelerating bone repair, the method comprising mixing bone morphogenic protein-2 and a coloring agent to form a mixture; applying the mixture to a surface of a porous collagen matrix, wherein the coloring agent allows the user to see bone morphogenic protein-2 distribution on or in the porous collagen matrix; and implanting the porous collagen matrix at or near a target tissue site in need of bone repair.

Bone is a composite material that is composed of impure hydroxyapatite, collagen and a variety of non-collagenous proteins, as well as embedded and adherent cells. Due to disease, a congenital defect or an accident, a person may lose or be missing part or all of one or more bones or regions of cartilage in his or her body, and/or have improper growth or formation of bone and/or cartilage.
Mammalian bone tissue is known to contain one or more proteinaceous materials that are active during growth and natural bone healing. These materials can induce a developmental cascade of cellular events that results in bone formation. Typically, the developmental cascade of bone formation involves chemotaxis of mesenchymal cells, proliferation of progenitor cells, differentiation of cartilage, vascular invasion, bone formation, remodeling and marrow differentiation.
When bone is damaged, often bone grafting procedures are performed to repair the damaged bone especially in cases where the damage is complex, poses a significant risk to the patient, and/or fails to heal properly. Bone grafting is also used to help fusion between vertebrae, correct deformities, or provide structural support for fractures of the spine. In addition to fracture repair, bone grafting is also used to repair defects in bone caused by birth defects, traumatic injury, or surgery for bone cancer.
There are at least three ways in which a bone graft can help repair a defect. The first is called osteogenesis, the formation of new bone within the graft. The second is osteoinduction, a process in which molecules contained within the graft (e.g., bone morphogenic proteins) convert the patient's cells into cells that are capable of forming bone. The third is osteoconduction, a physical effect by which a matrix often containing graft material acts as a scaffold on which bone and cells in the recipient are able to form new bone.
The source of bone for grafting can be obtained from bones in the patient's own body (e.g., hip, skull, ribs, etc.), called autograft, or from bone taken from other people that is frozen and stored in tissue banks, called allograft. The source of bone may also be derived from animals of a different species called a xenograft.
Some grafting procedures utilize a variety of natural and synthetic matrixes with or instead of bone (e.g., collagen, silicone, acrylics, hydroxyapatite, calcium sulfate, ceramics, etc.). To place the matrix at the bone defect, the surgeon makes an incision in the skin over the bone defect and shapes the matrix to fit into the defect. As persons of ordinary skill are aware, growth factors (e.g., bone morphogenic protein-2) may be placed on the matrix in order to spur the patient's body to begin the formation of new bone and/or cartilage. These growth factors act much like a catalyst, encouraging the necessary cells (including, but not limited to, mesenchymal stem cells, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts) to more rapidly migrate into the matrix, which is eventually resorbed via a cell-mediated process and newly formed bone is deposited at or near the bone defect. In this manner severe fractures may be healed, and vertebrae successfully fused.
Sometimes when the surgeon manipulates the matrix to place it in the bone defect, excessive amounts of growth factor (e.g., bone morphogenic protein) may leak from the matrix, which may reduce a stable microenvironment for new bone and/or cartilage growth. It also may cause the matrix to fail to retain its full efficacy over time to maximally promote bone and/or cartilage growth at a target site. Thus, there is a need to develop new osteogenic compositions and methods that improve bone and/or cartilage repair.

Osteogenic compositions containing a coloring agent


A prodrug comprising a heparin and a drug is provided. The prodrug can be used to form a coating on a medical device. The prodrug can also be used with a polymeric material to form a coating on a medical device. The polymeric material can be a hydrophobic polymer, a hydrophilic polymer, a non-fouling polymer, or combinations thereof. The medical device can be implanted in a human being for the treatment of a disease such as atherosclerosis, thrombosis, restenosis, hemorrhage, vascular dissection or perforation, vascular aneurysm, vulnerable plaque, chronic total occlusion, claudication, anastomotic proliferation for vein and artificial grafts, bile duct obstruction, ureter obstruction, tumor obstruction, or combinations thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a prodrug formed of heparin and a drug and drug-delivery stents formed from a material having the prodrug.
2. Description of the Background
Blood has a property of being coagulated by the action of various components in blood when it has come into contact with foreign matter. Hence, there is a need for a high anticoagulant property in component materials for medical articles or instruments used on the part coming into contact with blood, as exemplified by artificial hearts, artificial cardiac valves, artificial blood vessels, blood vessel catheters, cannulas, pump-oxygenators, blood vessel by-pass tubes, intraaortic balloon pumps, transfusion instruments and extracorporeal circulation circuits.
Heparin has been commonly used to impart anticoagulant properties to the medical devices, but a systemic use of heparin may undesirably lead to the formation of a large number of bleeding nests. Methods have been developed to minimize side effects associated with the use of heparin with limited success (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,270,064 and 6,630,580). Meanwhile, problems associated with systemic administration of a drug have led to the development of methods for local delivery of the drug. Administration of a pharmacologically active drug directly to a patient may lead to some undesirable consequences because many therapeutic drugs have undesirable properties that may become pharmacological, pharmaceutical, or pharmacokinetic barriers in clinical drug applications.
Therefore, in the art of drug-delivery implantable medical devices, there is a need for minimizing the side effects associated with the use of heparin and a drug.
The present invention addresses such problems by providing a coating composition and a coating formed thereof including a prodrug formed of heparin and a drug.

