An apparatus for securing a tape to leads of a semiconductor lead frame, includes, a tape feeder, a punch for punching the tape and for pressing the punched tape against the lead frame, a mechanism for horizontally moving the lead frame and setting it in the punch and the press, and a mechanism for adjusting the timing of the feeder, the punch, the press and the moving mechanism. The punch and the press include a fixed upper die on which the lead frame rests and in which the tape is supported, the punch being movable against the tape for punching out a portion of the tape and for pressing it against the lead frame.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a tape securing apparatus, and more particularly to such an apparatus for pasting a heatproof and nonthermoflexible insulating tape on leads of a semiconductor lead frame in such a manner as to leave the connecting parts of connector wires at the tips of the leads so as to eliminate the stepped formation normally present at the lead tips.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A semiconductor lead frame, formed by a pressing or an etching operation, may have twenty or more leads and may be of a complex shape. During formation of the lead frame by such a pressing or etching process, a stepped formation (either above or below) may be inadvertently formed in the long cantilever-shaped lead tips by forces imposed during the pressing operation or by forces occurring during the handling of the lead frame.
Such a stepped formation may cause a break in the connector wires when a semiconductor pellet is connected to a tab part of the semiconductor lead frame and when each electrode of the semiconductor pellet is connected to a corresponding lead through the connector wire or after a resin molding. It is therefore found convenient to interconnect among leads by means of a tape. However, such a connecting operation is typically carried out manually thereby requiring much time and care. No known apparatus is available for carrying out this tape connecting operation in an efficient and expedient manner.

Apparatus for securing tape to leads of semiconductor lead frame


An apparatus and method are provided for driving an image display device by converting digital image data per pixel into an analog signal and driving a liquid crystal cell in response to the analog pixel signal, using a voltage charged with a driving circuit with a dual buffer structure. According to the apparatus, digital image data per pixel is converted into an analog signal to generate a voltage for driving an image display device, and an analog voltage for driving the image display device is generated using a driving circuit with a dual buffer structure. With the apparatus, it is possible to effectively prevent generation of undesired noise and display R.G.B. image signals using a single panel.

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2001-88848 filed Dec. 31, 2001, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of image display devices, and more particularly, to an image display device and method for converting digital image data per pixel into an analog signal and driving a liquid crystal cell in response to the analog pixel signal using voltage charged by a driving circuit with a dual buffer structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) is one type of flat display device used in computers, flat television receivers, and information appliances, and is made of a plurality of pixels having capacitive loads.
In general, an LCD consists of a plurality of pixels indicating an image signal, the pixels being driven in response to a signal that is applied via a wire. In a wire, scan signal lines or gate signal lines for transmitting scan signals, or image signal lines or data lines for transmitting image signals are connected, in the form of matrix, to a plurality of thin-film transistor (TFT) switching devices corresponding to the pixels. Each TFT is connected to a liquid crystal cell and thus displays an image signal.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional apparatus for driving an image display device includes a liquid crystal cell 1, a thin transistor 2, and a capacitor 3 for each pixel display unit. Gate and input terminals of the thin transistor 2 are connected to a gate signal line and a data signal line. One terminal of the liquid crystal cell 1 is connected to an output terminal of the thin transistor 2 and a pixel electrode is connected to the other terminal thereof. The liquid crystal cell 1 is connected in parallel to the capacitor 3.
The data signal line is for supplying voltage to the liquid crystal cell 1, and the gate signal line is for supplying a signal used to determine a line to which a liquid crystal cell of a scan line to be displayed belongs.
The thin transistor 2 accumulates voltage of the data signal line in the capacitor 3 to provide the voltage to the liquid crystal cell 1, in response to a signal supplied via the gate signal line.
As described above, each liquid crystal cell 1 is driven by the voltage charged in the capacitor 3.
In general, a conventional image display device displays one sheet of an image with R.G.B. cells in one vertical synchronization period ( 1/60 seconds). Therefore, in order to realize a single-panel projection television receiver using the conventional image display device, at least red, green and blue (R.G.B.) colors must be displayed within the one vertical synchronization period. However, the conventional image display device shown in FIG. 1 is not capable of driving all of the R.G.B. cells on a single panel within one vertical synchronization period.

Apparatus and method for driving image display device


To cool a grate having alternately fixed and movable rows (1, 1') of grate bars (2), cooling liquid is sprayed into cavities (7), open at the bottom, of the grate bars (2) from spray tubes (10) situated in the underblast region (8) and in the process vaporizes essentially completely, so that the heat of vaporization is extracted from the grate bars (2). The angle sector (12) into which the cooling liquid is sprayed may be set in such a way that in each case only those sections of the grate bars (2) whose top sides form the free surface of the grate are sprayed. The cavities may also be closed except for a discharge opening leading into the underblast region and may be connected to a supply reservoir, in which the liquid is kept at a constant level, which is just below the discharge openings.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of cooling a grate for a furnace and to a grate for a furnace. Grates of the generic type are used in furnaces, e.g. of refuse-incineration plants. The cooling is effected for the purpose of increasing their useful life by reducing the scaling of the grate material under the action of the combustion heat.
2. Discussion of Background
Thus it is known, for instance, from DE-A-44 09 992 to cool a grate bar by water which is directed through a passage which is run in the longitudinal direction from the rear end of the grate bar up to the tip and back through the grate bar. The effect of this type of cooling is restricted by the convective heat transfer and by the heat-absorption capacity of the water, as results from its thermal capacity and the temperature range available. The temperature of the cooling water must be kept below the boiling point, a factor which requires a relatively high velocity of flow to be maintained in the entire volume. The manufacture of the grate bars is thus inevitably relatively complicated and the cooling arrangement which maintains the cooling-water circulation is costly.
EP-B-0 621 449 discloses a similar design of a grate, in which, however, the grate bars of one row are in each case replaced by a continuous grate plate. Here, sufficient cooling with relatively low heating of the cooling water is ensured by large cross sections of flow, but this again requires a large cooling-water flow rate, which in turn can only be maintained by an expensive cooling arrangement.

Method of cooling a grate for a furnace and grate for a furnace


An apparatus is presented for removing the keys smoothly and reliably from support grids of a fuel assembly. The apparatus performs the task of removing the keys, which had been inserted into the grid through the opening sections of the grid, and enables mechanization and automation of the key removal operation. The apparatus has a robotic arm including a pair of parallel grid support members freely movably disposed at the end of the robotic arm for clamping onto the side edges of the grid. The apparatus further includes a key rotation device disposed on the support arm for engaging with and rotating the keys; a key moving device disposed on the grid support members so as to hold the keys and move the keys in the direction of the key axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for assembling a fuel assembly and more specifically relates to an apparatus for mechanically or automatically removing the keys which had been inserted into the supporting grids of a fuel assembly for deflecting the springs away from the dimples to enable smooth loading of the fuel rods into the supporting grids.
2. Background Technology
In general, pressurized light water nuclear reactors utilize a type of fuel assembly comprising: an upper nozzle and a lower nozzle; a plurality of supporting grids for supporting the fuel rods (shortened to grids henceforth) disposed between the nozzles with a certain spacing; instrumentation pipes and fuel rod guide pipes inserted into and attached to the grid cells of the grids; and a plurality of fuel rods inserted into and held elastically in the grid cells between the springs and the dimples formed inside the grid cells.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the grid 1 is made by intersecting a plurality of straps 1a which cross each other at right angles. As shown in FIG. 3, the arrangement of the dimples 2 and springs 3 is symmetrical with respect to an axis at right angles to the paper passing through the center O formed by the intersection of a line X--X and a line Y--Y. The dimples 2 and the springs 3 are disposed so that they are symmetrical in each of the four quadrants. In FIG. 3, the reference numeral 4 and 5 designate, respectively, grid cells 7 for housing a control rod guide pipe and housing instrumentation pipes. In FIG. 4, the reference numeral 6 refers to an inner key.
When assembling such a fuel assembly, there is a danger of introducing scratches on the surface of the fuel rods if the rods are inserted into the grid cells with the springs and ,dimples protruding out into the grid cells, because the springs and dimples are formed on the inside walls of the grid cells. To prevent damaging the surface of the fuel rods, there have been various methods suggested to deal with the prevention of surface damage problem.
For example, a method proposed in a U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,081 (Japanese Patent Application No. S64-957) proposed the following fuel assembly. In this fuel assembly, insertion openings 8 are formed in the grids 1, and the spring deflection jigs (not shown) are inserted into the grid cells 7 through the insertion openings 8 to deflect the springs 3 away from the dimples 2 formed in each wall of the grid cell 7 for elastically holding the fuel rod. The keys 6 are inserted through the key insertion openings 8 to keep the springs 3 in the deflected position, so as to allow the fuel rods to be inserted into the grid cells 7 smoothly without the danger of causing surface damage. To remove the keys 6 from the fuel assembly, the keys are first moved along the direction of the key axis, and the hook 6a is disengaged from the rib 1b of the strap 1a. Next, the keys 6 are rotated about the key axis through 90 degrees thereby orienting the keys 6 so that the hook 6a would not interfere with the rim section 8a of the insertion openings 8, and the keys 6 are removed from the grid 1 by withdrawing the keys 6 along the direction of the key axis 6.
Further, an improvement in the key design such as the one shown in FIG. 6 has also been made. The key 9 shown in FIG. 6 has a protrusion sections 9a disposed at regular intervals so as to contact the rim section 8a of the insertion openings 8 to enable to deactivate the spring 3. The protrusion section 9'a has a tapered section 9'b so that it can be moved in the key axis direction via the tapered section 9'b to disengage the protrusion section 9'a from the rim section 8a of the insertion openings 8. Next, the key 9 is rotated 90 degrees about the key axis so that the protrusion section 9'a will not interfere with the rim section 8a of the insertion openings 8, and the key 9 is removed from the grid 1.
However, such insertion and removal operations for the keys 6, 9 are based on manual approach, causing operational problems because the tasks are cumbersome, the operations 143 lengthy and the efficiency is low. Furthermore, the workers involved in the key removal operation are required to work in the proximity of the fuel rods, and are particularly vulnerable to radiation exposure. From these viewpoints, there has been a need to automate the key removal operation.

