An endodontic instrument for use in root canal therapy which comprises an inner core of a metal having a specific flexibility, and at least one outer shell of a metal having a different flexibility. By selecting the ratio of the two metals, the instrument may be designed to have a predetermined desired flexibility which is sufficient to assure proper operation of the instrument, yet not so stiff as to risk damage to the tooth canal. A kit which is composed of several such instruments of increasing diameter is also disclosed, and with the instruments being designed to be used sequentially in root canal therapy, and wherein all of the instruments possess substantially the same degree of flexibility. The instruments can thus be used with predictable and consistent results.

The present invention relates to the field of endodontic instruments adapted for use in performing root canal therapy on teeth, and which are characterized by high flexibility and high resistance to torsional breakage.
Root canal therapy is a well-known procedure wherein the crown of a diseased tooth is opened so as to permit the canal to be cleaned and then filled. More particularly, after opening the crown, a series of very delicate, flexible, finger-held instruments or files are used to clean out and shape the root canal, and each file is manually rotated and reciprocated in the canal by the clinician. Files of increasingly larger diameter are used in sequence, to achieve the desired cleaning and shaping. When the canal is thus prepared, it is solidly filled with a filling material, which typically comprises a waxy, rubbery compound known as gutta percha. In one procedure, the gutta percha is positioned on an instrument called a compactor, and the coated compactor is inserted into the prepared canal and rotated and reciprocated to compact the gutta percha therein. The clinician then fills the tooth above the gutta percha with a protective cement, and lastly, fits a crown to the tooth.
Endodontic files of the described type are commonly supplied to the clinician in kits which comprise several files of increasing diameter. In particular, and in accordance with ANSI/ADA Specification No. 28-1988, files are provided in diameters which range from 0.08 mm at the tip (size 08) to 1.40 mm at the tip (size 140), and the files are provided in kits which contain a number of files of increasing diameter so that the files from a particular kit may be used in sequence by the clinician in accordance with the requirements of the particular canal being cleaned.
As is well-known by clinicians, procedural errors occasionally occur during root canal therapy. These errors result in changes to the root canal morphology such as the perforation of the canal, and the formation of a ledge in the wall of the canal. Also, the instrument may fracture. These errors usually occur because the endodontic instruments, which are typically formed of stainless steel, lack the requisite flexibility particularly in the larger diameter instruments. Thus, upon being inserted into the root canal of a tooth, the stainless steel instrument is often unable to conform to the sometimes compound curvature or outline of the canal. In particular, the instrument tends to cut into the inside edges of the curved canal (referred to as transportation), which can lead to the perforation of the wall of the canal, and ledges may be formed at the pilot end of the instrument by reason of a lateral movement of the pilot end.
Depending upon the severity of these errors, repair measures might be needed. For instance, if a perforation of the wall results, the perforation must be repaired to prevent bacteria from collecting and the possibility of saliva leaking into the cavity.
Recently, endodontic files composed of a nickel-titanium alloy have been introduced, which provide a high degree of flexibility in both bending and torsion, and superior resistance to fracture, as compared to stainless steel instruments. In this regard, reference is made to the article entitled "An Initial Investigation of the Bending and the Torsional Properties of Nitinol Root Canal Files", Journal of Endodontics, Volume 14, No. 7, July 1988, at pages 346-351.
While the new nickel-titanium instruments have been found to reduce transportation and the formation of ledges in the canal, in the smaller sizes, the highly flexible nature of the instruments reduces their filing or cleaning efficiency. Also, the tips of the instruments tend to deflect back upon themselves in severely curved canals.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an endodontic instrument which has a predetermined desired degree of flexibility for a given size or diameter of the instrument.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a kit comprising a plurality of endodontic instruments wherein each instrument in the kit exhibits a predetermined desired degree of flexibility, and with the flexibilities of the instruments being chosen so as to provide an effective and predictable operational result for each of the instruments in the kit.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a kit of a plurality of endodontic instruments of progressively increasing diameter, and wherein the instruments of smaller diameter have sufficient stiffness for effective filing and cleaning of the canal, and the instruments of larger diameter have sufficient flexibility to minimize transportation and ledge formations.

Endodontic instrument of predetermined flexibility


A control module is disclosed for mounting in an electrical appliance that provides a supporting base for assembly of electrical components to include control elements forming part of a control panel. The module includes a relatively flat base formed of relatively stiff, molded material with a transverse linear zone extending thereacross to divide the base into a rearward section and a forward control panel section. The linear zone is of sufficiently reduced thickness that it provides a hinge means so that the front and rear sections may be pivoted relative to one another between a relatively flat assembly condition and a final mounting condition. After assembly and flexing of the sections, the module may be mounted in an appliance with the front section serving as a portion of a manually operable control panel for the appliance.

This invention relates to electrical appliances of various types, such as for home use and especially to a control module for such appliances whereon electrical control components may be conveniently mounted along with electrical control means conventionally positioned on a control panel when installed in the appliance. More particularly, the invention relates to a unique mounting base for a control module wherein mounting and assembly of control components are greatly facilitated.
Electrical appliances for home use, such as room air conditioners and the like require, in addition to the primary operating components (e.g., compressor, blower motor, etc.) a control system to include switches, sensors, timers, etc., as well as a control panel with manually operable knobs, etc. These control components are frequently the most difficult items to assemble and secure in the appliance. Also, they are the components most frequently in need of service and repair.
Usually, the adjustment, repair and replacement of these components requires disassembly of the entire appliance, all of which is inconvenient and time-consuming.
The present invention provides a unique module for the electrical components and control panel assembly, referred to above, by which assembly and mounting are greatly simplified and which also provides convenient removal without disassembly of the entire appliance.


A transparent flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) of reduced thickness but good conductivity and transparency includes an insulating resin layer. The insulating resin layer has a first surface and a second surface. At least one through hole is defined in the insulating resin layer through the first surface and the second surface. A conductive wiring layer is formed on the first surface and a wiring layer is formed on the second surface. The conductive wiring layers are made of electrically conductive resin, and have wiring openings. A cover film covers each of the conductive wiring layers, and further infills the wiring openings.

Transparent circuit boards are used in various kinds of electronic devices. The transparent circuit board includes a transparent substrate and electrically conductive wiring formed on the substrate. Electrical components under the transparent circuit board can be observed by a user. Manufacturing a visually transparent circuit board with a good flexibility is problematic. Improvements in the art are preferred.

Transparent flexible printed circuit board and method for manufacturing the same

HongQiSheng Precision Electronics (QinHuangDao) Co., Ltd.


In a hard top automobile body having a roof, and a rear quarter pillar, and a lower rear side portion, a reinforcing pillar, substantially separate from the rear quarter pillar. The reinforcing pillar is provided at a position shifted toward the front of the automobile from the rear quarter pillar, with its upper and lower ends attached to the side of the roof and the lower rear side portion, respectively. In this manner it divides the rear quarter opening into two, while allowing the rear quarter pillar to be reduced to a thinner structure so as to provide better rear side view for the driver without sacrificing the strength and rigidity of the automobile body.

The present invention relates to an automobile body, and, more particularly, relates to a hard top automobile body.
In the conventional construction of a hard top automobile body, which includes a roof, a rear quarter pillar, and a lower rear side portion, the side edge of the roof, the rear quarter pillar, and the upper edge of the lower rear side portion define between them a rear quarter opening, the rear quarter opening being fitted with a window glass, enorder to ensure the necessary strength and rigidity of the automobile body, it has been customary to construct the rear quarter pillar as rather strong and thick. This, however, has caused a problem in that this quarter pillar has a tendency to obstruct the view in the rear side direction which is available to the driver of the automobile. This restriction of the driver's field of view, creates a so-called "blind spot", which is dangerous and unacceptable.
As an expedient to cope with this problem, it has been proposed, and practiced, to provide a small hole pierced through the quarter pillar, and to fit a fixed glass in this hole. In this case, depending on this body construction, it is possible for the driver to see through this hole and through the central part of the rear quarter pillar. However, this construction still does not provide a good rear side view, and this solution to the problem must be regarded as not very satisfactory.

Hard top automobile body with a reinforcing pillar


A bracket is rotatable between a neutral position and a direction indication position in response to an operation by a user. A ratchet is slidable between an entry position where the ratchet enters a rotating trajectory of a cancel cam mounted on a steering shaft of a vehicle and a retract position where the ratchet retracts from the rotating trajectory interlocking with rotation of the bracket. A cam surface forming protrusion is provided on the bracket, and includes a cam surface including a neutral holding portion that holds the ratchet at the retract position when the bracket is at the neutral position. A cam surface forming wall is fixed so as not to be interlocked with rotation of the bracket, and includes a cam surface including a portion that allows the ratchet to enter to the rotating trajectory when the bracket is rotated to the direction indication position.

