An auxiliary shelf is adapted to be added to an existing refrigerated produce counter and is provided with a mounting bracket to be attached near the upper edge of the mirror typically found in such produce counters. The shelf is suspended by monofilament lines that are adjustable so that the angle formed between the shelf and the mirror at the back of the produce counter can be varied. Standoffs are formed at the rear of the auxiliary shelf to permit cooled air to flow behind the auxiliary shelf and, when the shelf is formed with perforations, such air flow occurs through the shelf as well. The auxiliary shelf may be advantageously formed of plastic and such plastic may be transparent or translucent to improve the appearance thereof and dividers or partitions can be added to the shelf as desired.

1. This invention relates generally to merchandise shelves and, more particularly, to an auxiliary shelf specifically intended for use with existing refrigerated produce counters.
2. Description of the Background
Refrigerated produce counters are well-known and almost universally employed in supermarkets throughout the world. Typically such refrigerated producer counters provide an angled, waist-level tray or counter supporting the produce and have a mirror vertically arranged behind the counter to better display the goods. The mirror is arranged at an angle slightly less than 90.degree. relative to the produce counter in order to permit the consumer to better view the goods. Cooled air is generated by a refrigeration unit and is circulated both beneath and through the tray supporting the produce as well as up and behind the mirror so that the cooled air exits at suitable outlets or vents at the top of the mirror and flows down along the mirror and onto the produce. The cool air then passes through the vents in the produce counter and is recirculated.
Generally, only the main, slanted produce tray is available for display of the merchandise. Thus, useful space above the main tray that could otherwise be advantageously employed is wasted. In the case of refrigerated produce counters employing two shelves, such second shelf is always a solid rigid shelf firmly affixed to the framework of the refrigerated counter and is not adaptable for various uses.
Thus, there exists a large amount of space that could otherwise be employed for displaying merchandise that is presently being wasted. Furthermore, there are no add-on shelves known for use that can utilize this wasted space. Known secondary shelves are not adaptable for additional purposes and are not useful in modifying existing single shelf refrigerated produce units.


A waveguide increases the optical path of a portion of light received from a coherent light source. The waveguide includes a first element that allows light from an exit pupil of a coherent light source to enter the waveguide, and a second element that directs some of the entered light to exit the waveguide through a first set of pupils. The waveguide includes additional elements that cause the remaining light to make an additional path through the waveguide and the second element before exiting through a second set of pupils to increase the path of the exiting light. The pupils of the first set and the second set are staggered so that light exiting a pupil does not interfere with the light exiting via the neighboring pupils.

Optical waveguides can be used to expand or replicate the exit pupil of an imaging system in one or two dimensions. Typically, light from the exit pupil of the imaging system is received in the waveguide through an entrance or in-coupling, and travels through the waveguide in a direction, while some of the light exits a grating structure of the waveguide creating an expanded pupil. The remaining light that does not exit the grating structure is wasted and typically exits or is absorbed at the edges of the waveguide. Current waveguides typically use low-efficiency single pass grating structures to achieve pupil uniformity and field of view uniformity, which results in a large amount of wasted light.
One issue with current waveguide-based exit pupil expanders is they are designed to use incoherent light sources. An incoherent light source is a light source whose light contains a broad range of frequencies and thus a short coherence length on the order of 10 periods. An example of an incoherent light source is an LED. Coherent light sources, on the other hand, are light sources containing a narrow range of frequencies and thus a longer coherence length. Coherent light sources when split into multiple paths will generally interfere with themselves when recombined if the difference in optical path length traversed by each optical path of the light is less than a coherence length associated with the coherent light source. An example of a coherent light source is a laser.
In order to achieve a uniform display intensity of the expanded pupil, the distance between each exit pupil of the waveguide is typically small so that the viewer receives overlapping light from multiple pupils. However, because of the closeness of the pupils, and the similar optical paths of the light received from each pupil, when the waveguide is used with a coherent light source the overlapping light will interfere with itself and may result in a diminished experience for the user.

Optical waveguide with coherent light source


An LED includes a base, a pair of leads fixed on the base, a housing fixed on the leads, a chip mounted on one lead and an encapsulant sealing the chip. The housing defines a cavity in a central area thereof and a chamber adjacent to a circumferential periphery thereof. Top faces of the leads are exposed in the chamber. A blocking wall is formed in the chamber to contact the exposed top faces of the leads. A bonding force between the blocking wall and the leads is larger than that between the leads and the housing.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to LEDs (light emitting diodes) and methods for manufacturing the LEDs, and more particularly, to an LED having a good waterproof capability and a method for manufacturing the LED.
2. Description of Related Art
As a new type of light source, LEDs are widely used in various applications. A typical LED includes a base, a pair of metal leads fixed on the base, a housing formed on the leads, a light emitting chip fixed in the housing and electrically connected to the leads via wires, and an encapsulant attached on the housing and sealing the light emitting chip. The housing is often formed by molding a material of PPA (polyphthalamide) on the two metal leads. However, the attachment between the housing and the leads is unreliable due to poor adherent capability of PPA to metal. Therefore, moisture of the outside environment may enter the LED through an interface between the leads and the housing, causing malfunction of the light emitting chip.
What is needed, therefore, is an LED and a method for manufacturing the LED which can overcome the limitations described above.

Advanced Optoelectronic Technology, Inc.


A system serves web pages and/or software application pages with digital ads to client devices by determining viewability scores for individual ad insertion spaces on the pages. The system determines viewability scores for each field based on the time at which at least a threshold percentage or ratio of the field's pixels where viewable and not off-screen or obscured by another open window. The system then selects digital ads to serve to each field based on the field's viewability score.

When an advertiser provides a digital advertising plan (sometimes referred to as a campaign) to a digital content publisher, it is becoming more likely that the advertiser will request that a certain threshold of viewability is met during execution of the campaign. For example, an advertiser may request that when an ad runs on a publisher's website, it be viewable for 70% of the instances in which ads are shown. If the media campaign is called to deliver an ad 100,000 times (also known as ad impressions), the expectation would be that 70,000 of those ad impressions meet the viewability standard. Payment is often based on upon what the advertiser tracks via their reporting platforms, and the publisher may not have access to this information. This means that the publisher may not have a reliable way to deliver against nor optimize against the viewability threshold.
In order for digital content publishers to try to deliver digital media campaigns in accordance with the plan's defined viewability threshold, there are not many easy options. Publishers will often contract with a data or measurement provider. The workflow is to then pull daily reporting to see how a campaign is performing. The publisher's ad operation team can then retarget the campaign based on the reporting to deliver to only those "highly viewable" ad positions. For example, going back to the 100,000 ad impression order discussed earlier that has to hit 70% viewable impressions, the workflow in the prior art would be as follows; after the first day of the campaign, a report can be pulled from the publisher's ad vendor and viewability vendor of choice. After correlating the data, the publisher's ad operations team may then go into their ad delivery platform and restrict this campaign from delivering to certain underperforming ad locations since its underperformance is lowering the aggregate viewability performance of the campaign.
However, there are numerous problems with this method since a publisher is using relatively old data to make future predictions. In addition, in the world of online media a particular web page may gain or lose audience in significant swings depending on the public's interest in the content presented on that site for any given day. In addition, if a top level section such as "News" has an average viewability of 70% but different page templates or specific articles perform better or worse, there would be limited ability for the publisher to get granular targeting due to limitations in reporting and ad serving technology.
This document describes methods and systems that are directed to solving at least some of the issued described above.

Digital content delivery based on measured viewability of a displayed content insertion field


A semiconductor device includes a first transistor and a clamping circuit. The first transistor is arranged to generate an output signal according to a control signal. The clamping circuit is arranged to generate the control signal according to an input signal, and to clamp the control signal to a predetermined signal level when the input signal exceeds the predetermined signal level.

A power device is used to output a high power signal. For example, the power device may be integrated in a transmitter for driving a large power transmitting signal. The power device may also be integrated in a power switching device. Although a power device is designed to deal with the large power signal, the power device may still be destructed by a high voltage spike. The high voltage spike may cause a transient high current in the power device, which may breakdown the power device.

Semiconductor device and circuit protecting method

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.


The present invention is a positioning work stop for use with a machine tool for and having a signaling means that operates as a placement indicator effective for providing a signal if the work piece to be machined is in its proper position for machining or for signaling if the work piece has shifted out of position for machining. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the positioning work stop comprises a stop member having a stop surface, a switch element, a signaling means, and a power supply that are electrically coupled such that the signaling means activates when the work piece is in its proper position for manufacturing and for signaling if the work piece has shifted out of position for machining.