Apparatus for removing keys from support grid


A method of making coated chewing gum products containing an antigas agent comprises the steps of providing chewing gum cores; providing a coating comprising a bulk sweetener; providing an antigas agent; and applying the antigas agent and coating syrup to the cores and drying the syrup to produce a coating on the cores.

The present invention relates to methods for producing coated chewing gum products. More particularly, the invention relates to producing coated chewing gum products containing an antigas agent that is added to the chewing gum coating such that it will have a controlled fast release from chewing gum for maximum effectiveness.
Coated chewing gum products are well known. Many prior art patents disclose chewing gum products coated with sugar sweeteners or polyol sweeteners. U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,838, for example, discloses a method of applying a sugarless coating to chewing gum. The coating may include calcium carbonate as an anti-sticking agent. Synthetic sweeteners, including many different high-intensity sweeteners, are also suggested for use in the coating.
Another area of interest is the use of medicaments in chewing gum. In some instances, it is contemplated that an active medicament that is added to the chewing gum may be readily released. An active medicament may be added to the gum coating, which is a water soluble matrix, such that during the chewing period, the medicament may be released quickly, resulting in a fast release. This would allow a chewing gum coating to be a carrier for an active medicament, specifically an antacid with these fast release characteristics. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,989 discloses a chewing gum composition coated with an outer shell containing layers of a mineral compound and a coating syrup, but this patent states that the mineral compound must be added separately and not dispersed in the syrup used to make the coating.
Antacids are usually taken on an xe2x80x9cas neededxe2x80x9d basis to relieve gastrointestinal disturbances mostly due to dietary indiscretions. These antacids are generally insoluble inorganic salts such as calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, or aluminum hydroxide. Antacids readily neutralize acids in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and are commonly available in or as antacid tablets. Some typical consumer antacid products are: TUMS, which contains calcium carbonate; MILK of MAGNESIA, which contains magnesium hydroxide, and MAALOX PLUS, which contains a combination of aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide along with simethicone. Some of these antacid products also include an antigas agent called simethicone to eliminate gas buildup in the GI tract. Other consumer products contain only simethicone as the active ingredient, such as MYLANTA GAS, GAS-X, and PHAZYME.
Previously, antacids have been added to chewing gum and in a chewing gum coating, but some products have not been totally consumer acceptable. The large amount of active antacid needed for effectiveness does not lend itself to giving a good tasting product. Also, the presence of sugar in the antacid chewing gum or coated on the chewing gum of some products is not consumer acceptable because sugar causes dental caries.
A sugarless coated chewing gum produced having an antacid in a sorbitol base coating is currently being sold under the trademark CHOOZ(copyright). It has been found that by adding the antacid to a gum coating, the antacid is quickly released from the chewing gum into saliva and into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Relief from GI acidity is quickly obtained, but little relief from gas formation is provided. It would be desirable to have not only fast relief, but relief from gas formation. Thus, there is a need for a way to make coated chewing gum products that provide for gas relief, as well as being acceptable to the consumer from taste and other standpoints.
It has been found that an antigas agent such as simethicone can be provided in a chewing gum coating to provide relief from gas formation, and that the antigas agent is able to act quickly once the gum product is placed in the mouth.
In a first aspect, the invention is a method of making coated chewing gum products containing an antigas agent comprising the steps of: providing chewing gum cores; providing a coating syrup comprising a bulk sweetener; providing an antigas agent; and applying the antigas agent and coating syrup to the cores and drying the syrup to produce a coating on the cores, the coating containing the antigas agent.
In a second aspect, the invention is a coated chewing gum product containing an antigas agent comprising: a chewing gum core and a coating on the core, the coating comprising an antigas agent.
In a third aspect, the invention is a method of delivering an antigas agent to an individual that provides relief in the gastrointestinal tract comprising the steps of: providing chewing gum cores; providing a coating syrup comprising a bulk sweetener; providing simethicone; applying the simethicone and coating syrup to the cores and drying the syrup to produce a coating on the cores, the coating containing from about 5 mg to about 200 mg simethicone; and chewing the coated chewing gum product in the mouth and swallowing the coating, the coating dispersing and dissolving to provide simethicone as an antigas agent in the gastrointestinal tract.
Preferred embodiments of the invention include the addition of a neutralizing antacid in the coating, and may also include an acid blocker such as a histamine H2-receptor antagonists. These agents inhibit or block the secretion of gastric acid by binding to a specific histamine receptor on the parietal (acid secreting) cell membranes located in the stomach. These agents, which may be added to the chewing gum center or to the coating containing the antigas agent, are used for extended relief of gastrointestinal disturbances and extended relief from stomach acidity. Examples of histamine H2-receptor antagonists are cimetidine, ranitidine and its active salt, nizatidine and famotidine, with famotidine being preferred.
The administration of an antigas agent, and preferably a neutralizing antacid as well, that is contained in a chewing gum coating, provides an effective relief from many gastrointestinal disturbances.
It is believed that providing a larger particle size antacid in a chewing gum coating makes it even more effective and longer lasting. Thus, an advantage of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is administering an antacid to an individual that has a larger particle size than is typically administered orally, giving extended relief while still achieving the effect of fast relief.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cchewing gumxe2x80x9d includes bubble gum and all other types of chewing gum. Unless specified otherwise, all percentages are weight percentages.
As mentioned above, products made by the present invention will preferably include an antacid, such as calcium carbonate. The antacid will preferably be included as part of the coating syrup used to prepare a coated chewing gum product. A typical syrup may contain a polyol, suspended calcium carbonate, simethicone, a binding agent, a high-intensity sweetener and a whitener.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the antacid is contained in the coating of chewing gum products, which allows a chewing gum coating to be a carrier for the antacid and the antigas agent (also sometimes referred to as an antiflatulent). Accordingly, as the chewing gum is chewed, the active antacid and antiflatulent in the gum coating is released into the saliva and ingested to give relief from gastrointestinal disturbances in the GI tract.
The preferred antacids are generally carbonate or hydroxide salts of calcium, magnesium, aluminum, or bismuth, and are generally very water insoluble. Other antacids such as sodium bicarbonate, calcium bicarbonate, and other carbonates, silicates, and phosphates may be used in this invention. When these materials are mixed with acids in the GI tract, the acids are readily neutralized to give relief from GI disturbances.
Antiflatulents may be added to an antacid gum coating to be effective antigas materials and eliminate trapped wind. The most common antigas material is dimethicone (dimethyl polysiloxane) and when mixed with silicone dioxide becomes simethicone. Simethicone is also referred to as activated dimethicone. Simethicone is the most common antigas material and may be the only drug approved antiflatulent. However, other antifoaming agents may be used as antigas agents in this invention. As noted previously, simethicone is in other antacid preparations like MYLANTA GAS and GAS-X at a level of 125 mg per tablet. Other preparations like PHAZYME contain simethicone at higher levels, up to 166 mg. The level of simethicone in a coated chewing gum product may be about 5 mg to about 200 mg per piece of coated gum. When used in combination with an antacid, the level of simethicone may be about 20 mg to about 50 mg.
Simethicone may be blended with a carrier and preferably be added as a dry charge material to a gum coating. Simethicone in some situations may act as an anti-tack agent. To prevent any coating problems while applying simethicone as part of a coating, the simethicone may be encapsulated, agglomerated, entrapped or otherwise physically modified so that it will not affect the gum coating process, but will release during chewing and ingestion. Simethicone may also be blended with flavor and applied on the coated gum piece in between applications of coating syrup. Simethicone USP is readily miscible and may be soluble in mint oils at high levels of use. Besides its antigas effect, simethicone used in a gum coating can also improve the smoothness of the coating.
In addition to antacids, acid blockers may also be used in a simethicone-containing products. Examples of acid blockers are histamine H2-receptor antagonists which include cimetidine, used in an over the counter (OTC) preparation called TAGAMET; famotidine, used in an OTC preparation called PEPCID; the hydrochloride salt of ranitidine, used in ZANTAC; and nizatidine, used in AXID. Some other types of acid blockers are called gastric proton pump inhibitors. These include omeprazole, used in PRILOSEC, and rabeprazole. All of these have been used for the treatment of digestive disorders such as gastritis, dyspepsia, gastric hyperacidity, heartburn, gastric oppression and peptic ulcer.
Neutralizing antacids, which are insoluble inorganic salts, are known to neutralize stomach acidity very quickly. As a result, relief from gastrointestinal distress is fast and effective, but does not last long, possibly up to about 30 minutes. The acid blockers, when taken in combination with the antacid, will start to be effective after about 30 minutes, and be most effective after about 3-6 hours, and may last up to about 9-12 hours.
Acid blockers may also be added to a chewing gum coating. If water soluble, the acid blocker may be added to the sugar or polyol syrup and applied throughout the coating process. Water insoluble acid blockers may be dissolved or dispersed in a solvent, possibly flavors, and applied at various times during the coating process. Preferably, an acid blocker may be added as a powder after it has been preblended with a dry charge material. This could allow more control of the level of the acid blocker used in the chewing gum product and may reduce any instability problems of the acid blocker that may be associated with moisture.
The dosage level of acid blocker used in a preferred coated chewing gum product will vary depending on the acid blocker used. In general, the level of acid blocker will be about 1 mg to about 200 mg, either in the gum center or preferably in a gum coating. This level of acid blocker is used in addition to a high level of antacid or calcium carbonate in the preferred gum coating. The level of calcium carbonate in the preferred gum coating will be about 250 to 800 mg in 1 or 2 pieces of gum product having a weight of about 1.5 to 3 grams.
For antacid chewing gum products, calcium carbonate is the most preferred antacid material. This is mostly due to the fact that the most common inert filler in chewing gum base is calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate, along with talc (magnesium silicate), which is commonly used in bases for gum products that contain food acids to give tartness to flavors, have been used as fillers in gum base and gum products for many years. Chewing gum bases may also contain the other antacids as inert salts.