JP-A-2005-153777 discloses an example of such a direction indication mechanism. The direction indication mechanism includes a bracket and a ratchet. The bracket is rotatable between a neutral position and a left turn indication position and between the neutral position and a right turn indication position in response to an operation of a lever by a user. The ratchet is capable of entering and retracting with respect to a rotating trajectory of a cancel cam attached on a steering shaft of a vehicle. When the bracket is at the neutral position, the ratchet is retracted from the rotating trajectory of the cancel cam.
Specifically, a cam surface against which a part of the ratchet abuts is formed on the bracket. The cam surface has a portion which abuts against a part of the ratchet, when the bracket is at the neutral position, to retract the ratchet from the rotating trajectory of the cancel cam.
For example, when the bracket is rotated from the neutral position to the left turn indication position, the ratchet enters the rotating trajectory of the cancel cam. The above-described cam surface also has a portion which allows the ratchet to enter the rotating trajectory by guiding a part of the ratchet with the rotation of the bracket.

KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO


The method, system, and computer-readable medium facilitates monitoring a vehicle operator, the environment ahead of the vehicle, and/or forces acting on the vehicle during the course of vehicle operation to determine whether the vehicle operator is impaired (e.g., distracted, drowsy, intoxicated), alerting the vehicle operator when impairment is detected, and log data relating to vehicle operator impairment for further analysis. The method, system, and computer-readable medium may monitor the vehicle operator, the environment ahead of the vehicle, and/or forces acting on the vehicle using either or both of optical sensors or accelerometers. In particular, one optical sensor may monitor the vehicle operator to detect eye blinks, head nods, head rotations, and/or gaze fixation. Another optical sensor may monitor the road ahead of the vehicle to detect lane deviation, lane centering, and time to collision. The accelerometers may detect acceleration in the direction of vehicle travel and/or lateral acceleration.

Every year many vehicle accidents are caused by impaired driving. One common kind of impaired driving is drowsy driving. If the vehicle operator falls asleep for even a second while driving, the results can be disastrous. Another common kind of impaired driving is distracted driving. Modern vehicles come equipped with any number of distractions including stereos, air-conditioners, navigation systems, etc. Furthermore, a vehicle operator can be distracted by another passenger or by articles the vehicle operator brings into the vehicle (e.g., a mobile telephone, book, etc.).

System and method to monitor and reduce vehicle operator impairment

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company


A vehicle bumper system for a vehicle, having a vehicle body and a pair of longitudinally extending load bearing members, includes a bumper member extending between the pair of longitudinally extending load bearing members. A tension means extends between the pair of longitudinally extending load bearing members for preventing the application of outwardly directed lateral forces to the load bearing members. The curved bumper member and the tension means are directly, pivotally connected to the pair of longitudinally extending load bearing members at the same locations on the load bearing members, such that an impact force applied to the bumper member does not result in outwardly directed lateral forces being applied to the load bearing members, or such lateral forces are minimized. The curved bumper member and the tension means may be formed as a single unit or, alternatively, may be separate elements. The bumper member and the tension means may be made of metal or of a structural composite material.

The present invention relates to a bumper system for a vehicle and, more particularly, to such a bumper system in which a curved vehicle bumper member is connected directly to longitudinally extending load bearing members which are part of the vehicle. This bumper system may be utilized with motor vehicles of the type having a separate frame or with motor vehicles having unibody construction.
Bumpers are used on motor vehicles to absorb low level impact forces and to limit the amount of damage sustained to the vehicle body during high level impacts. It is desired that permanent damage caused by a crash be confined, to the degree possible, to the bumper structure itself. This facilitates repair, since only the damaged bumper must be replaced. With impacts of any level, it is desired that the energy of impact be absorbed or dissipated without permanently deforming the main structure of the vehicle, including the parallel, laterally spaced pair of load bearing members which extend longitudinally to the front and to the rear of the vehicle, and to which a vehicle bumper system may commonly secured.
A number of prior art bumper systems have included a spring support arrangement for securing a bumper to the longitudinally extending load bearing members of a vehicle. One such system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,485,042, issued Feb. 26, 1924, to Lyon. The '042 Lyon patent discloses a bumper structure, including a generally straight bumper member, which attaches to the ends of the frame rails of an automobile, and which incorporates a straight member bridging the points of attachment.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,626,347, issued Apr. 26, 1927, to Lyon, discloses a curved bumper in conjunction with a member extending across the vehicle frame and having a lateral "bracing action" on the vehicle frame at the points of attachment. The '347 Lyon patent, like the '042 Lyon patent, relates to a bumper system in which the bumper is attached to the vehicle frame through an intermediate spring support structure. Depending upon the relative stiffness of the components of this bumper and further depending upon the nature of the impact force to the bumper, it is possible that the load bearing rails could be subjected, by an impact force applied to the bumper, to inward or outward lateral forces, no lateral forces, or lateral forces directed in the same direction.
With the bumper systems disclosed in the Lyon patents, a spring mounting arrangement is provided to attach the bumper to the vehicle frame. One problem with such a spring mounting arrangement is that it results in only relatively low level forces being applied to the bumper system during the initial movement of the bumper at impact. Since very little energy is absorbed during this initial displacement of the bumper, and since a fixed amount of energy must be absorbed in any given collision, a substantial amount of movement of the bumper must be permitted. It will be appreciated that this results in a vehicle which is longer than would otherwise be necessary in order to permit the rather large deflection of the bumper system.
Optimally, a bumper system should be designed so that the reaction force applied to the bumper during an impact increases quickly to a maximum level as the bumper is displaced, and then remains relatively constant when as the bumper undergoes further displacement. This results in the maximum amount of energy being absorbed for a given amount of bumper displacement, with the reaction force experienced by the bumper and load bearing members to which the bumper is attached being limited to a desired level.
It is seen, therefore, that there is a need for a bumper system in which the reaction force level experienced at impact by a bumper system increases rapidly to a predetermined level and thereafter remains generally constant, and in which the likelihood of damage to the vehicle is reduced.


One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a computing device in communication with a sensor configured to detect a display device near the sensor, the computing device, or within a field of view of a user of the computing device. The sensor can also be configured to transmit a signal associated with the display device to a processor in communication with the sensor. The processor is configured to determine an availability of the display device to display or output content (e.g., texts, images, sounds, videos, etc.) and a location of the display device based on the signal. The processor is also configured to determine a haptic effect based on the availability and the location of the display device and transmit a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect. The illustrative system also includes a haptic output device configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.

Many modern devices include a display device that can be used to provide content to a user of the device. The content can include text, images, sounds, videos, etc. A spectator (e.g., another user looking at the device) may also view content provided on the display device. Some display devices, however, may lack haptic feedback capabilities. Moreover, the spectator's attention may not be drawn to the display if the display is providing content that may be relevant to the spectator.

