Provided is a polypeptide having angiogenesis inhibiting activity. The polypeptide is derived from Placenta Growth Factor-1. Also provided are a derivative polypeptide of the polypeptide, a preparation method for polypeptide, and a pharmaceutical composition containing the polypeptide.

Angiogenesis involves extremely complicated courses including expansion of existing vessels, increasing of vascular permeability, degradation of perivascular stroma, activation, proliferation and migration of endothelial cells, and formation of new capillary-like lumina.
About ⅔ of diseases causing blindness are associated with pathological angiogenesis in eyes. For example, corneal angiogenesis induced with simplex herpetic stromal keratitis, choroidal angiogenesis in age-related macular degeneration, and retinal angiogenesis in diabetic retinopathy or retinopathy of premature infant. Clinically in present, laser photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and thermal transpupillary therapy (TTT) etc. are conventionally used for treating the ocular pathological angiogenesis. However, these treatments tend to easily destroy local tissues, and the long-term efficacy thereof is still unsatisfactory. Therefore, in recent years, people kept trying to develop more effective methods for treating ocular pathological angiogenesis.
When developing effective inhibitors of angiogenesis, the specificity of the ocular drugs should be sufficiently considered.
Firstly, there are many anatomical and functional barriers in eyes. Systemic administration usually cannot result in a topically sufficient drug concentration in ocular tissue due to the blood-aqueous humor barrier and blood-retina barrier. Theoretically, in topical administration, such as injection in vitreous cavity, it is difficult for any macromolecule larger than 76.5 kDa to penetrate the retina to act on the retinal and choroidal angiogenesis. When administrated on ocular surface, the drugs have to successively penetrate lipophilic the corneal epithelial cells as well as the hydrophilic corneal stroma, which are tightly connected. Thus, merely the medications that have appropriate lipophilicity, a low molecular weight or capability to bind with the transporters (e.g., amino acid transporters, oligopeptide transporters, etc.) in ocular surface tissues can reach the anterior chamber and function effectively.
Secondly, the solubility of the drugs in the hydrophilic tears, aqueous humor, and vitreous humor is positively correlated to their effects.
Thirdly, for the above major reasons, the bioavailability of ocular drugs is very low. To improve it, the concentration of drugs administered may be increased. However, compounds for treating neoplastic angiogenesis exhibit obvious toxicity, so that high dose cannot be used in either systemic or topical administration. In addition, exogenous proteins with large molecular weight are also foreign substances for allergy which may cause immune damages to eye tissues such as uveal.
Fourthly, currently a series of relatively safe endogenous inhibitors of angiogenesis, such as angiostatin consisting of plasminogen Kringle domains 1-4, have been demonstrated to obviously inhibit growth of vessel blood-dependent tumor. However, due to their relative large molecular weight and complicated spatial conformation, these inhibitors have disadvantages such as complicated recombinant expression and purification processes in preparation, residual endotoxin and so on.
Because of the constraints caused by the above factors, there are only few medications at present for treating ocular angiogenesis, e.g., recombinant anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody bevacizumab (AVASTIN®), and the recombinant fragment of anti-human VEGF monoclonal antibodies ranibizumab (LUCENTIS®), etc. However, they are expensive and it is necessary to repeat intravitreal administrations which even cause a risk of vascular embolization, etc.
Therefore, there is an urgent need in developing inhibitors of angiogenesis, which are small molecules, safe and effective, and compatible with eyeball tissues.

Angiogenesis-inhibiting peptide and application thereof


A temperature probe (10) including a cylindrical thermally conductive housing (10) and a temperature sensor (18) employing a resistive temperature element (22) mounted therein. The temperature sensor (18) is mounted at one end of the housing (12) by a thermally conductive potting material (50). Signal wires (36) electrically couple to the resistive element (22) extend through an elongated insulated member (30) and out of an end of the housing (12) opposite the sensor (18). Changes in the temperature of the housing are quickly transferred to the resistive temperature element (22) through the conductive potting material (50). In one embodiment, the probe (10) is combined with a pressure transducer (60) to provide a pressure and temperature sensing device.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates generally to a temperature probe and, more particularly, to a temperature probe employing a resistive temperature element mounted within a protective housing by a thermally conductive material to provide a fast thermal response time.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Temperature probes are used in many applications for sensing the temperature of a solid, liquid or gas. For example, temperature probes are used in certain laser systems to detect the temperature of hydrogen peroxide (BHP) used in the generation of the laser beam. Other applications include medical, pharmaceutical, food, chemical, aerospace and industrial applications. In certain applications, it is important to measure the temperature accurately and very quickly.
Different classes of temperature sensors are known in the art to measure temperature. One class of temperature sensors employs resistive elements, well known to those skilled in the art. As the temperature of the element increases or decreases, the resistance of the element also increases or decreases providing an indication of the temperature change. A voltage signal applied to the element is measured to give a reading of the resistance, and thus the temperature.
Known temperature probes that employ resistive elements typically have a response time of seven seconds or more. Particularly, when the temperature of the environment that the sensor is sensing changes, the sensor does not give the exact temperature reading for the change until more than seven seconds later. The probe response time is defined herein as the time it takes the temperature sensor to respond through 63.2% of the total temperature change. This slow of a response time is unacceptable in many applications. The slow response time can be attributed to the fact that the resistive element is mounted within a protective housing and air forms between the element and the housing.
In accordance with the teaching of the present invention, a temperature sensor employing a resistive temperature element is disclosed that has a faster response time than those sensors known in the art. The sensor includes an outer protective housing in which the resistive element is mounted. In one embodiment, the housing is a cylindrical tube made of a thermally conductive material. The element is mounted at one end of the housing, and signal wires extend through the housing and out of an opposite end of the housing. The element is mounted to an inside surface of the housing by a thermally conductive potting material. Therefore, changes in temperature received by the housing are quickly transferred to the element through the potting material giving a quick temperature response time.
Additional objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Precision temperature probe having fast response


A power converter within an integrated circuit (xe2x80x9cICxe2x80x9d) for providing DC power to one or more function circuit, where the power converter has a transformer circuit for receiving an AC power signal and for supplying a transformed AC power signal. A converter circuit receives the transformed AC power signal and then converts the signal into a DC power signal supplied to one or more function circuit. The transformed AC power signal might either be stepped up or stepped down. The transformer circuit might comprise two coils, where a first coil is magnetically coupled to a second coil. The first coil is a first spiral and the second coil is a second spiral wherein an insulating material layer is disposed between the first spiral and the second spiral. The transformer circuit might include transformers connected in parallel or in series and may further be connected correspondingly to more than one converter circuit coupled in parallel. An IC comprising the power converter circuit can be integrated into a computer system.

