A self-binding, glycerine-free tablettable composition has a saccharide carrier and the sugar alcohols sorbitol and xylitol.

Glycerine, a tableting additive, has been used for its ability to lend stickiness to tablet formulations. Some stickiness is desirable, serving to provide cohesion to hold the tablet ingredients together so that they are flowable and can be processed readily. However, in certain situations, the use of glycerine can produce too much stickiness, resulting in the formulations clumping or sticking in various machine parts before and during tableting. Self-binding, readily flowable compositions containing no glycerine have been unknown to the art.
One method for addressing the need for self-binding flowable formulations was the production of shearform matrices or flosses. These matrices result when using certain processing techniques, such as the following:
Matrices formed by flash-heat processing are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,836, incorporated herein by reference, describes the flash flow process and its use to make amorphous solid shearform matrices having flake-like form.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,172, also incorporated herein by reference, discusses the use of flash heat techniques to produce sucrose-containing flosses, which are then processed to yield tablets.
The use of shearform matrices for forming comestible units is described in WO95/34290 (published Dec. 21, 1995) from co-assigned application No. PCT/US95/07144, filed Jun. 6, 1995. The PCT case discloses a quick dissolving tablet which is formed by: (1) using flash-flow technology to provide a shearform matrix; (2) combining the partially recrystallized matrix with an additive to form flowable, compactable particulate blends; and (3) compacting the blends at relatively low pressure to form comestible units, such as tablets.
Additionally, PCT publication WO 95/34293 (published Dec. 21, 1995) from co-assigned PCT Application No. PCT/US95/07194, filed Jun. 6, 1995, discloses a process and apparatus for making rapidly dissolving dosage units by flash-flow processing. In this PCT application, a shearform matrix is formed by the flash-flow process, the shearform matrix is combined with an additive, and the matrix is molded to make a unit dosage form. Tamping may be used to compact the dosage form and increase its integrity.


A suspension device (A) comprising a damper (S) and a gas spring (C), the damper (S) comprising a motion transforming mechanism (H) for transforming a relative motion between a vehicle body-side member and an axle-side member into a rotational motion and a motor (M) having a rotor (8) to which the rotational motion is transmitted, the gas spring (C) being interposed between the vehicle body-side member and the axle-side member, in which the motor (M) comprises a hollow casing (9), a partition wall member (16) which forms a rotor chamber (r) within the casing (9), with the rotor (8) being received within the rotor chamber (r), a cylindrical stator (17) disposed between an outer periphery of the partition wall member (16) and an inner periphery of the casing (9), and the rotor (8) held rotatably by the casing (9) within the rotor chamber (r), and the interior of the rotor chamber (6) is brought into communication with the interior of a gas chamber (R) of the gas spring (C). According to this construction, it is possible to avoid an increase in size of a suspension device utilizing a motor and with a gas spring applied thereto.

A suspension device of this type, as is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 08 (1996)-197931, is made up of a coil spring as a suspension spring which supports a vehicle body resiliently, a screw shaft engaged threadably and rotatably with a ball screw nut which is connected to an axle side, and a motor connected to one end of the screw shaft and also connected to the vehicle body side. With rotational torque generated by the motor, a relative movement between the vehicle body and the axle is controlled actively.


An LDMOS transistor device in an integrated circuit comprises a semiconductor substrate (10), a gate region (1) including a gate semiconductor layer region (2; 2′; 151) on top of a gate insulation layer region (3; 141), source (4) and drain (5, 7) regions, and a channel (6; 12) arranged beneath the LDMOS gate region, the channel interconnecting the LDMOS source and drain regions and having a laterally graded doping concentration. In order to obtain a lower parasitic capacitance coupling from the gate semiconductor region, the gate semiconductor layer region is provided with a laterally graded net doping concentration (P+N+; N+N−). A method for fabrication of the inventive LDMOS transistor device is further disclosed.

In LDMOS transistors the channel length is typically defined by transport of dopants through ion implantation or diffusion and not by lithographic feature size. A first portion of the channel is based on a traditional MOS transistor with appropriate gate dielectric and doping level. A latter portion of the channel has a much lower doping but has still the same capacitive coupling from the polycrystalline silicon gate. By this, the transconductance of the device is improved, but the potential of the short channel length defined by the doping is not fully utilized since the latter portion of the channel has a parasitic capacitance, which is not desirable.
Typically, the improvement caused by the doping is accepted, whereas the parasitic capacitance of the latter portion of the channel is simply disregarded.
Nevertheless, there have been reports of using a non-uniform oxide thickness for different reasons. By increasing the thickness towards the drift region lower parasitic capacitance can be obtained.

LDMOS transistor device, integrated circuit, and fabrication method thereof


A method of printing a pre-defined symbology character set as a series of bars separated by spaces in which the bars are formed of horizontal rows of close adjacent dots while preventing ambiguous decoding of similar character pairs in which one character employs wide bars and one character employs narrow bars. The method comprises the steps of, subtracting at least a portion of one dot or more per horizontal row from bars of similar characters employing narrow bars; and, adding at least a portion of one dot or more per horizontal row to bars of similar characters employing wide bars. It is particularly useful in printing U.P.C./EAN symbology with a low-cost demand printer employing thermal printing techniques.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to on-demand printers printing U.P.C./EAN bar-codes and, more particularly, to a method and associated apparatus for printing a pre-defined symbology character set as a series of bars separated by spaces in which the bars are formed of horizontal rows of close adjacent dots while preventing ambiguous decoding of similar character pairs in which one character employs wide bars and one character employs narrow bars in which the method comprises the steps of, subtracting at least a portion of one dot or more per horizontal row from bars of similar characters employing narrow bars; and, adding at least a portion of one dot or more per horizontal row to bars of similar characters employing wide bars.
2. Background Art
U.P.C./EAN symbology is employed in marking products found in supermarkets and the like which are scanned by an optical reader connected to a pricing and inventory computer system. While for the most part a fault-tolerant system in which it is virtually impossible for a label to be misread as a valid identification number for another product, there is one big problem with the U.P.C./EAN symbology--ambiguity with the decode of the 1 & 7 and the 2 & 8 symbol characters. The problem can be understood from the U.P.C./EAN symbology character set as depicted in FIG. 1 taken with FIG. 2, which depicts the 1 and 7 characters. Due to the manner in which the characters are decoded, unless there is a clear distinction as to the bar sizes and spacing, both characters can be decoded as a "T=4,4" character. To achieve a scanable distinction between the 1, 2, 7, and 8 characters, these characters typically have slightly different dimensions by about 8% from the other characters (i.e. 0, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9). The original specification required that film master based symbols, capable of resolution in excess of 10,000 dots per inch (dpi), precisely add the printing compensation required.
Original tolerances precluded any matrix demand printing platform printing U.P.C./EAN symbology from performing the correction. Consequently, the print quality measurements for these symbols always lagged web symbols. The newly published specification (September 1994) allows for a new method of measurement which includes this correction; but, it has been assumed to be impossible to successfully implement it on demand platforms. It turns out that the new method, called "decodability", does not penalize print quality measurements for slight over-compensation of the ambiguous correction. Therefore, high resolution printing platforms, such as thermal demand printers with resolution on the order of 300 dpi or more, are capable of printing higher quality symbols with the adjusted font than any printing platform currently on the market or described in the art. What is needed is a way to use the new specification to advantage without having to procure expensive media or print at slow speeds to insure a high enough print quality that still passes specification after the decodability penalty is assessed.
Solving this problem in demand printers is not new in and of itself. The first demand printers for U.P.C. symbology had 10,000 dpi resolution elements (the same as film master based symbols) and, therefore, were able to print on demand with the same quality and resolution. One such printer was the model 8312 manufactured by Interface Mechanisms, Inc. (now known as Intermec, Inc., the assignee of the present invention). No other demand printing process has ever been able to print in-specification U.P.C./EAN symbols and have resorted to printing higher than necessary quality symbols to compensate and, hence, carried a higher cost.
The principal disadvantages of prior art approaches to solving this problem in on-demand printers are the higher cost and slower speed. Most demand processes are extremely cost sensitive and frequently borderline symbols are produced which, consequently, pass all parameters except decodability. Retail systems for reading and processing U.P.C./EAN symbols often keep accurate records of how many symbols are misread and how many codes must be hand keyed in by employees as a result of a failure to successfully read the symbols. The data are associated with the vendors who supplied the products. And, vendors have been subject to fines of up to $5,000 per infraction for supplying products with U.P.C./EAN symbols which are not decodable. Thus, in many cases, vendors have been forced to resort to expensive pre-printing processes in order to avoid the lack of quality of demand printing platforms.
Wherefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an on-demand printer in which U.P.C./EAN symbols can be printed the same way as any other bar code symbology font and achieve the same performance levels.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an on-demand printer in which U.P.C./EAN symbols can be printed with low-cost consumables, higher throughput, and a lower likelihood of penalty fines.
Other objects and benefits of this invention will become apparent from the description which follows hereinafter when read in conjunction with the drawing figures which accompany it.

U.P.C./EAN symology font optimization in an on-demand printer


A battery-powered communications apparatus has a communications unit and an additional function unit. The additional function unit is controlled in dependence upon residual battery capacity in such a manner that the communications unit can be used until a time set by the a time setting unit.