Haptic feedback for opportunistic displays


A device for measuring the wrenching height of hexagonal head fasteners has a height indicator having an indicator shaft which extends therefrom. The height indicator is actuable by reciprocal movement. A gaging element housing is coupled to the height indicator and has an interior bore with a longitudinal axis with indicator shaft extending into the interior bore. A gaging ring is fixed to gaging element housing and has a central opening of a size selected as a minimum diameter for receiving a hexagonal head of a fastener to be measured. At least three gaging pins are received within pin holes of the gaging ring. Thin gaging pins reciprocate within the pin holes between an inward and outward position. By positioning the gaging ring over a hexagonal head of the fastener being measured, the gaging pins will engage a washer surface so that they are forced inward, actuating the indicator shaft of the height indicator so that the wrenching height of the hexagonal head fastener is measured.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for measuring wrenching height of polygonal head fasteners, particularly hexagonal head fasteners.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hexagonal head screws, bolts or nuts must all meet minimum tolerances in order to avoid damage and to ensure proper functioning of the fastener during tightening and loosening operations. One of the characteristics of these fasteners is what is referred to as wrenching height. Wrenching height is the distance from the hex portion of the head where it first exceeds a minimum across corners dimension to the very bottom of the head. This characteristic indicates whether or not the hex is "filled out" sufficiently to ensure that a driver or socket engages the head in a manner so that the fastener can be driven without rounding off of the corners. If the wrenching height is outside of tolerances, torque applied to the head will likely damage the fastener during tightening and loosening.
Prior art methods of gaging wrenching height are difficult to carry out and are extremely time consuming. For these reasons, the wrenching height is not commonly gaged by fastener suppliers or end users. Prior art methods of measuring wrenching height require two separate readings or measurements. These methods typically involve providing a gaging ring having an inner diameter which is equal to the minimum across corners width of the hex head being measured. By stacking one, two, or three gaging rings over the top of the hex head, at right angles to the axis of the screw or bolt, acceptable wrenching height can be determined. At least 60% of the head height must protrude beyond the lower surface of the bottom ring to meet most minimum acceptable tolerances.
During measuring a hex head screw or bolt is placed in an indexing plate wherein a washer portion of the hex head seats against an upper surface of the indexing plate. A measurement is then taken after placing a gaging ring over the hex head. The hex head bolt is then removed and the gaging ring is lowered against the upper surface of the indexing plate so that a second measurement can be taken. The difference between the two readings is equal to the protrusion of the head beyond the gaging ring. If a washer is seated against the indexing plate, the washer thickness must be accounted for by subtracting this from the originally measured value of the hex head.
One of the problems associated with the prior art methods of measuring wrenching height is that micrometers used for this purpose are not commercially available. Each supplier or user will thus have a micrometer specially made for measuring wrenching height so that the micrometers will vary from user to user. During measuring, the gaging rings must be handled frequently and because the gaging rings are relatively small, they are easily misplaced or lost. Replacement of the gaging rings is usually quite expensive as they are manufactured with very close tolerances.
What is needed is a hex wrenching height gage which is easy to use and can determine the gaging height without repeated measurements and calculations, and which also minimizes the loss or mishandling of gaging rings used during measurement.

Device for measuring wrenching height of hexagonal head fasteners


A device for guiding torque of one drive shaft (3) connected with a driving appliance (2) onto a first or a second output shaft (4, 5). A torque fed via the drive shaft (3) can be applied, respectively, to one of the two output shafts (4, 5) depending on a control of a changeover device (6). The changeover device (6) comprises one electromagnetic clutch (7) which can produce a power flow between the drive shaft (3) and the first or the second output shaft (4 or 5). The electromagnetic clutch (7) comprises a coupling element (8) which is guided and displaced in an axially and rotatable manner and is fixedly connected with the drive shaft (3) and depending on a current supply of the electromagnetic clutch (7) produces the power flow between the drive shaft (3) and the first or the second output shaft (4 or 5).

Devices for guiding a driving torque are known, for example, from the practice of the transmission technology where it is often required to drive alternately two output shafts. To this end, as a rule, two machines such as electromotors are used by means of which can respectively be actuated one of the output shaft and which are controlled by an electronic control device so that only one of the transmission units is active for sequential actuation of the respective shafts.
However, the use of two transmission units for two drive shafts disadvantageously requires a large installation space which is problematic in the case of cramped conditions of installation space like those prevailing as a rule in transmissions of motor vehicles.
The problem on which this invention is based is to make a device of simple construction available for guiding torque onto one or two output shafts that needs a small installation space and whose mode of operation can be implemented by a simple control.


A connection housing includes a base body with lateral walls, which extend around the base body on top and which enclose the component to be inserted as well as inner contacts that are arranged between the component and at least one lateral wall. Polymer protuberances for forming outer contacts are shaped onto the underside. The connection between the inner contacts of the top and the outer contacts of the underside is effected by micro-boreholes that are located underneath the component in the middle area of the base body. This results in the provision of a housing, which requires little space on a printed circuit board and which can be economically produced preferably while using laser structuring.

A connection housing formed from insulating material for electrical components, preferably integrated circuits, is known from Patent Specification U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,626 A, on whose underside a large number of peak-like protuberances which are coated with metal to serve as external contacts are arranged circumferentially in the edge zone. On the top side, a chip is arranged in the central area, whose terminals are connected by way of bond wires to printed circuit tracks which radiate out in groove-like depressions in the base body to the outer edge where they are connected by way of vertical grooves or through holes to the external contacts. This housing, which can be closed off in the upward direction by means of a cap, has very large dimensions when compared with the actual component, which are justified in situations where a component, an integrated circuit for example, needs to have a very large number of terminals for contact purposes.
From Patent Specification EP 0 782 765, an injection molded, three-dimensional substrate consisting of an electrically insulating polymer is likewise already known, over the area of whose underside are located polymer protuberances shaped during the injection molding process. This technology is referred to as PSGA (Polymer Stud Grid Array). The polymer protuberances are provided with a solderable end surface and thus form outer terminals which are connected by way of integrated printed circuit tracks to inner terminals for a semiconductor component arranged on the substrate. The polymer protuberances are used as elastic spacers to separate the module from a printed circuit board and are thus able to compensate for different expansions between printed circuit board and intermediate carrier.
The semiconductor component can either be contacted on the underside of the intermediate carrier by way of bond wires and connected by way of printed circuit tracks to the polymer protuberances shaped on the same side, or it is also possible to arrange the chip on the top side of the intermediate carrier, whereby a connection to the underside and to the polymer protuberances by way of through-contact holes comes into consideration. Micro-boreholes having a diameter of less than 200 μm (so-called vias or p-vias) which are coated with a conducting surface are provided for the through contacts. Since it is barely possible to produce micro-boreholes of such a type by using mechanical drills, the process has changed over to creating these by means of laser drilling. However, the use of injection molding means that only base bodies having a certain minimum thickness can be shaped, which has hitherto no permitted the cost-effective use of a laser for introducing the required micro-boreholes.
Furthermore, a method is known from Patent Specification EP 0 645 953 A1 for manufacturing a substrate whereby the substrate is provided with a depression in which the component is arranged in a countersunk manner in order to keep the overall thickness of the module to a minimum. The through-holes for the electrical connection between the different substrate levels are, however, located in the region where the substrate is at its full thickness, whereas beneath the component only relatively wide holes formed during the injection molding process are provided for heat dissipation purposes.

Connection housing for an electronic component

Siemens Production and Logistics System AG


According to certain examples a spectrometer module for use in an imaging spectrometer includes a monolithic spectrometer body component made of an immersion material and including three mirrored surfaces configured to form a reflective triplet having an optical path immersed within the immersion material, the reflective triplet configured to receive incident optical radiation from an entrance face of the monolithic spectrometer body component and reflect the incident optical radiation along the optical path, and a dispersive element configured to receive and disperse the incident optical radiation reflected from the reflective triplet to provide dispersed optical radiation. The reflective triplet is configured to receive the dispersed optical radiation from the dispersive element and to reflect the dispersed optical radiation along the optical path to an exit face of the monolithic spectrometer body component.

Imaging spectrometers are used for a wide variety of strategic, scientific and resource sensing applications. Typically, an imaging spectrometer system includes an objective (also called an imaging optical module) that forms a scene image at a slit and a spectral optical module, which receives and collimates the line field of view from the objective, disperses or separates the radiation as a function of wavelength, and images it onto a two-dimensional detector array. One dimension of the array contains spatial information, while the other contains spectral information. The spectral optical module usually takes the form of an image relay between the slit and a focal plane (where the detector array can be located) with a dispersing element, most commonly a prism or a diffraction grating, located at a pupil between the images.
Common imaging spectrometers include the Offner-Chrisp and Dyson optical forms. Reflective triplet imaging spectrometers are also used, particularly where it is desired to cover a very wide field of view (FOV). Examples of a reflective triplet imaging spectrometer are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,767. It is generally desired that the size of the spectrometer, and the power needed to cool the spectrometer, especially for infrared applications, is minimized. This is especially true when the instrument is used on mobile platforms, such as aircraft or spacecraft. The size of the spectrometer is traditionally driven by the optical f/# (a faster instrument generally requires larger optics) and the field of view (a larger FOV also generally requires larger optics). The Dyson optical form is generally much smaller than the Offner-Chrisp optical form when fast (low) f/# s are required, but uses refractive optics (lenses) and therefore suffers from the limitations and disadvantages associated with those refractive optics, including chromatic aberration, limited spectral bandwidth, defocus with temperature change requiring compensation, potential high narcissus, and high cost associated with the complexity and expensive refractive materials. All-reflective optical designs, such as the Offner-Chrisp and reflective triplet, avoid these problems, but may not be able to achieve f/# s faster than about f/2, and are also generally larger than refractive optics.
The Offner-Chrisp imaging spectrometer is widely used, but has limited FOV with acceptable wavefront error and distortion for many imaging applications, and also cannot typically achieve optical speed faster than f/2. As an all-reflective design, it has wide spectral bandwidth, but much larger size than a reflective triplet design with the same f/#, FOV, and distortion. In addition, conventional Offner-Chrisp imaging spectrometers require a convex diffraction grating with tight spacing, and telecentric incident light, which necessitates cryo-cooled imaging optics (objective) for thermal infrared (e.g., in the long-wave infrared spectral band) systems. A monolithic Offner-Chrisp imaging spectrometer has been developed, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,697,137, which may achieve smaller size and faster f/# s than conventional Offner-Chrisp imaging spectrometers. Dyson imaging spectrometers are also commonly used, particularly where it is desired to achieve faster f/# s. The Dyson optical form is compact for a given f/#, FOV, and performance, but suffers from the limitation and disadvantages associated with refractive optics, as discussed above. In addition, Dyson imaging spectrometers require telecentric incident light, and therefore cryo-cooled imaging optics for thermal imaging applications, along with a concave diffraction grating.