Heparin prodrugs and drug delivery stents formed therefrom


An apparatus for filtering and cooling liquid, with four filtration chambers are connected by a series of passageways. The apparatus is mounted on a cart so that it may be rolled into position under a machine quickly and easily. Once the apparatus is in position, the machine is drained of its debris-laden oil which flows directly into the first chamber and through the first wire mesh filter. The liquid is then forced either by gravity or by pressure through the remaining chambers and their respective filters which have progressively smaller pore sizes. The tortuous movement of the liquid around the weirs helps to cool the liquid while the filters remove foreign particles from the liquid. Once the liquid reaches the fourth chamber, a pump is used to pump the cleansed liquid back into the machine so that it may be reused. The inlet to the pump may be fitted with an optional fifth filter element. Each chamber houses a tray assembly which includes a handle that protrudes above the chamber, a bracket that hold the replaceable wire mesh filters, and a catch pan that collects any solids that have settled to the bottom of each chamber. The filters have gaskets to prevent fluids from by-passing the filters and the filter pore size can vary with the application. The first embodiment may be operated at atmospheric pressure, while a second embodiment is equipped with a top on the tank which allows the system to be pressurized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for filtering solid impurities carried by a liquid. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for removing various sized debris from the machine oil of a piece of machinery. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for cooling the machine oil while removing the debris therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Machinery which has moving parts or cutting tools requires a lubricant to protect against damage and lengthen the useful life of components, e.g., moving parts or cutting tools. However, continuous usage of the machinery causes wear of the moving parts and cutting tools, which causes debris particles to become suspended within the lubricant. As more debris becomes suspended within the lubricant, continued use of the lubricant may actually cause more damage to the machinery than it can prevent. It is necessary, therefore, to filter the lubricant for continued usage or to completely change the lubricant periodically. Obviously, complete replacement of the lubricant is preferable because all debris is removed from the machinery. However, complete periodic or scheduled replacement is an extremely costly program to implement, and oftentimes the benefits are not significant enough to justify the costs.
Recycling the lubricant through periodic filtering, therefore, is a highly cost effective approach for maintaining the useful life of machinery and various machine parts.
The operating temperature of the machinery and the lubricating oil is typically high which can cause thermal breakdown of the oil. Once thermal breakdown of the oil occurs, the oil can no longer function as an effective lubricant. Therefore, cooling of the oil during the filtration process will help to extend the useful life of the oil.
Various filtering devices for removing solid matter suspended in a liquid are well known in the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,290,820 issued to H. Ten Winkel. on Jan. 7, 1919, describes a device for removing impurities from oil and water, and separating the oil from the water. The device comprises three distinct separating chambers that utilize different filter arrangements to accomplish the desired effect. In one of the separating chambers, the liquid follows a tortuous path which carries it into an internal compartment from the bottom thereof, and upwardly through three screens where it overflows into an outlet pipe that may carry the liquid to a final separating chamber. The final separating chamber requires the tortuous passage of water, forced under the manometric pressure of incoming liquid, to flow through a bottom opening into a series of annular compartments which lead to a pure water discharge tube. The density differences between oil and water allow the water to enter the bottom opening and flow out the discharge tube while the oil floats upwards away from the bottom opening. No suggestion is made for using the above-described liquid flow for the purpose of causing suspended debris to settle, nor is any suggestion made for using the liquid flow to cause cooling of the liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,444 issued to George E. McFarland on Nov. 3, 1992, describes an apparatus mounted on a cart and used for filtering food debris from cooking oil. The apparatus uses a closed system that is pressurized by a pump to force cooking oil through a plurality of lines and filter assemblies. Each filter assembly includes an outer fluid chamber located between a sleeve and a filter within the sleeve, and an inner passageway internal to the filter. Fluid is forced into the outer chamber and through the filter to the inner chamber, where it is forced into another filter or returned to a cooker for use. No suggestion is made for using the above-described liquid flow to cause cooling of the liquid. Additionally, the apparatus described is a closed system which requires the use of a pump to force the liquid through the system and also requires significant bleeding operation, which makes the apparatus labor intensive to operate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,634 issued to Henry E. Orensten and Vivian C. Orensten on May 18, 1976, describes various filtering elements within a closed system, pump-fed aquarium filter. The aquarium filter comprises a plurality of chambers with a cylindrical filtering element in each