The present invention is directed to a positioning work stop and more particularly to a positioning work stop for use with a machine tool in performing a precision machining operation and which informs the operator that the work piece is in its proper position for machining.
Computerized numerical controls (CNC) and other well-known machine tools are used to perform various machining operations. Before a machining operation can be performed, the work piece to be machined must be properly placed and held in a mounting fixture for positioning the work piece at a desired location relative to the machining tool. This is particularly important when the machining process is being performed on a CNC machine where the position of the work piece must align with the zero reference point programmed into the computer controls. A number of conventional positioning stops have been developed to accomplish the task of ensuring that the work piece is properly positioned.
Most such positioning work stops are relatively simple, manually operated devices whereby the machine operator installs the stop at a desired location and orientation, and sets the stop mechanism. When the work piece is placed in the mounting fixture and the surface makes contact with the stop, the machine operator knows that the work piece is in its proper position for machining. Unfortunately, work pieces often are jarred during setup or processing and slightly shift position and may no longer be in its proper position for machining. This is particularly problem some when machining highly precision parts. Further, when the work piece shifts out of position, the machining apparatus continues to operate that often results in a work piece being cut or machined out of specification thereby resulting in the work piece being scrapped or reworked. Further, this requires each work piece to be carefully inspected after the machining operation thereby significantly increasing the manufacturing time and cost of operation.
Accordingly, there is a need for a positioning work stop that can be used with conventional machining apparatus and operates to inform the machine operator that the work piece is in its proper position for machining and inform the machine operator if the work piece shifts out of its proper position and is no longer in its proper position on the positioning fixture. Further, a need exists for a positioning work stop that cooperates with the machine tool control system of the machining apparatus that stops the machining operation until the work piece is placed back into its proper position for machining or provide information necessary for the machine tool control system to adjust the machining operation to correct for the movement of the work piece.


The present invention relates to the method for manufacturing an MSM photodetector using a HEMT structure incorporating a low-temperature grown semiconductor. The object of the present invention is to improve the speed characteristic of an MSM photodetector by using a HEMT structure incorporating a low-temperature grown semiconductor.

The present invention relates to the method for manufacturing a Metal-Semiconductor-Metal (MSM) photodetector using a HEMT structure incorporating a low-temperature grown semiconductor. MSM photodetectors are widely used as a key component for optical receivers in ultra-high speed optical communication systems and for optoelectronic transducers in microwave/millimeter-wave optical communication systems.
Photodetectors perform the function of converting optical signals to electrical signals. MSM photodetectors are one of many candidates for ultra-high speed photodetectors and are widely used due to their excellent speed performance. They are also easy for monolithic integration (opto-electronic integrated circuit: OEIC) with electronic devices including FETs (field effect transistors) and HEMTs (high electron mobility transistors) since they are planar in structure.
The epitaxial layer structure and schematic cross section of conventional MSM photodetectors are illustrated in FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, respectively. The cross section and the energy band diagram of conventional MSM photodetectors are also illustrated in FIG. 2a and FIG. 2bb, respectively. Here, the first epitaxial layer 10 is a semi-insulating substrate, the second epitaxial layer 12 is a photo-absorption layer, and the third epitaxial layer 14 is a Schottky barrier layer.
In general, the Schottky barrier layer is composed of an n-type semiconductor having a larger band gap energy than that of the photo-absorption layer. The Schottky barrier layer is transparent to optical signals that are absorbed in the photo-absorption layer and plays a role of reducing the leakage current (or dark current) in MSM photodetectors. The photo-absorption layer is composed of a lightly n-doped semiconductor that has a lower band gap energy than that of the Schottky barrier layer and absorbs the photons incident upon the photodetector, generating and transporting electron-hole pairs.
The two main factors that determine the speed performance of a photodetector are the RC time constant (xcfx84RC) that is dependent on the resistance and capacitance of the photodetector and the transit time (xcfx84T) that is the time taken for an electron or a hole to reach the metal electrode via a photo-absorption layer along the applied electric field (the transport length L and the direction of the electric field are shown in FIG. 1b).
In order to maximize the speed performance of a photodetector, these two factors must be optimized. In practice, the RC time constant (xcfx84RC) of an ultra-high speed photodetector is designed to have a significantly smaller value than the transit time (xcfx84T) and thus the speed performance is determined by the transit time of photo-generated electrons and holes.
Photons incident on the photo-absorption layer of a photodetector generate electron-hole pairs. The photo-generated electrons and holes travel in opposite directions according to the direction of electric field applied and reach the Schottky metal electrode, subsequently constituting electron and hole currents, respectively.
In general, the speed of electrons and holes in most of semiconductors is different. In fact, the speed of electron is much faster than that of hole. This is due to the difference in their effective mass. For example, in the case of In0.53Ga0.47As that is lattice-matched to InP substrate and used for detecting an optical signal having a wavelength of 1.5 xcexcm, the effective mass me of an electron is 0.041 mo whereas the effective mass mh of a hole is 0.46 mo (Here mo is the mass of a free electron). This shows that the effective mass of a hole is 10 times heavier than that of an electron.
FIG. 3 shows the photo-current response of conventional MSM photodetectors when an impulse-type optical signal is incident upon them. The total current here consists of electron and hole currents. The different pulse width of the electron current and the hole current is due to difference in speed of electrons and holes in semiconductors.
Consequently, the speed performance of MSM photodetectors, more specifically, the frequency bandwidth is determined by the speed characteristic of the holes. This can be represented quantitatively as follows.
If the time taken for an electron and a hole to travel through a photo-absorption layer (L in FIG. 1b) is xcfx84e and xcfx84h, respectively, then the frequency bandwidth of the photodetector B can be represent as;
B=xc2xdxcfx80(xcfx84e+xcfx84h)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83[Mathematical Equation 1]
Bxcx9c1(2xcfx80xcfx84h) since xcfx84 less than xcfx84h
As a result, it can be seen that the speed performance of MSM photodetectors is determined by the speed characteristic of holes. Accordingly, in order to improve the speed performance of MSM photodetectors the photocurrent response due to heles has to be modified.
In general, the photocurrent response of an MSM photodetector consists of electron current and hole current originating from the equal number of electrons and holes generated by photons. The hole current acts as a limiting factor for the speed performance of an MSM photodetector due to the low hole mobility (or speed). This speed performance limitation can be overcome by suppressing the magnitude of the hole current, making the electron current a dominant part of the total photocurrent of an MSM detector. Suppression of the hole current can be achieved by reducing the number of holes reaching the metal electrode.
FIG. 2b illustrates the operation principle of a conventional MSM photodetector. In FIG. 2b, the holes generated in the photo-absorption layer move upward (toward the metal electrode) due to the applied electric field. Since the direction of the electric field is aiding transport of the holes to the metal electrode the probability of the holes being converted to photocurrent increases. On the contrary, the electrons move downward (away from the metal electrode) due to the applied electric field. Since the direction of the electric field is hampering transport of the electrons to the metal electrode the probability of the electrons being converted to photocurrent decreases.
The object of the present invention is to improve the speed performance of an MSM photodetector by reducing the magnitude of the hole current. Reduction in the magnitude of the hole current can be achieved by deducing the probability of the holes generated in the photo-absorption layer eventually reaching the metal electrode. This objective is achieved by using an energy band structure constructed by a modified HEMT structure and a low-temperature grown compound semiconductor.
In order to achieve the object of the present invention, the method for manufacturing an MSM photodetector using a GaAs-based delta-doped HEMT structure according to the present invention comprises the steps of: forming an undoped AlxGa1-xAs (0xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa60.4) buffer layer which is grown on a GaAs semi-insulated substrate; forming an undoped low temperature grown InxGa1-xAs (0xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa60.3) epitaxial layer on said AlxGa1-xAs buffer layer; forming a p-type GaAs first photo-absorption layer which is grown on said low-temperature grown InxGa1-xAs layer; forming an undoped GaAs second photo-absorption layer which is grown on said GaAs first photo-absorption layer; forming an undoped AlxGa1-xAs (0xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa60.4) first barrier layer which is grown on said undoped GaAs second photo-absorption layer; forming an n-type delta-doped AlxGa1-xAs (0xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa60.4) second barrier layer which is grown on said undoped AlxGa1-xAs (0xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa60.4) first barrier layer; and forming an undoped AlxGa1-xAs (0xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa60.4) third barrier layer which is grown on said n-type delta-doped AlxGa1-xAs (0xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa60.4) second barrier layer.

Method for manufacturing MSM photodetector or using a HEMT structure incorporating a low-temperature grown semiconductor

Abstract: The use of a HEMT structure incorporating a low-temperature grown semiconductor can reduce the number of holes reaching the metal electrode of MSM detectors, resulting in reduced hole current. As a result, the photocurrent response of the MSM detector using a HEMT structure incorporating a low-temperature grown semiconductor is dominated by electron current, resulting in a significant improvement in speed performance.

Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology


A differential input amplifier stage having improved frequency compensation. Frequency compensation is achieved by cancelling one-half of the signal output of a differential error amplifier in the input stage, such that all error signals must pass through a "current-mirror" type load circuit in which a resistor-capacitor network is provided to roll off gain of the input stage.

The present invention relates to improved frequency compensation for analog integrated circuits, especially integrated circuit devices used in implementing voltage regulator circuits and other negative feedback circuits requiring ripple rejection.
As is well known, the basic architecture of a series-type voltage regulator circuit includes a pass element (e.g., a transistor) connected in series between a load and an unregulated supply line, an error amplifier which controls the pass element, a voltage reference generator connected to one input of the error amplifier and a negative feedback network connected between the other input of the error amplifier and the output of the regulator circuit. This type of architecture has been incorporated in many commercially available integrated circuits.
Most applications of a voltage regulator circuit require the circuit to be stable. Like any other circuit operating with negative feedback, a series-type voltage regulator circuit will tend to become unstable (i.e. break into oscillations) if total phase shift across the circuit for a particular frequency approaches 180.degree. and, simultaneously, the magnitude of the gain of the circuit at that frequency approaches unity. In an idealized voltage regulator circuit, stability is not a problem because total phase shift is limited to 90.degree. and overall gain exhibits a single-pole rolloff characteristic corresponding to a -6 dB/octave rolloff of dc open-loop gain for frequencies in excess of a relatively low 3-dB bandwidth w.sub.0.
However, as a result of excess phase shifts associated with active devices and stray capacitances inherent in practical voltage regulator circuits, total phase shift across such circuits typically exceeds 180.degree. at frequencies well within a desired range of operation. Therefore, it is usually necessary to compensate practical regulator circuits to provide stable operation. Such compensation is typically required in operational amplifier circuits as well.
Commonly, capacitors are placed in voltage regulator and operational amplifier circuits to provide frequency compensation. However, the integration of a voltage regulator or operational amplifier circuit complicates such frequency compensation by limiting the points that an external capacitor can be connected, and by imposing size constraints on internal capacitors.
One known frequency compensation technique associated with integrated circuit voltage regulator devices is to use an internal capacitor to reduce the gain of the differential input amplifier stage of the regulator at high frequencies. This technique is used, for example, in the LM120 integrated circuit negative voltage regulator device available commercially from various manufacturers. The differential input amplifier stage of the LM120 includes a differential amplifier coupled to a current mirror load. The current mirror load acts as a gain stage, and performs differential-to-single-ended signal conversion. The gain of the differential input amplifier stage is rolled off by coupling a bypass capacitor across the base-collector junction of the output transistor of the current mirror load. This approach, however, has shortcomings and disadvantages that limit the operating characteristics of the circuit.
For example, even with the internal capacitor, a differential input amplifier stage of the type in the LM120, which has npn-pnp composite transistors at its inputs, exhibits a gain of at least 0.25, no matter what the value of the internal capacitor is. In standard circuits that have a single transistor at each input instead of a composite like the LM120, this minimum gain is typically 0.5. Because the output stage of the device also introduces gain into the regulator system loop, unstable circuit conditions may still result. Also, regulator circuits, especially when used in power supplies, typically include an external capacitor coupled across the load to absorb transients. The external capacitor introduces a pole into the regulator system loop that, when combined with the pole created by the internal capacitor, can cause excess phase shift tending to exacerbate stability problems.
In most operational amplifier circuits, the voltage gain of the input stage can be rolled-off by placing an internal or external capacitor across the output stage, thus providing simple frequency compensation. However, the capacitor tends to pass signals at the amplifier supply line directly to the output. In a regulator circuit having a rectified ac voltage signal at its input, the capacitor would create ripple in the output voltage. This compensation technique therefore is not suitable for regulator circuits, or even for some operational amplifier circuits, where it is desired that the circuit have an ability to reject fluctuations of voltage signals on the power supply lines (i.e. ripple rejection).
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide a differential input amplifier stage for a voltage regulator or other circuit that does not require a large capacitor for frequency compensation, and that therefore can be implemented as part of an integrated circuit. It would also be desirable to be able to provide a differential input amplifier stage that can be compensated without degrading ripple rejection. Further, it would be desirable to be able to provide a differential input amplifier stage having a gain that can be rolled substantially below 0.25 (for a composite npn-pnp type input) or 0.5 (for a single transistor type input) over some range of frequencies and that can be compensated without causing stability problems when load conditions introduce an external pole approaching a 90.degree. phase shift.

Differential input amplifier stage with frequency compensation


A keyed spool bearing for a fishing reel of the type having a reel frame body or deck plate, there being a forwardly projecting cylindrical support or hub with a cylindrical bore therein on the reel frame body. A cylindrical center shaft bushing having an axial center shaft receiving bore is inserted into the bore of the cylindrical hub with a portion of the bushing extending forwardly from the cylindrical hub. The keyed spool bearing is mounted on the extending portion of the bushing. A line spool having a cylindrical bore of a predetermined diameter is mounted on the spool bearing. The keyed spool bearing has an annular body with an axial bore therein for receiving the forwardly protruding portion of the bushing. An integral key or tab extends axially and rearwardly from the annular body, the tab being configured to be received in a slot in the reel frame to secure the spool bearing against rotation relative to the reel frame upon rotation of the line spool.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to fishing reels and more particularly to a structure for fixedly mounting a spool bearing to the frame of a fishing reel.
2. Background Art
In one type of closed-face spinning reel, a reel frame or deck plate has a forwardly projecting integral hub having a bore therein. A bushing having a neck portion and an enlarged head portion has its neck portion inserted into the bore in hub with the head projecting forwardly therefrom. The bushing has an axial bore for receiving a centershaft. A spool bearing is attached to the neck portion of the bushing between the enlarged head portion and the hub. A cylindrical support is integrally formed in the reel frame proximate the base of the hub. A line carrying spool is mounted between the spool bearing and the cylindrical support. The line carrying spool is axially fixed and normally non-rotatable; however, provision is made for limited rotary slippage or "drag" of the spool relative to the reel frame for controlled withdrawal of line from the spool.
The rotary slippage or drag is controlled by a drag brake mechanism including a plurality of clutch elements in the form of C-shaped resilient rings mounted on the hub and disposed in a bore in the line spool. The C-shaped rings are held in place on the hub by the reel frame and the spool bearing. Each C-ring is split and a cam actuator is disposed in the split between opposite faces bounding the split. The cam actuator is arranged, upon rotation, to increase and decrease the effective outer diameter of the C-rings carried on the hub, thereby increasing and decreasing the frictional drag force applied to the spool by the C-rings.
When the drag brake mechanism is adjusted to permit rotation of the normally non-rotatable spool, the spool imparts torsion to the spool bearing. This torsion can be sufficient to cause the spool bearing to rotate relative to the hub. Such rotation is highly undesirable because it causes the drag brake mechanism which is mounted to the spool bearing to become misaligned, disrupting the drag control at high-end and low-end extreme drag settings. Moreover, the torsion may also cause bushing to rotate relative to the hub. Such rotation can lead to the spool bearing separating from the hub, thereby causing the line spool to become disengaged either from the spool bearing or the support surface. Either of these conditions will result in poor performance and eventual failure of the reel.
To overcome the undesirable rotation of the spool bearing and bushing, prior art structures have fixed the spool bearing to the bushing to prevent rotation of the spool bearing relative to the bushing when drag release occurs. The prior art methods of attaching the spool bearing to the bushing include press fitting the spool bearing to the bushing and drilling and pinning the spool bearing to the bushing. Press fitting has been found to not always hold the spool bearing securely. Drilling and pinning the spool bearing has proven excessively costly. Moreover, neither of these solutions assure the bushing will not be rotated relative to the reel body.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems attaching a spool bearing to the reel body discussed above.


An electronic ballast for discharge lamps with electrode filaments. The ballast contains a frequency-selective device, which suppresses an auxiliary heating current in the electrode filaments during operation of the lamp. Heating of the electrode filaments is possible only within a narrow frequency band.

