A conductive thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising a component (A) containing a thermoplastic resin or/and a thermoplastic elastomer; a component (B) comprising an ionic-conductive agent containing an ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymer or/and an ethylene oxide-propylene oxide-allyl glycidyl ether copolymer and a metal salt contained in the ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymer or/and the ethylene oxide-propylene oxide-allyl glycidyl ether copolymer; and a component (C) comprising an ethylene-acrylic ester-maleic anhydride copolymer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conductive thermoplastic elastomer composition, a method of producing the conductive thermoplastic elastomer composition, and a molding formed by processing the conductive thermoplastic elastomer composition. More particularly, the present invention relates to a conductive thermoplastic elastomer composition which is effectively used as a conductive roller for use in an image-forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
As methods of imparting conductivity to an elastomer, the following two methods are conventionally used: In one known method, an electroconductive polymer composition containing a conductive filler such as powder of metal oxide, carbon black or the like in a polymer thereof is used. In the other known method, an ionic-conductive polymer composition such as urethane rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber or the like is used.
In the case where the electroconductive polymer composition is used to compose a conductive roller, there is a region in which an electric resistance changes rapidly owing to a slight change of the addition amount of the conductive filler. Thus it is very difficult to control the electric resistance of the conductive roller. In addition, because it is difficult to uniformly disperse the conductive filler in the polymer, an electric resistance value has variations in the circumferential and widthwise directions of the conductive roller.
The electric resistance value of the conductive roller using the electroconductive polymer composition depends on a voltage applied thereto. In particular, in the case where the carbon black is used as the conductive filler, the electric resistance value of the conductive roller depends greatly on the voltage applied thereto. Further when the electroconductive polymer composition contains a very large amount of the conductive filler such as the carbon black, it is difficult to mold the electroconductive polymer composition.
The conductive roller using the electroconductive polymer composition has the above-described problems. In recent years, a high-quality image forming technique including a digital image processing technique and color image processing technique is outstanding. Thus there is a tendency that the ionic-conductive polymer composition is used preferentially to the electroconductive polymer composition.
Most of the ionic-conductive polymer composition used to form the conductive roller consists of a vulcanized rubber composition. But the vulcanized rubber composition is not thermoplastic and cannot be recycled.
Such being the case, an ionic-conductive polymer which is thermoplastic and can be recycled has come to be used. Above all, the conductive roller using epichlorohydrin rubber has a low electric resistance value and preferable properties. But in some cases, the ionic-conductive thermoplastic elastomer such as the epichlorohydrin rubber containing chlorine generates a toxic gas such as hydrogen chloride and dioxine when it is discarded.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-183866, there is disclosed the sheet-shaped thermoplastic elastomer composed of the olefin thermoplastic elastomer to which the permanent antistatic agent is added. The sheet-shaped thermoplastic elastomer can be recycled. Further because the olefin thermoplastic elastomer does not contain chlorine, the sheet-shaped thermoplastic elastomer does not pollute environment when it is discarded. In addition, a thermoplastic elastomer of a bleeding type containing the conductive plasticizer as the antistatic agent is also disclosed.
The permanent antistatic agent contained in the sheet-shaped thermoplastic elastomer is capable of decreasing the surface electric resistance value thereof, but does not decrease the volume resistivity thereof and causes the electric resistance thereof value to become high. Further the sheet-shaped thermoplastic elastomer has a high compression set. Thus a conductive roller composed of the sheet-shaped thermoplastic elastomer does not have favorable properties.
The thermoplastic elastomer of the bleeding type has a low mechanical property and a high compression set. In addition the plasticizer contained in thermoplastic elastomer bleeds and greatly pollutes other parts such as a photoreceptor. Therefore the thermoplastic elastomer cannot be used as a component part of an image-forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and the like.
The present applicant developed conductive thermoplastic elastomers having a semiconductive electric resistance value and favorable mechanical properties, for example, a low compression set. More specifically, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-189884 (patent document 2) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-272209 (patent document 3), the present applicant proposed the conductive thermoplastic elastomer containing the polymer represented by the polyether polymer and the conductive salt contained in the thermoplastic elastomer.
But there is room for improvement in the conductive thermoplastic elastomer so that it enhances the dispersibility of the components thereof to a higher extent and prevents the properties thereof from being deteriorated and the conductive thermoplastic elastomer from defectively molded owing to the insufficient dispersibility of the components thereof.
Disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-189883 (patent document 4) is the compatibilizing agent containing at least one of the acid-modified EPDM and the acid-modified hydrogenated styrene thermoplastic elastomer to finely disperse the polyamide resin in the dynamically crosslinked thermoplastic elastomer. But in the patent document 4, investigations were not made on whether the compatibilizing agent is effective for finely dispersing components, other than the polyamide resin, such as the conductive salt in the thermoplastic elastomer. In the patent document 4, no description or suggestion was made on compatibilizing agents other than the above-described compatibilizing agent.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-183866
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-189884
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-272209
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-189883

Conductive thermoplastic elastomer composition, method of producing same, and molding


In an optical module including a module main body 10, an optical device housed in the module main body 10, and an optical fiber 21 having an end placed in the module main body 10 and optically coupled to the optical device, the end of the optical fiber 21 is held between a semi-cylindrical part 31d of a shield cover 31 that covers the module main body 10 and a semi-cylindrical part 32c of a presser plate 32.

An optical module serves as an electrical/optical interface between an optical fiber and an electronic circuit. Optical modules include light emitting modules, light receiving modules and light emitting/receiving modules. For example, a light emitting module incorporates a light emitting device, such as a laser diode (LD) and a light emitting diode (LED), and a light receiving module incorporates a light receiving device, such as a photo diode (PD).
In general, the light emitting module has a light emitting device and a driving IC that drives the light emitting device mounted on a substrate, and the light receiving module has a light receiving device and a pre-amplifier that amplifies the output signal from the light receiving device mounted on a substrate. It is common practice to provide the optical modules implemented in this way with a shield against electromagnetic waves (see Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-56190) and Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-121885), for example).
On the other hand, positioning and fixing of the end of the optical fiber is commonly achieved by positioning the optical fiber in a V-shaped groove formed in the substrate and fixing the optical fiber thereto by using an adhesive (see Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-56190), for example).
According to an alternative method, an optical connector is attached to the end of the optical fiber, a ferrule corresponding to the ferrule of the optical connector in which the optical fiber is inserted and fixed is provided on the optical module, and the optical connector is connected to the ferrule of the optical module that holds the optical fiber on the side of the optical module (see Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-121885), for example).
The optical modules of this type are finding increasing application, such as mobile devices. Thus, there are intense demands for simplification and thinning down of the structure and for price reduction.


Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for sustained data protection. In particular, a data protector may define a set of access levels associated with content within data using a set of access policies (e.g., a partial access level to inventory data for an inventory server, a full access level to inventory data and billing data for a shopping website server, etc.). The data protector may secure (e.g., encrypt) the data to create protected data, so that clients may be unable to access content of the protected data without obtaining access through the data protector. In this way, the data protector may selectively provide clients with access to content within the protected data according to respective access levels for the different clients (e.g., access to inventory data, but not billing data, may be provided to the inventory server by the data protector).

Many users and companies implement data protection techniques to securely store and/or protect access to data. In one example, an email service may protect access to emails using a username/password technique. In another example, a file server may protect access to files using an encryption technique and/or an authentication technique. Conventional data protection schemes generally perform access control before data retrieval. For example, a request from a client to access protected data may be evaluated by an access control technique to verify the client has permission to access the protected data before the protected data is provided to the client. Upon verification of the client, the protected data may be provided to the client in an unprotected form. Unfortunately, access control may not be enforced after retrieval of the data from storage.


A hydraulic power rack and pinion steering gear (10) includes a valve housing (32) and a hydraulic ram (20). The steering gear (10) further includes a composite plastic supporting body (12) which contains both the valve housing (32) and the hydraulic ram (20). The composite plastic supporting body (12) is formed of a high temperature thermoplastic binder material which is reinforced with glass fibers.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,806 discloses a hydraulic power steering gear for steering a vehicle. The steering gear disclosed in the '806 patent is a rack and pinion steering gear which includes a hydraulic ram including a metal power cylinder. The steering gear also includes a metal support sleeve and a plastic shell. The metal power cylinder, together with a movable piston, defines first and second hydraulic fluid chambers. The first and second hydraulic fluid chambers are defined on opposite sides of the piston, which is fixed to the rack within the cylinder. The metal support sleeve has an upper end portion containing a hydraulic fluid control valve and has a lower end portion containing the pinion. The valve in the metal support sleeve operates in response to relative rotation between an input shaft and the pinion to direct a flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid against the piston in the metal power cylinder. The plastic shell extends between one end of the metal power cylinder and the lower end portion of the metal support sleeve. The plastic shell and the metal support sleeve together form a metal/plastic housing for the valve and the pinion.