chamber. Fluid enters each chamber through an inlet at one end, where it passes through the filtering element and into a passageway internal to the element which communicates with an outlet at the other end of the chamber. Fluid is forced through a first filtering element, and then the fluid flow is divided into parallel flow through one of two additional filtering elements, i.e., a fine filtering element, a chemical filtering element, or a biologically active filtering element. The flow of fluid through the aquarium filter causes tortuous movement of the water through the series-parallel arrangement of filtering elements. No suggestion is made for using the above-described liquid flow to cause cooling of the liquid. Nor is any suggestion made for mounting this device atop a transportable cart to afford the apparatus maneuverability within the limited space typical of many machinery environments, so that it could be positioned to address a machine on a periodic basis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,485 which issued to Dominic S. Arbisi and Thomas A. Rasmussen on Apr. 27, 1987, describes a method and apparatus for aerating flowing water. The apparatus includes a plurality of serially arranged chambers which contain baffles open along their bottom edge to create tortuous water flow within each chamber, i.e., vertically downward and upward. Separating each chamber are partitions which are arranged to allow water to cascade down to the adjacent downstream chamber. The gravity fed apparatus is an open system which provides for cascading movement of the fluid, and nozzles which introduce air to the vertically downward flow of water within each chamber to cause the desired aeration. No suggestion is made for using the above-described liquid flow for the purpose of causing suspended debris to settle, nor is any suggestion made for using the liquid flow to cause cooling of the liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,908,329 issued to Sidney R. Dunham on May 9, 1933, describes a filtering device for use in closed system. The filtering device utilizes a number of filtering screens aligned in series, whereby debris is stopped by the filtering screens. Each filter screen is provided within an opening to allow liquid flow to continue even when a filtering screen becomes clogged. The openings of adjacent filtering screens are offset so as to cause tortuous fluid travel through the filtering device, which allows debris to settle despite clogging of the screens. No suggestion is made for using the above-described liquid flow to cause cooling of the liquid. Nor is there any suggestion made for mounting this device atop a transportable cart to provide maneuverability to the apparatus within the limited space typical of many machinery environments, so that it may be positioned to service a machine on a periodic basis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,753 issued to Ransen Gardenier, Jr., on Nov. 29, 1994, describes an antifreeze reclamation apparatus and a process for reclaiming antifreeze. The apparatus utilizes a gravity fed system with an inlet elevated above the outlet, whereby introduction of additional liquid forces cleaned liquid from the outlet. The process depends upon sedimentation to remove suspended debris and filtration by anionic and cationic resins, at the outlet or within the chamber, to remove dissolved minerals and metals.. No suggestion is made for using the above-described liquid flow to cause cooling of the liquid. Nor is there any suggestion made for mounting this device atop a transportable cart to afford the apparatus maneuverability within the limited space typical of many machinery environments so that it may be positioned to address a machine on a periodic basis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,388 issued to Koji Morioka et al. on Apr. 4, 1989, describes a device for collecting and separating paint waste floating in cleaning water for a paint spraying booth and circulating the refined cleaning water. The device includes a series of tanks that are separated by weirs which causes a bubbling effect that allows the paint waste to float and flow over the weirs and into the next lower tank. The waste paint is then collected and the refined cleaning water is then circulated to be reused as cleaning water. No suggestion is made for using the abovedescribed liquid flow to cause cooling of the liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,317 issued to Hiroshi Ishida et al. on Sep. 19, 1995, describes a solid-liquid separator for sludge which includes a pair of pumps disposed in a tank for establishing a horizontal flow therein through a plurality of stages of sequentially arranged submerged filter systems. Solid material is separated from the liquid medium as the material flows horizontally through the faces of the individual filter membranes. No suggestion is made for using the above-described liquid flow to cause cooling of the liquid. Nor is there any suggestion made for mounting this device on a transportable cart to afford the apparatus maneuverability within the limited space typical of many machinery environments so that it may be positioned to service a machine on a periodic basis.
Soviet Union Patent Application Number 1,733,045 (A1) published on May 15, 1992, describes a suspended particle collector which includes a tank-pit having first and second purification stages. No suggestion is made for using the above-described liquid flow to cause cooling of the liquid.
Japanese Patent Application Number 4-180,802 (A), published on Jun. 29, 1992, describes an oil and water separation device which includes a series of separation tanks each containing a filter and each being separated by a partition wall. No suggestion is made for using the above-described liquid flow to cause cooling of the liquid.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.

