A method of manufacturing a component. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes enriching an element with an isotope and using the enriched element as a material of the component. A property of the first isotope being the same as a property of a second isotope and is preferably a mechanical, chemical, or electrical property. A second element can also be used as a material of the component, for instance, where the material is an alloy or a composite material. Further, the first isotope can be a lighter isotope of the element. Lightweight components may be manufactured using the method such that mobile platforms (e.g. spacecraft) can be assembled from the component(s). In other exemplary embodiments, the element can be hydrogen, lithium, boron, magnesium, titanium, or iron. Additionally, the component may carry a load. Components including isotopically enriched elements are also provided.

An enduring problem in spacecraft design is to minimize the "dry weight" of the spacecraft, i.e. the mass of components excluding propellant. This problem arises because every extra kilogram (kg) of mass in the spacecraft means less mass allocation available for the payload. Given that the cost of delivering payloads to space is high (from about $10K/kg for bulk deliveries to low Earth orbit to upwards of $1 million/kg for hardware soft-landed on Mars) there is a powerful incentive to reduce the mass of payloads, the launch vehicle, the spacecraft, and the constituent components of these devices.
A common way to address this challenge is through new materials. Alloys or composites that offer high strength, or stiffness, with low density are used when they are available and cost-effective. However, such materials are often difficult and costly to develop. They must satisfy the primary characteristics, such as strength or electrical conductivity, and important secondary characteristics such as resistance to the space environment, electrochemical compatibility with other materials, and manufacturability. Once they are developed, they must be "qualified" (i.e. certified through testing and demonstration) which is itself a costly process.
Thus, a need exists for materials that are similar to existing qualified materials in every way, except that they have a different density.


There is provided a flame hole formation member 7 which is inserted and mounted from above in a third plate member 6 used to form a central rich-side flame hole row 33. As the flame hole formation member 7, a pair of flame hole formation parts 71, 71 each used to form a respective lean-side flame hole row 34 are connected by bridge formation parts 72, 72 at their upper end positions, with a predetermined distance held between the flame hole formation parts 71, 71. The bridge formation part 72, 72 is fitted from above into an engagement groove 332 formed in the upper end edge of the third plate member 6, whereby the pair of the flame hole formation parts 71, 71 are assembled so as to sit astride the upper end edge of the third plate member 6.

Heretofore, various types of rich-lean combustion burners have been proposed, which are characterized in that for reduction in NOx, a lean-side mixture whose air ratio (the ratio of the amount of air to the amount of fuel) is in excess of 1.0 is burned at lean-side flame holes while for the stabilization of combustion flames, rich-side flame holes, at which a rich-side mixture whose air ratio falls below 1.0 is burned, are arranged adjacent to the lean-side flame holes. As such a rich-lean combustion burner, there has been proposed a rich-lean combustion burner which is flat in shape as a whole. More specifically, this rich-lean combustion burner is formed by joining and welding together various types of formation members provided by stamping (press-forming) of thin plate materials into predetermined shapes. For example, Patent Literature Publication 1 discloses such a rich-lean combustion burner that a row of lean-side flame holes is formed by partition in the middle relative to the width direction and two rows of rich-side flame holes are formed respectively on either side of the lean-side flame hole row, whereby the rich-side flame hole rows on both sides are arrayed in opposing relation to each other across the lean-side flame hole row positioned in the middle of the burner. In addition, Patent Literature Publication 2 also discloses such a rich-lean combustion burner that two rows of rich-side flame holes of secondary burners on both sides are arranged in opposing relation to each other across a row of lean-side flame holes of a main burner. As an assembly method for assembling such a rich-lean combustion burner, there has been proposed an assembly method, in accordance with which assembly method there are prepared a lean-side flame hole formation member formed by placing a plurality of metallic sheets one upon the other so as to define a plurality of slit-like clearance gaps therebetween, and a secondary burner formed by partially connecting metallic plates on both sides by means of bridge formation at their upper ends. And the secondary burner is placed from above the lean-side flame hole formation member so as to assemble a rich-lean combustion burner. Furthermore, Patent Literature Publication 3 proposes, as a method of forming a lean-side flame hole formation member of the type described above, a formation method. In accordance with this formation method, a single metallic plate is subjected to stamping (press forming) for forming convexo-concave portions in a flame hole part. Then, the metallic plate thus prepared is folded along given fold lines into such a state that a plurality of strip-like metallic plates are placed one upon the other. These plural strip-like metallic plates are connected by joining of flat surfaces at both longitudinal ends thereof. In addition, their middle portions relative to the width direction are spaced apart a predetermined distance, thereby forming a lean-side flame hole formation member in which a great number of slit-like lean-side flame holes are formed by partition between the middle portions. And, in the middle position relative to the width direction, the lean-side flame hole formation member is fitted into a space to which a lean-side mixture is supplied, whereby the lean-side flame hole formation member is assembled, with their both ends nipped in between the ends of the rich-side flame hole formation member.

Rich-lean combustion burner and combustion apparatus


A safety and arming apparatus for arming a fuze of a smart weapon comprise a release sensor and a verification maneuver sensor in cooperative electronic communication with each other, such that when the release sensor senses that the weapon has been released and the verification maneuver sensor detects a predetermined verification maneuver of the weapon in flight, the fuze is armed.

A safety and arming device is a required element of a munition to ensure that the munition is not armed and detonated until the desired time. The safety and arming device (S&A) is part of a munition's fuze and prevents arming of the fuze until certain conditions are met.
MTL-STD-1316E is a standard which establishes specific design safety criteria for fuzes. It applies primarily to the safety and arming functions performed by fuzes for use with munitions. The safety and arming requirements, which are well documented, are mandatory fundamental elements of design, engineering, production and procurement for fuzes. Fuzes are to be provided with safety that is consistent with assembly, handling, storage, transportation and disposal. Munition fuzes historically have utilized sensitive explosive elements whose output has been physically interrupted until arming. Control of the arming process in these fuzes was accomplished by mechanical means.
MIL-STD-1316E requires that two unique environments or occurrences to be sensed prior to fuze arming. For gun fired weapons, sensors may be provided to sense environments such as setback acceleration and spin rate.
For bomb fuzes, the release does not provide for the unique conditions such as are experienced by a munition during gun firing. Bombs differ from gun fired weapons in that they are released to their target and are predominantly gravity driven, as opposed to being fired via an explosion or driven by constant thrust. Typically, past bomb fuzing approaches have relied on mechanically/electrically sensing the weapon's release as a first detectable environment, followed by the detection of air flow over a release exposed turbine as a second environment to verify intentional launch. These release scenarios combined with a ballistic fall made the turbine approach acceptable. With modern weapons however, particularly with munitions such as "smart weapons," the turbine approach for detecting a second environment has significant drawbacks.
It is thus a goal of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a smart weapon, such as a smart bomb, with a second environment sensor that avoids the need for a turbine approach and instead takes advantage of the unique flight characteristics of the smart weapon, increase safety and satisfy—MIL-STD-1316.
All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below.

Second environment sensing in smart bombs


A bipolar silicon transistor includes at least one emitter zone with n.sup.+ arsenic doping and with a phosphorus doping. The ratio between arsenic dopant concentration and phosphorus dopant concentration is between 10:1 and 500:1 in the at least one emitter zone. The at least one emitter zone may also have a penetration depth of less than 0.5 .mu.m. A method for producing a bipolar silicon transistor includes implanting a n.sup.+ -doped emitter zone with arsenic, implanting the n.sup.+ -doped emitter zone with phosphorus, setting a ratio in the n.sup.+ -doped emitter zone between the arsenic dopant concentration and phosphorus dopant concentration to between 10:1 and 500:1, and annealing crystal defects.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a bipolar silicon transistor having at least one emitter zone with n.sup.+ arsenic doping.
One such silicon transistor is known, for instance, from Einfuhrung in die Halbleitertechnologie (Introduction to Semiconductor Technology) by W. von Munch, Teubner-Verlag, Stuttgart 1993, pp. 208 and 209. That publication describes a bipolar silicon high-frequency transistor with a comb-like arsenic-doped emitter structure. The emitter zones have a very steep doping profile with a low penetration depth (<0.6 .mu.m). Those properties are highly significant for the high-frequency compatibility of the transistor.
The advantage of arsenic as a dopant is based on its low, concentration-dependent diffusion speed, which makes it possible to attain the doping profiles described above. Ion implantation is often employed as a method for producing such doping profiles.
At very high implantation doses, as required, for instance, for an emitter of an HF transistor, crystal damage remains behind in the silicon crystal after an annealing process that can be used for the above-described doping profile. However, crystal damage often leads to impairment of the functional properties of the transistor. Crystal defects located in the region of the emitter, for instance, cause increased leakage currents through the emitter-to-base diode. Moreover, crystal defects in the region of the emitter increases recombination in the emitter volume and causes the current intensity to drop. Such a drop in current intensity has a comparatively marked effect at low currents, resulting in a nonlinear course of the current intensity over the operating current. Moreover, crystal damage can even impair the function of the collector-to-base diode.
The number and electrical effectiveness of crystal defects is generally reduced in semiconductor technology by annealing at adequately high temperatures. For the above-described doping profile, however, no perfect annealing processes exist, since the demand for a large gradient in the drop-off of arsenic dopant concentration in the interior of the silicon crystal and the demand for a low penetration depth of the arsenic dopant does not allow the use of adequately high temperatures and/or adequately long annealing times. The frequency of defects in the known silicon transistors with an emitter n.sup.+ doped with arsenic is therefore very high, which makes for a low production yield.