Hydraulic power steering gear with composite plastic supporting body


Aspects of the disclosure permit agile acquisition of a location service in a device. In one aspect of such acquisition, the device can rely on location signals available globally in order to determine a region associated with the device, and in response to determination of the region, the device can acquire service information representative or otherwise indicative of the location service based at least on the region. In another aspect, the device can be configured to consume the location service. The agility of such acquisition can stem from the absence of (i) scanning for location services associated with the area in which the device is present and/or (ii) a predefined pool of location services established in production of the device.

Conventional acquisition of location services in a location device generally include scanning for pre-established location-service sources (e.g., sources of location signals, such as timing messages or similar pilot or information signals) associated with a geographical area in which the location device is present. Such sources and/or a related pool of location services typically are established in production of the device. Further, procedures and associated information that permit such a scanning generally are implemented during production of the device. Accordingly, such conventional acquisition typically results in highly complex production protocols, especially as location-based services become more ubiquitous and demand thereof increases.

Agile acquisition of location services in a device


Copper electroplating liquid which does not use formaldehyde, which is harmful to the environment, and which exhibits excellent via filling ability is offered. The copper electroplating liquid of this invention includes the compound that has the structure of —X—S—Y— where X and Y are each an atom selected from the group of hydrogen atoms, carbon atoms, sulfur atoms, nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms, and X and Y can be the same only when they are carbon atoms, and a specific urea derivative. When the copper electroplating liquid is used, deterioration of the appearance will not occur and a good filled via can be formed.

Recently, in the production of the base body of printed wiring boards that are used for electronic equipment such as personal computers, etc., the plating method that is called through hole plating or via fill plating, has been used. The speed of deposition of the plate film in the electrolytic copper plating is fast, 10 to 50 μm/hr, therefore, the application of this for through hole and via fill plating has been expected. However, in the case of depositing the copper on the entire inner surface of the via, in order to fill the inside of the via completely with copper with no remaining space, the deposition speed near the bottom surface of the via must be faster than the deposition speed at the opening part. If the speed of deposition near the bottom is the same as or slower than the speed of deposition at the opening end, the via might not be filled, or the opening might be closed before completion of the filling of the copper plating in the via, and empty spaces will remain inside, and neither of these cases is acceptable for practical use. Also, in the through hole plating, good covering strength in the through hole, which is called slowing power, is required.
Up to now, in order to promote the speed of deposition on near the bottom surface of via and the wall surface of the through hole, an electrolytic copper plating bath that includes a specific compound that contains sulfur has been used, and concerning the electrolysis conditions, generally direct current electrolysis that uses a soluble anode such as a sulfur-containing-copper anode, etc. was used. However in this method, although good via fill performance can be seen just after the bath is prepared, the electrolytic copper plating bath becomes unstable with the passing of time, and after a certain period of time, lumps are generated in the formation of the electrolytic copper plate layer, and the plate appearance becomes poor and the filling of the via becomes unstable, and these were the problems. Also, in through hole plating, the reliability for thermal impact and the slowing power used to be decreased.
In order to solve these problems, Kokai Patent No. 2002-249891 disclosed the electrolytic copper plating liquid which includes a specific compound that contains sulfur atoms, and a thiol reactive compound. As the thiol reactive compound, aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic or hetero cyclic compound carboxylic acids, peroxo acids, aldehydes and ketones, and hydrogen peroxides are disclosed, and in the actual Examples, it described that formaldehyde can improve the filling ability. However, recently, the effects of formaldehyde on the environment and the human body have become a concern and also the ignition point of formaldehyde is low (66° C.), therefore, people have been searching for another compound which can improve the via fill ability and which can replace formaldehyde.

Electrolytic copper plating liquid and the electrolytic copper plating method


A multilayer wiring substrate includes a multilayer body in which a plurality of insulating layers is stacked and to which an electronic component is mounted, a plurality of connection terminals disposed on one principal surface of the multilayer body for connection to the electronic component, and a plurality of rear electrodes disposed on the other principal surface of the multilayer body, wherein the connection terminals are each arranged in overlapped relation to one of the rear electrodes when looked at in a plan view of the multilayer wiring substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer wiring substrate that is formed by pressing and firing a plurality of insulating layers, and to a module including the multilayer wiring substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known so far, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a high-frequency switch module 100 including a high-frequency switch 102 that is flip-chip mounted to one principal surface of a multilayer substrate 101 (See, for example, International Publication WO2010-143471, especially paragraphs [0030]-[0032] and FIG. 4). In the high-frequency switch module 100, the multilayer substrate 101 is a ceramic multilayer substrate in which a dielectric ceramic and a wiring electrode 103 are alternately stacked. A plurality of mount electrodes 104 connected to various terminals of the high-frequency switch 102 is formed on one principal surface (upper surface) of the multilayer substrate 101, and a plurality of outer electrodes 105 connected to electrodes of one or more external circuit substrates is formed on the other principal surface (lower surface) of the multilayer substrate 101. Furthermore, a plurality of via conductors 106 for connecting the mount electrodes 104 and the wiring electrodes 103 and for connecting the wiring electrodes 103 and the outer electrodes 105 are disposed inside the multilayer substrate 101.
In general, a ceramic multilayer substrate is manufactured as follows. First, slurry containing mixed powder of, e.g., alumina and glass, together with an organic binder and a solvent mixed additionally thereto, is formed into sheets, thus preparing a plurality of ceramic green sheets. In each of the ceramic green sheets, via holes are formed at predetermined positions by laser processing, for example, and a conductive paste containing, e.g., Ag or Cu, is filled into the via holes, thus forming via conductors for interlayer connection. Furthermore, various electrode patterns are formed by printing the conductive paste. The multilayer ceramic substrate is then obtained by stacking the ceramic green sheets, and by pressing and firing a stacked multilayer body under a predetermined pressure at a predetermined temperature.
When the multilayer substrate 101 of the high-frequency switch module 100 of the related art is formed in accordance with the above-described method, the following problem may arise in some cases. Portions of the one principal surface of the multilayer substrate 101, which are overlapped with the outer electrodes 105 when looked at in a plan view of the multilayer substrate 101, are raised corresponding to thicknesses of the outer electrodes 105. Accordingly, a level difference (step difference) in a stacking direction of the multilayer body may occur in the one principal surface between the portions overlapping with the outer electrodes 105 formed on the other principal surface and other portions not overlapping with the outer electrodes 105.
In such a situation, when the high-frequency switch 102 is flip-chip mounted to a region of the one principal surface where the portion including the above-mentioned level difference is present, there is a possibility of a mounting failure that, due to a level difference between the mount electrodes 104 formed in the above-mentioned region, a failure of solder wetting may occur between some of the mount electrodes 104 and a corresponding terminal of the high-frequency switch 102, or the high-frequency switch 102 may tilt and displace from a proper position.

