The invention relates to an active hearing protection earplug comprising a shell (2000) to be worn at least in part in a user's ear canal and being adapted to attenuate sound waves arriving at the outer end (2001) of the shell, and an active system (2002, 2010) comprising an input transducer (2024) for converting ambient sound into audio signals, an audio signal processing unit (2028) for processing said audio signals, and an output transducer unit (2010) mounted within the shell for converting said processed audio signals into sound output at the inner end of the shell, wherein the amplification of the active system is negative and wherein the output transducer unit comprises at least two separate outputs (2032, 2034). The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such an earplug.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to earplugs serving as a hearing protection device or as a hearing aid. The earplug comprises a shell which is to be inserted at least in the outer part of the user's ear canal.
2. Description of Related Art
A large part of the population is exposed to hazardous noise from time to time. This can be at work, whilst traveling, during leisure activities or at home. The exposure can lead to permanent hearing loss, distract people's attention from other hazards or simply cause stress. In order to prevent both accidents and permanent hearing damage, hearing protection devices (HPDs) have been provided in many styles and over many years. It started with the earmuff which is still very relevant and addresses very noisy environments (e.g. airports, construction, shooting) or complex working/communication situations (e.g. fighter pilots). Over the years development of biocompatible soft materials has enabled soft earplugs in different styles and colors as well as recent development of "one fits many" standard semi-soft earplugs in silicon-rubber type materials. For severe situations even the combination of an earmuff and an "in-the-ear" HPD is required to achieve desired attenuation. The physical limitation of hearing protection based on ear worn devices is defined where bone-conduction (body acoustics) becomes dominant at around 40 dB attenuation.
A common disadvantage of the above mentioned HPD styles is wearing discomfort. In case of the earmuffs, they are large which creates difficulties in combination with other head worn gear and they "close off" the ear too much for most applications. The in-the-ear styles mentioned are devices made to fit "the average" ear in one way or the other. Either the fit is provided by softness of the material which leads to undefined device insertion and undefined attenuation, or the fit is provided by standard shaped structures intended to block off the ear canal. In both cases the flat distribution of the individual shape of the outer ear and the ear canal leads to bad fit, pressure points in the ear and undefined positioning of the device.
To address this wearing comfort issue, in-the-ear hearing aid technology has been applied making customized ear molds with passive acoustical filter. These are long lasting devices with good wearing comfort. However, this customization process is traditionally a very manual process creating varying results over time, low reproducibility and the quality is very operator skill dependent.
The fabrication of customized hard shells by use of a rapid prototyping technology, primarily for hearing aids is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,062 B1 or U.S. 2003/0133583 A1.
The term "earplug" as used in the following should designate any object which comprises at least a portion which is to be worn at least in the outer portion of the user's ear canal in a manner that it is retained within the ear canal.
If an earplug is designed as an active hearing protection device or a hearing aid, it includes an electroacoustic output transducer (i.e. speaker or receiver) which converts audio signals into sound to be output at the inner (distal) end of the shell. The system further includes an electroacoustic input transducer (i.e. a microphone) which converts ambient sound into audio signals and an audio signal processing unit which may comprise, for example, an amplifier and electronic filters. In addition, the system comprises a power source (battery) which may be mounted at or within the shell. The microphone and the audio signal processing unit may be mounted at or within the shell or may be external to the earplug, with a wired or wireless connection to the output transducer being provided in the latter case.
If the earplug is designed as an active hearing protection device, the earplug provides for attenuation of ambient sound reaching the outer (proximal) end of the earplug, and the audio signal processing unit is designed such that the overall amplification is negative. In this case, the active components serve to temporarily or spectrally select the sound signals which should be perceived by the user, thereby by-passing the mechanical attenuation function.
If the earplug is designed as an in-the-ear hearing aid, the acoustical gain tends to be quite high, for example, up to 50 dB gain or 120 dB sound pressure level.
If the earplug is designed as a passive hearing protection device, it includes an acoustic filter element for attenuating sound received at the outer end of the earplug, but it does not include any active sound producing elements.
In general, an earplug may be made of a soft, resilient material in order to conform to the individual shape of the user's ear canal and outer ear.
In addition, it is known to measure or determine the inner shape of the user's ear canal and outer ear by producing an impression or by three-dimensional laser scanning and to produce an earplug with a shell having an outer surface which is individually shaped according to the user's ear canal and outer ear in order to improve wearing comfort and the retaining forces. Such individually shaped earplugs are commonly referred to as customized earplugs. Due to the improved fitting, the material of the shell of customized earplugs may be significantly harder than the material of standardized soft earplugs. One known method for producing the individually shaped shell is layer-by-layer laser sintering (selective laser sintering (SLS)) of an appropriate powder material such as polyamide, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,062 B1 or U.S. 2003/0133583 A1.
DE 196 34 984 A1 relates to a hearing aid having a multi-way output transducer which is located in a sound outlet passage of an earplug having an individual outer shape. The multi-way output transducer may comprise several identical or different electroacoustic transducers which are realized as a multi-layer foil transducer on a spiral band.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,059 relates to an active hearing protection device which comprises a microphone, an electroacoustic output transducer and an accelerometer for sensing vibrations. The device comprises a Y-shaped output tube with one of the branches being connected to the microphone and the other branch being connected to the output transducer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,062 B1 relates to a customized earplug having a shell formed by selective laser sintering, which may form a hearing aid or a hearing protection device. The shell includes integrated venting channels and specifically shaped sound input tubes to the microphone. For the case of a hearing aid function it is described that these input tubes may comprise acoustic adapters in the form of specifically shaped lines or tubes which serve for tuning the acoustic impedance of the input tube. It is also described that venting channels may serve as acoustic conductors for acoustic impedance tuning. A similar disclosure is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,842 B1. Further, these documents disclose that the outer part of the shell may be made of a softer material than the inner part, with the outer part comprising a cavity for receiving an electronic module including the output transducer which is held there by elastic forces.
WO 02/01794 A1 relates to a customized earplug comprising a shell made by SLS, which may serve as a hearing aid or a hearing protection device, with venting tubes and a sound channel being integrated within the shell.
DE 100 41 733 A1 relates to a customized hearing protection device earplug which may include an active version. It is described in this document that mechanical frequency tuning may be achieved by filter selection, by selection of a venting tube with variable diameter and by providing the outer end of the shell as a resonance cavity.
DE 100 46 202 A1 relates to a customized earplug into which an output transducer is integrated by being directly fixed to the shell in a corresponding cavity. The microphone for providing an audio signal to the output transducer is remote from the earplug.
Due to the relatively high amplification in hearing aids the output transducer has to be mechanically decoupled from the microphone in order to avoid feedback problems due to vibrations transmitted from the output transducer to the microphone. Therefore it is common to provide for a soft mounting of the output transducer within the shell, for example by embedding the output transducer in an elastic material, see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,534 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,451.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,075 B1 relates to a hearing aid in which the output transducer is hard mounted to the shell. In order to compensate for the vibration of the output transducer, the portion of the shell at which the output transducer is mounted is surrounded with an energy adsorbing soft material.
U.S. 2003/0112990 relates to a hearing protection or hearing aid earplug consisting of a core element surrounded by sleeve which is filled with a curable rubber-like material having a hardness value of less than shore A-30 for individually adapting the earplug to the shape of the user's ear canal and outer ear. The core element comprises a first sound bore which extends through the earplug and which may be detachably connected at its proximal end with a remote measurement apparatus and a second sound bore which is parallel to the first sound bore and which may be closed by an attenuation element or may serve as sound input by a hearing aid unit.
It is one object of the invention to provide for an active hearing protection earplug which provides for an optimized sound output.
It is a second object of the invention to provide for a method for manufacturing an earplug with an output transducer, which provides for an optimized sound output.
It is a third object of the invention to provide for a customized active hearing protection earplug which can be assembled in an easy manner and which allows for a defined positioning of the output transducer.
It is a fourth object of the invention to provide for a hearing protection earplug which allows for external control of the operation of the hearing protection earplug when worn by the user, in particular in order to control the sound attenuation function.
It is a fifth object of the invention to provide for a hearing protection earplug which ensures, other than by electronic peak clipping means, that the sound pressure level at a sound outlet opening at the inner end of the earplug does not exceed a predefined threshold value.