This invention relates to a communications apparatus powered by a battery.
Recent advances in semiconductor techniques have led to devices of increasingly smaller size. This has made it possible to manufacture battery-powered electrical devices such as a miniature communications terminal with functions other than those of the communications terminal. For example, a device that combines a portable telephone with a digital camera makes it possible for an image captured by the digital camera to be transmitted immediately by using the data communications function of the portable telephone. Combining a communications function with others functions, in this manner, makes it possible to provide greater convenience.
When a portable telephone and a digital camera, which have been cited above as an example of a device combining a communications function with additional functions, are driven by a single power supply (battery), a large amount of the battery power is consumed by the digital camera and situations arise in which the battery becomes incapable of supplying sufficient power to the portable telephone, thereby rendering the telephone function useless, before the user becomes aware of it.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to improve a battery-powered communications apparatus having a communications function combined with another function.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent undesirable consumption of power.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent excessive use of a function other than a communications function.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent excessive use of functions other than a communications function, thereby preventing the communications function from becoming unusable.
A further object of the present invention is to be able to use a communications function, with certainty, until a predetermined time.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a communications apparatus in which functions other than a communications function are controlled dependent upon time and battery status.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a communications apparatus which presents a notification conforming to time and the status of a battery during the charging of the battery.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a communications apparatus in which communication means is capable of being used until the time expected that the battery is charged next.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a communications apparatus in which control consumption of power conforming to the location expected that the battery is charged next.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.


A cable-type steering device having a steering wheel 1, a gear box and Bowden wires connecting the steering wheel 1 and the gear box. Pins fixed to a tip end of inner cables of the Bowden wires are fixed to pin holes formed on end surfaces of a drive pulley. The inner cables connected to the pins are inserted and fitted into wire fixing grooves having a spiral or wavy pattern shape formed on the end surfaces of the drive pulley. The inner cables are then wound around a pulley groove formed on a peripheral surface of the drive pulley. A tensional force of the inner cables is supported by the friction force generated between the inner cables and the wire fixing grooves and the load force applied to the portion fixing the pins to the inner cables is substantially reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cable-type steering device comprising a steering wheel and a gear box which are connected to each other by a flexible cable such as a Bowden wire.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional steering device for a vehicle has a structure such that a lower end of a steering shaft having a steering wheel at an upper end thereof is connected to a gear box and a steering torque input to the steering wheel is transmitted through the steering shaft to a rack and pinion mechanism provided within the gear box.
However, when the steering wheel and the gear box are connected to each other by using the steering shaft, it is difficult to optionally select a relative position of the steering wheel with respect to a position of the gear box so that there are problems in that a design choice is greatly limited and the gear box can not be commonly used for a vehicle having a steering wheel in a right side and for a vehicle having a steering wheel in a left side. Further, since a vibration transmitted to a tire from a road surface and a vibration of an engine are input to the steering wheel through the steering shaft, there is a problem that a minimal sound level within the vehicle cabin and desired comfort level are difficult to achieve due to the vibrations.
Accordingly, cable-type steering device employing a flexible transmitting means such as a Bowden wire has been suggested in place of the conventional steering shaft (refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,897).
By applying this structure, it is possible to optionally select a relative position of the steering wheel with respect to a position of the gear box and further vibration of the gear box is not readily transmitted to the steering wheel so that the above described problems are avoided.
In the above mentioned conventional structure, a fixing portion between an end of the wire and a pulley is formed by fixing a pin which is mounted to the end of the wire by casting or caulking to a pin hole formed on the end surface of the pulley. In this structure, when the pulley is rotated so as to unwind the wire, there is a possibility that a tensional force on the wire directly effects the pin so that durability and expected service life of the fixing portion is reduced.


The disclosed technology relates to a non-volatile resistive memory device and a method of using the same. In one aspect, the memory device comprises a plurality of memory cells interconnected by a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of word lines, a plurality of source lines and a plurality of form lines. The memory device further comprises a memory controller connected to and configured to apply voltages to the bit lines, the word lines, the source lines and the form lines. In addition, each of the memory cells comprises a cell selecting transistor and a resistive memory element serially connected to a drain-source path of the cell selecting transistor. Furthermore, each of the memory cells comprises a boosting capacitor configured to provide a boosting a voltage to an internal node formed at a connection point between the resistive memory element and the cell selecting transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosed technology relates to non-volatile resistive memory devices, such as for example RRAM, PCM, or other, and methods for biasing the resistive memory structures of such non-volatile resistive memory devices for electroforming, setting, writing/write-assisting and the like.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Non-volatile resistive memory, e.g. resistive random access memory (RRAM), interfacial switching memory, phase-change memory (PCM), or other, is emerging as a disruptive memory technology, implementing memory function in a resistance (rather than stored charge), the value of which can be changed by switching between a low and a high level. Although the phenomenon of reversible resistance switching has been studied since the 1960s, recent extensive research in the field has led to the proposition of several concepts and mechanisms through which this reversible change of the resistance state is possible. Many non-volatile resistive memory concepts, e.g. most RRAM, are based on a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure in which a conductive path is created or dissolved, corresponding to low-resistive and high-resistive states. This attribute is associated with a high scalability potential, beyond the limits currently predicted for flash memory. The MIM resistive memory structure is connected serially with e.g. an nMOS transistor, which acts as a cell selector.
A suitable insulating material for RRAM is for example a thin HfO2 dielectric film. Sandwiched between two conducting electrodes, such a film exhibits resistive switching properties, which can be either "unipolar" switching or "bipolar" switching, depending on, for example, the materials used as electrodes and on the method used to deposit the active (oxide) film. As used herein, the term "bipolar" switching is used to describe a memory cell which switches from a high resistance state to a low resistance state under a first electrode polarity, while switching from a low resistance state to a high resistance state under a second electrode polarity that is opposite to the first polarity. In contrast, as used herein, the term "unipolar" switching is used to describe a memory cell which switches from a high resistance state to a low resistance state under one electrode polarity, while also switching from a low resistance state to a high resistance state under the same polarity. Without being bound to any particular theory of operation, the bipolar operation of HfO2, requiring voltages of opposite polarity to switch on/off the cell, is believed to be due to the formation of conductive paths (filaments) associated with presence of oxygen vacancies (VO), which can be ruptured/restored through oxygen/VO migration under electric field and/or locally enhanced diffusion. The formation of the filament (forming, or electroforming) is believed to take place along pre-existing weak spots in the oxide, for instance along the grain boundaries in case of a polycrystalline HfO2, which presumably have larger amount of defects and also a higher oxygen diffusivity compared to the bulk of the material. Other suitable insulating materials for this type of memory include HfO2, zirconium dioxide, titanium dioxide, tantalum dioxide/ditantalum pentoxide.
For some biasing schemes applied to such non-volatile resistive memory devices, such as for example electroforming for a first formation of the resistive memory element, for example for writing/setting and erasing/resetting, a higher voltage may be m over the resistive memory element, above the supply voltage and/or above the transistor gate oxide breakdown voltage. The electroforming voltage, for example, is typically the highest voltage which is applied to the cell and is needed only once, to get the cells ready for operation. In contrast, the Set (on-switching) and Reset (off-switching) voltages are lower, but still a voltage above the supply voltage may be used.

Non-volatile resistive memory devices and methods for biasing resistive memory structures thereof


Mixtures of 2-methyl-isothiazolin-3-one (5H-MIT) and 5-chloro-2-methylisothiazolin-3-one (5Cl-MIT), are prepared by the chlorination of N-methyl-3-mercaptopropionamide (MMPA) with chlorine in a halogenated solvent in continuous operation.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,488 describes and claims a class of isothiazolone compounds, which comprises both components of MIT.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,430 describes and claims a process for preparing the said compounds by halogenation, accompanied by cyclization, of disulfideamides or mercaptoamides.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,431 discloses and claims the same compounds as compositions for inhibiting the growth of bacteria, fungi or algae, and a method for inhibiting said growth by the use of said compounds. EP 95907 claims a biocidal composition containing 3-isothiazolones, which is characterized in that the impurity content in the composition of nitrosamines plus nitrosamine precursors is less than 15 ppm of the 3-isothiazolones.
EP 363011 claims microbiocidal compositions of MIT in which the percentage of 5Cl-MIT is from 1.2 to 25.4%, the remaining part of the composition being 5H-MIT. Increased biological activity over that of each material separately is stated to be possessed by the compositions, which are also said to produce less skin-sensitization than compositions containing higher amounts of 5Cl-MIT. The compositions are prepared by semi-batch reaction between N-methyl-3-mercaptopropionamide (MMPA) and Cl.sub.2 in monochlorobenzene, the molar ratio of Cl.sub.2 to MMPA being 2.
EP 375265 claims a process for the preparation of crystalline isothiazolone monohydrochloride salts by chlorination of disulfidediamides or mercaptoamides, to give a crude product which is purified by crystallizing from chlorobenzene via reduction of the HCl content.
All the processes described in the literature, and in particular in the aforementioned patents, are batch or semi-batch. One of the advantages of MIT as an industrial biocide is that it rapidly decomposes in the environment and therefore does not constitute an ecological hazard. On the other hand, its shelf-life and that of its formulations can be seriously shortened by even traces of destabilizing impurities. Furthermore, the chemistry involved in MIT manufacture is multi-step and very complex. The composition of the product, the level of impurities and, as a result, the stability of formulations containing MIT, can be radically affected by even minor process fluctuations. For this reason, batch or semi-batch operations have been found to produce products of variable and inferior quality.
In addition, and in spite of the advantages claimed for MIT compositions in which the 5Cl component is in the minority, as in EP 363011, the most useful compositions are those in which the 5Cl/5H ratio is 2.5 or higher. Batch and semi-batch operations directed to produce mixtures of the said high 5Cl/5H ratios have the disadvantage of causing a large loss of yield because of the formation of large amounts of overchlorinated materials (mainly 4,5-dichloro-MIT).
It is a purpose of this invention to provide a process for the manufacture of MIT mixtures that will be free of the drawbacks of known processes, and will afford high yields.
It is another purpose of the invention to provide such a process which will permit to manufacture MIT mixtures in which the chlorinated and unchlorinated component are present in any desired molar ratio, without loss of yield to undesired by-products.
It is a further purpose of the invention to provide such a process which will permit preparation of MIT mixtures in which the 5Cl-5H ratio is greater than 2.5, and which do not cause large losses of yield due to the production of overchlorinated materials.
It is a still further purpose of the invention to provide such a process which will yield solid MIT product as its white HCl-salt (MIT.HCl) which is adequately stable at temperatures convenient for shipping in such a form.
It is a still further purpose of the invention to provide such a process that can be carried out efficiently and with high yields by means of the same apparatus, no matter what the desired ratio of the components of the MIT mixture may be.
Other purposes and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