Serpentine flowpath filtration apparatus with horizontally mounted filters having handles to facilitate removal


A system and method for sensing a leading edge of a document in an imaging scanner includes detecting a shadow adjacent the leading edge, the shadow being cast as a result of the edge being exposed to a light source. Light is reflected off of a white drive roller support surface for the document and is sensed by a photo sensor array. As the document is processed through the scanner, the leading edge is exposed to the light such that the leading edge casts a shadow onto the drive roller. The shadow is sensed by the photo sensor array which sends a signal to a microprocessor for computing whether a threshold amount of shadow has been detected for initiating image scanning of the document. Prior to the medium being exposed to the light, a contrast sensitivity level of the photo sensor array is increased, relative to a normal level, for detecting the shadow. Upon detecting the threshold amount of shadow, the contrast sensitivity level is returned to its normal level for continuing with normal image processing of the document.

Optical scanners operate by imaging an object (from a sheet of paper, document or other form of medium) with a light source, sensing a resultant light signal with an optical sensor array, and each optical sensor in the array generating a data signal representative of the intensity of light impinged thereon for that portion of the imaged object. The data signals from the array sensors are then processed (typically digitized) and stored on a suitable medium such as a hard disk of a computer for subsequent display and/or manipulation. The image of the scanned object is projected onto the optical photo sensor array incrementally by use of a moving scan line. The moving scan line is produced either by moving the document with respect to the scanner optical assembly, or by moving the scanner optical assembly relative to the document. Either of these methods may be embodied in flat bed scanners, hand held scanners, or any scanner having automatic document feed capabilities.
Various types of photo sensor devices may be used in optical scanners. For example, a commonly used photo sensor device is the charge coupled photo sensor device (CCD). A CCD builds up an electrical charge in response to exposure to light. The size of the electrical charge built up is dependent on the intensity and the duration of the light exposure. In optical scanners, CCD cells are aligned in linear arrays. Each cell or "pixel" has a portion of a scan line image impinged thereon as the scan line sweeps across the scanned object. The charge built up in each of the pixels is measured and discharged at regular "sampling intervals." In most modern optical scanners, the sampling intervals of the CCD arrays are fixed.
As previously mentioned, an image of a scan line portion of a document is projected onto the scanner's linear sensor array by scanner optics. In CCD scanners, the scanner optics comprise an imaging lens which typically reduces the size of the projected image from the original size of the document considerably. Pixels in a scanner linear photo sensor array are aligned in a "cross" direction, i.e., a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the scan line image which is projected thereon. The direction perpendicular to the "cross" direction will be referred to herein as the "scan" direction (i.e., paper or scanner movement direction for scanning of the image).
At any instant when an object is being scanned, each pixel in the sensor array has a corresponding area on the object which is being imaged thereon. This corresponding area on the scanned object is referred to herein as an "object pixel" or simply "pixel." An area on a scanned object corresponding in area to the entire area of the linear sensor array is referred to herein as an "object scan line" or simply "scan line." For descriptive purposes a scanned object is considered to have a series of fixed adjacently positioned scan lines. Further, scanners are typically operated at a scan line sweep rate such that one scan line width is traversed during each sampling interval.
Differentiating from scanners employing CCDs, a contact image sensor (CIS) and CIS drive roller are commonly employed in document fed scanners for imaging the medium being passed (fed) through the scanner. The CIS is spring loaded against the drive roller and forms a nip therebetween. The medium being scanned is presented for scanning at the nip and is pulled passed the CIS by the drive roller. The CIS typically comprises a glass plate adjacent the roller (forming the nip), an array of light sources such as light emitting diodes (LED's) directed at the nip, an array of self-focusing lenses (cylindrical microlenses) that direct and focus the light from the light sources as reflected off the medium (or roller if no medium is present), and an array of photo sensors adjacent the self-focusing lenses for converting the light passed through the lenses to electrical signals for processing of the image generated. An advantage of the CIS is that it is less susceptible to having foreign particles (i.e., dust) settle on the CIS optics which could degrade the scanned image quality. A CIS is less susceptible to foreign particles because it has fewer reflecting optics, relative to CCD scanner devices, for focusing the light. Another advantage of the CIS is its small size due to its optical configuration.
Certain document fed scanners employ an automatic document feeder (ADF) for automatically feeding the document (medium) through the scanner. ADFs typically employ sensors or multiple sensors for detecting a leading edge of the document as it is automatically grabbed and fed into the scanner by a "pick"-roller (or "D"-roller). From the point in time that the sensors detect the leading edge, the number of steps (or amount of time) needed to transfer the leading edge to the imaging assembly, such as a contact image sensor (CIS), are monitored so that the imaging assembly may initiate actual imaging at the precise time when the leading edge of the medium reaches the CIS.
Certain drawbacks exist with this conventional approach. For example, with mechanical sensors, most printers can "repeat" only from about 1/8 to 1/4 inch top-of-page--meaning, even with the system working properly, actual initiation of image scanning relative to the actual top-of-page may vary 1/8 to 1/4 inch from page to page. This is due to factors such as media type, temperature and humidity. Furthermore, scanners are generally configured to scan various types and sizes of documents having differing weights and composed of differing materials (for example, sheet paper, photographs, transparencies, etc). As such, "slip" may occur between the document and the pick-roller as the document is grabbed and transferred to the imaging assembly. Once the document reaches the imaging assembly, it is passed through the nip formed between the imaging assembly and the drive roller. Prior to reaching the nip (and thereby being pulled by the drive roller), the amount of slip may be highly variable, depending upon several factors related to the document being handled, such as stiffness, surface finish, cross sectional area, etc. (with these also being a function of temperature and humidity). CCD scanners don't typically have as much slip problem as CIS scanners because there is no pressure formed at the imaging location of the CCD scanner optics assembly (i.e., there is no driver roller forming a nip). In contrast, there is pressure at the nip of a conventional CIS optics assembly because of the pressured drive roller forming the nip with the CIS assembly.
Since the amount of slip can vary in CIS scanners, and since actual imaging is, conventionally, only initiated at the imaging assembly based upon the number of steps counted (or amount of time detected) from the time the leading edge passes the sensors, there can be a highly variable difference in the top of the image scanned (relative to the document top-of-page). For example, it has been shown that about a one inch slip difference can occur between a photograph and a piece of sixteen (16) pound paper. This, of course, variably offsets the top of the image scanned for each document.
In certain prior art auto-feed imaging systems it has been known to increase the pick-roller force to reduce slip of the document. However, this method tends to increase "buckle" problems for the document in the transfer path (because of the nip pressure), and also severely limits the range of types of media that can be used by the imaging system (i.e, thicker documents have more trouble at the pick roller).
In systems that do not use ADF devices, "slip" does not occur because there is no pick-roller and the operator manually pushes the document into the system (to the nip between the CIS and drive roller).
In other prior art CIS systems it has also been known to use black driver rollers so that white (or lighter colored) media can easily be detected for initiating actual imaging of the document. However, this limits the type and color of media that can be used and/or detected well in the system. Specifically, a true edge of the document being imaged cannot always be detected because a change from black is what is being sensed. As such, if a black border document is scanned, the document's true edge will not be detected.
Another problem with the black roller is that in certain imaging systems, the image scanned can be sent directly to a printer device from the scanner for immediate printing (as a "convenience copy") without going through a host computing device for data manipulation options. In the event a black roller is used and a "convenience copy" is selected for imaging something smaller than the full document size, then a black border will surround the scanned image. For example, if a small business card is scanned, most of the page of the convenience copy will be black border surrounding the imaged business card. This is especially undesirable because of the excessive and wasteful use of toner in the printer device as a result of producing the black border.
Yet another problem associated with scanners that provide a convenience copy is if the actual edge of the medium is not properly detected so that page/image dimensions are accurately determined, then the convenience copy may very well end up being "two" copies because a one page original is "seen" (scanned) as extending beyond a single page. Thus, two pages are printed, each with part of the original image scanned thereon. This problem is also compounded given that laser printers, for example, reserver a border area around the page as a non printable area. As such, if the actual top-of-page is not detected, and scanning initiates late, the first scanned area will be deemed the "border" area and "thrown out" during a convenience copy process.
Given the forgoing problems and limitations of prior art image scanning methods and apparatus, objects of the present invention are to provide an improved means and method for accurately sensing a top-of-page for improved imaging in a scanner, and especially in a scanner having automatic document feed capabilities in connection with CIS optics.

