A combustor for a gas turbine having primary and secondary combustion zones. The combustor has a centrally disposed dual fuel nozzle that can supply a fuel rich mixture of either liquid and gaseous fuel to the primary combustion zone. The combustor also has primary gas fuel spray bars for supplying a lean mixture of gaseous fuel to the primary combustion zone via a first annular pre-mixing passage and secondary gas fuel spray bars for supplying a lean mixture of gaseous fuel to the secondary combustion zone via a second annular pre-mixing passage. In addition, the combustor also has a plurality of liquid fuel spray nozzles for introducing a lean mixture of liquid fuel into the secondary combustion zone via the second annular pre-mixing passage. The liquid fuel spray nozzles are disposed in fan shaped channels that are arranged in a circumferential array and that are connected to the second annular pre-mixing passage. The fan shaped channels cause expansion of the spray of fuel from the liquid spray nozzles and serve to ensure good atomization of the liquid fuel prior to its introduction into the second annular pre-mixing passage.

The present invention relates to a gas turbine combustor for burning both liquid and gaseous fuel in compressed air. More specifically, the present invention relates to a low NOx combustor having the capability of burning lean mixtures of both liquid and gaseous fuel.
In a gas turbine, fuel is burned in compressed air, produced by a compressor, in one or more combustors. Traditionally, such combustors had a primary combustion zone in which an approximately stoichiometric mixture of fuel and air was formed and burned in a diffusion type combustion process. Fuel was introduced into the primary combustion zone by means of a centrally disposed fuel nozzle. When operating on liquid fuel, such nozzles were capable of spraying fuel into the combustion air so that the fuel was atomized before it entered the primary combustion zone. Additional air was introduced into the combustor downstream of the primary combustion zone so that the overall fuel/air ratio was considerably less than stoichiometric--i.e., lean. Nevertheless, despite the use of lean fuel/air ratios, the fuel/air mixture was readily ignited at start-up and good flame stability was achieved over a wide range of firing temperatures due to the locally richer nature of the fuel/air mixture in the primary combustion zone.
Unfortunately, use of rich fuel/air mixtures in the primary combustion zone resulted in very high temperatures. Such high temperatures promoted the formation of oxides of nitrogen ("NOx"), considered an atmospheric pollutant. It is known that combustion at lean fuel/air ratios reduces NOx formation. However, achieving such lean mixtures requires that the fuel be widely distributed and very well mixed into the combustion air. This can be accomplished by pre-mixing the fuel into the combustion air prior to its introduction into the combustion zone.
In the case of gaseous fuel, this pre-mixing can be accomplished by introducing the fuel into primary and secondary annular passages that pre-mix the fuel and air and then direct the pre-mixed fuel into primary and secondary combustion zones, respectively. The gaseous fuel is introduced into these primary and secondary pre-mixing passages using fuel spray tubes distributed around the circumference of each passage. A combustor of this type is disclosed in "Industrial RB211 Dry Low Emission Combustion" by J. Willis et al., American Society of Mechanical Engineers (May 1993).
Unfortunately, such combustors are capable of operation on only gaseous fuel because the fuel spray tubes are not adapted to atomize liquid fuel into the combustor. Liquid fuel spray nozzles, such as those used in conventional rich-burning combustors, are known. However, sufficient mixing of the fuel and air to achieve adequately lean fuel/air ratios can not be achieved by merely incorporating such a nozzle into the pre-mixing passage. This is so because such liquid fuel spray nozzles do not completely atomize the fuel, resulting in the formation of large fuel droplets and locally rich fuel/air mixtures.
It is therefore desirable to provide a gas turbine combustor having primary and secondary passages for pre-mixing gaseous fuel in combustion air that is also capable of pre-mixing a liquid fuel in at least one of the gas pre-mixing passages.


The invention is an optical assembly which includes at least two optical fibers, each having a coated portion and a bare portion at one end. A spacer is placed between coated portions of the fibers so as to produce a gradual bending of the bare portions and thereby reducing stress on the bare portions.

Optical fibers are now used extensively in optical transmission systems. Such fibers usually include a core through which light is propagated surrounded by a cladding having a lower index of refraction than the core. The cladding, in turn, is usually surrounded by an acrylate coating for protection of the fiber. In many components, such as Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) filters, optical attenuators, and optical taps, the fibers are contained in terminations which may include 2 or more fibers inside a ferrule. The protective coating is typically stripped off the fibers at one end of the termination.
The positioning of the fibers in the ferrule can cause undue stress and result in breakage of one or more fibers. This is due at least in part to the fact that the stripped portions of the fibers are brought closer together than the coated portions resulting in an S-shaped bend where stress can be concentrated. For example, a typical core-to-core spacing for the coated portions is approximately 250 microns, while the spacing for the stripped portions is approximately 125 microns.


A grommet attached to a top panel captures a stud nut of a panel fastener through a retaining ring held by the grommet. A complimentary stud assembly attaches to a subpanel and receives the stud nut to clamp the panels together. The grommet has a stand-off base that projects axially from a counterbore in the top panel to form a barrier for a gasket. A flared end of the grommet and the standoff base clamp the top panel between them. The retaining ring compressively bears radially against the stud nut to retain it in any desired axial position and maintain axial alignment of the stud nut. The stud nut can draw completely into the top panel. The stud nut has a clear-through bore threaded at one end. A wrenching recess, defined by a hardened insert, occupies the other end of the bore. A plug separates the wrenching recess from the threads. A basket of the stud assembly attaches to the subpanel by rivets. A barrel attaches to the basket through lugs engaged in slots of down turned wings of the basket. Tabs at an extreme end of the barrel crimp into cooperating recesses of a head of the stud to retain the stud with the barrel. The stud extends axially within the barrel for engaging the stud nut. The barrel may press against the nut to restrain undesirable loosening.

The present invention relates to fasteners in general, and, more in particular, to panel fasteners.
Panel fasteners find application in many environments. One such environment is in aircraft where panels of the aircraft must be periodically removed from substructures to gain access to interior spaces.
Panel fasteners in the art include one type that employs a stud assembly mounted to a subpanel, understructure, or substructure through a basket, which assembly includes an axially extending, male threaded stud held in place by a barrel within the barrel. The stud points toward the understructure, but terminates behind it. A stud nut of the panel fastener has a head for bearing on a top panel and internal threads for engaging the threads of the stud. A retaining ring in a groove in the stud nut can retain the stud nut with the top panel. The stud nut tightens onto the threads of the stud to clamp the top panel and subpanel together.
In high performance and supersonic aircraft the skin of the aircraft carries load. Panel fasteners used with removable panels of that skin are required to have substantial structural strength. Because the skin carries load, when a panel is removed stresses move the understructure. This results in shifts in the hole pattern in the understructure. The movement occurs progressively with the detachment of more and more panel fasteners of a panel with the last remaining panel fasteners of a panel substantially loaded in shear making their removal difficult. Reinstallation requires a progressive shifting back of the hole pattern to the mated fit between the panel and the understructure. Thus the panel fastener must be removable and installable over a reasonable range of deflection between a substructure and a panel in which the nut of the fastener is attached.
This deflection between the substructure and the panel occurs both axially of the panel fastener, by way of gaps between the panel and the substructure, and radially of the panel fastener by way of shifting of the panel over the substructure in the plane of the panel. Gap closures of a magnitude of 0.125 inches may be required. Hole misalignment of a magnitude of 0.040 inches may have to be accommodated.
Because of the gap misalignment that must be accommodated, the panel fastener must have a fairly long stud nut to reach the stud before gap closure can occur. Lateral misalignment requires that the stud nut draw completely within the top panel to avoid catching on the substructure.
In the past it has been the practice to provide a retaining ring which functions to retain the stud nut with the top panel. When the stud nut retracts, the retaining ring snaps into an external groove on the stud nut to prevent withdrawal of the stud nut from the panel by interference of the retaining ring with the panel. The stud nut with this arrangement can freely move with respect to the top panel towards the substructure. This makes proximating the stud nut with the stud in the substructure difficult when the top panel lies below the substructure because the stud nut by its own weight wants to go into the fully retracted position away from the stud.
The retaining ring in this commercial version of a panel fastener also may be exposed when the stud nut moves from within the top panel towards the substructure. The retaining ring can come off the stud nut losing its function and permitting the stud to separate from the top panel.
Another problem attends exposed lock rings. This problem results from the inevitable use of gasket material on the panels. Gasket material can contact the lock ring when the lock ring is in its open position and prevent the lock ring from closing. Closure is necessary to permit full withdrawal of the stud nut into the top panel for and removal of the top panel from the substructure when some slip must occur.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,465 to Bulent Gulistan, the inventor of the subject matter of the present specification, discloses a panel fastener that employs a grommet to retain the retaining ring. The grommet has a head for bearing on the exposed side of the top panel and an axially extending portion that is flared over the bottom of the top panel to secure the grommet in place. With this arrangement the retaining ring is captive and the problem of its loss when the extension of the stud nut is overcome. Gasket material, however, can still reach the region where the lock ring is present and interfere with the proper function of that ring as by locking it open, because no barrier exists to stop the gasket material. The required flare at the bottom of the grommet is not thick enough in the axial direction to provide a barrier. Further, gasket material can enter the barrel and clog an annular space between the stud and barrel wall to prevent satisfactory operation of the cooperating stud nut. In a serious case, the stud nut would not be able to fully seat on the grommet and top panel because of the interfering gasket material.
The extent of protrusion of a panel fastener within the interior space behind the substructure or panel must of necessity be as small as possible because of weight and space considerations, especially in high performance aircraft. Constraints as to protrusions include the requirement of recessed heads in panel fasteners and of the provision of an axial space for wrenching the stud nut. A second constraint includes the requirement of having sufficient numbers of threads for effective engagement between the stud nut and the stud. Additionally, panel fasteners are used over and over again. Problems have been experienced in the past with thread locks losing effectiveness because of wear of the threads deformed to produce the lock. A wrenching recess in the head of the nut can strip with repeated use.


