A mild, alkaline permanent wave reducing composition and method of permanently waving or reshaping human hair that provides a strong, long lasting curl like an alkaline permanent wave composition but leaves the hair soft like an acid permanent wave composition and leaves essentially no post-perm odor. The composition contains about 2.0% to about 6.5% by weight of a cysteine reducing agent compound selected from the group consisting of cysteine, a cysteine salt, and mixtures thereof; about 4.5% to about 8.0% of a thioglycolate; and sufficient additional alkali, if necessary, to bring the pH of the composition within the rang of about 7.5 to about 9.5.

In general, permanent waving of human hair is achieved by chemically breaking the sulfur to sulfur or disulfide cystine bonds occurring naturally in human hair and then reforming the cystine bonds while the hair is wrapped or curled on rods. The sulfur to sulfur cystine bonds in human hair maintain the hair in a naturally straight or curly configuration and, in order to permanently reshape the hair into a lasting, different configuration, a significant percentage of the sulfur to sulfur bonds must be broken and then reestablished after the hair is reconfigured in a desired position, such as wrapped around a suitable mandrel or roller. In general, the sulfur to sulfur cystine bonds are broken with a composition containing a reducing agent and after the hair is wound into a curl formation around a rod or roller, the sulfur to sulfur cystine bonds are relinked or reestablished while the hair is in the curl formation by contacting the hair in the new formation with an oxidizing agent, such as hydrogen peroxide or a water-soluble bromate.
There are three general types of permanent wave compositions or lotions used to break the cystine bonds in human hair, generally known as acid wave compositions; alkaline wave compositions; and neutral wave compositions. Of these three, the acid and alkaline wave compositions are most significant commercially. Permanent wave compositions containing an alkaline salt of thioglycolic acid (TG), such as ammonium thioglycolate as the reducing agent, are generally known as alkaline wave compositions and generally have a pH in the range of about 7.5 to about 9.4. The alkaline wave compositions are known as the conventional cold wave compositions, since free alkali penetrates and swells the hair shaft allowing the reducing agent to enter the hair shaft and break the sulfur to sulfur bonds without added heat. The permanent wave compositions containing glycerol monothioglycolate (GMTG) are known as acid wave compositions even though the pH of these compositions can be as high as about 9.0. Generally speaking, the acid permanent wave compositions have a lower pH than the alkaline permanent wave compositions and, therefore, require heat and/or longer processing time to achieve sufficient reaction of the reducing agent. The alkaline permanent wave compositions produce a stronger, longer lasting curl while the acid permanent wave compositions provide a softer feel but a shorter curl duration. The permanent wave compositions containing an alkaline salt of thioglycolic acid and/or glycerol monothioglycolate leave the hair with a very noticeable sulfur odor.
The reducing action of mercaptans on keratin is due mostly to the dissociated form of the thiol groups, the thiolate anion. Acid permanent waves sufficiently curl hair at a lower pH compared to alkaline permanents because the waving agents in these permanents have low pKa values and thus exist predominantly in dissociated (thiolate) form at a pH near neutral, or slightly acidic pH. Hence, the pKa value shows that some mercaptans are efficient at high pH while others with a low pKa value and high ionization constant are efficient at lower pH values. For example, it is well known that the alkaline salts of thioglycolic acid, e.g., the ammonium salt of thioglycolic acid (pKa=10.4) has acceptable waving efficiency only if the pH of solution exceeds 9.0, see Zviak, Charles, The Science of Hair Care, Permanent Waving and Hair Straightening, p. 191, 1986; while amides such as thioglycolamide (pKa=8.4), and esters such as glycerol thioglycolate (pKa=7.8) give acceptable waving efficiency at neutral and even slightly acid pH.
The cysteine and thioglycolate-based reducing agent-containing composition and method of the present invention are unexpectedly effective in the pH range of about 7.5 to about 9.5 and particularly in the pH range of about 9.0 to about 9.5. Compositions having a pH in the lower end of the pH range (e.g., about 7.5 to about 8.5) are most effective for bleached hair, while compositions having a pH in the higher end (e.g., about 9.0 to about 9.5) are most effective for normal and curl-resistant hair. A number of compositions can be provided that are particularly suited for permanent waving hair in different conditions.
For example, a composition for permanently waving normal and tinted hair (hair with little damage) contains about 5.0% to about 7.0% thioglycolate and about 4.0% to about 6.0% cysteine; a composition for bleached hair contains about 3.5% to about 5.5% thioglycolate and about 2.0% to about 4.0% cysteine; and a composition for curl-resistant hair contains about 5.5% to about 7.5% thioglycolate and about 5.0% to about 6.5% cysteine.
Different reducing agents are effective to break the cystine bonds that cross link human hair protein at different pH's. Generally speaking, the acid permanent wave compositions having a lower pH include reducing agents such as bisulfites, e.g., ammonium bisulfite, or glycerol monothioglycolate, capable of breaking the sulfur to sulfur cystine bonds within lower pH ranges, whereas the alkaline permanent wave compositions, having pH's in the range of about 7.5 to 9.5, require an alkaline salt of thioglycolic acid or an alkaline salt of a dithioglycolic acid--so that the alkali can penetrate and swell the hair shaft for easier penetration of the reducing agent in order to break the sulfur to sulfur cystine bonds.
Perhaps the most difficult factor for the applier of the permanent wave lotion to assess in determining how long to apply the reducing agent to the hair is the condition of the hair at the time of the permanent wave. It is well documented in the literature and prior art that the hair can be damaged by abuse of chemicals, e.g., by shampooing, permanent waving, tinting, frosting, bleaching, and particularly any hair treatment involving the use of hydrogen peroxide; mechanical treatment, e.g., thermal appliances; and environmental conditions, e.g., climate and pollution. It is well known that damaged hair, depending upon the stage and degree of damage of the hair, has significantly different chemical activity to reducing agents than normal or undamaged hair. If too many of the sulfur to sulfur bonds in the hair are broken by the reducing agent, the hair will be seriously weakened and may disintegrate.
It is theorized that somewhere in the range of about 20% to about 60% of the natural sulfur to sulfur cystine bonds in the hair shafts should be broken in order to give the hair the capability of being reshaped to any desired shape, such as curled around a rod or roller, and capable of retaining this shape. If too few of the sulfur to sulfur bonds are broken, the natural or normal configuration of the hair will predominate, causing the hair to retain its previous shape. This is because the predominant prior or natural bonds in the hair dictate that the hair will remain in the old configuration or shape. Hydrogen bonds are physically broken when wet hair is stretched and wrapped around a roller. When the hair is dried, the hydrogen bonds are reformed in a curled position or shape. While the hydrogen bonds aid to maintain the hair in the new configuration, the sulfur to sulfur cystine bonds are much stronger and, to a much greater extent than the hydrogen bonds, control the efficacy of the permanent wave.
In order to successfully provide a satisfactory permanent wave in the hair, the sulfur to sulfur cystine bonds reformed in the hair in the new or curled configuration, when the hair is later oxidized with the neutralizing agent, should be as strong as the prior or natural cystine hair bonds. It is desired, therefore, when permanent waving, that enough new bonds in a new hair configuration are formed during permanent waving to equal the number of old bonds remaining that tend to form the hair in its prior or natural configuration, whether it be straight or naturally curled.
Generally, the reducing agent lotion is applied to the hair by first shampooing the hair and then applying the reducing agent lotion to the hair, either before or after the hair is wrapped around suitable rollers. When the reducing agent lotion is applied to sections of the head prior to rolling that portion of the hair onto the rods it is called a lotion wrap whereas when the hair is rolled on the rods or rollers first and then the lotion applied onto all of the hair after rolling, this is called a water wrap. The timing for the reducing agent to be in contact with the hair for a lotion wrap is begun from the time that all rods are on the head, and the timing for a water wrap begins from the time that the lotion application is completed. The capability of using a water wrap is clearly more desirable since the lotion is applied to the entire head of hair all at once in a short period of time and can be rinsed from the hair all at once to provide a more uniform reducing agent contact time for all of the hair.
In accordance with the present invention, an alkaline permanent wave composition is provided in a single formula capable of being water wrapped with or without the use of a dryer, heating caps or other heat treatment to speed the reducing agent reaction. The composition of the present invention produces a strong curl similar to alkaline wave composition yet leaves the hair feeling soft like an acid wave composition without post-perm odor normally associated with thioglycolate-containing, e.g., ammonium thioglycolate-containing permanent wave composition.
Prior art alkaline compositions containing a salt of thioglycolic acid as a reducing agent are known to produce a tight curl but leave the hair feeling harsh due to the high alkalinity content. Such compositions, however, produce a distinct post-perm sulfur odor, even if used with cysteine, due to the presence of too high a concentration of ammonium thioglycolate; or such compositions have a low perm efficacy. Prior art acid wave compositions containing glycerol monothioglycolate also leave the hair with a strong sulfur odor. Acid wave compositions generally require heat to help swell the hair for reaction with the reducing agent since the hair is not normally swelled sufficiently at the low pH of the acid wave compositions. The cysteine, thioglycolate-based reducing agent-containing permanent wave compositions of the present invention solve the above mentioned prior art deficiencies without causing a post-perm odor, even immediately after the permanent wave composition is applied.