Bipolar Silicon transistor with arsenic and phosphorous ratio


Pits and lands which have a pit length of 3T, a land length of *6T, a pit length of 7T, a land length of *3T, a pit length of 6T and a land length of *7T are alternately formed in a lead-in area in an inner track area on an optical disk as a test pattern for evaluating a read error of the optical disk. This test pattern data is reproduced by a reproducing system to detect an error rate, a compensation coefficient for minimizing the error rate is acquired, and a reproduction signal is compensated by using this compensation coefficient so that the reproduction signal is reproduced with the minimized error rate by the reproducing system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk, a recording method and data recording apparatus for recording data on this optical disk, and a data reproducing method and data reproducing apparatus for reproducing data from the optical disk. More particularly, an optical disk on which a detection signal for permitting the detection of a tilt amount is recorded, a recording method and data recording apparatus for recording data together with a tilt amount detection signal on this optical disk, and a data reproducing method and data reproducing apparatus for detecting the tilt amount detection signal from the optical disk to reproduce data therefrom.
This invention also relates to an optical disk having an evaluation test pattern, a recording method and data recording apparatus for recording reproduction data together with evaluation test data on this optical disk, and a method and apparatus for reading evaluation data from the optical disk to evaluate the optical disk. More particularly, this invention relates to an optical disk on which an evaluation test pattern, for determining whether or not a manufactured optical disk is defective, is recorded, a recording method and recording apparatus for recording reproduction data together with an evaluation test pattern on this optical disk, and a method and apparatus for detecting an evaluation test pattern signal from the optical disk to determine if the optical disk is defective.
2. Description of the Related Art
With regard to optical disk apparatuses, as one type of information recording and reproducing apparatus, which optically reproduce information, it is known that the greater the relative tilt amount between the disk reproducing surface and the surface of an objective lens becomes, the more the frequency characteristic of reproduced signals is deteriorated so that the error rate at the time of reading data becomes impaired. This relative tilt amount is determined by the tilt caused by the physical deformation of a disk and the tilt caused by the physical inclination of the objective lens of an optical head.
To overcome such a problem, there is a conventional method of mechanically tilting the optical head to cancel the relative tilt of the disk reproducing surface and the surface of the objective lens as disclosed in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 3-142723. This conventional apparatus has an optical pickup supported in a tiltable manner and mechanically coupled to a motor as a tilting source via a gear. This apparatus detects the tilt amount of an optical disk and drives the motor according to the tilt amount to incline the optical pickup via the gear, so that the relative tilt amount between the objective lens and the optical disk is controlled. Such a control system is considered sufficient to cancel the relative tilt between the disk's reproducing surface and the surface of the objective lens.
Because an apparatus which employs such a conventional control system has mechanical components, such as the motor and gear in the control system, tilt compensation control in a high band is difficult and tilt cannot be compensated in bands other than the control band in the vicinity of the DC component range. Further, the use of the mechanical components makes it difficult to design the apparatus compact. As optical disks capable of recording a vast amount of information at higher density are being developed today, particularly, the tilt compensation in the DC component range alone becomes insufficient, and people are demanding a system which can accurately accomplish tilt compensation in a high band as well as in the DC component range.
For optical disk apparatuses, as one type of information recording and reproducing apparatus,which optically reproduce data, it is premised that data should be recorded at high precision on an optical disk in order to reproduce data at high accuracy. If the forming precision of pits formed on an optical disk is poor, for example, signals would not be reproduced at a high precision or at a low error rate so that data reproduction may become disabled. It is also known that if the frequency characteristics of reproduced signals becomes poor, the error rate at the time of reading data becomes impaired while if there is a significant crosstalk component from adjoining rows of pits, retrieval data cannot be acquired from a target row of pits.
While there has been a demand for the system which determine at high precision if manufactured optical disks are defective, it is considered sufficient for the actual reproduction system to check recorded data on an optical disk which does not have a relatively large storage capacity in order to determine whether or not data recording is satisfactory. As optical disks capable of recording a vast amount of and high-density information are being developed today, however, people demand a system which can determine at high precision if data recording has failed.

Optical disk having an evaluation pattern for evaluating the optical disk


Diagnostic markers for breast cancer referred to herein breast cancer specific genes or BCSGs are provided. Also provided are methods for using BCSGs to detect, diagnose, monitor, stage, prognosticate, image and treat breast cancer. Antibodies which specifically bind BCSGs and methods of using these antibodies to image and treat breast cancer are also provided.

It is estimated that one out of every nine women in America will develop breast cancer sometime during her life based on a lifespan of 85 years. Annually, over 180,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 46,000 die from this disease. Every woman is at risk for breast cancer. However, a woman's chances of developing breast cancer increase as she grows older; 80 percent of all cancers are found in women over the age of 50. There are also several risk factors that can increase a woman's chances of developing breast cancer. These include a family history of breast cancer, having no children or the first child after the age of 30, and an early start of menstruation. However, more than 70 percent of women who develop breast cancer have no known risk factors. Less than 10 percent of breast cancer cases are thought to be related to the BRCA1 gene discovered in 1994. Researchers are now investigating the role of other factors such as nutrition, alcohol, exercise, smoking, and oral contraceptives in development of this gynecologic cancer. Mammograms, or special x-rays of the breast, can detect more than 90 percent of all cancers.
Procedures used for detecting, diagnosing, monitoring, staging, and prognosticating breast cancer are of critical importance to the outcome of the patient. Patients diagnosed early generally have a much greater five-year survival rate as compared to the survival rate for patients diagnosed with distant metastasized breast cancer. New diagnostic methods which are more sensitive and specific for detecting early breast cancer are clearly needed.
Breast cancer patients are closely monitored following initial therapy and during adjuvant therapy to determine response to therapy and to detect persistent or recurrent disease or metastasis. Thus, there is also clearly a need for cancer markers which are more sensitive and specific in detecting breast cancer recurrence.
Another important step in managing breast cancer is to determine the stage of the patient's disease. Stage determination has potential prognostic value and provides criteria for designing optimal therapy. Generally, pathological staging of cancer is preferable over clinical staging because the former gives a more accurate prognosis. However, clinical staging would be preferred were it at least as accurate as pathological staging because it does not depend on an invasive procedure to obtain tissue for pathological evaluation. Staging of cancer would be improved by detecting new markers in cells, tissues or bodily fluids which could differentiate between different stages of invasion.
New breast cancer specific genes, refereed to herein as BCSGs, have now been identified for use in diagnosing, monitoring, staging, imaging and treating cancers, and in particular breast cancer. Accordingly, the present invention relates to new methods for detecting, diagnosing, monitoring, staging, prognosticating, in vivo imaging and treating cancer via a BCSG. BCSG refers, among other things, to native proteins expressed by the genes comprising the polynucleotide sequences of BCSG-1 or Gene ID 332369 (SEQ ID NO:1), BCSG-2 or Gene ID 480489 (SEQ ID NO:2 or 18), BCSG-3 or Gene ID 274731 (SEQ ID NO:3 or 20), BCSG-4 or Gene ID 173388 (SEQ ID NO:4) or BCSG-5 or Clone ID 3040232, Gene ID 411152 (SEQ ID NO:5). Exemplary proteins expressed by genes BCSG-2 and BCSG-3 are depicted herein as SEQ ID NO:19 and SEQ ID NO:21. By "BCSG" it is also meant herein variant polynucleotides which, due to degeneracy in genetic coding, comprise variations in nucleotide sequence as compared to SEQ ID NO:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18 or 20 but which still encode the same proteins. In the alternative, what is meant by BCSG as used herein, means the native mRNAs encoded by the genes comprising BCSG-1 or Gene ID 332369 (SEQ ID NO:1), BCSG-2 or Gene ID 480489 (SEQ ID NO:2 or 18), BCSG-3 or Gene ID 274731 (SEQ ID NO:3 or 20), BCSG-4 or Gene ID 173388 (SEQ ID NO:4) or BCSG-5 or Clone ID 3040232, Gene ID 411152 (SEQ ID NO:5) or it can refer to the actual genes comprising BCSG-1 or Gene ID 332369 (SEQ ID NO:1), BCSG-2 or Gene ID 480489 (SEQ ID NO:2 or 18), BCSG-3 or Gene ID 274731 (SEQ ID NO:3 or 20), BCSG-4 or Gene ID 173388 (SEQ ID NO:4) or BCSG-5 or Clone ID 3040232, Gene ID 411152 (SEQ ID NO:5), or levels of polynucleotides which are capable of hybridizing under stringent conditions to the antisense sequences of SEQ ID NO:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18 or 20.
Other objects, features, advantages and aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those of skill in the art from the following description. It should be understood, however, that the following description and the specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only. Various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the disclosed invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from reading the following description and from reading the other parts of the present disclosure.