The present invention relates in general to powering integrated circuits, and in particular, to powering DC (xe2x80x9cdirect currentxe2x80x9d) powered integrated circuits within an integrated circuit using an AC (xe2x80x9calternating currentxe2x80x9d) power source.
Providing power to complex integrated circuits in high-speed applications presents a common design problem. With advances in design and manufacture of semiconductor devices, it has become possible to integrate larger amounts of circuitry within an integrated circuit (xe2x80x9cICxe2x80x9d) to enhance overall device functionality. As more circuitry is integrated, there is a corresponding increase in the basic building blocks (i.e., transistors) of the IC. To accommodate the increased number of transistors within an IC, and to provide for faster operation, the transistors are increasingly scaled to smaller dimensions. As transistor size continues to shrink, especially in the field of CMOS technology, power supply voltage levels for CMOS IC devices decrease. Decreasing voltage levels and increasing power demands both cause supply current increases for proper device operation.
Lower supply voltages are required for smaller scaled CMOS devices because as the device dimensions shrink, the gate oxide layer below the gate of a CMOS device is made thinner, which is more susceptible to breakdown when a given gate voltage is applied. Thus, the maximum supply voltage that can be used to power an IC is limited by the breakdown voltage. For example, integrated circuits typically operate at 3.3 Vdc or less, with newer designs approaching supply voltages of 1.0 Vdc.
The power consumed by integrated circuitry increases as a function of both the number of transistors and the switching speed (i.e., clock frequency) associated with a given IC. The power consumed by CMOS ICs is primarily due to charging and discharging circuit node capacitances and can be expressed by the proportion P xcex1 nf, where n is the number of transistors per chip and f is the clock frequency. Therefore, as power consumption increases, the supply current requirements for proper operation also increase.
Although the supply voltages might be reduced in newer designs, a much larger nf factor contributes to the overall increase in consumed power. For example, a 2.5 GHz IC design that once might have called for a supply voltage of 3.0 Vdc and have three million transistors might now call for a supply voltage of 1.0 Vdc and have ten million transistors due to additional functionality added to the IC design. Adding functionality from generation to generation is typical in the IC design industry, especially in the microprocessor business. Because power is proportional to nf, a design that once required 30 watts now requires 100 watts. With the supply voltage going from 3.0 Vdc to 1.0 Vdc, the current requirement go from 10 A to 100 A.
A common approach to supplying large currents to an IC is to use a large number of power pin connections, or bond wires, to the integrated circuitry. FIG. 1 illustrates this with an IC 104 mounted on a carrier 102. IC 104 has a plurality of die pads 110 for receiving power and input/ output (xe2x80x9cI/Oxe2x80x9d) signals from the external environment, with a large number of the die pads reserved for VDD 106 and Ground 108, thus greatly reducing the number of pins available for signal I/O in a pin-limited form factor and unnecessarily increases chip area to accommodate the total number of power pins, making electronic packaging of such a device complicated and expensive.
As shown in FIG. 2, the bond wires (204, 206) which provide external connection (for power or I/O) to an IC 202 can be modeled with parasitic capacitances, parasitic inductances, and parasitic resistances. The above-described parallel power pin approach does reduce the overall parasitic inductance and resistance somewhat, but with large supply current requirements, such as 100 A, even a small overall resistance, such as 1 milliohm, or a small overall inductance, such as 100 fH, on the bonding wires can cause significant voltage drops across the power pin connections. At lower supply voltages, these voltage drops and voltage swings significantly affect device operation and may result in device malfunction.
One measure of effective pin use in the design of semiconductor devices or packaged ICs is the signal-to-power pin ratio (xe2x80x9cpin ratioxe2x80x9d). The pin ratio of a packaged IC is defined as the number of available signal I/O pins divided by the total number of pins. Generally, if more signal I/O pins are available, the more complex functions the device can perform. It is therefore favorable to maximize the pin ratio for a given device, since the cost of using more pins to power the device is the loss of available signal I/O pins as well as reduced device functionality.
The approximate number of power pins required for a device operating at a given supply voltage and consuming a given amount of power can be estimated using Equation 1 where VDD is the supply voltage, in volts, and P is the power required, in watts.                     #                          xe2x80x83                        Power                          xe2x80x83                        pins                          xe2x80x83                        α                          xe2x80x83                                  P                      VDD            2                                              (                  Equation                                xe2x80x83                              1                )
As an illustration, a device consuming 30 W at a VDD of 3.0 Vdc only requires about 10 power pins for proper operation. If the device has 400 pins, the pin ratio is quite high (390/400=0.98). However, another 400-pin device operating with a VDD of 1.0 Vdc and at 100 W requires about 300 power pins, resulting in a pin ratio of only 0.25.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an inventive circuit and method for supplying integrated circuits with power and current requirements while preserving a high pin ratio for semiconductor devices or ICs.
An inventive power converter within an integrated circuit (xe2x80x9cICxe2x80x9d) provides DC power to one or more function circuits where the DC power is derived from an applied external AC power signal conveyed into the IC. In a preferred embodiment, the power converter includes a transformer circuit for receiving and transforming the external AC power signal, and a converter circuit for receiving the transformed AC power signal from the transformer circuit and converting it into a DC power signal. The DC power signal then can be used to power the many circuits within the IC.


A solid fuel rocket burn rate control employing electrical energy preheating of the fuel grain at a plurality of locations dispersed over the grain burn face cross-section as a thrust control arrangement. The electrical energy of the preheating is generated by electrical battery cells which are dispersed across the grain cross-section and are triggered from an inert state into energy generation by burn face heat. The preheating situs moves continually in response to movement of the grain burn face; this is achieved through the use of high temperature electrical battery cell materials responding to the approach of the grain burn face by increased chemical activity and decreased electrical resistance. Preferably, the preheating is directly accomplished by the heat from electrical and other losses in the battery cells.

This invention relates to the field of solid fuel rocket motors and the controlling of thrust in solid fuel rocket motors through the use of electrically controlled fuel preheating.
Solid fuel rockets are preferred for military and long mission uses because of their inherent simplicity and their avoidance of the complex plumbing, mixing and control elements required in liquid fuel rockets and because of the ease and safety with which the rocket fuel, or grain, can be preserved for future use. The design parameters, fuel selection tradeoffs and operating characteristics of solid fuel rockets are well known in the art and are, for example, discussed in the reference textbooks "Rocket Propulsion Elements", 2d ed., by G. P. Sutton, and "Propellant Chemistry" by Stanley F. Sarner.
A characteristics of solid fuel rockets is the difficulty involved in modulation or termination of the thrust-producing reaction once grain burn has commenced. The need for thrust modulation or thrust termination plus re-initiation is readily apparent in practical applications of a rocket in military or scientific uses. The functions of threat avoidance, multiple purpose missions and vehicle atmospheric reentry each present a desirable environment for some form of thrust change, for example.
Questions of complete burn termination and re-ignition are not considered in this specification; present concerns are with thrust modulation or control during the burning of solid fuel rocket grain. Such thrust modulation might, for example, also be desirable in tailoring the placement velocity and the orbit of a spacecraft, in trading thrust magnitude for thrust duration in a rocket, or in balancing the thrust applied to a multiple rocket vehicle, especially during the initial liftoff, low air velocity, flight portion.
The achievement of practical and workable thrust modulation in a solid fuel rocket has been attended by a significant degree of difficulty, however, and in most heretofore practiced arrangements has required significant compromises with respect to rocket payload, reliability, attained degree of control, and added rocket complexity. The variable exit nozzle geometry arrangements previously used for thrust control are, for example, found to be large in physical size, heavy and weight penalizing with respect to rocket payload, requiring of specialized high-temperature, high-strength materials, and productive of large pressure excursions within the propellant combustion chamber. Such nozzle geometry changing arrangements or throttles are also found to be of limited compatibility with the gimbaled or pivoting nozzle arrangements that are commonly employed for guidance and stability control of a rocket and its payload. The pulse modulated solid fuel rocket propellant modulators, although somewhat successful over a limited burn rate schedule, are limited in control ability over the desired larger range of thrust changes and additionally have the characteristic of ejecting unburned inhibitor media. The moving filament throttle arrangements are also cumbered by large weight and space requirements for the attending winch mechanism and are attended by unresolved problems of binding and fusing throttle filament elements so as to be for all practical purposes, not presently desirable.
The use of burn rate increasing energy communicated to local areas of the rocket grain adjacent the burn face in order to produce coning action and increased burn face surface area, is suggested in the patents of Winch et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,805, and DeHaye, U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,425 and presently affords one of the more practical arrangements for controlling solid fuel rocket grain burn rates. The present invention adds a new dimension to this class of burn rate control by additionally simplifying the required controlling apparatus and limiting the mass and volume of control apparatus attending the rocket structure.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


Disclosed herein is a coil component that includes an element body made of a first magnetic material, a coil conductor embedded in the element body, and first and second magnetic films made of a second magnetic material having higher permeability than that of the first magnetic material. The element body has an upper surface crossing a coil axis of the coil conductor and first and second side surfaces extending substantially parallel to the coil axis. The first magnetic film is formed on the upper surface and first side surface of the element body, and the second magnetic film is formed on the upper surface and second side surface of the element body.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coil component and, more particularly, to a coil component obtained by embedding a coil conductor in an element body made of a magnetic material.
Description of Related Art
There is widely known a coil component obtained by embedding a coil conductor in an element body made of a magnetic material. In a coil component of this type, an element body is made of a magnetic material, so that most of the magnetic flux generated by making current flow in a coil conductor can be confined inside the element body. However, a part of the magnetic flux leaks outside the element body, which may degrade magnetic characteristics or may adversely affect other electronic components adjacent to the coil component.
To cope with such a problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2013-045848 and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. H02-067609 disclose a coil component in which a magnetic film is formed on the surface of the element body. In the coil component described in the above publications, a magnetic film is formed on the upper and lower surfaces perpendicular to the coil axis.
However, in the coil component described in the above publications, a large eddy current is generated in the magnetic film with a change in the magnetic flux, resulting in a large eddy current loss. Further, in this coil component, each of the upper and lower surfaces having a high magnetic flux density is covered with a single magnetic film, so that the magnetic film is easily magnetically saturated. Furthermore, in this coil component, spread of the magnetic flux in the side surface direction of the coil component is not sufficiently suppressed, so that when the coil component is mounted on a printed circuit board in a high density, other electronic components adjacent thereto may be affected by leakage magnetic flux.


A watermark decoding method makes use of a line-finding algorithm (e.g., the Radon transform) to determine rotation of an image from an initial orientation. Once rotation has been characterized, differential scaling of the image can readily be determined.