Earplug and method for manufacturing the same


A line branching printed circuit board for a computer numerical controller designed to branch an input/output signal line connecting a computer numerical controller and a numerically controlled machine tool, and comprising a first circuit board connector (20A) coupled to a junction connector to which input/output signal lines from the computer numerical controller are connected, and a plurality of second circuit board connectors (21aA, 21bA and 21cA) which are all coupled to the junction connectors to which the input/output signal lines to the numerically controlled machine tool are connected, and having pins pattern-connected to the pins of the first circuit board connector. There is further provided a third circuit board connector (22A) having pins pattern-connected to the spare pins of the first circuit board connector (20A) and the spare pins of the plurality of the second circuit board connectors (21aA, 21bA and 21cA). A connection changing connector (22B) is attached to the third circuit board connector (22A), to determine the connection of the pins of the third circuit board connector, and by changing the connection of the connection changing connector, the connection between the computer numerical controller and the numerically controlled machine tool can be easily changed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a line branching printed circuit board for a computer numerical controller, and more particularly, to a line branching printed circuit board for a computer numerical controller which permits an easy change of the branching of input/output signal lines between a computer numerical controller and a numerically controlled machine tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
The input/output signal lines between a computer numerical controller and a numerically controlled machine tool are branched on the way from an input/output circuit of the computer numerical controller to the individual control circuits of the numerically controlled machine tool.
Conventionally, such a line branching is made on a line branching panel, and the terminals of the line branching panel are wire-wrapped for connection, but currently, line branching printed circuit boards are used to branch signal lines. The use of a line branching circuit board eliminates erroneous connections and permits an easy line branching, and therefore, line branching printed circuit boards are extremely advantageous particularly when producing standardized products or for mass production.
As mentioned above, when an input/output signal line between a computer numerical controller and a numerically controlled machine tool was branched using a conventional line branching panel, the terminals of the line branching panel were wire-wrapped for connection. This required skill and time, and further, were liable to result in an erroneous connection.
Also, in the conventional line branching printed circuit board for a computer numerical controller, the pins of a particular connector of the input/output signal line of the computer numerical controller are keyed to and connected to the pins of a particular connector of the input/output signal line of the numerically controlled machine tool, because of a pattern-based connection, and accordingly, the input/output signal lines between the computer numerical controller and the numerically controlled machine tool are fixed. Therefore, if it becomes necessary to increase the number of the input/output signals between the computer numerical controller and the numerically controlled machine tool, or to change the signal route, then the pattern on the line branching printed circuit board must be cut and a plating wire must be soldered to the pattern by hand, and thus any change in the branching of an input/output signal line takes much time.

Line branching printed circuit board for a computer numerical controller


A system, method and apparatus for choosing a digital processing platform that is optimal for a specified type of application and satisfies a set of user-specified constraints is provided. In operation, all known parameters on all available processing platforms in a database are stored, providing this information to a computer software application run by the user by querying the database, and then allowing a remote user to specify the constraints, in terms of hardware and system software, to eliminate those entries that would not satisfy the constraints in a step-by-step filtering process. The user then chooses a set of application programs to run on the platforms that were not eliminated. The runtime performance parameters/characteristics—e.g. computational throughput, I/O bandwidth, environmental parameters, etc. are measured to select the optimal solution. The system and method also allows for a regression test to ensure consistency between test software processes running on discrete platforms.

Currently, there are too many choices of processor architectures, motherboards, operating systems, etc. for any given type of software application. For example, an application might execute on a traditional CPU (Central Processing Unit), an auxiliary processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. or a combination of more than one of these. In many cases, the CPU and the auxiliary processor are integrated together in the same physical module but must be programmed separately. The CPU itself comes in many different architectures, such as x86, MIPS, ARM, PowerPC etc., from different manufacturers, and with different feature set even within a given family of chip. For example, some implementation of the ARM family of CPU include cryptography instructions in their implementation and some do not. And a given family of CPU may have many sub-families with important differences. For example, the ARM family has the A series, R series and M series subfamilies in addition to many earlier subfamilies. All of these considerations also hold true for the auxiliary processors. In addition, the architecture of the platform, for example, whether the main and the auxiliary processors share memory, and if so, if they share memory in a cache coherent fashion, will likely make a difference to software performance.
In addition to the above consideration, there might be other considerations for a system designer that does not pertain directly to execution speed. For example, there could be restrictions on power consumption, monetary cost, mechanical size or volume of the electrical circuit assembly or its weight. The temperature rise and temperature distribution on the board during code execution could be a concern. There could be regulatory issues, for example, that it comply with the standards set forth by a particular authority such as the FDA, a military standard setting body, or similar.
There could also be restrictions imposed by system integration limitations. For example, if the device in consideration is to be integrated with a third party device, it needs to have a compatible input/output (I/O) standard with the other device, such as a camera, sensor or data acquisition board.
In addition to all the above mentioned variability in hardware, there is usually a wide choice of operating system or firmware (together referred to as 'system software' in this document). The common x86 CPU architecture runs Microsoft Windows, Linux, various variants of the BSD operating system, Oracle's Solaris, Apple's OS X, Android and others. Further, some of these families of system software usually have sub-families as well. For example, the well-known Linux operating system can be configured to run in a 'real-time mode' (e.g. to have a lower latency for processor interrupts). The system software introduces one more dimension to the variability of the platform.
A system level test can include hardware, operating system or firmware and application software, all running together. For this to happen, application software must be ported and compiled to run on a specific processor architecture and a specific operating system. Software porting is mostly a manual, labor-intensive process fraught with pitfalls and the ported software must be extensively validated to ensure that the logic of the original code was correctly copied. And in some situations the source of the application may not be readily available for porting. This can happen, for example, where the source must remain secret for commercial or national security reasons.
Given the large number of possible hardware and system software combinations, and the efforts involved in porting application software to all of these makes it impractical to find the optimal solution by manually trying out all of the possible solutions exhaustively. Currently, the industry trend seems to be to choose a solution that the engineering team has most familiarity with, for example, from a past project. Thus, many times, a sub-optimal solution is chosen.
Some, but not all, aspects of the problem can be solved by consulting a datasheet or similar document. This is a time consuming approach. Potentially a large number of datasheets need to be aggregated and consulted manually for each new project. However, some aspects of the problem cannot be found in any kind of datasheets, no matter how complete they are. For example, the actual power consumed while executing a specific algorithm or the interrupt latency in a specific situation can only be found empirically.
There have been several attempts to solve related problems using computer-assisted automation. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,529,990, Haggerty discloses a method of testing a set of handheld devices for compatibility with a set of software. The disclosure of this reference neither addresses the issues of runtime performance benchmarking nor tests for environmental parameters. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,266,805, Weidman et al. disclose a method for generating software builds for many different hardware from a common code base. However, this is done for the purpose of distributing the binary code and not for performance evaluation. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,949,791 Lu at al. disclose a method of automated software testing. The problem of system level performance test is not addressed here. U.S. Pat. No. 8,996,988 by Yee discloses a method of automating compatibility testing of web applications across browsers. Although the basic idea of automated software testing is present in this patent, it is limited to web applications and does not deal with hardware selection. U.S. Pat. No. 9,170,847 by Huggins et al. discloses a similar concept, but is also targeted to web applications only. In U.S. Pat. No. 9,317,629, Koh, et al. disclose a method of automated software verification, but again, this does not help solve the issue of choosing the hardware. In U.S. Pre-Patent Publication 2014/0047342A1, Breternitz et. al disclose a method for evaluating CPU performance for cloud computing applications. While this addresses the problem of automated performance evaluation in a limited set of circumstances, it omits several aspects: (A) It is meant for architecting a large datacenter; not for designing a self-contained system, for example, an industrial controller. The problem with the latter is, as discussed above, that there are too many choices, both in hardware and software, when designing a system. Datacenter servers, on the other hand, usually follow a few well known architectures; for one, there are only a few vendors who manufacture these. This is not true for a generic electronic system. When one keeps in mind that the number of possible combinations involving n components grows as the factorial of n, making an optimal choice by trial-and-error is impractical. On top of that, designing a self-contained system involves constraints not usually encountered in a data center type situation. These could be technical constraints, such as availability of input/output pins or a particular type of bus; or it could be non-technical constraints such as system cost or physical size. The method described herein allows a system designer to automatically find an optimal solution that would satisfy the design constraints of the whole system. (B) Since data centers, unlike a stand-alone system such as a drone mounted digital camera, operate in tightly controlled environmental conditions, the performance evaluation Breternitz et. al describe does not take into account the impact of the environment. For example, rise in temperature or presence of pollutants may not allow a digital system to run at its maximum possible frequency. For example, in published U.S. Patent application 2003/0204371A1, Sciamanna describes a method of using a wireless sensor network for monitoring the environmental conditions of an industrial process. One difference between these types of arrangements and what is being described herein is that the sensors described herein can monitor their own environment, as opposed to the environment of an external entity or process that it is controlling. This provides for high-reliability system design. When individual aspects of a system performance are measured in isolation, key aspects might be missed. For example, in a deployment situation where the total available power is limited (such as in a military drone), measuring the power consumption profile for the entire execution cycle will ensure that the device in deployment will not cause a power brownout. It is to be noted that the sensing described herein can be for performance evaluation and can be distinct from sensing that may be built into the system. For example, many electronic boards have built-in thermal sensors to power down the system if the temperature exceeds a threshold value. Such sensors are not meant to evaluate a system; for example, they will not be able to tell a designer if the system will perform adequately in a given deployment situation such as in a desert. In published U.S. patent application 2015/0370691, Pandey discloses a method of automated software testing framework, but this too does not address issues surrounding code porting and selection for a specific purpose. A peripherally related idea of computer-aided classification of information technology projects in terms of their business value is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,589,205 by Dayasindhu, et al. The website at https://www.xcelerit.com/computing-benchmarks/processors/ (retrieved on Apr. 11, 2018) describes ideas that are targeted at high performance computing benchmarks only, and does not address issues of hardware fitness for a given purpose.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System, method and apparatus for selection of hardware and software for optimal implementation of one or more functionality or algorithm