Process for the preparation of isothiazolone


The invention provides an optical measuring apparatus having a plurality of measuring sections each having a light irradiating section for irradiating light to specimens and a light receiving section for receiving optical data acquired by irradiating the light to the specimens and a flow rate calculating section for calculating flow rate values of the specimens based on a difference of measured times of the optical data measured by the plurality of measuring sections with respect to the specimens and a distance between the plurality of measuring sections. The optical measuring apparatus measures the optical data of the specimens by irradiating light to the specimens, i.e., the objects to be measured, dispersed within a sample fluid flowing through a flow passage. The optical measuring apparatus further includes a flow rate graph generating section for generating flow rate graph data in which the values of flow rate of the specimens calculated by the flow rate calculating section are arrayed in order of calculation in time-series manner and for outputting the generated flow rate graph data to a displaying section.

There is proposed a method of setting a fluid flow so that a fluid containing specimens (minute objects to be tested) such as cells dispersed therein flows within a capillary tube, of measuring optical data (fluorescent data) of the specimens within the fluid flow by irradiating light from a light source to the fluid flow and of discriminating the specimens by the measured optical data. Ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the fluid in a dispensing section to form droplets after discriminating the specimens and an electric charge of several hundred volts for example is applied to the droplets. Then, a voltage of several thousand volts is applied to the charged droplets from a deflecting plate, so that the droplets are dispensed to arbitrary containers (wells) of the dispensing section while dividing positions to which the respective droplets drop into plus and minus electrode-sides.
[Non-Patent Document 1] Tatsuro Yamashita, Shinichiro Niwa, "Cell Technology" Vol. 16, No. 10, p 1532-1541, 1997

Optical measuring apparatus and specimen discriminating and dispensing apparatus


An enclosure for thermally stabilizing a temperature sensitive component on a circuit board is provided. The enclosure comprises a first cover section configured to be mounted over a portion of a first side of the circuit board where at least one temperature sensitive component is mounted. The first cover section includes a first lid, and at least one sidewall that extends from a perimeter of the first lid. The enclosure also comprises a second cover section configured to be mounted over a portion of a second side of the circuit board opposite from the first cover section. The second cover section includes a second lid, and at least one sidewall that extends from a perimeter of the second lid. The first and second cover sections are configured to releasably connect with the circuit board.

In various microelectronic applications, temperature stabilization of a device is required to achieve high accuracy. For example, a micro-electrical-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensor such as a MEMS accelerometer is very sensitive to ambient temperature. This is caused by differences in temperature coefficients of expansion (TCE) in each layer of the MEMS accelerometer, and also by the quality of connection between the circuit board and the MEMS accelerometer.
In order to meet high accuracy sensor requirements, temperature drift can be eliminated by keeping the sensor at a constant temperature. One method to achieve this is to heat the sensor to a temperature which is greater than the maximum operating temperature of a product that contains the sensor. Nevertheless, a heated sensor can still be affected by ambient temperature, as maintaining a stable high temperature of the sensor is problematic.

Thermal stabilization of temperature sensitive components


A crankshaft is manufactured by providing a plurality of initially completely discrete crankshaft segments electron-beam welded together. Tubular bearing journals (12,14) having an inclined surface (30) are positioned in a groove (35,40) of a counterweight web (16) and a groove (50) of a crankshaft end (18). The discrete segments (12,14,16,18) are positioned and maintained in position by the interaction of inclined surfaces (30) and grooves (35,40,50) for electron-beam welding.

Prior attempts to manufacture individual crankshaft segments and subsequently join the segments by means of conventional or friction welding techniques have proven to be too costly and time consuming. One of the problems involved in such prior attempts is that the individual components where not finish machined and heat treated before assembly therefore the assembled crankshaft needed to be machined and heat treated as a unit and the components selection could not be optimized for useage.


Systems and methods responsive to a data file deletion instruction are disclosed. A method includes receiving an instruction to delete a data file. The data file is stored at a plurality of persistent memory cells of a memory. The memory also stores a directory that includes a first entry corresponding to the data file. In response to receiving the instruction to delete the data file, multiple attribute bits of the first entry are programmed and also a first bit of the first entry is programmed. The first bit of the first entry is distinct from the multiple attribute bits. Programming the multiple attribute bits converts the first entry from a first entry type to a second entry type. Programming the first bit of the first entry indicates that the first entry has an unused status.

Non-volatile semiconductor memory devices, such as removable storage cards or Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash memory devices, have enabled increased portability of data and software applications. Some non-volatile semiconductor memory devices persistently store data, such as at one-time programmable (OTP) or write-once read-many (WORM) memory that does not allow data to be deleted after being written. However, users of the semiconductor memory devices may desire to render data stored at the memory device unavailable, such as when the stored data may be private, embarrassing, or otherwise sensitive. For example, a user of a camera may desire to remove access to one stored image that has been saved at an OTP memory. Removing the unwanted data may require destruction of other non-sensitive data on a persistent storage memory device and may require destruction of the memory device itself.