The movement and mixing of microdroplets through microchannels is described employing silicon-based microscale devices, comprising microdroplet transport channels, reaction regions, electrophoresis modules, and radiation detectors. The discrete droplets are differentially heated and propelled through etched channels. Electronic components are fabricated on the same substrate material, allowing sensors and controlling circuitry to be incorporated in the same device.

The complexity and power of biological reactions has increased dramatically over the last thirty years. The initial observations of the "hybridization" process, i.e., the ability of two polymers of nucleic acid containing complementary sequences to find each other and anneal through base pairing interaction, by Marmur and Lane, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. 46, 453 (1960) and Doty et al. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. 46, 461 (1960), have been followed by the refinement of this process into an essential tool of modern biology.
Initial hybridization studies, such as those performed by Hayashi et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. 50, 664 (1963), were formed in solution. Further development led to the immobilization of the target DNA or RNA on solid supports. With the discovery of specific restriction endonucleases by Smith and Wilcox, J. Mol. Biol. 51, 379 (1970), it became possible to isolate discrete fragments of DNA. Utilization of immobilization techniques, such as those described by Southern, J. Mol. Biol. 98, 503 (1975), in combination with restriction enzymes, has allowed for the identification by hybridization of singly copy genes among a mass of fractionated, genomic DNA.
In 1977, two methods for DNA sequencing were reported. These were the chemical degradation method of Maxam and Gilbert (1977 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74: 560) and the enzymatic method of Sanger et al. (1977, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74: 5463). Both methods generate populations of radiolabeled oligonucleotides which begin at a fixed point and terminate randomly at a fixed residue or type of residue. These populations are resolved on polyacrylamide gels which allow the discrimination between oligonucleotides that differ in length by as little as one nucleotide.
The Maxam and Gilbert method utilizes a fragment of DNA radiolabeled at one end which is partially cleaved in five separate chemical reactions, each of which is specific for a particular base or type of base. The products of these chemical reactions are five populations of labelled molecules that extend from the labeled end to the site of chemical cleavage. This method has remained relatively unchanged since its initial development. This method works best for DNA sequences that lie less than 250 nucleotides from the labeled end.
In contrast, the Sanger method is capable of sequencing greater than 500 nucleotides in a single set of reactions. The Sanger method is an enzymatic reaction that utilizes chain-terminating dideoxynucleotides (ddNTPs). ddNTPs are chain-terminating because they lack a 3′-hydroxyl residue which prevents formation of a phosphodiester bond with the succeeding deoxyribonucleotide (dNTP). A small amount of one ddNTP is included with the four conventional dNTPs in a polymerization reaction. Polymerization or DNA synthesis is catalyzed by a DNA polymerase. There is competition between extension of the chain by incorporation of the conventional dNTPs and termination of the chain by incorporation of a ddNTP. A short oligonucleotide or primer is annealed to a template containing the DNA to be sequenced. The original protocols required single-stranded DNA templates. The use of double-stranded templates was reported later (Chen and Seeburg 1985). The primer provides a 3′ hydroxyl group which allows the polymerization of a chain of DNA when a polymerase enzyme and dNTPs are provided.
The original version of the Sanger method utilized the Klenow fragment of E. coli DNA polymerase. This enzyme has the polymerization and 3′ to 5′ exonuclease activity of the unmodified polymerase but lacks 5′ to 3′ exonuclease activity. The Klenow fragment has several limitations when used for enzymatic sequencing. One limitations is the low processivity of the enzyme, which generates a high background of fragments that terminate by the random dissociation of the enzyme from the template rather than by the desired termination due to incorporation of a ddNTP. The low processivity also means that the enzyme cannot be used to sequence nucleotides that appear more than ˜250 nucleotides from the 5′ end of the primer. A second limitation is that Klenow cannot efficiently utilize templates which have homopolymer tracts or regions of high secondary structure. The problems caused by secondary structure in the template can be minimized by running the polymerization reaction at 55° C. (R. Gomer and R. Firtel, "Sequencing homopolymer regions." Bethesda Res. Lab. Focus 7: 6 1985).
Improvements to the original Sanger method include the use of polymerases other than the Klenow fragment. Reverse transcriptase has been used to sequence templates that have homopolymeric tracts (S. Karanthanasis, "M13 DNA sequencing using reverse transcriptase" Bethesda Res. Lab. Focus 4(3): 6 1982; Graham et al., "Direct DNA sequencing using avian myeloblastosis virus and Moleney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase" Bethesda Res. Lab. Focus 8(2): 4 1986). Reverse transcriptase is somewhat better than the Klenow enzyme at utilizing templates containing homopolymer tracts.
The use of a modified T7 DNA polymerase (Sequenase™) was the most significant improvement to the Sanger method. See Sambrook, J. et al. Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual, 2d Ed. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, 13.7-13.9 and Hunkapiller, M. W. (1991) Curr. Op. Gen. Devl. 1: 88-92. Sequenase™ is a chemically-modified T7 DNA polymerase has reduced 3′ to 5′ exonuclease activity (Tabor et al. 1987, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84: 4767). Sequenase™ version 2.0 is a genetically engineered form of the T7 polymerase which completely lacks 3′ to 5′ exonuclease activity. Sequenase™ has a very high processivity and high rate of polymerization. It can efficiently incorporate nucleotide analogs such as dITP and 7-deaza-dGTP which are used to resolve regions of compression in sequencing gels. In regions of DNA containing a high G+C content, Hoogsteen bond formation can occur which leads to compressions in the DNA. These compressions result in aberrant migration patterns of oligonucleotide strands on sequencing gels. Because these base analogs pair weakly with conventional nucleotides, intrastrand secondary structures are alleviated. In contrast, Klenow does not incorporate these analogs as efficiently. The main limitation to the amount of DNA sequence that can be obtained from a single set of chain-termination reactions using Sequenase™ is the resolving power of polyacrylamide gels, not the properties of the enzyme.
The use of Taq DNA polymerase is a more recent addition to the improvements of the Sanger method (Innis et al. 1988, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85: 9436). Taq polymerase is a thermostable enzyme which works efficiently at 70-75° C. The ability to catalyze DNA synthesis at elevated temperature makes Taq polymerase useful for sequencing templates which have extensive secondary structures at 37° C. (the standard temperature used for Klenow and Sequenase™ reactions). Taq polymerase, like Sequenase™, has a high degree of processivity and like Sequenase 2.0, it lacks 3′ to 5′ nuclease activity.
Methods were also developed for examining single base changes without direct sequencing. These methods allow for the "scanning" of DNA fragments for the presence of mutations or other sequence variation. For example, if a mutation of interest happens to fall within a restriction recognition sequence, a change in the pattern of digestion can be used as a diagnostic tool (e.g., restriction fragment length polymorphism [RFLP] analysis).
With the development of these complex and powerful biological techniques, an ambitious project has been undertaken. This project, called the Human Genome Project (HGP), involves the complete characterization of the archetypal human genome sequence which comprises 3×109 DNA nucleotide base pairs. An implicit goal of the project is the recognition that all humans are greater than 99% identical at the DNA sequence level. The differences between people, however, provide the information most relevant to individual health care, including potential estimates of the risk of disease or the response to a specific medical treatment. Upon completion of the HGP, a continuing effort of the human genetics research community will be the examination of differences within populations and of individual variants from the defined archetype. While the 15-year effort of the HGP represents a defined quantity of DNA data acquisition, the future demand for DNA information is tied to individual genetic variation and is, therefore, unlimited.
Current DNA genotyping technologies are adequate for the detailed analysis of samples that range in number from hundreds to thousands per year. Genotyping projects on the order of millions of assays, however, are beyond the capabilities of today's laboratories because of the current inefficiencies in (i) liquid handling of reagent and DNA template solutions, (ii) measurement of solution volumes, (iii) mixing of reagent and template, (iv) controlled thermal reaction of the mixed solutions, (v) sample loading onto an electrophoresis gel, and (vi) DNA product detection on size-separating gels. What is needed is methodology that allows for a high-volume of biological reactions without these existing inefficiencies.

The Regents of the University of Michigan


There is provided an ink composition for ink jet recording that is free from feathering or bleeding and, at the same time, can realize high-gloss images particularly advantageous when the ink composition is recorded on specialty papers. The ink composition comprises at least a colorant, water, and a surfactant, wherein                the surfactant satisfies a requirement represented by formula (I)β−α≧0  (I)wherein        (i) α represents contact angle of a recording medium with an aqueous solution containing 0.1% by weight of the surfactant 0.3 sec after the contact of the aqueous solution with the recording medium, degree; and        (ii) β represents contact angle of a recording medium with an aqueous solution containing 0.1% by weight of the surfactant, 20% by weight of glycerin, 10% by weight of 1,2-hexanediol and 1.0% by weight of triethanolamine 0.3 sec after the contact of the aqueous solution with the recording medium, degree.