The invention, in some aspects relates to light-activated ion channel molecules and methods for their use to alter cell activity and function. Light-activated ion channel molecules of the invention can be administered to subjects, expressed in cells, and activated with light, to alter membrane potential in the cells, and can be used in methods for assaying compounds, treating diseases and conditions, compound screening and more.

Altering and controlling cell membrane and subcellular region ion permeability has permitted examination of characteristics of cells, tissues, and organisms. Light-driven pumps and channels have been used to silence or enhance cell activity. Molecular-genetic methods for preparing cells that can be activated (e.g., depolarized) or inactivated (e.g., hyperpolarized) by specific wavelengths of light have been developed (see, for example, Han, X. and E. S. Boyden, 2007, PLoS ONE 2, e299). Previously identified light-activated pumps and channels may be restricted to activation by particular wavelengths of light, localization, functional speed, etc. thus limiting their usefulness.

Step-function channelrhodopsins for optical control of cells


The present invention is directed to a support stand for a fishing pole holder, and is particularly adapted for ice fishing. In use, the stand holds the fishing pole in a generally upward angled position. The fishing pole is held in a pivotal position, so that upon sensing a hit on the attached line, the fishing pole tips downward. Legs, for supporting the body of the stand, can be placed in a first position or a second position, depending on the conditions of use for the stand. When not in use, the legs of the stand can be stored within the body.

Fishing pole holders and other supports are well known and are used to support fishing poles in a raised position during use, thereby eliminating the need for the fisherman to handle the pole at all times. This is particularly useful in ice fishing, where it is well known that the fisherman does not sit watching his pole all day.
Various configurations of fishing pole holders for ice fishing are known. Some holders include a spike which is pounded into the ice to provide a stable pole support. Other are an attachment to an item, such as bucket or pail.
Many pole holders includes an indicating device, which is triggered by movement of the fishing line to signal the presence of a potential catch if the fisherman takes over control of the fishing pole. This indication is often the fishing pole tipping up.
There is always a desire for improved ice fishing equipment.


One object of the present invention is to produce a weakly acidic cation exchanger under mild conditions. Another object of the present invention is to produce a more firm weakly acidic cation exchange film. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a weakly acidic cation exchanger capable of realizing high-level separation of monovalent cation and simultaneously analyzing monovalent cation and divalent cation and also provide a chromatography column using the ion exchanger. In the production method of a weakly acidic cation exchanger of the invention, a solvent incapable of dissolving a polymer having a double bond within the molecule is used and the weakly acidic cation exchanger is produced by polymerization at temperature of 100° C. or less.

As the packing material capable of measuring a monovalent cation and a divalent cation at the same time in cation chromatography, a weakly acidic cation exchanger produced by forming a film of poly(butadiene-maleic acid) (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as PBDMA) on a porous silica gel and then heating it at 180° C. for 4 hours is known (see, Chromatographia, Vol. 23, No. 7, pp. 465-472 (1987)).
However, the weakly acidic cation exchanger obtained by this method is insufficient in the adhesion between the silica gel support and a resin produced from the PBDMA film and has a problem in that the reproducibility is poor.
For solving this problem, a weakly acidic cation exchanger obtained by coating a weakly acidic cation exchange composition comprising a copolymer-crosslinked product of a vinyl compound with an unsaturated carboxylic acid and an unsaturated carboxylic acid anhydride-diene monomer copolymer has been proposed (see, JP-A-5-96184 (the term "JP-A" as used, herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application")). This is a method where in forming a film on the surface of a spherical fine particle support, a compound having a vinyl group as the functional group is present together and a PBDMA copolymer-crosslinked product is produced at a high temperature, whereby the durability is enhanced.
According to the production method of a packing material reported in these two publications, a fine particle containing an organic material need be heated at a high temperature at the polymerization and therefore, these production methods are not suitable for use in industry.
JP-A-8-257419 proposes a packing material for cation chromatography, which is obtained by coating a cured product of a polyfunctional carboxylic acid compound and a polyfunctional epoxy compound on the surface of a porous support. In this publication, it is reported that a column improved in durability is obtained, however, since an ester bond is contained in the structure containing a functional group, problems such as deterioration due to hydrolysis are thought to occur.
Furthermore, improvement in the separation of monovalent cation, particularly sodium ion and ammonium ion, is not a purpose in all of these techniques proposed and the separation of these cations is insufficient.
Apart from these, a technique for improving the separation of sodium ion and ammonium ion has been reported (see, U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,363 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,994), where a crown ether or a functional group having a structure analogous thereto is introduced into a porous organic polymer particle to retard the elution of particularly potassium and ammonium and thereby improve the separation of sodium ion and ammonium ion. The purpose is satisfactorily achieved, however, this column is deficient in that the peak shape of particularly potassium is worsened and a solution containing an organic solvent need be used for the eluent.
Furthermore, a case of graft-polymerizing a copolymer consisting of maleic anhydride and ethyl vinyl ether to a polystyrene-base substrate is reported in Examples of these publications. Generally, according to a method using graft polymerization, a functional group may be surely introduced in a large amount, however, the polymer chain of copolymer introduced by this method mostly extends in the direction perpendicular to the base material surface and the film thickness increases in the portion containing a functional group on a support. Therefore, when the amount of a functional group introduced is increased, the packing pressure in column may increase or the separation efficiency of column may decrease.
As the column for use in a suppressor system, Ionpac CS16 (trade name) is commercially available from Dionex. In this column, a packing material for cation chromatography having a carboxyl group/a phosphonic acid group is packed and the separation of monovalent cation, particularly sodium ion and ammonium ion, is improved. However, this is a column for a suppressor system using an eluent having a concentration as high as 30 mmol methanesulfonic acid.
Under these circumstances, a weakly acidic cation exchanger which can realize high-level separation of monovalent cation in an appropriate eluent concentration condition and which can be used for the simultaneous analysis of monovalent and divalent cations, is being demanded.
In general, a packing material having a carboxyl group is used as the packing material for cation chromatography which is used for the simultaneously analysis of monovalent and divalent cations. The amount of the carboxyl group is considered to be suitably from 500 to 3,000 μeq/g, because if the amount is less than 500 μeq/g, satisfactory separation cannot be obtained, whereas if it exceeds 3,000 μeq/g, the elution of ion is excessively retarded. For obtaining good separation of ion, this may be attained by increasing the amount of the substituent introduced as much as possible, however, according to conventional methods for introducing a substituent, the increase in the amount of the substituent often affects the support shape, as a result, the separation is worsened.
As for the technique of reacting a polymer compound having a double bond with a maleic anhydride, an electrophoretic coating method using a compound obtained by derivatizing a product resultant from a reaction of a butadiene copolymer and a maleic anhydride, and an aqueous dispersion solution for photographic coating solutions, obtained by reacting a compound resultant from a reaction of butadiene with a maleic anhydride have been reported (see, for example, JP-B-49-4059 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined Japanese patent publication") and JP-B-60-21372). However, the production example of a weakly acidic cation exchanger is only that described in JP-A-8-257419.