Multilayer wiring substrate and module including same


One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for automatically optimizing CRT procedures using a multi-electrode pacing lead. During operation, the system performs a first set of iterations to select one or more satellites on one or more pacing leads inserted in a patient. A pacing lead includes a plurality of pacing satellites, and a pacing satellite includes a plurality of electrodes that can be individually addressed and used for transmitting or detecting electric signals. The system then performs a second set of iterations to select one or more electrodes on the selected satellites. The system further performs a third set of iterations to select one or more timing configurations for pacing signals transmitted through one or more of the selected electrodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to monitoring and administering electric signals in living tissues. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and system for automatically optimizing multi-electrode pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapies.
2. Related Art
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an important new medical intervention for patients suffering from congestive heart failure. In congestive heart failure, symptoms develop due to the inability of the heart to function sufficiently well as a mechanical pump to supply blood to meet the body's physiological needs. Congestive heart failure is typically characterized by a gradual decline in cardiac function, punctuated by severe exacerbations leading eventually to death. Over five million patients in the United States are estimated to suffer from this malady.
The aim of cardiac resynchronization pacing is to induce the interventricular septum and the left ventricular free wall to contract at approximately the same time. Resynchronization therapy seeks to provide a contraction time sequence that can most effectively produce maximal cardiac output with minimal total energy expenditure by the heart. Generally, the optimal timing may be calculated by reference to hemodynamic parameters such as dP/dt, the first-order time derivative of the pressure waveform in the left ventricle. The dP/dt parameter is a well-documented proxy for left ventricular contractility.
In current practice, external ultrasound measurements are used to calculate the dP/dt parameter. An external ultrasound is used to observe wall motion directly. A clinician uses the ultrasound system in a tissue Doppler mode, which provides a feature known as tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), to evaluate the time course of displacement of the septum relative to the left ventricle free wall. Ultrasonographic evaluation using TDI or a similar approach can be an important tool for qualifying patients for CRT.
CRT as currently delivered is effective in about half to two-thirds of patients implanted with a resynchronization device. In approximately one third of these patients, CRT provides a two-class improvement in patient symptoms as measured based on the New York Heart Association (NYHA) fair level scale. In another one third, a one-class improvement in cardiovascular symptoms can be accomplished. In the remaining third, there is no improvement or, in a small minority, even a deterioration in cardiac performance. This third group of patients is referred to as non-responders. Furthermore, the NYHA one-class responders may experience only marginal or partial improvements, given the unfavorable results seen in the minority.
The synchronization therapy, in order to be optimal, targets the point of maximal delay on a cardiac wall segment, and advances the timing thereof to synchronize contraction with an earlier contracting region of the heart, such as the septum. The current placement technique for CRT devices is mostly empirical. A physician typically cannulates a vein that appears to be in the region described by the literature as most effective. He can then position the pacing device and perform stimulation. The lack of extra cardiac stimulation, such as diaphragmatic pacing, is confirmed. The current available techniques rarely provide sufficient time or means for optimizing the cardiac resynchronization process.
In general, CRT optimization must be performed through a laborious manual method performed by an ultrasonographer evaluating cardiac wall motion at different lead positions and different interventricular delay (IVD) settings. IVD refers to the difference between the timing of pacing pulses sent to different locations, such as the right ventricle and left ventricle. Pace makers can vary the atrio-ventricular delay, which is the delay between stimulations sent to the atria and the ventricle or ventricles. These timing settings are important in addition to the location of the pacing electrode in the left ventricle.
Some research efforts to assess cardiac motion through internal sensors have been made in the past. U.S. Pat. No. 6,625,493, entitled "Orientation of Patient's Position Sensor Using External Field," to Kroll et al., filed on Aug. 24, 2001, discloses a positional accelerometer for indicating a patient's vertical acceleration. U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,963, entitled "Multi-Axial Accelerometer-Based Sensor for an Implantable Medical Device and Method of Measuring Motion Measurements There from," to Mouchawar et al., filed on Feb. 17, 1995, discloses cardiac wall motion detection using an accelerometer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,661, entitled "System and Method for Measuring Cardiac Activity," to Park et al., filed on Oct. 17, 1997, discloses the use of an accelerometer for rate-adaptive pacing. U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,299, entitled "Implantable Medical Device Having an Accelerometer," to Nilsson, filed on Sep. 19, 1997, discloses an in-can accelerometer for providing rate control.
In addition to incorporating sensors in a pacing lead, a pacing lead can accommodate multiple pacing electrodes to provide flexibility in selecting pacing locations. U.S. Pat. No. 6,473,653, entitled "Selective Activation of Electrodes within an Implantable Lead," to Schallhorn et al., filed on Mar. 2, 2000, discloses an implantable multi-electrode lead adapted to allow selective activation of the included electrodes to electrically excite the tissue in the vicinities of the activated electrodes. The Schallhorn system requires a controller for each electrode, and separate conductors for sending analog excitation pulses configuration commands to these controllers. Consequently, these controller circuits and conductors make the Schallhorn system bulky and unsuitable for many size-sensitive applications. U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,430, entitled "Bus System for Interconnecting an Implantable Medical Device with a Plurality of Sensors," to Renger, filed on Jan. 27, 1995, discloses a two-conductor bus system for connecting physiologic sensors to a pacemaker. The two-conductor bus provides power to the sensors, and the sensors' output signals are modulated on the two wires.
With the flexibility of a multi-electrode lead comes the difficulty in selecting the optimal electrode and timing configurations, because the number of possible configurations increases geometrically with the number of available electrodes. Currently, TDI is the common technique for characterizing dyssynchrony with accuracy. TDI measures myocardial movement throughout the cardiac cycle and can quantify the timing differences between peak tissue movements in multiple areas of the left ventricle, which suggest the presence of dyssynchrony. TDI can also be used to determine cardiac wall positions via external ultrasonography, typically for purposes of measuring valve function, cardiac output, or rarely, synchrony index. However, TDI is a complex manual procedure and hence is time consuming and labor intensive. There are currently no clinically useful techniques for determining optimal CRT configurations on a substantially automatic or a real-time, machine-readable basis.
Hence, a need arises for a method for automated optimization of multi-electrode pacing for cardiac resynchronization.

Automated optimization of multi-electrode pacing for cardiac resynchronization


A disc player is shown which can play both a naked disc and a disc encased in a cartridge. A disc tray is movable on a single horizontal way to take at least first, second and third positions which are respectively the position for receiving or ejecting the naked disc, the position for practically playing the naked disc and the position which is distant from the second and third positions. When playing of the cartridge is intended, the disc tray is moved to the third position to permit the cartridge to take a loaded position at which the cartridge is practically played.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to disc players which can play acoustic or visual discs, and more particularly to disc players of a type which can play a naked disc as well as a cartridge-encased disc (viz., a disc encased in a cartridge). For ease of description, such cartridge-encased disc will be referred to as just "cartridge" in the following.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto, in order to enjoy or play both a naked disc and a cartridge, it has been necessary to use two types of disc players. However, as is known, installation of such two types of disc players in a common replaying equipment tends to cause a bulky and costly construction of the equipment. Although some of disc players for the cartridge can play the naked disc if the disc has been put in a separate cartridge before being set in the player, the manual work for putting the naked disc into the cartridge is difficult or at least troublesome.