Method of diagnosing, monitoring, staging, imaging and treating breast cancer


A special mobile kitchen provides an impact-resistant food service trailer and a rapid deployment, containerized field kitchen unit which can be quickly transported to a remote field location by helicopter or other aircraft as well as by ship or land transportation. Advantageously, the mobile kitchen has thermally insulating composite walls so that the kitchen unit can effectively function even at freezing temperatures and dessert conditions. The composite walls can be readily assembled from modular components comprising lightweight, high strength fiberglass panels for easy storage and economical transport. Desirably, the high tech panels are constructed with numerous access openings for ready access to work stations in the kitchen for better service, repair, maintenance, and adjustments and for enhanced supply and delivery of food. During storms and inclement weather, the access openings can be closed and secured with impact-resistant doors and shutters.

This invention relates to food service trailers and, more particularly, to a containerized field kitchen for military operations and warfare.
Over the years, numerous vending carts, mobile kitchens, concession vans and trailers have been constructed for fast food chains and others to serve pizza, hamburgers and chicken and provide off premises catering and emergency service. Mobile kitchens have been built in sizes ranging from 12 feet to 48 feet in length and have been offered in truck and trailer chassis. Typically, the mobile kitchens are fabricated of aluminum or steel and are equipped with stainless steel counters and food service equipment.
If a single trailer does not provide enough floor space, multiple units are sometimes connected through a rain-tight passageway. Such multiple units can provide high volume food service with dish washing and high volume cooking equipment. Such heavy duty equipment is available for use at correctional facilities, hotels and contract feeding sites when land based kitchens experience downtime due to remodeling.
High bobility kitchens constructed of steel and other metal have been provided for feeding military and emergency service personnel. They have been operated by state departments of forestry and fire protection for emergency operations support. High mobility kitchens have been constructed on wheeled trailers and have been fully enclosed for security, sanitary conditions necessary in the preparation of food, and protection from the elements. Such wheeled trailers are often pulled by diesel powered cabs.
A variety of other mobile units have also been provided, such as: command vehicles and field offices, mobile communication centers, emergency service units and vehicles, mobile convenience stores, demonstration and display vehicles, mobile showrooms, mobile sound stages, mobile decontamination and showering facilities, mobile medical units, mobile restroom facilities, book mobiles, interior control centers, and mobile command posts for fire and police departments.
Some command vehicles and other mobile units are equipped with a field office, conference room, communications room, engineering office, galley, rest rooms (toilets) and storage compartments. The conference room can be elevated to enhance the view through large tinted safety glass windows. Captain chairs, sofa, and television video systems can be included. The engineering office can have built-in file drawers and bookshelves. Map reading table or drafting stations are also available in these units with cabinets and storage compartments. The communications room can be equipped with a variety of options including: base station radios, telephones, facsimile machines, computers, and video surveillance systems. Galleys can include refrigerator freezers, microwave ovens, coffee maker and sink. Sound proofing materials can be used in the exterior walls, floors and ceiling to provide a quieter work environment. The self-contained mobile units can have an electric power generator, a water tank, and a heating and air conditioning system. The mobile unit can further have standard scene light for perimeter illumination as well as illuminated control panels.
Composite containers have been used as communication shelters. These composite containers have been supported, reinforced and framed with rigid metal support frames, such as by a steel frame or aluminum frame.
During recent military maneuvers and operations, high ranking military officials become concerned on the inadequate ability to feed troops in the field with hot meals. Frequent use of T-rations, ready to eat meals (MRE) and dehydrated foods are often deleterious on the morale, well-being and fighting capacity of military personnel. Furthermore, during Operation Desert Storm in Kuwait, the U.S. military and its allies experienced problems with many cooking tents which shredded from wind and blowing sand. Sand, dirt and other debris also seeped through the canvas tents into the food. The existing cooking tents have no air conditioning, heating, refrigeration for food or running water.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved containerized field kitchen which overcomes most, if not all, of the preceding problems. To this end, it is further desirable that a containerized field kitchen be provided for use in remote locations and theaters of military operations. The containerized field kitchen should be transportable by cargo ships, helicopters and transport planes and should be light weight to accommodate airlift. Aircraft also use less fuel with lighter containerized field kitchens and cargo. The containerized field kitchen should further be transportable by helicopter and be able to withstand a drop of up to 2 feet from the helicopter without damage to the unit or its accessories and contents.


An improved lubricating oil passage structure for an engine, which includes: a sub-gallery and a main gallery positioned adjacent to one another in a cylinder block; a head-side oil passage and a journal-side oil passage both being communicated to the main gallery and provided in the cylinder block, in which the head-side oil passage is led to an upper surface of the cylinder block, while the journal-side oil passage is inclined so as be oriented toward a journal portion of a crankshaft; a housing-side oil passage communicated to the journal-side oil passage, the housing-side oil passage being provided in a journal housing section of the cylinder block by the use of a spot facing for a housing bolt, the journal housing section supporting the journal portion; a metal-side oil passage communicated to the housing-side oil passage, the metal-side oil passage being provided in the journal housing section at the rear of a journal metal disposed between the journal portion and the journal housing section; and, a chain adjuster-side oil passage communicated to the metal-side oil passage.

In engines, a cylinder block has several different types of oil passages provided therein in order to provide lubrication to moving portions in each section of the engine, and oil fed under pressure from an oil pump is caused to flow through the oil passages.
FIGS. 39-55, as hereinafter described, illustrate a known construction.
In FIG. 39, reference number 302 denotes an engine; 304 a cylinder block; 306 a cylinder head; 308 a cylinder head cover; and, 310 an oil pan. The cylinder block 304 has a crankshaft 312 provided therein, and the crankshaft 312 is rotatably supported thereon. A larger end portion 316 of a connecting rod 314 is disposed on and connected to the crankshaft 312. A piston 320 is positioned on and linked to a smaller end portion 318 of the connecting rod 314.
As shown in FIGS. 40-43, the cylinder block 304 is formed with, e.g., three cylinders 322. In each of the cylinders 322, the piston 320 is reciprocably supported on a sleeve 324.
An oil filter 330 (FIG. 39) is mounted on a filter-mounting surface 328 of an outer portion 326 of the cylinder block 304 through a filter stand 332. Further, a sub-gallery 334 (FIG. 43) and a main gallery 336 are formed in the cylinder block 304. The sub-gallery 334 permits the oil fed under pressure from an oil pump (not shown) to be introduced to the oil filter 330. The main gallery 336 guides the oil from the oil filter 330 so as to be distributed into each section of the engine 302.
As illustrated in FIGS. 44-53, the main gallery 336 is positioned on the top of a skirt portion 338 of the cylinder block 304 adjacent to a cast or press-fit sleeve portion 340. The main gallery 336 is confined or closed at front and rear ends thereof by means of blind taps (not shown). In addition, the main gallery 336 is formed at a position spaced apart from the filter-mounting surface 328. The surface 328 is vertically oriented at the outer portion 326 of the cylinder block 304. Further, a journal-side oil passage 344, through which the oil from the main gallery 336 is introduced into a journal portion 342 of the crankshaft 312, is positioned in the central plane of the journal portion 342. A passage, to which the oil drops from the cylinder head 306, is not formed in the central plane of the journal portion 342. For this reason, in order to introduce the oil from the oil filter 330 into the main gallery 336, the cylinder block 304 is provided with: a first communication oil passage 348 communicated to a stand-mounting lower hole 346 of the filter-mounting surface 328, which hole 346 communicates with the oil filter; a second communication oil passage 350 communicated to the first passage 348 in a direction perpendicular thereto; and, a third communication passage 352 communicated to the second passage 350 in a direction perpendicular thereto, which passage 352 communicates with main gallery 336. In addition, a second communication oil passage-side blind tap-mounting portion 354 is formed at an outer end of the second passage 350 for mounting a blind tap (not shown) thereon. A third communication oil passage-side blind tap-mounting portion 356 is defined at an outer end of the third passage 352 for mounting a blind tap (not shown) thereon. In FIG. 52, a head-side oil passage 358 is provided in the cylinder block 304.
As seen from FIGS. 54 and 55, a cylindrical shaped, filter stand 332 consists of: a one side-threaded portion (external thread) 360 on one side of the filter stand 332; an opposite side-threaded portion (external thread) 362 on the other side of the filter stand 332; and, an incompletely threaded portion 364 between the aforesaid threaded portions 360 and 362. When the oil filter 330 is mounted on the cylinder block 304, the one side-threaded portion 360 is driven into a block side-threaded portion (internal thread) 366 of the cylinder block 304 until reaching the bottom of the latter threaded portion 366. In addition, the oil filter 330 is brought into threading attachment to the opposite side-threaded portion 362. In this case, the incompletely threaded portion 364 causes the filter-mounting surface 328 to project from the stand-mounting surface 366 by distance "D".
An example of such a lubricating oil passage structure is disclosed, e.g., in published Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 63-123709. Pursuant to the structure as disclosed therein, lubricating oil passages extend sideward from one end of a cylinder block in a direction of a cylinder row so as to be positioned adjacent to water jackets which extend around engine cylinders. In addition, the lubricating oil passages are communicated at both ends thereof to lubricating oil-distributing passages. The distributing passages are intended for use in the lubrication of a main journal bearing.
An example of an oil filter-mounting structure is disclosed, e.g., in published Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 59-119312. Pursuant to such a structure as disclosed therein, there is provided an oil filter, in which a cylindrical housing accommodates a filtering body. The housing is closed at one end, but is open at the other end. At the other end of the housing, a cover plate is fixedly attached to a cap body. The cover plate retains a seal packing. The cap body has a threaded oil outflow aperture punched through the center thereof. The cap body further has a plurality of oil inflow apertures drilled around the preceding oil outflow aperture. The periphery of the cover plate is blocked at the aforesaid open end of the housing in a fluid tight manner. In such an oil filter, the cover plate includes a falling-out-preventing section and a rib relief section. A rib of the sealing packing is inserted in an annular portion of the falling-out-preventing section.
In conventional types of lubricating oil passage structures for engines, an increased number of working or machining processes of various oil passages in the cylinder block is required. In addition, the oil passages other than the main gallery employ blind taps. This causes an inconvenience of respective increases in working costs, component costs, and component-assembling costs.
In addition, since the main gallery is positioned on the top of the skirt portion of the cylinder block, the main gallery is impossible to reinforce the side surface of the skirt portion. Therefore, a reinforcing rib must be provided on the side surface of the skirt portion. This causes another inconvenience of increased weight. Further, since the cast or press-fit sleeve portion is positioned close to the main gallery, there occurs still another inconvenience in that the material porosity is likely to link such sleeve portion and the main gallery together, with a consequential increase in rejection rate of the cylinder block. A yet further inconvenience is that, when an impregnating process is conducted in order to lower such rejection rate, then an increase in a manufacturing process and the like occurs, with a concomitant rise in cost.
Further, since the oil filter and the main gallery are spaced apart from one another by a great distance, additional oil passages must be provided for communicating the oil filter and the main gallery with one another. As a result, the working number of oil passages is increased. In addition, the oil filter projects sideways by a great distance from the outer portion of the cylinder block. This causes a further inconvenience in that the engine is made large in size, and is thus more inconveniently disposed in a vehicle.
A still further inconvenience is that, as illustrated in FIG. 44, a passage, to which the oil falls from the cylinder head, and the journal-side oil passage are impossible to coexist in the width of the journal housing section which supports the journal portion of the crankshaft.
Another inconvenience is that, as illustrated in FIG. 55, if the filter stand is excessively tightened into the cylinder block, cracking or tearing may occur at the opening edge of the stand-mounting portion of the cylinder block (as seen at "A" in FIG. 55). In addition, in order to bring the incompletely threaded portion of the filter stand into a mounting surface of the oil filter, the filter-mounting surface must be caused to project from the stand-mounting surface of the filter stand. This results in a heavy-weighted cylinder block. Further, since the incompletely threaded portion 364 free of threads must be provided at the central portion of the filter stand, then the overall length of the filter stand is made larger. This causes still another inconvenience in that the oil filter largely extends sideways from the outer portion of the cylinder block, thereby resulting in a large-scaled engine, with a concomitant increase in weight of the filter stand.