Chewing gum bases that contain calcium carbonate do not readily release their calcium carbonate during chewing. Since calcium carbonate (or in other cases talc) is very water insoluble, it releases from gum base either very slowly or over very long extended chewing. As a result, this calcium carbonate is not effective as an antacid. Generally, when calcium carbonate is added to a gum formulation separate from the gum base, calcium carbonate becomes intimately mixed with the base during chewing and also releases slowly. However, when calcium carbonate is used in the coating of the chewing gum, it does become quickly available in the oral cavity and is ingested to be an effective antacid.
Generally, suspension coatings with calcium carbonate for an antacid gum may be made with sugar. Sugar with its naturally sweet taste masks some of the off-taste due to the use of high levels of calcium carbonate. With the advent of new coating technologies using less sweet sugarless polyols instead of sugar, the sweet taste of the coating is significantly reduced. In some coatings where xylitol is used, it is sufficiently sweet as a coating, but other polyols such as maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose, sorbitol, or erythritol, are not. When the coating contains high levels of calcium carbonate, the polyols generally lack sufficient sweetness to give a good tasting product. As a result, high-intensity sweeteners are preferably added to the coating containing calcium carbonate to give a high-quality, consumer-acceptable product.
For coated antacid chewing gum type products, the high level of calcium carbonate or other antacid in the coating modifies the taste quality and gum texture. The addition of high-intensity sweeteners to the gum coating improves the taste of the finished product. This also occurs in sugarcoated gums as well as polyol coated gums, so aspartame or another high-intensity sweeteners may also be added to sugar coated gums with calcium carbonate or other antacids. If the high-intensity sweeter is subject to degradation, it may preferably be added as part of a different coating syrup from the coating syrup containing the calcium carbonate, as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/591,256 filled Jun. 9, 2000 pending, hereby incorporated by reference.
Since calcium carbonate is very water insoluble, as are many of the other neutralizing antacids, the reaction rate of the salts with aqueous acids is dependant on the surface area of the neutralizing agent. Neutralizing agents with a large surface area will react faster with acids than those with a small surface area. Many smaller size particles with a combined large surface area neutralize acids faster than fewer large particles with a combined small surface area. However, larger particle sizes of calcium carbonate give longer lasting relief from stomach acidity. When the calcium carbonate particles are suspended in a coating syrup and applied as a gum coating, the particle sizes of calcium carbonate remains essentially the same throughout the process.
Analysis of a precipitated calcium carbonate having a median particle size of about 5 microns was done before and after being applied as a coating. Before coating, the sample was analyzed and found to have a median particle size of 5.1 microns. After preparing the sample of calcium carbonate in a suspension and applying it to a gum pellet for an antacid gum product, the particle size of the calcium carbonate was 4.9 microns.
It has been determined that a calcium carbonate having a median particle size of about 3 microns or greater is sufficient to give longer lasting relief of excess stomach activity. Preferably, the median particle size of the calcium carbonate in the coating will be between about 3 microns and about 75 microns, and more preferably, between about 3 microns and about 15 microns.
In terms of water solubility, larger particles have a tendency to dissolve more slowly in water, and as calcium carbonate dissolves, it neutralizes stomach acidity. Smaller particles of calcium carbonate could react faster, and larger particles would react slower.
In addition to the particle size of calcium carbonate, different crystal structures have an effect on the rate of dissolution and the rate of neutralization. Natural forms of calcium carbonate such as Calcite, Aragonite, and Vaterite are highly crystalline forms of calcium carbonate and could dissolve more slowly to give longer lasting neutralizing effect. Marble, Dolomite, and even Mollusk shells are made of amorphous forms of calcium carbonate, and could dissolve faster and neutralize acidity faster than crystalline forms. Precipitated calcium carbonate, which is purified from natural sources, is a xe2x80x9cmicroxe2x80x9d crystalline form and would dissolve quickly and neutralizes acidity quickly.
In general, a chewing gum composition typically comprises a water-soluble bulk portion, a water-insoluble chewable gum base portion and typically water-insoluble flavoring agents. The water-soluble portion dissipates with a portion of the flavoring agent over a period of time during chewing. The gum base portion is retained in the mouth throughout the chew.
The insoluble gum base generally comprises elastomers, resins, fats and oils, softeners and inorganic fillers. The gum base may or may not include wax. The insoluble gum base can constitute approximately 5% to about 95% by weight of the chewing gum, more commonly the gum base comprises about 10% to about 50% of the gum, and in some preferred embodiments approximately 25% to about 35% by weight, of the chewing gum. In pellet gum center formulations, the level of insoluble gum base may be much higher.
In a preferred embodiment, the chewing gum base of the present invention contains about 20% to about 60% by weight synthetic elastomer, about 0% to about 30% by weight natural elastomer, about 5% to about 55% by weight elastomer plasticizer, about 4% to about 35% by weight filler, about 5% to about 35% by weight softener, and optional minor amounts (about 1% or less by weight) of miscellaneous ingredients such as colorants, antioxidants, etc.
Synthetic elastomers may include, but are not limited to, polyisobutylene with GPC weight average molecular weights of about 10,000 to about 95,000, isobutylene-isoprene copolymer (butyl elastomer), styrene-butadiene, copolymers having styrene-butadiene ratios of about 1:3 to about 3:1, polyvinyl acetate having GPC weight average molecular weights of about 2,000 to about 90,000, polyisoprene, polyethylene, vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymers having vinyl laurate contents of about 5% to about 50% by weight of the copolymer, and combinations thereof. Preferred ranges are: 50,000 to 80,000 GPC weight average molecular weight for polyisobutylene; 1:1 to 1:3 bound styrene-butadiene for styrene-budadiene; 10,000 to 65,000 GPC weight average molecular weight for polyvinyl acetate, with the higher molecular weight polyvinyl acetates typically used in bubble gum base; and a vinyl laurate content of 10-45% for vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate.
Natural elastomers may include natural rubber such as smoked or liquid latex and guayule, as well as natural gums such as jelutong, lechi caspi, perillo, sorva, massaranduba balata, massaranduba chocolate, nispero, rosindinha, chicle, gutta hang kang, and combinations thereof. The preferred synthetic elastomer and natural elastomer concentrations vary depending on whether the chewing gum in which the base is used is adhesive or conventional, bubble gum or regular gum, as discussed below. Preferred natural elastomers include jelutong, chicle, sorva and massaranduba balata.
Elastomer plasticizers may include, but are not limited to, natural rosin esters such as glycerol esters or partially hydrogenated rosin, glycerol esters of polymerized rosin, glycerol esters of partially dimerized rosin, glycerol esters of rosin, pentaerythritol esters of partially hydrogenated rosin, methyl and partially hydrogenated methyl esters of rosin, pentaerythritol esters of rosin; synthetics such as terpene resins derived from alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and/or d-limonene; and any suitable combinations of the foregoing. The preferred elastomer plasticizers will also vary depending on the specific application, and on the type of elastomer which is used.
Fillers/texturizers may include magnesium and calcium carbonate, ground limestone, silicate types such as magnesium and aluminum silicate, clay, alumina, talc, titanium oxide, mono-, di- and tri-calcium phosphate, cellulose polymers, such as wood, and combinations thereof.
Softeners/emulsifiers may include tallow, hydrogenated tallow, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, cocoa butter, glycerol monostearate, glycerol triacetate, lecithin, mono-, di- and triglycerides, acetylated monoglycerides, fatty acids (e.g. stearic, palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids), and combinations thereof.
Colorants and whiteners may include FDandC-type dyes and lakes, fruit and vegetable extracts, titanium dioxide, and combinations thereof.
The base may or may not include wax. An example of a wax-free gum base is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,500, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In addition to a water-insoluble gum base portion, a typical chewing gum composition includes a water-soluble bulk portion and one or more flavoring agents. The water-soluble portion can include bulk sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, flavoring agents, softeners, emulsifiers, colors, acidulants, fillers, antioxidants, and other components that provide desired attributes.
Softeners are added to the chewing gum in order to optimize the chewability and mouth feel of the gum. The softeners, which are also known as plasticizers and plasticizing agents, generally constitute between approximately 0.5% to about 15% by weight of the chewing gum. The softeners may include glycerin, lecithin, and combinations thereof. Aqueous sweetener solutions such as those containing sorbitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, corn syrup and combinations thereof, may also be used as softeners and binding agents in chewing gum.
Bulk sweeteners include both sugar and sugarless components. Bulk sweeteners typically constitute about 5% to about 95% by weight of the chewing gum, more typically, about 20% to about 80% by weight, and more commonly, about 30% to about 60% by weight of the gum. Sugar sweeteners generally include saccharide-containing components commonly known in the chewing gum art, including but not limited to, sucrose, dextrose, maltose, dextrin, dried invert sugar, fructose, galactose, corn syrup solids, and the like, alone or in combination. Sugarless sweeteners include, but are not limited to, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, maltitol, and the like, alone or in combination.
High-intensity artificial sweeteners can also be used, alone or in combination, with the above. Preferred sweeteners include, but are not limited to, sucralose, aspartame, N-substituted APM derivatives such as neotame, salts of acesulfame, alitame, saccharin and its salts, cyclamic acid and its salts, glycyrrhizin, dihydrochalcones, thaumatin, monellin, and the like, alone or in combination. In order to provide longer lasting sweetness and flavor perception, it may be desirable to encapsulate or otherwise control the release of at least a portion of the artificial sweetener. Such techniques as wet granulation, wax granulation, spray drying, spray chilling, fluid bed coating, coacervation, and fiber extrusion may be used to achieve the desired release characteristics.
Combinations of sugar and/or sugarless sweeteners may be used in chewing gum. Additionally, the softener may also provide additional sweetness such as with aqueous sugar or alditol solutions.
If a low calorie gum is desired, a low caloric bulking agent can be used. Examples of low caloric bulking agents include: polydextrose; oligofructose (Raftilose); inulin (Raftilin); fructooligosaccharides (NutraFlora); palatinose oligosaccharide; guar gum hydrolysate (BeneFiber); or indigestible dextrin (Fibersol). However, other low calorie bulking agents can be used.
A variety of flavoring agents can also be used, if desired. The flavor can be used in amounts of about 0.1 to about 15 weight percent of the gum, and preferably, about 0.2% to about 5% by weight. Flavoring agents may include essential oils, synthetic flavors or mixtures thereof including, but not limited to, oils derived from plants and fruits such as citrus oils, fruit essences, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, other mint oils, clove oil, oil of wintergreen, anise and the like. Artificial flavoring agents and components may also be used. Natural and artificial flavoring agents may be combined in any sensorially acceptable fashion.