Novel devices for the controlled release of active materials especially pharmaceuticals comprise a capsule formed from two separable pieces at least part of the capsule walls is water permeable. The capsule contains a water sensitive material which on contact with water causes the two pieces to separate. In the preferred embodiment the devices comprise a generally cylindrical tube closed at one or both ends by a water swellable plug. The devices find particular application as oral dosage forms for use in man.

A wide variety of devices for the controlled release of drugs have been proposed. These dosage forms which may be termed "sustained release", "timed release", "prolonged release" or "controlled release" forms are designed to dispense the drug in a controlled reproducible manner. Previous attempts to provide release in a short burst over a period of the order of minutes e.g. those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,741 have not been successful in controlling the delay before which the pulsed release of active material occurs.


A transistor including an oxide semiconductor and having favorable operation characteristics is provided. Further, by using the transistor, a semiconductor having improved operation characteristics can be provided. In planar view, one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the transistor is surrounded by a ring-shaped gate electrode. Further, in planar view, one of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the transistor is surrounded by a channel formation region. Accordingly, the source electrode is not electrically connected to the drain electrode through a parasitic channel generated in an end portion of an island-shaped oxide semiconductor layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosed invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device.
In this specification and the like, a semiconductor device refers to all types of devices which can function by utilizing semiconductor characteristics; an electro-optical device, a light-emitting display device, a semiconductor circuit, and an electronic device are all semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a metal oxide having semiconductor characteristics, which is called an oxide semiconductor, has attracted attention as a material of a transistor. Various metal oxides are used for a variety of applications. For example, indium oxide is used as a material of a pixel electrode in a display device such as a liquid crystal display device and an EL display device.
Further, attention has been focused on a technique for forming a transistor using a semiconductor thin film formed over a substrate having an insulating surface (also referred to as a thin film transistor (TFT)). The transistor is applied to a wide range of electronic devices such as an integrated circuit (IC) or an image display device (display device). A silicon-based semiconductor material is widely known as a material for a semiconductor thin film applicable to a transistor. As another material, an oxide semiconductor has been attracting attention.
Examples of such metal oxides having semiconductor characteristics include tungsten oxide, tin oxide, indium oxide, and zinc oxide, and transistors in each of which a channel is formed using such a metal oxide having semiconductor characteristics have been known. For example, a transistor whose active layer includes an amorphous oxide containing indium (In), gallium (Ga), and zinc (Zn) is disclosed.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A hand-held bar code reader includes a laser scanning module and a two dimensional image sensor and processing for reading a bar code. The laser scanner assists the 2D image processing by providing information on location, type, range, reflectivity, and presence of bar code for 2D reading. Additionally, the 2D imaging reading operation is improved by using the laser scan as a spotter beam for aiming.

Various types of hand-held bar code readers have been developed for many applications. These include wands, fixed beam, moving beam, linear CCD (charge coupled device), and two dimensional CCD readers. All examples of the prior art hand held bar code readers suffer from a variety of drawbacks.
Wands, fixed beam, and moving beam readers all operate using the same basic principal. Typically, a small spot of light is directed from a source of illumination to the surface of the bar code and is swept across the entire length of the bar code (i.e. a scan line). The intensity of the reflected light from the beam is modulated by the bar code pattern. The reflected light is gathered by optics and focused on an optical detector which converts light intensity to an analog electrical signal. The analog signal is then thresholded to a binary value of zero, representing the black bars or one, representing the white spaces.
Moving beam readers direct an LED or laser beam in a repetitive linear (i.e. one-dimensional) scanning pattern using rotating or vibrating mirrors and lenses. These readers eliminate the need for manual scanning or sweeping of the code. A moving beam reader typically scans at about 40 scans per second, allowing multiple tries on a bar code. Multiple scans provides a better chance to get a valid read on a bar code with minimal damage, however the readers must get a complete valid scan (i.e. cut through all of the bars in one sweep) in order to decode a bar code. Typical operating range of moving beam readers is about one foot. Moving beam readers will not read damaged, poorly printed, height modulated, or true two dimensional codes.
Another type of moving beam scanner is known as a raster laser scanner. The raster scan is produced by modulating the beam in the vertical direction in addition.sup.t to the traditional horizontal linear scan described above. The main reason for this raster scan is to enable reading of stacked codes such as Symbol Technologies' PDF417. However, even these raster scan readers still suffer from many of the same drawbacks of the previously described hand-held readers, namely the need for orienting the reader with the bar code (non-omnidirectionality), difficulty reading damaged or poorly printed codes, and the inability to read true two dimensional bar codes.
Linear CCD readers eliminate the need for mechanically sweeping a beam across bar codes, but require a bright source of illumination. Linear CCD readers capture a one dimensional image of the bar code and read out the information as an electrical signal which is similar to the output of wand, fixed, or moving beam readers. Linear CCD readers typically have an extremely small depth of field of and are usually limited to reading bar codes shorter than the width of the CCD reader head (typically less than 3 inches). Linear CCD readers will not read damaged, poorly printed, height modulated, or true two dimensional codes.
Two dimensional (2D) CCD readers capture and process a two dimensional image of a bar code. These readers are capable of omnidirectionally reading conventional, damaged, multiple, height modulated, or stacked bar codes symbols along with true two dimensional codes (MaxiCode, PDF417, DataMatrix, etc.). However, 2D CCD readers do not perform well over long ranges, and require a separate means for aiming. Economical 2D CCD readers have a limited number of pixels forcing a tradeoff between sample density and coverage width. High sample density is required to read bar codes with very small module size. As sample density increases, coverage width decreases, reducing the maximum length bar code that can be read. Therefore a compromise must be made between sample density and coverage width. Moving beam readers do not suffer from this drawback.

Hand-held bar code reader with laser scanning and 2D image capture


An exposure-data generating apparatus comprises a first memory, a second memory, and an exposure data memory. The first memory stores drawing data in bitmap format as first data that is used for an exposure. The second memory stores second data whose data unit in a column direction is converted to a resolution unit of information of each cell based on the first data. The exposure data memory stores exposure data that is raster data obtained by a burst transfer of third data at every column unit. The second data is rearranged and converted to the third data, where an arrangement of data of each cell of the second data in the column direction is changed to a row direction. The cell constitutes a display element of a Digital Micro-mirror Device that performs the exposure based on said exposure data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exposure-data generating apparatus, and in particular to an apparatus that generates exposure data for driving a two-dimensional display device such as a DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device).
2. Description of the Related Art
A multiple exposure apparatus that uses the two-dimensional display device such as the DMD is proposed.
In the multiple exposure apparatus that uses the two-dimensional display device such as the DMD, the exposure data that is used for driving the two-dimensional display device is generated on the basis of drawing data such as bitmap data and a cell coordinate corresponding to a cell number of a cell constituting an element of the two-dimensional display device, as shown in Japanese unexamined patent publication (KOKAI) No. 2003-50469.
However, when the exposure data is generated, the cell coordinate is read from the cell coordinate table that stores the cell coordinate at every cell unit. In this case, the number of accesses to the cell coordinate table for generating the exposure data equals the number of cells. Therefore, one of the causes hindering the speed-up of exposure data generation is that there are numerous accesses to the cell coordinate table.


A CMOS image sensor includes a photosensitive device, a floating diffusion region, a transfer transistor, and a pocket photodiode formed in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type. The floating diffusion region is of a second conductivity type. The transfer transistor has a channel region disposed between the photosensitive device and the floating diffusion region. The pocket photodiode is of the second conductivity type and is formed under a first portion of a bottom surface of the channel region such that a second portion of the bottom surface of the channel region abuts the semiconductor substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to image sensors, and more particularly, to a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) image sensor with a main photodiode having a diffusion layer thereon for minimizing dark current and with a pocket photodiode for minimizing image lag.
2. Background of the Invention
An image sensor is a semiconductor device that converts an image into electrical signals. An image sensor may be a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS). A unit pixel of a CMOS image sensor includes a transfer transistor that transmits charge generated by a photo sensitive device (PSD) to a floating diffusion region.
However, the CMOS image sensor has dark current generated therein from charge traps at dangling bonds of a hetero-interface such as an interface between a silicon substrate and a silicon oxide layer. As is well known, such dangling bonds are positioned between a valence band and a conduction band in an energy band and thus capture and shift electrons to the conduction band regardless of reception of light. Such shifted electrons are accumulated at the PSD even when an image is not captured, and consequently a color spot or a white spot appears on a screen.
In addition, when the transfer transistor transitions from being turned on to being turned off, a reverse electric field is formed between the transfer transistor and the PSD. Such reverse electric field causes a feed through effect in which some of the electrons flowing across the transfer transistor flow backward to the PSD. The feed through phenomenon causes an image lag with a ghost appearing on a reproduced image.
The dark current may be traded-off for the image lag in a CMOS image sensor. Therefore, a CMOS image sensor with minimized dark current and image lag is desired.

Method for fabricating CMOS image sensor with pocket photodiode for minimizng image lag


The system, method and device for enabling remote-control of consumer electronic devices is disclosed. The system may comprise, a first communication device, a second communication device wherein the second communication device is communicatively coupled with the first communication device. The second communication device is capable of receiving one or more input control signals from the first communication device. The system further comprises, a docking station electronically coupled with the second communication device. The processor may perform demodulating and modulating of the one or more input control signals received by the second communication device from the first communication device. The processor may retrieve one or more infrared codes from a preconfigured database based upon the one or more modulated control signals and transmitting the one or more infrared codes to one or more consumer electronics device in order to remotely control the one or more consumer electronics.