Lubricating oil passage structure for engine


A cleaning tool having a height adjustment mechanism which may be overridden to prevent damage to the cleaning tool in the event an excessively high force is applied to an exterior surface of the cleaning tool. The height adjustment mechanism forms an overrideable clutch having a manually adjustable thumbwheel, a biasing member and a clutch member. The height adjustment assembly is operably associated with a roller assembly which supports the cleaning tool on a work surface at a desired height above the work surface. The application of a predetermined excessive force to an exterior surface of the cleaning tool causes the height adjustment assembly to be de-clutched to allow the lower surface of the cleaning tool to come in contact with the work surface, thereby preventing damage to the various internal components of the cleaning tool.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to cleaning tools, and more particularly to a cleaning tool for a vacuum cleaner apparatus, wherein the cleaning tool includes a height adjustment mechanism which permits a main body portion of the cleaning tool to be collapsed into contact with the work surface in the event a predetermined excessive force is applied to the main body portion of the cleaning tool and to thus prevent damage to one or more roller assemblies supporting the main body portion above the work surface.
2. Discussion
Vacuum cleaner apparatuses are often used in connection with cleaning tools having a rotatable brush member. The rotatable brush member may be motor driven or simply rotatably mounted within a main body portion of the cleaning tool. Typically, the main body portion of the cleaning tool is supported by at least one roller assembly at a distance above a work surface being cleaned that still allows bristles of the brush member to come in contact with the work surface.
With such cleaning tools it is highly desirable to provide some form of height adjustment mechanism which allows the main body portion of the tool supporting the brush member to be moved closer to or farther away from the work surface. This permits the cleaning tool to be used conveniently on various types of work surfaces such as carpeting, hardwood floors, etc. while optimizing the ability of the cleaning tool to pick up dirt and debris and still be easy for the user to move over the work surface. Without some form of height adjustment mechanism, the brush member, which is mounted within the main body portion, can not be optimally spaced from the work surface to achieve maximum pickup of dirt and debris.
With many previously developed height adjustment mechanisms, however, no provision is included for allowing the height adjustment mechanism to be "overridden" or released if a force sufficient to cause damage to the roller assemblies supporting the main body portion is applied to the main body portion of the cleaning tool. Thus, with many previously developed cleaning tools, if a user was to accidentally step on an upper surface of the tool, or if a piece of furniture was accidentally set on the cleaning tool, the roller assemblies supporting the main body portion and the brush member above the work surface could be damaged.
It would therefore be highly desirable to provide a height adjustment mechanism for a cleaning tool that allows a user to set the brush member within the cleaning tool at a desired height above the work surface, and also provides the benefit of permitting the main body portion of the cleaning tool to be "collapsed" onto the work surface in the event a pre-determined force is applied to the cleaning tool. In this manner, the roller assemblies supporting the main body portion above the work surface could not be subjected to an applied force sufficient to break them.
It would further be highly desirable if such a height adjustment mechanism as described above could be provided through a compact mechanism having a limited number of parts, that does not add significantly to the overall cost of the cleaning tool.

Height adjustment mechanism for a cleaning tool


A door structure for vehicles has a door outer lining, a door inner lining and a locking/closing mechanism with actuating elements on the outer side and optionally on the inner side of the door. The locking/closing mechanism is connected to the door release via at least one transmission element (8) between the door outer lining and the door inner lining. A locking element (1) between the door outer lining and the door inner lining acts on the transmission element (8) and inhibits the door release in the event of a side impact, The locking element (1) inhibits the operation of the transmission element (8) by blocking it as a result of pivoting of the locking element (1) in the event of a relative movement of the door outer lining in the direction of the door inner lining.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a door structure for vehicles, having a door outer lining and a door inner lining. The door structure has a locking/closing mechanism with actuating elements on the outer side and optionally on the inner side of the door. The locking/closing mechanism is connected to the door release via at least one transmission element.
2. Description of the Related Art
Studies of the consequences of traffic accidents and tests carried out on vehicles that have been involved in an accident have shown that the doors of the vehicle should remain closed in the event of a side impact or a side collision in spite of considerable deformation under certain circumstances. Doors that open automatically in the event of a crash involve, inter alia, the risk that occupants may be thrown out before the kinetic energies that occur in the vehicle involved in an accident have been able to dissipate. The tests and studies have shown that consequences generally are less serious if persons remain within the vehicle cell.
Closing devices for doors in vehicles generally comprise a locking/closing mechanism that can be released for opening the door via a transmission element, for example a Bowden cable or a linkage, arranged between the door outer lining and the door inner lining. The transmission element interacts with actuating elements arranged on the outer side and optionally on the inner side of the door. To inhibit automatic opening of the door in the event of a crash, DE 10 2008 021 158 A1 discloses a further transmission means in addition to the transmission element provided for unlocking the door. The further transmission means renders the actual transmission element inoperable, for example by blocking, in the event of a crash. This mechanism disadvantageously has a relatively complex structure that is costly and heavy. In the case of correspondingly severe deformation of the door structure, satisfactory operation is no longer ensured on account of the complex structure of this mechanism.
DE 10 2005 049 144 A1 and EP 1 937 920 B1 disclose mechanisms that also are intended to inhibit undesired opening of the door in the event of a crash. These mechanisms operate with mass blocks that are intended to block the transmission element, for example a Bowden cable, by positional displacement as a result of its inertia. Both solutions known from the prior art propose integrating these mass blocks in the door handle itself and result in a very complex and expensive door handle construction.
The invention is based on the object of achieving absolute operational reliability with a construction that is a simple as possible and above all low weight.