In general, chewing gum is manufactured by sequentially adding the various chewing gum ingredients to a commercially available mixer known in the art. After the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, the gum mass is discharged from the mixer and shaped into the desired form, such as rolling into sheets and cutting into sticks, extruding into chunks or casting into pellets, which are then coated or panned.
Generally, the ingredients are mixed by first melting the gum base and adding it to the running mixer. The base may also be melted in the mixer itself. Color or emulsifiers may also be added at this time. A softener such as glycerin may also be added at this time, along with syrup and a portion of the bulking agent. Further parts of the bulking agent are added to the mixer. Flavoring agents are typically added with the final portion of the bulking agent. Other optional ingredients are added to the batch in a typical fashion, well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
The entire mixing procedure typically takes from five to fifteen minutes, but longer mixing times may sometimes be required. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations of the above described procedure may be followed.
After the ingredients are mixed, the gum mass is formed into pellets or balls. Pellet or ball gum is prepared as conventional chewing gum but formed into pellets that are pillow shaped, or into balls. The pellets/balls are used as cores for the coated product. The cores can be sugar or polyol coated or panned by conventional panning techniques to make a unique coated pellet gum. The weight of the coating may be about 20% to about 50% of the weight of the finished product, but may be as much as 75% of the total gum product.
Conventional panning procedures generally coat with sucrose, but recent advances in panning have allowed use of other carbohydrate materials to be used in place of sucrose. Some of these materials include, but are not limited to, sugars such as dextrose, maltose, isomaltulose, and tagatose, or sugarless bulk sweeteners such as xylitol, sorbitol, lactitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose, erythritol, maltitol, and other new polyols (also referred to as alditols) or combinations thereof. The coating is preferably sugarless. A preferred coating comprises about 30% to about 75% maltitol. These materials may be blended with panning modifiers including, but not limited to, gum arabic, gum talha, maltodextrins, corn syrup, gelatin, cellulose type materials like carboxymethyl cellulose or hydroxymethyl cellulose, starch and modified starches, vegetables gums like alginates, locust bean gum, guar gum, and gum tragacanth. Antitack agents may also be added as panning modifiers, which allow the use of a variety of carbohydrates and sugar alcohols. Flavors may also be added with the sugar or sugarless coating to yield unique product characteristics.
As noted above, the coating may contain ingredients such as flavoring agents, as well as dispersing agents, coloring agents, film formers and binding agents. Flavoring agents contemplated by the present invention include those commonly known in the art such as essential oils, synthetic flavors or mixtures thereof, including but not limited to oils derived from plants and fruits such as citrus oils, fruit essences, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, other mint oils, clove oil, oil of wintergreen, anise and the like. The flavoring agents may be used in an amount such that the coating will contain from about 0.2% to about 3% flavoring agent, and preferably from about 0.7% to about 2.0% flavoring agent.
High-intensity sweeteners contemplated for use in the coating include but are not limited to synthetic substances, such as saccharin, thaumatin, alitame, saccharin salts, aspartame, N-substituted APM derivatives such as neotame, sucralose, cyclamic acid and its salts, glycyrrhizin, dihydrochalcones, monellin and acesulfame-K or other salts of acesulfame. The high-intensity sweetener may be added to the coating syrup in an amount such that the coating will contain from about 0.01% to about 2.0%, and preferably from about 0.1% to about 1.0% high-intensity sweetener. Preferably the high-intensity sweetener is not encapsulated.
Dispersing agents are often added to syrup coatings for the purpose of whitening and tack reduction. Dispersing agents contemplated by the present invention to be employed in the coating syrup include titanium dioxide, talc, or any other antistick compound. Titanium dioxide is a presently preferred dispersing agent of the present invention. The dispersing agent may be added to the coating syrup in amounts such that the coating will contain from about 0.1% to about 1.0%, and preferably from about 0.3% to about 0.6% of the agent.
When high amounts of calcium carbonate or other antacid is used, the calcium carbonate is dispersed or suspended in the coating syrup that contains the sugar or polyol, thus making a syrup suspension. Generally, as the level of calcium carbonate is increased, the level of sugar or polyol is decreased. Levels of calcium carbonate used may be as low as 25% of the total solids or as high as 50% of the total solids in the syrup, and more preferably will comprise about 30% to about 40% of the total solids. In preferred embodiments, the calcium carbonate will comprise about 25% to about 50% of the gum coating, and more preferably about 30% to about 40% of the gum coating.
Coloring agents are preferably added directly to the syrup suspension in the dye or lake form. Coloring agents contemplated by the present invention include food quality dyes. Film formers preferably added to the syrup include methyl cellulose, gelatins, hydroxypropyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and the like and combinations thereof. Binding agents may be added either as an initial coating on the chewing gum center or may be added directly into the syrup. Binding agents contemplated by the present invention include gum arabic, gum talha, guar gum, karaya gum, locust bean gum, alginate gums, xanthan gum, arabinogalactan, various cellulose derivatives, vegetable gums, gelatin and mixtures thereof, with gum arabic being preferred. The binding agent is preferably used at a level of at least about 2% of the coating syrup.
The coating is initially present as a liquid syrup which contains from about 30% to about 80% of the coating ingredients previously described herein, and from about 20% to about 70% of a solvent such as water. In general, the coating process is carried out in a rotating pan. Sugar or sugarless gum center tablets to be coated are placed into the rotating pan to form a moving mass. The material or syrup suspension which will eventually form the coating is applied or distributed over the gum center tablets. Flavoring agents may be added before, during and after applying the syrup suspension to the gum centers. Once the coating has dried to form a hard surface, additional syrup additions can be made to produce a plurality of coatings or multiple layers of hard coating.
In a hard coating panning procedure, syrup is added to the gum center tablets at a temperature range of from about 100xc2x0 F. (38xc2x0 C.) to about 240xc2x0 F. (116xc2x0 C.). Preferably, the syrup temperature is from about 130xc2x0 F. (54xc2x0 C.) to about 200xc2x0 F. (94xc2x0 C.) throughout the process in order to prevent the polyol or sugar in the syrup suspension from crystallizing. The syrup suspension may be mixed with, sprayed upon, poured over, or added to the gum center tablets in any way known to those skilled in the art.
In general, a plurality of layers is obtained by applying single coats, allowing the layers to dry, and then repeating the process. The amount of solids added by each coating step depends chiefly on the concentration of the coating syrup suspension. Any number of coats may be applied to the gum center tablet. Preferably, no more than about 75-100 coats are applied to the gum center tablets. The present invention contemplates applying an amount of syrup sufficient to yield a coated comestible containing about 20% to about 75% coating.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that in order to obtain a plurality of coated layers, a plurality of premeasured aliquots of coating syrup suspension may be applied to the gum center tablets. It is contemplated, however, that the volume of aliquots of syrup suspension applied to the gum center tablets may vary throughout the coating procedure.
Once a coating is applied to the gum center tablets, the present invention contemplates drying the wet syrup suspension in an inert medium. A preferred drying medium comprises air. Preferably, forced drying air contacts the wet syrup coating in a temperature range of from about 70xc2x0 F. (21xc2x0 C.) to about 115xc2x0 F. (46xc2x0 C.). More preferably, the drying air is in the temperature range of from about 80xc2x0 F. (27xc2x0 C.) to about 100xc2x0 F. (38xc2x0 C.). The invention also contemplates that the drying air possess a relative humidity of less than about 15 percent. Preferably, the relative humidity of the drying air is less than about 8 percent.
The drying air may be passed over and admixed with the syrup coated gum centers in any way commonly known in the art. Preferably, the drying air is blown over and around or through the bed of the syrup coated gum centers at a flow rate, for large scale operations, of about 2800 cubic feet per minute. If lower quantities of material are being processed, or if smaller equipment is used, lower flow rates would be used.
The present invention also contemplates the application of powder material after applying an aliquot of coating syrup to help build up the coating.
In addition to applying a plurality of liquid layers and drying with air, a dry charge material may be added to dry the coating applications. This is especially useful when coating with some sugars and polyols, such as dextrose, sorbitol, maltitol, and hydrogenated isomaltulose. A liquid addition of coating syrup is made in the coating process and after a specified time to allow the liquid to spread evenly over the pieces, a dry powder material is applied. This also helps to dry the liquid coating. This is referred to as dry charging and is commonly used in xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d panning operations and is commonly known by those skilled in the art. The dry charge material may consist mostly of the sugar or polyol used in the liquid coating, but may also contain other additives such as gums, dispersing agents, and antitack agents. The simethicone or other antigas agent could be preblended with the dry charge material and applied in about 3 to 12 dry charge applications. After a dry charge application, 2 to 4 liquid applications are made to cover the dry charge material.
When flavors are added to a sugar or sugarless coating of pellet gum to enhance the overall flavor of gum, the flavors are generally preblended with the coating syrup just prior to applying it to the core or added together to the core in one or more coating applications in a revolving pan containing the cores. Simethicone may be pre-blended with the flavor before it is applied to the cores. Generally, the coating syrup is very hot, about 130xc2x0 F. (54xc2x0 C.) to 200xc2x0 F. (93xc2x0 C.), and the flavor may volatilize if preblended with the coating syrup too early.
The coating syrup is preferably applied to the gum cores as a hot liquid, the sugar or polyol allowed to crystallize, and the coating then dried with warm, dry air. Aliquots of syrups are preferably applied in about 30 to 80 applications to obtain a hard shell coated product having an increased weight gain of about 20% to 75%. A flavor is applied with one, two, three or even four or more of these coating applications. Each time flavor is added, several non-flavored coatings are applied to cover the flavor before the next flavor coat is applied. This reduces volatilization of the flavor during the coating process.
For mint flavors such spearmint, peppermint and wintergreen, some of the flavor components are volatilized, but sufficient flavor remains to give a product having a strong, high impact flavor. Fruit flavors, that may contain esters, are more easily volatilized and may be flammable and/or explosive and therefore, generally these type of fruit flavors are not used in coatings.