Immersed reflective triplet imaging spectrometer


Firmware and/or a chipset of a computer system in an example makes a determination of a state of the computer system and sets the chipset in one of a plurality of modes based on the determination of the state of the computer system.

Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM) integrated circuits (ICs) or chips such as offered by Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany (World Wide Web infineon.com) may comprise hardware based security hubs that work in conjunction with software to provide a secure computing environment through cryptographic functions, key storage, digital signatures and certificates, hashes, and the like. Two major types of TPM integrated circuits currently available or being commercially developed are TPM 1.1 and TPM 1.2, which comply with different versions of the Trusted Computing Group specification, namely, version 1.1b and 1.2, respectively. Both the TPM 1.1b and TPM 1.2 integrated circuits are coupled with a standard LPC (Low Pin Count) bus.
The LPC protocol requires a transaction initiator to start a transaction with a special value on the bus called START value. The START value may provide a number of indications, including the start or stop of most types of transactions. TPM 1.1b based discrete integrated circuits use a START value of 0000. TPM 1.2 based discrete integrated circuits use an otherwise reserved START value of 0101 from standard LPC specifications. Neither a TPM 1.1b device nor a TPM 1.2 device will respond to read/write transactions unless the correct START value is driven by the LPC host controller at the start of each transaction.

Firmware and/or a chipset determination of state of computer system to set chipset mode

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The ONE-WAY SNAIL GATE invention permits a snail or slug to cross in one direction but not the reverse. Thin wires suspend the ONE-WAY GATE in functional position without providing an escape surface to the snails. The SNAIL PEN is a trap formed of at least one ONE-WAY GATE and one or more isolation or barrier devices. The SNAIL PUB is a complete system for collecting live snails formed of the SNAIL PEN trap and the SNAIL COCKTAIL attractant, an actively growing yeast cultured in an aqueous sugar solution. The SNAIL SPIKE MATRIX barrier is a suspended, downward-facing matrix of points with gaps between the points that deprives a snail's foot of gripping surface from which to suspend the snail's weight if it attempts to traverse the underside of the matrix. The SNAIL WHEEL is a barrier formed of one or more disks rotatably mounted on an axle which will rotate downward bearing the snail to the lowest point on the disk, and thereafter rotate counter to the snail's effort to climb back. The SNAIL SALT STRIP barrier is a waterproof substrate, adapted for garden and agricultural environments, whose underside is coated with a water-soluble salt exposed to contact traversing snails.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is traps and barriers for snails. The original application Ser. No. 06/728,796 for the One-Way Snail Gate and the C-I-P application Ser. No. 06/803,081 were assigned to Group Art Unit 325 now abandoned.
2. Description of Related Art, Including Information Disclosed Under Sections 1.97-1.99
This invention relates to a one-way gate for gastropods, including snails and slugs, and for other creatures which use means of crawling locomotion similar to gastropodan locomotion, but do not hop or fly. The primary use conceived for the one-way snail gate device is in trapping such creatures to eliminate them from gardening and agricultural areas, though it also has applications in controlling, sizing and sorting such creatures. So far as I am aware, there presently is no simple, inexpensive, effective, non-poisonous, mechanical device for trapping snails and slugs. Instead, snails and slugs are eliminated either by laborious hand-picking or by use of various poisons, frequently containing arsenic, metaldehyde, methiocarb, Mesurol (Registered Trade Mark), or carbamate compounds.
A non-poisonous system for collection of such creatures is a desirable alternative to the poisons and other methods now employed. It is desirable that the system remain functional notwithstanding wetting from rain or automatic watering systems.
The lack of a non-poisonous, mechanical trap for such creatures apparently is due to the difficulty that has been experienced in devising a gate, adapted to gastropodan means of locomotion, which such crawling creatures can pass through to enter the trap, but not pass through in the reverse direction to exit the trap.
Ibach, U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,308, and Lindley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,946, among others, describe devices which have unrestricted openings through or under which a snail or slug can enter and from which the creature could exit. The snails and slugs then must either be physically picked up or disabled by poison before they depart.
It is an objective of the Snail Gate and Snail Pen inventions to allow entry of snails and slugs, but to mechanically prevent their subsequent exit without need to poison or pick up the creatures to prevent their departure.

Snail Pub, a Snail Collection System; the One-Way Snail Gate; and the Snail Pen, a Snail Trap


The 2,3-diesters of 6-substituted-2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinones exhibit useful anti-psoriatic activity in mammals.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel naphthoquinone compositions and the pharmaceutical use of the naphthoquinones in treating psoriasis in a mammal.
2. Prior Art
Psoriasis is a skin disease characterized in part by excessive proliferation of cells of the epidermis which remain strongly adherent and build up into a scaly plaque typical of the disease. Currently available therapies, which are not curative, depend on the control of epidermal cell proliferation through the use of hormonal agents, such as corticosteroids, or through the use of compounds related to cancer chemotherapy such as hydroxyurea, methotrexate, and the nitrogen mustards.
While the above agents are effective to a certain extent, they cause numerous severe undesirable side effects both locally and systemically.
Certain naphthoquinones which are chemically related to the compound of this invention are known. For example, the compound 6-bromo-2,3-dihydroxy-1,4naphthoquinone has been reported by Weygand, German Pat. No. 859,008. While this compound is recognized as a valuable intermediate for the preparation of dyestuffs, no useful biological activity has been ascribed to it. Specifically, any suggestion that this compound might have anti-psoriatic activity has not been advanced.
Related naphthoquinones having antifungal and antibacterial activity can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,264 and West German Offenlegungschrift Nos. 2,135,712, 2,456,655 and 2,520,739. However, none of these disclosures have recognized the use of these or related naphthoquinone compositions as anti-psoriatic agents.
It is also suggested that certain related compounds have antimalarial activitu, e.g. 6-chloro-2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone, 7-chloro-2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and 6-chloro-1,2,4-triacetoxynaphthoquinone. See L. F. Fieser and R. H. Brown, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 71, 3615-3617 (1949).
It has now been discovered that the 2,3-diesters of 6-substituted-2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone are effective in preventing epidermal cell proliferation when topically applied to a mammal. More specifically, it is effective as an anti-psoriatic agent in humans.
In its broadest aspect, the present invention is a pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and a 2,3-diester of a 6-substituted-2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone represented by Formula (I), below, ##STR1## wherein R is hydrogen, halo, cyano, C.sub. 1 to C.sub. 18 linear or branched alkoxy and R.sup.1 is an alkyl of 1-5 carbon atoms. Preferably R is halo (particularly chloro) and R.sup.1 is alkyl of 1 or 2 carbon atoms.
Another aspect of this invention is a method for preventing epidermal cell proliferation in a mammal which comprises topically administering a composition of the invention to a mammal in need of such treatment.


Resources used by a foreground process associated with an application as well as one or more background tasks associated with the application that are running as separate processes on the computing device are tracked. Historical data relating to resource usage by the application is utilized to predict a resource usage amount for the application which is then stored. A subsequent launch of the application can be conditioned upon whether the predicted resource usage amount is available. If the predicted resource usage amount is available, it can be allocated to the application and the application can be launched. If the application then exceeds the predicted resource usage amount, other processes executing concurrently therewith may be terminated to free up the resource. Regardless of how the application performs, new resource usage data is obtained for the application, which is then used to adjust the predicted resource usage amount.