1. Field of Invention
This invention provides an ink composition for ink jet recording, which can realize high-gloss images particularly advantageous when the ink composition is recorded on specialty papers, and an ink jet recording method using the ink composition.
2. Background Art
Ink jet recording is a printing method wherein droplets of an ink are flied and deposited on recording media, such as paper, to perform printing. An innovative advance of a recent ink jet recording technique has made it possible to realize the production of images having quality comparable to images produced by silver salt photography or images yielded by high-definition printing realized only by offset printing. This trend has led to the development of inks for ink jet recording that can realize images having glossy impression comparable to the gloss of images produced by silver salt photography, using, in ink jet recording, the so-called specialty papers, which are recording media having a high level of gloss comparable to photographic paper, art paper and the like used in the field of silver salt photography and offset printing. Further, inks for ink jet recording which can realize image quality comparable to the image quality of images produced by silver salt photography even on plain paper, have also been developed.
Inks, which have been generally used for ink jet recording, are water-based inks that comprise water as a main component and a colorant and various additives. Regarding the colorant, the development of pigment-based inks utilizing the properties of the pigment has recently been forwarded because pigments are superior to dyes in weatherfastness properties such as lightfastness, gasfastness, waterfastness, and moisturefastness.
Regarding the above pigment-based inks, inks, which can realize excellent ejection stability, storage stability, color developing properties, and fixation and, at the same time, can realize substantially bleeding- or feathering-free images, have been demanded. To meet this demand, an ink containing a penetrating agent and a surfactant has been developed. For example, a pamphlet of International Publication No. 94/26828 discloses that bleeding can be reduced by incorporating specific acetylene glycol and polyhydric alcohol lower alkyl ether into ink. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 253166/2003 discloses that the addition of a polyorganosiloxane compound having a specific structure can realize excellent ejection stability, storage stability, color development, and fixation and high image quality substantially free from bleeding.


A spring-biased easily located frame clip mounting system is disclosed for "frameless" picture mounting in which a U-shaped clip is slipped over a backing, picture and glass sandwich and is held in place by a spring attached to a plow-type anchoring device having teeth which are initially pushed through the backing at an angle, such that spring tension causes the plow teeth to dig into the backing to hold the plow anchor securely to and flat against the backing. The anchor in one embodiment is provided with an aperture and liquid adhesive is dripped through the aperture once the anchor is in place to permanently secure the anchor to the backing.

Various frame clips have been utilized in the past in so-called "frameless" picture mounting systems in which a picture, photograph or other piece of artwork is sandwiched between a backing, usually of cardboard or foamboard and a transparent facing sheet, either glass or plastic. The frame clip structures are used to hold the sandwich structure together and may also be used in mounting the finished article to a wall. It will be appreciated that no exterior frame need be used in order to mount pictures in this manner, from which the major benefit is derived.
While what has been described appears to be a quite simple mounting system, in practice, it is very difficult to utilize these clips because of the difficulty of maintaining alignment of all the pieces while the clips are attached. In one system, wire or cord must be simultaneously wrapped around four clip structures and securely tightened to provide requisite strength. This cannot be easily accomplished by one person due to the number of mounting elements which must be simultaneously handled. Moreover, during the tightening process, the clips often become misaligned and must be straightened before the tightening process can continue. This is time consuming and frustrating. Additionally, the amount of apparatus on the back of the picture is excessive.
Another type of frame clip is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,443 issued to P. Sury, Oct. 31, 1967, the so-called "Swiss clip". This clip is a unitary device having a U-shaped structure at one end and a single prong at the other end which is designed to project perpendicularly into the backing material to hold the sandwich-like structure together. This clip suffers from mechanical instability since it tends to pull out of the backing material. Moreover, the sandwich structure is not always tightly held together if the prong penetration point is not far enough inward of the edge of the sandwich structure. It will be noted that this clip is not spring loaded in a direction that would draw the clip towards the center of the picture.
A third class of frame clips are spring loaded so that each clip is drawn towards the center of the picture. These are exemplified by the clips in U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,272 issued to R. M. Kulicke on Oct. 10, 1961 and those of French Pat. No. 2,274,253 published Feb. 13, 1976; and West German Pat. No. 24-50-397 published Apr. 29, 1976. In each of these patents a frame clip is spring loaded by a spring running from the clip to an anchor secured to the backing material. In each case these anchoring devices are preattached by a rivet, screw or like device which makes positioning of the clip difficult if the prelocated anchors are not properly positioned. In order to assure proper alignment, grooves or apertures must be provided in the backing material, which is inconvenient, especially for custom size articles. In each case, either tools must be used, or special preparation of the backing is necessary, which lacks convenience.
In contrast to the above-mentioned mounting system, the subject system utilizes a spring loaded frame clip and specialized anchor to which one end of the spring is attached. The anchor includes angled teeth or prongs which depend downwardly from a base plate or like member. The teeth are angled so that they point in the direction of the clip and are sharp enough to puncture or pierce the backing material, which may be cardboard or a combination material such as foamboard. Foamboard is a backing material which has polystrene foam sandwiched between two outer sheets, usually kraft paper, in which both the outer sheets and foam are pierceable. The frame clip is generally U-shaped and adapted to slip over the backing-picture-glass sandwich. One end of a coil spring is attached at the inner edge of the clip, with the other end being attached to the anchor.
The teeth depending from the anchor act as a "plow" when the clip and anchor are in place and spring tension is applied, so as to keep the anchor securely fastened to the backing material.
To attach, the clip is hooked over the edge of the glass, backing, and picture sandwich. The plow anchor is pulled away from the clip by means of the handle and spacer which tensions the spring. The plow anchor is then pressed down into the backing material, such that the teeth pierce the backing material. The anchor is then released and the spring force pulls the plow anchor forward. Because of the angling of the teeth, the base plate of the anchor is forced downward into close contact with backing material. Once in place, the base plate is maintained flat against the backing material.
This provides for ease in the positioning and securing of the clips, because the clip may be positioned first and then the anchor pulled back and pushed in. Thus, no prelocated anchor need be used, and this system is thus universal in the sense that it is usable with a large variety of different size custom units.
In one embodiment, the anchor may subsequently be adhesively attached to the backing material by providing one or more apertures in the anchor base plate. After mounting the anchor as described, a drop of liquid adhesive may be dispensed into the aperture. If the adhesive is thin enough, it will wick out between the base plate and the backing material where it will set up. The plow type arrangement provides for "self-jigging" to hold the plate flat against the backing material for optimum positioning for a thin adhesive line which is known to provide the strongest bond. The adhesive wick-through process may also be used to secure the clip itself, if desired.
For rapid and exceptionally strong bonds, cyanoacrylate adhesive may be used, with or without an activator. This adhesive provides an exceptionally rapid and strong bond, especially in the cases of metal to paper bonds, and plastic to paper bonds where the paper is coated. Activators may be necessary for uncoated papers and cardboards or chip boards to speed glue setting.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an exceptionally rapid, easy mounting system for pictures and the like.
It is another object of this invention to provide spring loaded frame clips with rapidly attachable and adjustable anchoring means.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a unique anchor utilizing the plow concept for anchoring spring loaded frame clips.
It is another object of this invention to provide a self-jigging adhesively held anchor for frame clips.
It is yet another object of this invention to utilize liquid adhesives in frame clip mounting.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide an easily usable picture framing method and apparatus.
These and other objects will be better understood in connection with the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:


An imaging control device for controlling a facial image taking apparatus which radiates light from a light source to a face and takes an image of the face is disclosed. The imaging control device determines an intensity of environmental light and a degree of reflection by a pair of eyeglasses. When it is determined that the intensity of the environmental light is greater than or equal to a predetermined determination value and the degree of the reflection by the eyeglasses is greater than or equal to a predetermined determination value, the imaging control device sets an intensity of the light radiated from the light source to a predetermined intensity that makes states of eyes in the facial image recognizable.

A technology for detecting an undesirable driver state in terms of a driving operation, such as looking aside while driving and drowsy driving, has been developed. In such a technology, the face of the driver is photographed with a camera to obtain a facial image of the driver and the facial image is analyzed to detect the driver state (e.g., JP-2003-296712A, JP-2008-123137A corresponding to US2009/0251534A, JP-3316725B corresponding to US-5801763B, JP-2009-116797A corresponding to US2010/0254571A, and JP-2008-276328A corresponding to US2008/0267600A).
For instance, the positions of eyes (e.g., black eyes or pupils) of a driver are detected to detect a looking-aside state. The open/closed states of eyes (eye lids) of the driver are detected to detect sleepiness.
In order to obtain a stable image in taking the image with the camera, a light source (projector) radiates a necessary amount of light (e.g., infrared light) toward the face and its surroundings by, e.g., pulse lighting.
However, the inventor of the present application has found out that if the driver is wearing a pair of eyeglasses, it is difficult to highly accurately obtain eye-related information such as the positions of eyes, the open/closed states of eyes, or the like.

Imaging control device and program for controlling facial image taking apparatus which radiates infrared light toward the face


A system and method of passive detection of a luminous target employs a prior knowledge and a present measurement of its electromagnetic spectrum during a target acquisition procedure and, subsequently, during analysis of the spectrum to determine the presence of Doppler shift and broadening of lines of the spectrum. The prior known reference spectrum is adjusted for the Doppler shift so as to enable identification of the corresponding spectral lines of the received target spectrum. A history of the spectral data enables an identification of the type of target, as in the case of a rocket, and a determination of characteristics of a flight of the rocket.