Coated chewing gum products containing an antigas agent


There is provided a storage battery, including: a container having at least one cell chamber; a lid body (2) made of synthetic resin for covering a top opening of the container, the lid body having on a top surface a recessed portion that is recessed downward, the lid body having positive and negative electrode terminals disposed close to one side of the lid body and respectively at both end portions of said one side in a longitudinal direction, wherein the positive and negative electrode terminals (4) respectively have lower portions embedded in the lid body and upper portions projecting from the lid body; and an auxiliary lid (9) for closing the recessed portion. Conventional production of the storage battery has problems, for example, in that: when embedding a portion of a terminal to a lid body by insert molding, difference in shrinkage is caused between a surface in which a terminal body is embedded and a surface on which the terminal body is exposed, which results in difficulty in fitting the lid body to the container. The present invention is intended to solve this problem, for example, by providing the lid body of the storage battery with projections (6T, 7T), each at a location at which the upper portion of each of the terminals projects, at a location proximate to the location at which the upper portion of each of the terminals 4 projects, or at each of these locations.

An example of the storage battery includes: a container having a cell chamber; a lid body made of synthetic resin for covering a top opening of the container; electrode plates housed in the cell chamber; an electrode pole extending from the electrode plates; a bushing, to which the electrode pole is inserted and welded, provided in the lid body; and a plate terminal on a cutout formed on a portion of the top surface of the lid body, the terminal plate being connected to the bushing (cf. Patent Document 1, for example).


A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a latch circuit having two nodes, a nonvolatile memory cell including two MIS transistors, a bit swapping unit configured to provide straight connections between the two nodes and the two MIS transistors during a first operation mode and to provide cross connections between the two nodes and the two MIS transistors during a second operation mode, and a control circuit configured to cause, in one of the first and second operation modes, the nonvolatile memory cell to store the data latched in the latch circuit as an irreversible change of transistor characteristics occurring in a selected one of the two MIS transistors, and further configured to cause, in another one of the first and second operation modes, the latch circuit to detect the data stored in the nonvolatile memory cell.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a memory circuit, and particularly relates to a nonvolatile memory circuit which is capable of retaining stored data in the absence of a power supply voltage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices, which can retain stored data even when power is turned off, conventionally include flash EEPROM employing a floating gate structure, FeRAM employing a ferroelectric film, MRAMs employing a ferromagnetic film, etc. There is a new type of nonvolatile semiconductor memory device called PermSRAM. PermSRAM uses a pair of MIS (metal-insulating film-semiconductor) transistors as a nonvolatile memory cell (i.e., the basic unit of data storage). The two paired MIS transistors used as a nonvolatile memory cell in PermSRAM have the same structure as ordinary MIS transistors used for conventional transistor functions (e.g., switching function), and do not require a special structure such as a floating gate or a special material such as a ferroelectric material or ferromagnetic material. The absence of such a special structure and special material offers an advantage in cost reduction. PermSRAM was initially disclosed in PCT/JP2003/016143, which was filed on Dec. 17, 2003, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
On of the two paired MIS transistors used as a nonvolatile memory cell in PermSRAM are configured to experience an irreversible hot-carrier effect on purpose for storage of one-bit data. Here, the irreversible hot-carrier effect refers to the injection of electrons into the oxide film. A difference in the transistor characteristics caused by the hot-carrier effect represents one-bit data "0" or "1". Such a difference may be detected as a difference in the ON current between the two paired MIS transistors by using a sensing circuit such as a one-bit static memory circuit (latch) coupled to the MIS transistor pair.
Each memory cell unit of PermSRAM for storing on-bit data is comprised of a latch circuit and a nonvolatile memory cell. Data supplied from an external source to a PermSRAM are initially written to the latch circuits of the memory cell units corresponding to a selected row. After the writing of data to the latch circuits, a store operation is performed to transfer (copy) the data from the latch circuits to the respective nonvolatile memory cells. In each memory cell unit, the store operation causes a selected one of the two paired MIS transistors constituting the nonvolatile memory cell to experience a hot-carrier effect, and which one is selected depends on whether the data stored in the latch circuit is 0 or 1.
A hot-carrier effect is asymmetric with respect to the source and drain relation of a transistor. When the source node and drain node used to apply a bias for generating a hot-carrier effect are used as a source node and a drain node, respectively, at the time of detecting a drain current, the detected drain current exhibits a relatively small drop caused by the hot-carrier effect. When the source node and drain node used to apply a bias for generating a hot-carrier effect are swapped and used as a drain node and a source node, respectively, at the time of detecting a drain current, the detected drain current exhibits a significant drop caused by the hot-carrier effect. The difference in the detected drain current between these two scenarios is approximately a factor of 10.
Such asymmetric characteristic of a hot-carrier effect, when properly used, may serve to enhance the data write speed of PermSRAM. Certain considerations, however, must be made when utilizing such asymmetric characteristics. Since the source node and drain node are swapped between the data-write operation and the data-read operation, data read from the nonvolatile memory cell appears as being reversed from the data that was originally written to the nonvolatile memory cell.

Nonvolatile memory utilizing MIS memory transistors with function to correct data reversal


An apparatus for variable setting of control times of gas exchange valves of an internal combustion engine which has a drive element an output element and a side cover. The drive element is brought into drive connection with a crankshaft, the output element is brought into drive connection with a camshaft, and the output element is arranged such that it can be pivoted with respect to the drive element. The side cover, which has a sealing cover with an opening and a mating element, axially delimits the output element and/or the drive element, and is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the drive or output element by means of a fastening element. The fastening element reaches at least partially through the opening and interacts with the fastening element producing a rotationally fixed connection between the side cover and output element or drive element.

Apparatuses for the variable setting of the control times of gas exchange valves are used in modern internal combustion engines, in order for it to be possible to configure the phase relation between the crankshaft and the camshaft in a variable manner in a defined angular range, between a maximum early position and a maximum late position. For this purpose, the apparatus is integrated into a drive train, via which torque is transmitted from the crankshaft to the camshaft. This drive train can be realized, for example, as a belt, chain or gearwheel drive.
An apparatus of this type is known, for example, from EP 0 806 550 B1. The apparatus comprises an output element which is rotatably arranged with respect to a drive element, the drive element being drive-connected to the crankshaft and the output element being connected to the camshaft in a rotationally fixed manner. The apparatus is delimited in the axial direction in each case by one side cover. Here, a plurality of screws engage through the one side cover and the drive element. A region of greater thickness is provided per screw on the other side cover, in which region a thread is formed, into which the screw is screwed. The output element, the drive element and the two side covers delimit a plurality of pressure spaces, each of the pressure spaces being divided by means of a vane into two pressure chambers which act against one another. The vanes are displaced within the pressure spaces by feeding pressure medium to or discharging pressure medium from the pressure chambers, as a result of which targeted rotation of the output element with respect to the drive element and therefore of the camshaft with respect to the crankshaft is brought about.
A disadvantage of this embodiment is the complicated structure of the side cover which carries the threads. Regions of greater thickness have to be provided on the side cover, in order to impart the necessary strength to the screw connection. As a result, the weight of the apparatus is increased. Furthermore, the side cover has to be configured as an expensive sintered component.