Door structure having a locking element that inhibits the door release

DR. ING. H.C.F. PORSCHE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT


A system and method for joint arthroplasty may utilize one or more scaffolds to help support an arthroplasty prosthesis for the joint. A natural or prosthetic articulating surface may first be removed from one of the bones of the joint. This may expose a resection surface. A target portion of the resection surface may be identified based on, for example, fit and function testing of the joint with a trial arthroplasty prosthesis in place on the resection surface. One or more scaffolds may be placed on the target portion, and bone cement may be positioned adjacent to the scaffold(s) to define a raised surface that provides better fit and/or function than that which would be obtained with placement on the recessed surface. The arthroplasty prosthesis may be secured to the raised surface through the use of the bone cement.

The proper functioning of a joint, such as the knee, hip, shoulder, ankle or elbow can be impeded by a variety of factors, including, disease, such as osteoarthritis, mechanical injury, bone deformation and a variety of other factors. Arthroplasty, or the surgical restoration of a joint, j is a known procedure that is often used to relieve pain and improve joint function by replacing the diseased or damaged articulating surfaces of a joint with prosthetic components. Achieving joint balance is a primary goal for arthroplasty surgeons. A balanced joint is a joint that has the proper articulation in all orientations of the joint. The patient may be most comfortable when the artificial joint replicates the kinematics of the original, natural joint.
One of the most common arthroplasty procedures is knee replacement surgery. Some common forms of knee replacement surgery include total knee replacement ("TKR") surgery; partial knee replacement surgery, which is also known as unicompartmental arthroplasty ("UKA"); and revision knee surgery; each of which is briefly described below.
Generally, in a TKR, the femur's lateral and medial condyles, or the articulating surfaces at the femur's distal end, are removed and replaced with a femoral prosthetic component. Additionally, in a TKR, the tibial plateau at the tibia's proximal end is also removed and replaced with a tibial prosthetic component.
In contrast, during a UKA, the knee is generally divided into three compartments—namely a medial compartment that is located at the inside of the knee, a lateral compartment that is located at the outside part of the knee, and a patellofemoral compartment that is located between the kneecap and the femur. In a UKA where the damage is confined primarily to one compartment (namely the medial or lateral compartment), the articulating surfaces from that particular compartment of the femur and/or tibia are usually removed and replaced with prosthetic components.
With respect to revision knee surgery, such surgeries generally involve removing one or more prosthetic components that were previously placed within the knee ("primary components") but have become worn, did not fit properly, or have otherwise prevented the knee from functioning properly. The primary components are then typically replaced with one or more replacement components ("revision prosthetic components").
Joint replacement surgery involves exposing the joint, preparing the surfaces, correcting any misalignment, and creating the appropriate tension on the constraining ligaments to allow the components to move through a smooth balanced arch of motion. If there is lack of tension holding one side of the joint together compared to the amount of tension on the other side, this creates an imbalance and an opening of the loose side of the joint when moves through its range of motion. A patient can often feel this extra motion, laxity, and/or imbalance as a sense of instability in the joint and it can contribute to patient dissatisfaction as well as a joint that wears out faster as it is not restrained to the smooth motion it was engineered to follow.
A surgeon needs to balance the space into which he is placing a component so that the medial space will match the lateral space, in both the flexed and extended positions of the joint. This will result in equal contact pressures throughout the joint as it is moved back and forth through flexion and extension. The surgeon can alter the shape of the exposed bone surface, tighten or loosen the ligamentous restraint on each side of the joint, or alter the size of the components he is using to replace the joint.
Techniques currently used to balance the joint have significant drawbacks. For example, in some circumstances, surgeons will cut away or remove more bone from the tight side of the joint to open this space to match the space on other side. Another technique is to release or stretch the tensioning ligament on the tight side of the joint to allow it to open up and match the looser side. With these cut or release techniques there is always the risk of removing too much bone or over releasing the ligament to the point of failure. These problems can be difficult to correct, and can result in increased surgical and recovery time. Furthermore, a wider range of joint components may be needed to accommodate these iatrogenic conditions.


A LAN multi-node generic digital signal communications link within a radio frequency (RF) base station system communicates control signals within and between base stations. The generic digital signal link eliminates the use of multiple lines for respective functions by using the same generic communications interface for various different functions. By using such a generic digital signal link for inter and intra base station communications, RF and auxiliary control become standardized--reducing complexity in the product, in the documentation and in field repair techniques.

Many modern radio frequency (RF) base stations have separate RF and control sections. A base station RF section typically includes mostly analog circuitry (e.g., RF amplifiers, RF oscillators, RF and IF receiver amplifiers/filters, etc.) Most modern RF base stations available today control such an RF section with a digital (e.g., microprocessor based) control section. Such a digital control section can provide expanded control capabilities and flexibility, thereby providing many advantages over prior analog control circuit arrangements.
As is well known, digital circuits are not particularly compatible with RF signals. The RF section of a base station is therefore almost always housed in a separate shielded enclosure to prevent RF signals radiated directly by the power amplifier and other components therein from reaching the sensitive digital circuitry and vice versa (digital circuitry getting into receiver).
Interconnecting the RF section with the control section is typically a relatively difficult and significant problem. A relatively large number of signals must pass between the RF section and the control section. For example, the control section may typically program the operating frequencies of the transmitter and the receiver within the RF section and may also directly control various other parameters of RF section operation (e.g., whether or not the transmitter is keyed, the state of an RF antenna relay, the transmitter final amplifier power output, etc.). In addition, the control section must monitor various status and other parameters provided by the RF section in order to ascertain the state of operation of the RF section. For example, the control section may monitor received signal strength and/or carrier detect, DC input current to the transmitter final amplifier, etc.).
In the past, such control and status signals have been communicated between the control section and the RF section over an array of dedicated parallel conductors. One typical configuration used in the past was to provide the RF section and the control section each with a multipin connector. A multiconductor cable (or, in some cases, a bus backplane) was used to convey, in parallel, all of the various signals that needed to be communicated between the RF section and the control section. For example, one or more conductors might be dedicated to carrying a signal generated by the control section for controlling whether or not the transmitter in the RF section is keyed; one or more further conductors might be dedicated to carrying frequency programming control signals from the control section to the receiver frequency synthesizer in the RF section, one or more still further conductors might be dedicated to carrying control signals from the control section for programming the transmitter frequency synthesizer, etc.).
Although such dedicated parallel conductor-type interconnection arrangements work, they have certain disadvantages. One disadvantage of such prior art interconnection arrangements is the relatively high cost. Multipin connectors and associated cables are expensive. Moreover, since radio frequency signals and digital control signals are not compatible with one another, precautions must be taken to minimize RF currents flowing on each such conductor. Each such conductor had to be "RF decoupled" at both the RF section end and the control section end using RF shunting and/or bypass networks (e.g., series-connected RF chokes and shunt-to-ground decoupling capacitors). Since each individual conductor had to include an RF decoupling network at each end, RF decoupling added significantly to the cost and complexity of the base station.
In addition, such parallel dedicated conductor interconnections created reliability and service problems. Reliability problems are created whenever an additional mechanical-type electrical connection is introduced. Such connections can corrode or otherwise mechanically deteriorate, degrading or destroying critical interconnections between the RF section and the control section. Preventive maintenance efforts had to be expended to ensure such connections were properly maintained. As the number of conductors increased, the complexity of testing for and isolating base stations faults also increased (thus increasing down time and service time).
Still further complexity is introduced by the requirement that most RF base stations must supply their customers with a wide variety of different base station options. The Federal Communications Commission authorizes base station operation on a user-by-user basis. Such authorizations specify different operating frequencies for different users, and may typically also specify different RF output powers for different users. One user may be authorized to operate with only, say, 100 watts of RF power, where as another user may be authorized to operate with several hundred watts of output power (different antenna configuration can also affect the power output required by a base station transmitter). The user needing only relatively low output power should not have to buy a base station having relatively high RF output power capability, since the high-powered components are generally more expensive and drastically increase the cost of the base station. Thus, for marketing and other reasons, base station manufacturers found it necessary to provide different RF output power options for their base stations. Similarly, different users may be assigned by the FCC to operate on completely different bands within the RF spectrum. RF circuitry designed for operation on a relatively low (e.g., several hundred megahertz) RF frequency is not capable of operating at high (e.g., 800 or 900 MH) RF frequencies. Accordingly, to meet the needs of a wide variety of users, a base station manufacturer must provide different base stations for different operating bands and for different power output levels.
Perhaps the most economic way for a base station manufacturer to meet such a wide variety of customer needs is to make different RF sections for different RF output powers, frequencies of operation, etc., and to make his control section mostly generic with respect to all such different RF sections. Thus, each of the RF sections can be made to be "plug compatible" with the same control section. While such an arrangement is both possible and practical, it introduces further complexities. Providing such a generic parallel interconnection interface so that the control section may interface with any RF section usually requires the control interface to provide a set of conductors that is a superset of conductors needed by any specific section. For example, unless very carefully designed so that all of the RF sections receive and provide the same control and status signals, some RF sections will not use some of the parallel connections provided to it. In order to accommodate the many different system configurations that are possible, the amount of I/O became large and very difficult to maintain and understand. Moreover, such careful design to provide generic parallel dedicated conductor interface is difficult and expensive and also may hamper further system expansion. Once the interface has been designed and manufactured, it is virtually impossible to add additional signal lines (e.g., to add further options or capabilities in response to customer demand) without significant redesign and remanufacturing efforts. Also, since the I/O lines were dedicated and implemented in hardware, implementation was costly and changes were very difficult.
Of course, much work has been done in the field of digital signal communications. For example, local area networks (LANS) are used throughout the world to link computers together. In addition, serial digital communications protocols and conventions have become relatively standardized. As one example, the pervasive standardized RS-232C serial digital signal interface is commonly used to connect a digital processor to another digital processor or to a peripheral.
Moreover, some microprocessor manufacturers have begun providing LAN software and associated hardware interfaces on-chip. As one example, the Intel 80C152 microprocessor includes a Global Serial Channel (GSC) which is a multi-protocol high performance serial interface targeted for data rates up to two megabits per second with on-chip clock recovery. The 80C152 implements the Data Link Layer and the Physical Link Layer as described in the ISO reference model for open systems interconnection. The GSC provided on Intel's 80C152 was optimized to implement the Carrier Sense Multi-Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) protocol, and was designed specifically to allow standard baud rates (such as the proposed IEEE 802.3 LAN Standard 1.0 MBps). The Intel 80C152 was thus designed to make it possible to implement a LAN by merely more or less directly interconnecting 80C152 microcontrollers together (using appropriate transceiver ICs to transmit and receive the serial data).
Digital signal serial links are not unknown in the world of RF systems. For example, it is generally known to interconnect a digital controller with RF components within a mobile radio transceiver using a serial communications link. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,262 issued 20 Feb. 1990 entitled "Hardware Interface and Protocol for A Mobile Radio Transceiver"; and copending divisional application thereof Ser. No. 07/449,790 filed 15 Dec. 1989 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,543. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,472 to Benson et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,791 to Burke et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,941 to Smith et al. In addition, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/532,164 filed 5 Jun. 1990 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,866 entitled "Fail-Soft Architecture for Public Trunking System" describes a trunked RF repeater arrangement wherein various "trunking cards" each controlling an RF transceiver are linked together and with a dispatch console via a common "backup serial link." Base stations are now available that use multiple and dedicated relatively low-speed I/O for RF control, but such I/O arrangements are relatively inflexible and have no facilities for inter base station communications.
The present invention solves many of the problems mentioned above by providing a generic digital control signal link for communicating digital control signals within and between RF base stations. This new arrangement for communicating control signals within and between base stations practically reduces the number of separate interconnections between base station components, standardizes the way such components communicate with one another, allows single-point monitoring of an entire system (e.g., comprising one or many RF base stations), increases reliability, and reduces hardware complexity and cost.
The generic digital signal link provided by the present invention also eliminates the use of multiple lines for respective functions by using the same lines for various different functions depending upon requirements. By using such a generic digital signal link for inter and intra base station communications, RF and auxiliary control become standardized--reducing complexity in the product, in the documentation and in field repair techniques.
In the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention, the generic digital signal link is implemented using a multipoint communication architecture (e.g., EIA RS-485) with a Local Area Network (LAN) communications protocol. Many system components may be connected to the same link with no impact on system hardware performance. This permits the same link used for control interface between components (e.g., the control section and an RF section) within a base station to also be used for communicating with components and systems external to the base station. The generic link provides virtually unlimited expansion capabilities e.g., (only software changes are required to adapt the system for a completely new system component) and thus provides an expandability never before available in RF base station architectures.
In the preferred embodiment, the generic digital signal link is used for programming transmitter and receiver local oscillator synthesizers and is also used to transmit fault status signals from the RF section to the control section. This same link is additionally used to permit the control section to control the transmitter power amplifier output level. Due to its expandability, the very same generic digital signal link can be used to interface and interconnect with various trunking system components within the base station (e.g., voter system components, voice guard system components, auxiliary receivers, etc.). In addition, the very same generic digital signal link can be used to interconnect multiple base stations together (e.g., to implement a distributed control architecture or to otherwise provide centralized or distributed control capabilities) and/or to an external control and/or monitoring facility (e.g., a single-point monitor for overall system diagnostic, fault and operating parameter monitoring). While processors or other digital signal circuitry within various LAN nodes may perform significant processing if desired, in at least one configuration most such processors may provide mostly LAN communications support--thus simplifying system software design.