Today's mobile devices, especially today's low-end mobile devices, are severely challenged by multi-tasking scenarios. It is often the case that, in order to be competitive at scale, mobile devices must be manufactured using low-end and/or low-powered parts. This is true in particular for the memory used to implement mobile devices, which includes random access memory (RAM), MultiMediaCards (MMCs) and Secure Digital (SD) cards. The net effect of this is that conventional mobile devices that rely on paging for memory management fall over very quickly when trying to concurrently run multiple processes. This leads to a very poor user experience and handicapped multi-tasking scenarios. This problem is becoming especially relevant as the applications and operating systems being developed for mobile devices become larger and larger while the marketplace demands reduced manufacturing costs.
Previously, the issue of having insufficient memory to support the concurrent execution of multiple processes on a mobile device was handled in one or more of the following ways: the use of paging for memory management; providing more memory on the mobile device; and placing limits on the size of applications and operating systems. As noted above, paging can lead to a very poor user experience and handicapped multi-tasking scenarios. Providing more memory drives up mobile device cost, complexity and power consumption. Placing size limits on applications and operating systems makes developing and delivering desired functionality to users extremely difficult. For at least these reasons, existing memory management solutions for mobile devices are deficient. Better memory management techniques are needed to enable today's mobile devices to concurrently execute multiple processes in a manner that does not adversely impact user experience and that enables a wide variety of multi-tasking scenarios.

Resource management based on device-specific or user-specific resource usage profiles


It is an object of the present invention to provide a polarizing plate which can suppress display unevenness even when being incorporated into a liquid crystal display device, has neutral hue, and can maintain cross property even when a low water-vapor permeable protective film is used. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing the same. The polarizing plate includes: a polarizing film; an adhesive layer; and a protective film provided on at least one surface of the polarizing film with the adhesive layer interposed therebetween. A ratio (I285/I480) of absorbance I285 of the polarizing film at 285 nm to absorbance I480 thereof at 480 nm is 1.2 or less. The polarizing plate has a hue b value of 4 or less. The protective film has a water-vapor permeability of 100 g/m2·day or less.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polarizing plate and a method for manufacturing the polarizing plate.
Description of the Related Art
As a polarizing plate used for a liquid crystal display device or the like, a polarizing film including protective films bonded to both surfaces thereof is generally used. Examples of the polarizing film include a polarizing film obtained by adsorbing a dichroic material such as iodine or a dichroic dye to a polyvinyl alcohol-based film and further orienting the film by stretching. Examples of the protective film include a triacetyl cellulose film. A polyvinyl alcohol-based adhesive or the like is used to bond the protective film to the polarizing film.
The liquid crystal display device is often used for a long period of time under a high temperature condition or the like because of the wide usage of the liquid crystal display device. For example, the liquid crystal display device is often used for vehicle installation and a handheld terminal. As a result, the polarizing plate is also required to have reliability (durability) such that the polarizing plate suffers from no deterioration in optical property when the polarizing plate is placed under a high temperature condition or high temperature/high humidity conditions.
However, since the triacetyl cellulose film used for the protective film is water-vapor permeable (has a high water-vapor permeability), the optical property of the polarizing film and the adhesion property of an adhesive are deteriorated by the absorption of moisture, which may cause display unevenness. As a countermeasure for this problem, a technique is proposed, in which an adhesive layer for bonding a protective film to a polarizing film is dried at 40 to 70° C., and a ratio of absorbance of the polarizing film at 296 nm to absorbance thereof at 480 nm is set at 1.65 or less to improve durability in a humidified environment (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Polarizing plate and method for manufacturing polarizing plate


Disclosed is a display device including: a driving transistor, a first switching transistor, and a pixel transistor each having a gate and a pair of terminals; a storage capacitor having a pair of terminals; and a light-emitting element having an input terminal and an output terminal. One terminal of the driving transistor is electrically connected to one terminal of the pixel transistor. The other terminal of the driving transistor is electrically connected to one terminal of the first switching transistor and the input terminal of the light-emitting element. The other terminal of the first switching transistor is electrically connected to the gate of the driving transistor and one terminal of the capacitor. The one terminal of the capacitor overlaps with an active region of the driving transistor.

As a typical example exhibiting semiconductor properties, Group 14 elements such as silicon and germanium are represented. Particularly, silicon has been utilized in almost all of the semiconductor devices because of its wide availability, ease of processing, excellent semiconductor properties, and ease of controlling the properties. Similar to silicon, an oxide exemplified by an oxide of a Group 13 element such as indium and gallium also shows semiconductor properties and can be used in a semiconductor element such as a transistor. As exemplarily disclosed in Japanese patent application publication No. 2015-225104, International publication No. WO2015/031037, and United States patent application publication 2010/0182223, a semiconductor device in which both a transistor having a silicon-including semiconductor (hereinafter, referred to as a silicon semiconductor) and a transistor having an oxide semiconductor are incorporated has been developed.


Apparatus and methods for turning large diameter circular members in limited areas. A circular member having holes capable of receiving a pin is fitted with a semi-circular collar having an inwardly facing pin and outwardly facing ratchet holes capable of receiving a hydraulic ram pin along its outer radius. A jack having a hydraulic ram end on one end and a fixed rotating point at the other is used to apply a tangential force to the circular member so as to rotate the circular member.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tool for turning large diameter objects in limited work areas and more particularly relates to the turning of a large nut used on petroleum coking equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Delayed coking is a well-known process. Typically, each coker comprises a vertically-oriented cylindrical drum. The drum has a top head and a bottom head covering and sealing the top and bottom, respectively, of the drum. The drum is a massive vessel, typically about twenty-six feet in diameter and about eighty-six feet tall. The top head and the bottom head also are massive devices, being about six feet in diameter and each weighing approximately two and one-half tons.
Heavy liquid hydrocarbon feed to the coker typically is preheated in a heater to a temperature in the range of about 700.degree. to 900.degree. F. The feedstream is thermally cracked in the coke drum for an extended period of time during the coking cycle to produce gas and gas oil and other hydrocarbon product streams of various boiling ranges and to form porous carbonaceous petroleum coke. The gas and normally liquid product streams are removed as vapors during the coking cycle from the top of the drum, and the coke remains in the drum at the end of the coking cycle. The hydrocarbon feed is switched from the coke drum to a second parallel coke drum while the first drum is taken off-line, and coke is removed from the first drum.
Hydrocarbon feed to each coker is typically fed to the on-line coke drum through an inlet port which is typically incorporated into the drum bottom head, and product vapor streams exit the vessel through process an outlet port, which is typically incorporated in the top head.
The coke is then cleaned using steam to remove any entrained hydrocarbons and is cooled with water. To remove the coke from the off-line drum, the top and bottom heads of the drum must be removed. After both the top and bottom heads and the chute cover are removed, the coke in the drum is cut by a hydraulic water jets using, for example, a 3000 psi water rotating water drill. First, a vertical pilot hole is drilled through the core of the coke to provide a channel for coke discharge through the bottom opening of the coke drum. Then, the water drill is directed against the upper surface of the coke at a distance from the central discharge core and cuts the coke into pieces, which pieces fall out of the drum, and through the pilot hole. The water drill jet is moved in both a circular and vertical pattern until all of the coke is cut and falls from the drum into a discharge chute and then on to coke storage.
In order to change from the coking where hydrocarbons exit the top of the coker drum, to the drilling mode where the drill stem is positioned over the top of the coker drum, a coker drill stem must be swung to the top of the coker. A gearbox is used to swing the coker drill stem. The gearbox swivel assembly has a large nut, approximately eleven inches in diameter having several holes in its outer diameter capable of receiving a pin. The maintenance and repair requirements for the gearbox swivel assembly require the removal and replacement of the nut. The nut is located a limited area between several upright members on the assembly.
In the past, this large nut has required two people using a large spanner wrench and a mallet to apply the necessary torque. The spanner was fit around the nut and its pin fit into one of the holes on the nut. The first person held the spanner while the second pounded the spanner with a mallet. This method is labor intensive, time consuming and difficult in the limited area available because the wrench must be moved to several times around the circumference of the nut to turn it. In addition, it required two people and its physical location made it difficult to work on safely. There is a need for a simple and effective means for one person to safely apply the torque needed to turn this large nut in the limited area available.

Tool for turning large diameter objects on petroleum cokers


Briefly, a feeding device embodying features of the present invention approximately conforms to the shape of a human breast and includes at least one housing for storing fluid coupled to a dispensing portion having an apertured dispensing tip for delivering the fluid to an infant.