Apparatus for the variable setting of the control times of gas exchange valves of an internal combustion engine


In an image forming apparatus provided with a cover opening and closing mechanism, a cover opening and closing mechanism includes a button, an operating pin, and a belt-like elastic body that takes a first posture and a second posture, both of which have shape stability, by a snap-through buckling phenomenon. The belt-like elastic body takes the first posture in a state in which the cover has been closed and prevents the operating pin from being pressed to a side of the image forming apparatus body, and is pushed by a pushing operation of the button to take the second posture, operates the operating pin to be pressed to the side of the image forming apparatus body, and opens the cover by reaction force thereof.

The technology of the present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus including a cover opening and closing mechanism.
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus including a cover opening and closing mechanism as illustrated in FIG. 8 to FIG. 11, has been proposed.
In this image forming apparatus, a button 7 having a protrusion 7a with a sharpened distal end is supported to a cover 6 so as to be rotatable about a shaft 8. The button 7 is always urged outward (upward in FIG. 8) by a spring 9. As illustrated in FIG. 8, in the state in which the cover 6 is closed, since a locking stepped portion 7b is engaged with a peripheral edge of a hole 6a of the cover 6, the button 7 maintains the illustrated posture. At a rear surface of the cover 6, a fixed hook 10 is fixed.
At an image forming apparatus body 2 side, a movable hook having engaging surfaces 11a and 11b forming a stepwise shape is supported so as to be rotatable about a shaft 12. The movable hook 11 is always urged to the button 7 side (a right side in FIG. 8) by a spring 13. As illustrated in FIG. 8, in the state in which the cover 6 is closed, since the engaging surface 11a is engaged with the protrusion 7a of the button 7, the movable hook 11 maintains the illustrated posture. In this case, since the movable hook 11 is engaged with the fixed hook 10 of the cover 6 side, the closed state of the cover 6 is locked, so that it is not possible to open the cover 6 in this state.
In order to open the cover 6 from the closed state of FIG. 8, the button 7 is pushed against the urging force of the spring 9. As illustrated in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the button 7 is rotated about the shaft 8 in a direction (a clockwise direction) indicated by an arrow a, and the distal end portion of the protrusion 7a abuts the engaging surface 11a of the movable hook 11, so that the movable hook 11 is rotated about a shaft 12 in a direction (a counterclockwise direction) indicated by an arrow b against the urging force of the spring 13. Therefore, the movable hook 11 is detached from the fixed hook 10 and engagement of both hooks is released, so that the locking of the cover 6 is also released.
When a hand is released from the button 7 in the state of FIG. 10, the cover 6 is kicked out outward (upward in FIG. 11) by the urging force of the spring 9 as illustrated in FIG. 11. By applying the hand to the kicked-out cover 6 and rotating the cover 6, it is possible to open the cover 6. In this case, the movable hook 11 is rotated about the shaft 12 in a direction (a clockwise direction) indicated by an arrow c of FIG. 11 by the urging force of the spring 13 and returns to the original position. However, as described above, since the cover 6 is kicked out and the fixed hook 10 is accordingly moved outward, the movable hook 11 is not engaged with the fixed hook 10.
On the other hand, in order to close the cover 6 from the opened state of FIG. 11, the cover 6 is pushed in as is. By so doing, the fixed hook 10 abuts the movable hook 11 to push the movable hook 11, so that the cover 6 is closed. When the cover 6 is completely closed, the abutting of the fixed hook 10 and the movable hook 11 is released, so that the movable hook 11 is rotated by the urging force of the spring 13 and is engaged with the fixed hook 10. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the closed state of the cover 6 is locked.

Image forming apparatus including cover opening and closing mechanism


A pneumatic tire according to the present invention includes a tread section provided with circumferential grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction, lateral grooves extending in a tread width direction, and a plurality of land blocks defined by the circumferential grooves and the lateral grooves, each of the land blocks provided with sipes formed to extend to a predetermined depth from a tread surface inward in a tire radial direction, each of the sipes having an end portion communicating with at least any one of the circumferential grooves and the lateral grooves. At least one of the plurality of sipes includes an expanded diameter section on an inner end in the tire radial direction, and the expanded diameter section is formed to increase in diameter extending toward each of sidewalls of the land block.

Conventionally, a pneumatic tire has been known in which circumferential grooves and lateral grooves are formed in a tread section, and multiple land blocks are defined by the circumferential grooves and the lateral grooves. Multiple sipes (microgrooves) are formed in each of the land blocks to improve tire performance on ice (refer to Patent Document 1, for example). The sipes described in Patent Document 1 each extend from a tread surface of the land block inward in the radial direction, and are provided with an expanded diameter section at a depth ranging from 20% to 90% of the depth of the sipe.

Pneumatic tire with tread having sipes with expanded diameter sections


Embodiments are provided for implementing network adaptation schemes, including small cell on/off adaptation and transmission power control. In an embodiment method for supporting network adaptation, a network component receives a discovery reference signal (DRS) from a network controller that is in a switch-off transmission mode. The network component then performs measurements according to the DRS, and reports the measurements to a network associated with the network controller. In return, the network component receives a radio resource control (RRC) signaling from the network. The RRC signaling includes configuration information allowing a connection between the network component and the network controller. The network component then connects with the network controller in accordance with the configuration information.

Wireless communication systems include long term evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced (LTE-A), and LTE-A beyond systems. Modern wireless communications system include NodeBs (NBs) (also referred to as base stations), communications controllers, or eNBs (enhanced NBs) and may also include network points using different radio access technologies (RATs) such as high speed packet access (HSPA) NBs and WiFi access points (APs). A NB may be serving a number of users (also referred to as User Equipment (UE), mobile stations, subscribers, or terminals) in a coverage area over a period of time. Some networks, such as heterogeneous network (HetNets), include a macro cell (e.g., a NB) which is a higher power node/antenna with a larger coverage, and a pico cell which is a lower power node/antenna with a smaller coverage. Lower power nodes (also referred to as pico cells, Femto cells, micro cells, relay nodes, remote radio heads, remote radio units, or distributed antennas) are low-power wireless access points that operate in a licensed spectrum. Lower power nodes (LPNs) provide improved cellular coverage, capacity and applications for homes and businesses, as well as metropolitan and rural public spaces. LPNs can be turned off to reduce interference and save power or turned on to increase capacity, according to network and user demands. Various flexibility and adaptability features to allow better usage of resources in such networks.

Systems and methods for network adaptation support in wireless network


A filtering device for a dry cleaning machine comprising a casing having a door at one end, an inlet conduit means situated in said casing and having a plenty of perforations at a periphery thereof, outlet conduit means at the front or rear part of said casing, a first filter assembly in said casing and spacer means situated between said first filter assembly and said casing. The first filter assembly includes an elongated base member to substantially cover the inlet conduit means and having a plenty of perforations at a periphery thereof, a plurality of flanges detachably connected around the base member and first filter means carried by the flanges to substantially cover the base member. The spacer means includes a porous wall and a plenty of ribs provided at an outer periphery of the wall.

The invention relates to a filtering device for a dry cleaning machine, more particularly a filtering device for removing solid particles contained in a dry cleaning solvent used in cleaning clothes.
Dry cleaning is widely known and used in cleaning clothes. The solvent used in dry cleaning is expensive, so that it is preferable to use the solvent many times. Once the solvent is used, then mud, oil, lint and the like attached to clothes are contained in the solvent. Accordingly, the impurities contained in the solvent must be removed therefrom to enable reuse of the solvent.
Generally, the dry cleaning machine includes a filter means to purify the solvent, which operates to mechanically remove the insoluble impurities and/or to chemically adsorb the dissolved impurities. In circulating the solvent in the dry cleaning machine to purify the solvent, the filter is apt to be clogged by solid impurities, so that the filter must be replaced periodically. In order to solve the clogging problem, many filter systems have been proposed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,679, a filter system for dry cleaning solvents is disclosed, which comprises filter cartridges A and B through which solvent flows. The filter A includes cellulose material in a cannister and the filter B includes activated carbon and bristle blankets. Dissolved and solid impurities are removed by passing the solvent through the filters.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,324 discloses a dry cleaning method in which cleaning solvent is circulated through a filter and a color removal device which serves to take out color or odor bearing materials dissolved into the solvent during the cleaning operation. Color removal agent is contained within a fabric container and is positioned in a tank. Periodically, the solvent is caused to flow through the color removal device.
An apparatus for purifying liquids is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,689, wherein cleaning solvent containing impurities is caused to flow through a delinter and a filter so that the impurities are removed therefrom. The delinter comprises a tank, a perforated cylindrical basket supported in the tank and a bag within the basket, and the filter includes an outer filter member and a rotatable inner filter member. The delinter serves to at first remove solid impurities suspended in the solvent, but it does not properly operate due to the fact that there are not sufficient flow paths in the bag. Namely, the bag is soon clogged and it is necessary to replace the bag quite often.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a filtering device for a dry cleaning machine which can substantially remove solid impurities contained in a solvent used in a dry cleaning process prior to the removal of dissolved impurities from the solvent.
Another object of the invention is to provide a filtering device for a dry cleaning machine which can be easily handled and maintained.
A further object of the invention is to provide a filtering device for a dry cleaning machine which is inexpensive and is easily manufactured.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.