System and method to respond to a data file deletion instruction


A method of increasing the static coefficient of friction of an oleaginous composition, such as an ATF, comprising adding to a major portion of an oil of lubricating viscosity a friction increasing amount of an oil soluble friction increasing reaction product comprising (a) an oil soluble substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated, branched hydrocarbyl group containing from about 12 to about 50 total carbon atoms, (b) a linking group, and (c) a nitrogen-containing polar group, wherein the polar group contains at least one nitrogen atom and, optionally, contains at least one atom selected from the group consisting of boron, oxygen and sulfur atoms, and wherein the polar group is linked to the branched hydrocarbyl group through the linking group.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of increasing the static coefficient of friction of oleaginous compositions by adding to such compositions hydrocarbon soluble reaction products consisting of an oil soluble branched hydrocarbyl group, a linking group and a nitrogen containing polar group, which may also contain boron, oxygen or sulfur. These reaction products are useful for increasing the static coefficient of friction of oleaginous compositions, such as lubricating oils, including power transmission fluids, and particularly automatic transmission fluids, in which they are contained.
2. Description of Related Art
Transmission designs have undergone radical changes, thereby necessitating the formulation of ATF additives capable of meeting new and more stringent requirements. One change in transmission design has been the incorporation of lock-up torque converter clutches for improved fuel economy. Another change is the incorporation of 4-wheel drive systems requiring inter-axle differentiating clutches for better driveability. These two devices operate at low sliding speeds and at low energy.
The low speed low energy frictional characteristics of a lubricant are evaluated with a low velocity friction apparatus (LVFA). The LVFA apparatus uses simulated clutches approximately one inch in diameter. These small model clutches are either prepared by the clutch manufacturer to exactly duplicate production parts, or are carefully cut from full size production pieces.
These small test specimens are mounted in the LVFA test chamber and are submerged in test lubricant. An appropriate test load is then applied to the system. The machine is equipped to test at any temperature from 0.degree. C. to 200.degree. C. and once the appropriate temperature has been reached the speed of the clutch is increased from 0 to 500 rpm, and then decreased from 500 to 0 rpm. In this fashion the dependence of friction coefficient on speed and temperature can be determined over a wide range of sliding speeds and temperatures. The initial acceleration of the system from 0 sliding speed also accurately measures breakaway static friction .mu..sub.s.
An increasingly important characteristic of an automatic transmission fluid is the level of static breakaway friction that it imparts to the clutch. This parameter, expressed as breakaway static friction or .mu..sub.s, reflects the relative tendency of engaged parts, such as clutch packs or bands and drums, to slip under load. If this value is too low, the resulting slippage can impair the driveability and safety of the vehicle. This is especially important in newer cars with smaller transmissions and higher torque engines.
Chemicals which are conventionally referred to as friction modifiers can only lower the value of .mu..sub.s. This is not always desirable. Sometimes it is of great benefit to raise the level of .mu..sub.s. The products of this invention are true friction increasers, i.e., they increase the value of .mu..sub.s, without causing any deleterious effects to the fluid or transmission.
The ability to increase breakaway static friction through the use of chemical additives is extremely valuable. Previously when a transmission manufacturer needed to increase the amount of torque that could be transmitted through a locked clutch they had very few options. Conventionally, increasing the static holding capacity of a clutch has been accomplished by changing the clutch itself, either by increasing the clutch lining area (i.e. using more clutch plates), by changing the clutch lining material or by increasing pressure being applied to the closed clutch. These methods are often undesirable because they necessitate redesigning the transmission. They add weight to the vehicle, cause the transmission to take up more space and make the transmission more costly to produce. Many of these changes can also change the dynamic characteristics of the shift and make it less desirable. The products of this invention make it possible to increase the breakaway static capacity of the system without making any of these changes to the hardware.
Using only conventional friction modifiers (i.e., friction reducers) the only way to increase static friction was to reduce the level of friction reducer. This approach suffers from two problems. First, once all the friction reducer is removed the level of .mu..sub.s cannot be increased further; and second, removing the friction reducer has deleterious effects on the dynamic clutch engagement as well as the friction durability of the fluid.
In the past the only way to increase the coefficient of friction in these systems was to use a "traction fluid". These fluids however are only effective under extremely high loads and require that transmissions be extremely large and heavy to function properly. Due to their unique molecular structure these traction fluids are often very susceptible to oxidation, provide poor wear control and are not easily friction modified to give good dynamic friction characteristics. These fluids are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,440,894 and 4,008,251.
No base oil alone can even approach the many special properties required for ATF service. Therefore, it is necessary to employ several chemical additives, each of which is designed to impart or improve a specific property of the fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,977 relates to an ATF composition which comprises a friction modifier such as n-octadecyl succinic acid or the reaction product of an alkyl or alkenyl succinic anhydride with an aldehyde/tris hydroxymethyl aminomethane adduct and an overbased alkali or alkaline earth metal detergent. The ATF may also contain a conventional hydrocarbyl-substituted succinimide ashless dispersant such as polyisobutenyl succinimide. Other patents which disclose ATF compositions that include conventional alkenyl succinimide dispersants include, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,879,306; 3,920,562; 3,933,659; 4,010,106; 4,136,043; 4,153,567; 4,159,956; 4,596,663 and 4,857,217; British Patents 1,087,039; 1,474,048 and 2,094,339; European Patent Application 0,208,541(A2); and PCT Application WO 87/07637.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,243 discloses traction drive fluids which comprise gem-structured polyisobutylene oligomers. Polar derivatives of such gem-structured polyisobutylenes can be obtained by conversion of the polyisobutylene oligomers to polar compounds containing such functional groups as amine, imine, thioketone, amide, ether, oxime, maleic anhydride, etc. adducts. The polyisobutylene oligomers generally contain from about 16 to about 48 carbon atoms. Example 18 of this patent discloses reacting a polyisobutylene oil with maleic anhydride to form a polyisobutylene succinic anhydride which is useful as a detergent, as an anti-wear agent, and as an intermediate in the production of a hydrazide derivative. Other patents containing similar disclosures include, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,941; U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,203; U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,487 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,503.
While the prior art suggests a variety of additives for modifying the properties of various oleaginous compositions, there is no suggestion of any additives that are suitable for increasing the static breakaway coefficient of friction of such compositions. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for new additives and methods which would enable the formulation of oleaginous compositions, including lubricating oils and power transmission fluids, and particularly automatic transmission fluids, having increased breakaway static coefficient of friction.

Method for increasing the static coefficient of friction in oleaginous compositions


A liquid ejecting head includes: a plurality of liquid ejecting modules each including a plurality of head units and a first plate, a second plate, and a protrusion. The plurality of liquid ejecting modules is arrayed in a first direction. The first plate has a first surface to which the plurality of head units is fixed and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first plate has a thickness in a second direction. The second plate is disposed at the second surface of the first plate so as to extend along the plurality of liquid ejecting modules. The protrusion protrudes from the second plate in a direction away from the first plate.

A liquid ejecting head provided with a plurality of liquid ejecting modules is known in the art. Each liquid ejecting module is configured of a plurality of head units, and a first plate to which the respective head units are fixed. Each head unit is fixed to a first surface of the corresponding first plate.
Each first plate has a second surface opposite to the first surface. A second plate is provided on the second surfaces of the first plates. The second plate is provided along a plurality of first plates. The second plate closes gaps provided between the first plates, thereby preventing ink from collecting in these gaps (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-55449, for example).

Liquid ejecting head including first plate, second plate, and protrusion protruding from second plate


A nullification device of the invention comprises a nullifying signal generator 15 for producing a nullifying signal, and a controller 14 for measuring a predetermined period of time and on/off-controlling a mode change switch 16 provided between the signal generator 15 and a transmitting antenna 18. On the other hand, an activation device comprises a generator 23 for producing an activating signal for the nullification device. The activation device and the nullification device have connection terminals a, b and a', b', respectively, where the devices are in contact with each other, with the nullification device placed in a accommodating recess in the activation device. The controller 14 turns on the switch 16 in response to the activating signal, starts to measure time upon cessation of supply of the activating signal, and turns off the switch 16 upon lapse of the specified time period, whereby the nullification device for forcibly ceasing the generation of an alarm by an alarm unit is prevented from being used wrongfully.

FIG. 15 shows an antitheft system conventionally used in stores wherein commodities such as compact disk cassettes and magnetic tape cassettes are on display for sale, to protect these articles from shoplifting or like illegal acts.
The antitheft system comprises an antitheft gate 4 installed in the vicinity of an exit 40 of the store, and an alarm unit 3 attached to a commodity 5. The antitheft gate 4 has a circuit board 41 and a transmitting antenna (not shown). The circuit board 41 is provided with a transmitting circuit (not shown) for producing an alarm activating signal for the alarm unit 3.
With reference to FIG. 16, the alarm unit 3 comprises a buzzer 31, circuit board 33, battery (not shown), etc. which are housed in a casing 30. The casing 30 has a surface formed with sound emitting holes 34 and an alarm actuating switch piece 32. The buzzer 31 has its operation controlled by the circuit board 33 and is adapted to produce an alarm when the unit 3 is removed from the commodity or when the unit 3 passes by the antitheft gate 4.
The commodity is placed on display in the store, with the alarm unit 3 attached thereto. When selling the commodity to the customer, the clerk holds the buzzer 31 out of operation by sending a specified signal from a nullification device (not shown) to the circuit board 33 of the alarm unit 3, then removes the unit 3 from the commodity and hands the commodity to the customer in exchange for money.
If the customer wrongfully removes the alarm unit 3 from the commodity 5, the switch piece 32 is turned off to actuate the buzzer 31. Further if the customer acts to unlawfully bring the commodity 5 out of the store along with the alarm unit 3, the circuit board 33 of the alarm unit 3 receives an alarm activating signal from the transmitting antenna of the antitheft gate 4 to turn on the buzzer 31.
However, the antitheft system described has the following problem. It is likely that a customer or clerk temporarily employed will steal the nullification device from the store. The person stealing the nullification device can use the device unlawfully in other store to bring an alarm unit 3 out of alarming operation and then remove the alarm unit 3 from the commodity attached thereto, so that the commodity can be readily brought out of the store.


An printed circuit board (14) includes a first insulative layer (140), a first conductive path (141), a second conductive path (142) and an insulative substrate (143) stacked together. The first conductive path is disposed between the insulative substrate and the first insulative layer. The first conductive path includes an engaging portion (146), a middle portion (148) having an end connected with the engaging portion, and a soldering portion (147) connected with an opposite end of the middle portion. The second conductive path is aligned with the middle portion of the first conductive path along a vertical direction, the second conductive path electrically connected with the middle portion of the first conductive path to increase a thickness thereon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printed circuit board, and more particularly to a printed circuit board of an electrical connector with high speed signal transmission
2. Description of Prior Arts
A conventional printed circuit board comprises plural conductive paths. The printed circuit board could be received in an electrical connector with high speed signal transmission. The conductive path comprises a soldering portion, an engaging portion, and a middle portion interconnected between the soldering portion and the engaging portion. The soldering portion is used for being soldered with a wire. The engaging portion is used for being mated with a mating terminal. When the engaging portion of the conductive path is mated with a mating portion of the mating terminal, a combined thickness of the mating portion and the engaging portion will be greater than a thickness of the middle portion. Likewise, when the soldering portion of the conductive path is soldered with a conductor of the wire, a combined thickness of the soldering portion and the conductor will be greater than a thickness of the middle portion. Therefore, when the electrical connector assembly is working, the characteristic impedance of the printed circuit board will have a discontinuity. That is, the characteristic impedance of the engaging portion is smaller than the characteristic impedance of the middle portion, and the characteristic impedance of the soldering portion is smaller than the characteristic impedance of the middle portion. This makes the transmission of the high speed signals unstable.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,088,200, issued to Bartley et al. on Aug. 8, 2006, discloses a method and structure to control common mode impedance in fan-out regions for printed circuit board applications. A differential pair transmission line includes a narrow signal trace portion in the fan-out region and a wider signal trace portion outside of the fan-out region. The narrow signal trace portion in the fan-out region has an increased thickness relative to the wider signal trace portion.
A printed circuit board with stable signal transmission is desired.