Disc player for playing both naked disc and cartridge-encased disc


A method for deposition glass soot for making an optical fiber preform. A fuel and a glass precursor are flowed to a burner flame forming glass soot which is deposited onto a glass target. By first depositing an insulating layer of glass soot with a low velocity burner flame, the amount of water which may be adsorbed into the surface of the glass target can be reduced. Thereafter, the flame velocity may be increased to increase the deposition rate of the glass soot without significantly increasing the concentration of water incorporated into the glass target.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of depositing glass soot to form an optical fiber preform, and more particularly a method of varying the flame velocity of a glass soot depositing burner.
2. Technical Background
Water in an optical fiber is a source of undesirable attenuation of a light signal propagating along the fiber. Water as used here includes H2O, OH, or H molecules. The silica (SiO2) can react with one of the above forms of water (H2O, OH, or H) to form SiOH which absorbs light strongly at 1380 nm and causes the aforementioned attenuation. The SiOH group in the optical fiber may degrade not only the attenuation performance of optical fibers operating in the 1310 nm window, but may also increase the attenuation of optical fibers operating at wavelengths as long as 1550 nm.
Prior attempts to remove water from the optical fiber include drying soot regions of the optical fiber preform with a halide gas (such as Cl gas, for example) prior to consolidating the preform and drawing the optical fiber from the consolidated preform. Typically, the aforementioned drying takes place at temperatures of about 800-1200° C. The halide gas may be exposed to both an outer surface of the preform as well as a soot centerline of the preform.
However, in the course of manufacturing segmented core fibers using multi-step processes, the aforementioned drying process in some circumstances may be insufficient to reduce the SiOH concentration in the consolidated glass regions of the preform to an acceptable level.
In a modern conventional optical fiber manufacturing process, such as an outside vapor deposition process (OVD), optical fiber may be manufactured by first forming a core cane. By core cane what is meant is a solid glass rod which is an optical fiber precursor comprising at least a portion of the core glass for an optical fiber which may eventually be drawn from the core cane. In some cases the core cane may further comprise at least a portion of the cladding glass for such an optical fiber. In subsequent steps, additional glass is formed on the core cane to form a draw preform. Such additional glass may comprise additional core glass, cladding glass, or both core and cladding glass. The draw preform may then be drawn into an optical fiber. A multi-step manufacturing process advantageously provides significant manufacturing flexibility, as a core cane may form the basis for multiple optical fiber designs and is easily stored for subsequent use, as needed. In a multi-step process, one or more additional layers of glass may be formed on a core cane in one or more steps. The additional glass may be formed on the core cane by heating and collapsing one or more glass tubes over the core cane (sleeving), by depositing glass soot (deposition) onto the core cane and heating and consolidating the glass soot, or both sleeving and deposition/consolidation. As previously stated, the additional glass may include additional core glass, cladding glass, or both core and cladding glass.
When deposition is used to add glass within or adjacent to the core region of an optical fiber preform, the additional layers of soot may form multiple core segments. The refractive index of the segments may vary within each segment, or the refractive index may vary from one segment to another segment. A multi-step process, such as the one described supra, is particularly well-suited to the manufacture of such segmented core optical fibers, and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,961.
Rewetting of the core region of an optical fiber preform is a significant consideration in the manufacture of low loss optical fibers when employing the combustion of a hydrogen-containing fuel during the deposition process. Rewetting is an especially troublesome issue for the manufacture of optical fibers manufactured with a multi-step process, including, but not limited to, segmented core optical fibers. By multi-step process what is meant is a process of manufacturing an optical fiber preform wherein a glass rod, or core cane, is first made by a conventional process, and which core cane may serve as the target rod for a subsequent deposition of glass soot to form either a next segment of the core, or, optionally, cladding soot may be deposited onto the core cane. Because the predominant portion of the optical power propagating in a single mode optical fiber travels within the core region of the optical fiber, and the distribution of that power is heavily weighted toward the center of the core region, rewetting of the initial glass core rod may significantly affect the attenuation of the optical fiber by placing a high concentration of water in the region of the optical fiber having a high optical power level. Rewetting of the core cane by the deposition of glass soot onto the core cane may lead to a significant increase in optical loss of the resultant optical fiber. To minimize optical loss, or attenuation, in an optical fiber it is preferred that the amount of OH adsorbed into the surface of the glass core cane is minimized. The OH content of the glass may be characterized by measuring OH concentration at a plurality of locations across the radius of a glass rod using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The measurement of OH concentration in glass by FTIR is well known. It should be noted that the impact of OH content in the optical fiber is a function not only of the peak amount of OH present at the glass surface, or interface, but also the radial extent of the OH concentration. To that end, as used hereinafter, the term surface, or interface shall mean a region extending about 100 μm from the outermost surface of the glass target, or core cane.
Surprisingly, although the concentration of water vapor at the glass-soot interface during the deposition of soot onto the glass rod may be significant, it is the temperature at the glass surface that exerts the greatest influence over the amount of water adsorbed into the glass. Thus, controlling the glass surface temperature becomes a principal consideration during the deposition process. It has also been discovered by the inventors herein that, due to the low thermal conductivity of glass soot, a relatively thin layer of glass soot deposited on the surface of the core cane is capable of insulating the core cane, thereby reducing the surface temperature of the core cane and limiting the adsorption rate of water into the core cane.
One method that may be employed to decrease the manufacturing cost of an optical fiber preform is to increase the deposition rate of glass soot. Achieving an increased deposition rate has lead to widespread use of multiple soot-producing burners. Although the use of multiple burners to deposit glass soot has produced the desired increases in deposition rates, the high temperature produced at the surface of the glass core cane may undesirably increase the amount of water adsorbed into the glass. Single burner deposition, although typically employing a similar flame temperature as multiple burner deposition, tends to produce a lower surface temperature than multiple-burner deposition. As a single burner flame traverses the length of a glass rod, the localized surface of the rod adjacent the burner flame experiences a period of time between passes of the flame where it cools. The cooling reduces the adsorption of water into the surface of the core cane. The reciprocating relative motion between the burner and the core cane produces a periodic heating and cooling cycle which forms an envelope representing the overall temperature of the glass rod as a function of time. The temperature envelope for a single burner deposition process is typically lower than the temperature envelope for a multiple burner deposition process.
It has previously been assumed that a significant source of water in an optical fiber resulting from a multi-step manufacturing process such as the one described supra, wherein one or more layers of glass soot are deposited onto a glass core cane, originated from incomplete drying of the soot regions of the composite optical fiber preform during subsequent steps to dry and consolidate the preform. It was believed that this residual water migrated to the core region of the preform during the consolidation heat treatment. However, it has been discovered by the inventors herein that a significant source of water which is incorporated into the glass core cane during the subsequent deposition of glass soot originates from the oxidation of the hydrogen-based fuels typically used to hydrolyze the glass soot precursors. The water thus formed may then be deposited on the surface of the core cane. Moreover, the inventors herein have also discovered that adsorption of water into the core cane, resulting in rewetting of the core cane, is dependent upon certain process parameters during the deposition of soot onto the core cane. In particular, the localized temperature of various regions of the core cane and the time during which these localized regions are at a specific temperature play an important part in the amount of water which may be adsorbed. Water which may be adsorbed into the core cane in this manner may not be adequately removed from the preform during drying or consolidation of the preform, and may therefore remain in the drawn optical fiber. The adsorbed water may react with silica to form SiOH, which has a broadband absorption at about 1380 nm, and which in turn may result in an increased attenuation in an operating wavelength range, or window, used within the telecommunication industry.


A transparent prize presenting game having a puzzle or challenge to be solved or completed. The game is capable of presenting a paper prize, such as paper money, stock certificates and the like, thereby motivating a player to solve and complete the puzzle or challenge. The game has a transparent container. The paper prize is removably disposed in the container, so that access thereto without successfully completing the puzzle or challenge is prevented. The puzzle or challenge is disposed in the container. Arrangements are provided that permit access to the paper prize only upon the successful completion of the puzzle or challenge. In this fashion, the user is provided with the motivation of the paper prize to successfully complete the puzzle or challenge.

Games involving a puzzle or challenge which must be solved or otherwise successfully completed are well-known. Unfortunately, such puzzles and challenges provide the users thereof with little motivation to encourage the completion thereof other than the mere satisfaction that such successful completion provides. Thus, they are of relatively little use for, i.e., learning games.
It is also well-known to provide banks that are also toys or incorporate toys therein to encourage individuals, such as children to save money by playing with them. Examples of such banks are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 296,689 issued to Hart et al; U.S. Pat. No. 677,895 issued to Skinner; U.S. Pat. No. 2,007,831 issued to Neitz et al; U.S. Pat. No. 2,398,011 issued to Kaplan; U.S. Pat. No. 3,218,754 issued to Hunter; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,379 issued to La Montagne. However, in such banks, the motivation provided to play with the bank is to save money that is disposed therein. Unfortunately, such banks do not provide motivation for individuals who are not interested in saving money.
I am also aware of toy banks which are in the form of boxes or containers which have a window or a series of mirrors, so that the money therein can be readily viewed. In this fashion, it is hoped that individuals, and in particular children, will be visually encouraged to use the bank to save money. An example of such a bank is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 282,978 issued to Goudie. Unfortunately, as with the banks noted above, these banks do not provide motivation for individuals who are not interested in saving money.
The provision of transparent containers for packaging purposes for various articles is also well-known. Such containers, commonly referred to as "blister packs" are often used to store household electric batteries, as well as other items.
There are also banks which require the user thereof to perform an activity to open the bank in order to retrieve the money that is contained therein. Such banks are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 615,381 issued to Brockett and U.S. Pat. No. 744,886 issued to Wade. Unfortunately, neither of these banks permit the targeted user thereof to visually view the money therein. Thus, the motivation for such a user to employ the bank is seriously diminished.
Finally, I am aware of one toy, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,563,608 issued to Laufer, which permits a potential user to visually view a coin and which presents the user with the coin upon the successful guiding of the coin through a maze. Unfortunately, this toy is limited for use only with coins and is not suitable for, nor capable of, distributing other types of prizes, such as paper money, stock certificates, etc.
While being useful for their purposes, none of the banks, toys or games of which I am aware present the users thereof with a challenge or puzzle that is capable of distributing paper prizes, such as paper money, stock certificates, etc., which challenge or puzzle distributes such a prize only upon completion or solving of the puzzle or challenge and which game permits visual viewing of the paper prize for encouraging users to employ them for their purposes. Thus, these devices are limited in their use as a motivational tool.
To the best of my knowledge, no one has provided a game involving a puzzle or challenge, the solving of which could be used as an educational tool (or learning game) and which provides sufficient motivation, i.e. by means of presenting a reward, such as paper money, stock certificates or the like to encourage one to use and successfully complete the game. Finally, to my knowledge, no one has provided a game which is completely transparent to better view the reward and/or is fabricated from molded plastic, so as to reduce the costs of the fabrication thereof.
Accordingly, it can be seen that there remains a need for providing a game involving a puzzle or a challenge, which game automatically presents a paper prize, such as paper money, stock certificates and the like upon the successful completion of the puzzle or challenge for motivating a user thereof to complete the puzzle or challenge.


A connector 10 includes: a housing 30 into which a cable 20 is to be inserted; first contacts 40 housed in the housing 30 and having contact portions 46 with a short effective fitting length; and second contacts 50 housed in the housing 30 and having contact portions 56 with a long effective fitting length. Then, the first contacts 40 are arranged on both ends in a width direction Y of the housing 30, and the contact portions 56 with the long effective fitting length of the second contacts 50 arranged so as to adjoin insides in the width direction Y of the first contacts 40 arranged on both ends, are engaged with engagement portions 22 of the cable 20.

The present invention relates to a connector, a connector assembly, and a cable for use in the connector assembly.
Heretofore, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-222273 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Literature 1), as a connector, there is known one, which includes: a plurality of contacts individually brought into contact with a plurality of conductors formed on a cable such as an FPC and an FFC; a housing that houses the plurality of contacts therein; and a lever rotatably attached to the housing.
In this Patent Literature 1, a locking mechanism for retention of the cable inserted into the housing is provided. Specifically, locking holes are formed on both ends in a width direction of the cable, and meanwhile, holding terminals which have locking protrusions to be engaged with the locking holes are provided on both ends in a width direction of the housing, and the locking protrusions are inserted into the locking holes, whereby the cable is prevented from coming out.