The present invention relates to compounds of gallium (III) which can be given orally to achieve high serum levels of gallium (III) for the treatment of hypercalcemia of malignancy and related disorders of bone metabolism. Complexes of gallium (III) of the formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 n-alkyl and R.sub.2 is H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.2 alkyl, or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 together form tetra- or penta-methylene and wherein said complex is useful in increasing calcium content of bone tissue and decreasing bone resorption, are used in an amount sufficient to cause an increase in calcium content of said bone and to cause decreased bone resorption.

Salts of the group III metal gallium have been known for some time to have antitumour activity. More recently, gallium has been shown to reduce serum calcium in patients with hypercalcemia of malignancy. Gallium exerts this latter effect by inhibiting the resorption of calcium from bone; it also increases bone strength so that gallium would also be useful for treating bone disorders associated with accelerated bone loss and decreased bone strength, (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,277 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,593).
In practice, gallium therapy for hypercalcemia has been difficult to provide. It has been reported that renal toxicity is dose-limiting when gallium is administered as an i.v. bolus. A seven day continuous i.v. infusion of gallium showed no renal toxicity for the treatment of cancer-associated hypercalcemia, and while this therapy is effective it is cumbersome. In order to make gallium therapy more conveniently administered for both cancer chemotherapy and the hypercalcemia of malignancy, and in order to provide wider application of gallium therapy to appropriate bone diseases, an oral dose form of gallium is highly desirable.
Drug absorption from the gastro-intestinal tract occurs at pH 4.5-7. In this pH range the gallium(III) aquo-ion is extensively hydrolysed to insoluble hydroxides and is very poorly absorbed. Daily oral doses of 400 mg GaCl.sub.3 in lung cancer patients yielded mean serum gallium concentrations of 371.+-.142 ug/mL. However, gallium in an appropriate co-ordination environment is stable to hydrolysis in aqueous environment, at pH which is relevant biologically.


Disclosed embodiments relate to instructions for dual-destination type conversion, accumulation, and atomic memory operations. In one example, a system includes a memory, a processor including: a fetch circuit to fetch the instruction from a code storage, the instruction including an opcode, a first destination identifier, and a source identifier to specify a source vector register, the source vector register including a plurality of single precision floating point data elements, a decode circuit to decode the fetched instruction, and an execution circuit to execute the decoded instruction to: convert the elements of the source vector register into double precision floating point values, store a first half of the double precision floating point values to a first location identified by the first destination identifier, and store a second half of the double precision floating point values to a second location.

Modern processors often include instructions to provide operations that are computationally intensive, but offer a high level of data parallelism that can be exploited through an efficient implementation using various data storage devices, such as for example, single instruction multiple data (SIMD) vector registers. The central processing unit (CPU) may then provide parallel hardware to support processing vectors. Vectorization thus can improve power-efficient performance of a processor.
The IEEE 754 Standard for Floating-Point Arithmetic (IEEE 754) is a technical standard for floating-point computation established in 1985 (an update of which was published in August, 2008) by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). IEEE 754 sets forth standards at least for floating point number formats, required operations, and recommended operations. IEEE 754 defines formats for various precision levels, including: Half precision (2 bytes), Single precision (4 bytes), Double precision (8 bytes), and Quadruple precision (16 bytes).
For efficiency reasons, processor instruction set architectures often limit register sizes and floating point computations to a fixed number of bits. As a result, applications that desire increased accuracy and higher precision may seek to double the number of bits used for floating point representations. Doing so, however, can reduce the number of calculations that can be performed per cycle, can increase the instruction count, can decrease the number of data elements that can be stored in a data cache, and can require more memory operations.
What is needed is a way to vectorize in conformance with IEEE 754 using high-precision data when necessary for accuracy, and using low-precision data otherwise.

Instructions for dual destination type conversion, mixed precision accumulation, and mixed precision atomic memory operations


A radar system may comprise a trigger, driver, switching circuit, and antenna for generating an ultra-short impulse without utilizing an oscillator. A radar imaging system for imaging a formation or a cross section of a pipeline may include at least one radar sensor. The system may transmit a high-frequency, short impulse signal to a formation or pipeline and measure a reflected signal. A high speed impulse generator may allow the short impulse signals to be generated. This impulse generator may utilize a switching circuit and digital driver to provide the short impulse signals. The images provide useful information about complex permittivity of the formation, the geometry of the pipeline, deposition thickness of asphaltenes and wax, velocity of the fluid, as well as size, type, concentration of gas bubbles, water, or solid particles in the flow, or combinations thereof.

There is a considerable interest in radiating ultra-short broadband pulses in mm-wave and THz regime for applications in 3D imaging, spectroscopy, ranging, chemical sensing, precision time transfer, precision frequency transfer, and high-speed wireless communication that may have applicability to a wide variety of technology areas, such as oil and gas, medical, gaming, etc. Unfortunately, the pulse width of the prior silicon-based radiators is not short enough and their bandwidth is limited.
The oil and gas industry uses various logging tools to measure formation properties such as porosity, fluid saturation, fluid type, and permeability. Furthermore, they are used for geo-steering in horizontal drilling and fracture detection. The sensors should provide high vertical and azimuth resolutions. FIG. 1 summarizes the performance of existing logging tools. Although conventional high-resolution tools such as micro-resistivity sensor provide resolution of few cm, they are not suitable for operation with oil-based mud. The resistivity measurement requires passing electric current through a conductive borehole fluid, which cannot be done with oil-based mud. By increasing the frequency, it is possible to perform capacitive logging. Although capacitive probing is possible in oil-based mud, it is very difficult to calibrate the tool and measure the complex permittivity of the formation with high accuracy. A capacitive probe measures the combined permittivity of the mud, mudcake, and the actual formation. Since the permittivity and thickness of mud and mud-cake vary, a precise calibration becomes very challenging.
A radar imaging system and method discussed herein may provide high-resolution imaging. The system may provide solid-state impulse radar sensors in the frequency range from 1 GHz to 1 THz. The radar sensor may radiate ultra-short impulses with duration of 50 psec or less to the formation and measure the reflected signal. Further, the radar sensor does not require a continuous wave oscillator to provide narrow pulses. The radiated pulse can penetrate through the high-resistivity oil-based mud and image the formation behind the mud. Since the radar sensor is not a contact-based probe, it can provide high-resolution images in nonconductive oil-based mud. The radar sensor may provide vertical resolution of 10 mm or better, azimuth resolution of 5° or better, and investigation depth of 10 cm or better.
The radar sensor can also be used to image the cross section of oil pipelines. The pipeline images provide useful information about the geometry of the pipeline, deposition thickness of asphaltenes and wax, velocity of the fluid, as well as size, type, and concentration of gas bubbles, water, or solid particles in the flow.

Miniaturized direct digital-to-impulse radar sensors in silicon


Within a method for fabricating a capacitor structure and a capacitor structure fabricated employing the method, there is provided a conductor barrier layer formed upon an upper capacitor plate formed within the capacitor structure. There is also provided a silicon layer formed upon the conductor barrier layer. The conductor barrier layer and the silicon layer provide for enhanced interdiffusion stability and enhanced delamination stability with respect to the upper capacitor plate, and thus enhanced reliability and performance of the capacitor structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to capacitor structures formed within microelectronic fabrications. More particularly, the present invention relates to passivated capacitor structures formed within microelectronic fabrications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microelectronic fabrications are formed from microelectronic substrates over which are formed patterned microelectronic conductor layers which are separated by microelectronic dielectric layers.
Common in the art of microelectronic fabrication, and in particular in the art of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic memory fabrication, is the use and the fabrication of memory cell structures, and in particular dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell structures. Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell structures typically comprise a field effect transistor (FET) device formed within and upon a semiconductor substrate, where one of a pair of source/drain regions within the field effect transistor (FET) device has formed thereover and electrically connected therewith a storage capacitor. Within a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell structure, a gate electrode of the field effect transistor (FET) device serves as a wordline which provides a switching function for charge introduction into and retrieval from the storage capacitor, while the other of the pair of source/drain regions within the field effect transistor (FET) device serves as a contact for a bitline conductor layer which introduces or retrieves charge with respect to the storage capacitor.
While the dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell structure has clearly become ubiquitous in the art of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic fabrication, and is thus essential in the art of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic fabrication, the dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell structure is nonetheless not entirely without problems in the art of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic memory fabrication.
In that regard, as semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic fabrication integration levels have increased and semiconductor device and patterned conductor layer dimensions have decreased, it has become increasingly difficult in the art of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic fabrication, and in particular in the art of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic memory fabrication, to reliably fabricate within dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell structures storage capacitors with enhanced performance.
It is thus desirable in the art of microelectronic fabrication, and in particular in the art of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic memory fabrication, to provide methods and materials through which there may be reliably fabricated, with enhanced performance, capacitor structures.
It is towards the foregoing object that the present invention is directed.
Various methods have been disclosed in the art of microelectronic fabrication for forming, with desirable properties, capacitor structures.
Included among the methods, but not limited among the methods, are methods disclosed within: (1) Tsu et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,979 (a method for forming a capacitor structure with a lower capacitor plate having a sloped surface, such as to avoid capacitor dielectric layer cracking when forming thereupon a capacitor dielectric layer); (2) Kirlin et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,928 (a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method for forming, with enhanced fabrication efficiency, a ferroelectric capacitor structure within a microelectronic fabrication); and (3) Hartner et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,529 (a method for forming a capacitor structure with enhanced reliability by forming annularly surrounding a barrier layer interposed between a conductor stud layer and a lower capacitor plate layer within the capacitor structure an annular silicon nitride layer).
Desirable in the art of microelectronic fabrication, and in particular in the art of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic memory fabrication, are additional methods and materials which may be employed for readily fabricating, with enhanced performance, capacitor structures.
It is towards the foregoing object that the present invention is directed.
A first object of the invention is to provide a capacitor structure for use within a microelectronic fabrication.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a capacitor structure in accord with the first object of the present invention, wherein the capacitor structure is reliably fabricated with enhanced performance.
In accord with the objects of the present invention, there is provided by the present invention a method for fabricating a capacitor structure, and a capacitor structure fabricated employing the method.
To practice the method of the present invention, there is first provided a substrate. There is then formed over the substrate a first capacitor plate. There is then formed upon the first capacitor plate a capacitor dielectric layer. There is then formed upon the capacitor dielectric layer a second capacitor plate. Finally, there is then formed upon the second capacitor plate a conductor barrier layer.
There is provided by the present invention a capacitor structure for use within a microelectronic fabrication, wherein the capacitor structure is readily fabricated with enhanced performance.
The present invention realizes the foregoing objects by forming upon an upper capacitor plate within a capacitor structure within a microelectronic fabrication a conductor barrier layer. The conductor barrier layer provides for attenuated interdiffusion and enhanced adhesion of the upper capacitor plate with respect to adjacent layers within the microelectronic fabrication within which is formed the capacitor structure.