Most modern families own at least five to ten smart devices at their home. All of these smart devices must be charged via an external power supply. Usually, a charging dock or a docking station is employed for charging these smart devices. With the advent of the mobile communication technology, various mobile devices have been developed which adopts different types of connector for charging and communication. The most common forms of chargers available today are micro-USB Type B and iPhone's 30 pin and Lightning. Further, some of the existing phone uses mini USB. Furthermore, a new standard in form of a micro-USB TYPE C (a 24-pin USB connector system) is also provided in the recently developed mobile devices. These chargers are provided with a connector that enables physical connection with the mobile devices. The physical connection via the connector further facilitates charging of the mobile devices via other popular techniques such as electro-magnetic methods. In addition to charging, most of these connectors have the capability of facilitating data communication between the mobile devices and a host computer.
Therefore, in order to facilitate the charging of the mobile devices, various forms of cradles and docks have been proposed to provide dual functions. The first function being to charge the mobile devices and the second function being to provide data communication capability amongst the devices to synchronize data including images, videos, text, contract addresses, and the like. Additionally, the cradles or docks proposed in the art enable the functionalities of an alarm clock, a radio and further may be utilized for connecting to a cordless phone. In the existing art, a docking station that provides an electricity charge to a remote controller unit is available. Such a docking station or a charging cradle may detect whether the remote controller unit is connected and accordingly provide information to an external system. However, such charging cradle/docking station relies on the remote controller unit itself to emit radio signals or infrared signals. Further, a bridging device is available that is connected to a central server to receive command calls and changes these command calls, assesses a separate central server and then transmits infrared signals through a separate bridge device.

Remote control docking station and system


The present invention is a turbocharger (18) and control system based strategy to control exhaust gas filters (30) for aftertreatment regeneration. The air handling system (10) uses the variable turbine geometry (VTG) of the turbine (20) and a compressor (22) flow control bleed valve (24) to drive pressurized intake air into the exhaust. The oxygen rich exhaust gas can then be mixed with fuel and combusted. Increasing the temperature of the exhaust gas will combust the excess exhaust gas emissions and reduce the pressure drop across the filter (30). This system (10) can be used under any operating conditions so as to be available to combust the excess exhaust gas emissions when needed.

Turbochargers are commonly used to significantly increase the power of an internal combustion engine or a diesel engine in a vehicle. A typical problem that exists with the use of turbochargers is the increase of exhaust emissions comprising of particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbons (HC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Many diesel engines are being developed with aftertreatment systems to reduce emissions of PM, HC and NOx.
These systems often include downstream filters and traps to store the unwanted by-products of combustion until a regeneration cycle can be initiated. A regeneration cycle is a process in which excess emissions of PM, HC, and NOx are "burned off." Regeneration cycles typically require a specific temperature range and/or exhaust gas oxygen concentration to be effective, and operate for extended periods of time. Typically, during normal operating conditions, i.e., when the engine has been running to generate enough heat and is operating at a high enough speed, the amount of heat and oxygen necessary to combust the excess exhaust emissions is provided and the excess exhaust emissions will automatically combust, or burn off. Combustion of these excess exhaust emissions is important because build-up of PM, HC, and NOx can block the flow of exhaust gas, thus building up pressure in the exhaust line and affecting engine performance.
One difficulty with the requirements of a specific temperature range and oxygen concentration occurs during vehicle start up, e.g., when the engine has not reached its normal operating temperature, and another occurs during low-speed operation, such as when the vehicle is at a stop light and air flow through the system is not high enough to allow for the proper amount of oxygen to be present to combust the excess emissions automatically. During these types of conditions, the excess emissions can build up in the filter or trap.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a new and improved air handling system for a turbocharger system for a vehicle.

Air handling system with after-treatment


Trapezoidal protrusions, which protrude to the inside of a region, are provided on a right-side part and a left-side part of a mounting member. Holding sections, which extend in a circumferential direction, are formed in lateral surfaces of the trapezoidal protrusions. The holding sections include first holders which are opened to an upper side, and a second holder that is opened to a lower side. The first holders, and the second holder are respectively provided with second protrusions which protrude into a groove in a plural number, and can maintain the cable in a groove. First protrusions are respectively provided on rear-side ends to guide lead-out of the cable from the mounting member.

There is known a head-mounted display (hereinafter, referred to as "HMD") in which a mounting member, on which the image display section is mounted, is mounted on the head of a user, and which presents an image to an eye of the user. A cable, which electrically connects the image display section to an external device, is led out from the image display section and is wired through a mounting member. An image display section of a known HMD is mounted in a head-band-shaped mounting member. During mounting of the mounting member on the head, the image display section is disposed in front of an eye of a user. A cable, which is led out from the image display section, is clip-fixed to the mounting member. The cable is wired through the mounting member on an occipital region side of the user. An image display section of a known HMD is mounted in a lens portion of an eyeglass-frame-shaped mounting member. During mounting of the mounting member on the head, the image display section is disposed in front of an eye of a user. A cable, which is led out from the image display section, is wired inside the mounting member. The cable is led out from a rear end of a temple portion to the outside of the mounting member.

Head-mounted display, image display unit, and mounting member


An image forming method using an ink jet is disclosed. A pigment ink containing a dispersed pigment is jetted onto an ink jet recording medium. The recording medium support having as the outermost layer an ink receptive layer comprising thermoplastic resinous particles and a pigment ink solvent absorptive layer adjacent to said ink receptive layer. The fine thermoplastic particle ink receptive layer is the outermost layer onto which the ink is jetted. Thereafter, the outermost layer containing the jetted ink is transparentized by simultaneous application of heat and pressure to obtain an image.