The invention is based on an electronic ballast according to the preamble of claim 1.
An electronic ballast principally contains an AC voltage generator, which provides an AC voltage of an oscillation frequency that is substantially higher than the frequency of the mains voltage. Through suitable means, the electronic ballast must start an attached discharge lamp and subsequently make it operate. The starting of a discharge lamp with electrode filaments can be subdivided into preheating and ignition. For preheating, a current flows through the electrode filaments and brings them to a temperature which allows subsequent ignition that entails only minor damage to the electrode filament. Once the discharge lamp has been ignited, the operation of the discharge lamp begins. In this state, the current for the gas discharge in the lamp is supplied via the electrode filament terminals. A current which flows in at one electrode filament terminal is then divided into a part that flows into the gas discharge and a part that flows out again at the other terminal of the same electrode filament. The part of the current which does not flow into the gas discharge causes additional heating of the electrode filament in relation to the gas discharge, for which reason this current is referred to as an auxiliary heating current. In discharge lamps with fragile electrode filaments, this auxiliary heating current must be low in order to achieve a long life. It is therefore expedient for the electrode filaments to carry essentially the gas discharge current during operation. The auxiliary heating current should be small compared with the current for the gas discharge (at most 20%).
The document EP0748146 (Krummel) proposes a heating transformer for the preheating. The AC voltage generator feeds the preheating current into its primary winding. Each electrode filament is attached to a secondary winding of the heating transformer. A switch can be used to interrupt the flow of current in the primary winding of the heating transformer. This makes it possible to prevent any auxiliary heating current from flowing during operation, so that the electrode filaments carry essentially the gas discharge current. However, this solution requires a switch and the system needed for actuating it.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic ballast according to the preamble of claim 1, which does not need a switch for turning off the preheating and is therefore less expensive than the aforementioned solution.
This object is achieved, in the case of an electronic ballast having the features of the preamble of claim 1, by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1. Particularly advantageous configurations are given in the dependent claims.
According to the invention, the electronic ballast contains a frequency-selective device, which permits preheating of the electrode filaments only if the oscillation frequency of the electronic ballast is within a narrow frequency band, which is determined by the frequency-selective device. The frequency-selective device is preferably formed by a tuned circuit consisting of an inductor L and a capacitor C. The electronic ballast""s oscillation frequency, at which preheating is then possible, is given by the resonant frequency of this tuned circuit, where:       f    res    =      1          2            π                    LC
Of course, it is not necessary to comply exactly with this frequency. Instead, it is sufficient for the electronic ballast""s preheating oscillation frequency to be within a narrow frequency band around the resonant frequency fres. In practice, it has been found that a frequency band of +/xe2x88x9210% around the resonant frequency is sufficient.
The inductor of the tuned circuit may, according to the invention, be formed by the primary inductor of the heating transformer. That is to say, the inductor which constitutes the primary winding of the heating transformer, together with a series resonance capacitor connected in series or a parallel resonance capacitor connected in parallel, forms the tuned circuit. In principle, the tuned circuit may also be formed on the secondary side of the heating transformer. Since the impedance level is lower there, however, high resonant currents that constitute a high component load are produced.
In order to be able to form a sufficiently high primary inductance, a heating transformer with loose coupling may be selected.
Since the AC voltage generator of the electronic ballast often delivers a square-wave voltage, the tuned circuit can also be excited by harmonics. Since, according to the invention, no auxiliary current is meant to flow during operation of the lamp, the electronic ballast must not, at the operating frequency, excite the tuned circuit with a harmonic. The term xe2x80x9coperating frequencyxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the oscillation frequency at which the electronic ballast functions during operation of the lamp. Since a square-wave oscillation has only odd harmonics, the tuned circuit is configured, according to the invention, in such a way that its resonant frequency will be at, or close to, two times the operating frequency. The inventive concept is still achieved if the resonant frequency fres of the tuned circuit is two times the operating frequency to within a tolerance of +/xe2x88x9220%.

Ballast for gas discharge lamps with shutdown of the filament heating

Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fur Elektrische Glucklampen mbH


A system for positional monitoring of a slat flap lever control assembly including multiple radio frequency identification device (RFID) tags operatively coupled to a movable portion of the control assembly, the movable portion operatively coupled to a lever. Also included is a RFID reader operatively coupled to a stationary portion of the control assembly and in operative communication with the RFID tags. Further included is a processor operatively connected to the RFID reader. The processor is configured to transmit a carrier signal via the RFID reader to the RFID tags. The processor is also configured to receive, via the RFID reader, reflected signals from the RFID tags, each of the reflected signals comprising a different carrier frequency. The processor is further configured to determine, based on the reflected signal from the RFID tags, an angular position of the movable portion of the lever assembly relative to the stationary portion.

Exemplary embodiments pertain to the art of slat flap lever controls for aircrafts and, more particularly, to a position detection system and method associated with such slat flap lever controls.
Aircraft slat and flap systems include slats and flaps that are extended and retracted at variable positions depending on the aircraft's take-off or landing situation to provide high lift to the aircraft at lower aircraft speeds. Actuation of the slats and flaps is provided in response to input from an aircraft operator. The input is made by movement of a slat flap control lever. Current levers are analog and implemented using a rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT). After many cycles, the reliability of the analog lever may deteriorate due to changes in the RVDT air gap and channel-to-channel variation.

Position detection system for a slat flap lever control


A brazing fin material for heat exchangers includes a core material and a filler metal clad on each side of the core material, wherein the core material is an aluminum alloy including manganese, the filler metal is an aluminum alloy including 6 to 9.5 mass % of silicon, silicon particles in the filler metal have an average circle equivalent diameter of 3 μm or less, and the brazing fin material has a thickness of 0.06 mm or less.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brazing fin material for heat exchangers made of an aluminum alloy. More particularly, the present invention relates a brazing fin material for heat exchangers made of an aluminum alloy manufactured by joining a fin material and a working fluid passage material by brazing, such as a radiator, a heater core, an oil cooler, an intercooler, and a condenser or an evaporator for a car air conditioner, particularly to a brazing fin material for heat exchangers which rarely produces die wear when forming a fin and exhibits excellent intergranular corrosion resistance and joinability, a heat exchanger including the brazing fin material, and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
A heat exchanger made of an aluminum alloy is widely used as an automotive heat exchanger such as a radiator, a heater core, an oil cooler, an intercooler, and an evaporator and a condenser for a car air conditioner. A heat exchanger made of an aluminum alloy is manufactured by combining an aluminum alloy fin material or a brazing fin material in which a filler metal is clad on each side of an aluminum alloy with an extruded flat tube (working fluid passage material) made of an Al—Cu alloy, an Al—Mn alloy, an Al—Mn—Cu alloy, or the like, or with a tube obtained by forming a brazing sheet in which a filler metal is clad on one side of the above alloy in a flat shape, and joining the fin material and the tube through the filler metal by flux brazing using a chloride flux, inert gas atmosphere brazing using a fluoride flux, or vacuum brazing.
The filler metal is disposed on one side of the working fluid passage material or  each side of the fin material. As the filler metal, a filler metal made of an aluminum alloy containing silicon is generally used.
When using a brazing fin material for heat exchangers in which a filler metal is clad on a core material, the filler metal clad on the brazing fin material is melted by heating for brazing and flows toward the brazing joint portion to effect brazing. Silicon in the filler metal is diffused into the core material during heating for brazing. Since silicon tends to be diffused into the grain boundaries of the core material rather than into the grains, a region with a low potential is produced near the grain boundaries, whereby intergranular corrosion tends to occur in the core material after brazing.
The strength of the heat exchanger core is decreased by intergranular corrosion of the core material. When the filler metal is diffused only in the surface region of the core material, intergranular corrosion does not reach the center of the core material. Therefore, the strength of the heat exchanger core is ensured when the brazing fin material for heat exchangers has a large thickness.
In recent years, a further improvement in fuel consumption of automobiles has been demanded from the environmental point of view, and a reduction in weight has been increasingly demanded for automotive heat exchangers. Therefore, the constituent members of the heat exchanger such as a fin material and a working fluid passage material (tube material) have been reduced in thickness, and a fin material with a small thickness has been in demand.
If the thickness of the fin material is reduced, the filler metal is diffused into the core material along the thickness direction during brazing. As a result, intergranular corrosion occurs in the core material along the thickness direction after brazing, whereby the strength of the heat exchanger core cannot be ensured.
In order to solve the above problem, JP-A-2004-84060 attempts to reduce intergranular corrosion of a brazing fin material for heat exchangers by providing the core material before brazing with a fibrous structure, adjusting the grain size of the  structure after brazing to 50 to 250 μm, and specifying the metal elements and their content in the core material and the filler metal, for example.
However, when the thickness of the brazing fin material for heat exchangers is reduced to as small as 0.06 mm or less, the brazing fin material disclosed in JP-A-2004-84060 cannot sufficiently prevent intergranular corrosion.
In order to improve the heat transfer efficiency of the brazing fin material for heat exchangers with a cooling medium such as air, the coil of the brazing fin material is slit and corrugated using a forming die to increase the surface area or produce turbulent flows, thereby increasing heat exchange performance. However, when forming the brazing fin material for heat exchangers using a forming die, the die wears to a large extent in comparison with the case of forming a fin material on which a filler metal is not clad, whereby the life of the die is reduced.
When the thickness of the brazing fin material for heat exchangers is reduced, the amount of filler metal flowing toward the joint portion during brazing decreases, whereby the joinability of the joint portion deteriorates, or deformation (high-temperature buckling) due to high-temperature heating tends to occur. Therefore, the brazing fin material for heat exchangers is required to exhibit excellent joinability of the joint portion and excellent high-temperature buckling resistance, even if the thickness of the brazing fin material is reduced.
The brazing fin material for heat exchangers also has a problem in which intergranular corrosion of the core material cannot be sufficiently prevented when the thickness of the brazing fin material is reduced to as small as 0.06 mm or less, whereby it is difficult to ensure the strength of the heat exchanger core.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a brazing fin material for heat exchangers of which the core material rarely undergoes intergranular corrosion even if the thickness of the brazing fin material is reduced to 0.06 mm or less, ensures excellent joinability of the joint portion, exhibits excellent high-temperature  buckling resistance, and rarely causes die wear during corrugating, and a heat exchanger including a fin material in which intergranular corrosion rarely occurs.
JP-A-2003-39194 discloses a brazing sheet in which the coarse silicon particles in the filler metal have a maximum diameter of 20 μm or less. However, since JP-A-2003-39194 aims at preventing formation of holes in the brazing sheet due to melting during brazing, JP-A-2003-39194 differs in object from the present invention aiming at preventing intergranular corrosion of the brazing fin material after brazing. Since JP-A-2003-39194 relates to an invention of a brazing sheet, JP-A-2003-39194 does not take corrugating into consideration.