Production process of film and column for cation chromatography


A drive for rotating equipment that does not require internal or external mechanical seals and obviates the necessity to have internal shaft and bearings, eliminating internal lubrication problems and can be used with different types of prime movers is provided. A driven rotor, connected to the prime mover, with mounted horizontal stop rings, vertical stop rings, permanent magnet for floating rotor position, and permanent rotor drive magnet is driven by a driver rotor mounted with strain gauge and permanent magnet, electromagnet for driven rotor position and drive, strain gauges signal transmission rings, and electromagnet current transmission rings. The driver rotor, by using the signal generated by the strain gauges, varies current to the electromagnets controlling magnetic field forces to float the driven rotor. When the unit is shutdown the driven rotor rests on the vertical stop rings uncoupled. The diamagnetic rotor casing is in between the driven rotor and driver rotor and is part of the envelope separating the fluid handled from the environment. The electromagnetic-coupled/levitated drive of this invention can be used to actuate a great variety of rotating equipment in addition to the ones cited, such as multistage centrifugal compressors and multistage centrifugal pumps. The present invention will also serve as the basis for the design of new types of equipment such as the tube pump described herein. In addition, the present invention will make possible the use of sealless units for handling a tremendous variety of fluids that are harmful to people and the environment, eliminating the possibility of leakage, without the problem of maintenance of internal bearings or seals while substantially reducing equipment vibration. A method is also provided.

To solve the leakage problem encountered on centrifugal equipment, such as pumps compressors and fans, at the point where the rotating shaft penetrates the stationary casing, components such as packing and mechanical seals are used. However these components fail from time to time resulting in releases of handled fluid to the environment and sometimes damage to the equipment. To avoid this problem permanent magnetic drives that work inside the handled fluid envelope were developed. Also can pumps where the induction motor rotor is inside the handled fluid envelope was developed. These two solutions have the problem that the internal shaft and bearings are in contact with the pumped fluid which also has to serve as the lubricating medium. This creates internal shaft/bearing maintenance problems. Additional drawbacks of the can pump approach are: the effect that motor rotor induced currents can have on the pumped fluid, an the prime mover must be an induction motor.
The development of magnetic bearings used in combination with can pumps has obviated the leakage and internal bearing maintenance problems in centrifugal pumps, however the drawbacks of the effects of motor rotor induced currents and limitation to the use of an induction motor as a prime mover remains.
The magnetic bearings mentioned above, consist of stationary electromagnets that induce magnets on the equipment rotor shaft, and by controlling current to the electromagnet, produce equipment rotor levitation. They are also used with prime movers external to the equipment casing such as large centrifugal pumps, centrifugal compressors and centrifugal fans, mechanical seals are required for these cases.
To eliminate such problems, can pumps were developed. Can pumps have the induction motor rotor inside the handled fluid envelope. Such solutions have the problem that the internal shaft and bearings are in contact with the pumped fluid. Also, the pumped fluid serves as the lubricating medium. This creates internal shaft/bearing maintenance problems. Additional drawbacks of the can pump approach include, without limitation, the effect that motor rotor induced currents can have on the pumped fluid and the prime mover must be an induction motor.
Generally, the development of magnetic bearings used in combination with can pumps has obviated the leakage and internal bearing maintenance problems in centrifugal pumps. However, the drawbacks of the effects of motor-rotor induced currents and the limitation associated with the use of an induction motor as a prime mover remains.
The magnetic bearings, known in the art and discussed above, consist of stationary electromagnets that induce magnets on the equipment rotor shaft. By controlling the current to the electromagnet, levitation of the equipment rotor is possible. Such devices are also used with prime movers external to the equipment casing, such as, for example, large centrifugal pumps, centrifugal compressors and centrifugal fans. In these devices, mechanical seals are required.
Sensing devices are also known. For, example strain gauges are known. Strain gauges have been used to measure stress, pressure and torque. Further, rotating transmission rings and fixed pick-up devices have been used for years for the conveyance of control and power electric currents between fixed and rotating parts in electric generators and motors.
It is, therefore, a feature of the present invention to provide an electromagnetic coupled/levitated drive for rotating equipment.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide, as part of a driven rotor, an active component of the driven equipment such as a pump or compressor impeller.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic coupled/levitated drive suitable for use with different types of prime movers such as electric motors, combustion engines and gas or steam turbines.
Yet another feature of the invention is to provide, for centrifugal pumps, centrifugal compressors and centrifugal fans, a true sealed unit that makes it impossible the escape of polluting fluids to the environment.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide, for centrifugal pumps, centrifugal compressors and centrifugal fans, the possibility to use different types of prime movers and without inducing currents in the pumped fluid,
Another feature of the present invention is to provide, for centrifugal pumps, centrifugal compressors and centrifugal fans, a levitating rotor which eliminates the possibility of internal bearing failure, diminishes equipment down time and reduces maintenance.
Yet another feature of the invention is to provide, for centrifugal pumps, centrifugal compressors and centrifugal fans, a reduction of equipment vibration.
Still another feature of the present invention is to provide, for a tube pump that practices the present invention.
Yet still another feature of the present invention is to provide, for the tube pump, reduced NPSH requirement.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide, for the tube pump, the ability to handle large pieces of solids with the liquid fluid.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide, for the tube pump, ease of installation on an existing line.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide, for the tube pump, no change in flow direction for single stage applications.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention may be realized by means of the combinations and steps particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Electromagnetic-coupled/levitated apparatus and method for rotating equipment


A method of enriching a solution for an adenovirus comprising contacting a solution containing an adenovirus with an anion exchange chromatography resin comprising an acrylate or sulphonamide linker such that the adenovirus binds to the chromatography resin and eluting the adenovirus from the resin with an eluant to obtain an enriched solution of adenovirus.

Traditionally, adenoviral particles have been isolated through the use of density gradient purification protocols, such as through the use of cesium chloride (CsCl) gradients. While suitable for small-scale preparations, density gradient purification is tedious and time consuming and cannot be easily scaled-up. Accordingly, the process is frequently considered commercially undesirable.
An alternative method for purifying adenovirus is to use column or batch chromatography. Early attempts to isolate viral particles by chromatographic techniques using diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) chromatography resins were first reported from 1959 to 1961. Haruna et al. (Virology, 13, 264–267 (1961)) reported using DEAE ion exchange chromatography for purification of types 1, 3, and 8 adenoviruses, while Klemperer et al. (Virology, 9, 536–545 (1959)) and Philipson (Virology, 10, 459–465 (1960)) reported difficulties using the same method with other types of adenoviruses. These techniques were not widely used after about 1965, most likely as a result of the tendency of the chromatographic matrix to collapse during use. In addition, the selectivity of the chromatography resins available at the time made chromatographic purification of viruses inferior to the density gradient purification techniques.
Recently, there has been renewed interest in purifying viruses by chromatography. For example, Shabram et al. (WO 96/27677) and Huyghe et al. (Human Gene Therapy, 6, 1403–1416 (1995)) disclose methods of using chromatography resins to purify viruses. Newer packing materials for chromatography also have been developed in the last decade and a half. These packing materials can be classified in four groups: (i) homogeneous cross-linked polysaccharides, which include soft gels (e.g., agarose) having good capacity, but poor resolution and a tendency to compress; (ii) macroporous polymers based on synthetic polymers, which include perfusion chromatography resins with large "throughpores," allowing for better diffusivity and leading to improved column efficiency, speed, and resolution; (iii) "tentacular" sorbents, which have tentacles that were designed for faster interactions with proteins (e.g. fractogel); and (iv) materials based on a soft gel in a rigid shell, which exploit the high capacity of soft gels and the rigidity of composite materials (e.g., Ceramic HyperD™ F) (see Boschetti, J. Chromatogr. A, 658 (2), 207–236 (Jan. 14, 1994); Rodrigues, J. Chromatogr. B, 699 (1–2), 47–61 (Oct. 10, 1997)).
It is desirable to increase the speed, ease of use, and efficiency of purification, particularly large-scale commercial purification, of these prior art techniques. The present invention provides such a process for purification of adenovirus. These and other advantages of the present invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.


The interlocking device for a tray in a supporting structure while enabling the tray to be removed from the supporting structure. The tray can include a device that engages with at least one engaging device in the supporting structure. The tray is inserted into the supporting structure using the guide or other engaging device. When the tray is fully inserted into the supporting structure, the tray can be secured to the supporting structure by the interlocking device. The interlocking device secures the tray to the supporting structure by a locking mechanism that selectively engages a first recess and a handle that selectively engages a second recess in the supporting structure. When the tray is to be removed from the supporting structure, the interlocking device disengages from the first and second recesses and enables the tray to be removed without interference of the tray and the supporting structure.