This invention relates to passive detection and identification of a source of electromagnetic radiation and, more particularly, to detection of hot gasses undergoing rapid motion, as in a rocket plume, by examination of spectral line broadening due to particle collisions, and by examination of Doppler shifting of the spectral lines due to particle motion in a known emission spectrum of the constituent gasses of a plume, thereby to identify the source of the radiation.
Various objects, such as the plume of a rocket or fire, or gas discharge of a lamp, are known to act as sources of radiation having characteristic spectra. There are situations in which it is desirable to detect and/or identify such a source from a viewing site distant from the source. However, a problem arises in that the usual apparatuses for detecting and identifying such a source, or target, such as active radar by way of example, are not operative with the foregoing type of radiant energy signal for a passive determination of the presence and identity of the source.

Passive detection of source of known spectral emission


A first processor receives a request for records from a requester. The records include an index field and the records are stored in a plurality of storage devices associated respectively with a plurality of second processors. Individual storage devices of the plurality of storage devices are physically distinct from one another. Subsequent to the receiving of the request, the first processor retrieves the records from the plurality of storage devices using the plurality of second processors. The first processor then arranges the retrieved records in an order based at least on the index field and provides the retrieved records to the requestor in the order.

Some packet switches have a chassis and multiple blades removably connected to the chassis. Some of these blades may be input/output blades that may send packets to other devices connected to the packet switch and may receive packets from the other devices. Other blades, referred to as control blades, may configure the input/output blades and may interact with a user and/or a network management system. In some configurations, each input/output blade of a packet switch may include a storage device configured to store information. In some configurations, the input/output blades may derive the information from packets received by the input/output blades.
At times, the packet switch may need to provide the information stored in each of the storage devices to a user or management system. Furthermore, the packet switch may need to provide the information in a particular order. According to one approach, a control blade may duplicate the information stored in the storage devices of the input/output modules, store the duplicate information in the control blade, and then sort the duplicate information according to the particular order. However, duplicating the information and storing the duplicate information in the control blade may be slow and may require a large amount of memory, thereby increasing the cost of the control blade.

Data retrieval from a plurality of distinct storage devices using an index value


A heat dissipation device including a mounting seat, a fan hung on the mounting seat and a frame connected with the fan is provided. The fan has an air outlet and an air inlet opposite to the air outlet, the air inlet is disposed facing to the mounting seat, the frame is arranged surrounding the air inlet and clamped between the mounting seat and the air inlet. Thereby, a back flowing hot airflow is prevented from being sucked into the air inlet.

In traditional, electrical devices such as a mother board and a power supply are arranged in a computer case. The electrical devices generate heat in operation, and multiple heat dissipation fans are commonly arranged in the computer case in order to ensure stability of the system. Generally, a fan supporter is arranged in the computer case and the heat dissipation fans are fixed to the fan supporter. The heat dissipation fans generate forced airflow and heat is thereby dissipated from the computer case.
In general, only a side of the fan mounted in the computer case is fixed with the fan supporter. A hot airflow blown from an air outlet of the fan is allowed to flow back to outside of an air inlet of the fan, because the air inlet of the fan is connected with the fan supporter and the air outlet is therefore hung. The air inlet is screwing connected with the fan supporter, and most of the back flowing hot air is blocked by the fan supporter and therefore cannot flow into the air inlet. However, a part of the hot air is re-sucked into the air inlet through a gap between the fan supporter and the fan. Accordingly, a heat dissipation performance of the fan is decreased by the back flowing hot air sucked thereinto. Increasing length of the fan to increase a distance between the air inlet and air outlet could reduce the back flowing hot air sucked thereinto. However, the hung end of the fan vibrates to impact adjacent portions of the computer case when in a high frequency rotation and noises therefore occur. The length of the fan is longer, the noises are more obvious.
In views of this, in order to solve the above disadvantage, the present inventor studied related technology and provided a reasonable and effective solution in the present disclosure.


A second power supply line is connected to a first power supply line via an N-MOS transistor and has a second potential (Vcc-Vt). The second power supply line is grounded to a ground line via one of P-MOS transistors of a clamp circuit, one of N-MOS transistors of a decode switch, an N-MOS sense amplifier, and a common source line of sense amplifiers. Accordingly, even when a power supply potential negatively bumps, a ground potential flows from the second power supply line through a current path thus formed, and the potential of the second power supply line can follow the negative bump. Since the transistors forming the clamp circuit are of the P-MOS type, the data lines are electrically connected to the second power supply line, so that the data lines can follow the negative bump of the first power supply line. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a data line precharging system which can follow the negative bump of the power supply without deteriorating the sensitivity of the amplifier of the voltage detecting type.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit, and in particular to an improvement of a construction of a data line precharge power supply when data is transferred from memory cells to an output circuit on a semiconductor chip. The improvement can be effectively used in a dynamic random access memory (which will be referred to as "DRAM") and a static random access memory (which will be referred to as "SRAM").
Two kinds of precharge power supply systems for data lines have been proposed for SRAMs which use a data line amplifier formed of a differential amplifier of the current mirror type in order to increase an operation speed in many cases.
One of them is disclosed in "1985 ISSCC Technical Digest", p. 65, FIG. 1. This system uses N-MOS transistors and a power supply generating a potential Vcc for precharging the data lines.
A DRAM to which the above technique is applied will be described below as a first prior art with reference to FIG. 11. Prior to description of a function of a precharge circuit in the DRAM, general description will first be given on a whole circuit shown in FIG. 11. There are provided sense amplifier blocks BLKn, BLKm and BLKl (19, 20 and 21) into which the integrated circuit is divided. Although an internal configuration of only the sense amplifier block BLKn (19) is shown in the figure, these blocks 19, 20 and 21 have the same configuration. In the sense amplifier blocks BLKn, BLKm and BLKl (19, 20 and 21), a word line 15 is first controlled to read data of a memory cell 7 onto bit lines 2, and a power supply Vcc (32) and a ground potential Vss are supplied to common source lines SAP (17) and SAN (16), respectively, so that P-MOS and N-MOS sense amplifiers 8 and 9 of the flip-flop type latch the data on the bit lines 2. The data thus latched is read onto first data lines DQn and XDQn (1) via N-MOS transfer transistors (i.e., decode switch) (10) controlled by a column select line Yn (6) into which a signal AYp of a column address decoder 12 is input.
To the first data lines DQn and XDQn (1) are connected a precharge circuit 71 formed of N-MOS transistors for precharging the data lines DQn and XDQn (1), and a clamp circuit 70 formed of N-MOS transistors for clamping the potential at the low level of one of the data lines DQn and XDQn (1). The data read onto the first data lines DQn and XDQn (1) is detected and amplified by a differential amplifier 4 shown in FIG. 14(a) and FIG. 14(b), and further is read onto second data lines DB and XDB (3) via a switch 11 controlled by an address decoder 13. The second data lines DB and XDB (3) are precharged by a circuit similar to the precharge circuit 71, and the data is detected and amplified by an amplifier 5 similar to the differential amplifier 4, and ultimately is read externally by an output buffer 14.
The conventional precharge power supply system of the other type will now be described below. This technique uses P-MOS transistor as well as a power supply generating the potential Vcc for precharging data lines, as shown in "1992 ISSCC Technical Digest". p. 209, FIG. 1.
A second prior are which is a DRAM employing the above technique is shown in FIG. 13. For simplicity reasons, only difference with respect to the DRAM in FIG. 11 will be described below. The difference is that a precharge circuit 81 for the first data lines DQn and XDQn (1), a clamp circuit 80 for clamping the potential at the low level of one of the data lines 1, a precharge circuit 90 for the second data lines 3 and a latch circuit 91 each are formed of P-MOS transistors.
The inventors have specifically studied the operation of the first and second prior arts to find that these prior arts have the following advantages and disadvantages.
In the first prior art, since the precharge circuit 71 is formed of the N-MOS transistors, the potential precharging the first data lines 1 is equal to (Vcc-Vt) which is lower than the potential Vcc of the power supply 32 by a threshold voltage Vt of the N-MOS transistor. Meanwhile, in the second prior art, since the precharge circuit 81 is formed of the P-MOS transistors, the potential precharging the first data lines 1 is equal to the potential Vcc of the power supply 32 itself.
The amplifier shown in FIG. 14(a) and FIG. 14(b) in FIG. 14 is a generally used amplifier of the voltage detecting type. The sensitivity (sensitivity=output potential difference/input potential difference) of this amplifier is low with respect to a potential of the input data near the power supply potential Vcc of the power supply 32 as shown in FIG. 15, and generally attains a maximum value near the potential of Vcc/2. Accordingly, in the first prior art described above, the potential of the data lines 1 is precharged to the potential (Vcc-Vt) lower than the power supply voltage Vcc, so that the sensitivity can be high. However, in the second prior art described above, the low sensitivity of the amplifier cannot be avoided as long as it uses the amplifier of the voltage detecting type shown in FIG. 14(a) and FIG. 14(b).
Meanwhile, in the precharge potential generating system in the first prior art has the following disadvantage. FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b) show change of the potential of the data lines 1 which occurs due to negative bump of the power supply voltage Vcc, i.e., voltage drops thereof. If the power supply voltage Vcc does not change, transition of data on the data lines 1 can be performed in a time t1 after inverted data is transferred. However, if the power supply voltage Vcc drops after the transition, the clamp potential of the data line XDQn, which is at the low level at this point of time, lowers in accordance with lowering of the power supply voltage Vcc, but the potential of the data line DQn, 20 which is at the high level, cannot follow it and maintains the previous potential as shown in FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b), so that a large potential difference is caused in the data line pair DQn and XDQn. Consequently, when new inverted data is transferred, a long inversion time t2 is required, which may cause malfunction of an amplifier at a subsequent stage. The operation speed cannot be increased if this problem is to be overcome.
The aforementioned characteristics relating to the followability are presented by the following reasons. Both the clamp circuit 70 and decode switch 10 are formed of the N-MOS transistors. Due to this, for example, when one of the bit lines BL is kept at the power supply potential Vcc and the other bit line/BL is kept at the ground potential Vss, i.e., when the data lines DQn and XDQn are kept at the high and low levels, respectively, the N-MOS transistors forming the clamp circuit 70 and decode switch 10 present diode characteristics which cause current flow toward a low potential side, so that the data line XDQn, which is at the lower level at the time of voltage drop, is connected to the ground line via one of the N-MOS transistors of the decode switch 10 shown at a lower position in the figure and the bit line/BL as well as the N-MOS sense amplifier transistor 9, and lowers its potential in accordance with the fall of the power supply voltage Vcc. Meanwhile, in connection with the data line DQn, which is at the higher level at the time of the voltage drop of the power supply 32, a current path to the ground is disconnected by a diode formed of the N-MOS transistor of the decode switch 10 shown at the upper position in the figure, and further, it is electrically isolated from the power supply Vcc by the diode formed of the N-MOS transistor of the clamp circuit 70 shown at the upper position in the figure. For this reason, it can be considered that the potential of the data line DQn cannot follow the voltage drop. In the above description, the decode switch 10 is formed of the N-MOS transistors, so that the N-MOS transistors forming the clamp circuit 70 perform the diode function. Meanwhile, if the decode switch 10 were formed of P-MOS transistors, the P-MOS transistors forming the clamp circuit 70 would perform the diode function. Therefore, a disadvantage is caused if the transistors forming the clamp circuit 70 are of the same conductivity type as the transistors forming the decode switch 10.
The problem of the first prior art described above is not presented by the second prior art, because the power supply and the data lines in the second prior art are electrically connected together via P-MOS transistors 80, and hence the change in the power supply voltage Vcc can be followed.
Accordingly, the problem relating to operation stability of the circuit is caused if the first or second prior art is employed for data lines of recent memories having a large capacity and allowing fast operation.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A process of reducing critical dimension (CD) microloading in dense and isolated regions of etched features of silicon-containing material on a substrate uses a plasma of an etchant gas and an additive gas. In one version, the etchant gas comprises halogen species absent fluorine, and the additive gas comprises fluorine species and carbon species, or hydrogen species and carbon species.