The present invention relates to an image forming method which comprises carrying out recording an image on an ink recording medium having a thermoplastic resinous layer on a support utilizing a pigment ink, and then at least heating the ink recording medium.
Ink jet recording is carried out in such a manner that minute ink droplets are allowed to jet utilizing various working principles, and to adhere onto a recording medium so that images and texts are recorded. Ink jet recording exhibits advantages of relatively high speed, low noise and the ease of multicolor formation.
Further, as a result of technical progress in recent years, the image quality of ink jet prints prepared by utilizing a dye ink have approached those prepared utilizing silver halide photography, and further, the price of such units has been reduced. As a result, ink jet printing has been increasingly employed.
Generally, dyes are soluble in solvents, and dye molecules are subjected to dying in either a molecular state or a cluster state. Accordingly, each dye molecule exists in a similar environment. Thus its absorption spectra have a narrow band and the resultant color is very pure as well as clear. In addition, since dyes exhibit no particle properties, neither light scattering nor light reflection occurs, resulting in high transparency as well as clear hue.
By contrast, however, when dye molecules are decomposed due to photochemical reactions and the like, the number of dye molecules decreases. Since the color density is proportional to the number of dye molecules, a decrease in the number of dye molecules results in degradation of light fastness. Ink jet recorded images utilizing a dye ink result in high image quality. However, the image quality markedly degrades during storage. Accordingly, the present situation is such that, in terms of image retention quality, no ink jet technique has yet developed which exceeds silver halide photography in that regard.
While competing with dye inks, employed as inks which are used to prepare images which results in desired light fastness are pigment inks in which pigments, which results in good light fastness, are employed as the colorant. Pigments are generally insoluble in solvents, and dye molecules form particles which result in color formation in a state dispersed in solvents. Even though molecules on the particle surface are subjected to decomposition due to photochemical reaction and the like, under the surface are dye molecule layers. As a result, apparent color results in minimum change so as to obtain good image retention quality. However, glossiness markedly degrades due to effects of scattered light, as well as due to reflected light of dye particles.
However, in images prepared by employing said pigment ink, since pigment particles are attached onto the medium surface, image quality results in degradation such as formation of bronzing, a decrease in glossiness, and the like. As a result, the quality of obtained images was inferior to that of conventional photography. In order to overcome the aforementioned problems, for example, methods in which latexes are incorporated into the ink are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection Nos. 6-145570 and 6-171072. The image quality obtained employing said method is improved compared to conventional one. However, glossiness as well as image quality has not reached a sufficient level, and specifically, bronzing in high density areas remains a major problem. Further, Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection No. 11-208097 discloses a technique in which, after a recording medium comprising a thermoplastic resinous layer as the outermost layer is recorded employing a pigment ink which does not comprise dispersing agents, pigment particles migrate into said thermoplastic resinous layer. In said patent, specifically disclosed as a method to facilitate migration of pigment particles adhered on the exterior surface of said thermoplastic resinous layer into said thermoplastic resinous layer is a method in which heating is carried out for 20 minutes while maintaining a temperature in the range of from 110 to 140xc2x0 C. When only such a heating treatment is carried out, said thermoplastic resin is fused, but the migration of pigment particles into said resin is not sufficiently accomplished and the surface is not sufficiently smoothed. Accordingly, resulting prints exhibit insufficient abrasion resistance as well as insufficient glossiness. In order to obtain sufficient abrasion resistance as well as sufficient glossiness, employing a pigment ink and media comprising said thermoplastic resinous layer, it is important that in the treatment after printing, pigment particles are sufficiently buried into the resinous layer.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-31673 discloses a technique regarding a recording medium resulting in excellent water resistance as well as excellent light fastness, which is comprised of a thermoplastic resinous layer as the outermost layer and an inorganic pigment layer as the adjacent layer. Even though the image durability is definitely improved employing the layer configuration in accordance with the aforementioned patent, no disclosure at all is made regarding ink jet recorded images produced by employing pigment ink, and no suggestion is made regarding the improvement of image performance which is obtained by application of not only heat but also pressure after recording, using an ink jet method.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming method employing a pigment ink capable of improving glossiness, abrasion resistance, and releasability during ink jet recording.
The aforementioned object of the present invention is accomplished employing embodiments described hereunder.
(1) An image forming method comprising jetting a pigment ink onto the ink jet recording medium comprising a support, and provided thereon, an ink receptive layer comprising thermoplastic resinous particles farthest from the support, by means of an ink jet method, applying heat and pressure simultaneously to the ink jet recording medium having the jetted ink.
(2) The image forming method of item 1 wherein the ink jet recording medium comprises a pigment ink solvent absorptive layer adjacent to said ink receptive layer.
(3) The image forming method of item 2 wherein the pigment ink comprises a dispersing agent.
(4) The image forming method of item 1, wherein heat and pressure is applied employing a heating roller.
(5) The image forming method of item 4, wherein the heating roller comprises a metallic cylinder and a silicone rubber roller.
(6) The image forming method of item 5, wherein the metallic cylinder contain a heating source inside of the metallic cylinder.
(7) The image forming method 4, wherein a nip width, formed by pressure between said metallic cylinder and said silicone rubber roller, is from 1 to 20 mm.
(8) The image forming method of item 1, wherein heating temperature of the ink jet recording medium is from 50 to 150xc2x0 C.
(9) The image forming method of item 4, wherein linear pressure resulted by said heating roller is from 500 to 3,000 N/m.
(10) The image forming method of item 1, wherein the thermoplastic resinous layer comprises a silicone emulsion in an amount of 0.5 to 10 percent by weight in terms of solid, or a water-soluble silicone compound in an amount of 0.5 to 10 percent by weight, with respect to the thermoplastic resinous particles.
(11) The image forming method of item 1 wherein glass transition point, Tg, of said thermoplastic resinous layer is higher than temperature at which said thermoplastic resinous particles are coated and dried during the production of said ink jet recording material, and is lower than the temperature at which said support is subjected to thermal modification due to said heating.
(12) The image forming method of item 2 wherein void volume of the ink receiving layer and the pigment ink solvent-absorbing layer is from 20 to 40 ml/m2.1. An image forming method wherein, after a pigment ink, comprising a dispersing agent, is adhered employing an ink jet method onto an ink jet recording medium comprising a support having as the outermost layer an ink receptive layer comprising thermoplastic resinous particles and a pigment ink solvent absorptive layer adjacent to said ink receptive layer, said fine thermoplastic particle ink receptive layer as the outermost layer is transparentized by a simultaneous application of heat and pressure to obtain an image.
The other embodiments of the invention are described.
1. An image forming method wherein, after a pigment ink, comprising a dispersing agent, is adhered employing an ink jet method onto an ink jet recording medium comprising a support having as the outermost layer an ink receptive layer comprising thermoplastic resinous particles and a pigment ink solvent absorptive layer adjacent to said ink receptive layer, said fine thermoplastic particle ink receptive layer as the outermost layer is transparentized by a simultaneous application of heat and pressure to obtain an image.
2. The image forming method described in 1. above wherein heat as well as pressure is applied employing a heating roller.
3. The image forming method described in 1. or 2. above wherein said heating roller is comprised of a metallic cylinder as well as a silicone rubber roller.
4. The image forming method described in any one of 1. through 3. above wherein a heating source is built into said metallic cylinder.
5. The image forming method described in any one of 1. through 4. above wherein a nip width, formed by pressure between said metallic cylinder and said silicone rubber roller, is from 1 to 20 mm.
6. The image forming method described in any one of 1. through 5. above wherein heating temperature resulting from said heating source, which is built into said metallic cylinder, is from 50 to 150xc2x0 C.
7. The image forming method described in any one of 1. through 6. above wherein linear pressure resulted by said heating roller is from 9.8xc3x97104 to 4.9xc3x97106 Pa.
8. The image forming method described in any one of 1. through 7. above wherein either a silicone emulsion or a water-soluble silicone compound is incorporated into said thermoplastic resinous layer in an amount of less than 1 percent by weight, with respect to the thermoplastic resinous particles.
9. In an image forming method in which after adhering ink onto an ink jet recording medium comprising a support having thereon a layer comprising thermoplastic resinous particles, employing an ink jet method, heating is carried out, an image forming method wherein the glass transition point, Tg, of said thermoplastic resinous layer is higher than the temperature at which said thermoplastic resinous particles are coated and dried during the production of said ink jet recording material, and is lower than the temperature at which said support is subjected to thermal modification due to said heating.
10. In an image forming method in which after adhering ink onto an ink jet recording medium comprising a support having thereon an ink receiving layer comprising thermoplastic resinous particles as well as a pigment ink solvent absorbing layer, heating is carried out, an image forming method wherein the void volume of said ink receiving layer as well as said pigment ink solvent-absorbing layer is from 20 to 40 ml/m2.


The invention is aryl, amide, imide and carbamate pyridine antagonists of platelet activating factor.

Platelet Activating Factor (PAF), 1-O-hexadecyl/octadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine, is an ether lipid produced by a variety of different cell types. Recent studies [Snyder, F., Ann. Rep. Med. Chem., 17, 243 (1982); Pinckard, R. N., et. al., J. Adv. Inflammation Res., 4, 147 (1982); O'Flaherty, J. T., et. al., Clin. Rev. Allergy, 1, 353 (1983); Vargaftig, B. B., et. al., J. Trends. Pharmacol. Sci., 4, 341 (1983)] have shown PAF to be an important mediator of allergic disease. When injected into mammals, PAF induces hemodynamic and hematological changes including hypotension, platelet aggregation, neutropenia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, increases in vascular permeability, bronchoconstriction, tissue injury (hypoxia and necrosis) and eventually death (reviewed by Cammussi, G. Kidney Int. 29, 469, (1986). In recent years, it has been postulated that PAF is the mediator of tissue injury in mammals undergoing endotoxic shock due to bacterial sepsis (Terashita, Z., Y. Imura, K. Nishikawa and S. Sumida 1985, Eur. J. Pharmacol. 109:257-261; Doebber, T. W., M. S. Wu, J. C. Robbins, B. M. Choy, M. N. Chang and T. Y. Shen 1985, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 127:799-808; Inarrea, P., Gomez-Cambronero, J. Pascual, M. del Carmen Ponte, L. Hernando and M. Sanchez-Crespo. 1985, Immunopharmacology, 9:45-52). These studies, in mammals, have shown that PAF is produced in large amounts when the said mammal has been treated with endotoxin. In addition, mammals undergoing endotoxic shock exhibit all of the clinical symptoms associated with the administration of PAF. In addition, PAF is implicated in asthma, respiratory distress syndrome, lung edema and other inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases.
The compounds of the present invention have proven to be specific inhibitors of the biological effects of PAF and are consequently useful for the treatment of asthma, anaphylactic and septic (endotoxic) shock, psoriasis, bowel necrosis, adult respiratory distress syndrome, transplant rejection, thrombosis, stroke, cardiac anaphylaxis and cancer.
Concurrently, with the realization that PAF is an important mediator of inflammatory diseases in mammals, a number of structurally different antagonists of PAF have been developed. References to some of these antagonists are listed hereinbelow.
Terashita, Z.; Imura, Y.; Takatani, M.; Tsushima, S.; Nishikawa, K., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 1987, 242, 263-268. PA0 Takatani, M.; Yoshioka, Y.; Tasaka, A.; Terashita, Z.-I.; J. Med. Chem., 1989, 32, 56-64. PA0 Tsushima, S.; Takatani, M.; Kohei, N. Eur. Patent Appln. EP 301751 (Feb. 1, 1989). PA0 Tomesch, J. C. U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,718 (Apr. 11, 1989). PA0 Gustafson, A.; Handley, D. A.; Tomesch, J. C.; Prashad, M. FASEB J, 1989, 3, A1224. PA0 Page, C.; Abbott, A. TIPS, Jul. 10, 1989, 1. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,916,145 (Oct. 4, 1990). PA0 European Patent Appln. EP 327,962 (Aug. 16, 1989). PA0 European Patent Appln. EP 301,751 (Feb. 1, 1989). PA0 European Patent Appln. EP 353,474 (Feb. 7, 1990). PA0 Spanish Patent Appln. ES 2,010,937 (Dec. 1, 1989). PA0 Spanish Patent Appln. ES 2,010,932 (Dec. 1, 1989). PA0 European Patent Appln. EP 353,777 (Feb. 7, 1990). PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,718 (Nov. 4, 1989). PA0 (C) the moiety R.sub.2 represents one or more substituents of the pyridine ring which may be in any position and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkoxy, and halogen; PA0 (D) the heterocycle is bonded to the X-group at optionally the 2, 3, or 4 position; PA0 (E) the group R.sub.3 is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 halogen (bromine, chlorine or fluorine) substituted alkyl, benzyl, hydrogen or N-oxide; Z.sup..crclbar. represents a pharmacologically acceptable anion.