Method and apparatus for finding media top-of-page in an optical image scanner


This reduction processing apparatus for a steel-making slag that continuously performs reduction processing to a hot steel-making slag by using an electric furnace includes: a slag-supplying container that charges the hot steel-making slag into the electric furnace; an electrode that is provided at the electric furnace and heats a molten slag layer on a molten iron produced by reducing the hot steel-making slag; an auxiliary-raw-material supplying unit that supplies an auxiliary-raw-material including a reducing agent to the molten slag layer; and a tilting unit that tilts the slag-supplying container and adjusts a charging amount of the hot steel-making slag to the electric furnace.

During the steel making processes, a large amount of steel-making slag is generated. Although the steel-making slag contains, for example, P and metal components such as Fe and Mn, it also contains a large amount of CaO, which leads to expansion and collapse. This has restricted the steel-making slag to be used as, for example, a material for roadbed or aggregate. However, in recent years, resources have been increasingly recycled, and a large number of methods for recovering the valuable substances from the steel-making slag has been disclosed.
Patent Document 1 discloses a method of processing iron and steel slag, which includes adding iron and steel slag generated during melting and making iron and steel, to molten iron and steel liquid in the smelting furnace, further adding heat and reducing agents, moving Fe, Mn, and P to the molten liquid while altering the iron and steel slag to obtain altered slag, and then, moving Mn and P in the molten liquid into the slag. However, this processing method requires batch processing to be continuously applied several times until a slag with predetermined components can be obtained, and hence, results in poor working efficiency.
Patent Document 2 discloses a method, which includes: supplying steel slags having iron oxide contents of more than 5 wt % onto a steel bath having a carbon content of less than 1.5 wt %; then introducing carbon or carbon carriers to carbonize the steel bath to obtain the steel bath having a carbon content of more than 2.0 wt %; and then performing reduction processing.
However, with the method described in Patent Document 2, the concentration of C (carbon concentration) in the molten iron is set to less than 1.5 wt % at the time of inserting the molten slag to suppress the discharge of the large amount of gas, and the concentration of C is increased to more than 2.0 wt % at the time of performing smelting reduction, thereby performing desired reduction. Thus, a process of de-carbonization in conjunction with an increase in temperatures and a process of addition of carbon for reduction are repeated, which results in batch processing. As a result, working efficiency deteriorates. It should be noted that, since the method described in Patent Document 2 increases the concentration of C to more than 2.0 wt % at the time of performing the reduction processing, it is considered that this method promotes the reduction reaction mainly through the reaction between slag and metal.
Further, in the method described in Patent Document 2, the carbon material is used as the heat source as well as the reducing agent, and hence, the amount of exhaust gas increases. Thus, it is assumed that the thermal efficiency deteriorates, and the amount of dust generated increases.
Non-Patent Document 1 discloses results of reduction tests in which steel-making slag powder, carbon material powder, and slag-modifying agent powder are inserted through a hollow electrode into an electric furnace. However, in the reduction tests described in Non-Patent Document 1, the test is performed in an electric furnace by processing the cold steel-making slag, which has been solidified and crushed, and hence, the energy-consumption rate is large.
Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a technique of recovering valuable metals by reducing molten slags generated during smelting of non-ferrous metals using carbonaceous reducing agents in an open-type direct-current electric furnace to separate it into a metal phase and a slag phase. However, the method described in Patent Document 3 also involves a batch process with an electric furnace using the cold slag as the target of the processing, and hence, the energy-consumption rate is large.
As described above, these methods of recovering valuable components from the slags each have a problem of poor working efficiency or large energy-consumption rate.

Reduction processing apparatus for steel-making slag and reduction processing system for steel-making slag

NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION


A FIFO single port storage device and methods for using the same are disclosed. The FIFO device includes a single port memory for storing data from a host processor. The single port memory is addressed in a sequential and non-random manner, possibly by a monotonically increasing counter. Control circuitry coupled to the counter and the memory allows for the reading/writing of host data from/to the single port memory. Write protect circuitry prevents host writes to the single port memory by entering a write protect state under combinations of the following conditions: (1) the FIFO is full; (2) the FIFO is nearly full, as defined by a host programmable threshold; (3) the host processor commands the FIFO to enter the write protect state; or (4) the host processor acknowledges a FIFO nearly full interrupt. The errant, or stray, write detection circuitry sets a status flag if a write occurs while the FIFO is in the write protect state. The errant write detection circuity detects stray writes to the memory based on the write protect state value and the quantity of data stored in the FIFO, independent of any particular range of memory protected. Information is read from the FIFO by entering the write protect state, determining the quantity of stored FIFO data, reading the data, and resetting the quantity of data to zero. The FIFO device may be implemented using a field programmable gate array, or FPGA.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to data storage devices and more particularly to First-In-First-Out (FIFO) type data storage devices that include an over-write protection feature and diagnostic capabilities.
In practice the invention enables limited hardware resources to be used to fabricate a "single port" FIFO storage device (as defined hereinafter) having the desired over-write protection feature and diagnostic capabilities. The single port FIFO storage device contemplated by the invention is as robust (feature rich) and can be used as safely as more elaborate, hardware-consuming, FIFO devices, such as a traditional "dual port" FIFO (also defined hereinafter).
Further specific aspects of the invention are directed to methods and apparatus for providing a single port FIFO storage device which has (a) a write protection feature to ensure that FIFO memory contents are not disturbed once the FIFO memory becomes full; (b) a first diagnostic feature to provide host software with an indication that the protection feature is in-force; and (c) a second diagnostic feature which provides host software with an indication that it (the software) may have errantly attempted to disturb a full FIFO memory (defined herein as an "Errant Write" condition) before securely and completely emptying the FIFO memory's contents.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known to utilize commercially available memory devices, such as Random Access Memory (RAM), to at least temporarily store data in a digital computer that includes a host processor coupled to the memory via a data bus and a memory control bus. Typically, software being executed by the host processor stores (writes) data to such memory and when desired retrieves (reads) data stored in the memory. A memory controller is commonly used to control read and write activity in response to signals from the processor (received over the memory control bus) and in response to internal memory conditions (such as when the memory becomes full, etc.)
It is also well known to use a variety of data storage and retrieval techniques to improve the operating characteristics and efficiency of a computing system and data storage devices contained therein. In some cases the nature of the data being processed dictates the most efficient data storage and retrieval technique to be used.
For example, it may in some applications be desirable to process the last (most recent) data entry stored in a memory before processing prior ("older") entries. In this case a well known storage and retrieval technique, commonly referred to by those skilled in the art as a Last-In-First-Out ("LIFO") technique, may be used; with the memory, memory addressing mechanism and controller being used to implement this technique being collectively referred to as a LIFO storage device.
In other applications, such as those supported by the present invention, it is desirable to always process the first (and after the first the next "oldest") data entry stored in a memory before processing any more recent entry. In this case a well known storage and retrieval technique, commonly referred to by those skilled in the art as a First-In-First-Out ("FIFO") technique, may be used; with the memory, memory addressing mechanism and controller being used to implement this technique being collectively referred to as a FIFO storage device (or simply a FIFO).
FIFO storage devices (also referred to herein as FIFO memories and FIFOs) are well known to those skilled in the art. A traditional commercially available FIFO memory is a "dual port" device, that is it permits the simultaneous storing and emptying of data (or permits these operations in an interleaved fashion); and includes two address counters, an arbitration mechanism to manage the simultaneous storing and emptying of data, a comparator of the two address counters to determine the "full" condition, etc.
As used herein the term "single port" storage device is defined as a storage device that does not permit the simultaneous (or interleaved) storing and emptying of data. Such a device is considerably simpler and less expensive than a traditional dual port FIFO since it would not require the aforementioned pair of address counters, arbitration mechanism and comparator.
In view of the complexity of dual port FIFOs from a hardware perspective (and cost of same), it would be desirable to provide single port storage devices (and corresponding methods for operating such devices), that are as safe to operate as more elaborate, hardware-consuming, dual port FIFO storage devices.
More particularly, it would be desirable to provide a single port storage device (and corresponding methods for operating such a device), that offers an over-write protection feature and diagnostic capabilities to ensure safe operation; while at the same time requiring only limited hardware resources when compared with a traditional dual port FIFO storage device.
Specifically, it would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus for realizing a single port FIFO storage device which has (a) a write protection feature to ensure that the FIFO contents are not disturbed once the FIFO becomes full; (b) a first diagnostic feature to provide host software with an indication that the protection feature is in-force; and (c) a second diagnostic feature which provides host software with an indication that it (the software) may have errantly attempted to disturb a full FIFO before securely and completely emptying the FIFO's contents.
Still further, it would be desirable to provide a single port FIFO storage device (and corresponding methods for operating same) that can be easily implemented using field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology to reduce hardware complexity and cost when compared with the hardware (and methods) presently used to fabricate (operate) traditional dual port FIFO storage devices.

Single port first-in-first-out (FIFO) device having overwrite protection and diagnostic capabilities


Photographic silver halide photosensitive material is processed, after exposure, by treating it with a working fixer solution. The photosensitive material comprises at least one layer of silver halide emulsion on a support and contains at least 10% by weight, based on gelatins, of a gelatin having an isoelectric point of at least 5.0 on the emulsion layer side. The working fixer solution is prepared by furnishing a fixer concentrate of at least pH 5 containing a thiosulfate as a fixing agent, 0.05-0.8 mol/liter of a sulfite and up to 0.01 mol/liter of a water-soluble aluminum salt, and diluting the fixer concentrate with water, thereby forming the working fixer solution containing a minimized amount of ammonium thiosulfate and 0.5-2.5 mol/liter of sodium thiosulfate. The method provides improved rapid processing with increased degrees of fixation and drying while preventing the generation of sulfurous acid and ammonia gases.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for processing photographic silver halide photosensitive material which is often abbreviated as photosensitive material, hereinafter, more particularly, to such a processing method adapted for rapid processing and ensuring ease of handling. It also relates to a fixer used in the method.
2. Prior Art
The current developing process of photographic silver halide photosensitive material is advancing toward rapid processing by automatic processors for further improvements in operating efficiency. In parallel with such advances, there are increasing demands for improving the working environment and facilitating the maintenance of processor accessories.
For example, conventional acidic hardening fixer solutions are used as running equilibrium solutions at pH 4.3 to 4.90 and thus inevitably give off sulfurous acid and acetic acid gases. These gases detrimentally affect the working environment and can cause corrosion of automatic processor accessories, inviting a failure.
The fixer can be increased in pH by increasing the film hardness of photosensitive material and allowing the aluminum salt hardener to be removed from the fixer. One such fixer is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai (JP-A) No. 168741/1991. These fixers, however, are not devoid of the odor problem because although generation of sulfurous acid and acetic acid gases is fairly suppressed, more amounts of ammonia gas can generate.
Anmonia gas is generated primarily from the fixer itself and partially from a fraction of the developer carried over by the photosensitive material. In particular, the rapid processing uses ammonium thiosulfate as the fixing agent, which forms a main origin from which ammonia generates. Thus it is difficult to avoid ammonia generation in rapid processing. The ammonia gas not only raises an odor problem, but is also reactive with sulfurous acid gas in air, depositing white crystals of ammonium sulfate within the processor, which can cause failure.
As previously mentioned, increasing the pH of fixer results in increased water contents of photosensitive material after water washing which significantly affect drying efficiency. Then the fixer pH increase is undesirable particularly for rapid processing.
There is a need for a processing method adapted for rapid processing which can eliminate an odor problem and facilitate the maintenance of the processor.