The present invention relates to a process of etching semiconductor substrates.
In the manufacture of integrated circuits, silicon-containing layers on a substrate are etched to form gates, vias, contact holes, trenches, and/or interconnect lines. The etched areas are later filled with electrically conductive material to form electrically conductive interconnects or with insulating materials in the case of gate structures. Examples of such silicon-containing materials include silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, polysilicon, metal silicide, and monocrystalline silicon. The substrate may also contain layers of other materials, for example metal conductor layers, insulative layers, anti-reflective layers, or diffusion layers, among others.
In a typical etching process, a patterned mask composed of a material less susceptive to etching, such as photoresist, or a hard mask layer such as silicon dioxide or silicon nitride, is formed over the substrate. Thereafter, the substrate is placed within a process chamber and etched by a plasma of etchant gas in the chamber. The residue of material deposited on the substrate is then etched. The composition of the residue is dependent upon the etchant gas that is used, the substrate material, and composition of the mask or resist layer. The etching process is illustrated schematically in FIGS. 1a through 1d. These figures are shown merely as examples of substrates and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In a typical configuration, as shown in FIG. 1a, the substrate 25 comprises a metal silicide layer 22 formed over a doped or undoped polysilicon layer 24 which is formed over a dielectric layer 26, such as a silicon dioxide layer. Patterned resist features 28 are formed over the substrate to define areas to be etched. FIG. 1b shows the same substrate after etching. In another example, FIG. 1c shows a silicon substrate 36 having a mask layer 32 formed over a thin silicon dioxide layer 34. FIG. 1d shows the same substrate after etching. The layers of the substrate may include but are not limited to the following: metal silicide, silicon, polysilicon, silicon nitride, or silicon dioxide layers; diffusion barrier and/or adhesion promoting layers of Ti, TiN, Ta, TaN, W, WN; metal layers comprising aluminum, copper, tungsten, and alloys thereof; antireflection layers of TiN, silicon oxynitride or organic anti-reflective material; dielectric layers of silicon dioxide, silicate glass, PSG, BPSG, Si3N4, and TEOS deposited glass; or the substrate itself.
One problem in etching such substrates is the occurrence of critical dimension microloading. The critical dimensions (CD) are the predefined dimensions of the etched features which affect the electrical properties of the features. For example, the electrical resistance of a metal interconnect line is proportional to its cross-sectional area which is a function of its height and width. As the dimensions of etched features become smaller due to advances in etching technology, the cross-sectional area of the interconnected lines is a critical dimension that should be maintained as close as possible to the desired dimensions to provide the required electrical resistance levels. Especially for electrically conducting features, tapering cross-sections, cross-sectional profiles that vary as a function of the spacing between the features, or other variations in the profile of the features are not desirable. Critical dimension (CD) measurements are typically made using top-down scanning electron micrographs of the substrate before and after etching or by suitable electrical measurements. Critical dimension microloading is a measure of the variation in critical dimensions between dense and isolated regions of the substrate. The dense regions have a high density of etched features and the isolated regions have a low density of etched features. It is important and desirable to reduce CD microloading effects across the substrate to maintain uniform critical dimensions for all the etched features.
When a silicon-containing layer on a substrate is etched by conventional methods, etched or sputtered silicon species combine with gaseous species to form a sidewall passivation layer 40 on the sidewalls of the etched features. When the silicon species combine with oxygen, a sidewall passivation layer 40 comprising silicon dioxide is formed, and this passivation layer 40 controls the rate of etching of the silicon-containing layer. However, conventional processes often result in tapering of the profile of the etched features, and may also result in CD microloading of etched features that are in dense and isolated regions on the substrate. This occurs because in the isolated regions of the etched features (where there are few etched features per unit area) there tends to be thicker sidewall passivation layers deposited on the etched features than in the dense regions (where there are more etched features per unit area).
In current etching techniques, for example those using an etchant gas comprising HBr; Cl2, and Hexe2x80x94O2, profile tapering and CD microloading occurs primarily due to backsputtering of the etched silicon, as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b. FIG. 2a represents a dense feature portion of a silicon-containing substrate 25 and FIG. 2b represents a portion of the substrate 25 where the etched features are relatively isolated. As the substrate 25 is etched, backsputtering of silicon occurs due to the energetic bombardment of the plasma species on the substrate. The backsputtered silicon (as represented by the arrows 42) combines with the O2 to form SiO2 that is deposited on the sidewalls of the etched feature as the silicon dioxide containing passivation layers 40a and 40b. Comparing FIGS. 2a and 2b, the passivation layers 40a on the etched features at the dense regions is not as thick as the passivation layers 40b formed on the etched features in the isolated regions due primarily to the localized geometry of the etching features and the resulting relatively lower area of exposed silicon-containing material. These varying thicknesses lead to excessive profile tapering and CD microloading across the substrate.
FIG. 3 is an etch simulation model showing the difficulty in minimizing tapering of the profile of the etched feature while also reducing CD microloading at the dense and isolated regions on the substrate. It is seen that tapering can be reduced to zero (i.e., a profile angle of 90 degrees) and CD microloading can also be reduced in the dense and isolated regions of the substrate, by utilizing a more isotropic or xe2x80x9cchemicalxe2x80x9d etching process. In isotropic etching processes, the etching rate through the sidewall of the etched feature is higher than in conventional anisotropic or less chemical etching processes. The isotropic etching process reduces the thickness of the thicker sidewall passivation layers that are formed on the etched features in some of the regions of the substrate by reacting with and partially removing these layers. However, the problem with using such chemical or isotropic etching is that the etched features have narrower or skinner profiles because etching proceeds along the sidewall at higher rates. Thus it is difficult to balance low degrees of tapering and CD microloading effects, with the high degree of anisotropic etching that is desired on the substrate.
Therefore there is a need for an etching process that provides substantially anisotropic etching, with reduced tapering of etched features, and low critical dimension microloading across the substrate. There is a further need for an apparatus capable of providing such etching characteristics.
The aforementioned problems have been overcome by the present invention. In one aspect, the present invention comprises a method of etching silicon-containing material on a substrate, comprising the steps of placing the substrate with the silicon containing material in a chamber, and forming a plasma from a process gas which is introduced into the chamber, the process gas comprising an etchant gas comprising halogen species absent fluorine, and an additive gas comprising fluorine species and carbon species.
In another aspect, a method of etching silicon-containing material on a substrate comprises the steps of placing the substrate with the silicon-containing material in a chamber and forming a plasma from process gas comprising one or more HBr and HCl, one or more of Cl2 and Hl, and a fluorocarbon gas.
In yet another aspect, a method of etching a substrate comprising silicon-containing material comprises the steps of placing a substrate with the silicon-containing material in a chamber and forming a plasma from process gas comprising HBr, Cl2, and CF4.
In another aspect, a method of etching silicon-containing material on a substrate comprises the steps of placing the substrate with the silicon containing material in a chamber and forming a plasma from a process gas comprising an etchant gas comprising halogen species absent fluorine and additive gas comprising carbon species and hydrogen species.
In a further aspect, a method of etching silicon-containing material on a substrate comprises the steps of placing the substrate with the silicon-containing material in a chamber and forming a plasma from process gas comprising one or more HBr and HCl, one or more of Cl2 and Hl, and CH4.
In yet another aspect, an apparatus for etching a substrate comprising silicon-containing material, the apparatus comprising a support adapted to support the substrate; a controller adapted to regulate gas flow control valves to introduce a process gas into the chamber, the process gas comprising an etchant gas comprising halogen species absent fluorine, and an additive gas comprising fluorine species and carbon species; a plasma generator to energize the process gas to form a plasma to process the substrate; and an exhaust to exhaust the process gas.