Printed circuit board having improved characteristic impedance


A displacement unit and a jointed shaft which includes such a displacement unit. The displacement unit is formed of an external part and of an internal part which can be displaced in an axial direction in the external part, in which the external and internal parts have guide paths provided with balls arranged in the guide paths for the transmission of torque.

The invention relates to a displacement unit with a tubular outer part, the inner face of which has outer running tracks at least in part, with an inner part which is axially displaceable in the outer part and the outer face of which has inner running tracks at least in part, and with balls arranged for torque transmission, respectively, in outer running tracks and inner running tracks associated with each other in pairs. The invention further relates to a jointed shaft with a displacement unit.
Displacement units of this type are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,908 (=DE 198 31 010), U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,617 (=DE 198 31 016) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,045 (=DE 199 11 111) and are used to offset or compensate for a telescopic displacement, which is necessary for assembly and/or occurs in operation of a shaft that is used, for example, in the drivetrain of a motor vehicle. Beyond the normal displacement path that is provided in these displacement units in operation or is possible during assembly, a further axial telescoping of the displacement unit or the shaft connected therewith is not provided or possible.
In a head-on collision of a motor vehicle, the entire vehicle is partially strongly compressed, depending on the severity of the collision. As a result, a substantial partial axial load acts also on the longitudinal vehicle driveshaft. To safely prevent the shaft from buckling and penetrating the passenger compartment, the shaft must therefore be capable of axially contracting. In the known displacement units, this is possible only to a very limited degree, so that the longitudinal shaft can buckle and can potentially endanger the vehicle occupants.
Further, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,255 (=DE 199 43 880) a drive arrangement is proposed in which two shaft sections of a longitudinal drive shaft are interconnected by a center joint. The diameters of the two shaft sections are such that the shaft sections can telescope into each other in case of a collision. To this end the cage of the center joint is constructed as a predetermined breaking point which fails in a collision and thereby enables the two shaft sections to telescope. In addition, the transmission-side joint and the differential-side joint are constructed as slip joints. Particularly in applications requiring relatively large, non-destructive changes in the axial length of the drive shaft for assembly and/or in operation, the comparatively small non-destructive displacement path of the slip joints has proven to be a disadvantage in this known drive arrangement.

Displacement unit and joint shaft including such a displacement unit


This disclosure relates to systems and methods for sending and receiving messages between two user devices using vibration generation and detection techniques. The devices may be placed in proximity to each other and initiate a solicitation protocol and a communication protocol routine to establish a vibration communication link. The devices may exchange information using information that is encoded into the vibrations that are transferred from one user device to another user device.

Peer-to-peer communications are increasingly popular among users of electronic devices. Security for peer-to-peer communications enables two or more users to engage in protected conversations. However, exchanging security credentials over a wireless connection is susceptible to eavesdropping and may compromise security when an eavesdropper successfully intercepts the security credentials without being noticed. Security precautions that may prevent eavesdropping would be advantageous to peer-to-peer communication users.
Certain implementations will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which various implementations and/or aspects are shown. However, various aspects may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementations set forth herein; rather, these implementations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Like numbers in the figures refer to like elements throughout. Hence, if a feature is used across several drawings, the number used to identify the feature in the drawing where the feature first appeared will be used in later drawings.

Systems and methods for communicating between devices using vibrations


A loading control system for a centrifuge used in, for example, a sugar refining operation, optimizes the introduction of product to be centrifuged. A loading system has an ultrasonic loading probe, a sound tube for delivering the sound signals to the sugar wall and returning to the ultrasonic probe, an analog controllable feed valve and a programmable logic controller which is used to control the operation. The logic program implements a control loop which analyses the signal from the probe and controls the position of the gate accordingly. Preferably, the system also implements a control loop for automatic adjustment of the flow rate and amount of sugar in the machine in order to optimize the loading process.

Reservation of Copyright
The disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.

Ultrasonic loading control for centrifuge basket


A cell necrosis apparatus includes an introducer with a tissue piercing distal end. An RF electrode device includes a first RF electrode with a tissue piercing distal end, a second RF electrode with a tissue piercing distal end, and a third RF electrode with a tissue piercing distal end. The first and second electrodes each have an exterior non-insulated energy delivery surface and an exterior opposing insulated surface. The first, second and third RF electrodes are deployable from the introducer with the first and second RF electrodes exterior non-insulated energy delivery surfaces facing and surrounding the third RF electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an RF treatment apparatus, and more particularly to an RF treatment apparatus operable in bipolar or monopolar modes to deliver directable thermal energy to a target tissue site.
2. Description of Related Art
Treatment of cellular tissues usually requires direct contact of target tissue with a medical instrument, usually by surgical procedures exposing both the target and intervening tissue to substantial trauma. Often, precise placement of a treatment probe is difficult because of the location of a target tissue in the body or the proximity of the target tissue to easily damaged, critical body organs, nerves, or other components.
High frequency currents are used in electrocautery procedures for cutting human tissue especially when a bloodless incision is desired or when the operating site is not accessible with a normal scalpel but presents an access for a thin instrument through natural body openings such as the esophagus, intestines or urethra. Examples include the removal of prostatic adenomas, bladder tumors or intestinal polyps. In such cases, the high-frequency current is fed by a surgical probe into the tissue to be cut. The resulting dissipated heat causes boiling and vaporization of the cell fluid at this point, whereupon the cell walls rupture and the tissue is separated. The frequency of the current for this use must be above ca. 300 kHz in order to avoid adverse nerve and/or muscle responses.
Destruction of cellular tissues in situ has been used in the treatment of many diseases and medical conditions alone or as an adjunct to surgical removal procedures. It is often less traumatic than surgical procedures and may be the only alternative where other procedures are unsafe. Ablative treatment devices have the advantage of using a destructive energy which is rapidly dissipated and reduced to a non-destructive level by conduction and convection forces of circulating fluids and other natural body processes.
Microwave, radio frequency, acoustical (ultrasound) and light energy (laser) devices, and tissue destructive substances have been used to destroy malignant, benign and other types of cells and tissues from a wide variety of anatomic sites and organs. Tissues treated include isolated carcinoma masses and, more specifically, organs such as the prostate, glandular and stromal nodules characteristic of benign prostate hyperplasia. These devices typically include a catheter or cannula which is used to carry a radio frequency electrode or microwave antenna through a duct to the zone of treatment and apply energy diffusely through the duct wall into the surrounding tissue in all directions.
Current open procedures for treatment of target tissues are extremely disruptive and cause a great deal of damage to healthy tissue. Accordingly, there has recently been a fair amount of emphasis of minimally invasive procedures for target tissue destruction and removal.
Among the problems associated with all of these procedures is the requirement that highly localized heat be produced at depths of several centimeters beneath the surface of the body. Certain techniques have been developed with microwave radiation and ultrasound to focus energy at various desired depths. RF applications may be used at depth during surgery. However, the extent of localization is generally poor with the result that healthy tissue may be harmed. Induction heating gives rise to poor localization of the incident energy as well. Although induction heating may be achieved by placing an antenna on the surface of the body, superficial eddy currents are generated in the immediate vicinity of the antenna when it is driven using RF current, and unwanted surface heating occurs with little coupled to the underlying tissue. Thus, noninvasive procedures for providing heat to internal target tissue sites have had difficulties is substantial specific and selective treatment.
Hyperthermia, which can be from an RF or microwave source, applied heat to tissue but does not exceed 45 degrees C. so that normal cells survive. In thermotherapy, heat energy of greater than 45 degrees C. is applied, resulting in histological damage and the denaturization of proteins. Hyperthermia has been applied more recently for cell necrosis of a target tissue site. In hyperthermia, it is desirable to induce a state of hyperthermia that is localized by interstitial current heating to a specific area while concurrently insuring minimum thermal damage to healthy surrounding tissue. Often, the target tissue site is located subcutaneously and addressing the target tissue site requires either surgery, endoscopic procedures or exits healing requires either surgery, endoscopic procedures or external radiation. It is difficult to externally induce hyperthermia in deep body tissue because current density is diluted due to its absorption by healthy tissue. Additionally, a portion of the RF energy is reflected at the muscle/fat and bone interfaces which adds to the problem of depositing a known quantity of energy directly on a small target tissue site.
There is a need for an RF treatment apparatus to minimally invasively create cell necrosis in a target tissue site. There is a further need for an RF treatment apparatus that provides directional delivery of RF energy to a target tissue site. Another need exists for an RF ablation apparatus which can be operated in bipolar or monopolar modes to deliver directable thermal energy to a targeted tissue site.