In many applications, it is necessary to discern the transformation of an input image from an original state. This is the case, for example, in decoding certain digital watermarks.
If the original image is available, certain image features in the original image can be matched with corresponding features in the input image so as to discern any intervening transformations. Such a system is shown in the present assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,377.
If the original image is not available, other techniques must be employed. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,260, and in copending application Ser. No. 09/452,023, filed Nov. 30, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,082), the present assignee detailed a system employing a subliminal digital graticule signal, having known frequency domain characteristics, that is embedded in the original image with the watermark. On analyzing an input image, the frequency domain characteristics of the graticule signal can be detected and, through application of the Fourier-Mellin transform and generalized matching function (GMF) techniques, the offset, scale and rotation of the image can be discerned. Similar approaches were thereafter detailed by O'Ruanaidh et al in "Rotation, Scale and translation Invariant Digital Image Watermarking," Int. Conf. on Image Proc., October 1997, IEEE, pp. 536-539; "A Secure Robust Digital Image Watermark," Proc. SPIE, Vol. 3409, pp. 150-63, 1998; and laid-open application EP 905,967; and by Xerox in U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,055.
While the approach detailed in the '260 patent and its followers is satisfactory for determining offset, scale, and rotation of an input image from a reference state, it cannot discern differential scaling. Differential scaling occurs when an image is "stretched" (or shrunk) differently in the x- and y-directions, and can significantly impair (or prevent) detection of watermark data.
Differential scaling can arise in various ways. One is through deliberate image manipulation. Another is through distortion of a medium on which an image is printed (e.g., paper currency may be stretched through its handling by ATMs and other automated handling equipment). Differential scaling can also arise through scanning. Scanners typically scan documents by sampling successive rows of an image with a linear array of sensors. If the spacing between successive rows does not precisely match the spacing between adjoining sensors, the pixels are not truly square, again resulting in differential scaling.
The below-detailed technology addresses certain of the above-noted shortcomings. For example, some embodiments permit differential scaling to be discerned from an input image, together with offset, scale, and rotation. Other embodiments permit image rotation to be determined without reference to any embedded calibration signal.
The foregoing and additional features and advantages will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Method and system for determining image transformation


A power transmission shaft which transmits rotational energy of a flywheel is divided into a first shaft section adjacent to the flywheel and a second shaft section adjacent to a power take-off gear. A planetary gearing is arranged between the shaft sections and is adapted to be driven by a servo motor. A power take-off gear is mounted on an output section of the planetary gearing so as to transmit the power to drives. The servo motor controls the rotation of the output section of the planetary gearing to vary the rotation of the power take-off gear so that the action velocity of the slide or the like can be freely controlled and press working for different kinds of materials can be carried out.

The present invention relates to a power transmission for a mechanical press for transmitting driving force of a main motor to a slide drive, a work conveyance drive or the like.
In some conventional mechanical press, a die-supporting slide is driven by a slide drive to press a work. In time with the pressing operation, a work conveyance drive is driven to convey a work. Thus, works are continuously formed into products.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a power transmission for transmitting driving force to such slide and work conveyance drives. A main motor 1 is driven to rotate a flywheel 2 and store rotational energy in the flywheel 2. A clutch 3 is then clutched or engaged to the flywheel 2 to transmit the rotational energy stored in the flywheel 2, as driving force, to a power transmission shaft 4. The driving force is taken by a power take-off gear 5 on the shaft 4 and is transmitted through a junction gear 6 to a pinion 7 coaxial with the gear 6. The pinion 7 is rotated to drive a slide drive 8 so that a slide 9 which supports a die is driven to carry out a pressing operation. At the same time, the rotation of the junction gear 6 is also transmitted through a bevel gearing 10 or the like to a work conveyance drive 12. Reference numeral 11 denotes a brake for the power transmission shaft 4.
In the above-mentioned conventional power transmission, for structural reasons, movements of the drives 8 and 12 can be controlled only by selective engagement and disengagement of the clutch 3 and volocity-control of the flywheel 2. Therefore, for example, action velocity of the slide 9 cannot be controlled during a stroke of movement of the slide 9; pressing working cannot be carried out with the slide 9 being temporally stopped at its bottom dead point of movement. As a result, pressing working for different kinds of materials is considerably limited.
In the conventional power transmission, the slide drive 8 is actuated by engaging the clutch 3 to the flywheel 2 which is rotating; this causes mechanical shock and big noise. Moreover, structurally the clutch 3 requires connection pads such as friction inserts, which are consumables; this requires a great number of pads being prepared for exchange and periodic maintenance has to be carry out for checking whether the pads being used are to be exchanged or not.
In view of the above, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a power transmission for a mechanical press which can control action velocity of a slide or the like to non-limitatively carry out press working for different kinds of materials and which employs no clutch, which is a cause of mechanical shock and requires consumables to be exchanged, to thereby carry out press working with no maintenance for consumables and with lower cost.
To attain the above object, in a power transmission wherein rotational energy stored in a flywheel is taken through a power transmission shaft by a power take-off gear and is transmitted to a drive, the present invention resides in that the power transmission shaft is divided into first and second shaft sections adjacent to the flywheel and the power take-off gear, respectively, a planetary gearing being arranged between the shaft sections and adapted to be driven by a servo motor, the power take-off gear being mounted on an output section of said planetary gearing.
In another aspect of the invention, a planetary gearing is arranged between the shaft sections and has at its portion a variable torque brake which is controlled by a control unit.
In a further aspect of the invention, a planetary gearing is arranged between the shaft sections and is driven by a servo motor. The power take-off gear and a brake is arranged at an output section of the planetary gearing. An on-off coupling which may be a gear coupling is arranged between the flywheel and the first shaft section.
A differential gear may be arranged to return part of output from the planetary gearing to an input section thereof and may be connected to a servo motor.
The slide drive may be provided with a load cell which detects any overload acting of the slide to transmit a signal from the load cell to the servo motor.
When the planetary gearing is arranged between the shaft sections as mentioned above, the rotational energy of the flywheel is transmitted through the first shaft section to the planetary gearing and is taken by the power take-off gear. By controlling rotation of a part of the planetary gearing, rotational velocity of the power take-off gear can be varied so that action velocity of the drive can be freely or arbitrarily controlled. Thus, the action velocity of the slide or the like can be controlled during a stroke of movement thereof.
When the variable torque brake is arranged, in place of servo motor, at a part of the planetary gearing, the rotational velocity of a part of the planetary gearing can be controlled by the torque brake, which varies the rotational velocity of the power take-off gear so that action velocity of the drive can be freely controlled.
When the power take-off gear and the brake are provided at the output section of the planetary gearing driven by the servo motor and the rotational velocity of the servo motor is set to a calculated value with the drive being braked to stop, the rotational velocity of the first shaft section of the power transmission shaft can be made equal to that of the flywheel. This makes it possible to employ a connector such as gear coupling between flywheel and the power transmission shaft which requires no consumables such as connection pads. To vary the rotational velocity of the power take-off gear can be attained by controlling the rotation of the output section of the planetary gearing by means of the servo motor so that action velocity of the drive can be freely controlled.
When the differential gear is provided to return part of output of the planetary gearing to an input section thereof and is connected to the servo motor, braking force required for the servo motor can be minimized.
When any overload is detected by the load cell, the servo motor may be tripped or driven at a predetermined rotational velocity to nullify overload.