A typical locking device for a tray in a supporting structure includes more than one locking device, for example a first locking device between the tray and the supporting structure, and a second locking device between the tray and the supporting structure. In the typical locking device, the first and second locking devices are not interconnected; the locking devices can be locked and unlocked separately. This arrangement can be troublesome for removal and/or installation if an operator does not lock or unlock both devices. For example, if the operator only locks the first locking device, the tray may not be as secure as when the second locking device is also locked, resulting in damage to the tray and components that may be mounted to the tray. Alternatively, if the operator only unlocks the first locking device and attempts to remove the tray, the tray may be damaged as the second locking device remains locked to the supporting structure. What is needed then is an interlocking device for a tray in a supporting structure that easily and completely disengages the tray when withdrawn by the operator, yet is secured by the interlocking device when the tray is inserted by the operator into the supporting structure.

Interlocking device for a tray in a supporting structure


Aqueous solutions that include: (A) an organic polyol having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and having a flash point of at least 93° C.; (B) a base; (C) a surfactant; and (D) water, where the aqueous solution does not include an organic solvent having a flash point below 23° C. and a boiling point of at least 38° C.

Tissue samples are routinely prepared during pathological studies. One aspect of tissue preparation is the use of tissue softeners to prepare tissue samples for pathologic evaluation. The softeners rehydrate the tissue at least to the point where the tissue can be mechanically processed using standard histotechnologic methods. One example of this mechanical preparation is in the cutting of the tissue sample to a size appropriate for use, and the use of the softener allows for cutting of the tissue without further damage to the tissue.
Known softeners are available that sufficiently soften the tissue for processing and evaluation. These known softeners, however, include flammable solvents such as methanol and ethanol, and the flammable nature of these softeners poses an environmental hazard to researchers that perform the histopathologic studies and the laboratories where these studies are performed.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for tissue softeners useful in the field of histopathologic studies that do not contain flammable solvent yet are able to meet the requirements of tissue softeners in this field.

Aqueous compositions and methods of using the same for histopathological evaluation of tissue samples


A nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter which is operated for a relatively long time at low exhaust-gas temperatures in the range between 120 and 250° C. exhibits a decreasing storage capacity as a result of incomplete regeneration at said temperatures. In order to re-establish the original storage capacity of the catalytic converter which is operated in this way, two-stage regeneration is proposed, wherein the storage catalytic converter is initially partially regenerated at the low exhaust gas temperature by means of a switch from the lean mode to the rich mode, and wherein subsequently, with rich exhaust gas again, the exhaust-gas temperature of the engine is raised into a range of between 300 and 400° C. for complete regeneration.

Diesel engines are operated with highly superstoichiometric air/fuel mixtures. Their exhaust gas contains a correspondingly high proportion of oxygen of approximately 3 to 15% by volume. As pollutants, diesel engines emit nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) and soot. In comparison with gasoline engines, their emissions of nitrogen oxides are low, but in order to meet legal emissions limit values, it is necessary to further reduce even these low concentrations by means of exhaust-gas aftertreatment.
On account of the high oxygen content of the diesel exhaust gas, the nitrogen oxides contained therein cannot, as in the case of stoichiometrically operated spark-ignition engines, be continuously reduced by means of three-way catalytic converters with the simultaneous oxidation of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide to form nitrogen. So-called nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converters have therefore been developed in order to remove the nitrogen oxides from the lean exhaust gas of said engines, which nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converters store the nitrogen oxides contained in the lean exhaust gas in the form of nitrates.
The mode of operation of nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converters is described in detail in the SAE document SAE 950809. Nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converters are accordingly composed of a catalyst material which is usually applied in the form of a coating on an inert honeycomb body composed of ceramic or metal, a so-called carrier body. The catalyst material contains the nitrogen oxide storage material and a catalytically active component. The nitrogen oxide storage material is in turn composed of the actual nitrogen oxide storage component which is deposited on a support material in highly disperse form. As storage components, use is made predominantly of the basic oxides of the alkali metals, the earth alkali metals and the rare earth metals, but in particular barium oxide, which react with the nitrogen dioxide to form the corresponding nitrates.
As catalytically active components, use is usually made of the noble metals of the platinum group, which are deposited generally together with the storage component on the support material. As support material, use is made predominantly of active, high-surface-area aluminium oxide. The catalytically active components can however also be applied to a separate support material such as for example active aluminium oxide.
The task of the catalytically active components is to convert carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons in the lean exhaust gas into carbon dioxide and water. Said catalytically active components also catalyze the oxidation of nitrogen monoxide to form nitrogen dioxide, which reacts with the basic storage materials to form nitrates (storage phase or lean operation). Nitrogen monoxide does not form nitrates with the storage materials. Said nitrogen monoxide is contained in the exhaust gas of diesel engines in proportions of 65 to 95% depending on the operating conditions of the engine.
With increasing accumulation of the nitrogen oxides into the storage material, the remaining storage capacity of the storage material decreases, and said storage material must therefore be regenerated from time to time. For this purpose, the engine is operated for a short time with rich air/fuel mixtures (so-called regeneration phase or rich operation). Under the reducing conditions in the rich exhaust gas, the nitrates are broken down to form nitrogen oxides (NOx) and, using carbon monoxide, hydrogen and hydrocarbons as reducing agents, are reduced to form nitrogen with the formation of water and carbon dioxide.
During operation of the nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter, the storage phase and regeneration phase alternate regularly. On account of the relatively low nitrogen oxide concentration in the exhaust gas, the storage phase usually lasts between 1 and 10 minutes, while the regeneration phase ends even in less than 20 seconds. In order to determine the optimum switching time from the storage phase to the regeneration phase, it is for example possible for a nitrogen oxide sensor to be arranged downstream of the storage catalytic converter. If the nitrogen oxide concentration in the exhaust gas measured by said sensor rises above a previously defined threshold value, then the regeneration of the catalytic converter is initiated. The threshold value is generally selected from the interval between 30 and 100, preferably between 30 and 60, vol.-ppm.
Modern nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converters have a working range of between approximately 150 and 500° C. Below 150° C., effective storage of the nitrogen oxides no longer takes place on account of the decreasing speed of the oxidation from nitrogen monoxide to nitrogen dioxide with decreasing temperature and on account of the slowed solid state reactions in the catalytic converter. Above 500° C., the nitrogen oxides which are stored as nitrates are no longer stable and are released into the exhaust gas as nitrogen oxides. The optimum operating range of a nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter is approximately between 300 and 400° C. This applies both to the storage of the nitrogen oxides in the lean exhaust gas and also to the regeneration of the storage catalytic converter in the rich exhaust gas.
One peculiarity of the diesel exhaust gas is its low temperature. In part-load operation of the engine, the exhaust-gas temperature is usually between 120 and 250° C. Only at full load can it occasionally rise up to 500° C. It is therefore often the case that the exhaust gas of the diesel engine is between 120 and 250° C. during longer operating phases in city driving. In this case, one notices that an upcoming regeneration of the storage catalytic converter does not take place completely, but rather that a certain proportion of the nitrogen oxides remains on the storage catalytic converter. The storage capacity of said storage catalytic converter for nitrogen oxides is thus reduced.
The reduced storage capacity naturally leads to shortened storage phases. After the regeneration and the switch to lean operation, the threshold value of the nitrogen oxide concentration downstream of the catalytic converter for the initiation of the next regeneration is exceeded more quickly than in the case of a fully-regenerated storage catalytic converter.
If the exhaust-gas temperature is increased before the start of the regeneration in order to regenerate the storage catalytic converter as completely as possible at the increased exhaust-gas temperature, then during the temperature increase, an early emission of nitrogen oxides occurs which cannot be converted. In addition, during the storage phase, undesired nitrogen oxide emissions are observed during brief temperature increases as a result of thermal desorption of nitrogen oxides. Said undesired emissions reduce the attainable nitrogen oxide conversion.

Method for operating a nitrogen oxide storage catalyst in a diesel engine


A flat flexible cable having conductive pathways laminated between a top and a bottom insulating layer and including an integrated stiffening element. The integrated stiffening element is laminated in between one of the top and bottom insulating layers and the conductive pathways. Integrating the stiffening element into the flat flexible cable in this manner allows the stiffening element to resist peeling or other removal from the remainder of the flat flexible cable.