Directable thermal energy delivery apparatus


A data processor in which special regions 31a, 31b are set in the backmost screen, and comprises means for specifying the functions to be started corresponding to them, and means for registering the specified special regions 31a, 31b and the function to be started corresponding to them in correspondence to a specific wallpaper 31. When coordinates data of the position selected by the cursor in the backmost screen is included in the special regions 31a, 31b, the function registered in correspondence thereto is started. In such constitution, complicated operation for starting up a required function by accurately selecting a small icon by the cursor is eliminated, and the working efficiency and controllability are enhanced.

The present invention relates to a data processor having a GUI (graphical user interface) capable of starting up various functions such as data editing, by selecting an icon by moving a cursor as a pointer on a display screen, for example, a word processor or a personal computer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a recording medium in which a computer program for starting various functions is recorded in such data processor.
Data processors having a GUI are popular owing to the enhanced visibility and controllability of display content on the screen by using not only characters but also graphics. In such data processors having a GUI, icons symbolizing filenames and commands by intuitive graphics are widely used.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a screen display example of a conventional data processor using such icons. In such conventional data processor, the user operates a pointing device such as a mouse to move the cursor to a position overlapping with a specific icon on the display screen, and clicks a mouse button, then the icon is selected, and the function symbolized by the icon is started up.
On the GUI display screen, the screen on which a wallpaper is pasted is positioned in the lowest layer of the screen, and one or plural window screens are positioned in the upper layers. On the window screens, the display stratum is determined depending on which screen the input focus is adjusted. Specifically, the window screen on which the input focus is adjusted at this point is displayed in the uppermost layer, and other window screens are sequentially moved to the lower layers.
In other data processors becoming popular, for example, an icon of launcher software is clicked to start up the launcher software and display the window screen thereof, and various application programs can be started up from the window screen of this launcher software.
Icons are, however, generally small graphics, and when the number of icons is increased as the functions are increased, icons are displayed closely to each other. To select an icon in such state, it is difficult to place the cursor accurately on an intended icon. It is therefore hard to select the function by the icon, that is, to click or double-click the mouse button, and it is highly possible to click a wrong icon beside a desired icon by mistake, and it causes problems in working efficiency and controllability.
In such a case, the individual icons may be displayed in a reduced size, but the reduction of display size of icons is limited from by visibility.
Or, in a data processor for starting up a computer program from the window screen of launcher software, as mentioned above, when a window screen of the launcher software is selected by the cursor, the input focus is adjusted to that window screen, and the window screen of the launcher software is displayed on the uppermost layer of the display screen. Therefore, the window screen hitherto displayed on the uppermost layer is concealed by the window screen of the launcher software, and the user does not know which screen is displayed beneath the window screen of the launcher software.

Data processor having graphical user interface and recording medium therefor


An apparatus is configured for attachment to a tub having a bottom wall and a plurality of wheels extending from the bottom wall. The apparatus includes a plurality of dual-hinged actuating mechanisms, a platform, and a handle. At least some of the plurality of actuating mechanisms include a first member configured to be fixedly positioned relative to the bottom wall; a second member; and a movable member comprising first and second ends, the first end hingedly attached to the first member and the second end hingedly attached to the second member. The second member is also attached to the platform. The handle is fixed to the movable member and is movable in an arcuate path. An assembly including the apparatus and a tub is also described.

For cleaning floors and other tasks, professional custodial personnel typically use large wash basins that hold several gallons of water and/or cleaning solution. A typical wash basin has casters or wheels to allow the wash basin to be easily moved to a selected location. The wash basin can also include a wringer that removes excess water from a mop after being rinsed in the wash basin.
Due to the weight of the water or cleaning solution in the wash basin, the casters or wheels are necessary to move the wash basin from one location to another location. However, the casters or wheels also cause the wash basin to move as the mop is being rinsed in the wash basin or the mop is being wrung out.
The movement of the wash basin while rinsing the mop or wringing the mop can cause the custodial personnel to be inefficient. Further, in some instances, the movement of the wash basin can place the custodial personnel in awkward positions that could lead to an injury.
Further, sloshing of the liquid within the wash basin while rinsing the mop or wringing the mop has a tendency to cause the casters or wheels to roll, which can cause spillage. The spillage requires additional cleaning time, which causes unnecessary inefficiencies while washing a floor.


The process described enables in situ testing of securing elements, for example bolted assemblies, to verify that their tightness is adequate and to detect any material defects. To this end, it is sufficient that a coil (19) subjects at least one part of the screwed assembly to an alternating magnetic field. This field, whose frequency can be varied, provides a spectrum containing information about the tightness of the assembly.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for the non-destructive determination of the stressing condition of ferromagnetic securing elements, in which process an alternating magnetic field is applied to said elements and the magneto-mechanical acoustic emission thereof is detected and evaluated.
Determining the stressing condition which occurs in a securing element at its site of use is a topical problem of vast significance. Its significance resides above all in the aspect of safety. However, the economic aspect of this problem is not to be underestimated, either. In this context, it may also be pointed out that all over the world, product liability has been playing an ever-increasing part.
What is especially significant is the determination of the stressing conditions prevailing in screwed connections. Whenever parts are to be detachably connected, this is as a rule done by means of screwed connections. In a motorvehicle, for example, about two to three thousand screwed connections can be found. Of these, about three hundred are crucial for safety. For this reason, these screws or bolts have to be tightened particularly carefully, i.e. nether too loosely nor too strongly (cf. "Industrieanzeiger" 13/1988, pp. 24 through 27).
When a screw or bolt is tightened, the ultimately decisive factor is the tension force. It is the tension force alone which decides on how tightly the parts are to be detachably connected. At present, the man skilled in the art does not disposed of any direct methods for measuring this force; he can merely conclude from indices or auxiliary magnitudes, namely the torque or the pivoting angle or a combination of the two. Furthermore, the yield point may also be considered to be an auxiliary magnitude in a certain sense.
When a screw or bolt is tightened under torque control, it must be taken into account that sixty to ninety per cent of the torque are required as friction under the screw or bolt head and in the thread. It is therefore the remaining ten to forty per cent of the torque alone which effect a strain on the screw or bolt. This strain on the screw or bolt alone causes the desired tension force. Under different friction conditions and with constant tightening moment, the tension force can vary up to a hundred per cent in the extreme case. For verifying the tension force of a screwed connection, detecting the torque thus remains merely a makeshift measuring solution. Deviations from the required tension force in screwed connections can be reduced by the use of a tightening process which is controlled by both the torque and the pivoting angle. In this process, however, the expenditure for electronic controlling and measuring equipment is far higher than with torque-controlled tightening. In a tightening process which is controlled by the torque/pivoting angle, the screw or bolt is turned in until a plastic deformation occurs, from which point onwards the screw or bolt is tightened by a predetermined angle. Since the strain of the screw or bolt can be determined from the pivoting angle and the pitch of the thread, the tension force of the screw or bolt may be calculated, taking into account the elastic modulus of the screw/bolt material. Irrespective of the friction conditions, this yield point-controlled tightening process provides the best indirect indications about the pre-stressing force of a screwed connection.
As a rule, it would be ideal for determining the prestressing force if the parameters stress and strain could be measured directly during the tightening of the screw or bolt. In production, however, when conventional tightening processes were used, it has so far been impossible to measure these parameters ("Industrieanzeiger" 16/1988, pp 21 through 24).
German patent application DE-AS 25 19 430 already discloses a measuring process for determining the axial force of screw bolts in which the screw bolts are excited to ultra-sonic resonance vibrations by means of transversal and longitudinal waves. The natural frequencies are thus dependent on the longitudinal modulus and the transversal modulus, resp. of the screw bolts. The axial forces to be measured are derived from shifts of the natural frequencies as a result of the strain of the sample body.
Moreover, German patent DE 33 33 285 A1 teaches means for detecting forces, stresses and accelerations in machines, devices and the like, in which a measuring value generator is built into a structural element under stress. The measuring value generator contains a low-Ohm resistance structural element. In screwed connections, the measuring value generator is built into the bolt or the washer.
Further, German patent DE 33 45 760 C2 discloses measuring means comprising a measuring spring made of ferromagnetic material, in which the deformation behaviour of an elastic spring of ferromagnetic material is examined by means of a strain measuring strip and a magnetic field which passes through the spring at the site of the strain measuring strip.
German patent DE 27 14 334 A1 teaches means for monitoring the tension force of a screwed connection, in which a tightly fitting measuring wire is wound around the periphery of the nut of a screwed connection for measuring the stress-related radial expansion. One end of the measuring wire is secured to the nut, the other end remaining tangentially movable on its periphery. After the prestressing force has been exerted on the nut, the latter expands radially, resulting in the measuring wire being displaced. This displacement is detected longitudinally and assigned to the prestressing force.
Furthermore, German utility model DE-GM 6608345 discloses a detecting element in the form of a washer which transforms the applied prestressing force into an electrical signal.
For detecting stresses in materials having ferromagnetic properties, magnetic measuring processes may be used. These involve, for example, recording the Barkhausen effect, measuring the permeability or multiple detecting of magnetic parameters. The physical causes of the stress susceptibility of ferromagnetic materials are based on magnetoelastic effects which, after material deformation or interior rearrangement processes, result in changes in the energy contributions determining the domain structure. These changes then influence the magnetic parameters.
German patent DE 34 04 232 relates to a process for examining material properties and material states of ferromagnetic materials on the basis of the magneto-mechanical acoustic emission of the ferromagnetic material in a magnetic field. In this process, the magneto-elastically induced emission of a standardized ferromagnetic sample and of the ferromagnetic material to be examined is recorded at a continuously varied frequency of the magnetic field and at a constant amplitude of the magnetising field strength of the alternating field, after which the acoustic emissions of the standardized ferromagnetic sample and the emissions emanating from the ferromagnetic material under test are then compared. In this process, a modifiable portion of a direct-current field is also intended to be superimposed on the alternating magnetic field. This modifiable portion of the direct-current field is used to adjust a certain point of the hysteresis curve for premagnetizing the sample or for demagnetising a previously magnetized sample.
It may further be gathered from a report of a meeting (W. Stengel: "Magnetoelastische Resonanzspektroskopie". Deutsche Gesellschaft fur zerstorungsfreie Prufung e.V. (German Society for non-destructive Testing), Berichtsband (Volume) 14, 1988, pp 638 through 645) that a sample which is subjected to a tensile force is subsequently found to have a characteristic magnetostrictive vibration behaviour in every area of the corresponding stress-strain diagram. Plastic deformation of the sample can be seen from a frequency shift of related resonance amplitudes. In this case, the magnetostrictive vibration was induced exclusively along the longitudinal measuring area of the tensile sample by means of a cylindrical coil surrounding the longitudinal measuring area. The acoustic emission behaviour thus can only be related to the tensile stress condition prevailing in this area.