Brazing fin material for heat exchangers, heat exchanger, and method of manufacturing same


A method in one embodiment comprises extracting features from each of a plurality of software investigation log sets, generating representations for respective ones of the software investigation log sets based at least in part on the corresponding extracted features, and storing the representations in a knowledge base. In conjunction with obtaining at least one additional software investigation log set, the method generates a representation of the additional software investigation log set, identifies one or more of the representations previously stored in the knowledge base that exhibit at least a specified similarity to the representation of the additional software investigation log set in accordance with one or more statistical models, and presents information characterizing the one or more software investigation log sets corresponding to respective ones of the identified one or more representations in a user interface. The method is illustratively implemented in a machine learning system of a processing platform.

In many information processing systems, testing and other types of investigation of new or upgraded software products in conjunction with software deployment relies heavily on inefficient manual activities performed by software technicians. For example, it is common in some systems for individual technicians investigating failures or other issues relating to new or upgraded software products to separately characterize their respective investigations using key words of their choosing. Such an approach is not only inefficient, but it is highly subjective. For example, important relations between issues investigated by different technicians may not become apparent if the technicians choose different key words to describe their respective investigations. Conventional practices of this type can therefore unduly delay the process of deploying new or upgraded software in numerous contexts.

Similarity-based retrieval of software investigation log sets for accelerated software deployment


A device for drying work pieces, in particular vehicle wheels, having a dryer housing which borders a dryer chamber and has at least one access to the dryer chamber. Work piece carriers loaded with work pieces can be conveyed through the dryer chamber by a conveyance system. There is a transfer device which transfers work pieces to be dried to a work piece carrier located in the dryer chamber, and removes dried work pieces by a work piece carrier located in the dryer chamber. The work piece carriers can be conveyed in circulation through the dryer chamber without leaving same. A method for drying work pieces, wherein the work piece carriers are correspondingly conveyed through the dryer chamber without leaving same, wherein work pieces to be dried are transferred to a work piece carrier located in the dryer chamber and dried work pieces are removed by a work piece carrier located in the dryer chamber.

Devices and methods of this kind which are known from the market are used, for example, in order to dry freshly painted workpieces, or even workpieces whose surface has been treated in some other way, in a drying oven. This should also be understood to include, in the present case, the stoning of powder coatings onto workpieces.
In the present case, vehicle wheels are mentioned as an example of the workpieces to be dried. However, the workpieces to be dried may also be other assemblies and components which may also be produced from non-metallic materials, in particular from plastic. If the components in question are fairly small parts, these may be accommodated in a carrying basket or the like which may be fastened to the workpiece-carrier.
In the case of drying ovens and methods which are known from the market for the purpose of drying vehicle wheels, it is usual for a number of vehicle wheels to arrive from a preceding treatment on a workpiece-carrier and then to be conveyed, also on the latter, through the dryer chamber. Under these circumstances, temperatures of, for example, about 180° C. prevail, at least in a drying zone.
After the vehicle wheels have passed through the dryer chamber and the drying process in the drying oven has been completed, the vehicle wheels are conveyed out of the dryer chamber again, together with the workpiece-carrier. This means that the workpiece-carriers are conveyed together with the vehicle wheels as they pass through the dryer chamber.
On each occasion, therefore, it is also necessary to heat up the workpiece-carrier with the vehicle wheels, or workpieces in general, that are to be dried, which workpiece-carrier also cools down again with the workpieces after passing through the drying oven.
Depending upon the ratio between the weight of the workpiece-carrier and the weight of the workpieces on said workpiece-carrier, a considerable portion of energy is consumed for the purpose of heating up the workpiece-carrier in the course of each drying operation, a fact which significantly impairs the overall energy balance of the drying device with respect to the workpieces to be dried, and thus increases the overall running costs of the installation.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a device and a method for drying workpieces of the kind initially mentioned, in which the energy balance is improved.

Device and method for drying work pieces


A die and a process are provided for extruding thermoplastic film with a controlled bead thickness. The die includes inserts at the ends of the die to alter flow of molten thermoplastic material.

This invention relates to an extrusion die employed in the manufacture of webs of thermoplastic polymeric materials and to manufacture of such webs using that extrusion die.
In the commercial manufacture of extruded thermoplastic webs, one serious deficiency in product quality has been nonuniform and excessively thickened edges. Webs will, hereinafter, be called "films" and will be considered to include films, sheets, ribbons, and any thin, shaped, article of indefinite length and large lateral extension. Extrusion of films is accomplished by forcing molten thermoplastic material through an orifice or die slit which has lips spaced apart to make a film of the desired thickness. The spacing of the lips is at least equal to, and sometimes as much as ten times or more, the desired film thickness. The molten extrudate is generally deposited on a chilled, moving, surface where it is frozen into film form.
From the die lips to the chilled surface, the edges of the extrudate thicken due to various forces including the surface tension of the molten material and the speed of the chilled, moving surface relative to the extrusion velocity of material being extruded. The thickened material is known as a "bead" and, in further processing, the bead edge must be trimmed off and discarded. The bead, thus, represents wasted material unless recycled and, in any event, represents a reduction in yield. While some bead thickening may be desirable to facilitate handling of the film, in uncontrolled film extrusion processes the beads may be as much as 2 to 20 times as thick as the unthickened film and thickening over about 1.5 times is generally taken to be undesirable.
The die of this invention is useful for extruding films of a wide variety of thermoplastic materials including polyolefins such as, polyethylene and polypropylene, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate, vinyl polymers such as polyvinyl chloride, and the like. It has been found to be especially useful in the manufacture of films of polyethylene terephthalate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,107,191, the extruded film width and bead thickness are controlled by means of inserts located between the die lip surfaces at the ends of the die and shaped such that the inward edges of the inserts diverge slightly approaching the exit of the slit. The patent discloses that this divergence of the inserts causes the film edges to be of the same thickness as interior portions of the film. The thickness of film which can be manufactured by the means of this device cannot be adjusted except by changing to inserts of adjusted thickness.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,274 the width of extruded film is adjusted by means of so-called deckle bars which are placed in the die outlet, where die lip surfaces are parallel, to completely block the flow of molten material. The use of two or more deckles in each molten flow stream is disclosed to permit adjustment of edge bead thickness by adjustment of the relative locations of the deckles. Adjustment of the die outlet slit, and, therefore, film product thickness, is limited by the fact that the edge-starving deckles are bars of small diameter and must remain in contact with both die lip surfaces along the complete length of the deckle.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,694,132; 3,706,518; and 3,711,235 all disclose the use of external deckle plates and internal deckle rods as an aid to adjusting the width and edge bead thickness of extruded film. The deckle rods are disclosed to have a variety of configurations but all must be in constant sealing contact with each die lip surface in the die outlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,982,995 also discloses use of deckle rods to reduce edge bead thickness. That patent discloses deckle rods which are fitted into holes drilled in the die body along the path of extrusion and which deckle rods have inward-projecting ends which have been cut in a flat slant. The flat slant, it is disclosed, permits some control of molten flow by virtue of the variable amount of interference to flow realized by twisting the deckle in its hole.
It has been found that any internal die configuration which causes "dead space" where molten material can stagnate will cause degradation of the material so stagnated. Thus, a die configuration with sharp discontinuities, such as steps on which deckles rest or cylindrical cavities into which deckle rods fit or crevices between deckle rods and inner walls of the die body, is a die configuration which results in some degree of material degradation. The situation is aggravated in dies with deckles extending inward from the die end for any substantial distance.
In addition, it has been found that restrictions in flow which cause a turbulence result in striations in the extruded film product. Thus, barrier or deckle configurations which are irregular or unstreamlined result in continuous marking along the edge of the extruded film.