Processing of photographic silver halide photosensitive material and fixer used therein


A composite electrolyte comprises (a) surface modified fumed silica filler, wherein the surface modified fumed silica comprises polymerizable groups on the surface thereof, the polymerizable groups being bonded to each other such that the surface modified fumed silica filler is crosslinked in a three-dimensional structure; (b) a dissociable lithium salt; and (c) a bulk medium which contains the surface modified fumed silica filler and the dissociable lithium salt. An electrochemical cell comprises an anode, a cathode, and a composite electrolyte dispersed between the anode and cathode.

Research in polymer electrolytes for use in rechargeable lithium and lithium-ion batteries has been ongoing for decades. However, performance of conventional electrolytes is still less than desirable. A long-standing goal of electrolyte research generally relates to the preparation of an electrolyte that combines the solid-like characteristics of conventional thermoplastics with the ionic conductivity of low molar mass liquids.
The majority of polymer electrolyte research has focused on employing polyethylene oxide (PEO) and PEO derivatives complexed with various lithium salts. A lithium salt dissolved in a high-molecular weight PEO by itself typically does not yield a room temperature conductivity sufficiently high enough for practical application in a lithium battery (i.e., greater than 10.sup.-3 S/cm). Various approaches have been attempted to develop solid electrolytes for lithium cells, which yield improved room temperature conductivity. Fauteux et al. [Electrochimica Acta, 1995, 40, 2185] has categorized these approaches into two classes, namely (1) "pure" solid polymer electrolyte systems, and (2) network or gel-polymer electrolyte systems, and Koksbang et al. [Solid State Ionics, 1989, 36, 320] has compiled examples of each class. In the first class, blends of polyethers which may be copolymerized with co-monomers can be used to lower the glass transition temperature T.sub.g and produce a polymer with reduced crystallinity. The class also includes co-polymers of polyether-grafted polyether, polysiloxane, or polyphosphazene backbones. Alternatively, plasticizers may be added to the PEO, either as an absorbed liquid or a plasticizing lithium salt, to attempt to effect an increase in conductivity.
In contrast, with respect to the gel-polymer electrolyte systems, the ionic conduction is believed to be due to the mobility of the ionic species in the liquid phase of the gel-polymer system. Gel electrolytes are typically prepared by dispersing liquid solvents (e.g., organic carbonates) and/or platicizers in an inert polymer. The ionic conductivity of the gel electrolyte is usually higher than the solid electrolyte, but at the expense of a less mechanically strong and electrochemically less stable system.
There remains a need in the art for electrolytes for use in electrochemical cells including lithium and lithium-ion batteries, which exhibit high conductivities and good mechanical properties. There is also a need for electrolytes which are more easily processable than conventional electrolytes. Moreover, there is a need for electrolytes which exhibit a higher level of electrochemical stability than those materials which are currently being used.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a composite electrolyte which exhibits a high conductivity at room temperature. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a composite electrolyte which possesses good mechanical properties. It is another object of the present invention to provide a composite electrolyte which may be processed in an easier manner. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a composite electrolyte which exhibits good electrochemical stability.

Composite electrolyte containing surface modified fumed silica


A dressing apparatus for dressing an electroplated grinding wheel by crushing the top portions of the abrasive grains thereof. The abrasive grains are diamond grains or CBN grains. A role made of ceramics, or a ferrous role holding diamond grains on its outer periphery is used for crushing the abrasive grains. The grinding wheel is rotated in one direction and the role is rotated in the opposite direction so that the difference in surface speed between the role and the grinding wheel becomes substantially zero. The role is then advanced toward the grinding wheel to crush the top portions of the abrasive grains, so that the heights of the abrasive grains are roughly equalized, and many sharp cutting edges are formed at the top portions of the abrasive grains.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for dressing an electroplated grinding wheel in which abrasive grains are held on the peripheral surface of a circular core.
2. Prior Art of the Invention
FIG. 1 shows a well known electroplated grinding wheel. Diamond grains or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) grains 14 are held on the peripheral surface of a circular core 12 by a nickel plating layer 13. When the change in height among the abrasive grains 14 is large, the surface roughness of the grinding wheel becomes worse, deteriorating the surface roughness of the finished surface of a workpiece ground by the grinding wheel.
To improve the surface roughness of the finished surface of a workpiece, a method has been proposed in which an electroplated grinding wheel is trued with a diamond truing wheel. By this truing, the top portions of some abrasive grains whose heights are relatively high are removed so that flat surfaces 14a are formed at their tops, as shown in FIG. 2. This method, however, has a problem that the grinding resistance during grinding operations is very high just after the truing, because the tops of some abrasive grains are flat. The high grinding resistance causes a rapid wear of the abrasive grains and other problems.
In another method, abrasive grains having the same diameter are used so as to reduce the change in height among the abrasive grains. This method, however, has a problem that a large amount of time and labor cost are required for selecting abrasive grains having the same diameter, thereby resulting in an increase of the production cost.