Process and device for non-destructive determination of the prestressing condition of ferromagnetic securing elements


A lighting and/or signalling device for a motor vehicle comprising an outer wall delimiting the interior and exterior of a closed chamber, a casing, a closing glass closing the casing, the glass and casing forming at least partly the outer wall of the chamber, at least one light source inside the chamber, at least one heat exchange zone for transferring heat from inside to outside the chamber outer wall including the heat exchange zone, the heat exchange zone being able to be in contact with a fluid capable of circulating in the region of this heat exchange zone, so that the fluid enables heat emitted in the region of the heat exchange zone to be evacuated.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a lighting and/or signalling device comprising means for removing heat produced by the light source or sources of the device. More particularly, the invention relates to a lighting and/or signalling device for a motor vehicle comprising a chamber inside which at least one light source is positioned, the chamber having an outer wall provided with a heat exchange zone for transferring heat from the inside to the outside of the chamber. The invention also relates to a vehicle fitted with such a device, as well as a method for producing a casing adapted to the present invention.
2. Description of the Related Art
The "heat exchange zone" of the outer wall is understood to mean a zone that will exchange heat from the inside to the outside of the chamber, in a preferred manner compared with the other zones on the outer wall that will not have been defined as heat exchange zones. For example, a zone of the outer wall consisting of a thermally conducting material or a heat exchanger included in the wall constitutes a heat exchange zone.
The present invention is particularly valuable in the case of a lighting and/or signalling device comprising electroluminescent diodes or LEDs, more particularly in the case of headlights using power LEDs.
In the prior art, the use of an electroluminescent diode has been already proposed by reason of the many advantages that it presents.
Indeed, an LED consumes less electrical energy, even at equal luminous flux intensity, than a discharge or incandescent lamp that is traditionally used in the automotive field.
An LED does not radiate in an omnidirectional manner, but radiates in a more directional manner than a discharge lamp. Thus the quantity of light lost, and therefore of electrical energy lost, is lower.
LEDs also take up little room and may be positioned in much more confined spaces, and their particular shape offers new possibilities for producing and arranging complex surfaces that are associated with them.
Initially, LEDs were used in signalling lights or the rear lights of vehicles that required much less luminous power than lighting devices.
At the present time, an increase in the available power for LEDs makes it possible to envisage novel uses for these light sources, in particular for achieving lighting functions in lights at the front of the vehicle. In this case, the LEDs used are power LEDs. The expression "power LED" denotes an electroluminescent diode of which the luminous flux is of the order of at least 30 lumens.
However, a power LED produces heat as it operates. Heating of the LED is prejudicial to its satisfactory functioning, since the more the temperature of the diode rises, the more its luminous flux diminishes. Moreover, in the confined space of a headlight, the possibilities of removing heat are very limited and the temperature inside the headlight can rise very rapidly. Now, LEDs do not withstand temperatures as high as those that discharge lamps or halogen lamps withstand. More particularly, LEDs possess a maximum junction temperature of between 125 degrees Celsius (°C.) and 150° C., above which LEDs exhibit not only a reduction in efficiency but also a risk of breaking.
The heat produced by the diodes is not produced by its beam, which does not contain infrared radiation (cold light is referred to). This heat is, on the other hand, produced in the LED itself. In order to reduce its operating temperature, the LED has a metal heat-dissipating base, often called a "slug" that makes it possible to establish thermal contact with a heat dissipater, such a radiator, in order to dissipate the heat produced by the LED. Such a dissipater is in particular described in application EP-A-1 139 019. However, the heat dissipater removes heat in the region of the LED but inside the headlight, of which the internal temperature will increase.
It is difficult to evacuate heat to outside the headlight, in particular by reason of the fact that this is in contact with the engine compartment which constitutes a heat source, often between 70° C. and 80° C. when the vehicle is operating. For example, when the temperature outside the vehicle is 40° C., the temperature in the region of the engine compartment being approximately 70° C., a temperature of 90° C. is easily reached inside the headlight. Consequently, it becomes much more difficult with a single heat dissipater to remove heat in the region of the LED so that it does not reach its maximum junction temperature.
Various solutions have appeared in the prior art for removing heat from the inside to the outside of the headlight.
Document US2006/0076572 describes, and illustrates in its FIG. 4, a headlight inside which a diode is positioned mounted on a heat dissipater. A heat exchanger is positioned at the bottom of the casing of the headlight, on the wall of this casing. Through the difference in thermal gradient, heat dissipated by the heat dissipater is transferred through the space of the casing to the heat exchanger, which transmits this heat outside the casing. As illustrated in FIG. 5 of US2006/0076572, it is possible to position a fan for circulating air between the heat dissipater and the heat exchanger. Another solution illustrated in FIG. 6 of US2006/0076572, consists of directly connecting the casing to the heat dissipater on which the LED is mounted. According to another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 7 of US2006/0076572, the heat dissipater is directly connected to a heat conductor, that in this way conducts heat to one of the parts of the heat conductor forming one with part of the wall of the casing. However, these embodiments do not enable the temperature to be reduced effectively below a certain temperature. Indeed, the heat exchange between the outside and the inside of the headlight occurs in the region of the casing and in particular of the engine compartment.
Patent application US2006/0181894 discloses a headlight of which the casing is traversed right through with a cooling duct inside which air circulates coming from outside the vehicle. Vanes positioned on the duct, inside the chamber defined by the casing closed by the outer glass, enables heat inside the chamber to be evacuated through the duct. However, the structure of such a headlight is complex to produce in the region of the wall of the casing, supplementary holes having to be sealed.
Patent application DE10258623 discloses a headlight in which the casing of the headlight is thermally insulated. In order to be insulated, the wall of the casing consists of two walls separated by an insulating space and sealed between each other at their ends, in this way forming a closed cavity. A thermally conducting part is positioned at the bottom of the casing and inside the chamber consisting of the casing and the glass. It extends from the light source in the vicinity of the glass, in this way enabling the air to be heated in the vicinity of the base of the glass of the glass of the vehicle. Since this air is hotter, it will rise inside the chamber, along the wall of the glass and thus be cooled. This type of headlight permits positioning in the region of the engine compartment while insulating the casing from the engine. However, the area of the glass must be sufficiently large compared with the volume of the chamber, so as to be able to evacuate heat sufficiently. Now, it is necessary to preserve a large degree of freedom of design of the headlight so as to be able to adapt to the internal structure of the vehicle and its body. This embodiment is therefore not entirely satisfactory. Its design is complex and restricting and increases the number of parts to be produced.

Lighting and/or signalling device for a motor vehicle comprising an outer wall provided with a heat exchange zone


The present invention relates to a macromolecule of proteinaceous nature which activates sperm motility, a process for the preparation thereof by purification of the macromolecule from extracellular fluids, pharmaceutical preparations containing the macromolecule and antibodies directed against determinants specific to the macromolecule and the use thereof as a method to assay the potential fertility of sperm.

It is previously known that only spermatozoa with a good ability to move and with a relatively straightlined progressive motility have the possibility to achieve fertilization and that only the spermatozoa with the best morphology enter the cervical mucus (Fredricsson B. and Bjork G. (1977): Morphology of postcoital spermatozoa in the cervical secretion and its clinical significance. Fertil. Steril. 28:841-845). It is also previously known that serum support sperm motility /Austin R. (1985) "Sperm maturation in the male and female genital tracts." In: Biology of Fertiliztion, vol. 2 (eds C Metz and A Monroy) pp. 121-147, Academic Press, New York/ and is therefore used in connection with sperm separation for fertilization in vitro.
However, there are problems inherent in the use of a fluid comprising thousands of components and a specific active component would give a safer and more predictible effect than such a fluid. An active factor would also give the effect without dangerous concomittant actions e.g. immunologic factors or infectious diseases.