Connector, connector assembly, and cable for use in the connector assembly

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


The present disclosure relates to assembling elastic laminates that may be used to make absorbent article components. Methods herein may include an anvil adapted to rotate about an axis of rotation, wherein first and second spreader mechanisms adjacent the anvil roll are axially and angularly displaced from each other with respect to the axis of rotation. During the assembly process, a substrate may be advanced in a machine direction onto the rotating anvil. The first spreader mechanism stretches a first elastic material in the cross direction, and the second spreader mechanism stretches a second elastic material in the cross direction. The stretched first and second elastic materials advance from the spreader mechanisms and onto the substrate on the anvil roll. The combined and elastic materials may then be ultrasonically bonded together on the anvil to form at least one elastic laminate.

Along an assembly line, various types of articles, such as for example, diapers and other absorbent articles, may be assembled by adding components to and/or otherwise modifying an advancing, continuous web of material. For example, in some processes, advancing webs of material are combined with other advancing webs of material. In other examples, individual components created from advancing webs of material are combined with advancing webs of material, which in turn, are then combined with other advancing webs of material. In some cases, individual components created from advancing web or webs are combined with other individual components created from other advancing web or webs. Webs of material and component parts used to manufacture diapers may include: backsheets, topsheets, leg cuffs, waist bands, absorbent core components, front and/or back ears, and fastening components. Once the desired component parts are assembled, the advancing web(s) and component parts are subjected to a final knife cut to separate the web(s) into discrete diapers or other absorbent articles.
Some diaper components, such as leg elastics, barrier leg cuff elastics, stretch side panels, and waist elastics, are constructed from elastic laminates. Such elastic laminates may be assembled in various ways depending on the particular diaper design. For example, some elastic laminates may be constructed from one or more nonwoven substrates bonded to an elastic film. In some configurations, the elastic film may be stretched and then bonded with the nonwoven substrates to form an elastic laminate.
Some existing elastic laminate assembly operations may have certain drawbacks. For example, manufacturing operations may be configured with machines adapted to grip and stretch the films before bonding. However, while gripping the films during the stretching operation, the machines may tear or pierce the films. In addition, with some gripping operations, relatively large portions of the film may remain unstretched in the assembled elastic laminate. As such, the unstretched and/or damaged portions of the film may add no benefit with respect to the desired elasticity of the assembled elastic laminate, and thus, may represent wasted material and expense. In some assembly operations, the elastic laminate may be slit through both the film and nonwovens along the machine direction into two lanes, wherein each lane of elastic laminate may then be combined with additional components and/or substrates, and subsequently converted into discrete diaper components. However, the slit edge of the elastic laminate having exposed elastic film may detract from the aesthetics of the final component assembly incorporating the slit laminate.
Consequently, it would be beneficial to provide methods and apparatuses for assembling elastic laminates that are configured to minimize damaged and/or unstretched portions of films incorporated therein, and may also be configured to eliminate the need to slit the laminate through the film to help maximize the aesthetic appearance of the laminate when placed in an assembled product.

Method and apparatus for assembling absorbent articles


A semiconductor device in which electrodes of a plurality of semiconductor elements are bonded onto at least one of a plurality of electrode patterns on an insulator substrate, the other surface of the insulator substrate being bonded to a heat dissipating base. The upper surface of the heat dissipating base is covered with a member for cutting off the semiconductor elements from the outer environment. Terminals electrically connect the electrodes on said insulator substrate and the electrode placed outside the cutoff member. The material of the heat dissipating base has a linear expanding coefficient larger than that of the semiconductor element and smaller than three times that of the semiconductor element, and a thermal conductivity larger than 100 W/mK. The semiconductor elements are arranged on at least one electrode surface and in at least two regions divided by the other electrode surface on the insulator substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor module and a semiconductor device using a power semiconductor element, and more particularly relates to a semiconductor device which is useful, for example, for inverters and converters.
2. Description of the Related Art
In various kinds of motor control, GTOs (Gate Turn Off Thyristors) have been used for large power applications and transistors have been used for small power application. However, in recent years IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) are rapidly spreading in the field in place of GTOs and conventional transistors because of ease of use brought about by the ability of these devices to control a large current with a voltage signal. IGBTs are generally used in the form of modules. Today, there are various types. For instance, in three-phase motor control, three phase and upper-arm/lower-arm currents need to be switched. That is, three switches are used for the upper arms, and three switches are used for the lower arms, such that a total of six switches are required. Therefore, there exists a type of device where IGBTs corresponding to one arm are mounted on a module, a type of device where IGBTs corresponding to six arms, are mounted on a module, and a type of device where an additional circuit is further mounted.
As for structures, although various have heretofore been proposed ideas, an example close to the present invention, in which IGBTs corresponding to one arm are mounted on a module, will be explained below.
Since plural IGBT chips are connected in parallel when a single chip cannot control a desired amount of current, a semiconductor switching device mounting plural chips connected in parallel will be discussed.
A structure will be described below, according to a common manufacturing process. One surface of an IGBT chip is bonded on one of a plurality of Cu thin plates, which are bonded on both surfaces of an alumina or A1N ceramic substrate, using a solder having the highest melting point among solders to be used in the module. This Cu plate commonly becomes a collector terminal. On the other surface of the chip, an emitter and a gate electrodes are formed. Both are wire-bonded to an emitter and a gate terminal of Cu thin plates formed on the same surface of the ceramic substrate as the collector terminal is formed, respectively. The Cu plate on the other surface of the ceramic substrate is bonded to a cooling plate as a base of the module using solder. An Al or Cu plate is commonly used for the cooling plate. Connection of the module external terminals to the electrodes on the ceramic substrate is performed by Cu leads integrally formed together with the external terminals. The external terminal is usually referred to as a terminal block. A molded resin case is bonded to the metallic base (cooling plate) using an adhesive. A gel is injected through an aperture intentionally opened between the case and the terminal block and hardened, and then above it a hard resin is injected and hardened. It is basically preferable to harden the gel after sufficiently removing bubbles from the injected gel. However, if bubble-removing operation is performed in this structure, the gel can rise up along the inner surface of the case to cause degradation of bonding between the hard resin and the case. Therefore, the hard resin is often injected without the important removal of bubbles.
The above is a common manufacturing process and a common structure of a module.
The module is attached to a proper cooling structure with bolts using holes formed on the four corners of the metallic base. Since the electric potential of the cooling structure is generally at ground potential, insulation to the IGBT chip is performed by the ceramic substrate.
The external terminals are composed of a collector terminal, an emitter terminal, a gate terminal and an emitter auxiliary terminal for the gate.
In the aforementioned conventional technology, there are problems as follows.    (1) The life-time of bonding solder between the metallic base and the ceramic substrate: When a module starts to operate, heat is generated and shear stress is generated in the bonding solder due to a difference of linear expansion coefficients between the metallic base and the ceramic substrate. The solder is thermal-fatigued and then cracks progress inside the solder generally from the periphery to the metallic base. When the cracks have progressed to a certain degree and the thermal resistance between the IGBT chip and the metallic base is increased, the solder cracks progress at an accelerated rate due to the application of positive thermal feed-back on the solder cracks and finally the module becomes incapable of operating.    (2) The gel plays a role of passivation by coating over the IGBT chip. When the hard resin allowed to flow over the gel is hardened, the chip is usually heated at nearly 150° C. At this time, the volume of the gel is expanded by approximately 10%. In the process of cooling after completion of hardening, cracks are generated inside the gel because the contraction of the gel volume is restricted by the case and the hard resin. This phenomenon can be confirmed by observing an actual product with X-ray inspection. If the cracks reach over the IGBT chip, the passivation effect for the chip disappears.    (3) In a case of using modules connected in parallel, the gate-emitter circuit in the input circuit forms a loop. There are some cases where an oscillation phenomenon occurs due to inductance and floating capacitance between the gates and between the emitters and input capacitance.    (4) The external terminals are generally arranged in the lateral direction of the module in the order of the collector terminal, the emitter terminal, the gate terminal and the gate/emitter auxiliary terminal for structural reasons. In this arrangement, however, the external wiring becomes complex and an erroneous operation is likely to occur due to mutual noises when a large number of modules are mounted as an inverter.
Especially in a case where the modules are applied to an inverter for a vehicle, the mounting space in a vertical direction should be decreased to be as low as possible since the inverter is installed under the floor. Therefore, the modules are preferably mounted by arranging the shorter side direction of the modules in the vertical direction.
In this case, the wiring becomes complex when the conventional arrangement of the terminals is employed.
    (5) In order to switch the modules at a high speed, inductances of the collector and the emitter should be decreased to be as small as possible.
Although the above description regarding modules refers to problems of a power switching devices, these are basically common problems for current control devices using semiconductors. In the conventional technology, an insulator capacitance component is generated at the portion where withdrawal or a void is generated inside the solder bonding the metallic film and the insulator substrate, or at the portion where a gap is provided between the metallic film and the insulator substrate. This insulator capacitance component is connected in series to an insulator capacitance component due to the insulator substrate. When a high voltage is applied to the module is this case, a partial discharge (corona discharge) occurs in the vacant layer where the insulator capacitance component occurs.
Since the partial discharge during operation of the module deteriorates the filling agent inside the module such as silicon gel, deterioration of insulation is caused as an end result. The partial discharge during switching causes noise, and the noise causes error operation especially in a module of insulated gate type element such as an IGBT.
However, when a number of semiconductor elements are formed in a module, it is difficult to make the amount of current flowing in each of the elements uniform due to variations of characteristics of each element and differences in wiring length inside the module. When the non-uniformity in current occurs among the elements, spike noise occurs due to shift in ON/OFF time among the elements during switching operation. There arises a problem in that solder or the metallic wire of one element where current is concentrated is deteriorated in a short time compared to the other elements.