Microelectronic capacitor with barrier layer

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


Systems, devices, structures, and methods are described that reduce energy consumption during a refresh cycle in a memory device. An isolation signal is held in a non-energized state until the it is determined that another action is to be performed on the section of memory associated with the isolation signal. The isolation accordingly cycles from an energized state to a non-energized state and back for each complete refresh cycle in the section of memory.

The technical field relates generally to memory devices, and, more particularly, to memory devices having reduced power consumption refresh cycles.
Memory cells are commonly formed in integrated circuits by energy storage devices, such as capacitors. A capacitor is composed of two layers of a material that is electrically conductive (hereinafter, electrodes) brought near to one another and separated by a material that is electrically nonconductive. The capacitor is connected to an energy source (e.g. battery) with a certain voltage level (hereinafter, energy level). Charge flows from the energy source to the capacitor until the capacitor exhibits the energy level of the energy source. Then, the capacitor is disconnected from the energy source. The capacitor will exhibit the energy level of the energy source until the charges stored in the capacitor are removed either by design or unintentionally.
This ability of the capacitor to xe2x80x9crememberxe2x80x9d an energy level is valuable to the operation of semiconductor integrated circuits. Often, the operation of such circuits may require that data be stored and retrieved as desired. Because of its ability to remember, the capacitor is a major component of a semiconductor memory cell. One memory cell typically stores one bit of data. A system of memory cells is a semiconductor memory array where information can be randomly stored and retrieved from each memory cell. Such a system is also known as a random-access memory.
One type of random-access memory is dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). The charges stored in DRAM tend to unintentionally leak away over a short time. It is thus necessary to periodically refresh the charges stored in the DRAM. Even with the refresh burden, DRAM is a popular type of memory because it can occupy a very small space on a semiconductor surface. This is desirable because of the need to maximize storage capacity, i.e. the number of stored bits, on the limited surface area of an integrated circuit.
Examples of some refresh schemes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,658 issued to Satoh et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,705 issued to Song; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,701 issued to Kappeler et al.; all incorporated herein by reference.
Many modem electronic devices are portable devices which use a battery as its energy source. As more and more portable electronic devices are developed and find commercial acceptance, it is desirable to conserve energy. Conservation of energy is driven by the need to use smaller and lighter power supplies so the electronic devices incorporating the power supply are themselves smaller and lighter. Moreover, there is a need to conserve energy so that the energy source lasts longer and the electronic device can operate longer between energy source charges or replacement. Accordingly, power consumption in memory devices used in electronic devices is becoming increasingly important.
The above-mentioned problems with memory devices as well as other problems are addressed by the present invention and will be understood by reading and studying the following specification including the drawings attached hereto. Systems, devices, structures, and methods are described which provide benefits over conventional memory devices.
An illustrative embodiment includes a method for refreshing memory cells in a memory device, wherein the refresh operation uses less energy than conventional refresh operations.
Another illustrative embodiment includes a method of conserving energy while refreshing memory cells in a memory device. One embodiment of the invention includes holding the isolation signal in a non-energized state while refreshing memory cells in an adjacent section of the memory device. The isolation signal is held in the non-energized state under a certain conditions, including but not limited to, completion of the refresh cycle, receipt of a memory address in the memory section, and receipt of a redundancy signal.
Another illustrative embodiment includes a method of reducing energy consumption during a refresh operation in a memory device. The method includes shifting an LEQ signal from an energized state to a non-energized state. The method further includes shifting an isolation signal from an energized state to a non-energized state The method further includes sequentially energizing wordlines in the memory device to refresh the memory cells connected to the energized wordline, and holding the isolation signal in a non-energized state during energizing at least two wordlines.
Another illustrative embodiment includes a memory array, which must be refreshed to preserve the integrity of the data stored therein. The memory array includes at least one memory section having a plurality of wordlines each connected to at least one memory cell. The memory cells are further connected to digit lines which are connected to a sense amplifier through isolation gates. An isolation gate control circuit holds the isolation gate off during a refresh cycle of the memory section until an end event occurs. A nend event is an event in the memory array that indicates the refresh operation is to end. In various embodiments, the end event includes, but is not limited to, at least one of completion of a self refresh cycle, addressing a memory cell in the memory section for a read or write operation, a redundancy operation, or issuance of an end refresh signal by a control circuit.
Another illustrative embodiment includes a controller for a refresh operation in a memory device. The controller holds the isolation signal at a non-energized state until an end refresh event occurs.
Other illustrative embodiments include a DRAM, a circuit module, a memory module, an electronic system, a memory system, or a computer system, which include the memory refresh structure according to the present invention or performs a memory refresh according to method of the present invention.
These and other embodiments, aspects, advantages, and features of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following description of the invention and referenced drawings or by practice of the invention. The aspects, advantages, and features of the invention are realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities, procedures, and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims and their equivalents.

Memory devices with reduced power consumption refresh cycles


A microcellular polyurethane composite material comprising desiccated rubber particles embedded in a microcellular matrix of polyurethane. Rubber particles derived from tires and other sources are combined with a desiccant to remove moisture present in the particles. The resulting desiccated rubber particles and desiccant are mixed with a polyol, polyisocyanate, catalyst, and blowing agent to form a precursor blend which is cured to produce a microcellular polyurethane composite. The resulting microcellular rubber-polyurethane composite may be used for tires, shoe and boot soles, surface coatings, and other applications requiring a material which is structurally strong and wear resistant. The desiccated rubber particles may be premixed with the polyol and/or added simultaneously with the polyol, polyisocyanate, catalyst, and blowing agent during composite molding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the recycling of rubber products. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and compositions wherein comminuted scrap rubber is incorporated into a polyurethane matrix to form a wide variety of useful materials and products.
2. Description of Related Art
The recycling of rubber products has received a great deal of attention in recent years. Typical rubber recycling processes involve grinding or otherwise comminuting scrap rubber product to form rubber particles. These rubber particles are recycled by mixing them with various different binders and molding or otherwise fabricating the rubber-binder mixture into desired articles. Typical uses for recycled rubber particles include the formation of various underlayments, surface coatings, tires, and other articles where a strong and resilient material is required. The binders which have been used to form the composites of recycled rubber particles include asphalt, synthetic and natural rubber, epoxies, and polyurethanes.
The majority of rubber recycling effort has been directed toward automobile and truck tires. The extremely large quantity of automobile and truck tires which is discarded each year requires that some degree of recycling occur. Processes used to recycle automobile and truck tires must necessarily be well suited for handling large quantities of recycled material. The process must be capable of taking large quantities of rubber particles directly from tire grinding and shredding equipment and transforming the particles into a useful material which can be molded or shaped into desired finished products.
Polyurethanes are popular binders which have been used to form composites with recycled rubber particles. A common procedure for forming a polyurethane involves mixing a polyisocyanate with a polyol and suitable catalyst. The resulting polyurethane will be a non-cellular material provided that a blowing agent is not present in the composition. Addition of a blowing agent causes the polyurethane to foam, resulting in a microcellular polyurethane material. Water, if present, can function as a blowing agent during polyurethane formation because the carbon dioxide generated by the reaction of water and isocyanate becomes trapped within the polyurethane matrix and produces a foam structure.
Polyurethane composite materials wherein recycled rubber particles are incorporated into a polyurethane are well suited for use in tires, shoe and boot soles, mattings, and other applications where a high degree of strength and wear resistance are required. However, recycled rubber particles may contain sufficient moisture to produce an excess of foaming, resulting in composites which are softer than desired.
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a process in which rubber tires and other discarded rubber products can be incorporated into a polyurethane matrix in a simple and efficient manner to provide a polyurethane composite material which has adequate functional properties including high strength and wear resistance.
Another object of this invention is to control the extent of foaming in the production of polyurethane-rubber composites.