Pyridinium compounds which are useful as antagonists of platelet activating factor


The invention concerns a planing device for planing down road surfaces, having a roller-type, rotatably supported planing body designed in the form of a conveyor worm 3, the planing body having a multiplicity of planing tools which are arranged in releasable retention boxes 1 which are in turn bolted by means of their shank parts 4 in radial recesses 2, open at the side, it being possible to fasten at least one retention block 8 at least partially covering the shank part 4 by bolts 9 penetrating through the conveyor worm 3 in order to retain the shank part 4 of the retention box 1 in the side opening 2.. In order to change the retention boxes, it is then only necessary to loosen the fastening bolts 9 of the retention block 8.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a planing device for planing down road surfaces, having a roller-type, rotatably supported planing body designed in the form of a conveyor worm, the planing body having a multiplicity of planing tools which are arranged in releasable retention boxes whose shank parts are in turn bolted in radial recesses, open at the sides, in the conveyor worm.
2. Discussion of Background
A device of this type with retention box shaft parts fastened in such a manner is known, for example, from the applicant's own previous German patent application P 39 09 695.5.
Both the rotating shank-type tools located in the retention boxes and the retention boxes themselves are subject to extremely severe abrasion when the planing machine is in operation.
It is therefore not only necessary to exchange the easily replaceable rotating shank-type tools; it is also necessary to exchange the retention boxes at certain intervals and to replace them with new retention boxes.
In this previously known embodiment, the retention bolts must be completely released in order to remove the shank parts of the retention boxes from the radial recesses, open at the side, in the conveyor worm and to replace them by new retention boxes.
Given the large number of planing tools located on the planing roller, this involves a very time-consuming operation whenever such an exchange of the retention boxes is necessary.

Planing device for planing down road surfaces


The invention provides a process for readily preparing polymeric solid electrolyte, i.e., ion conductive polymer having excellent properties.. The process of the invention comprises steps of subjecting at least one of the following component A and component B to contain an alkali metal salt and/or an ammonium salt and mixing the components A and the component B.. Component A: a solution obtained by dissolving a radical polymerization promotor in a specific polyether base macromonomer. PA0 Component B: a solution obtained by dissolving a radical polymerization initiator in a specific polyether base oligomer and/or an organic non-aqueous solvent.. To at least one of the component A and component B, a radical polymerization retarder is added, if desired.. The process of the invention can be carried out by a simple step comprised of mixing the two components at room temperature and provides the solid polyelectrolyte having a high inonic conductivity.. The high-ion-conductive solid polyelectrolyte prepared by the process of the invention is very useful as a raw material for lithium cells, plastic cells, large capacity electrostatic capacitors, electrochromic displays and other overall solidificated systems.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ion-conductive polymer, that is, a polymeric solid electrolyte.
2. Description of the Related Art
Development of organic polymeric solid electrolytes have recently been progressed because of characteristics such as (1) good processing ability and readiness in forming a film having a large area and (2) high flexibility and excellent adhesion to electrodes as compared with inorganic solid electrolytes.
As to the polymeric solid electrolytes, M. B. Armand et al. have proposed mixtures of polyethylene oxide and alkali metal salts in "Fast Ion Transport in Solids", page 131, published from North Hollaud Publishing Co. (1979).
However, preparation of the solid electrolyte is carried out by a so-called casting method where the solid electrolyte is dissolved in a solvent, cast on a molding surface and successively dried by removing the solvent to form a film. Consequently, the processing procedures are complex, the resulting film has a conductivity of 10.sup.-6 S/cm or less at room temperature and the adhesion of the film to the electrodes is also unsatisfactory. Thus the improvement of the film has been strongly desired.
In addition, Japanese Laid-Open Patent 48716 (1987) has disclosed a crosslinking process by reacting trifunctional polyethylene glycol with a diisocyanate derivative. Japanese Laid-Open Patent 285954 (1987) has also disclosed a crosslinking process by polymerization reaction of polyethylene glycol diacrylate. However, solvents are used in any of these processes and a drying step is inevitable for removing the residual solvent after finishing the reaction. Further improvement on the balance of properties including ionic conductivity and adhesion to electrodes has been required. On the other hand, the polymeric solid electrolyte remarkably decreases ionic conductivity in a low temperature region below ordinary temperature. Improvement has also been required on the problem.

Preparation process of polymeric solid electrolyte


A fishing tackle box has a plurality of compartments for storing lures. In each compartment a flexible rod, which preferably has a diameter small enough to pass through an eyelet at the front of a lure, extends into the compartment from its back wall. A kinked portion of the rod is biased against the top surface of the compartment near the door, which is opposite the back wall. When the rod is bent away from the top wall and threaded through an eyelet at one end of a fishing lure, the lure is retained between the kink and back wall. The lure is easily removed from the compartment by opening the door and pulling the lure outward.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing lure storage boxes.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,952 to Bruce teaches a box with a display panel having a plurality of tracks, each track holding one or more clips, each clip comprising two resilient bifurcated legs having a hook receiving cavity between them. The hooks of adjacent lures stored in Bruce's box may become entangled unless a precisely positioned clip is provided for each hook.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,730 Bunten provides an elastic retainer holding one hook of a multi-hooked lure to the top of a lure drawer. A second hook is retained by a fixed rod adjacent the bottom of the lure drawer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,222 Covington discloses a modular, multi-compartmented tackle box having various means (e.g., a transverse rod, a channel filled with a resilient foam, or a pierceable board) for suspending a lure by one hook. Covington's tackle box, if jostled, may be found to contain entangled lures.
Malmquist, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,608,459, teaches a tackle box comprising a plurality of separate lure storage compartments, each compartment lined with cork and having a bifurcated body extending across it near the top of the compartment. A lure is stored in Malmquist's box by inserting the shank of its tail hook into the bifurcating slot and suspending the lure from the tail hook, the tines of which are embedded in the cork. Fabrication of the individual compartments in Malmquist's box is time consuming and expensive.
Baumgartner, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,268,920, teaches a flexible band for mounting about the crown of a hat, the band having a plurality of safety-pin-like retainers spaced apart along its length. A fishing fly may be attached to each of Baumgartner's retainers by threading one leg of the retainer through the eyelet of the fly hook and then pushing that leg into a clamped position. Baumgartner's apparatus relies on the spacing between retainers being greater than twice the length of a lure in order to keep adjacent lures from becoming entangled. Although this may be satisfactory for relatively small dry flies, the use of Baumgartner's system for larger spinning or baitcasting lures would result either in entangled lures, or in apparatus having a severely restricted carrying capacity.
Nelson, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,364,807, teaches a lure storage box having a slotted platform. The hooks of stored lures extend downward through the slots into a separate chamber. Lures are held in position by rubber band stretched across the top of them. Nelson's apparatus involves components having complex shapes that are difficult to fabricate, and requires awkward hand motions by the fisherman who wishes to disengage a lure from the box.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,065,234 Martinez teaches a fly box having a plurality of rigid rods extending across the surface of a resilient rubber sheet. A fly to be stored has its hook threaded carefully between a rod and the springy rubber sheet and is thereby held in a fixed position. Martinez's box is difficult to use without occasionally sticking the point of a hook into the rubber, which tears the rubber and diminishes its utility as a springy retainer.
Schweigert, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,164,259 discloses storage apparatus for fishing flies, in which the curved portion of each fly's hook is draped over a rigid rod. Adjacent flies are separated by small metal tabs, and the flies are held on the rod by a single spring. Schweigert's apparatus is not suitable for the storage of multi-hooked lures, as those hooks not draped about the rod would become entangled.
Figley, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,482,678, teaches a dry fly book in which each fly hook is retained intermediate two leaf spring elements. Figley's apparatus, like that of Schweigert and others, is not suitable for use with multi-hooked lures.
Madsen, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,076,898, teaches a storage box for skeins of yarn and the like. Madsen provides metallic spring fingers pinching the yarn against fixed projections extending inward from a wall of the box.


The invention discloses a multi-function soft wall, comprising a surface printing layer and a base material, the base material further including a top layer, and a second layer, a third layer and a bottom layer that are all foaming layers, wherein both the second layer and the third layer have a foaming ratio less than that of the bottom layer, and a fiber layer is disposed between the third layer and the bottom layer. The invention further provides a method of manufacturing a multi-function soft wall, comprising: sequentially coating a top layer, a second layer, a third layer, a fiber layer and a bottom layer on a release paper, respectively, and then obtaining a base material, and performing a foaming process with respect to the second layer, the third layer and the bottom layer, respectively, and performing a drying and cooling process after the coating step; and separating the base material from the release paper, and printing a surface printing layer on the top layer. The multi-function soft wall can release negative ions, and continuously eliminate various pollutions indoors.