Flat flexible cable is commonly used for connecting electrical devices. Flat flexible cable may provide a structure including multiple conductive pathways and may be easily and reversibly bent and twisted in a narrow and crowded space. Various advantages may be provided by flat flexible cable as compared to other cable types. For example, using rectangular conductors as conductive pathways may allow greater amounts of current to be transferred at equal cross-sectional area in comparison with round conductors. This may allow a weight reduction and a reduction in space required for the cable. These advantages have found particular utility in the electronics and automotive industries. The flat configuration of flat flexible cable also allows this type of cable to be mounted behind coverings with limited design depth. Because of these advantages, flexible flat cable is being used to an increasing degree in automobile manufacture as a replacement for cable consisting of round conductors.
Flat flexible cable may generally be provided as a laminated structure or an extruded structure. As a laminated structure, flat flexible cable may generally include a plurality of parallel conductors laminated between opposed insulating sheets or strips. Laminated electrical flat conductors may generally be provided as individual conductors in spool form. The individual conductors may be arranged into a conductor set during the process of lamination using slotted guides. The conductor set consists of individual conductive pathways. The individual conductive pathways may be individually insulated from each other, i.e., arranged at a spacing relative to each other and have a rectangular cross section. The tops of the conductive pathways may be electrically insulated, for example by an insulating sheet, which is laminated onto the conductive pathways. Similarly, a bottom insulator may also be laminated onto the bottom of the conductive pathways. The top insulator and bottom insulator may be laminated together in the regions between adjacent conductive pathways and on the edges outside of the conductive pathways.
Extruded flat flexible cable may be formed by conductive pathways in an insulating sheath by an extrusion process with an electrically insulating plastic sheath. The plurality of conductors may pass through an extrusion die, such as a wire coating, cross-head extrusion die with the conductors maintained in a desired spaced-apart and parallel arrangement. The resultant flat flexible cable may, therefore, include a plurality of conductive pathways that are electrically isolated, but encased in a unitary sheathing. The shape and properties of the finished extruded flat flexible cable may correspond at least essentially to the shape and properties of a laminated flat flexible cable and the sheathing material.

Flat flexible cable with integrated stiffener


A bicycle trainer includes a frame and a resistance unit movably interconnected with the frame by an adjustment arrangement for movement through a range of operative positions and to an inoperative position. The adjustment arrangement includes an adjustment member that is selectively engaged with, and disengaged from, an engagement member. When disengaged, the adjustment member slides relative to the engagement member. The sliding movement of the adjustment member provides a first mode of operation to move the resistance unit to an initial engagement position adjacent the wheel, and the adjustment arrangement can be operated in a second mode of operation, such as by cam-type movement, to advance the resistance unit from the initial engagement position toward and against the wheel.

This invention relates to an exercise device such as a bicycle trainer, and more particularly to a feature for movably mounting a resistance unit to the frame of a bicycle trainer.
A bicycle trainer typically includes a frame that is configured to support the driven wheel of a bicycle, and a resistance unit carried by the frame that is engageable with the bicycle wheel to resist rotation of the wheel upon application of input power to the bicycle pedals by a user. The frame typically includes a main support that carries the resistance unit, and a pair of foldable legs that extend from the main support and which provide stable support for the frame when the frame rests on a supporting surface such as a floor. In the prior art, the resistance unit has been mounted to the trainer using a pivot connection between the trainer frame and the body or yoke of the resistance unit, in combination with an adjustment mechanism that is operated by a user to move the resistance unit about the pivot connection into engagement with the bicycle wheel. Typically, the adjustment mechanism is in the form of a screw-type mechanism that includes a nut that is manually rotated by the user to move the resistance unit toward and away from the bicycle wheel.
In the prior art, due to the geometrical relationship between the resistance unit and the frame, the resistance unit is positioned so as to extend outwardly at an angle relative to the main support of the frame. Because the adjustment mechanism provides a limited range of adjustment in the angular position of the resistance unit relative to the frame, it is not possible to move the resistance unit a sufficient distance to provide a folded configuration of the bicycle trainer when not in use.
In addition, the screw-type adjustment mechanism of prior art bicycle trainers can result in inconsistencies when the resistance unit is moved into engagement with the bicycle wheel. Specifically, because operation of the screw-type adjustment mechanism advances the resistance unit in small increments that cannot easily be visually detected, it is possible for the user to advance the resistance unit so that it engages the tire of the bicycle wheel with different degrees of compression from one use of the bicycle trainer to another. Since the overall resistance provided by the resistance unit is dependent on the degree of compression of the bicycle tire by the resistance unit, this variability in the degree of compression of the tire can result in different operation of the resistance unit from one use to another.
In accordance with one aspect, the present invention contemplates a bicycle trainer for use with a bicycle having a driven wheel, which includes a frame and a resistance unit movably interconnected with the frame for movement through a range of operative positions relative to the frame for engagement with the wheel. The resistance unit is also movable relative to the frame to an inoperative position. A manually operable resistance unit adjustment arrangement is interposed between the resistance unit and the frame. The adjustment arrangement is operable by a user to move the resistance unit throughout the range of operative positions, and also to enable movement of the resistance unit to and from the inoperative position. The resistance unit may be movably interconnected with the frame via a pivot connection between the resistance unit and the frame, and the adjustment arrangement may include an elongated adjustment member interconnected between the resistance unit and the frame at a location spaced from the pivot connection. The adjustment arrangement further includes an engagement member, which is selectively engageable with the adjustment member. The engagement member is pivotably interconnected with one of the resistance unit and the frame for movement about a pivot axis oriented transverse to a longitudinal axis along which the elongated adjustment member extends, and the elongated adjustment member is interconnected with the other of the resistance unit and the frame. The adjustment member is selectively engaged with the engagement member to maintain the resistance unit in a selected operative position. Representatively, the adjustment member may be selectively engaged with the engagement member via threaded areas on the adjustment member and the engagement member. The adjustment member is selectively disengaged from the engagement member so as to provide sliding movement between the adjustment member and the engagement member. Representatively, the adjustment member may be disengaged from the engagement member by means of void areas on the engagement member, which disengage the adjustment member from the threads of the engagement member. In this manner, the adjustment member can be moved axially relative to the engagement member to allow pivoting movement of the resistance unit throughout the range of operative positions, to accommodate differently sized bicycle wheels. When not in use, the resistance unit can be moved to the inoperative position, which may be a folded position relative to the frame. The adjustment member and the engagement member are configured to accommodate and provide such movement of the resistance unit relative to the frame.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention contemplates a bicycle trainer having a frame and a resistance unit movably interconnected with the frame for movement through a range of operative positions relative to the frame in response to a manually operable resistance unit adjustment arrangement. The adjustment arrangement is operable in a first mode of operation to move the resistance unit to an initial engagement position adjacent the wheel, and is operable in a second mode of operation to advance the resistance unit from the initial engagement position toward and against the wheel. In one embodiment, the elongated adjustment member includes a manually engageable handle. The first mode of operation may be in the form of sliding engagement between the elongated adjustment member and the engagement member, and the second mode of operation may be in the form of cam-type movement of the resistance unit relative to the frame in response to pivoting movement of the handle relative to the elongated adjustment member. With this construction, the user can initially move the resistance unit to a position adjacent or against the tire of the bicycle wheel via the sliding engagement between the elongated adjustment member and the engagement member. The user can then operate the adjustment member so as to fix the axial position of the adjustment member relative to the engagement member, and pivot the handle relative to the elongated adjustment member, which moves the resistance unit a predetermined distance toward and against the tire using cam-type engagement between the handle and the resistance unit. This feature enables the user to maintain consistency in the degree of compression of the bicycle tire from one use of the bicycle trainer to another.
The invention also contemplates methods of altering the configuration of a bicycle trainer, and moving the resistance unit of a bicycle trainer relative to the frame, in accordance with the foregoing summary.
The aspects of the invention may be employed separately, wherein each aspect provides advantages in construction and operation of a bicycle trainer, or may be employed in combination with each other.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.

Foldable and camming pivot mount for a resistance unit in a bicycle trainer


This nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises: a word line connected to a control gate; a bit line electrically connected to one end of a NAND cell unit; a source line electrically connected to the other end of the NAND cell unit; and a control circuit that controls a voltage applied to a semiconductor layer, the control gate, the bit line, and the source line.