Protein complex enhancing sperm motility

Applied Research Systems ARS Holding N.V.


This application describes devices and techniques for using microwave or RF resonators to provide DC bias, DC blocking, and impedance matching to microwave or RF devices. Both planar and non-planar implementations may be used.

This application relates to microwave (MW) and radio frequency (RF) components and devices and their applications.
Impedance matching is a condition under which the input impedance matches the output impedance in a microwave or RF device to reduce loss in transmitting a microwave signal. Various microwave and RF devices use LC circuits based on lumped components, microwave stubs, or impedance transformers to achieve the desired impedance matching. These techniques, however, have their limitations. For example, the LC circuits for impedance matching are often limited to low microwave frequencies. The microwave stubs and impedance transformers typically provide impedance matching within about one half of an octave and the corresponding bandwidth may not be sufficiently narrow for some single-frequency microwave and RF devices.

Resonant impedance matching in microwave and RF device


A terminal, for use with a phreatic surface measurer having a tape measure with at least one sensor at one end of the tape measure, includes a flexible protection element that substantially surrounds the tape measure, and a coupler between the flexible protection element and the sensor, where the flexible protection element protects the tape measure along a part of its length without substantially impeding its flexibility. Optionally, two elements can be used and connected to each other by a connector. Also optionally, a breakaway feature can allow the replacement of terminals or portions thereof.

Phreatic surface measurers are generally known as instruments used to measure water levels (within piezometers, wells, tanks, etc.), the knowledge of which are important in various research fields, such as geotechnics, hydrology, and more generally, environmental studies.
Phreatic surface measurers generally include four main components:                a winding system;        a tape measure;        a data detection and display system; and        a terminal (or sensor(s)).
Generally, a winding system can include a bobbin, with a winding mechanism, such as a handle mounted on a support frame, for example and not in limitation. A bobbin body can provide various measurement electronics, including circuitry, a communication system for communicating measured parameters, and a power source, such as a battery, for example and not in limitation. A support frame can further include a friction/blocking system for the bobbin, to adjust its sliding and for housing the terminal when not in use.
A tape measure can generally include electrical wires, connecting the electronics and/or circuitry to one or more sensors provided at the terminal, and a detection and/or processing apparatus. The tape also provides a support core, which is flexible but resistant to bending stresses.
A necessary requirement of measuring tapes can be that of providing a negligible lengthening without plastic deformations when subjected to even remarkable traction stresses.
Measure tapes usually have a circular section with a diameter ranging between 4 and 5 mm, and made up of rubber, thus efficiently protecting the inner electrical wires. KEVAR is presently widely used for the wire resistant core, whilst anti-scratch polyurethane is widely used for the outer sheath.
Despite rubber being a very resistant and flexible material, its use is often inconvenient, as it creates remarkable friction. This creates significant drawbacks when carrying out measurement operations, mainly at the ends.
A terminal is the component that is connected to the free end of a tape measure, and has the one or more sensors built-in. Main features a terminal must generally possess are the following:                a sufficient weight to maintain the tape measure in a straight orientation;        the presence of openings (such as holes or slits) close to the sensor to allowing the exit of water from the sensor when withdrawing the terminal from water, and the existence of an electrical bridge that would prevent quick measurements (for example, that which can be necessary for measuring a dynamic level during the withdrawal from a well);        being comprised of a suitable material to avoid chemical contamination with water with which it is in contact.
A data detection and display system can include electrical or electronic apparatuses provided with suitable optical and sound signaling mechanisms.
Terminals presently available on the market differ in their respective structures and the types of sensors employed.
For example, some terminals employ piezometers as measurement instruments, and can structurally include tubes (usually PVC tubes) provided within drillings made within the ground, and with holes or slots allowing the inflow and outflow of stratum water.
From a structural perspective, a terminal can be represented, in its simplest form, as a metallic tubular body housing electrical wires, and providing a sensor on its free end.
In order to permit the measurement of water levels, electrical circuits are usually employed, and generally include a power supply, a current flowing passage, and a switch provided on the lower end of the terminal (the sensor), which uses the conductive properties of water for electrically closing the circuit.
Many phreatic surface measurer models, in order to give the opportunity of measuring other desired parameters, provide the above technical scheme integrated with other types of sensors, such as the following:                sensors for measurement of water temperature (thermo-phreatic surface measurers);        pH measurement sensors; and        sensors for measuring electrical conductivity.
Often, however, there is a need for measuring piezometers, static and/or dynamic levels within wells equipped for water drawing, for example, wells provided with filters, a pump, a motor, an inlet conduit with relevant spacers from the coating (if provided), and motor supply cables. This occurs frequently, as most existing wells, mainly those for private use or for drawing small amounts of water, do not include piezometers due to cost limitations.
Presently known measurers suffer from at least the following drawbacks:                The terminal can meet an obstacle, often being an inlet conduit spacer. In this case, the halting of a phreatic surface measurer terminal's advancement cannot be timely revealed to the operator at the surface, with the operator continuing to unwind the bobbin until the progressive reduction of tension makes the situation evident. Also, the subsequent re-winding of the cable about the bobbin, which is necessary to repeat the attempt of lowering the instrument, can be precluded by the winding of the tape measure around projections that could be present (such as spacing brackets, bolts and nuts, etc.), or by the formation of a tape measure skein knotted about the phreatic surface measurer terminal, and thus preventing the terminal from passing through narrow spaces.        The descent and ascent of the terminal assembly, plus the oscillations of the same about the vertical axis, can cause its wrapping around an obstacle, such as a water inlet conduit and/or electrical wires supplying power to a pump motor. Attempts to free the terminal from such conduits are difficult due to the reduced space available and due to the friction of the tape with such obstacles, and further can be hindered, or even completely precluded, by the presence of projections, bolts and nuts, brackets, etc., or by couplings between a conduit and wires, where the terminal can be effectively fixed thereto indefinitely.
It is clear that the above procedure is quite inefficient both cost-wise and time-wise due to the various problems addressed above. Indeed, often measurer operators lose at least a portion of the measurer itself, leaving the same within the well, and resulting in significant damage to the measurer.


A steel rule die for cutting cloth and synthetic materials. The cutting die includes a primary substrate and a plurality of cutting units that are removably attachable to the substrate in such a manner that they are easy to adjust, remove and replace. The cutting units include secondary substrates with lengths of steel rule attached to them to form cutting cavities. Studs mounted to the primary substrate interface with tear-drop shared holes in the secondary substrates with to restrain them against motion perpendicular to the surface of the primary substrate while permitting movement of the cutting units in a horizontal plane with respect to the primary substrate. Adjustable securing rails positioned along the peripheries of the primary substrate are moved toward the fixed securing rails to restrain the secondary substrates against lateral and longitudinal motion. By moving the adjustable securing rails away from the fixed securing rails, the cutting units can be temporarily moved away from each other for cleaning scrap material therebetween. Foam can be disposed between the cutting units to minimize the possibility of scrap material becoming lodged between the cutting units, and aid in the removal of any scrap material that happens to become lodged between the cutting units.

This invention relates to steel rule die cutting and more particularly to an improved multi-cavity die with movable and adjustable cutting units.
Steel rule dies are commonly used for cutting cloth and cloth-like substances such as natural textiles and synthetic materials like vinyl. Steel rule dies are particularly advantageous in the repetitive cutting of a specific shape for use in clothing, furniture, shoes, and automotive trim panels. In brief, a steel rule cutting die typically comprises a base substrate or backing board in which grooves are cut and lengths of sharpened blade, known as steel rule, is formed to the same shape as the grooves and inserted in the grooves. The grooves are cut in the substrate in the pattern that is desired to be cut out of the material. Thus, when the steel rule is placed into the grooves, it forms cutting edges in the shape of the desired patterns. This die can be used together with a cutting press so that the die is pressed against a stack of material and the material is cut. Multiple layers of material can be cut with one pressing operation. Typically, one die will include several cavities, each with a different pattern and defined by a closed length of rule, so that several multiple patterns can be cut during a single pass through the press. Multiple cavities on a single die are nested together in an efficient configuration to minimize scrap material.
One problem with typical steel rule dies is the removal of scrap material from the regions between the cavities, i.e., between sections of adjacent rule, after each cutting process. Due to the bevel on the steel rule, scrap material that is situated between two cavities becomes compressed between the cavities and is difficult to remove. An operator must, therefore, perform a time-consuming cleaning of the die between each cutting process. Where the dies are closely spaced, the cleaning process is especially difficult. This results in extra cost and a decrease in the throughput of the cutting process. In order to alleviate the problem of cleaning scrap material, most dies have their cavities spaced apart from one another by at least 1/4. This spacing of 1/4 inch can cause significant cost in terms of scrap material.
Another problem is that, once the groove is cut into the substrate and the steel rule is placed into the groove, the cavities are permanently arranged in the die. If the pattern of one cavity needs to be modified in any respect, it is necessary to construct a completely new die at significant expense. In other words, there is no flexibility to change the patterns being without performing the costly and time consuming procedure of making a whole new die.

Steel rule cutting die with removable cutting units and method for using same