Ishikawajima-Harima Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of an aqueous dispersion of an anionic polyurethane. According to the invention, a tertiary amine functional urethane polymer or oligomer acts as acid neutralizing agent. The process of the invention comprises the steps of: dispersion of an anionic isocyanate functional polyurethane prepolymer in water in the presence of a tertiary amine functional urethane polymer or oligomer and chain extension of the anionic polyurethane prepolymer with a reactive hydrogen functional material during or after the dispersion in water.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of aqueous dispersions of anionic polyurethanes, to the obtained dispersions and to a coated substrate or film obtained with said dispersion.
Aqueous dispersions of polyurethanes are well known as basis for the preparation of coating compositions. They may be used for protective or decorative coating, optionally in combination with additives like coloring agents, pigments, matting agents, and the like. Polyurethanes can posses many desirable properties such as good chemical resistance, water resistance, solvent resistance, toughness, abrasion resistance, durality.
Dispersibility of the polyurethanes in water can be achieved by incorporation of appropriate chain pendant ionic groups, chain pendant non-ionic hydrophilic groups, or in-chain non-ionic hydrophilic groups in the structure of the polyurethane polymer. If suitable, external surfactants can be applied in addition. Preferably anionic groups are incorporated into the polyurethane backbone, such as carboxylic, sulfonic, sulfate or phosphate groups. They are introduced by reaction of a reactive hydrogen functional compound having at least one acid group with a polyisocyanate. Most common is the incorporation of a carboxylic acid functional compound.
The carboxylic acid functions are generally neutralized before or during dispersion of the polyurethane prepolymer into water with a volatile tertiary amine. Anorganic bases are less convenient, since the polyurethane will generally coagulate when they are applied or it will provide highly water sensitive films or coatings. To prevent coagulation it is suitable to incorporate a great number of hydrophilic polyethoxy chains into the polymer system, but the coatings prepared from these dispersions will be very sensitive to water as well.
A disadvantage of the use of volatile tertiary amines as neutralizing agent is that they evaporate during the film formation, and therefore will cause unacceptable environmental pollution.
The present invention offers a process to prepare aqueous dispersions of anionic polyurethanes containing no volatile tertiairy amines.
According to the present invention there is provided a process for the preparation of an aqueous dispersion of an anionic polyurethane in which a tertiary amine functional urethane polymer or oligomer acts as acid neutralising agent. The process according to the present invention comprises the steps of: dispersion of an anionic isocyanate functional polyurethane prepolymer into water in the presence of a tertiary amine functional urethane polymer or oligomer and chain extending the polyurethane prepolymer with a reactive hydrogen functional material during or after the dispersion in water.
The anionic group in the polyurethane to be neutralized may be a carboxylic acid group.
The tertiary amine functional urethane polymer or oligomer of the invention is prepared by the reaction of a polyisocyanate or an isocyanate functional polyurethane prepolymer with a reactive hydrogen functional material which contains tertiary amine functions.
The urethane polymer or oligomer which contains tertiary amine functions can be prepared as a pure oligomeric or polymeric material, it can be prepared in a solvent system, or it can be prepared as an aqueous dispersion. The tertiary amine functional urethane polymer or oligomer of the invention may be prepared by the steps of:
preparation of an isocyanate functional polyurethane prepolymer containing tertiary amine functions from a polyisocyanate, and a polyol which contains tertiary amine functions,
chain extending and/or partially capping of the prepolymer with a reactive hydrogen functional material.
As mentioned above the tertiary amine functional urethane polymer or oligomer may occur in an aqueous dispersion which is prepared by the steps of:
preparation of an isocyanate functional polyurethane prepolymer containing tertiary amine functions from a polyisocyanate, and a polyol which contains tertiary amine functions
dispersion of the prepolymer into water,
chain extending and/or partially capping of the prepolymer with a reactive hydrogen functional material during or after the dispersion into water.
The polyol which contains tertiary amine functions and which is used for the preparation of the polyurethane prepolymer is N-ethyldiethanolamine, N-butyldiethanolamine, N-tert-butyldiethanolamine, 3-diisopropyl-amino-1,2-propanediol, 3-(dimethylamino)-1,2-propanediol, 3-(diethylamino)-1,2-propanediol, triethanol-amine, tripropanolamine, triisopropanolamine and is preferably N-methyldiethanolamine or (3-dimethylamino-propyl)diisopropanolamine.
The reactive hydrogen functional material which is used in the preparation of the tertiary amine functional urethane polymer or oligomer or dispersion thereof is a tertiary amine functional polyol, polyamine, monoamine, monoalcohol or a mixture thereof. When the reactive hydrogen functional material is a polyol or a poly-amine it may be a polyol containing a tertiary amine function as described above or is a diamine which is bis(3-aminopropyl)methylamine.
To obtain a maximal tertiary amine concentration the reactive hydrogen functional material for the capping of the prepolymer is preferably a mono-amine or mono-alcohol containing a tertiary amine function, which may be, 2-(diethylamino)ethylamine, 3-(diethylamino)propyl-amine, N,N,Nxe2x80x2-trimethylethylene-diamine, N,N,Nxe2x80x2-trimethyl-1,3-propane-diamine, N,N,2,2-tetra-methyl-1,3-propane-diamine, N,N-diethylethanolamine, 1-dimethylamino-2-propanol, 3-dimethyl-amino-1-propanol, 2-dimethyl-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, 1-diethylamino-2-propanol, 3-diethyl-amino-1-propanol, 2-(diisopropylamino)ethanol, 5-diethylamino-2-pentanol, 2-(dibutyl-amino)ethanol and is preferably 2-(dimethylamino)-ethylamine, 3-(dimethyl-amino)propylamine or N,N-dimethyl-ethanolamine or bis(3-dimethylaminopropyl)amine, or mixtures thereof.
The polyisocyanate which is used for the preparation of the tertiary amine functional prepolymer is 2,4-toluene-diisocyanate, 2,6-toluenediisocyanate and mixtures thereof, 1,6-hexanediisocyanate, dicyclohexylmethane-4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanate, 3-isocyanatomethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclo-hexylisocyanate, or tetramethylxylene-diisocyanate, Nxe2x80x2,Nxe2x80x3,Nxe2x80x2xe2x80x3-tris(6-isocyanato-hexyl)isocyanurate, or N,Nxe2x80x2bis(6-isocya-natohexyl)-N-(6-isocyanatohexylamido)urea, or mixtures thereof.
In order to obtain a fine particle sized dispersion it is suitable to incorporate hydrophilic groups into the tertiary amine functional prepolymer. For this reason other polyols may be present during the prepolymer formation which may be a polyethoxy diol, a poly(ethoxy/-propoxy) diol, a diol containing a pendant ethoxy or (ethoxy/propoxy) chain, a diol containing a carboxylic acid or a sulphonic acid or salt, or mixtures thereof.
The obtained prepolymer may be chain extended or partially capped and partially chain extended. The reactive hydrogen functional reactive material for the chain extending is a diamine which may be; 1,2-diamino-propane, 1,3-diaminopropane, hydrazine, 5-amino-1,3,3-trimethyl-cyclohexanemethyl-amine, methylpentanediamine, hexanediamine, butyldiamine, poly(ethoxy/propoxy)diamine, polyethoxydiamine, polypropoxydiamine, bis(3-amino-propylamine) or a N-hydrazone functional 5-amino-1,3,3-trimethylcyclohexane methylamine, or mixtures thereof.
The anionic polyurethane prepolymer used in the process is prepared by conventional methods. EP 308115 presents an overview of suitable polyols and polyisocyanates as well as of reactive hydrogen functional compounds to chain extend the prepolymer. Essentially the anionic polyurethane of the process contains carboxylic acid groups which are neutralized by the tertiary amine functional urethane polymer or oligomer. The ratio of tertiary amine functions in the neutralizing agent to the carboxylic acid functions in the anionic polyurethane is from 0.5 to 1.5 and prefarably from 0.7 to 1.2.
Both the anionic polyurethane and the tertiary amine functional urethane polymer or oligomer or dispersion thereof may contain additional functional groups with the objective to improve the waterdispersibility, to improve adhesion to substrates at application, for performance reasons, or as potential sites for crosslinking. Suitable functions are polyalkoxy functions with a large concentration of ethoxy functions, are tertiairy amine or quaternairy amine functions, perfluor functions, incorporated silicon functions, hydrazide functions or hydrazone functions, ketone, acetoacetate, or aldehyde functions, or mixtures thereof.
The aqueous polymer dispersions produced by the method of the invention are stable for long periods of time. If desired minor amounts of solvents may be included in the dispersions.
Many additional ingredients may also be present in the application stage, for example fillers, colorants, pigments, silicons, flow agents, foaming agents, matting agents, and the like.
The aqueous polymer dispersions produced by the method of the invention may be used in adhesives, sealants, printing ink and in coatings.
The invention further comprises the dispersions obtained by the process and the coated substrates or films obtained by applying the dispersions onto a substrate such as leather or artificial leather, metals, wood, glass, plastics, paper, paper board, textile, non-woven, cloth, foam and the like by conventional methods, including spraying, flow-coating, transfer-coating, roller coating, brushing, dipping, spreading and the like.
Various aspects features and embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by the following examples. These examples are only illustrative and do not intend to limit the invention as claimed hereafter.

Process for the preparation of an aqueous dispersion of an anionic polyurethane free of volatile tertiary amines