Often, it is desired that a human provide nourishment, such as a feeding liquid, to a recipient, such as a human infant. On occasion, to provide sufficient nutrition to a recipient, it may be advantageous to augment or to replace, for example, a feeding liquid with another liquid. Such augmentation and/or replacement, may be of particular value to, for example, adoptive parents who may not possess breast milk, biological parents who may not have a sufficient quantity of natural breast milk, and biological mothers who may have undergone, for example, a mastectomy of one or both breasts. Breast-feeding, or a semblance thereof, may also be advantageous in that such activity may result, at least in part, in promoting closeness and bonding of a parent or other caregiver with an infant, or the like.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Feeding device and methods using the same


A feather duster includes a fan assembly and a dust catching assembly and a turbulence-inducing gap that ensures that dust-laden air will be forced to undergo at least one change of flow direction before entering the dust catching assembly.

A general cleaning process often includes a step of removing dust and/or dirt from various surfaces. This step has used various devices ranging from a simple dust cloth to sophisticated air flow systems. Many of these devices have found some use and success in both industry and in the home.
Especially with regard to home use, the simple feather duster has long proved to be efficient and popular. The feather duster is especially useful in reaching out-of-the way areas, such as behind and on top of furniture.
However, it has been found that the feather duster really only moves dirt and dust from one location to another, and such displaced dust must still be picked up for removal. This drawback inhibits the fully efficient use of a very popular, and otherwise efficient, cleaning device.
If the dust is not efficiently moved, it will simply settle back onto either the original surface or onto another adjacent surface and have to be moved or picked up again.
Accordingly, there is a need for a feather duster which can efficiently remove dust as well as displace dust while ensuring that displaced dust will be efficiently directed to a dust-catching assembly for future disposal.


A path control module manages a set of primary paths and a set of standby paths for a target device. When a path in the set of primary paths fails, the path control module may failover to the set of standby paths. Alternatively, when a path in the set of primary paths fails, the path control module may failover that path to a single path from the set of standby paths. The sets of primary paths and standby paths may be set by an administrator to control load balancing of resources in the storage area network. The primary set of paths for a first disk may be the standby set of paths for a second disk. Similarly, the primary set of paths for the second disk may be the standby set of paths for the first disk.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to storage area networks and, in particular, to multiple path input/output environments. Still more particularly, the present invention provides a method, system, and program for maintaining and swapping paths in a multiple input/output environment.
2. Description of Related Art
A storage area network (SAN) is a network of storage devices. In large enterprises, a SAN connects multiple machines to a centralized pool of disk storage. Compared to managing hundreds of servers, each with their own storage devices, a SAN improves system administration.
In multiple path input/output (MPIO), there is a plurality of routes or connections from one specific machine to one specific device. For example, with a logical disk device on a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), the accessing host uses a fibre channel (FC) adapter connected to an FC switch, and the FC switch in turn is attached to the RAID array. There may be eight, or as many as thirty-two or more, FC adapters in both the host and the device.
Considering a SAN with eight adapters in the host and the device, if each host adapter is connected to a device adapter through a switch, then there may be eight paths from the host to the device. If the switches are interconnected, then there may be many more paths from the host to the device.
All of the MPIO solutions today use a simple round robin among all of the available paths. When a path fails, it is removed from the round robin until the failed element is restored. This approach does not provide much load balancing among the physical resources in the SAN, e.g., the FC switches. In other words, paths in the round robin may be using the same resources.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide an improved mechanism for load balancing and failover for paths in an MPIO environment.

Method, system, and program for maintaining and swapping paths in an MPIO environment

International Business Machines Corporation


A parenteral device having a body slidably supporting a hollow needle. The needle is slidable between a first position in which it is completely retracted within the body and a second position wherein a portion of the needle projects outside of the body. The body further houses a chamber isolated from the needle when the needle is in the first position. Movement of the needle into the second position causes an end of the needle to pierce a wall of the chamber thereby establishing communication between the chamber and needle.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a parenteral device which may take the form of a syringe or similar parenteral device or a cannula.
2. Prior Art
In the use of syringes, cannulas and the like which utilize sharp hollow needles there has been significant awareness recently of the dangers which exist as a result of the usage and disposal of these devices. The evidence of such dangers resides in the frequency with which users of the devices are inadvertently pricked. Such an injury can result in the transmission of disease.
As a result of these difficulties users of parenteral devices such as medical clinics, hospitals and the like apply very stringent procedures in the storage, use and disposal of parenteral devices which utilize sharp needles. However, despite such very stringent procedures it is a regular occurrence for professional users to be inadvertently pricked.
In addition there is a need for the parenteral devices such as syringes to be generally available to patients for the self application of parenteral agents to those patients. This is particularly the case where patients are required to regularly administer to themselves agents which must be regularly administered and can only be administered by hypodermic or intravenous injection. As a result it is necessary for such users to have readily available to them ampoules which store the active agent, syringes and needles. When administration is required the users must assemble the syringe, fill the syringe and needles. When administration is required the users must assemble the syringe, fill the syringe with the parenteral agent, inject themselves with the agent and then dispose of the syringe and needle in a responsible manner. In addition when administration is required the user can often be experiencing stress which can make the tasks of assembling the syringe, filling the syringe, injection and disposal of the syringe a difficult exercise.
In addition as a result of the use of illegal drugs which are generally administered intravenously by utilization of syringes there has arisen considerable difficulty as a result of the inappropriate disposal of such syringes by the users of illegal drugs and increased danger of transmission of disease due to such syringes being carelessly disposed of or used by a second person.


In a multipoint-to-point link, packets are transmitted over a shared medium to a central node in response to permits. The central node issues permits to a multipoint node on the basis of a queue size record, held at the central node. The queue record is updated on receipt of a queue size report (request for permits) from the multipoint node. Due to the transmission delays across the link, an erroneous queue value can be recorded at the central node when permits and a request for permits are sent at about the same time. This problem is overcome and the transfer capacity improved when the central node holds a record of the permits sent during the preceding round trip delay. Any incoming reqest for permits is then adjusted by the number of stored permits before it is utilized to update the queue record.

Media access control of a point-to-multipoint link in a packet switched network is a mechanism for determining which of a plurality of nodes at the multipoint end of the link is allowed to send a packet over the shared medium to a single central node located at the other end of the link. In a conventional media access control mechanism utilised in two-way TDMA transfer links, the central node appends permit information, commonly called a permit, to every packet that it sends. The permit is addressed to one of the multipoint nodes and specifies which time slot in the future packet stream can be utilised by the addressed multipoint node to send a packet.
Permits are allocated in response to requests. The multipoint nodes send requests, typically in the form of queue size information, when packets are present at the node awaiting transfer. The central node sends corresponding permits and will also manage the allocation of priorities when the requests for permits arrive more frequently than permits can be sent. To this end, each multipoint node has a queue that stores packets until the node is permitted to pass them on.
Each multipoint node records the number of queued packets awaiting transmission so that a corresponding permit request may be sent to the central node. The central node also holds a record of the queue lengths at each multipoint node. On the basis of this queue record, the central node issues permits to those multipoint nodes requiring channel capacity.
The queue record in the central node is updated by queue information in the form of a permit request received from the multipoint node. This request represents the current queue size at the multipoint node and is used to overwrite the recorded queue size at the central node. The recorded queue size at the central node is also decremented each time a permit to send a packet is transmitted to the corresponding multipoint node.
The transfer of information between a central node and a multipoint node involves a delay, which depends on the available bandwidth and length of the transfer medium. A delay also occurs at the multipoint node when processing permits received from the central node. Hence there exists a window during which a multipoint node may transmit a permit request and the central node may transmit permits to the same multipoint node on the basis of the queue record before receiving the permit request. When the permit request reaches the central node, the queue record will be overwritten by an erroneous queue size value. While this error will not cause the loss of packets, it can lead to more permits being sent than are actually required. It is possible that the discrepancy between the actual and recorded queue size will be mitigated to some extent by further packets arriving at the multipoint node, however, on balance there is a high probability that the central node will issue permits that cannot be used. Channel capacity will thus be wasted.