Local area network for flexible digital communications within and between RF base stations


A steel for machine structural use, essentially having the following chemical composition:. C: 0.45-0.60 wt %, PA1 Si: 0.50-2.00 wt %, PA1 Mn: 0.10-0.30 (0.30 not inclusive) wt %, PA1 P: 0.01-0.10 wt %, PA1 S: 0.01-0.20 wt %, PA1 V: 0.08-0.15 wt %, and PA1 N: 0.0020-0.0050 (0.0050 not inclusive) wt %. The remainder is Fe and impurities inevitably included. The inner structure of the steel is a ferrite-pearlite structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to carbon steel for machine structural use and machine parts fabricated from this carbon steel and divided by fracture process, and more particularly to such carbon steel and machine parts used as material and parts of an internal combustion engine, a piston compressor or a piston pump.
2. Description of the Related Art
Connecting rods of internal combustion engines are an example of machine parts made from steel for machine structural use or alloy steel and divided by cutting or fracturing. One way of dividing a connecting rod to two pieces of material (cap portion and main body portion) by cutting is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 3A to 3D of the accompanying drawings. First, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, a machining work is applied to an inner annular surface 10a of a bore formed in a large end 10 of connecting rod blank 11. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, the blank 11 is cut to a body portion 12 and a cap portion 13 by a cutting device such as a sawtooth. The cap 13 is separated from the body portion 12 as illustrated in FIG. 3C, and a finishing work is applied to cut surfaces 12a of the main body portion 12 and cut surfaces 13a of the cap 13. After that, the main body portion 12 and cap 13 are abutted to each other at their cut surfaces 12a and 13a and joined by bolts 14 as shown in FIG. 3D. Finally, the assembled connecting rod 15 undergoes a finishing process.
A conventional way of dividing a connecting rod by fracturing is illustrated in FIGS. 4A to 4C of the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that like reference numerals are assigned to like parts in FIGS. 3A to 3D and 4A to 4C.
According to a conventional way of dividing a connecting rod blank 11 by fracture process, the step of cutting the large end 10 of the connecting rod blank 11 by a cutter (FIG. 3B) and the step of finishing the cut surfaces 12a and 13a (FIG. 3C) are not needed. Referring to FIG. 4A, two opposed cutouts or notches K are formed in the inner surface 10a of the large end 10 so that these cutouts or notches K will be starting points of fracture as illustrated in FIG. 4B. End faces or fracture surfaces 22a and 23a of the main body portion 22 and cap 23 created upon fracturing do not undergo the finishing process. These fracture surfaces 22a and 23a are simply abutted against each other and the main body portion 22 and the cap 23 are joined together by bolts 14 to form a connecting rod 25 as illustrated in FIG. 4C.
The fracturing method contributes to cost reduction in connecting rod manufacturing so that it is prevailing now.
A known steel material used for the fracturing method is a high carbon steel (C: 0.65-0.75 wt %) which easily and smoothly fractures and less deforms. In order not to give ductility to the material, however, this high carbon steel is used after hot forging without heat treatment, i.e., heat treatment such as quench hardening and tempering is not applied to the material after hot forging. In spite of small deformation, however, a high carbon non-heat treated steel has a problem that mating (connection and separation) between the fracture surfaces of the material created upon fracturing is not so good and a yield strength is low.
In consideration of the above, Japanese Patent Application, Laid Open Publication Nos. 8-291373, 9-3589 and 9-31594 teach a high strength, low ductility, non-heat treated steel which possesses the same or greater tensile strength as or than a common carbon steel. This is a one piece material made by hot forging, and if divided by fracture process at room temperature, the fracture surfaces will be flat brittle surfaces. However, when a connecting rod is manufactured from the above mentioned high strength, low ductility, non-heat treated steel and used for an engine operated under a severe condition such as sudden acceleration, buckling possibly occurs since a yield strength of this steel is not always sufficient. Therefore, it is requested to raise a yield ratio (yield strength/tensile strength) so as to increase the yield strength, not to increase the tensile strength.
Japanese Patent Application, Laid-Open Publication No. 9-111412 teaches a high strength, low ductility, non-heat treated steel of which yield ratio is raised. This improvement demonstrates a yield ratio of 0.7 or more if Si, V and P are added in amounts greater than certain values respectively. If the yield ratio is not less than 0.7 and elongation in the tensile test at room temperature is 10% or less, flat brittle fracture surfaces result upon dividing by fracture process. Further, if the amounts of C, Si, Mn, Cr, V and S to be added are appropriately adjusted, the steel will have a tensile strength over 800 MPa.
However, even such high strength, low ductility, non-heat treated steel has problems; it deforms greatly upon breakage and mating properties between fracture surfaces are not good.
Relationship between C content and heating temperature during forging is depicted in FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings.
A high carbon steel which is practically used in a fracturing method contains a large amount of C (about 0.65-0.75 wt %) so that as understood from the graph of FIG. 5 the forge heating temperature should be low (about 1,100-1,200.degree. C.: zone Z in FIG. 5). This raises problems such as shortening of life of dies (metallic molds) used in forging and a relatively long preparation time required due to switching of heating temperature before forging.
Relationship between the number of cycles to failure and stress is illustrated in FIG. 6. The solid line indicates a steel (JIS S70C) without heat treatment after forging (HB282), the broken line indicates a heat-treated steel (JIS S53C) (HB255), and the chain line indicates another heat-treated steel (JIS S53C) (HB285).
As seen in the diagram of FIG. 6, the high carbon steel as forged (solid line) has a fatigue strength which is considerably inferior to a heat-treated material having similar hardness. Thus, if the high carbon steel must have a sufficient fatigue strength without heat treatment, its hardness should be raised. However, this results in degradation of machinability.
A structure of a conventional high carbon steel is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B of the accompanying drawings. Particularly, FIG. 7A shows a progress of breaking or fracturing "S" in the structure by cleavage and FIG. 7B shows the resulting fracture surface "f". FIG. 8A of the accompanying drawings schematically illustrates the two fracture surfaces "S" as separated and FIG. 8B illustrates mating of the fracture surfaces. In general, the high carbon steel has a 100% pearlite structure "P" (FIG. 7A) if no heat treatment is applied after forging. Therefore, the stepwise lines of cleavage "S" in FIGS. 7A and 8A or the fracture surface "f" in FIG. 7B is defined by a pearlite grain boundary. This burr-like fracture line "S" is schematically depicted in FIG. 8A. When these two burr-like surfaces are jointed, engagement is very firm. However, a connecting rod is assembled, dissembled or reassembled (i.e., a cap is joined to a main body portion of the connecting rod, separated therefrom and rejoined) by a manufacture worker, mechanic or service man by hands. If connection between the cap and the main body portion of the connecting rod is so firm, it is impossible to divide the connecting rod (to separate the cap from the main body portion) by hands and a special tool is required.
In sum, the above described conventional high carbon steel, even if mating properties of fracture surfaces and yield strength are both improved, does not have low deformability essential to industrial manufacturing, good fracture surfaces essential to easy assembling and dissembling by hands, and high fatigue strength not inferior to heat-treated steel.