With improvement of the people's living standards, more and more families adopt a high-grade decoration where double glazing is used, and home air-conditioning is installed. The upgraded decoration is not only beautiful and dignified on vision but also quite warm in winters and cool in summers on body feelings. However, people do not know it becomes a direct inducement of indoor pollutions and seriously influences people's health. Generally speaking, the indoor pollutions mainly include chemical pollution, biological pollution and physical pollution, etc.
Chemical Pollution: Decorations and furnishings always release chemical gases such as methanal and benzene, etc, which will stimulate a person's eyes, nose, throat and skin, and further cause several bad symptoms such as streaming eyes, a runny nose, a cough and sneeze, etc. Living in the polluted air over a long period of time will further cause chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, pneumonectasis, or even lung cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer. As can be seen, the more luxurious the decoration of the room is, the more serious the air pollution might be. In addition, the harm of smoking is tremendous. The smoke fog contains more than 40 kinds of carcinogenic substances, and the number of people who die from the lung cancer due to smoking is about 10 times or more as large as the number of people who do not smoke but die from the lung cancer.
Biological pollution: A thick layer of dusts will be stacked on air conditioners and ventilating pipes after a long term use, and under a proper temperature, these places become breeding grounds for bacteria. The wind blown out from the air conditioner becomes a carrier of pathogen transmission. Particularly in a crowded environment with poor ventilation, respiratory infectious diseases such as influenza, measles and tuberculosis can be easily spread. Once winter comes, some persons repeatedly develop "cold" symptoms of a dry nasal cavity, an itching throat, and an occasional small amount of clear phlegm. It will not bring an obvious effect when taking cold medicines. It is just because the indoor disease source is not eliminated, which makes a person be infected repeatedly and be not well all the time. In addition, pets such as cats and dogs fed by residents will cause a mass propagation of microorganisms (including bacteria, virus, fungus, gemma, mycete, acarus, etc.).
Physical pollution: In areas where the air quality is not very good, there will be a layer of dusts on tables if without being wiped for two days. Actually more dusts (less than 2.5 micrometers) invisible to the naked eye are suspending in the air or even have been breathed into lungs by people. In fact, the dust concentration of the indoor air is higher than that of the outdoor air, but the outdoor pollutions are the dust sources of the indoor air, particularly for the buildings near roads or highways, exhaust gases discharged from vehicles become a serious pollution source of plumbum and cadmium of the indoor air. Generally speaking, dust removal by ventilation is one of the most effective and convenient measures to reduce the indoor air pollution. However since most of houses have a poor ventilation condition, more and more indoor dusts are accumulated. In addition, with respect to houses near a pollution source, it is not advised to open windows frequently. Therefore people are generally in a dilemma as for whether to open the windows or not.
Oxygen deficiency pollution: Air conditioners are used most frequently in winters and summers, and people always close the doors and windows tightly to achieve a better "air conditioning effect". It is hardly realized that such behavior is most likely to result in indoor hypoxia. During lack of oxygen, carbonic acid concentration in the blood of a person increases, which leads to insufficiency of cerebral blood supply, heavy headache, choking sensation in chest, and cold feelings of hands and feet. Due to the lack of oxygen, students will be sleepy and lack of concentration; women will have prematurely aged faces; working persons will have a greatly reduced working efficiency; A fetus will be cerebral paralysis or even dead because of the lacks of oxygen of pregnant women; and old people will have aggravated heart loads and will be caused to die in more serious cases.
An impact of negative ions to the nervous system of human beings can reinforce the function of cerebral cortex and mental activities. At the same time persons will feel refresh and working efficiency is increased the sleep quality can be improved accordingly. What's more the negative ions can further enhance the strength of the oxidation process of the brain tissues, and make brain tissues obtain more oxygen. Also negative ions can produce similar impact to the cardiovascular system of human beings.
As observed by some scholars, negative ions have an obvious function of expanding blood vessels. They can relieve arterial spasm and achieve the purpose of reducing the blood pressure. Also negative ions are of great benefits to improve heart function and myocardial nutrition, which are beneficial to recovery of patients with hypertension sickness and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The negative ions can bring good effect to blood system of human beings. It is verified by studies that negative ions have an outstanding functions of slowing the blood flow and extending the coagulation time. They can increase the oxygen content in the blood, which facilitates transmission, absorption and utilization of blood oxygen. In addition, the impact of negative ions on the respiratory system is the most obvious since negative ions enter the body of human beings through the respiratory passage, by which the lung capacity of human beings can be greatly improved. Someone has conducted an experiment by sucking air negative ions into a glass mask for 30 minutes and the result shows that the amount of oxygen absorbed by the lungs is increased by 2% and the amount of exhausted carbon dioxide is increased by 14.5%. Therefore it is clear that negative ions have great functions of improving and strengthening the lung function. Since negative ions are of great benefit to the human health, people always get a negative ion air cleaner in order to resolve the problem that negative ions in office and house environments are lack, by this way people can absorb "air vitamins" as they like in the areas where they are.
However, the air cleaner is a kind of mechanical product, occupying physical space, consuming energies, having a higher cost and obtaining lower efficiency. In addition, difference size of the air cleaner may be selected. Sometimes, the negative ions cannot be spread in the entire living space in a full range when using a small sized air cleaner.
To sum up, a decoration or an ornament material that can release negative ions is urgently required to continuously eliminate various indoor pollutions so as to guarantee a healthy space where the human is living.

Multi-function soft wall and manufacturing method thereof

NINGBO CALLDE BIOMIMETICS MATERIALS CO., LTD.


The present invention includes an apparatus for watertight sealing of a steam generator nozzle and methods for installing the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a nozzle dam, a nozzle dam attachment ring, and a seal. The attachment ring is provided in an interior of the nozzle and has a plurality of retaining tabs and a nozzle dam landing. The nozzle dam is adapted for insertion into the attachment ring and abutment against the nozzle dam landing. The nozzle dam has a plurality of radial protrusions adapted to interlock with the retaining tabs for fixing the nozzle dam in the attachment ring upon rotation of the nozzle dam in the attachment ring. The seal covers at least one side of the nozzle dam for effecting a seal between the nozzle dam and the attachment ring. The present invention also provides methods and apparatus for the pressurization and control of nozzle dam seals.

The present invention relates generally to the field of steam generators used in nuclear power plants. More specifically, the present invention relates to improved nozzle dams for hot and cold legs of a steam generator, as well as methods for installing and removing such improved nozzle dams. The present invention also includes methods and apparatus for the pressurization and control of steam generator nozzle dam seals.
Nuclear power plants are routinely shut down for refueling, maintenance, inspection, and testing. FIG. 1 shows a simplified diagram of a typical nuclear power plant 10 which includes a steam generator 12, a reactor pressure vessel 14 holding a reactor core 16 in a core support barrel 18, and a refueling pool 20. When refueling a nuclear power plant or servicing the reactor core 16, the reactor pressure vessel 14 and refueling pool 20 are flooded with water. However, when the reactor pressure vessel 14 and refueling pool 20 are flooded, water will typically enter the steam generator 12 preventing maintenance, inspection and testing of the steam generator 12 during refueling or servicing of the reactor core 16. In order to simultaneously service both the reactor core 16 and the steam generator 12, some form of temporary seal must be installed in the piping 22 connecting the reactor pressure vessel 14 with the generator 12 in order to isolate the reactor core 16 and refueling pool 20 from the steam generator 12, thus permitting simultaneous testing and inspection of the generator components. This seal is achieved by installing what is known in the industry as a "nozzle dam" in the nozzles of the steam generator primary head. A cutaway view of the nozzle 24 of the steam generator 12 is shown in FIG. 1A. The nozzle dam 26 is designed to be carried through a small manway 28 in the generator head and assembled by hand. As the nozzle dam installer is subject to radiation exposure inside the steam generator 12, the nozzle dam 26 must be installed as quickly as possible in order to minimize the radiation exposure. The nozzle dam 26 also must effect a reliable water-tight seal able to withstand high water pressures without compromising the structural integrity of the nozzle wall or steam generator wall.
FIG. 2 shows a cutaway view of a typical prior art nozzle dam 26. Such nozzle dams 26 used to seal the nozzles 24 of nuclear power plant steam generators typically use aluminum structures supporting a rubber diaphragm 30 with pneumatic seals (e.g., a dry seal 32, a wet seal 36, and an annulus 34 between the wet seal 36 and dry seal 32), as shown in FIG. 2. Two variations of nozzle dam attachment are currently in use. FIGS. 3 and 3A show cutaway views which depict the nozzle dam 26 attached to the nozzle 24 utilizing radial pins 38 interfacing with holes 40 on the interior of the steam generator nozzle 24 or interfacing with welded hold-down rings. As shown in FIG. 4, another common attachment method uses a flange 42 at the top of the nozzle dam 26 bolted to a ring 44 that has been welded to the steam generator bowl at the junction of the nozzle 24 and the body of the steam generator 12. The inside diameter of the welded ring 44 may also serve as a sealing surface for the pneumatic seals.
Other examples of prior art nozzle dams are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,701 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,215.
Such prior art nozzle dam designs were designed as retrofits for pre-existing steam generators and were thus constrained by the pre-existing design of the steam generator nozzles. Accordingly, these prior art nozzle dams were limited in terms of placement position in the nozzle, attachment points and supports, unknown sealing surfaces of the nozzles, and limited manway openings. Further, such prior art nozzle dam installation technicians are subject to radiation exposure level limitations. These constraints resulted in nozzle dams that were large in size, heavy in weight, difficult and time consuming to install and remove, had unknown sealing surfaces, expensive to manufacture, comprised of multiple moving components such as structural bolts, pins or other locking mechanisms each of which had the potential for failure, and not readily adapted for remote installation or removal.
With the advent of new nuclear power plant designs, such as Westinghouse's new AP1000 nuclear power plant design and the supply of new replacement stream generators, an opportunity exists for overcoming most, if not all, the limitations of prior art nozzle dam designs by working with the steam generator manufacturer to ensure standardized steam generator nozzles with uniform sealing surfaces.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a nozzle dam design for steam generators of newly designed nuclear power plants and for replacement steam generators, which when compared to the prior art nozzle dams are lighter in weight, smaller in size, simpler and quicker to install, have a known sealing surface, are economical to manufacture, are designed without multiple moving components such as bolts, pins, or other locking mechanisms having the potential for failure, minimize radiation exposure, and are adaptive to remote installation and removal.
The methods and apparatus of the present invention provide the foregoing and other advantages.