A drainage end cap device for draining fluid from a hollow space in a vehicle, comprising a mounting unit that is durably mountable in a super-imposed manner onto a drainage opening provided in an outer shell of a vehicle, wherein a drainage cap with a drainage channel is provided, the drainage cap being removably mountable to the mounting unit and the drainage channel being at least partly zigzagged over a longitudinal extension of the drainage cap.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention is related to a drainage end cap device for draining fluid from a hollow space in a vehicle, comprising a mounting unit that is durably mountable in a super-imposed manner onto a drainage opening provided in an outer shell of a vehicle. The invention is further related to a drainage cap for draining fluid from a hollow space in a vehicle, and to an aircraft comprising a drainage end cap device.
(2) Description of Related Art
Hollow spaces in vehicles are generally subject to accumulation of liquid, such as condense water, which need to be drained from such hollow spaces in order to avoid a degradation of the vehicles, e.g. due to corrosion. In more specific cases, other liquids than condense water may ingress into respective hollow spaces. For instance, fuel may unintentionally ingress into hollow spaces that are existent in fuel compartments of vehicles adjacent to fuel tanks thereof. This ingressed fuel may evaporate, whereby explosive gases are created, so that the hollow spaces must not only be drained to remove the ingressed fuel, but also permanently be vented to prevent any accumulation of explosive gases. Consequently, by drainage and venting of the hollow spaces accumulation of explosive and/or inflammable fluids, i.e. gases and/or liquids, in the hollow spaces is prevented so that any potential fire or explosion risk can be prevented.
The document EP 1 084 952 A2 describes fuel tanks of an aircraft that is embodied as a helicopter, wherein the fuel tanks are provided with specific vent valves and venting channels, and wherein the vent valves are configured to prevent ingression of fuel from the fuel tanks into the venting channels. Nevertheless, even if these venting channels are considered as defining hollow spaces, the document EP 1 084 952 A2 does not describe particular drainage measures for these venting channels and further does not describe any means for drainage and venting of hollow spaces that are defined in the vicinity of the fuel tanks.
One basic solution for draining and venting hollow spaces of an aircraft consists in providing through holes, e.g. through a lower outer shell of a fuselage of such an aircraft, with one or more drainage channels leading into a respective hollow space. However, when providing a rotary wing aircraft, such as a helicopter, with corresponding through holes in a lower side of its fuselage defining an outer or bottom shell, water may ingress via these through holes into the respective hollow space depending on an underlying flight mode of the helicopter.
For instance, during hovering of the helicopter over water close to the water surface, spray water may occur in response to turbulences created by rotor downwash of the main rotor. The spray water may ingress via the through holes into the respective hollow space, which may thus be filled with water. This is particularly problematic in cases where the spray water is salty sea water that acts in the respective hollow space as an electrolytic solution triggering a very fast galvanic, corrosive reaction with metallic parts existing in the respective hollow space.
Furthermore, during ditching of the helicopter water would ingress into the respective hollow space via the through holes. A solution for avoiding such an ingression of water during ditching consists in providing corresponding through holes in the bottom shell with check valves consisting of a cap and a weir gate. These check valves are adapted to ensure ventilation of associated hollow spaces via the through holes during flight and to seal the through holes by a corresponding weir gate's lift when sufficient water pressure is applied to the weir gate during ditching of the helicopter.
However, these check valves are not suitable to avoid ingression of spray water into the hollow spaces, as such spray water would not apply a sufficient water pressure onto the weir gates. Furthermore, such check valves frequently comprise metallic components which are, as such, prone to corrosion, especially when in contact with salty sea water. Additionally, the metallic components may influence the electromagnetic compatibility of the helicopter, as they could be caught by radar. Moreover, such check valves frequently exhibit a comparatively huge installation height. Finally, such check valves would not operate successfully when the helicopter fuselage is exposed to icing conditions, because their movable components, i.e. the weir gates, could be frozen to a fixed position.
A more reliable solution for avoiding ingression of water into a hollow space defined in the region of a bottom shell of a helicopter consists in providing corresponding through holes in the bottom shell with manually lockable plugs, which can be opened manually on ground to drain fluids that were accumulated in the hollow space during flight. Such manually lockable plugs are relocked after a corresponding drainage operation and remain sealingly closed during flight.
However, such drain plugs are not admissible with respect to hollow spaces defined in the vicinity of fuel tanks in the helicopter according to the relevant EASA/FAR-certification regulations, as such drain plugs do not allow a permanent venting of the hollow spaces. As already mentioned above, such hollow spaces must be drained and vented permanently to prevent any accumulation of explosive and/or inflammable fluids in the hollow spaces in order to exclude any potential fire or explosion risk. A permanent drainage and venting does, however, not exist when the drain plugs are sealingly closed during flight.
Still other drainage and venting options are described in the documents DE 10 2005 003 436 A1, EP 0 556 765 A1 and EP 0 672 583 A1 in terms of drainmasts for aircrafts in general. These drainmasts are adapted for draining wastewater from aircrafts and are mounted integrally, i.e. as one piece to the aircrafts. However, these drainmasts have a comparatively huge installation height and are also not suitable to avoid ingression of spray water into associated hollow spaces provided in the aircrafts.
One possibility for avoiding such an ingression of spray water into hollow spaces defined in the region of a bottom shell of a helicopter could be the provision of an active ventilator with a protective cap. However, such an active ventilator would require an electric current for operation and needs to be protected itself against spray water and ingress of water. Furthermore, such an active ventilator is expensive and only suitable for venting and protecting against ingress of spray water, but not for drainage purposes.
The document FR 2 907 099 A1 describes a drainage end cap device for an aircraft with a drainage end cap that is provided with a drainage channel. The drainage end cap is removably mounted to a mounting structure that, in turn, is rigidly attached to a support structure, which is provided inside a fuselage of the aircraft. The mounting structure defines an attachment base that protrudes through an opening provided in the fuselage and the drainage end cap is removably mounted to the attachment base by means of screws.
The document US 2006/0273224 A1 describes another drainage end cap device for an aircraft with a drainage end cap that is provided with a drainage channel. A mounting structure is provided and rigidly attached to a fuselage of the aircraft, and the drainage end cap is removably mounted to the mounting structure and the fuselage by means of screws.
The documents EP 1 621 459 A1 and FR 2 971 485 A1 describe other drainage devices with drainage channels. In these drainage devices, the drainage channels are kinked with an angle of 90°.

Drainage end cap device for draining fluid from a hollow space in a vehicle


An element recovery method and an element recovery apparatus are provided by which an element containing a high-purity rare earth element can be recovered at low cost. The element recovery method includes the steps of: preparing molten salt containing a rare earth element; and controlling electric potentials in a pair of electrode members at prescribed values while keeping the pair of electrode members in contact with the molten salt, thereby depositing the rare earth element existing in the molten salt on one of the pair of electrode members. In this way, as compared with the conventional wet separation method, an element such as a rare earth element that is to be recovered can be directly recovered from the molten salt in which the element is dissolved, so that the steps of the recovery method can be simplified and reduced in cost.

Conventionally, there has been a proposed method of recovering a useful element such as a rare earth element from scraps of an iron-based alloy material. For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 03-207825 (which will be hereinafter referred to as PTD 1) discloses a method of separating and recovering a rare earth element by dissolving rare-earth magnet scraps in a nitric acid-sulfuric acid aqueous solution, adding alcohol into the resultant solution and selectively crystallizing sulfate of the rare earth element. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 09-157769 (which will be hereinafter referred to as PTD 2) discloses a method of recovering a rare earth element by hydrotreating and pulverizing alloy scraps containing a rare earth element, overheating the pulverized scraps to achieve an oxide, which is then brought into contact with an acid solution, to elute the rare earth element as ions into the acid solution and produce a deposit containing the rare earth element from this ion-containing acid solution.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-60855 (which will be hereinafter referred to as PTD 3) discloses a method of recycling neodymium (Nd)-based rare-earth magnet scraps by introducing the scraps into a molten-salt electrolytic bath including rare earth oxides as raw materials, melting the scraps in the electrolytic bath, separating the scraps into a rare earth oxide and a magnet alloy portion, reducing the rare earth oxide dissolved in the electrolytic bath to a rare earth metal by electrolysis, and alloying the magnet alloy portion and the rare earth metal, thereby reproducing the scraps as a rare earth metal. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-198104 (which will be hereinafter referred to as PTD 4) discloses a method of recycling a hydrogen absorbing alloy, by which a hydrogen absorbing alloy is immersed as an anode in molten salt together with a cathode, in which state a voltage is applied between the cathode and the anode, to dissolve a rare earth element from the anode into the molten salt, thereby depositing a rare earth element on the surface of the cathode from the molten salt by an electrolytic reduction reaction, and recovering the rare earth element.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-73754 (which will be hereinafter referred to as PTD 5) discloses a method of recovering a rare earth element, by which a substance containing a rare earth element and an iron group element (for example, scraps of a rare-earth magnet and the like) into contact with iron chloride in a gaseous state or a molten state, causing a chloride reaction of the rare earth element in the substance to progress while keeping the iron group element in the substance in a metal state, and selectively recovering the rare earth element as chloride from the substance. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-264209 (which will be hereinafter referred to as PTD 6) discloses a method of recovering a rare earth element through electrophoresis conducted in the state where the rare earth element is dissolved in molten salt having a prescribed composition. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2009-287119 (which will be hereinafter referred to as PTD 7) discloses a method of recovering a rare earth element, by which a bipolar electrode-type diaphragm is disposed between a cathode and an anode during molten salt electrolysis to form a cathode chamber and an anode chamber, and a voltage is applied between the cathode and the anode while supplying rare earth element ions toward the anode chamber, to cause the rare earth element to diffuse and transmit through the diaphragm, thereby depositing the rare earth element on the surface of the cathode.

Element recovery method and element recovery apparatus


The present invention provides an improved process for forming a color filter for a color display. The process comprises:. (a) forming a transparent electroconductive layer on a substrate, PA0 (b) forming a negative type photosensitive resin layer having a desired color by electrodeposition on the transparent electroconductive layer, PA0 (c) exposing the photosensitive resin layer to light through a negative mask having a desired pattern followed by developing to form a patterned color layer, and PA0 (d) effecting the steps (b) and (c) necessary times to form patterned layers having required colors.

There have been proposed various methods for forming a color filter for a display element. Among them, a method using electrodeposition has become noteworthy.
For example, Japanese Kokai Publication 61-272720 discloses a method wherein a positive type photosensitive resin layer is formed on an electroconductive layer which is formed on a substrate, and then is exposed and developed, followed by forming color layers by electrodeposition. This method utilizes such properties that the positive type photosensitive layer is changed to be soluble with a developer only at the portion which has been exposed to light, and the non-exposed portion remains photosensitive. After developing the exposed portion, a color layer is formed on a bared electroconductive layer by electrodeposition. Then, the non-exposed portion of the positive type photosensitive layer is exposed to light and the same operations are effected. This process is ideally possible from an ideal standpoint, but in actuality is almost impossible. The positive type photosensitive resin composition which is commercially available generally contains quinonediazide and is chemically modified once contacted with a developer. The modified photosensitive resin composition loses its photosensitivity and can not be exposed and developed any more. Therefore, in actuality, the photosensitive resin layer once contacted with the developer is removed and then a new positive type photosensitive resin composition is newly applied thereto. These removal and application processes make the process complicated.
Japanese Kokai Publication 1-152449 discloses that a color negative type photosensitive resin composition is spin-coated on a substrate and then exposed and developed to form a patterned color layer, and the same process is conducted with a negative type photosensitive resin composition having another color. In this method, spin-coating is essential but is difficult to apply to a substrate having a large area. Also, since the color negative type photosensitive resin composition is spin-coated on an already formed different color layer, a difference in level and color shade tend to occur.


The present technology relates to a solid-state image sensor, an imaging device, and electronic equipment configured such that an FD is shared by a plurality of pixels to further miniaturize the pixels at low cost without lowering of sensitivity and a conversion efficiency.