A cell array of a NAND type flash memory is configured as an arrangement of NAND cell units, each NAND cell unit having a plurality of memory cells connected in series therein. The two ends of each NAND cell unit are respectively connected to a bit line and a source line via a select gate transistor.
Control gates of the memory cells in the NAND cell unit are each connected to a different word line. The NAND type flash memory has a plurality of memory cells connected in series sharing a source and a drain, moreover, has the select gate transistors and their bit line contacts and source line contacts and so on shared by the plurality of memory cells, hence a size of a unit memory cell can be reduced, and, moreover, since a shape of the word line or an element region of the memory cell is close to a simple striped shape, the NAND type flash memory is suited to miniaturization, whereby a flash memory of large capacity is achieved.
Incidentally, due to progress in miniaturization of the memory cell in the NAND type flash memory, deterioration of data holding characteristics of the memory cell has become a problem. Specifically, data holding characteristics tend to deteriorate when the cumulative number of times of executions of a write operation/erase operation to the memory cell increases causing progressive deterioration of a gate insulating film of the memory cell. Therefore, sometimes, after completion of the write operation and a write verify operation, a lower limit of the threshold voltage distribution falls to a write verify voltage or less, which leads to deterioration of data holding characteristics of the memory cell.

Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and method of controlling the same

Abstract: The control circuit is configured to, when performing a write verify operation for determining whether a write operation has been completed or not after finishing the write operation, temporarily raise a voltage of the bit line or the source line to a light erase voltage which is higher than a voltage applied to the bit line or the source line during the write verify operation.


Necessary information in an estimate of repair cost of a damaged car, for example, damage types, repair work items, parts names, values of repair cost are stored. By displaying these information on a screen and selecting necessary items for a repair work, an estimate of repair cost can be made with convenience, accuracy, efficiency and without error. By displaying an illustration of a part on the same screen where data of the part are displayed, an accurate estimate is realized. Further, providing a sheet wherein a part and a work item and so on are described, the estimate is carried out by inputting a code number. Such a configuration prevents an estimate omission. By using, for example, a Compact Disk which has a large storage capacity as a recording medium, a large amount of information is stored.

1. Field of the invention
Present invention relates to an apparatus for calculating the repair cost of a car that has been damaged in an accident and more particularly, to such an apparatus which enables calculation of repair cost and formation of, for example an estimate and sales slip to be easily carried out.
2. Description of the related art
In repairing a damaged car, an accurate estimate is first required. It takes many hours to estimate repair work costs including technician fees and the price of replacement parts. Indeed, the estimate of repair cost is conventionally carried out by an expert.
The conventional methods of estimating a repair cost suffer the following drawbacks.
(1) Generally, it takes 30 minutes to estimate a repair cost equivalent to 100,000 yen. Further when a repair cost of several hundred thousand yen is estimated, many items and parts are often overlooked (so called estimate omission). Therefore, it is said that an accurate estimate is almost impossible.
(2) Even if an estimating manual is used, containing information regarding work items, parts and so on, it is very difficult to retrieve and pick up several tens or sometimes over a hundred different work items and parts, and estimate omission often occurs.
(3) Estimators under a heavy work burden, when faced with a greatly damaged car are usually forced to work overtime hours or night hours to carry out the estimate.
(4) There is a shortage of expert estimators available for hire.
(5) In the case where estimates are not accurate, stable management can not be expected.

Apparatus for calculating a repair cost of a damaged car


A side airbag apparatus for a vehicle is provided. The apparatus has an airbag and a gas generator. The gas generator supplies gas to the airbag such that the airbag is deployed and inflated at a side of an occupant. The airbag has a loop seam, which is formed by sewing parts of the airbag that face each other in a lateral direction of the vehicle such that no clearance is created at the loop seam. A slit formation portion is provided in part of the airbag that is encircled by the loop seam. When the airbag is deployed and inflated, the slit formation portion opens as a slit.

The present invention relates to an airbag apparatus having an airbag that is deployed and inflated at a side of an occupant of a vehicle when an impact of a force greater than a predetermined value is applied to a side of the vehicle body due to a side collision.
Typically, when an impact the magnitude of which is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied to a side of a vehicle, an inflator, which is incorporated in an airbag, generates and injects gas into the airbag, thereby deploying and inflating the airbag. The deployed and inflated airbag is pressed against a shoulder and the lumbar region of an occupant, thereby protecting the occupant from the side impact. Accordingly, configurations for optimizing the thickness of airbags to protect vehicle occupants when airbags are deployed and inflated have been disclosed (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications No. 2003-261000 and No. 2000-289558).
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-261000 discloses a method for optimizing the thickness of a side airbag in a deployed and inflated state by means of a seam that is formed by sewing fabric sheets of the airbag to each other. On the other hand, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-289558 discloses a method for optimizing the thickness of a side airbag in a deployed and inflated state by coupling fabric sheets of the airbag with a substantially belt-like tether, which functions as a thickness limiting member.
However, according to the publication No. 2003-261000, since the fabric sheets are directly sewn to each other, it is impossible to create a sufficient distance between the fabric sheets. Thus, it is difficult to optimize the thickness of the airbag to protect an occupant. On the other hand, although the method according the publication No. 2000-289558 is capable of widening the distance between the fabric sheets with the tether, the tether needs to be prepared as a separate member from the fabric sheets and needs to be sewn to the fabric sheets in the manufacturing process of the side airbag. This increases the number of components and the manufacturing steps. As a result, the manufacturing cost is increased.


An improved baseball glove having an enlarged ball-catching face to enable catching a ball with ease, wherein an adjusting portion is provided between a little finger stall and a ring finger stall thereof to form a stepped portion for locating the ring finger stall on the rear side of the ball-catching face with respect to the little finger stall.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a baseball glove constructed to facilitate catching a ball with a large ball-catching face.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional baseball glove is constructed by inserting an inner core bag into an external bag, and the external bag body is formed by overlapping a front surface member (palmar surface member) with a back surface member and sewing them together. As shown in FIG. 11, a front surface member 52 has such a structure that a little finger piece 52a, a ring finger piece 52b, a middle finger piece 52c, an index finger piece 52d and a thumb piece 52e are extended from a palm piece 52f. V-shaped cut away portions are formed between the index finger piece 52d and the middle finger piece 52c, between the middle finger piece 52c and the ring finger piece 52b, and between the ring finger piece 52b and the little finger piece 52a. As shown in FIG. 2B, therefore, a baseball glove 50 constructed using the front surface member 52 has such a shape that an index finger stall 51d, a middle finger stall 51c, a ring finger stall 51b, and a little finger stall 51a are aligned in a straight line. As a result, the baseball glove 50 has such a shape that all the finger stalls are arranged like a letter V.
In the conventional baseball glove 50, as shown in FIG. 2B, only the innermost recess of a V-shaped portion formed by the arranged finger stalls is a ball-catching face, and it is necessary to guide a ball from an oblique direction to catch the ball. Thus, the ball-catching face is small, thereby making it difficult to catch a ball. Therefore, to catch a ball without fail, the glove must be used repeatedly to practice catching a ball. It is difficult even for a skilled professional baseball player to catch a quick hit ball or a ball hit apart.
In fact, to facilitate catching a ball, the ball-catching face is expanded by pressing inwardly the index finger stall 51d, the middle finger stall 51c, the ring finger stall 51b, and the little finger stall 51a of the glove. However, a new (newly made) baseball glove, in particular, returns to its original state by the elasticity of leather.