A multi-deck electric outlet assembly, which includes a base, a body mounted on the base, the body having a series of steps raised one above another at one side, and a landing at the topside thereof, the steps each having a sloping riser, multiple electric socket units respectively installed in the landing and the risers of the steps and respectively connected to a circuit board at the base, and a power cable inserted through a wire hole on the base and connected to the circuit board.

The present invention relates to an electric outlet, and more specifically to a multi-deck electric outlet assembly, which comprises a body having a landing and a series of steps, multiple electric socket units respectively installed in the landing and the risers of the steps and connected to a circuit board, which is in turn connected to power supply through a power cable.
A variety of electric outlets have been disclosed for use to provide city power supply to electric/electronic apparatus. In order to provide power supply to a computer system and the related computer peripheral apparatus such as monitor, printer, modem, speaker, scanner, digital camera, etc., multiple electric outlets may be necessary. When multiple movable electric outlets are used with a computer system and the related computer peripheral apparatus, it is difficult to keep the electric outlets and the power cables of the computer system and the related computer peripheral apparatus in order. Further, when a transformer is installed in an electric outlet having multiple electric socket units, it occupies much face space of the electric outlet, and may hinder the application of other electric socket units of the electric outlet.


Embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for a printed circuit board (PCB) with a recess to accommodate discrete components of a package attachable to the PCB, in accordance with some embodiments. In one embodiment, a PCB may include a recess disposed in at least a portion of the PCB, to receive at least a portion of a package. The package may be attachable to the PCB via a plurality of connectors. The connectors may be disposed on a side of the package that faces the PCB. The portion of the package may include one or more discrete components disposed on the side of the package that faces the PCB. The recess may have a depth to accommodate those discrete components that have a height that is greater than a height of the connectors. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Current printed circuit board (PCB) may be provided with a through hole (e.g., a hole in the motherboard (HiMB)), to enable sufficient clearance for accommodating discrete components, such as capacitors, inductors, or the like, that may be attached at the bottom of a semiconductor package to be mounted on the PCB. However, using such through holes requires removing potentially valuable PCB layers that could have been used for signal routing or other needs. Furthermore, PCB with through holes provided for accommodating discrete components of a package may require providing a special shield to the opposite side of the PCB, to reduce or eliminate electromagnetic interferences, to which the package may be susceptible. Such solutions may result in an increase of the overall size (e.g., z-height) of the PCB, which may negatively impact form factor requirements, particularly for PCB to be used in compact computing devices, such as smart phones or wearable devices.

Printed circuit board with a recess to accommodate discrete components in a package


In order to provide a simple, low-cost fuel injection system, particularly for a dual zoned annular combustor (10), a single fuel manifold (42) is utilized having first and second manifold portions (42a and 42b) each with a respective plurality of openings (44a and 44b) through which fuel may flow into first and second fuel injection zones (34 and 36). The annular combustor (10) typically includes a combustor housing (12) comprising an axially extending sleeve (14) disposed about a longitudinally extending axis (16) and an annular liner (18) defining a combustion chamber (26) and being spaced from the housing (12) and the sleeve (14) to form a compressed air flow path (28) therebetween. By providing a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings (38and40) through an outer wall (22) of the liner (18) in each of a pair of axially spaced planes so as to be in communication with the first and second fuel injection zones (34and 36), the first and second manifold portions (42a and 42b) are operative to inject fuel through the liner (18) so that it enters the combustion chamber (26) in a generally tangential direction into the first duel injection zone (34) axially adjacent a radially extending wall (24) of the liner (18) and into the second fuel injection zone (36) axially adjacent the first fuel injection zone (34).

Most relatively small missiles in use today are propelled by solid fuel rockets as opposed to, for example, turbine engines. The selection of a solid fuel rocket as a propulsion device has been largely dictated by two factors. First, in many instances, a turbine engine cannot be fabricated sufficiently economically as to compete with a solid fuel rocket engine. Secondly, in small sized missiles, i.e., those having relatively small diameters on the order of about four inches, it has heretofore been quite difficult to manufacture an efficient turbine engine. The difficulty lies in the fact that the turbine engine must fit within the four inch envelope required of the propulsion unit for such a missile. Unfortunately, the use of solid fuel rocket engines has had consequences that are not entirely desirable in many applications.
Specifically, the use of solid fuel rocket engines results in the loss of some degree of control of the missile flight path or trajectory. In contrast, control is far greater with gas turbine engines whose output can readily be varied. Further, even if the gas turbine engine operates relatively inefficiently, the use of such an engine would greatly extend the range of the missile.
As will be appreciated, one of the difficulties in economically producing small diameter gas turbine engines resides in the labor intensive nature of the manufacture of the combustor. Furthermore, as combustor sizes shrink so as to fit within some desired envelope, the difficulty in achieving efficient combustion of fuel rises significantly. In particular, as the size or volume of a combustor is reduced, there may be insufficient volume to allow the fuel to first be vaporized completely, burned efficiently, and then mixed uniformly.
In order to overcome the foregoing, a unique low cost annular combustor was developed as disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,754, issued Jan. 3, 1989. This annular combustor has proven to be well suited for its intended purpose, but it was desired to attempt to achieve greater performance characteristics with a higher turbine inlet temperature while meeting the necessary size constraints and achieving the goal of simplicity coupled with ultralow cost for throw away missile applications. For this purpose, it was recognized that a new approach would be required to completely reach the necessary parameters of operation.
In order to achieve these objectives, a combustor having enhanced turbine nozzle cooling was developed as disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,640, issued May 2, 1989. And as a further improvement in this field, an inexpensive annular combustor promoting both full and efficient vaporization and combustion along with thorough mixing for uniform exit temperatures was developed. More specifically, such a combustor is disclosed in commonly owned and co-pending patent application U.S. Ser. No. 455,588, filed Dec. 22, 1989.
While all of these represent significant advancements in the field, it is believed that still further enhanced operating parameters are capable of being achieved. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to still more fully overcoming the foregoing problems while achieving this objective to the fullest extent possible.

Dual zone single manifold fuel injection system


A recessed electrical box with a closeable cover member. The box may include a flange that serves as a positioning arrangement to recess the electrical box at the correct depth with respect to the surface in which it will be mounted. The recessed electrical box includes of two pieces, including a one-piece electrical box and a one-piece cover member. The cover member is of minimal size with respect to the electrical box to minimize the cost of construction. The electrical box can be installed on an exterior wall, including either as a retrofit on a finished building or as an installation on the wall of a building under construction. The outward extending flange may include an inner flange for positioning the recessed electrical box with respect to the outer surface of the substrate on a building under construction. The inner flange is removable to facilitate installation in a retrofit situation, in which the finish layer such as siding, stucco, or masonry is installed. The recessed electrical box may include a second, outer flange, for recessing the box at the correct depth with respect to a finished surface and to occlude from view the sidewalls of the box at their juncture with the finished surface. The one-piece electrical box includes side walls of that are spaced substantially the same distance apart from the front edge to the back wall of the box.

Recessed electrical boxes for retrofitting on finished walls or for use in new construction were disclosed in co-pending U.S. application Ser. Nos. 10/863,942 and 11/009,116, commonly owned by the assignee of the present invention, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The recessed electrical box disclosed in the co-pending applications comprised an electrical box having an inner enclosure for housing an electrical device and an outer enclosure for recessing the inner enclosure well within a wall. One or more flanges extended outwardly from the electrical box. For mounting to new construction, a first, breakaway inner flange was left intact and utilized as is for securing the box to the newly constructed building's substrate. Conversely, if mounted to an existing building in a retrofit situation, the inner flange was broken away to allow insertion of the box within an appropriately sized hole created for the box in the existing building. An outer flange was provided for masking the siding or other wall covering at the juncture of the electrical box with the surrounding siding. A cover member having a narrow peripheral side wall was provided for closing and rainproofing the electrical device therein. The co-pending applications disclosed the outer enclosure of the electrical box being a larger size than the inner enclosure to facilitate easy access to the inner enclosure and easy shedding of any residual rainfall that penetrated therein.
Although an electrical box based on the principles of the co-pending applications provided an improved rainproof electrical box, the different size enclosures, being typically molded in one piece of plastic, unnecessarily complicated the molding process and added to the expense of producing the box.
Accordingly, the present invention improves upon the rainproof recessed outlet box of the co-pending applications by providing a rainproof recessed outlet box that is of simpler construction and more economical to produce. The electrical box includes side walls that are spaced substantially the same distance apart from the front edge of the box to the back wall. The outlet box recesses the outlet substantially behind the wall surface, thereby providing protection to the outlet from hard impacts capable of breaking the protective cover. Additionally the outlet box is of simple construction and assembled from a minimum number of separate parts. Furthermore, the construction should be such that the size of the cover is minimized, to minimize the cost of producing the outlet box.