In a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor called a "dual pixel," a plurality of pixels (photo diodes) (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a "PD") sharing an on-chip lens (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as an "OCL") shares the same floating diffusion (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as an "FD").
More specifically, the CMOS image sensor called the "dual pixel" has the structure of sharing an FD by two pixels. In such an image sensor, transfer gates (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "TRGs") of two pixels are arranged adjacent to each other, and a polysilicon (Poly-Si) gate has a two-layer structure. With such a structure, narrowing of an FD region and expansion of a PD region can be realized, and as a result, sensitivity and a saturation signal amount (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "Qs") can be improved.

Solid-state image sensor, imaging device, and electronic equipment

Abstract: In a configuration in which a plurality of pixels are arranged with respect to at least either of one of the OCCFs or one of the OCLs, a floating diffusion (FD) is shared by a sharing unit including a plurality of pixels, the plurality of pixels including pixels of at least either of different OCCFs or different OCLs. The present technology is applicable to a CMOS image sensor.


A portable electronic medium such as an IC card, for example. The IC card incorporates a data memory and CPU and is externally provided with a keyboard and a liquid crystal display. The data memory stores a variety of data which respectively indicates the maximum amount allowed for executing transactions in an effective term, the effective term for transactions, the maximum amount for transactions that can be renewed each effective term, and the effective term between renewals. In addition, the IC card also incorporates a clock circuit which generates data indicating present date. When the card holder enters into a transaction using the IC card, the CPU compares data related to the date with the effective term for transactions. If the CPU identifies from the result of comparison that the present date is out of the effective term for transactions, CPU then automatically renews the effective term for transactions and updates maximum amount allowed for transactions by applying data indicating the effective term applicable to renewal and maximum amount for transactions to be renewed.

The present invention relates to a portable electronic apparatus such as an integrated circuit (IC) card which may be used as a credit card in conjunction with a shopping system, for example.
Recently, an IC card incorporating an IC chip containing an erasable non-volatile memory and a central processing unit (CPU) controlling this memory has been developed as a new portable data memory medium. The IC card allows a variety of data to be input and output in conjunction with external sources by means of the internal CPU which accesses the memory.
Conventionally, the IC card is used in a shopping system in a similar manner as a credit card. The limit of the total amount of charges that may be applied to the card in a month (credit limit) is stored in the IC card. When making a purchase, an operator inserts the IC card into terminal equipment and inputs the charge amount by operating a keyboard of the terminal equipment. The terminal equipment generates a new credit limit by subtracting the input amount of the transaction from the credit limit stored in the memory of the IC card and stores the new credit limit in the memory.
The credit limit stored in the memory of the IC card is renewed every predetermined term, for example the first day of each month. Conventionally, the credit limit is renewed by using the IC card with specific terminal equipment owned by the IC-card issuer. In other words, while using any conventional IC card for purchasing merchandise on credit, only the IC-card issuer can renew the credit limit. As a result, each IC-card holder must seek out an appropriate terminal for renewing his credit limit to continue transactions each term. This is bothersome and inconvenient to all those who hold IC cards.
As an alternative, a study is underway to explore the possibility of renewing the credit limit by means of on-line communication with a host computer. Nevertheless, if this idea is adopted, all IC card holders will be obliged to communicate with the host computer via terminal equipment whenever renewing the credit limit, thus incurring a heavy burden to them in bearing the cost of on-line communication facilities and the communication itself.
In addition, recently, a battery-powered IC card has also been developed, which incorporates a battery and is provided with a keyboard and display and operates without being connected to terminal equipment.
European Patent Publication No. 0167044 (published Aug. 1, 1986) discloses an IC card which is provided with a battery, keyboard and display. In addition, this IC card incorporates a clock and identifies the expiration of the card itself, not only to provide a time after which a new card is required (as is conventional) but also to provide a time after which the battery in the card may fail. Nevertheless, this publication does not disclose means for renewing the credit limit for transactions with the IC card.


The invention relates to novel designer osteogenic proteins having altered affinity for a cognate receptor, nucleic acids encoding the same, and methods of use therefor. More preferably, the novel designer osteogenic proteins are designer BMPs and have altered affinity for a cognate BMP receptor. The designer BMPs demonstrate altered biological characteristics and provide potential useful novel therapeutics.

The cystine knot cytokine superfamily is divided into subfamilies, which include, the transforming growth factor δ (TGFβ) proteins, the glycoprotein hormones, the platelet-derived growth factor-like (PDGF-like) proteins, nerve growth factors (NGF), and the differential screening-selected gene aberrative in neuroblastoma (DAN) family (e.g., cerberus). In turn, the TGFβ superfamily comprises approximately 43 members, subdivided into three subfamilies: the TGFβs, the activins and the bone morphogenetic/growth differentiation factor proteins (BMP/GDF).
The TGF-β superfamily members contain the canonical cystine knot topology. That is, cystine knots are the result of an unusual arrangement of six cysteine residues. The knot consists of bonds between cysteines 1-4, cysteines 2-5, and the intervening sequence forming a ring, through which the disulfide bond between cysteines 3-6 passes. The active forms of these proteins are homodimers or heterodimers. In each case the monomer topology is stabilized by the cysteine knot and additional cysteines contribute to additional intrachain bonds and/or mediate dimerization with another protein unit. See Kingsley, 1994, Genes Dev. 8:133-146; Lander et al, 2001, Nature 409:860-921.
BMP/GDFs are the most numerous members of the TGF-β protein superfamily. The BMP/GDF subfamily includes, but is not limited to, BMP2, BMP3 (osteogenin), BMP3b (GDF-10), BMP4 (BMP2b), BMP5, BMP6, BMP7 (osteogenic protein-1 or OP1), BMP8 (OP2), BMP8B (OP3), BMP9 (GDF2), BMP10, BMP11 (GDF11), BMP12 (GDF7), BMP13 (GDF6, CDMP2), BMP15 (GDF9), BMP16, GDF1, GDF3, GDF5 (CDMP1; MP52), and GDF8 (myostatin). BMPs are sometimes referred to as Osteogenic Protein (OPs), Growth Differentiation Factors (GDFs), or Cartilage-Derived Morphogenetic Proteins (CDMPs). BMPs are also present in other animal species. Furthermore, there is some allelic variation in BMP sequences among different members of the human population.
BMPs are naturally expressed as pro-proteins comprising a long pro-domain, one or more cleavage sites, and a mature domain. This pro-protein is then processed by the cellular machinery to yield a dimeric mature BMP molecule. The pro-domain is believed to aid in the correct folding and processing of BMPs. Furthermore, in some but not all BMPs, the pro-domain may noncovalently bind the mature domain and may act as a chaperone, as well as an inhibitor (e.g., Thies et al., Growth Factors 18:251-9 (2001)).
BMP signal transduction is initiated when a BMP dimer binds two type I and two type II serine/threonine kinase receptors. Type I receptors include, but are not limited to, ALK-1 (Activin receptor-Like Kinase 1), ALK-2 (also called ActRIa or ActRI), ALK-3 (also called BMPRIa), and ALK-6 (also called BMPRIb). Type II receptors include, but are not limited to, ActRIIa (also called ActRII), ActRIIb, and BMPRII. The human genome contains 12 members of the receptor serine/threonine kinase family, including 7 type I and 5 type II receptors, all of which are involved in TGF-β signaling (Manning et al., Science 298:1912-34 (2002)), the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference). Thus, there are 12 receptors and 43 superfamily members, suggesting that at least some TGF-β superfamily members bind the same receptor(s). Following BMP binding, the type II receptors phosphorylate the type I receptors, the type I receptors phosphorylate members of the Smad family of transcription factors, and the Smads translocate to the nucleus and activate the expression of a number of genes.
BMPs are among the most numerous members of TGF-β superfamily, and control a diverse set of cellular and developmental processes, such as embryonic pattern formation and tissue specification as well as promoting wound healing and repair processes in adult tissues in, among other places, the nervous system and the skeletal system. In fact, BMPs were initially isolated by their ability to induce bone and cartilage formation: BMP signaling is inducible upon bone fracture and related tissue injury, leading to bone regeneration and repair. Given their roles in development and normal wound healing, BMPs hold immense promise for the regeneration and repair of the skeletal system, nervous system, and other tissues where BMP receptors are expressed. This promise would be even greater for BMPs with altered affinity for their receptors and/or improved biological activity relative to the native proteins. The inventors have previously described designer BMPs with altered binding to BMP receptors and with increased activity in various in vitro and in vivo assays. Yet the universe of designer BMPs currently known remains relatively small, and there is an ongoing need in the field for the development of new and novel designer BMPs.


An antirotational means to prevent rotation of contacts retained in a dielectric insert during wire wrapping of the noncircular terminals attached thereto comprises a template 31 secured to the grommet of the assembly, the template having a plurality of apertures 35 therein and a plurality of grooves 37 therein cooperating with the apertures 35, and a plurality of locking elements 33 having lugs 41 thereon and a bore 43 therethrough, with the locking elements matable with the apertures of the template while the noncircular terminals 21 extend through the bore 43 to prevent rotation of the terminal 21 and contact 7, retained with a dielectric insert 3, during wire wrapping of the terminal.