Steam generator nozzle dam and method for installing and removing steam generator nozzle dam

Advanced Engineered Products Incorporated


A superconducting apparatus is provided with a cryostat, a superconducting magnet contained in the cryostat, an emergency gas discharge pipe connected with the cryostat, and an emergency discharge valve disposed midway of the discharge pipe for discharging to an external environment an emergency discharge gas generated at quenching. In addition, the superconducting apparatus is provided with a gas heating unit for heating the emergency discharge gas flowing inside the discharge pipe.

The present invention relates to a superconducting apparatus and a method of operation, or more in particular to a superconducting apparatus comprising an emergency gas discharge pipe for discharging the gas generated in a cryostat at the time of quenching as an emergency measure.
In the case where a superconducting apparatus such as a superconducting magnet apparatus is operated, the superconducting magnet itself may be burnt by the electromagnetic energy stored in the superconducting magnet at the time of transition to normal conductive state, i.e., during quenching.
Generally, in order to avoid this burning, energy consumption means, i.e., a protective resistor (or a protective diode) is connected in parallel to the superconducting magnet, so that the energy stored in the superconducting magnet is consumed as heat in the resistor, and at the same time the gas generated in the cryostat is discharged out of the cryostat as an emergency measure through an emergency gas discharge pipe mounted on the cryostat.
FIG. 11 shows the general configuration of a superconducting magnet apparatus in common use. This superconducting magnet apparatus has therein a cryostat 1 which hermetically contains a very low temperature refrigerant, i.e., liquid helium 7 and also a superconducting magnet 2 installed therein.
The superconducting magnet 2 is connected to a power supply 4 through a power lead 3. A breaker 5 and a protective resistor 6 are interposed between the power supply 4 and the superconducting magnet 2. The superconducting magnet 2 in the cryostat 1 is cooled by the refrigerant liquid helium 7 to assure satisfactory heat exchange thereof.
A radiation shield plate 10 is mounted in the space between the surface of the liquid helium in the cryostat and the flange 9 above the cryostat in order to prevent penetration of heat by radiation and convection from the upper flange 9 side. Also, the upper flange 9 has mounted thereon a recovery port 11 for recovering the evaporated helium gas under steady-state operation and an emergency gas discharge pipe for releasing a great amount of evaporated helium gas at the time of quenching the superconducting magnet 2.
The component part designated by reference numeral 13 mounted midway of the emergency gas discharge pipe 12 is an emergency valve (safety valve) constructed in such a manner as to open in case of emergency (at the time of quenching). Although the drawing under consideration shows that a vent 14 of the emergency gas discharge pipe is adapted to open in the vicinity of the cryostat, the vent 14 is normally mounted in such a manner as to discharge the gas outdoor ten and several meters to several tens of meters away.
In a superconducting magnet apparatus constructed in the above-mentioned way, assume the operation of a magnet apparatus having a central generated magnetic field of 6 T, an outer dimension of 1.5 m and a height of about 1 m. The crystat has an inner diameter of about 2 m and a height of about 4 m, and has liquid helium of about 5 cubic meters stored therein.
Helium of course evaporates under steady-state operating conditions. The amount of helium evaporated under steady-state operating conditions, however, is not very great and, for the superconducting magnet apparatus of the above-mentioned capacity, is considered about 100 liter per hour in terms of liquid helium. The amount of evaporation is about 80 kiloliters per hour in terms of gas. This much quantity can be recovered sufficiently by the emergency gas discharge pipe 12 of about 10 cm in diameter.

Superconducting apparatus and method for operating said superconducting apparatus


The rewinding machine comprises: an insertion device (11) for sequentially inserting winding spindles (M) into a winding area; winding means (1, 3, 5) in said winding area, which wind predetermined quantities of web material onto said spindles; an extractor (25) for extracting said spindles from the rolls of web material formed on them; and a recirculation path (71) for returning the spindles extra from said rolls toward said insertion device. The spindles are made in two portions which can be connected and disconnected; the extractor extracts each of said two portions from a corresponding end of the corresponding wound roll. Means are also provided for reconnecting said two portions to each other so that said spindles can be reinserted into said winding area.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a peripheral rewinding machine for producing rolls of wound web material, comprising: insertion means for sequentially inserting winding spindles into a winding area; winding means, in said winding area, which wind predetermined quantities of web material onto the spindles; extraction means for extracting said spindles from the rolls of web material formed on them; and recirculation means for returning the spindles extracted from said rolls toward said insertion means.
The spindles may be caused to rotate by the winding means, or may be initially made to rotate by suitable members acting on them independently of the winding means.
The present invention also relates to a method for producing rolls of web material, comprising the stages of inserting a winding spindle into a winding area; winding a predeterminable quantity of web material on said winding spindle to form a roll around said winding spindle; and extracting said winding spindle from the roll.
2. Background Art
At the present time, the winding of web material for producing rolls is preferably carried out by means of rewinding machines of the peripheral type, in other words those in which the rotary motion for the winding is provided by members which act peripherally on the roll being formed. Examples of rewinders of this type are described, for example, in GB-A-2105688, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,487,377, 5,249,756, 5,248,106, 5,137,225, 5,368,252, 5,639,046, 5,538,199, WO-A-9421545. These peripheral rewinders are of the continuous and automatic type, in the sense that they produce finished rolls in an automatic sequence, causing the interruption of the web material at the end of each winding operation and thus the formation of a tail edge of the finished roll and a leading edge of the following roll.
In some rewinding machines of known type, the winding is done on tubular winding cores or spindles, made from cardboard or similar, which remain inside the roll. In other machines of more recent design, the winding is done without a tubular winding core, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,046 or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,199. With these machines a compact roll without a central hole is produced. This makes it necessary to use special feeders for the use of the material.
IT-B-1201390 describes a peripheral rewinder in which the rolls are produced by winding on tubular spindles which are subsequently extracted from the formed roll. In this way, each roll has no central tubular core but has a hole for the insertion of a support typically used in feeders of material in roll form, for example feeders of kitchen paper, toilet paper or similar. This machine has the disadvantage that the extraction of a relatively long spindle from the roll requires a considerable tractive force to overcome the friction. Furthermore, the sliding of the whole length of the spindle inside the roll causes deformations of the inner turns of the wound web material.
The present invention relates to an improvement to peripheral rewinding machines with extractable winding spindles, of the type described, for example, in IT-B-1201390.
Essentially, the rewinding machine according to the invention is characterized in that the winding spindles are made in two portions which can be connected and disconnected; in that the extraction means extract each of said two portions from a corresponding end of the corresponding wound roll; and in that means are provided for reconnecting said two portions to each other so that said spindles can be reinserted into said winding area.
In this way, each portion of spindle has to travel for a shorter distance inside the roll to be extracted from it. The extraction means also have to travel for a shorter distance, and this enables the lateral dimensions to be limited, resulting in a greater ease of laying out the converting line.
This is particularly important because the present tendency in the field of the paper converting industry is to produce parent rolls of increasing length, with a consequent increase in the width of the rewinding lines. Furthermore, if two portions of spindle, each having a length approximately equal to half the length of the spindle, have to be extracted, this will yield a balancing and a reduction of the stress and a reduction of the deformation of the inner turns of the wound material.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, the extraction means used to extract the winding spindle are associated with two conveyers which extend laterally with respect to the winding area on both sides, to return the two portions of each spindle separately toward said insertion means, said means for reconnecting the two portions of said spindles to each other being located before the winding area. There is no reason why the two portions of spindle should not be connected before they are returned toward the insertion area, for example under the extraction area. In this case, it is possible to provide a single conveyer under the area of extraction of the two portions of spindle.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the conveyers comprise recirculation runways for returning the portions of said spindles, along which the portions of spindle roll by gravity.
The two portions of each spindle can be connected to each other by snap-fitting or other means. However, in a preferred embodiment, they have, at the ends to be connected, complementary conical surfaces which are used for the axial alignment of the two portions. Their detachment from each other can easily be prevented by positioning lateral containing walls along the spindle insertion path. When the winding has started, the two portions of spindle are held together by the turns being wound and by the contact with the winding members.
The method for producing rolls of web material according to the invention comprises the stages of inserting a winding spindle into a winding area; winding a predeterminable quantity of web material on said winding spindle to form a roll around said winding spindle; and extracting said winding spindle from the roll. Characteristically, according to the invention it is provided that said spindle is divided into two portions; said two portions are connected before the start of the winding of said web material on them; and the two portions of spindle are extracted separately from the two opposite ends of the roll wound on them.
Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are indicated in the attached claims.