An AC coupling circuit is disclosed herein. An embodiment of the circuit comprises a first differential input and a second differential input. A first resistor is connected between the first differential input and the second differential input. A first capacitor is connected between the first differential input and a first differential output. A second capacitor is connected between the second differential input and a second differential output. A second resistor is connected between the first differential output and a node. A third resistor is connected between the second differential output and the node. A first potential is applied to the node.

Integrated circuits consist of a plurality of electronic components located on a substrate, such as a silicon wafer or the like. The electronic components are arranged to form an electronic circuit or a plurality of electronic circuits. One of the purposes of some electronic circuits is to process alternating current (AC) signals. In order to process AC signals, the circuits may need to be AC coupled to other circuits or devices so as to block direct current (DC). Series capacitors are typically used for AC coupling. For example, an AC signal may need to be amplified. If the DC component is amplified, the resulting signal may be saturated. Accordingly, the AC signal is AC coupled to an amplifier.
One problem with processing AC signals using an AC coupling circuit located on an integrated circuit is that the values of the capacitors (AC coupling capacitors) used in the AC coupling circuit are typically relatively large. The large values of the AC coupling capacitors requires that their physical size be too big to be located on the integrated circuit. Therefore, the AC coupling capacitors are required to be located external to the integrated circuit. The external location increases the time required to fabricate a device in which the integrated circuit is located. The external location may also cause the AC coupling circuit to be susceptible to noise. In addition, the physical size of the device containing the AC coupling circuit is large due to the large size of the external AC coupling capacitors.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A coin operated type gaming machine combines accepting multiple denomination coins of a selected currency, multiple kinds of games with different types of supplemental side bets, paying out of winnings in the same currency, configurable LCD input means for a selected game and networking capability.

The coin operated gaming machine has evolved from a mechanical device into a microprocessor based electronic system. Most recent examples use color CRT screens to display the gaming action, with the mechanical aspects limited to the handling of the coins involved. Some of today's designs replicate mechanical and physical features of older, mechanical designs, but these are a stylistic overlay on what is fundamentally a modern, electronic system.
Most present coin operated gaming machines handle only one denomination and only local currency and consequently a casino usually installs separate machines for each popular denomination of a local currency. Player's desires for specific games and for the amount wagered tend to vary over the course of the day. Smaller denominations tend to be more popular during early daylight hours of the day, larger denominations tend to be more popular during the evening and night and early morning hours.
At any given time, a player's desire to play particular denominations of coins may not coincide with machine availability. Further, the various games have typically been available on a one machine/one game basis.
More recently, machines have evolved which offer multiple games on one machine, but such machines do not satisfy the need for savings of space and the convenience afforded by the ability to play multiple denominations of coins.
In the past, mechanical, illuminated push button switches have been used to instruct game programs, such as drawing or holding cards in the game of draw poker or taking a hit card or staying, in the game of black jack, as examples, and had permanently affixed markings on the buttons, making them unsuitable for multiple games. Touch responsive screens with their changeable legends, or blank buttons with directions displayed on a screen, deal with this difficulty, but they are expensive or awkward.
In International Publication WO85/00910 of Feb. 28, 1985 there is shown and described a gaming machine of the type employed for what is commonly known as a "fruit machine" or slot machine which accepts coins of two different currencies and pays out winnings in the opposite currency which enables the prior art slot machine to accept, for example, a coin of the currency of one country and pay out in coins of the currency of a different county. Such machines were adapted to accommodate travelers who desire to employ the currency of different countries and receive the pay out in the country of their destination and wherein means were contemplated to establish the necessary rates of conversion of the different currencies. However, such machines would not recognize play and winnings with different denominations of coins of the single local currency, or chips representing a currency common in a casino, for example.
In Wilms U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,424 granted Jan. 11, 1994, there is shown a video card gaming machine which allows for push button selection of the value or denomination of a bet to be made in the playing of the card game, but no provision is made or recognized for playing coins of different denominations by use of a plurality of coin receiving means which receive only the coins of a selected one of a plurality of denominations. Instead, the teaching of Wilms is that all money played is received in a single receptacle and the amount of the total money received which is to be bet is selected by pushing a selector button. Moreover, there is no recognition in Wilms of making any form of side bet.
However, in the play of certain card games, there exist opportunities to make wagers which involve adding to the total bet. For examples, in the playing of black jack there are side bet possibilities, including, without limitation, buying "insurance" against the dealer's black jack for which the player bets 50% of the initial wager; pairs may be split one or more times involving doubling the initial bet at each split; "doubling down" involving doubling the initial bet and receiving only one more card; and awaiting a separate wager which may be made that the first two cards are of the same suit. Other side bet opportunities exist in poker involving the cards as dealt or subsequently drawn.
Known coin operated gaming machines which do not have facility for accepting different coinage of the same currency do not facilitate "side bets", so as to more realistically represent playing card games at the usual table with chips or money of different values with a dealer who can make any necessary change for larger currency units.


Disclosed is an automatic cleaning device for toilet seats. A motor drives upper and lower transmission gear sets. The upper transmission gear set, after reduction, drives a scrub disk, while the lower transmission gear set has a main gear in front to engage a toothed ring at the inner ring of the toilet seat. The turning of the main gear enables the toilet seat to rotate about 360 degrees. Another motor drives a lateral gear set to further drive a drag mechanism. When the two cantilever arms of the drag mechanism swing, the link arms at a lower end will drive a drag block which has two slide blocks.

1.Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic cleaning device for toilet seats.
2.Description of the Prior Art
People are hesitant to use public toilets because they are not sanitary. Attempts have been made to overcome this problem. There has been provided stacks of tearable plastic film or tissue paper for use on the toilet seats. But up to now, there has not been developed a kind of automatic cleaning device that can clean and antisepticize the toilet seat at the same time.

Automatic cleaning device for toilet seats


An electrophotographic photosensitive member having a support and a charge generation layer containing a charge-generating material and a binder resin, provided on the support, and a hole transport layer containing a hole-transporting material, provided on the charge generation layer. The charge generation lays contains a phenanthroline compound according to formula (3) discussed in the specification or an acenaphthene compound according to formula (4) discussed in the specification. Also disclosed are a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus which have the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus which have the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, in electrophotographic apparatus such as copying machines and printers, widely used is an electrophotographic photosensitive member (an organic electrophotographic photosensitive member) having a photosensitive layer containing an organic charge-generating material and a charge-transporting material. As such a photosensitive layer, from the viewpoint of durability, what is prevalent is one having layer configuration of a multi-layer type (regular-layer type) in which a charge generation layer containing a charge-generating material and a charge transport layer (a hole transport layer) containing a charge-transporting material are superposed in this order from the support side.
Of charge-generating materials, a charge-generating material having sensitivity in the red or infrared region is used in electrophotographic photosensitive members mounted to laser beam printers or the like having markedly advanced in recent years, and the demand therefor has increased with more frequency. As charge-generating materials having a high sensitivity in the red or infrared region, phthalocyanine pigments such as oxytitanium phthalocyanine, hydroxygallium phthalocyanine and chlorogallium phthalocyanine and azo pigments such as monoazo, bisazo and trisazo pigments are known in the art.
There, however, has been a problem that, where such highly sensitive charge-generating materials are used, electric charges are generated in so large a quantity that electrons existing after holes have been injected into the hole transport layer tend to stagnate in the charge generation layer to tend to cause memory. Stated specifically, what is called a positive ghost, in which the image density comes high only at areas exposed to light at previous rotation, and what is called a negative ghost, in which the image density comes low only at areas exposed to light at previous rotation, are seen in images reproduced.
As background art which can keep such a ghost phenomenon from occurring, Japanese Patent Applications Laid-open No. H11-172142 and No. 2002-091039 disclose techniques in which II-type chlorogallium phthalocyanine is used as the charge-generating material. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H07-104495 discloses a technique in which a charge generation layer making use of oxytitanium phthalocyanine is incorporated with an acceptor compound. Japanese Patent Applications Laid-open No. 2000-292946 and No. 2002-296817 disclose techniques in which a charge generation layer making use of a phthalocyanine is incorporated with a dithiobenzyl compound. Besides, Japanese Patent Applications Laid-open No. H02-136860, No. H02-136861, No. H02-146048, No. H02-146049, No. H02-146050, No. H05-150498, No. H06-313974, No. 2000-039730, No. 2000-292946 and No. 2002-296817 disclose techniques in which the charge generation layer is incorporated with an electron-transporting material, an electron-accepting material or an electron-attracting material.
Incidentally, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-040237 discloses a technique in which, for the purpose of making sensitivity higher, an organic acceptor compound is added in the step of pigmentation to produce phthalocyanine crystals.
Electrophotographic techniques have made remarkable progress in these days, and electrophotographic photosensitive members are also required to have much superior performance.
For example, black and white images such as characters or letters have been main in the past. In recent years, however, there is an increasing demand for color images of photographs or the like, and the requirement for their image quality is becoming higher year after year.
The above ghost phenomenon tends to appear especially in halftone images, and especially come into important question in color images, which are often formed by superimposing halftone images.
In addition, in the case of color images, even though the level of a ghost for each color is equal to that of black and white images, the ghost phenomenon tends to appear conspicuously because a plurality of colors are superimposed.
As a method for keeping the ghost phenomenon from occurring, a method is available in which the electrophotographic apparatus is provided with a destaticizing means such as pre-exposure. However, from the viewpoint of making the electrophotographic apparatus main body low-cost and small-size, it has become frequent to provide no destaticizing means.
The above background art has not been sayable to be well effective for such circumstances that are severe on the ghost phenomenon.

Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge, and electrophotographic apparatus


A tensioner comprising a base defining a hole, the hole having a center C, the hole having a diameter sufficient to receive a driven pulley, a rotary arm engaged with the base by a retaining member connected to the base, the rotary arm rotatable about the center C, a pivot arm mounted to the rotary arm on a pivot, the pivot offset from center C, a first pulley journalled to the rotary arm, a second pulley journalled to the pivot arm, a torsion spring engaged between the rotary arm and the pivot arm for biasing the second pulley toward the first pulley, a damping member frictionally engaged between the base and the rotary arm, and the rotary arm defining a portion for receiving a first pulley fastener whereby a first pulley position is adjustable.

A multi-ribbed belt is commonly used on automotive vehicles to transmit power between the engine crankshaft and accessory components. On a conventional drive, engine crankshaft pulley drives accessories via one belt or multi belts. A tensioner is usually used when multi accessories are driven via a belt. Even when the tensioner arm is positioned properly, belt installation tension can change slightly with respect to length tolerance of the belt.
Motor-generator units (MGU) are used to implement BSG (belt starter-generator) engine start-stop, torque assist to boost engine acceleration and recuperation to generate electricity in addition to normal generation by an alternator. Significant fuel savings and reduction of exhaust can be achieved by using BSG technology.
To control tension in two different driving modes, namely, MGU driving and MGU generating with engine driving, an orbital style tensioner was developed. The tensioner typically has a rotary arm and a pivot arm connected by one spring. The tensioner is mounted to the MGU. This form of tensioner can control belt operation tension in both modes: motoring and generating. However, unlike a conventional single arm tensioner, it is not practical to position the orbital tensioner arms in an optimized way to reduce tension variation. Installation tension changes due to belt length tolerances, and pulley position and size, can be significantly higher than for a single arm tensioner. Belt tension is an important factor determining friction loss or power loss of a belt drive and so it is desirable to lower belt tension without sacrificing system functional performance.
Representative of the art is U.S. Pat. No. 9,709,137 which discloses a tensioner for tensioning an endless drive member that is engaged with a rotary drive member on a shaft of a motive device. The tensioner includes a base that is mountable to the motive device, a ring that is rotatably supported by the base in surrounding relationship with the shaft of the motive device and which is rotatable about a ring axis, a tensioner arm pivotally mounted to the ring for pivotal movement about an arm pivot axis, and first and second tensioner pulleys. The first tensioner pulley is rotatably mounted to the tensioner arm. The tensioner arm is biased towards a first span of the endless drive member on one side of the rotary drive member. The second tensioner pulley is rotatably mounted at least indirectly to the ring and is biased towards a second span of the endless drive member on another side of the rotary drive member. The ring is rotatable in response to hub loads in the first and second tensioner pulleys that result from engagement with the first and second spans of the endless drive member.
What is needed is a tensioner having a rotary arm defining a slot for receiving a first pulley fastener whereby a first pulley position is adjustable. The present invention meets this need.


A cryolipolysis device is provided. The cryolipolysis device includes a suction unit including a flange configured to press against a treatment area of a user, and a chamber contiguous with the flange that defines a cavity configured to receive an ice pack. The cryolipolysis device also includes a manual vacuum device configured to produce suction within the chamber of the suction unit to generate a vacuum to maintain the flange against the treatment area of the user.

Cryolipolysis is the process of destroying fat cells in the subcutaneous tissues using cold temperatures applied to the surface of the skin at a treatment area. Human skin includes a vast plexus of blood vessels which provides the skin with oxygen and nutrients and allows the skin to rapidly heal itself after injury. In subcutaneous tissues, however, blood vessels are sparse. Therefore, subcutaneous tissues are not as easily able to recover from injury as the skin. Accordingly, as an alternative to more invasive treatments for removal of fat cells, cold temperatures have been used to destroy fat cells in the subcutaneous tissues, while sparing the skin.
Current cryolipolysis treatment techniques use temperatures in the range of −5° C. to 5° C., which are effective to destroy fat cells in subcutaneous tissues without damaging skin cells. When applied for about 45 to 60 minutes, this temperature range will cause fat cell death, an inflammatory response, and finally engulfment of the subcutaneous tissue cells by macrophages. This process of cell death, engulfment, remodeling and maturation occurs over the course of several weeks. Complete cryolipolysis treatment typically requires repeated application of these cold temperatures for 45 to 60 minutes to obtain the desired effects. After two to three months of treatment, fat volume in subcutaneous tissues may decrease by up to 25% in the treated area.
Cryolipolysis is typically administered by physicians or suitably trained clinicians at medical facilities or by aestheticians at spas, and in many cases requires the patient to schedule an appointment and travel to the respective location for each treatment. Conventional cryolipolysis machines may include a vacuum to pull tissue into a cup with two panels inside that apply the appropriate temperature to cause cryolipolysis. Cryolipolysis machines such as these may be very costly, costing as much as $3,900. Furthermore, complete cryolipolysis treatment typically involves high cost to the patient, as each treatment application may cost up to $1,500.

At-home cryolipolysis device and method of performing cryolipolysis


A circuit that may be configured to provide a first well bias voltage to the output buffer when the output buffer is in a first mode and to provide a second well bias voltage to the output buffer when the output buffer is in a second mode. The first well bias voltage and the second well bias voltage may be used to maintain a reverse bias in diffusion wells used for electrical isolation of transistors.

The present invention relates to a method and/or architecture for a high voltage tolerant circuit fabricated with a low voltage process generally and, more particularly, to an n-well bias control within the circuit that may not require high voltage transistors.
The use of low voltage technologies (i.e., 3.3 volts) for CMOS transistor circuits create problems in TTL environments. Some transistors of a low voltage circuit must provide an interface to an output of a TTL capable circuit. The TTL capable circuits may drive the interface to overvoltage (i.e., as high as 5.5 volts) conditions. Consequently, the low voltage technologies must include fabrication steps that result in some or all of the transistors being tolerant of the TTL voltage levels. Such fabrication steps add to the complexity and cost of parts fabricated by using the low voltage technologies.
Another problem created by mixing 3.3 volt MOS transistors with 5 volt TTL signals is in the basic operation of p-channel type field effect transistors (PFET). A diode formed between a p-type drain diffusion in an n-type well of the PFET must remain reverse biased for proper operation. When the interface drives a PFET drain to 5 volts, and the n-well is biased to only 3.3 volts, then the drain-to-well diode becomes forward biased. The forward biased diode creates a leakage path from the interface to a power source for the low voltage circuit.
The present invention concerns a circuit that may be configured to provide a first well bias voltage to the output buffer when the output buffer is in a first mode and to provide a second well bias voltage to the output buffer when the output buffer is in a second mode. The first well bias voltage and the second well bias voltage may be used to maintain a reverse bias in diffusion wells used for electrical isolation of transistors.
The objects, features and advantages of the present invention include providing a well bias voltage control circuit within a high voltage tolerant interface circuit that may (i) maintain low voltages across transistor thin gate oxides, (ii) present signals at the interface at reasonable drive strength levels, and/or (iii) minimize leakage currents between the interface and a supply voltage source.