Sidewall polymer forming gas additives for etching processes


A connector receptacle includes an insulation body defining a plurality of terminal slots formed thereon, multiple terminals securely received in the plurality of terminal slots of the insulation body and a metal shell which covers the insulation body and includes an upper metal shell and a lower metal shell wherein the lower metal shell is connected to the upper metal shell via a connection portion which is formed on corresponding sides of the upper metal shell and of the lower metal shell.

As USB (Universal Series Bus) connector has plug-in feature and fast transmission speed, it has been widely used in all kinds of information transmission media. Also, following the advances of modern technology, requirements in information transmission speed and stability are drastically increased.
Currently, USB 2.0 is the mainstream for data transmission. However, due to the large data volume and fast transmission speed requirements, performance and characteristics of USB 2.0 no longer satisfy the general needs. Changes and upgrades to the currently available USB 2.0 has become an issue to be solved by the industry. As a solution to the problem the USB 2.0 has, a new product called USB 3.0 is produced to the market, which transcends all the characteristics the old USB 2.0 has and has features such as low power consumption, high coordination efficiency and large transmission speed, up to 5 Gbps compared to 480 Mbps of the conventional transmission speed.
All the USBs require some kind of protection for the fragile terminals. For that, a metallic casing is developed to protect the terminals and block noises affecting the terminals. Conventional method includes production of an integral metallic body and production of a two-part metallic body.
With reference to FIG. 1, a conventional connector receptacle 1 is shown and composed of an insulation body 11 having a plurality of terminal slots 12 formed thereon, a plurality of terminals 13 to be received in the plurality of terminal slots 12 of the insulation body 11 and a metal shell 14 covering the insulation body 11 to reducing interferences from the environment. The metal shell 14 has through holes 15 defined in a side face thereof to form soldering legs 16 on a side face of the metal shell 14. The soldering legs 16 are formed for combination with a printed circuit board in future process. Therefore, it is necessary to have the soldering legs 16. However, due to the process requirement for the soldering legs 16, the integrity of the overall metal shell 14 is damaged and thus the durability of the metal shell 14 is also decreased.
In order to overcome the aforementioned durability and integrity problems, a different metal shell is introduced to the market. The metal shell is composed of two halves each having multiple soldering legs formed on an edge thereof. Each half of the metal shell is uniquely formed in a different mold so that after the two halves are formed, a combination process is necessary to combine the two halves to form the metal shell. Even though, the durability and integrity of the metal shell are maintained, an additional combination process for the two halves is added. Furthermore, due to the two molds for each of the unique halves of the metal shell, the manufacture cost is increased.


Systems and methods for multilayered resource scheduling are provided. A system may include a user interface, an upper level scheduler, at least one lower level scheduler, and a reporting module. The user interface may receive a plurality of tasks. The upper level scheduler may sort the plurality of tasks into tasks with identical resource requirements. The lower level scheduler may be operable to receive resource requirements associated with a task. The lower level scheduler may ascertain compute resources sufficient to execute the task on a machine in a compute farm and advertise the compute resources as matching the resource requirements. The lower level scheduler may further receive a request to execute the task on the machine. The compute resources may be controlled to execute the tasks with the identical resource requirements without further scheduling operations. The lower level scheduler may control the compute resources to execute the task.

The approaches described in this section could be pursued but are not necessarily approaches that have previously been conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Workloads for distributed computer networks typically include many separate tasks, also referred to as jobs. Each job may have a set of resource requirements for the job to be successfully executed. In order to efficiently dispatch a workload to a distributed compute farm, a coherent global view of both the workload and the current state of the compute nodes may be needed. A compute farm may include a collection of computer servers, usually maintained to accomplish server needs beyond the capability of a single machine. Having all the information available to a single entity allows that entity, sometimes referred to as a batch-processing master, to schedule jobs as resources free up. Such an approach ensures that a job is always scheduled as soon as the resources are available and policies permit.
Alternative systems are possible where multiple peer agents collectively determine when and where jobs can be submitted. In practice, such systems are difficult to manage due to the complexity and the lack of a single coherent view of the state of resources and jobs.
Conventionally, commercial products use a single job scheduler approach. However, the single job scheduler approach may face scalability problems. A single job scheduler needs to handle all job submissions, client queries, resource tracking, and job scheduling. The single job scheduler can be characterized by the number of jobs per second that the single job scheduler can handle. The number of jobs per second of the single job scheduler may depend on the number of entities (hosts or slaves) in the compute farm and the number of user queries concerning jobs and compute farm state. Eventually the single job scheduler may not be able to manage job scheduling, and resources may become idle for a longer time while jobs may be waiting to be dispatched. The remedy to such lack of scalability of the single job scheduler may include partitioning the compute farm into two or more segments, each with its own separate scheduler. However, such partitioning may inevitably lead to wasting resources since a job submitted to one segment of the compute farm cannot run on the other even if resources are available.


An electronic radial ultrasonic probe comprising an electronic radial array which comprises a plurality of ultrasonic transducers being continuously arrayed circularly around an insertion axis as center and also for which a transmission/reception of an ultrasonic wave is controlled by electronically selecting the plurality of ultrasonic transducer, comprises: a support member equipped on the electronic radial array; a lock member featured with a cavity in which the support member is inserted and with a lock groove for locking a balloon which is mounted in a manner to cover the electronic radial array and in which an ultrasonic medium is filled; and a filler member which is constituted by an adhesive material converting from a fluid state to a solid state, and is filled in the cavity.