Method and apparatus for dressing an electroplated grinding wheel


Provided is a data storage device in which servo track pitch varies within a predetermined region in a radial direction of a disk-shaped storage medium.

The present invention relates to a data storage device including a recording medium on which servo information for positioning a read/write head is written, and more specifically to a data storage device having characteristic servo information written thereto.
A hard disk drive has a magnetic head for reading user data stored on a magnetic disk and for writing user data on the magnetic disk. The magnetic head is attached to a rotary-type actuator mechanism which is swung by a voice coil motor (VCM).
When the magnetic head writes or reads user data, the actuator mechanism is driven, and thus the magnetic head is moved to a predetermined track and positioned. Movement of the magnetic head to a predetermined position is controlled by using servo information stored on the magnetic disk as a clue.
On a magnetic disk contained in a hard disk drive or the like, a plurality of data tracks are concentrically formed and, moreover, identification information and burst patterns are stored along radial directions of the disk in advance. The identification information and the burst patterns constitute servo information. The identification information is information indicating track addresses of respective data tracks. Based on the identification information read by a magnetic head, determination can be made as to an approximate position of the magnetic head, that is, as to which data track a position of the magnetic head corresponds to. The burst patterns are constituted by a plurality of burst pattern rows in which areas having signals stored therein are arranged along the radial directions of the disk at constant intervals and of which signal storage areas have mutually different phases. It is possible to detect a precise position of the magnetic head, that is, a deviation indicating how far the position of the magnetic head deviates from the data track to which the magnetic head corresponds, based on a signal (position error signal: PES) outputted from the magnetic head in accordance with the burst pattern.
A read or write of user data with respect to the magnetic disk is performed in a state where the magnetic disk is rotating after the following operations: the magnetic head is moved while an approximate position of the magnetic disk is being determined based on the identification information read by the magnetic head, whereby the magnetic head is made to correspond to a specific data track; and then the magnetic head is precisely positioned at the specific data track based on a signal outputted from the magnetic head in accordance with the burst patterns. Such a series of operations are referred to as a seek operation. Even in a period when user data is being read or written, feedback control is performed so that the magnetic head is positioned at a fixed position relative to the specific data track based on the signal outputted from the magnetic head in accordance with the burst patterns. Such an operation is referred to as a track following operation.
Servo information is written on a magnetic disk as a recording medium in a manufacturing process before a hard disk drive is shipped as a product. It is required that the servo information be written precisely in order to write or read user data accurately.
In a hard disk drive, as a recording density increases, a magnetoresistance (MR) head or giant magnetoresistance (GMR) head using the magnetoresistance effect is used as a reproducing head (read head), and an inductive head is used as a recording head (write head). The two heads are attached to a same magnetic head slider and constitute a hybrid magnetic head.
As described above, one existing hard disk drive uses a rotary-type actuator as an actuator for driving a magnetic head. Therefore, when the magnetic head accesses a predetermined position on a magnetic disk, a trajectory of the magnetic head forms a circular arc. Accordingly, over the range of the most inner track to the most outer track of the magnetic disk, the center line of a magnetic head slider and a tangent line of a data track on the magnetic disk are not parallel but intersect with a different angle depending on each data track. The intersecting angle is referred to as a skew angle.
The existence of the skew angle inevitably generates a read write offset described later. Specifically, when a read head is positioned at a proper position on a servo track of the magnetic disk (such a state is referred to as "on track"), a write head cannot be positioned at a proper position on the servo track (such a state is referred to as "off track"). The position difference between the centers of the read and write heads is a read write offset.
In a hard disk drive, when user data is written on a magnetic disk (recording), a magnetic head slider is moved to a target position by reading servo information recorded on a servo track by use of a read head, the read head is made to be "on track" on a servo track, and then the user data is written on a data track of the magnetic disk by a write head. On the other hand, when the user data written on the data track is reproduced, even if the read head is made to be "on track" on the servo track, the read head cannot be "on track" on the data track to which the write head has written the user data, due to a read write offset. Accordingly, the user data may not be accurately reproduced sometimes.
Various proposals have been made for solving the above-described problem based on a read write offset. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-322848, for example, discloses a method in which a measured read write offset value is stored, and an access position is corrected based on the stored read write offset value when user data is reproduced, thus performing positioning control of a magnetic head slider.
The above-described proposal is an effective method for a read write offset but has the following problems.
FIG. 13 is a view showing a relationship between burst patterns BP and a PES. Ideally, it is preferred that the PES is shown by continuous linear lines. However, in reality, the linearity is lost in regions indicated by circles and surrounding regions thereof. Therefore, an error appears in a physical position obtained by conversion based on the PES. Moreover, the loss of the linearity adversely influences a servo control system. In a hard disk drive used heretofore, servo tracks are recorded at a constant track pitch on a magnetic disk. Accordingly, any one of read and write heads is located at a position where linearity of a PES is lost.

Data storage device and servo information writing method

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.