Control signal generator for an overvoltage-tolerant interface circuit on a low voltage process


A fan includes a core part, a vanes, a ring part and a flow rectifying member. The ring part includes first second and third parts. The first part includes a first end overlapping with a flow rectifying member end and extends axially on a radially inner side of the flow rectifying member. The second part includes a second end spaced from the flow rectifying member end, overlapping with the flow rectifying member, and connected to the first end. The third part is connected to the second end, and extends on the radially outer side of the flow rectifying member end. The second end overlaps with a virtual point reached by the flow rectifying member end being linearly extended toward an upstream side. A first dimension, a radial length of the third part, is at least 0.5 times a first straight-line distance between the flow rectifying member end and the virtual point.

Conventionally, fans which generate an air flow in an air conditioner or the like are known. For example, WO 2015/125486 discloses a fan which generates an air flow flowing in the rotation axis direction. The fan disclosed in WO 2015/125486 includes a plurality of vanes radially extending from a core part as seen in the rotation axis direction, a ring part connected to respective tips of the vanes, and a flow rectifying member which is cylindrical and extends along the rotation axis direction.
In the fan disclosed in WO 2015/125486, a clearance is formed between the ring part and the flow rectifying member so as to allow the ring part to rotate with the vanes. Through the clearance, part of an air flow on the secondary side (the blow-out side) reversely flows toward the primary side (the intake side). The air having reversely flowed in such a manner (i.e., backflow air) merges with air to be taken into the fan (i.e., intake air) (that is, a short-circuit may occur). In order to minimize noises in merging which occur due to the backflow air creating a swirl before merging with the intake air, WO 2015/125486 includes a flange part at the tip of the ring part for rectifying the flow of the backflow air. Thus, WO 2015/125486 prevents the backflow air from generating a swirl.

Fan and refrigeration apparatus including fan


Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method for increasing the likelihood of obtaining a designated outcome for a play of a game. In certain embodiments, when a triggering event occurs in association with a play of a game, the gaming system increases the likelihood of obtaining a designated outcome for that play of the game. In other embodiments, when a triggering event occurs in association with a play of a game, the gaming system increases the likelihood of obtaining a designated outcome for another play of the game, such as the next play of the game.

Video poker has become very popular. One of the most common variations of video poker is Five Card Draw Poker. In general, for a play of a Five Card Draw Poker game, a gaming system deals a player a hand of five cards face up from a fifty-two card deck of playing cards. The gaming system enables the player to discard none of, one of, a plurality of but less than all of, or all of the five cards from the player's hand. The gaming system replaces each discarded card with another card from the deck. After replacing any discarded cards, the gaming system evaluates the cards of the player's hand against a paytable to determine whether the player's hand forms a winning hand associated with one of a plurality of different winning hand categories.

Gaming system and method for increasing the likelihood of obtaining a designated outcome for a play of a game


A smart card that is compatible with the USB protocol and may be compatible with multiple different protocols includes a standard set of contacts that comply with the protocols of a published standard. Another contact, not designated by the standard, may be added and used to indicate whether the card is to operate in one of a number of protocol modes. When the card is to operate in the USB mode, a simple start-up procedure is employed which does not require strict timing constraints, enabling a less expensive interface device to be used. The interface device can be connected to any bus of a computer which operates in accordance with a desired protocol. Due to the flexibility and functionality offered by smart cards that have microprocessors incorporated therein, the multi-protocol smart card can be used to drive, or otherwise communicate with, any of a variety of peripheral devices, whether or not a personal computer is present in the system. The smart card can also be configured to function as a hub between a computer CPU and peripheral devices connected to the USB by being fitted with two USB ports to allow for simultaneous communication between the CPU and the peripheral devices.

1. Description of the Related Art
The use of secure smart cards that provide information specific to an individual is becoming more prevalent in a number of different types of situations. Examples of such include electronic commerce, security access control and health care record maintenance. Each system which employs smart cards contains two fundamental components, namely the smart cards themselves and an interface device, commonly known as a reader. The smart cards are carried by the users of the system, and include a memory which stores information that is pertinent to the user's interaction with the system. In an electronic commerce system, for example, each smart card may contain the balance in an account maintained by the user, as well as details of account transactions. More recently, the smart cards also include microprocessors, which provide for an increased level of security over the information stored in the cards. The incorporation of microprocessors into the cards also enhances their flexibility, for instance by facilitating the storage of executable programs in the cards that can be used to provide expanded functionality.
The readers communicate with the cards in a secure manner to access the information stored therein. In one type of system, the card is inserted into a slot in the reader, which brings electrical contacts in the reader into engagement with mating contacts on the exterior of the card. The engaged contacts enable a microcontroller in the reader to communicate with the memory and/or microprocessor in the card. Typically, the reader is connected to a peripheral device that is associated with the particular type of system into which the reader is incorporated. In a security system, for example, the reader might be connected to an electronic lock that permits a door to be opened. In a banking system, the reader could be incorporated into an automatic teller machine.
To permit the cards and readers of different manufacturers to be compatible with one another, a set of standard specifications has been developed. One of the common standards that applies to smart cards and readers is ISO 7816, promulgated by the International Standards Organization. This standard provides specifications for the location of the electrical contacts on the exterior of the cards, as well as the functions of the electrical signals that are present at the respective contacts. In this regard, the standard provides for up to eight electrical contacts, although specific signals are defined for only five of these contacts. The standard also contains specifications for the power-up, or initialization, procedure that is carried out when a card is first inserted into the reader, and the protocol for communicating between the card and the reader.
Due to the need to comply with the published standards, a conventional card reader can turn out to be a relatively expensive item of equipment. For instance, the ISO standard requires that different respective signals be applied to the five designated contacts on the card in a specific sequence at predetermined times during the power-up procedure. As a result, the reader must include a controller which supervises the application and timing of these signals, thereby adding to its cost.
In many systems which currently employ smart cards, the number of users can be quite large. For example, in an electronic banking system, a considerable number of customers might be expected to access an automated teller machine each day. Consequently, the cost of the reader is amortized over a sufficient number of transactions that it can be readily justified by the provider of the services.
More recently, there has been a trend toward personalized types of smart card applications. For instance, the ability to execute software programs from a microprocessor-based smart card makes it desirable to be able to connect the card to a personal computer. One approach for doing this is to add a smart card reader to the computer, either as an integral device or as a peripheral add-on. However, due to the appreciable cost of a reader, personal computer users may not be inclined to adopt this approach. In contrast to large institutions such as banks and the like, individual computer users may not be able to amortize the cost of the reader over a sufficient number of transactions to justify its cost.
Another limitation associated with the ISO protocol is that it provides relatively slow exchange of data between the smart card and the reader or other peripheral devices. For cards which have a small amount of internal memory and therefore store a limited amount of data, the slow speed is not a major concern. However, as technology progresses, the current trend is to provide larger amounts of storage capacity in smart cards, e.g. one million bytes of data. At slow transfer rates, the time that is required to load this amount of data can become significant. In particular, during manufacturing operations where each card is electronically personalized, slow data transfer rates can present a considerable bottleneck in the overall process.
It is desirable therefore, to be able to use protocols other than the ISO standard protocol, to thereby reduce the costs for card readers as well as increase data transfer rates. Consistent with this objective, however, it is further desirable to maintain compatibility with currently existing smart card systems that comply with established standards.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to microprocessor-based user cards, commonly known as "smart cards", and more particularly to a smart card that is capable of communicating with a variety of external devices using different protocols that are respectively associated with the various devices.

Smart card which operates with the USB protocol


Acid-neutralizing filter media includes filter media fibers in combination with a strong base of small particle size and high surface area attached to and immobilized on the filter media fibers, and methodology therefor.

The invention relates to acid-neutralizing filter media for a liquid filter in a liquid filtration system, including diesel lubricant filters.
The invention arose during continuing development efforts directed toward diesel lubricant filters removing combustion acids in the lube oil circulated by the diesel engine lubricant circulation system, though the invention has broader application. It is known in the prior art to provide a filter with a strong base for reacting with lubricant containing combustion acids neutralized by a weak base to a neutral salt in the engine lubricant circulation system, for example as noted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,389, incorporated herein by reference. In the prior art, combustion acids are neutralized by a weak base in the oil. The neutralized acid is transported to a filter containing a strong base where the acid exchanges weak base in solution for strong base on the filter and forms an insoluble, neutralized, immobile salt deposit that is retained on the filter. The replaced weak base returns to the circulation system for re-use to neutralize further combustion acids, for example at the piston ring zone. The cycle then continues, namely the weak base neutralizes the combustion acids to form neutral salts which are transported from the piston ring zone with the lubricating oil and circulated through the lubricant circulation system including the filter, whereat the strong base replaces the weak base and retains the combustion acids as immobilized deposits on the filter media.
The present invention developed from continuing efforts to improve attachment of the strong base to the filter media.