Queue management in packet switched networks


A triangular prism mirror mounted adjacent a driver of a vehicle to enable the driver to view the blind spot area without any distortion of vision. The triangular prism mirror unit has three plane surfaces, the rear surface being blocked. By blocking the rear surface of the prism, the image entering one of the front surfaces will appear on the other front surface. Therefore the triangular prism mirror, when properly mounted, provides a clear vision for the driver of a vehicle giving access to the blind spot area.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,883,296 to Johnson discloses a prism mounted to the side of a windshield, which prism is used as an observing instrument for observing traffic ahead of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,514,989 to Buren discloses a plain mirror employed next to the side view mirror, which can be tilted outward to view the blind spot area. It could cause discomfort to the driver's eye such as tilting the mirror in an opposite direction of view. It requires the driver to focus for longer time than necessary to establish the image of the other vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,207 to Moller discloses two plain mirrors employed on top of the rear view mirror inside the vehicle. This type of device does not give adequate blind spot viewing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,552 to Feinbloom discloses in FIG. 3 a plain mirror with a wedge on the back to tilt the mirror outward to view the blind spot area. In FIG. 4 of the Feinbloom patent, which figure is reproduced as FIG. 8 of this application, discloses a prism 4 mounted on a side view mirror in a base out position. The prism serves to deflect the light from the rear of the automobile directly upon the mirror surface of the mirror 3. In this manner the original mirror 3 is employed and the prism alters the light to provide the field of view of the blind spot by bending the light rays.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,479 discloses a rear view mirror which also utilizes a prism, this device being similar to the Feinbloom rear view mirror in that a clear prism is mounted on a mirrored surface.
Other forms of rear view mirrors utilizing prisms are well known in the art. For example U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,222 discloses a Fresnel mirror which comprises a plurality of concentric annular prisms. Another rear view mirror is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,038 which utilizes a prism for a day/night mirror.
In addition to the prior art set forth above, convex mirrors of varying shapes are also employed. One such example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,363 to Marsalka et al.
It would suffice to say that while various configurations of mirrors and prism assemblies are depicted in the prior art, these prior art devices distort the field of view or are extremely complicated and require frequent adjustment and maintenance. In addition, non of these devices utilize the internal reflection of a prism.

Non-distorted blind spot mirror using a triangular prism for all types of vehicles


An infrared radiation absorbing assembly for use in semiconductor processing is provided that includes a holder defining a plurality of zones and at least one infrared radiation absorbing member disposed within at least one zone of the holder. The at least one infrared radiation absorbing member is configured to control an amount of infrared radiation that reaches a sample and thus the temperature of the sample disposed proximate the holder.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A variety of devices have been employed to hold multiple semiconductor substrates in a semiconductor deposition reactor for faster processing. These devices are commonly configured to maintain multiple wafers (substrates/samples) at the same controlled temperature during material growth.

Multi-wafer substrate holder with adjustable infrared radiation absorbing zones


Provided are a method of assisting monitoring alarm method and a medical external equipment and a medical host equipment using the method. A technical scheme thereof comprises connecting the medical external equipment with the medical host equipment through an interface, wherein the medical external equipment forms a plug-and-play external alarm equipment. The medical host equipment performs self-check, and sends an alarm information to an auxiliary alarm device of the medical external equipment and generates a corresponding alarm when an alarm device in the medical host equipment works abnormally, thereby reducing a risk to the medical host equipment in the situation that the alarm device in the medical host equipment is in failure.

Alarm function is very common and necessary in the medical field. Generally speaking, an alarm is a warning indicating that specific parameters of a patient monitored by a medical equipment exceeds a preset range of threshold, and the alarm has important significance in clinical practice and play an irreplaceable role in the procedure during which the medical staff timely obtain monitoring information and process it. The alarm for the central monitoring system generally makes use of a sound box, the sound box is connected to the host through a headphone jack, however the central monitoring system can't make the alarm if the sound box is not connected or in bad contact or in failure. If there is no alarm from the central monitoring system, the medical staff can't be aware of a variety of physiological alarms of the patients on different beds, then the medical staff can not perform treatment timely, which will cause significant damage on the patient's health and even life, and generate a significant risk and loss to the hospital and the patient. In addition, in the systems of various bed medical monitoring equipment, such as patient monitor, fetal monitor and so on, the alarm is the essential function, and a sound-light alarm is often used, if the device related to the alarm for medical equipment system is disconnected, connected poorly or malfunctions, the treatment can't be performed timely, which causes severe harm to the hospital and the patient. Therefore, the medical equipment system needs an effective method of assisting monitoring alarm, to avoid the existing defects in a condition of failure of the alarm device. Therefore, the existing technology has defects which need to be solved urgently.

Method of assisting monitoring alarm and medical external equipment using the same


A press machine includes at least one actuator and at least one linkage to open and close a ram. Another aspect employs a sheet metal-working punch mounted to the ram. A fluid-powered piston drives a carriage coupled to a linkage in another aspect of the present machine. In still another aspect, at least a majority of an actuator is located externally to an outside surface of a stationary structure within which a ram is located. Yet a further aspect both opens and closes a ram with a unidirection movement of an actuator.

The present invention relates generally to press machines and more particularly to a linkage operated press.
Presses for stamping and piercing sheet metal are well known. Conventional presses typically are driven by a large hydraulic piston, vertically oriented screws rotated by electric motors, or crankshafts, in combination with toggle linkage mechanisms. Examples of these conventional presses are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,368 entitled "Multi-Mode Hammering Machine" which issued to Rusch on Oct. 12, 2010; U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,786 entitled "Hydromechanical Press Drive" which issued to Harsch on Jan. 28, 2003; U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,782 entitled "Press Drive" which issued to Hellwig on May 1, 1990; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,690 entitled "Press Brake Ram Leveling" which issued to Kirincic et al. on Oct. 9, 1973. All of these patents are incorporated by reference herein.
These conventional presses, however, suffer various deficiencies. For example, they open and close too slowly. Furthermore, traditional hydraulically and motor driven presses often have jerky opening and closing movements which reduces durability. Prior crankshaft and sector gear mechanisms also require custom, and therefore expensive, parts.
In accordance with the present invention, a press machine includes at least one actuator and at least one linkage to open and close a ram. Another aspect employs a sheet metal-working punch mounted to the ram. A fluid-powered piston drives a carriage coupled to a linkage in another aspect of the present machine. In still another aspect, at least a majority of an actuator is located externally to an outside surface of a stationary structure within which a ram is located. Yet a further aspect both opens and closes a ram with a unidirection movement of an actuator. Methods of operating a press are also provided.
The present linkage press machine is advantageous over conventional presses. For example, the present machine operates faster and smoother. Furthermore, standard components can be used to move the present ram, as compared to traditional devices, thereby reducing the expense of manufacturing the present machine. Additional advantages and features of the present machine will become apparent from the following description and appended claims.


Disclosed is a substrate processing method. The method includes: supplying a rinse liquid, IPA, a first fluorine-containing organic solvent, a second fluorine-containing organic solvent to a wafer within an outer chamber of a liquid processing unit; conveying the wafer to a supercritical processing unit container; and supplying a supercritical processing fluorine-containing organic solvent in a supercritical high-pressure fluid state to the wafer within the supercritical processing unit container. At least during the supply of the IPA, a low-humidity N2 gas is supplied into the outer chamber so that the inside of the outer chamber is formed as a low-humidity N2 gas atmosphere, and thus moisture absorption into the IPA is prevented.

In a semiconductor device manufacturing process for forming a lamination structure of an integrated circuit on a surface of, for example, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a "wafer") that is a substrate, there is a liquid processing process for processing a surface of the wafer using a liquid, such as, for example, removing fine dust or a natural oxide film from the surface of the wafer by a cleaning liquid such as, for example, a chemical liquid.
According to high integration of semiconductor devices, however, a phenomenon, so-called a pattern collapse, becomes a problem when removing, for example, liquid attached to a surface of a wafer in such a liquid processing process.
The pattern collapse refers to a phenomenon in which, when liquid remaining on a surface of a wafer is dried, the liquid remaining in an uneven area forming a pattern, for example, the liquid remaining on the left and right of a convex portion (in other words, in concave portions) is unevenly dried so that the balance of surface tension that draws the convex portion to the left and right is lost and thus the convex portion falls over to the direction where more liquid remains.
As a method of removing liquid attached to a surface of a wafer while suppressing the occurrence of such a pattern collapse, a method of using a supercritical high-pressure fluid is known. The supercritical high-pressure fluid has a low viscosity compared to a liquid, and also has a high performance of extracting the liquid. Further, no interface exists between the supercritical high-pressure fluid and a liquid or gas in an equilibrium state. Thus, when the liquid attached to the surface of the wafer is substituted with the supercritical high-pressure fluid and then the supercritical high-pressure fluid is changed into a gas state, the liquid may be dried without being affected by the surface tension.
For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-187570, hydrofluoro ether (HFE)—a fluorine-containing organic solvent (in the Japanese Publication, referred to as a "fluorine compound")—is used for both of a dry preventing liquid and a supercritical high-pressure fluid from the point of view of a substitutability level between the liquid and the supercritical high-pressure fluid or suppression of carry-in of moisture at the time of liquid processing. In addition, the fluorine-containing organic solvent is also suitable for the dry preventing liquid in view of the fact that it is fire-resistant.
However, when the liquid on the surface of the wafer is dried using the supercritical fluid as described above, it is difficult to remove the liquid without causing pattern collapse so that the pattern collapse phenomenon is left in the wafer.