The present invention relates to electrical connector assemblies wherein insertable and removable contacts are situated within passages formed in a dielectric insert. More specifically, the invention is directed to such assemblies wherein the contacts have noncircular terminals extending from the rear face of the dielectric insert or grommet. These terminals are connected to electrically conductive wire that is wrapped about the terminals.
In electrical connector assemblies having contacts situated in dielectric inserts, with noncircular terminals or tails extending from the rear face of the insert, the connecting wires to the terminals are generally conductively connected thereto by means of wrapping wire about the terminals with a wire wrapping tool. The tool, upon rotating of the wire about the noncircular terminal, often causes the contact to also rotate in the insert, which leads to a less secure connection than desired. One means of reducing the undesired rotation of the contact during wire wrapping of the noncircular terminals is to join the contact, either male or female, with an associated contact, either female or male, within the connector mechanism, prior to wire wrapping the terminal. While such a method does, to some extent, slow the rotation of the contact, the terminal of which is being wrapped, such method does not eliminate such undesired rotation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide means for wire wrapping of the terminals of contacts, which terminals extend from the rear face of a dielectric insert, and from an associated moisture sealing grommet, without the need to mate the contacts with their associated contacts of an electrical assembly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide means to prevent rotation of contacts of an electrical connector assembly in a dielectric insert during wire wrapping of the noncircular terminals of the contacts.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector assembly which contains an insert having contacts therein, and an associated moisture sealing grommet, and means secured to the grommet to prevent rotation of the contacts during wire wrapping of the non-circular terminals of the contacts.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide means for wire wrapping of the noncircular terminals of contacts retained in a conventional dielectric insert with conventional wire wrapping tools, and preventing rotation of the contacts during the wire wrapping process.

Antirotation means for wire wrap electrical connector assemblies


A parapet wall cover system includes a clip support, at least one spring support clip and a cover channel. The at least one spring support clip is attached to a top of the clip support channel. The cover channel includes a top surface, a first side surface and a second side surface. The parapet cover system is preferably attached to a parapet wall in the following manner. The clip support is attached to a top of the parapet wall. The at least one spring support clip is secured to the clip support. The cover channel is pushed on to either the clip support channel or the at least one spring support clip and is retained thereby. A vented parapet cover system includes a perforated clip support. A perforated closure may be substituted for the perforated support channel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to parapet walls and more specifically to a parapet wall cover system, which eliminates the need for nailer strips.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Wood nailer strips are subject to shrinking, splitting, warping and rotting. Further, wood nailer strips are also subject to damage from termites and carpenter ants. Treated wood nailer strips contain chemicals that are corrosive to fasteners. It would be advantageous to eliminate the need from wood nailer strips, when placing a coping over a parapet wall. An example of a parapet wall cover system that uses a wood nailer is the Perma-Tite coping sold by Metal-Era, Inc. of Waukesha, Wis.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,140 to Hickman discloses a coping. The Hickman patent includes protecting a top of a parapet wall with inverted U-shaped anchor elements secured to the wall at space points where the lengths of the coping units substantially abut. However, the anchor elements do not include a lengthwise support to square the anchor elements to the coping.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,531 to Attaway et al. discloses a coping structure. The Attaway et al. patent discloses a coping structure where a splice joint between a pair of normally inverted channel like coping members is had through use of a splice member, which cooperates inside the channels of the pair of coping members for covering a transverse seam between adjacent longitudinal ends. However, the splice joint does not include a lengthwise support to square the splice joint to the coping members.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,256 to Gembala discloses a wall closure for roof systems. The Gembala patent includes a wall closure having a generally M-shaped configuration to provide an anchoring flange for attachment to the top of parapet wall.
Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for a parapet wall cover system, which reduces labor costs by eliminating the need for nailer strips and which eliminates a fire hazard and the consequences of failure by the wood nailer strips or the fasteners inserted therein.


A doubly balanced transceiver system having a transmit terminal (TX), a receive terminal (RX), and an an antenna terminal (ANTENNA), 180° hybrids (201, 240), 90° hybrids (204, 304, 235 and 335), a power amplifier (230, 330) and a RX/TX switch (220) for disabling the power amplifier so that signals received at the transmitter are reflected to the receive terminal (RX). The 180° hybrids (201, 240) preferably split and re-combine signals into parallel paths. A loopback test mode is preferably provided by use of an antenna isolation switch (302) to enable a power detect terminal (POWER_DETECT). This eliminates pricey and problematic GaAs switches, and allows the use of low cost silicon for the power amplifier. The doubly balance architecture also has the advantage of eliminating common-mode noise, and reflection problems with the PA gain stages. Additionally, greater power can be extracted from the power amplifier. Further the arrangement has less insertion loss compared to a GaAs switch. Also, dependant upon system specifications, it may be possible to eliminate harmonic filtering at the power amplifier output.

In the field of wireless data transceiver circuits it is known that prior solutions have used a PIN diode and quarter-wavelength transmission lines as a switch between transmit and receive. Such a prior art solution is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,724 "Injection Switch and Directional Coupler". However, these switches consume an large amount of DC power.
It is also known to use GaAs MESFETs to form a single-pole, double-throw switch. However, such GaAs MESFET switches are typically too expensive. It may also be a problem with such GaAs MESFET switches to provide enough power handling capability: a 1W signal has a 20V peak-to-peak swing across 50 ohms, thus requiring the FET switch supply to be at least 20V.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,283 "Monolithic Multi-Function Balanced Switch and Phase Shifter" and U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,464 "Transceiver Module" it is known to use reflective switches. The article by Vidmar, in MICROWAVES & RF, JULY 2000, "Use Transmitting Power FETs for Antenna Switching", improves on the the design of U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,464 by eliminating the PIN diodes and using the PA devices to provide a reflection to the hybrid coupler and then to the receiver.
However, the approach known in the Vidmar article does not perform the necessary functions in a manner suited to low cost and low power radios. Additionally, extending the known designs mentioned above to allow for a range of functions typically required in a radio transceiver would require additional compromises in cost and performance.
A need therefore exists for a transceiver wherein the abovementioned disadvantage(s) may be alleviated.

Transceiver circuit arrangement and method


A semiconductor memory device which is capable of reducing a delay in the conversion of an input chip enable signal having a TTL level, providing a quick chip enable access and avoiding an increase in current consumption despite the quick chip enable access. The semiconductor memory device in one embodiment includes an input buffer outputting a signal having a CMOS level in response to a chip enable signal having a TTL level, and having a plurality of transistors whose gate lengths are set to first dimensions, and a second input buffer activated in response to both another input signal having a TTL level and the signal having the CMOS level, and having a plurality of transistors whose gate lengths are set to second dimensions greater than the first dimensions.

An input buffer included in a conventional SRAM will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
The input buffer serves as a circuit for converting a signal having a TTL (Transistor Transistor Logic) level to a signal having a CMOS (Complementary MOS) level. The input buffer comprises CMOS transistors. Described specifically, the input buffer comprises a PMOS transistor (hereinafter also "PMOS") 1 whose source is electrically connected to a power source potential VCC, an NMOS transistor (hereinafter also "NMOS") 2; whose source is electrically connected to a ground potential VSS and an inverter 3. The signal having the TTL level is input to the gates of the PMOS 1 and the NMOS 2.
FIG. 2(a) shows the voltages of a signal having a TTL level, which is represented as an input signal. FIG. 2(b) shows the voltages of a signal having a CMOS level, which is represented as an output signal.
The operation of the input buffer shown in FIG. 1 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b).
When a signal having a TTL level of 0.8 V is first input to the input buffer as an input signal having an "L" level, the PMOS 1 is turned on and the NMOS 2 is turned off. As a result, the level of a signal output from the input buffer through the inverter 3 is brought to the ground potential VSS (0 V), for example.
When a signal having a TTL level of 2.2 V is input to the input buffer as an input signal having an "H" level, the NMOS 2 is brought into a conducting state. Thus, the level of a signal output from the input buffer through the inverter 3 is brought to a power source potential VCC (5 V), for example. As a result, a signal having the TTL level is converted to a signal having the CMOS level as shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b).