A voltage control system includes a first voltage converter, a second voltage converter and a voltage monitoring module. The first voltage converter is coupled to a first power source and configured to convert first electrical energy of the first power source into a first output voltage. The second voltage converter is coupled to a second power source and configured to convert second electrical energy of the second power source into a second output voltage. The voltage monitoring module is coupled to the first voltage converter and the second voltage converter. The voltage monitoring module is configured to regulate the first output voltage or the second output voltage by controlling the first voltage converter and the second voltage converter according to the first output voltage and the second output voltage.

Generally electrical devices operate through electrical energy supplied by power modules. Many electrical devices demand higher power, such as virtual reality devices or laptops. However, a single high power module could not be carried about because of rules in different districts. Therefore, a plurality of low power module and connected in parallel could be used as a single high power module to supply high power and could be carried about across districts. However, error values exist between the converted voltages of power modules when those power modules are connected in parallel to supply electrical energy. The error values cause the decrease of voltage conversion efficiency and the increase of the system temperature, and then the power modules' efficiency becomes poor.


A load monitor responsive to tension or pressure is disclosed. The monitor has attachment portions at its ends and a transmitter. The attachment portions are electrically isolated from one another and the transmitter has its output connected to the attachment portions. Cables connected to the attachment portions act as an antenna for propagating the signal to a remotely located receiver.

This invention relates to a load monitor.
In particular, the invention concerns a tension monitor and it will be in relation to the monitoring of tension during the installation of electrical power cables that this invention will be described. It should be appreciated that this is by way of example only and that the monitor of the invention may be used for other purposes. For example, the monitor of the invention may be used for remote crane load indication and to monitor the compressive force applied to an article.
Load monitors are known and have variously been called force gauges or dynamometers. Such monitors are manufactured by M & W Engineering (Denmark), PIAB (Sweden) and ARNCO CORP (U.S.A.).
The M & W monitor had oppositely directed attachment portions and incorporated a load cell. An output display was visible on the housing of the monitor and remote reading was possible by securing a cable between the monitor and an optional remotely located control box. The cable disclosed was 10 meters in length.
The PIAB monitor also had a display for in situ reading. For remote reading the monitor was provided with a built-in potentiometer for transmitting a signal via a cable to a receiving instrument.
Such load monitors have a wide variety of uses in lifting, pushing and hauling applications. It has been found that in the laying of electrical cables in conduits are has to be taken to ensure that the cable is not subjected to undue tension as this can lead to damage to the cable. To lay electrical cables a capstan drive or winch was employed to wind in a winch cable to draw the electrical cable through the conduit. In the past attempts were made to monitor the tension applied to the winch cable. However, the tension to which the winch cable may be subjected need not necessarily correspond to the tension to which the electrical cable is subjected. U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,063 discloses a system for monitoring cable tension.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,459 discloses an apparatus for and a method of measuring tension in a pull line for an electrical cable. Clearly, where the electrical cable is underground or within a duct, remote readings of the tension are required. U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,459 discloses three ways in which the tension signal from the apparatus may be made available remotely of the apparatus. One way involved the use of a long pull tape between the apparatus and a remote receiver. The pull tape included conductors along which a tension indicative signal was conducted. The specification also proposed the use of an audio transducer and a microphone. This was not always practical because of the environment through which the electrical cable was drawn or the distances involved.
The final proposal required the presence of a separate conductor adjacent the duct or conduit through which the electrical cable was to be drawn. The apparatus included a transmitter for inducing tension indicative signals into the separate conductor. The separate conductor had a receiver associated with it. This proposal required the presence of a separate conductor and this was not always the case or possible to achieve.

The South East Queensland Electricity Board


A developing device for use in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a developer container for containing therein a developer to be used for the development of an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a developing unit for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member by the developer, an agitating member for agitating the developer contained in the developer container, an agitation support member for supporting the agitating member, a drive transmitting member for supporting one longitudinal end of the agitation support member on the developer container and driving the agitation support member, and a metallic support member for supporting the other longitudinal end of the agitation support member on the bearing portion of the developer container.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a developing device, a process cartridge, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, an agitation support member and an agitating member.
Here, the "electrophotographic image forming apparatus" refers to an apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium by the use of the electrophotographic image forming process. Examples of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus include, for example, an electrophotographic copier, an electrophotographic printer (e.g. a laser printer, an LED printer or the like), a facsimile apparatus and a word processor.
Also, the "process cartridge" refers to charging means, developing means or cleaning means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally made into a cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. It also refers to at least one of charging means, developing means and cleaning means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally made into a cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Further, it refers to at least developing means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally made into a cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the electrophotographic image forming process, there has heretofore been adopted a process cartridge system in which an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and process means acting on this electrophotographic photosensitive drum are integrally made into a cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of the image forming apparatus. According to this process cartridge system, the maintenance of the apparatus can be done by a user himself without resorting to a serviceman and therefore, the operability of the apparatus could be markedly improved. So, this process cartridge system is widely used in image forming apparatuses.
Such a process cartridge has a developing device comprising a toner container for containing a toner (developer) therein and a developer container containing developing means therein in order to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the toner container and the developer container being coupled together and made integral with each other. An agitation support member having an agitating member, or an agitating member integrally having an agitating portion and an agitation support portion is provided in the toner container of the developing device so as to be capable of transmitting a drive force, and the toner is carried to the developing means while being agitated by the agitation support member or the agitating member.

Developing device, process cartridge, electrophotographic image forming apparatus, agitation support member and agitating member


The invention relates to a flexible orifice for pop-up style dispensing with a wet wipes dispenser. The orifice includes a flexible, rubber-like sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface. A continuous slit extends across the top and bottom surfaces of the sheet and enables a wet wipe to pass from the bottom surface to the top surface or from the top surface to the bottom surface. The continuous slit has at least one curved portion connected with at least one non-curved portion.