An ultrasonic endoscope, comprising an insertion unit for inserting the endoscope into an abdomen being equipped with an ultrasonic probe (i.e., an ultrasonic search unit), is capable of creating a clear image of a digestive canal wall and a deep organ, such as pancreas and gall bladder, in a good image quality without being influenced by an intra-abdomen gas, or a bone, by means of an ultrasonic beam transmitted/received from/to the ultrasonic probe.
Among those ultrasonic probes, one employing an electronic scanning system consists of tens of pieces of elements, in which each element must be connected to a transmission/reception-use coaxial cable. When connecting an electrode of each element of an electronic scanning ultrasonic probe to a signal transmission/reception-use coaxial cable, a common method is to solder a core lead of the coaxial cable to the signal electrode of each element and solder a shield wire of the coaxial cable to the ground electrode of each element. The tip of the insertion part of an endoscope is equipped with such configured ultrasonic probe.
Such ultrasonic endoscopes conventionally utilized include a convex type, a linear type and a radial type. Among them, the radial type is one transmitting/receiving (noted as "transceiving" (and "transceive" as verb form) hereinafter) an ultrasonic beam in a circumferential direction, including a mechanical radial scanning system transceiving an ultrasonic beam in a radial pattern by rotating a probe and an electronic radial scanning system transceiving an ultrasonic beam in a radial pattern by means of arraying a plurality of piezoelectric elements on a circumference of a cylinder and an electronic control (e.g., refer to a patent document 1).
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional ultrasonic endoscope apparatus. The ultrasonic endoscope apparatus 160 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a connection part 161, an operation part 162 and an insertion part 163 which comprises a tip part 164.
The connection part 161 is for example connected to a display apparatus comprising a display in which an image photographed by an ultra compact camera equipped on the tip part 164 is displayed.
The operation part 162 performs an operation of curving the insertion part 163 in the up, down, left and right directions, that of expanding or contracting a balloon as described later, and other operations by a user operation.
The tip part 164 is equipped with an electronic radial array constituted by a plurality of ultrasonic transducer being continuously lined up circularly around the insertion axis as the center, in addition to the ultra compact camera, so that a predetermined ultrasonic transducer selected from among the plurality thereof transceives an ultrasonic wave. An ultrasonic wave received by the electronic radial array is also converted into an electric signal and displayed in the display, et cetera, as an image.
Incidentally, the radial array equipped on the tip part 164 includes a mechanical radial array in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers is mechanically scanned, in addition to the electronic radial array (e.g., refer to a non-patent document 1).
FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagram of the dotted line circle A indicated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the tip part 164 comprises a camera part 170 equipped with the ultra compact camera, illumination, et cetera, and an ultrasonic part 171 equipped with the electronic radial array, et cetera.
FIG. 3 is a diagram exemplifying an electronic radial array. The radial array shown in FIG. 3 shows a state before individual ultrasonic transducers are formed into a circular form. The electronic radial array 180 comprises a piezoelectric element 181, an electrode 182, a first acoustic matching layer 183, a second acoustic matching layer 184, a conductive resin 185, a conductor body 186 and a substrate 187.
The piezoelectric element 181, electrode 182, first acoustic matching layer 183, second acoustic matching layer 184, conductive resin 185, conductor body 186 and substrate 187 are divided into a plurality thereof by commonly equipped grooves, resulting in comprising the plurality of ultrasonic transducers.
Then, the electronic radial array 180 is formed into a tubular form by the end surfaces in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electronic radial array 180 being connected to one another from the state shown in FIG. 3. Then, a lock member for locking an end of a later described balloon is mounted onto the opening part of the tubular-formed electronic radial array 180 on the side of the conductive resin 185.
Note that an ultrasonic endoscope shown in the non-patent document 1 is configured to equip the tip of a cap, which covers a mechanical radial array, with a groove to which an end of a balloon is locked.
FIG. 4 is a diagram exemplifying a lock member mounted onto an electronic radial array 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the lock member 190 is equipped with a lock groove 191 for fixing an end of a balloon.
FIG. 5 exemplifies a balloon. The balloon 200 shown in FIG. 5 is configured to be made of an elastic body such as an elastomer and formed to be tubular, and is mounted onto an ultrasonic part 171 so as to cover the electronic radial array 180.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how the balloon 200 is mounted onto the ultrasonic part 171. As shown in FIG. 6, one end of the opening of the balloon 200 is outserted onto a lock groove 210 featured between the camera part 170 and ultrasonic part 171, while the other end of the opening is outserted onto a lock groove 191, thereby the balloon being fixed so as to cover the electronic radial array 180.
Then, when internally filling the balloon with an ultrasonic medium 211 such as water in the state of the balloon 200 being mounted onto the ultrasonic part 171, the circumference of the electronic radial array 180 can be filled with the ultrasonic medium 211.
Thus filling of the balloon 200 with the ultrasonic medium 211 makes it possible to fill the circumference of the electronic radial array 180 with the ultrasonic medium 211, enabling an easy performance of an ultrasonic diagnosis or treatment at a spot where it is difficult to let an ultrasonic medium 211 stay, such as esophagus. It is also possible to perform an ultrasonic diagnosis or treatment in a narrow place within an abdomen because a predetermined space can be created between the electronic radial array 180 and human body by expanding the balloon 200.
In the case of constituting the ultrasonic part 171 by mounting the lock member 190 onto the electronic radial array 180 as described above, however, there is a risk of the lock member 190 falling out of the electronic radial array 180 if the connection part between the electronic radial array 180 and lock member 190 is damaged due to an unexpected physical, mechanical and/or electrical influence even though the electronic radial array 180 is attached to the lock member 190 by a strong adhesive.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a conventional ultrasonic endoscope apparatus. The ultrasonic endoscope apparatus 350 shown in FIG. 7 is an electronic scanning type ultrasonic endoscope apparatus, comprising a connection part 351, an operation part 352 and an insertion part 353 which comprises a tip part 354.
The connection part 351 is connected to a measurement apparatus comprising a display, for example, displaying an image obtained by an ultra compact camera equipped on the tip part 354.
The operation part 352 performs an operation of curving the insertion part 353 in up, down, left and right directions, for example, by a user operation.
The tip part 354 is equipped with an ultrasonic transducer array constituted by a plurality of ultrasonic transducer being continuously lined up, in addition to the ultra compact camera, so that a predetermined ultrasonic transducer selected from among the plurality thereof transceives an ultrasonic wave. An ultrasonic wave received by the ultrasonic transducer array is also converted into an electric signal and displayed in the display, et cetera, as an image.
FIG. 8 is an enlargement diagram of the tip part 354 shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 8, the tip part 354 comprises a scope part 355 having a photographing function such as ultra compact camera, illumination, et cetera, and the ultrasonic transducer array 356.
The ultrasonic transducer array 356 comprises an acoustic lens 357 equipped on the outside of a plurality of ultrasonic transducer, a balloon lock member 358, being equipped on one end of the acoustic lens 357, for locking an end of a later described balloon, and a scope connection member 359 equipped between the end of the acoustic lens 357 and the scope part 355.
As described above, the ultrasonic endoscope apparatus 350 is commonly used by mounting a balloon made of an elastomer onto the ultrasonic transducer array 356 (e.g., refer to a patent document 2).
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional diagram of the ultrasonic transducer array 356 on which a balloon is mounted. In this diagram, the same component sign is assigned to the same configuration as one shown in FIG. 8. The balloon 360 shown in FIG. 9 is for example configured as a tube which is made of an elastic body as elastomer. One end of the opening of the balloon 360 is latched to a balloon lock groove 361 featured on the circumference of the scope part 355 while the other end of the opening of the balloon 360 is latched to an balloon locking groove 362 featured on the circumference of the balloon lock member 358, thereby the balloon 360 being mounted onto the ultrasonic transducer array 356 so as to cover the acoustic lens 357.
Then, when the balloon 360 is internally filled with an ultrasonic medium 363 such as water in the state of the balloon 360 being mounted onto the ultrasonic transducer array 356, the circumference of the acoustic lens 357 can be filled with the ultrasonic medium 363.
Thus filling of the balloon 360 with the ultrasonic medium 363 makes it possible to fill the circumference of the acoustic lens 357 with the ultrasonic medium 363, enabling an easy performance of an ultrasonic diagnosis or treatment at a spot where it is difficult to let an ultrasonic medium 363 stay, such as esophagus.
It is also possible to perform an ultrasonic diagnosis or treatment in a narrow place within an abdomen because a predetermined space can be created between the ultrasonic transducer array 356 and human body by expanding the balloon 363.
In the case of constituting the ultrasonic transducer array 356 by an acoustic lens 357, a balloon lock member 358 that is an endoscope structure member and a scope connection member 359, as the above noted ultrasonic endoscope apparatus 350, however, the acoustic lens 357 is generally structured by a soft material such as elastomer, while the balloon lock member 358 and scope connection member 359 are generally structured by a plastics, et cetera. As such, the acoustic lens 357 is structured by a different material than that of the balloon lock member 358 and scope connection member 359, and therefore the acoustic lens 357, balloon lock member 358 and scope connection member 359 cannot be integrally structured. Due to this, it is necessary to equip a connection band constituted by an adhesive, et cetera, between the acoustic lens 357 and balloon lock member 358, and also between the acoustic lens 357 and scope connection member 359, in order to connect the acoustic lens 357 to the balloon lock member 358, and connect the acoustic lens 357 to the scope connection member 359. If either of the both end parts of the acoustic lens 357 is featured to be protrusive than the balloon lock member 358 or scope connection member 359 in this event, such a protrusion causes the problem of the ends of the acoustic lens 357 becoming prone to receiving a force from the balloon 360, resulting in levying loads at the both ends of the acoustic lens 357, respectively, when mounting the balloon 360 onto the ultrasonic transducer array 356 or removing the balloon 360 therefrom.
And if the respective loads are levied at the both ends of the acoustic lens 357 at the time of mounting or removing the balloon 360, the caused problem includes the mounting or removal of the balloon 360 becoming difficult or the acoustic lens 357 peeling off.
And, it is necessary to consider the safety for a human body in designing an endoscope since it is an instrument to be inserted internally to a body cavity. Because the outer surfaces of the insertion part and its tip part (i.e., an ultrasonic probe) are covered with an insulative resin, the internal signal wire is not conceivably externally exposed.
If the plastics covering the outer surfaces are damaged, however, there is a possibility of the signal wire being externally exposed. In such an event, an electric shock can be avoided by the entirety of the signal wire being covered with a protective grounded metal.    Patent document 1: Japanese registered patent Sho 63-14623    Patent document 2: Japanese registered patent Hei 06-13034    Non-patent document 1: Electronic Industries Association of Japan (currently, Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association): Handbook of Ultrasonic Diagnostic Equipments, pp. 114; published by Corona Publishing Co., Ltd.; Jan. 20, 1997


An improved document processing system is disclosed wherein objects such as text areas, numerical tables or graphic data may be assigned a fixed location within a document. The system automatically allocates layout areas that surround the fixed areas without overlapping. Means are provided for linking text from one side of a fixed object to the other side while automatically maximizing the area available for free text or other objects. The invention allows an infinite number of fixed objects, and automatically generates page layout. In addition, the invention allows the user to set page size, page margins, and the size of fixed-position objects relative to page size. The system allows the use of numerous page formats, including multiple columns, and then automatically generates page layouts where the text area is maximized. These steps require a minimum of interaction with the user.

Document processors have evolved from a class of computer applications known as word processors and have the unique ability to control the relative position of text and graphic objects on printed pages. Document processors, also referred to as page layout processors, allow free placement of text and graphic objects to produce documents having text and graphics arranged in a variety of column and row formats.
In current document and page layout processors, text and graphic areas may be thought of as areas bounded by "layout rectangles" wherein text and graphic objects within the layout rectangles share common attributes and are treated as one object. Current document or page layout processors require the user to manually define layout rectangles and manually position them within a document. Therefore, while current document processors provide a degree of flexibility unknown in prior systems, they require a significant amount of user interaction to achieve a desired result.
Still another disadvantage of current document processors are the restrictions they place on the placement of text and graphics within the same document. For example, many document processors only permit text be placed on one side of a graphic image. Still other document processors do not permit text to flow from one side of a graphic image to another.
Since the various text and graphic areas are manually placed in a document with the above-mentioned and other restrictions in current document processors, the page layout process can be time consuming and may result with many unused portions of a page.
From the foregoing, no document processing system is known which allows for free placement of fixed text and graphic objects in a document while also providing for the automatic placement of free text and graphic objects in areas surrounding the fixed text and graphic objects while maximizing the amount of page area available to a user.