In a transmission with a built-in planetary gear mechanism which has an element to be fixed to a casing of the transmission, inner elements are sub-assembled by mounting a plurality of transmission constituting members inclusive of the planetary gear mechanism. After containing the inner elements inside the casing, the element to be fixed is arranged to be fixable to the casing from a peripheral wall portion of the casing. The element to be fixed is fixed to the cylinder portion of a hydraulic brake to be built in the transmission. The cylinder portion is fixed to the casing by means of fixing members which are inserted into the casing from an outside of the peripheral wall portion of the transmission casing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission equipped with a planetary gear mechanism which has an element to be fixed to a transmission casing, and also relates to a planetary gear mechanism.
2. Description of Related Art
In case an element such as a ring gear, a carrier, or the like of a planetary gear mechanism is fixed to a transmission casing in the above-described kind of conventional transmission, the above-described element is engaged with the transmission casing by means of a spline so as not to be rotatable relative to the transmission casing, and is fixedly engaged by a snap ring so as to be relatively immovable in an axial direction (see Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 203740/1989). In order to facilitate the assembling work of the transmission, it is desirable to take the following steps. Namely, in an open space outside the transmission casing, transmission constituting elements including a planetary gear mechanism assembled around shaft members of the transmission in sequence in an axial direction. Thereafter, these transmission constituting elements are contained or put inside the transmission casing.
However, in the above-described conventional transmission in which that element of the planetary gear mechanism which is to be fixed is fixedly engaged by a snap ring in a manner not to be movable in the axial direction, there is the following disadvantage. Namely, if another transmission constituting element is present on this side of the planetary gear as seen from an open end of the transmission casing, this transmission constituting element in question will be an obstacle to the mounting of the snap ring. It follows that the planetary gear mechanism cannot be sub-assembled together with this transmission constituting element around a shaft member. As a consequence, the assembly work of the transmission constituting elements into the transmission casing must be made from the innermost element in sequence toward the outermost element, resulting in a troublesome assembly work of the transmission.
In view of the above points, the present invention has an object of providing a transmission in which that element of the planetary gear which is to be fixed can be fixed to the transmission casing from an outside of the peripheral wall portion of the transmission casing so that the workability in the assembly work can be improved.
Further, among the planetary gear mechanisms to be built into the transmission, there is one in which a sun gear is coupled to a power transmission member which is disposed on one axial side of the planetary gear mechanism. One of a ring gear and a carrier, e.g., the carrier is coupled to a transmission member which is disposed on the axially opposite side of the planetary gear mechanism. In this kind of planetary gear mechanism, the following arrangement was employed in the conventional art. Namely, the sun gear and the carrier are fixed by welding or the like to the corresponding power transmission member. In the steps of assembling the transmission, the sun gear and the carrier are assembled in sequence around the shaft of the transmission together with the corresponding power transmission member, thereby assembling the planetary gear mechanism.
However, in the above-described conventional art, if the power transmission member on one axial side and the power transmission member on the axially opposite side deviate in the axial position, the axial position of the sun gear and the carrier to be fixed to these power transmission members also axially deviate. In order to prevent the sun gear and the carrier from giving rise to the mutual interference, there is secured a larger axial clearance than an amount of deviation anticipated between the sun gear and the carrier. As a result, there is a disadvantage in that the planetary gear mechanism occupies a larger axial space. In addition, when the carrier is assembled, a plurality of planetary pinions to be carried on the carrier must be brought into gearing mesh with the sun gear. Therefore, it takes time to assemble the carrier. If the sun gear and the carrier are assembled in the steps of assembling the transmission as in the conventional way, the assembling work of the transmission becomes troublesome.
In view of the above points, the present invention has another object of providing a planetary gear mechanism which has a smaller space in the axial direction and which has an improved workability in assembling.
In planetary gear mechanisms to be built into the transmission, there is one having the following construction. Namely, that carrier of a planetary gear mechanism which rotatably supports a planetary pinion through a pinion shaft has coupled thereto a cylindrical power transmission member, e.g., a clutch inner member of a hydraulic clutch, which is disposed on one axial side of the planetary gear mechanism. Conventionally, in this kind of planetary gear mechanism, the clutch inner member is fixed to a side plate portion on one axial side of the carrier by means of welding or riveting (see Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 126136/1984). Further, the following arrangement is conventionally employed. Namely, a shaft hole is respectively formed through the side plate portions on both axial sides of the carrier. A pinion shaft is inserted through the shaft holes and both ends thereof are caulked to thereby prevent the pinion shaft from rotating and from dropping out of position relative to the carrier. The objects of preventing the pinion shaft from rotating are as follows. Namely, in order to supply lubricating oil to bearings on the outer circumference of the pinion shaft, the pinion shaft is fixed such that a radial oil hole formed in the pinion shaft comes into a phase which faces a radial direction of the carrier. In this manner, the lubricating oil is efficiently supplied to the bearings by a centrifugal force due to the rotation of the carrier.
However, as in the above-described conventional example, if the clutch inner member is welded to the carrier, the carrier and the clutch sometimes give rise to thermal strains. Also in case the clutch inner member is riveted to the carrier, it is necessary to mount the clutch inner member on the carrier in a step which is other than the step of mounting the pinion shaft to the carrier by caulking. As a result, it takes much time in assembling the carrier, resulting in a high cost.
In view of the above points, the present invention has still another object of providing a low-cost planetary gear mechanism in which the power transmission member and the pinion shaft can be fixed while preventing them from rotating relative to the carrier only by preventing, from being axially pulled out of position, a cylindrical power transmission member to be disposed in one axial side of the planetary gear mechanism and the pinion shaft.
In order to attain the above and other objects, according to a first feature of the present invention, there is provided a transmission equipped with a planetary gear mechanism which has an element to be fixed to a transmission casing, wherein a cylinder portion of a hydraulic brake to be built in the transmission is disposed around the planetary gear mechanism and the element is fixed to the cylinder portion, and wherein the cylinder portion is fixed to the transmission casing by a fixing member which is insertable into the transmission casing from an outside of a peripheral wall portion of the transmission casing.
According to the above-described first feature of the present invention, when the transmission constituting members including the planetary gear mechanism and the hydraulic brake are sub-assembled in an open space outside the transmission casing to thereby assemble the inner elements of the transmission, the following steps may be taken. Namely, that element of the planetary gear mechanism which is to be fixed is fixed to the cylinder portion of the hydraulic brake. After the sub-assembled inner elements are contained inside the transmission casing, the fixing member is inserted into the transmission casing from the outside of the peripheral wall portion, and then the cylinder portion of the hydraulic brake is fixed to the transmission casing. That element of the planetary gear mechanism which is to be fixed is thus fixed to the transmission casing through the cylinder portion of the hydraulic brake. Therefore, even if the transmission constituting members are sub-assembled, the assembling of the transmission can be performed without any problem, resulting in an improved workability in the assembling of the transmission.
Further, if that element of the planetary gear mechanism which is to be fixed is directly fixed to the transmission casing, noises are likely to occur due to the conveyance of the vibrations from this element to the transmission casing. According to the above-described first feature, however, the cylinder portion of the hydraulic brake is interposed between the above-described element and the transmission casing. Therefore, the conveyance of the noises to the transmission casing is restricted, with the result that the noises are reduced.
In order to attain another object as described above, according to another feature of the present invention, there is provided a planetary gear mechanism to be built into a transmission, comprising: that first element of a planetary gear mechanism which is made up of a sun gear; that second element of the planetary gear mechanism which is made up of one of a ring gear and a carrier, the first element and the second element being coupled respectively to a first power transmission member which is disposed on one axial side of the planetary gear mechanism, and to a second power transmission member which is disposed on an axially opposite side of the planetary gear mechanism, wherein the second element has formed therein a cylindrical portion which is inserted into an inner circumference of the first element with a diametrical clearance therebetween; wherein the first element is axially positioned relative to the cylindrical portion through an annular projection which is formed on an inner circumference of the first member, and wherein the first element is coupled to the first power transmission member with an axial play.
According to another feature of the present invention as described above, it is possible to sub-assemble the first element and the second element in advance to thereby couple them together in a manner axially inseparable from each other. Therefore, in the step of assembling the transmission, it is possible to assemble the first element and the second element around the shaft of the transmission in a sub-assembled state. As a result, the assembling work of the transmission becomes easy.
Further, since the first element is axially fixed in position relative to the second element, there is no need of securing an axial clearance in order to prevent the interference between the two elements. The axial space of the planetary gear mechanism can thus be reduced. Even if the first power transmission member for coupling thereto the first element axially deviates relative to the second element, this deviation is absorbed by the play of the first element relative to the first power transmission member. Therefore, there is no disadvantage in axially positioning the first element relative to the second element.
In order to attain still another object as described above, according to still another feature of the present invention, there is provided a planetary gear mechanism to be built into a transmission in which a cylindrical power transmission member which is disposed on one axial side of the planetary gear mechanism is coupled to that carrier of the planetary gear mechanism which rotatably supports a planetary pinion through a pinion shaft. The planetary gear mechanism comprises: a supporting portion which is formed in a side plate portion on one axial side of the carrier, the supporting portion being fitted into the power transmission member; a first engaging portion which is made up of one of a non-circular projection and recess formed in an end surface of the pinion shaft which protrudes through a shaft hole formed in the side plate; and a second engaging portion which is made up of one of a non-circular recess and projection formed in that end surface of the power transmission member which is on a side of the side plate portion, the second engaging portion being engaged with the first engaging portion when the pinion shaft is in a predetermined phase.
When the first and second engaging portions are engaged together, the power transmission member is prevented by the pinion shaft from rotating relative to the carrier. In addition, the pinion shaft is prevented by the power transmission member from rotating relative to the carrier in a predetermined phase. In this manner, simply by preventing, with a suitable means, the power transmission member and the pinion shaft from being axially pulled out of position relative to the carrier, the power transmission member and the pinion shaft can be fixed by preventing them from rotating relative to the carrier. Therefore, a troublesome work of fixing the power transmission member and the pinion shaft to the carrier such as welding or riveting is no longer required, with the result that the assembly work of the carrier becomes easy. In particular, if a first snap ring is mounted on the supporting portion so as to prevent the power transmission member from being pulled out of position relative to the supporting portion, and if a second snap ring is mounted on the pinion shaft so as to prevent the pinion shaft from being axially pulled out of position to thereby prevent the power transmission member and the pinion shaft from being axially pulled out of position, the assembly work of the carrier is further improved.

Transmission equipped with planetary gear mechanism and planetary gear mechanism