Peripheral rewinding machine for producing rolls of wound web material and corresponding method of winding


Various embodiments may include a payment management system including an authorization reusability component. The payment management system may be configured to, subsequent to a customer providing payment information for an order, receive a payment authorization that indicates funds of an account associated with the customer have been reserved as a form of payment for a given transaction associated with the order. The payment management system may be configured to assign the reserved funds of the payment authorization to the given transaction. The payment management system may be configured to, subsequent to assigning the reserved funds, reassign at least some of the reserved funds of the authorization to a one or more other transactions. The payment management system may be configured to initiate a settlement of the one or more other transactions, the settlement including the reserved funds reassigned to the one or more other transactions.

Electronic marketplaces, such as those accessible via the Internet, may include a catalog of items or products available for purchase. These items may be offered as the basis for commerce (e.g., sale or trade). In one example, customers may utilize a web browser to visit a merchant's website, select an item for purchase from the catalog, and engage in a checkout process to finalize an order for the item. The merchant may operate a fulfillment network including various facilities in order to process such orders. For instance, the merchant may operate one or more facilities for preparing shipments of purchased items. The merchant may rely on shipment carriers to deliver the shipments to the respective purchasing customers.
In the aforesaid checkout process, customers may present one or more payment instruments to the merchant, such as a credit card or other financial instrument that may be debited electronically. In most cases, merchants do not accept payment information on face; a payment verification process may be performed to ensure that the requisite funds are available in the account represented by the customer's payment instrument. In some cases, the merchant may reserve a quantity of funds equal to or greater than the total cost of a customer's order. In many cases, this reservation may persist until settlement of the respective transaction or until a predetermined expiration deadline. In cases where a reservation persists until the predetermined expiration deadline (e.g., as might happen if an order is canceled), the customer may be prohibited from using the reserved funds for other purposes until after that expiration deadline.
While the system and method for reusing payment authorizations is described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that the system and method for reusing payment authorizations is not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the system and method for reusing payment authorizations to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the system and method for reusing payment authorizations as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes" mean including, but not limited to.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for reusing payment authorizations


An antenna and mounting arrangement include a mounting portion attached to a rear of a dish portion of the antenna. The mounting portion may be affixed to a pole and may be positioned at any point along the length of the pole before tightening in position by way of bolts. A length of the mounting portion insures that when secured in position the dish portion of the antenna will not contact the pole. Thus, a plurality of antennas may be conveniently mounted on a single pole.

1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to a mounting arrangement for antennas. Particularly, the invention relates to a mounting arrangement for dish, or parabolic antennas which allows a plurality of such antennas to be mounted in a convenient and space saving fashion.
2. Description of The Prior Art
Recently, the popularity and utility of satellite broadcasting has greatly increased. As a result, a large number of satellite antennas has come into use both in individual homes and in satellite communication stations. These antennas, which may be for receiving or transmitting signals usually are in the form of a parabolic dish which is mounted on a pole to be aimed so as to optimally receive or transmit satellite signals.
FIG. 3 shows a conventional mounting system for such a parabolic antenna. As can be seen in the drawing, a parabolic antenna A is mounted atop a pole B via a mounting portion 5, secured by a bolt 12. The mounting portion 5 is joined to the dish body 1 of the antenna at substantially a center portion thereof. The mounting portion 5 comprises a circular cap open on an underside thereof for fitting over a top end or the pole B. After being fitted over the top of the pole B, the mounting portion 5 is tightened via the bolt 12, which fits in a threaded hole 14 to affix the antenna A securely to the pole B.
The above described arrangement has a drawback however, in that, since many locations such as apartment buildings, or satellite communication stations, broadcasting stations etc., may require installation of a plurality of antennas, a large amount of space is required. That is to say, since the cap is a cup-like arrangement closed on the upper side, only one antenna can be arranged on a single pole. This also increases the expense of mounting plural antennas. Also, it will be noted that, in the conventional arrangement, the curvature of the dish intersects the axis of the pole, thus, even if the cap portion were left open, a plurality of antennas could not be mounted. Further, since the mounting portion is in a closed circular form, the antenna must be installed from the top of the pole and cannot be arranged directly at a convenient position along a length thereof.


A heat exchanger for transferring heat from a hot gas to a fluid includes two or more corrugated fin structures defining a plurality of hot gas flow channels extending in a generally linear first direction. A fluid conduit includes an outer wall at least partially bonded to at least two of the corrugated fin structures. The fluid conduit defines a plurality of sequentially arranged flow passes for the fluid traveling therethrough. Each of the plurality of flow passes directs the fluid in a direction generally perpendicular to the first direction.

Heat exchangers are used to transfer thermal energy between two (or more) fluids while maintaining isolation between the fluids. Such devices typically operate by providing discrete channels or fluid flow paths for each of the fluids. Thermal energy from the hotter of the fluids is convectively transferred to the channels or flow paths through which that fluid is directed, is transferred (typically by thermal conduction) to the channels of flow paths through which the cooler of the fluids is directed, and is convectively transferred to that fluid.
Certain challenges are known to result when one of the fluids is at an elevated pressure. The elevated fluid pressure acting on the walls of channels through which the pressurized fluid is directed frequently mandates the use of channels that are rather small in size, in order to maintain acceptably low levels of mechanical stress. However, such small channel sizes also reduce the amount of surface area available to achieve the desired heat transfer, leading to increases in the length and/or number of such channels in order to meet the performance demands. Such increases lead to increased cost, size, and manufacturing complexity, and can be especially challenging in application where compact heat exchangers are desirable. Such applications, by way of example only, include refrigeration systems, fuel heating for combustion engines, vaporizers for fuel cell systems, Rankine cycle waste heat recovery evaporators, and others.

Heat exchanger and method of making the same


A system and method for outputting finished image receiving medium in an image forming device are provided. The systems and methods include receiving an image forming operation in an image forming device. The image forming operation is evaluated to determine a number of pages required. Image receiving medium information relevant to an image receiving medium available to the image forming device may be accessed. Stacking thickness may be estimated based on the determined page count and the image receiving medium information. The image forming operation is processed based on the estimated stacking thickness. Processing may include comparing the estimated stacking thickness to an available stacker space and determining, from amongst a plurality of available stackers, a target stacker to deliver finished image receiving media to based on the results of the comparison.

This disclosure is directed to systems and methods for outputting finished image receiving media in an image forming device.
Image forming operations are received in various manners by image forming devices. Image forming operations, such as, for example printing instructions, may be received via electronic networks including intranet and extranet electronic communications or by direct loading. Image forming operations are typically processed by image forming devices to produce a representation of an electronic image or reproducing an image previously produced on an input image receiving medium, onto an available output image receiving medium such as, for example, a print sheet. Images may be produced, and/or reproduced on the output image receiving medium in a variety of manners including, for example, electrostatic xerographic, inkjet deposition and by other like or related image forming processes.
Image forming operations often include page count requirements or estimates. However, such estimates may not always be accurate relative to actual output requirements such as, for example, the specific page count of output printed documents. Such differences may result from a variety of reasons such as, for example, specific formatting requirements of an image forming device, and/or available output image receiving medium size.
The term "image forming device," as used here, broadly encompasses, but is not limited to, various printers, copiers, facsimile machines, multi-function devices and/or other like systems. The term "sheet" will be used to refer generally to an output image receiving medium that is generally represented by a pliable physical sheet of paper, plastic, or other suitable physical substrate for receiving output images based on image forming operations in the image forming devices. A compiled, collated set of output image receiving media may be alternatively referred to as a document, booklet, or the like. It is also known to use interposers or inserters to add covers or other inserts to a compiled set of output image receiving media.
A common feature among image forming devices is the delivery of finished image receiving media into output trays or stackers. The results of a particular image forming operation have a particular resulting stack thickness in the receiving stacker. Image forming devices may use multiple stackers for receiving finished output image receiving media. Multiple stacker configurations may include those that receive multiple copies of a single image forming operation in separate stackers, or a series of stackers may be used in sequence to receive the output image receiving media.
In conventional systems having multiple stacker configurations, a primary destination stacker is normally filled before an alternate destination stacker is employed. Conventional systems may use sensors that determine when an individual output stacker is filled to capacity. The sequencing of output destination stackers leads to a set of output image receiving media being delivered to a "top" of a stacker being stacked in both the primary and alternate destination stacker(s). The splitting of the output media produced by an image forming operation between destination stackers leads to a later requirement for media reassembly such as, for example, manually, after the output media from a single image forming operation is removed from separate destination stackers.
Inage forming devices employ a variety of media with differing characteristics that affect stacking thickness of a finished set of image receiving media. Such characteristics may include individual image receiving medium thickness and composition. These qualities affect stacking thickness directly and indirectly. Indirect effects may include the medium stacking thickness after the medium is separated and re-stacked. Various media may also react to compression differently based on their composition.
In addition to the various image receiving media that an image forming device may use, image forming devices employ a variety of image production and reproduction methods that independently affect stacking thickness. Such methods may include electrostatic or inkjet application of toner particles to an image receiving medium. The thickness of the deposited toner particles may affect overall output image receiving medium stacking thickness. Also, in a case where varying amounts of toner are deposited per page, the result may be different with respect to individual pages within an image forming operation.
Other effects of image forming processes on an individual image receiving medium that may affect stacking thickness include thermal expansion in, and electrostatic charging of, the image receiving medium to effect image forming operations on the image receiving medium.

Systems and methods for outputting finished medium in an image forming device