A new and distinct variety for Ground Cover Rose plant is provided which forms substantially continuously throughout the season attractive long-lasting bright yellow blossoms. The blossoms open on a reliable bases and retain their attractiveness upon aging. The new variety exhibits a compact, spreading and overhanging growth habit that renders it suitable for growing as attractive ornamentation in the landscape. The foilage is glossy and dark green and contrasts well with the bright yellow blossoms. The blossom petals detach cleanly as the blossoms mature. The new variety propagates well by the use of cuttings, and by budding and grafting. Excellent resistance to Blackspot, Powdery Mildew, and Rust is exhibited.

Rosa hybrida/Ground Cover Rose Plant.
cv. Noalesa.
Ground Cover rose plants are known and are being used to advantage in an increasing number of landscape plans and home gardens. However, there remains a need for additional varieties of Ground Cover roses with the demand being the greatest for those having highly attractive blossoms in combination with good disease resistance.
The new variety of Rosa hybrida Ground Cover rose plant of the present invention was created at Gxc3xctersloh, Germany, by artificial pollination wherein two parents were crossed which previously had been studied in the hope that they would contribute the desired characteristics. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) was the xe2x80x98Korimroxe2x80x99 variety (non-patented in the United States). Such xe2x80x98Korimroxe2x80x99 variety possesses light pink to near white single blossoms and is marketed under the IMMENSEE trademark. The male parent (i.e., the pollen parent) was an unnamed seedling maintained by Noack Rosen at Gxc3xctersloh, Germany (non-patented in the United States). The parentage of the new variety can be summarized as follows:
xe2x80x98Korimroxe2x80x99xc3x97Unnamed Seedling.
The seeds resulting from the above pollination were sown and small plants were obtained which physically and biologically differ from each other. Selective study resulted in the identification of a single plant to the new variety.
It is found that the new variety of Ground Cover rose plant possesses the following combination of characteristics:
(a) Forms attractive bright yellow blossoms,
(b) Young plants exhibit an upright growth habit that becomes spreading, dense, and compact with maturity,
(c) Forms attractive dark green glossy foliage that contrasts well with the bright yellow blossoms,
(d) Exhibits excellent disease resistance with respect to Blackspot, Powdery Mildew, and Rust, and
(e) Is particularly well suited for growing as attractive ornamentation in the landscape.
The new variety meets the needs of the horticultural industry and can be grown to advantage as attractive ornamentation in parks, gardens, public areas, and residential landscapes.
The new variety of the present invention beginning in 1994 has been asexually reproduced by the rooting of cuttings, by budding, and by grafting. Such asexual reproduction as performed at Gxc3xctersloh, Germany, has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new variety are firmly fixed and stable and are strictly transmissible from one generation to another.
The new variety has been named the xe2x80x98Noalesaxe2x80x99, and recently has been marketed abroad under the JACOBS KRxc3x96NUNG trademark.

Ground Cover rose plant named xe2x80x98Noalesaxe2x80x99


A temperature control apparatus and method which utilizes a characteristic of a temperature detection device which detects temperature over a wide range of changing temperature and makes it possible to control a unit by detecting a wide range of changing temperature of the unit using the single temperature detection device. A temperature detection circuit outputs a voltage corresponding to the resistance value of the temperature detection device, whose resistance value varies with changes in temperature, which voltage is A/D (analog-to-digital) converted into a digital step value. This digital step value is converted to a temperature value using a predetermined mathematical relationship. The temperature control is executed using the converted temperature value and a desired temperature value in the same data form as the converted temperature value.

The present invention relates to a temperature control apparatus for detecting the temperature of a unit whose temperature varies over a wide range, such as a heat exchanger placed in a refrigeration cycle, by means of a thermistor to thereby execute temperature control of the unit.
There have recently been in wide use air conditioners for controlling room temperature and humidity and ventilation of the room to provide comfortable atmosphere for human beings in offices, homes, vehicles, and the like.
Many of air conditioners have both air cooling and air heating functions and, during its operation, the room temperature is detected and the detected room temperature is compared with a set temperature to thereby achieve an air-conditioning operation. In the meantime, the temperature of a heat exchanger installed indoors is detected to prevent the heat exchanger from freezing or overheating.
The thermistor (temperature detection device) used as the temperature sensor has its electrical resistance varying with changes in temperature. By connecting a thermistor and a resistor in series and applying a voltage across the series connection, the temperature according to the voltage at the junction point is determined.
There are manufactured various types of thermistors which differ from each other in resistance-temperature characteristic according to the temperature range within which they are used. For example, there is a type which varies its resistance value with changes in temperature over a relatively narrow temperature range of 100.degree. C. or so, a type which changes its resistance value with changes in temperature over a relatively narrow temperature range of 300.degree. C. or so, and, further, a type changing its resistance value over a relatively large temperature range from -20.degree. C. to +80.degree. C. or in a temperature range from 0.degree. C. to +100.degree. C..
Thermistors are different in price according to their features. Those which have a wide detectable temperature range or those of which resistance value greatly changes for a given change in temperature (having good sensitivity) are expensive.
A resistance-temperature characteristic of a thermistor whose resistance value changes over a range of changing temperature of 90.degree. C. is shown in FIG. 7 as an example. When this thermistor is connected as shown in FIG. 10, the point a in FIG. 10 exhibits a voltage-temperature characteristic as shown in FIG. 8. Since the voltage-temperature characteristic of the thermistor becomes a curve as shown in FIG. 8, the voltage value at the point a does not vary uniformly for a given change in temperature.
In the temperature control of air conditioning apparatus of the described type, an A/D converter has previously been used for converting the voltage detected at a point such as a in FIG. 10 into a temperature. Namely, a temperature is given a corresponding value, for example, out of 0 to 255 (1 byte) by the A/D converter and a value previously stored in the microcomputer is compared with the value output from the A/D converter. The temperature control has been executed in accordance with the result of the comparison.
In this case, the comparison of the set temperature and the temperature detected by the thermistor is performed through a comparison between step values, and hence no problem arises even if the characteristic of the thermistor are nonlinear (curvilinear) as described above. However, when the thermistor characteristic is not linear, the value output from the A/D converter does not vary uniformly with respect to a given change in actual temperature.
If, now, there is a relationship expressed by a linear expression between the value x (hereinafter called "step value") obtained by the A/D conversion and the temperature t detected by the thermistor (for example, x=t+.alpha.), the control will be simple. However, since the step value after the A/D conversion does not change proportionally with temperature in the nonlinear portion of the themistor's characteristic, it becomes necessary, in actually performing the control using the nonlinear portion, to compensate the step value stored within the microcomputer so that this step value will uniformly vary with changes in temperature. From this, problems arise that the processing in the microcomputer becomes complex and that a difference in resolution is produced in the conversion of the temperature to the step value between the resolution in the nonlinear portion and that in the linear portion.
Therefore, it has been known to connect the thermistor in parallel with a resistor R1 as shown in FIG. 11 and detect the voltage at the point b. By so doing, the voltage-temperature characteristic at the point b in FIG. 11 comes to have a linear portion c in its middle portion as shown in FIG. 9. Since the voltage is substantially proportional to the temperature in the portion c, the step value obtained through the A/D conversion also becomes proportional to the temperature, and hence the control circuit becomes simpler. Thus, the portion c has so far been used for temperature detection.
The temperature of the indoor heat exchanger of an air conditioning apparatus varies over a wide range of temperature from -10.degree. C. or so to +70.degree. C. or so when both air cooling and air heating are taken into consideration. If such a wide temperature range is to be detected using low priced thermistors not having a wide detectable temperature range (such as that having a temperature range of about 20.degree. C. as the portion c of FIG. 9), it becomes necessary to use two thermistors, one detecting in a range of about -5.degree. C. to +15.degree. C. in the air cooling domain and the other detecting in a range of about +40.degree. C. to +60.degree. C. in the air heating domain.
This is because, referring to FIG. 12, it is necessary to decrease the number of revolutions of the compressor to suppress its capacity when its temperature becomes lower than +2.degree. C. in the cooling cycle, or to stop the compressor when the temperature becomes lower than 0.degree. C. and remains in this state for two minutes because, then, there is danger lest the compressor be frozen, or in the heating cycle, to decrease the number of revolutions of the compressor to suppress its capacity when the temperature becomes higher than +55.degree. C., or to stop the compressor when its temperature becomes higher than +60.degree. C. taking it for an overheated state.
Incidentally, it has been in practice, when the temperature becomes higher than 5.degree. C. after the compressor was stopped or its capacity was suppressed for preventing the indoor heat exchanger from being frozen, to restore the operation of the compressor to the original state and, when the temperature becomes lower than +47.degree. C. after the compressor was stopped or its capacity was suppressed to protect it from overheating, to restore the operation of the compressor to the original state.
Thus, when a plurality of thermistors are used to cover the wide range of changing temperature of the object whose temperature is to be detected, not only a plurality of thermistors are required, but also the processes for setting up the thermistors and inspecting them increase, and therefore cost is increased. If a thermistor having a wide c portion of FIG. 9 is used, this also increases the cost because such a thermistor is very expensive.