Steel for machine structural use and machine parts made from such steel

Isuzu Motors Limited and Nippon Steel Corporation


A direct write and laser delete system for making engineering changes in which top surface metal C4 pads each has a small satellite pad connected to it by a short connecting line that is deleted if an engineering change is to be made. Vias connect the satellite pads to a "personality" wiring layer in the module. A top surface grid of line segments allows any C4 pad to be connected to a point outside the chip boundary by means of one or more short direct write lines. There is one global X and Y engineering change grid on respective X and Y thin-film layers and another global X and Y engineering change grid on respective X and Y multi-layer ceramic module layers. All of these varied patterns are connected to lines with each chip pitch boundary where direct write connections can be made, and a grid line can be interrupted by a laser deletion of a top surface metal line.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improved engineering change metallization patterns for multi-chip, multi-layer modules, and more particularly to a set of lines and patterns that facilitate forming new networks to execute desired engineering changes by direct write metal process steps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As explained in co-pending application Ser. No. 06/771,707 filed Oct. 4,1991, and assigned to the assignee of this application, the formation of integrated circuit chips in accordance with different technologies has been known for a number of years. A demand for increased complexity of electronic systems including such integrated circuit chips has caused the development of multi-chip modules including a plurality of integrated circuit chips. Such modules are necessary when the desired circuitry must be integrated on chips of such differing technologies that formation on a single chip is impossible or economically disadvantageous or where the circuit complexity and device counts are too large to be integrated on a single chip consistent with good chip production yields.
Such multi-chip modules (MCM) usually take the form of relatively large, multi-layer constructions having a surface on which a plurality of chips may be mounted. The multi-layer construction is similar to multi-layer circuit boards in that wiring can be run in a direction parallel to the surface at the interface between any two layers. Wiring can be run perpendicular to the surface and between wiring layers with through-holes or "vias" in the layers which are selectively filled with conductive materials. Multi-chip modules have been implemented with a variety of technologies including multi-layered co-fired ceramics, silicon based thin film structures, ceramic based thin film structures and combinations of those techniques.
However, because of the multi-layer construction, there is no access to wiring other than on the surface of the multi-layer structure. Therefore, engineering changes cannot readily be made. Perhaps of equal importance is the fact that while electronic modules are large relative to the chips they contain, they are often very complex and of fairly small overall dimensions. Therefore, they are subject to connector defects in the same manner as the chips to be mounted thereon and manufacturing yields of the multi-layer structure must also be considered. The length of the conductors is quite substantial because complex wiring metallization must be provided to allow each output terminal of one chip to be connected to a plurality of other input terminals on other chips. Additionally, so-called fan-out wiring is often provided to interface between the fine wiring patterns characteristic of the connector spacing of the chips and the relatively more coarse wiring patterns on the MCM.
Since such structures are complex and require a number of processing steps for each layer, substantial expense is involved in fabrication of the multi-layer structure. It is therefore economically important that the multi-layer structures be repairable. It is similarly important that engineering design changes be possible. In the past, this has been accomplished by a process known as "ECing", or the implementing of engineering changes, which required providing one or more layers of redistribution wiring from the chip I/O pads to EC pads on the top surface of the Multi-layer structure. The signal connection is then made by wiring from EC pad to EC pad and by redistribution wiring formed in the multi-layer structure from EC pad to chip I/O pad. However, these layers of redistribution wiring are also subject to the same potential defects as other wiring layers and are not repairable. Further, such patterns of redistribution wiring are in close proximity to each other, requiring high line (e.g. wiring pattern) quality, and a parasitic capacitance will exist causing signal delays, reduced noise margins, and other effects, thereby posing a severe restriction on wiring design rules. Additionally, to function for facilitating a wide variety of repair and engineering changes, hereinafter referred to collectively as engineering changes (EC), a significant amount of product and process complexity is required. This function also traditionally requires additional area for the redistribution wiring and EC pads, thus limiting the maximum possible density of the MCM. This, of course, also limits the performance of the MCM both operationally, from the number of ICs which can be included, and functionally due to delays, noise, etc., associated with longer wiring and parasitic capacitances.
As examples of prior art wiring schemes which allow some degree of repairs and engineering changes to be made, U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,364 to Chance et al shows an electronic circuit module in which connections to pads to which chips are connected are buried within the body of the multi-layer structure but are periodically brought to the surface of the module and linked by EC pads of a so-called "dog-bone" shape. Continuity of these connections may be broken by severing the narrow portion of the dog-bone and EC connections may be made thereto either with or without severing the original connection. However, if a defect occurs in or better the C4 pad and the first EC pad, no repair is possible and the module must be discarded. The wiring through via holes is particularly vulnerable to the occurrence of discontinuities, as well, which may or may not be repairable and, in any event, repair would require point-to-point wiring over a considerable distance, further increasing parasitic capacitance of the overall wiring system. It can also be readily appreciated that the length of wiring involved in this scheme, including the repeated vertical traversals of the multi-layer structure through vias, is large and has a large lumped capacitance.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,815 to Bhatia et al provides a switching circuit within the module to allow sharing of EC pads between receiver and driver circuits. U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,974 to Ryan, particularly at FIGS. 1 and 6, shows the complexity of the prior art redistribution wiring layers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,176 to Chance et al shows wiring to capacitances buried within the multi-layer structure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,924 to Kinbara shows a particular structure for the dog-bone EC pads. U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,445 to Ho shows a staggered chip location arrangement for a large number of chips in a module to minimize potential wiring cross-overs to maximize the number of EC pads which can be provided. U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,200 to Ecker et al shows a repairable multi-level overlay system using redistribution. U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,413 to Feinberg et al shows a module structure in which EC pads are provided on both major surfaces of the multi-layer structure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,165 to Takenaka et al shows a multi-layer structure in which connections to module connection pins are made through vias to EC pads at the upper surface of the module to increase the types of engineering changes and repairs which can be made.