Wipes have been made from a variety of materials which can be dry or wet when used. Wet wipes can be moistened with a variety of suitable wiping solutions. Typically, wet wipes have been stacked in a container in either a folded or unfolded configuration. For example, containers or dispensers for wet wipes have been available wherein each of the wet wipes stacked in the container has been arranged in a folded configuration such as a c-folded, z-folded or quarter-folded configuration as are well known to those skilled in the art. Sometimes the folded wet wipes have also been interfolded with the wet wipes immediately above and below in the stack of wet wipes. In an alternative configuration, the wet wipes have been placed in the container in the form of a continuous web of material which includes perforations to separate the individual wet wipes and which can be wound into a roll. Such wet wipes have been used for baby wipes, hand wipes, household cleaning wipes, industrial wipes and the like.
The conventional packages which contain wipes, such as those described above, have typically been designed to be positioned on a flat surface such as a countertop, changing table or the like. Such conventional packages have generally provided a plastic container, tub or package which provides a sealed environment for the wet wipes to ensure that they do not become overly dry. Some of the conventional packages have also been configured to provide one at a time dispensing of each wet wipe which can be accomplished using a single hand after the package has been opened. Such single handed, one at a time dispensing, often referred to as xe2x80x9cpop-upxe2x80x9d dispensing, is particularly desirable because the other hand of the user or care giver is typically required to be simultaneously used for other functions. For example, when changing a diaper product on an infant, the care giver typically uses one hand to hold and maintain the infant in a desired position while the other hand is attempting to dispense a baby wipe to clean the infant.
However, the dispensing of wipes from such conventional containers for wipes has not been completely satisfactory. For example, this is due at least in part to the orifice through which wipes within the container are dispensed. In particular, for example, this concerns the configuration and characteristics of the orifice for dispensing a stack of wipes that are separably joined to each adjacent wipe in the stack to provide pop-up dispensing once an initial wipe in the stack is dispensed through the orifice. As another example, this can concern the relationship of a group of wipes in the stack to other wipes in the stack if groups of wipes make up the stack of wipes. As yet another example, these relationships between wipes concern, in conjunction with the wipes, the container from which the wipes are dispensed and characteristics thereof. The present invention builds upon the teaching disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 09/538,711 filed Mar. 30, 2000 entitled xe2x80x9cWET WIPE CONTAINER WITH FLEXIBLE ORIFICExe2x80x9d and assigned to the assignee of the present application, which prior application is incorporated fully herein by reference.
In response to the difficulties and problems discussed above, for example, new orifice configurations and characteristics enabling improved dispensing, and which may be more cost effective and reliable (e.g., reducing the likelihood of wipe fallback and/or reducing the likelihood of multiple wipes dispensing undesirably), have been discovered. For example, dispensing can be improved or made easier when a wipe is ready for dispensing upon the opening of a resealable wipes dispenser after the initial opening of the dispenser and use of a first wipe in a plurality of wipes. That is, a portion of the wipe is positioned in an orifice of the dispenser sufficiently protruding so a user can readily grasp the same and remove the entire individual wipe without premature tearing or non-dispensing of the top wipe. As another example wipe fallback can occur when a leading wipe in a plurality of wipes separates completely from a following or trailing wipe prematurely, i.e., before a sufficient portion of the following wipe is positioned within the dispenser orifice to remain there for later dispensing after the leading wipe is fully separated or disjointed from the trailing wipe outside the dispenser. In such a fallback situation, the following wipe would need to be re-threaded through the dispensing orifice when its dispensing is next desired. This may not be undesirable if done intentionally, i.e., if maintaining a maximum moisture level for the wipes is desired and the dispensing orifice is designed to easily accommodate reach-in retrieval of the next wipe. As yet another example multiple wipes dispensing can occur when a leading individual wipe in a plurality of wipes does not timely separate completely from a following individual wipe while the following wipe is still at least partially maintained in the dispensing orifice, i.e., the following wipe dispenses completely out of the dispenser with the leading wipe causing two (or more) wipes to dispense substantially simultaneously. This can be desirable when two (or more) wipes are needed, but if only one is desired, then this is not preferred. The purposes and features of the present invention will be set forth in and are apparent from the description that follows, as well as will be learned by practice of the invention. Additional features of the invention will be realized and attained by the product and processes particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof, as well as from the appended drawings.
In one aspect, the invention provides a flexible orifice for pop-up style dispensing with a wet wipes dispenser. The orifice includes a flexible, rubber-like sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface. A continuous slit extends across the top and bottom surfaces of the sheet and enables a wet wipe to pass from the bottom surface to the top surface or from the top surface to the bottom surface. A first portion of the sheet has a first thickness and a second portion of the sheet located between the continuous slit and the first portion has a second thickness which is greater than or less than the first thickness.
In another aspect, the invention provides a wet wipes dispenser having a flexible orifice for pop-up style dispensing. The dispenser includes a rigid port positioned adjacent an end portion of the dispenser. The rigid port surrounds a flexible, rubber-like sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface. A continuous slit extends across the top and bottom surfaces of the sheet and enables a wet wipe to pass from the bottom surface to the top surface or from the top surface to the bottom surface. A first portion of the sheet has a first thickness and a second portion of the sheet located between the continuous slit and the first portion has a second thickness which is greater than or less than the first thickness.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a flexible orifice for pop-up style dispensing with a wet wipes dispenser. The orifice includes a flexible, rubber-like sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface. A continuous slit extends across the top and bottom surfaces of the sheet and enables a wet wipe to pass from the bottom surface to the top surface or from the top surface to the bottom surface. At least one hinge is located between the continuous slit and a surrounding portion of the sheet wherein a side of the sheet adjacent the continuous slit can pivot relative to the surrounding portion of the sheet via the hinge.
In still another aspect, the invention provides a flexible orifice for pop-up style dispensing with a wet wipes dispenser. The orifice includes a flexible, rubber-like sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface. A continuous slit extends across the top and bottom surfaces of the sheet and enables a wet wipe to pass from the bottom surface to the top surface or from the top surface to the bottom surface. The continuous slit has at least one curved portion connected with at least one non-curved portion.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a wet wipes dispenser having a flexible orifice for pop-up style dispensing. The dispenser includes a rigid port positioned adjacent an end portion of the dispenser, the dispenser having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis. The rigid port surrounds a flexible, rubber-like sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface. A continuous slit extends across the top and bottom surfaces of the sheet and enables a wet wipe to pass from the bottom surface to the top surface or from the top surface to the bottom surface. The continuous slit has at least one curved portion connected with at least one non-curved portion.
In yet other aspects, the invention provides various configurations for the sheet, the continuous slit and orientations of portions of the continuous slit and of the continuous slit relative to the dispenser.
In still other aspects, the invention is provided for use in various types of dispensers and for dispensing in various manners such as reach-in dispensing and popup dispensing.
As used herein, wet wipes of the invention are considered xe2x80x9cseparably joinedxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cseparably joiningxe2x80x9d (and variations thereof) when each wipe of a plurality, e.g., in a stack of wipes, is engaging any adjacent wipe while in the dispenser or package such that withdrawing the leading wipe through the dispenser or package opening also withdraws at least a portion of the following wipe through the opening before the leading wipe and the following wipe separate completely from each other. Such engaging of any adjacent wipe can include a non-interfolded relationship in combination with one or more of the following between adjacent wipes: adhesive, friction, cohesion, fusion bonding (e.g., ultrasonic welding, heat sealing), mechanical entanglement (e.g., needle punching, steam sealing, embossing, crimping), autogeneous bonding, and/or weakened line(s) (e.g., perforations, zones of frangibility, score line(s), crush cutting).
As used herein, when the following wipe that has at least a portion through the opening of the dispenser or package is intentionally maintained in the opening after the leading wipe is completely separated from the following wipe, this is referred to as xe2x80x9cpop-upxe2x80x9d format or dispensing. To be intentionally maintained in the opening means the opening is configured to so maintain the wipe therein, such as through use of a constricting orifice or opening being smaller than the wipe in at least one dimension of the wipe.
As used herein, xe2x80x9creach-inxe2x80x9d dispensing is understood to mean having to fetch a wipe out of a dispenser through an opening substantially co-extensive with the walls of the dispenser or through a restricted opening smaller than the perimeter defined by the walls. In either case, the top wipe for dispensing rests on top of the remainder of the stack of wipes and the top wipe needs to be separated from the remainder of the stack each time anew when dispensing is desired. An example of a reach-in dispenser is found in the currently available baby wipes product sold by Kimberly-Clark Corporation of Neenah, Wis. under the trade name HUGGIES(copyright) Supreme Care.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9crigidxe2x80x9d is used to mean a level of stiffness commonly associated with materials used to manufacture wet wipes tubs. Numerically, these materials typically have a flexural modulus (as measured in accordance with ASTM D790 xe2x80x9cStandard Test Method for Flexural Properties of Unreinforced and Reinforced Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materialsxe2x80x9d) of about 500 Newtons per square millimeter or greater, more specifically from about 1100 to about 1550 Newtons per square millimeter.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, are included to illustrate and provide a further understanding of the wipes of the invention. Together with the description, the drawings serve to explain the various aspects of the invention.

Flexible orifice for wet wipes dispenser


There are disclosed herein a gelatin coating composition which comprises succinated gelatin as the main component and polyethylene glycol, and a hard gelatin capsule formed from said gelatin coating composition. The hard gelatin capsule has sufficient mechanical strength for filling operation. Moreover, it does not become insoluble due to reaction with a special drug having an aldehyde group filled therein. Therefore, it can be used for various drugs, especially macrolide antibiotics for which conventional hard gelatin capsules are inadequate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new gelatin coating composition and a hard gelatin capsule formed therefrom. More specifically, it relates to a gelatin coating composition composed of succinated gelatin (alone or in combination with unmodified gelatin) and polyethylene glycol, and a gelatin capsule made from the gelatin coating composition which easily disintegrates without becoming brittle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hard capsules are conventionally made from gelatin (unmodified gelatin) incorporated with a plasticizer such as glycerin and sorbitol. Such conventional hard capsules are referred to as ordinary gelatin capsules hereinafter.
Such ordinary gelatin capsules suffer from the disadvantage of having amino groups which readily react with drugs having aldehyde groups therein such as macrolide antibiotics. The reaction between the amino groups of the capsules and the aldehyde groups of the drugs gives rise to giant molecules, with the result that the capsules become insoluble to such an extent that they do not disintegrate within a certain period of time prescribed in the Pharmacopoeia of Japan. This problem is involved even in the long-term acceleration test at 40.degree. C. and 75% RH which should be attached to the application for the drug manufacturing license.
Under the situation, the present inventors had proposed a hard capsule made from succinated gelatin. See Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 186314/1986. This capsule, however, is inferior in mechanical strength to ordinary gelatin capsules and hence it is liable to break when it is filled with drug formulation or stored for a long time. Therefore, it has not yet been put to practical use.

Gelatin coating composition and hard gelatin capsule