Substrate processing method, substrate processing apparatus, and storage medium


A process for producing preoxidized fiber spun yarns is described comprising subjecting an acrylonitrile fiber tow to a preoxidation, applying a surface active agent, stretch cutting without crimping, crimping to form slivers, processing in a gilling step, and spinning; according to this process, short fibers and powders of fibers are formed to a lesser extent, and nebs, slubs and flies, etc. are caused to a lesser extent, and preoxidized fiber spun yarns having high quality are obtained in a high yield.

The present invention relates to a process for producing preoxidized fiber (flameproof fiber) spun yarns from acrylonitrile fiber tows.
It has been known that preoxidized fibers can be obtained by an oxidation treatment (flameproofing treatment) of acrylonitrile fiber bundles at from about 200.degree. to 300.degree. C. in an oxidizing atmosphere. They can be used as a precursor for carbon fibers (i.e., nonactivated carbon fibers having generally high mechanical strength, which are used as reinforcing materials) or activated carbon fibers or they can be used directly for uses utilizing heat resistance and flame resistance thereof.
In the case of producing spun yarns of carbon fibers or activated carbon fibers, a process comprising spinning of preoxidized fibers, and then processing in a carbonization step or an activation step has been adopted, because spinning becomes more difficult to carry out after carbonization or activation because of a lowering of the mechanical strength. Further, in the case of directly utilizing the preoxidized fibers, they are often used as spun yarns.
However, these preoxidized fibers are not crimped produced by conventional processes, and they have low elongation or low knot strength. Accordingly, they are very difficult to be processed in the spinning step after being processed in a crimping step. Particularly, in the case of using acrylonitrile fibers subjected to a preoxidation for uses other than carbon fibers, it is necessary to carry out a more violent (i.e., under a higher temperature and/or for a longer period of time) preoxidation than in the case of using for carbon fibers. That is, in the case wherein the preoxidized fibers as the precursor of activated carbon fibers are not sufficiently oxidized, the yield of the activated carbon fibers is low, and fibers having a large surface area are difficult to obtain. Further, in order to provide properties as heat resisting noncombustible materials, it is necessary to carry out a more violent preoxidation than is the case when using for carbon fibers. In this way, in the case of using as a precursor for preparing carbon fibers, the fibers can be subjected to the carbonization step even though they are in a combustible state.
In order to produce preoxidized fibers for activated carbon fibers or a provide heat resistance or flame resistance to such fibers, it is necessary that the oxidation treatment be carried out until the specific gravity of the fibers is from about 1.35 to 1.45 or so, under which conditions further spinning is difficult to carry out. The fibers subjected to the oxidation treatment as described above can be of course processed in the carbonization step.
Hitherto, a process for producing spun yarns of preoxidized fibers has been proposed in Japanese Patent Application (OPI)-3112/77. (The term "OPT" as used herein refers to a "published unexamined Japanese patent application".) According to this process, the spun yarns are obtained from acrylonitrile filament bundles (composed of 1000-16000 filaments) by a process comprising the steps of preoxidation, steam thermal crimping, stretch cutting, combing, gilling, and roving, or steps of comprising preoxidation, steam thermal crimping, and production of slivers by stretch cutting.
According to such a process, however, since the steam thermal crimping is carried out before stretch cutting, the fibers are damaged in the steam thermal crimping step, and short fibers or powders of fibers are formed during the stretch cutting step, to cause neps or slubs when produced spun yarns. Consequently, combing is necessary to carry out to remove neps and slubs. Further, a number of flies is caused (i.e., the fiber becomes to powder and scatters) during the steps, to lower the yield of yarn. Moreover, spun yarns having high quality are difficult to obtain by such a process.

Process for producing preoxidized fiber spun yarns


Level control arrangement for frequency-division multiplex signals, comprising an amplifying device having a variable gain factor, a circuit for transposing the frequency of the multiplex signal at the output of said arrangement in order to bring the frequency of the pilot signal to a low frequency; a low-pass filter for limiting the spectrum of the transposed signal; and analog-to-digital converter in the form of a uniform delta modulator, the input whereof is connected to the output of the low-pass filter. In a code converter this delta modulation signal is converted into either a PCM signal, or a DPCM signal, and the signal thus obtained is applied to a digital filter for selecting a signal which is characteristic of said pilot signal. The filtered signal is applied to a detector for detecting the peak values. The peak values obtained are applied to a comparison device for generating an error signal which sets the value of the gain factor of the amplifying device.

The invention relates to a level control arrangement for controlling the level of a frequencydivision multiplex signal.
Level control arrangements are inter alia used in carrier telephony systems. In such a system a plurality of telephone signals are transmitted, in a FDM-format, from a transmitter to a receiver via a transmission medium, frequently a transmission cable.
As a cable attenuates the signals propagating through it, the level of the FDM signal decreases, namely by a certain amount per kilometer. This means that when the transmitter and receiver are situated at a very great distance from one another, for example, some thousands of kilometers, the level of the FDM-signal will be much too low on receipt by the receiver. To obviate this, repeater stations are arranged in the transmission cable at regular distances to amplify the level of the FDM-signal, entering the repeater, to a predetermined value. The cable attenuation is not a constant quantity because it depends on a number of external factors. In order to determine the amount of change of the signal level occurring between two consecutive repeater stations, a pilot signal is transmitted with the FDM-signal with a certain fixed frequency and with a level which is accurately known at the moment this pilot signal is added to the FDM-signal.
If, now more particularly, the FDM-signal is formed by a so-called primary FDM group, then this FDM-signal comprises 12 telephone signals, each having a bandwidth of 4 kHz and this group of 12 telephone signals is then located in the frequency band from 60 to 108 kHz inclusive. For such a primary FDM group the above mentioned pilot signal has a frequency of 84.140 kHz.
In order to amplify in such a repeater station the level of the incoming FDM signal to the desired level, it is known to provide the level control arrangement with a pilot filter for selecting the pilot signal, to compare the level of the pilot signal thus obtained with a fixed reference level, to generate a signal which is a measure of the difference between the two levels and to set with last-mentioned signal the gain factor of an amplifier having an adjustable gain factor. In case the FDM signal consists of a primary FDM group, said pilot filter must be formed by means of a bandpass filter having a bandwidth of approximately 20 Hz and an intermediate frequency of approximately 84.140 kHz. It is, however, very difficult and, consequently, very expensive to produce a filter which satisfies these requirements.
To diminish the difficulties in making the pilot filter it is known from French Pat. No. 2,287,811, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,350, to use a level control arrangement comprising a transposition circuit to which the FDM signal is applied and by means of which this signal is transposed to a lower frequency band, in such a way that, for example, the pilot signal of the primary FDM group is converted into a 140 Hz signal. The transposed FDM signal thus obtained is passed on to a low-pass filter.
The output signal of said low-pass filter usually comprises, in addition to the above-mentioned, desired 140 Hz signal, a plurality of signalling signals which are also comprised in a FDM signal and whose frequencies are near to those of this pilot signal. In the case of the so-called d.c. signalling a very strong direct current component occurs in the output signal of the low-pass filter as well as signals having a frequency of 10 Hz and multiples thereof. It should be noted that the amplitude of these signals decreases to a very great extent at higher frequencies.
In order to select the desired 140 Hz signal from this output signal of the low-pass filter, the above-mentioned French Patent Specification proposes to apply this output signal to a PCM coder to which sampling pulses are applied which occur with a frequency of 4 kHz. The digital signal produced at the output of this PCM coder is thereafter applied to a digital bandpass filter which, albeit in digital form, produces the desired 140 Hz signal. This digital 140 Hz signal is thereafter also applied to a digital comparison circuit wherein the level of this digital 140 Hz signal is compared with a reference level. As the digital output signal of the PCM coder does not only comprise a digital version of the desired 140 Hz signal but also digital versions of the signalling signals, the digital bandpass filter must be a narrow-band filter. This implies that a large number of arithmetical operations must be performed in this filter to obtain one output code word.
The use of the level control arrangement described in the above-mentioned French Patent Specification is only economically justified if the PCM coder can be utilized in time-division multiplex for each one out of a greater number of FDM signals, for example, for 50 primary FDM groups. To enable the use of a PCM coder for such a greater number of primary groups, extremely high demands must be made on the components from which this coder is implemented, as the conversion rate must be very high. The use of one single PCM coder for several mutually independent signals results practice always in cross-talk.

Digital signal processing arrangement for controlling the level of a frequency-division multiplex signal