Iternational Business Machines Corporation


A form or printing product and method for fabricating same on label formation equipment. The form includes first and second layers of material adhesively secured together. The first layer includes a card or label and a surrounding region, wherein the top and bottom surfaces of the card or label are substantially co-planar with the top and bottom surfaces, respectively, of the surrounding region. The second layer is adhered over the card or label and the surrounding region. By compressing the leading edge or trailing edge of the elevated second layer in tandem with the first layer, and thereby creating a small indentation, allows a sheet exiting a printer to bypass, travel over, or not come into contact with the second layer of the previously printed form resting in an output tray.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates in general to identification cards, labels and business forms, and, in particular, to such products as include certain cards and labels, and methods of fabrication of same suitable for use on or in conjunction with flexographic printing presses, offset printing presses and other printing devices, as well as on offline finishing equipment such as manufactured by Tamarack and Hunkler.
2. Background Art
Printing products with peel-off cards, labels and the like, generally referred to herein (without limitation) as business forms, have been available in the industry for a number of years. Certain business forms of this type are shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,555, issued Dec. 2, 2003, entitled INTEGRATED FORMS AND METHOD OF MAKING SUCH FORMS. This technology, prior to the present invention can cause a finished printed form exiting certain printing devices to engage a liner on the previously printed form as it rests in a paper tray, pushing the previously printed form from the tray onto the floor, or causing the second form to back-up and damage the form or jam the print device. Such occurrences can be particularly troublesome when printing forms in sequential numbered order. Where the printed forms are confined to a holding tray, backing up of the second printed form can also cause a label to pre-dispense from the form, resulting in the danger of live pressure sensitive adhesive in the toner fusion area of the print device which can result in expensive damage to the print device.
To illustrate the above-noted problems, prior forms of the subject type such as typically used in modern laser and inkjet printers, as well as in certain other printing devices, are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings as a first printed form 810A and a second printed form 810B. Individual forms of this type are provided as assemblies each comprising a sheet 812 of paper or card stock, or other layer of material typically suitable for printing on, with a front side 818 and a back side 820, and a glassine or other suitable liner 842 adhered to the back side of the sheet, with a peel off label or card 814 (shown in dashed lines) established in the sheet. The liner does not cover the entire back side of the sheet, but rather covers a portion of the sheet including the card and a region 816 of the sheet surrounding the card. This results in a trailing edge 850 of the liner being exposed on the back side of the form after it has been ejected from the print device (not shown) and as it is resting on the paper holding tray 800 (indicated in dashed lines). Consequently, in print devices where forms exit (as indicated by arrow "A") such that the leading edge 824 of the second printed form 810B slides along the back side of the first form 810A in the holding tray, the leading edge 824 of the second form 810B can engage the trailing edge 850 of the liner 842 of the first form 810A, pushing the first form out of the holding tray (as indicated by the dashed arrow "B" in FIG. 2), and/or causing damage to the forms, as well as potentially causing damage to the print device, particularly when the tray includes a front lip or other arrangement that constrains movement of the forms and prevents the forms from sliding out the front of the tray.
Accordingly, an objective of the invention is to provide a business form of the above-described type, with a peel-off or otherwise (adhesively) removable card or label and liner, and an indentation established proximate the trailing edge of the liner across the width thereof to prevent the leading edge of a form exiting a printing device from engaging the trailing edge of the liner on the previously printed form as is rests in a holding tray.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a form of the subject type with the above-described indentation established proximate both top and bottom edges of the liner (across the widths thereof) to prevent a form exiting a printer from engaging the edge of the liner on a previously printed form independently of the orientation of the forms as they exit the printer.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a method for producing a form of the subject type with the above-described indentation established proximate the trailing edge of the liner.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a method for producing a form of the subject type with the above-described indentation established proximate both the top and bottom edges of the liner.
Another objective of the invention is to achieve the foregoing in a method suitable for use in conjunction with conventional printing and label formation equipment.
These and other objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in light of the description, claims and drawings hereof.

Business form for laser and inkjet printing devices, and method for producing same


A gain controlled amplifier and a cascoded gain controlled amplifier based on the same are disclosed. The gain controlled amplifier includes an operational amplifier for amplifying an input signal, an input resistor connected to an input terminal of the operational amplifier, a feedback resistor connected to an output terminal of the operational amplifier, and a resistor circuit for providing voltages having different levels to the input terminal and the output terminal of the operational amplifier, respectively, according to a digital signal composed of specified bits. The gain controlled amplifier employs an R-2R ladder circuit controlled by a digital signal so as to obtain a gain that is in linear proportion to a decibel scale. Since the R-2R ladder circuit operates with a small resistance value, the chip size of the gain controlled amplifier can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a gain controlled amplifier and a cascoded gain controlled amplifier based on the same, and more particularly, to a gain controlled amplifier that can output a gain in linear proportion to a decibel scale through the control of a digital code, and a cascoded gain controlled amplifier that can output a gain having a broadband dynamic range based on the gain controlled amplifier.
2. Description of the Related Art
A gain controlled amplifier (GCA) is a device that can vary an amplification degree thereof in accordance with a control signal. Such a gain controlled amplifier is generally provided in an RF processing circuit of a DVD recorder and is applied to various application fields that require gain compensation. For example, it is used to compensate for a loss of transmission lines or to control a gain that is in linear proportion to a decibel scale.
It is difficult to obtain gain that is in linear proportion to a decibel scale in a CMOS type operational amplifier. Conventional techniques for solving the above drawback will now be explained.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating the construction of an operational amplifier using a resistance network disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,596, entitled "Gain Control Circuit" issued to Ishizuka et al., on Sep. 29, 1981.
Referring to FIG. 1, the operational amplifier disclosed in the Ishizuka et al. patent consists of a plurality of switches and resistors, and obtains a gain that is in linear proportion to a decibel scale by adjusting an input/output resistance thereof. However, the operational amplifier has the problems that the whole chip size is increased due to an increase of the resistance and thus the power consumption is also increased. Additionally, since the resistors are floated when the switches are turned off, the circuit becomes in a very unstable state.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating the construction of "Digitally Programmable Decibel-Linear CMOS VGA for Low-Power Mixed-Signal Applications" disclosed in IEEE Trans. Circuit and Syst.—II, May 2000.
Referring to FIG. 2, a CMOS variable gain amplifier (VGA) operates so that an electric current outputted from a current division network (CDN) becomes linear in proportion to a decibel scale. However, the CMOS VGA has the problem that it should employ two amplifiers so as to convert voltage into current and then to convert the converted current into voltage again.

Gain controlled amplifier and cascoded gain controlled amplifier based on the same


A pistol-grip module includes a handle and a coupling member that is configured to couple, mechanically and electrically, to a battery compartment of an active frame. The active frame, which includes at least one electrically powered device, is intended to receive a data-capture device, such as a smart phone. In versions of the pistol-grip module that include a trigger, the trigger can be used to actuate the electrically powered device of the active frame.

Handheld data-capture devices, such as bar code scanners, smart card readers, hand-held medical computers, mobile devices enabled with POS systems, and the like are becoming ubiquitous. These devices, which are essentially hand-held computers, are available in variety of form factors, including smartphones, handheld PDAs, tablets, and single-purpose devices.
Most of these hand-held data-capture devices include keys and a screen and are intended to be held like a phone. As a consequence, when a user holds the device for use, the wrist is rotated so the hand is in a palm-up orientation and the device is supported by the palm and four fingers (index through pinky). The buttons can be "pressed" using the thumb or the fingers of the free hand.
In scan-intensive applications, the rotated-wrist orientation leads to discomfort and fatigue. For this reason, many hand-held data-capture units are now available with a "pistol grip." The pistol grip, which enables a user to hold the data-capture unit in the manner of hand gun, typically includes a "trigger," which can be used to actuate a function of the unit (e.g., the scanner, etc.).
The pistol grip places the wrist is in a neutral (i.e., non-rotated), "hand-shake" orientation, which results in less discomfort and user fatigue. Furthermore, the trigger of the pistol grip is actuated using the index finger whereas the thumb is used when the device is held in a palm-up configuration. The latter is the far-more fatiguing approach. Alternatively, fingers of the free hand can be used when the device is held in a palm-up configuration. Although not particularly fatiguing, that requires the use of a second hand to operate the data capture device.
In some prior-art hand-held data-capture devices, the pistol grip is an integral part of the device itself; it is not separable. In some others, the pistol grip is an add-on, adapted to removably couple to the data-capture device. For an add-on pistol grip, the manufacturer must address issues such as how to provide a suitably robust mechanical connection between the grip and the device as well as how to create a reliable electrical connection between the trigger of the pistol grip and the data-capture device.


Disclosed are methods that create the perception for an audience that an actor is being transported from one location to another during a stage performance. Also disclosed are methods for entrance onto/exit from a stage platform by an actor, or entrance onto/exit from a stage backdrop by a precision image that represents an actor. The disclosed methods involve interaction of an actor with an object/prop or image of an object/prop, and/or involve interaction of an image of an actor with an object/prop or image of an object/prop during a stage performance.

In a stage performance, actors perform for an audience. The actors generally enact certain situations, called scenes, on a stage platform. Positioned behind the stage platform, and visible to an audience, there may be a stage backdrop. In some instances, digital projection may be used to display various images on the stage backdrop. The images may enhance the various scenes that are performed by the actors. Digital projection may allow the images to be changed during a stage performance, and/or may allow the images to move or be animated on the stage backdrop during the stage performance. The result is generally an enhanced experience for an audience viewing the stage performance.
In various embodiments, the events shown in FIGS. 5A-E, that result in an actor entering onto a stage, may be followed by events that result in exit of the actor from the stage platform (FIGS. 2A-C, FIGS. 4A-F). In some examples, the prop may not be of a water well. In some examples, the raised stairs may not be present. In some examples, an object other than raised stairs may be used, for example, to obscure an actor from view of an audience.