A method for measuring the damping factor of an Nth-order phase-locked loop, wherein N>1, and a system, apparatus, and program that operate in accordance with the method. The method includes applying a modulation source at an input to the phase-locked loop. The method also includes measuring the output response to various levels of frequency modulation, measuring the −3 dB cutoff frequency of the phase-locked loop, and measuring the peak frequency of the phase-locked loop. The method further includes calculating the damping factor of the phase-locked loop as a function of the −3 dB cutoff frequency and the peak frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method, system, apparatus, and program for characterizing phase-locked loop (PLL) behavior, and more particularly to an improved method, system, apparatus, and program for measuring the damping factor of Nth-order PLLs.
2. Related Art
A phase-locked loop (PLL) is an electrical circuit which can find use in a number of different fields. For example, PLLs are used in radio, telecommunications, space communications, computers, and other electronic applications in which it is desired to stabilize a generated signal or to detect signals in the presence of noise. As a particular example, PLLs are often employed in frequency-synthesized radio transmitters and receivers. A PLL can also act as a detector in a frequency-modulation (FM) or phase-modulation (PM) receiver. Thus, a PLL can be understood to be a closed-loop feedback control system that maintains a generated signal in a fixed phase relationship relative to a reference signal.
Typically, a PLL is designed using circuit modeling techniques that assume ideal component performance. Like all hardware design, the circuits are then validated in the lab on prototype modules for conformance to expected behavior. The damping factor (ζ) of a PLL can be an important characteristic in defining the dynamic performance of the PLL. As such it is necessary to measure the damping factor ζ of a PLL.
An example of a fairly well known approach to measuring the damping factor ζ of a PLL is provided in the publication entitled Phase-Locked Loops: Design, Simulation, and Applications, Fifth Edition, by Roland E. Best. Section 11.5 of this text describes an example of how to make the damping factor measurement using commonly available test equipment.
However, one drawback to this method, as stated in the publication, is that it is only suitable for measuring PLLs in which the damping factor ζ is expected to be less than 1.0. The reason for this is that this approach relies on being able to measure the output's time-domain response to a phase-step transient injected at the PLL's input. Specifically, this requires being able to measure the amplitude of successive peak overshoot and undershoot portions of the signal wave, and then, in turn, using a mathematical relationship of the ratio of these measurements to calculate the damping factor. In the case of PLLs with a damping factor ζ equal to or greater than 1.0, it is not possible to use this method because there is no undershoot portion of the signal wave. Since many of the PLLs used in telecommunications products have a damping factor ζ higher than 1.0, this approach is unsuitable for taking this measurement. An improved approach is therefore needed.
A second drawback to the approach described above is that it requires a different test setup than that used to determine the −3 dB cutoff frequency of the PLL. Generally, when characterizing a PLL in the lab, a user will want to measure, at a minimum, both the −3 dB cutoff frequency and the damping factor ζ of the loop, as these are two of the most important characteristics that specify a PLL's dynamic behavior. All other PLL parameters can be derived from them. Using two different test setups to attain these measurements can add time and complexity to the procedure. A unified test configuration would be preferred.
There exists, therefore, a need to provide a novel method for measuring the damping factor ζ of a 2nd-order PLL that overcomes the above-noted and other drawbacks of the existing methods.

Method, system, apparatus, and program for measuring the damping factor of an Nth order phase locked loop (PLL)


This invention pertains to a method of forming a coating on an electronic substrate and to the electronic substrates coated thereby. The method comprises applying on the electronic substrate a coating composition comprising an aqueous alkanol dispersion of colloidal silica and partial condensate of RSi(OH).sub.3 where R is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl radical having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, the vinyl radical, the 3,3,3-trifluoropropyl radical, the gamma-glycidoxypropyl radical and the gamma-methacryloxypropyl radical with the provision that at least 70% of the R radicals are methyl, and thereafter ceramifying the coating by heating at a temperature of about 200.degree. C. to 1000.degree. C. The use of the coating composition comprising an aqueous alkanol dispersion of colloidal silica and partial condensate of RSi(OH).sub.3 allows for the formation of thick planarizing coatings on the electronic substrate.

This invention is a method of forming coatings using compositions containing a methyl silsesquioxane resin and colloidal silica as coating for electronic devices.
The use of hydrogen silsesquioxane resin (HSiO.sub.3/2).sub.n derived ceramic coatings on substrates such as electronic devices is known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,977 to Haluska et al. discloses a process of forming a silica coating on an electronic substrate by applying to the substrate a solution of hydrogen silsesquioxane resin and thereafter heating the coated substrate in air at a temperature in the range of 200.degree.-1,000.degree. C. However, it is not possible to produce thick planarizing coatings from hydrogen silsesquioxane resins.
The use of hydrolyzed or partially hydrolyzed silicate esters derived ceramic coatings on substrates such as electronic devices is known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,631 to Haluska et al. discloses a process for forming a silica coating on an electronic substrate by applying to the substrate a solution of a hydrolyzed or partially hydrolyzed silicate ester and thereafter heating the coated substrate at a temperature in the range of 200.degree. to 1,000.degree. C.
The use of an acidic dispersion of colloidal silica and partial condensate of RSi(OH).sub.3 to produce abrasion resistant coatings is known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,997 to Clark describes a coating composition containing an acidic dispersion of colloidal silica, and partial condensate of methylsilanetriol in an alcohol-water medium. The coating composition can be used to apply transparent abrasion resistant coatings on a variety of substrates. However, U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,997 does not teach producing a ceramic or ceramic-like coating from the acidic dispersion or the use of the acidic dispersion to form planarizing coatings on electronic substrates.

Thick ceramic coatings for electronic devices


Ammonium pentachloromonoaquorhodate(III), (NH.sub.4).sub.2 RhCl.sub.5 (H.sub.2 O), is a useful photographic chemical. Small amounts of rhodium-containing, water soluble species remain in solution in the process liquor after synthesis. Most of the soluble rhodium values are present as the aforementioned ammonium complex; however there are traces of the cis and trans isomers of ammonium tetrachlorodiaquorhodate(III), and traces of the fac and/or mer isomers of rhodium(III) chloride triaquo complexes. Rhodium values present in the liquid as ammonium pentachloromonoaquorhodate(III) can be recovered by the addition of cesium chloride to form a precipitate identified as Cs.sub.2 RhCl.sub.5 (H.sub.2 O). Very little of the aforementioned fac and mer isomers or other contaminants, if any, are contained in the precipitate. The cesium rhodium pentachloride monohydrate product can be refined, for recovery of rhodium values, or used as an additive to a silver halide emulsion to control fog or stabilize the emulsion.

Ammonium pentachloromonoaquorhodate(III) is useful in photographic chemistry. A small amount of rhodium as a soluble species remain in solution after synthesis. Most of the soluble rhodium values are present as the aforementioned ammonium complex; however there are traces of the cis and trans isomers of ammonium tetrachlorodiaquorhodate(III), and traces of the fac and/or mer isomers of rhodium(III) chloride triaquo complexes are present in the process liquors from which the ammonium pentachloromonoaquorhodate(III) is precipitated.
Rhodium compounds are expensive: and therefore, recovery rather than discharge in an effluent, is desired. Furthermore, recovery is also desirable from an environmental viewpoint. Therefore, need exists for a method to conveniently recover rhodium values from the process liquor. This invention satisfies that need.
The following references disclose the Cs.sub.2 RhCl.sub.5 (H.sub.2 O) product produced by the process of this invention: Ferguson et al., Australian J. Chem., No. 7, 30, (July 1977), pp. 1445-1460, Thomas et al., J. Coord. Chem. 1973, 2 pp. 231-234, Prokofersa et al., Koord. Khim., 4, No. 1, (1978), pp.32-34. These references do not disclose the process of the invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,531,289 discloses a use of ammonium hexachlororhodate. Also U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,448,060, 2,566,245, 2,566,263, 4,477,561, 4,857,450; Australian 134,725; German Offen. 2,226,877; and Japan 59/171,947 relate to uses of alkali metal rhodium compounds in photographic emulsions.


A high voltage field effect transistor device is fabricated. A substrate is provided. Isolation structures and well regions are formed therein. Drain well regions are formed within the well regions. An n-type channel stop resist mask is formed. N-type channel stop regions and n-type surface channel regions are formed. A p-type channel stop resist mask is formed. P-type channel stop regions and p-type surface channel regions are then formed. A dielectric layer is formed over the surface channel regions. Source regions are formed within the well regions. Drain regions are formed within the drain well regions. Back gate regions are formed within the well regions. Top gates are formed on the dielectric layer overlying the surface channel regions.

Transistors are the basic building blocks of conventional semiconductor devices, such as memory devices, central processing units (CPU), logic chips, and the like. A number of transistor types are employed in semiconductor devices including bipolar transistors and field effect transistors (FET). The bipolar transistors comprise an emitter, base, and collector and flow current from the emitter to the collector according to current supplied to the base. The field effect transistors comprise a source, drain, and gate and conduct current from the drain to the source according to a voltage supplied to the gate.
A common field effect transistor employed in semiconductor devices is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). Current is conducted from a source to a drain when a sufficient voltage is applied to a gate, otherwise conduction does not occur. The sufficient voltage is referred to as a threshold voltage.
Another common field effect transistor employed in semiconductor devices is a depletion field effect transistor, such as a JFET. The JFET operates similarly to the MOSFET, but instead turns off conduction of current from a source to a drain when a sufficient voltage, also referred to as a threshold voltage, is applied to a gate. Thus, when less than the threshold voltage is applied to the gate, current is conducted from the source to the drain. As a result, depletion field effect transistors have the ability to conduct current from source to drain without requiring power or a voltage applied to its gate.
The amount of current that can flow from the source to the drain of a given JFET is dependent upon the size of the channel region, which for JFET devices is from the source to the drain and underneath the gate. The size of the channel region includes a length or path length between the source and the drain and a depth of the channel region. Variations in the length and/or depth of the channel result in variations in conduction properties, which is typically undesirable.

High voltage depletion FET employing a channel stopping implant