A reamer bit for use in earth boring operations comprising a body, cutter mounts having rolling cutters on the bit body, and stabilizers pads on the body placed between adjacent cutter mounts. The reamer may further include a pilot bit on a drill pipe extending downward from the reamer body. The reamer bit outer periphery with its stabilizers and bit body has a radial profile approximating a circle thereby reducing dynamic perturbations during drilling operations.

1. Field of Invention
This disclosure relates to earth boring reamer bits, and particularly to reamer bits having stabilizers disposed on the bit body.
2. Description of Prior Art
Drill bits used in drilling of subterranean well bores typically comprise drag bits and roller cone bits. Roller cone bits typically comprise a body having legs extending downward and a head bearing extending from the leg towards the axis of the bit body. Frusto-conically shaped roller cones are rotatably mounted on each of these journals and are included with cutting teeth on the outer surface of these cones. As the bit rotates, the cones rotate to cause the cutting elements to disintegrate the earth formation.
In some situations a pilot reamer drilling system is employed where two or more bits are combined on a single drill string at different vertical positions. The lower bit of the pilot reamer drilling system, which is commonly referred to as a pilot bit, creates a pilot hole. The upper bit, which follows the lower bit in the drilling process, enlarges the hole diameter over that created by the pilot bit. The bit enlarging the hole diameter is referred to as a reamer bit. Typically the pilot bit comprises a conventional earth boring bit, i.e. either a roller cone bit or a drag bit. The reamer bit usually employs roller cone bits as cutting members modified for attachment to the reamer bit body. Pilot reamer drilling systems are used for drilling large diameter wellbores or surface holes which require enhanced stabilization.

Reamer with stabilizers for use in a wellbore


The invention is a device for electrical load-leveling and/or electrolysis. A housing contains pairs of electrodes made from or containing a porous material. The electrodes are filled respectively with an anolyte and a catholyte, which is an ionic couple such as Vanadium +2/+3. A non-permi-selective barrier membrane with openings may be included to substantially separate the electrode pair. The device results in reduced resistive, over-potentials and polarization losses, and may be scaled-up for integration into an electric utility.

Many electrical power sources have problems in matching production to demand. On a small scale, a solar power or wind turbine system that generates power on an intermittent basis, but nevertheless requires power on a broader demand basis. This problem is the same for the entire North American grid system where power producers are constantly trying to balance the power demand with many different integrated sources of power generation. A practical solution to this problem is needed. Several attempts at using various types of batteries (lead-acid, re-dox, etc.) have all been economic if not technical failures. The only current method of energy storage for load leveling is that known as pump-storage, in which energy is stored in the form of pumping water to a higher elevation and holding it in a reservoir. When the energy is required the water is allowed to fall to a lower reservoir while a water turbine extracts the energy. The round-turn efficiency of such a system is about 70%. In other words, for 100 kWh of electric energy put in, 70 kWh is generated. However, the principal problem with pump storage is that it requires large amounts of land that are not readily available at most generation sites.
Another approach to load-leveling which utilities have recently been using is "peaking turbines". These are regular gas turbines connected to electrical generation equipment. The term "peaking" derives from the fact that these turbines can easily and quickly be turned on and off, and the power output regulated, and are used to provide power at times of "peak" demand. While peaking turbines do consume natural gas, which is becoming an expensive fuel, they can be installed for about $600/kW. The electrical switchgear adds another $400/kW. These are key economic marker for the utilities, and any load leveling system most be competitive with that $600-$1,000/kW value.
There is no presently known load leveling system that is competitive. Thus, in the U.S., the entire power production capability is actually double what is needed to meet the average demand, but still not enough to meet certain peaks since these peaks are often more than double the average need. Accordingly, capital equipment sits idle during non-peak periods, and is only used during peak periods, which is often less than a 10% duty-cycle.
Since the presently installed capacity is twice the needed average, the U.S. could meet all of its electrical needs for the next twenty years by installing load-leveling equipment, without the need to build any additional generating capacity. Such a system would be more robust, stable and energy efficient than the current power production grid system and can be accomplished without any infrastructure changes or dislocations. All that would be needed is to install load-levelers at various generation sites, and at points along the grid itself to create the required energy where it is needed, when it is needed, and simultaneously lower the stress on the weaker points of the grid. Some upgrade of the grid may be inevitable, but such a system would go a long way toward minimizing or postponing that inevitability.
While the present invention involves using liquid materials in a so-called re-dox configuration, there is a known conventional Vanadium based re-dox system which is described at www.vrbpower.com. This system uses conventional plate and frame configuration to move ionic liquids through a cell. The cell can either charge the liquids and store power, or it can withdraw power by discharging the liquids. However, these cells require a permi-selective membrane to separate the anolyte from the catholyte and this presents several problems. First, permi-selective membranes are very expensive, and result in the cost of any RedOx system being above $2,000/kW. Second, the membranes are prone to tearing from pressure differences. Third, the membranes do not scale-up well for the large sizes required in power plants, and using many small modules assembled into a large module results in a loss of the economy of scale. Fourth, liquid flow tends to be laminar thus promoting precipitation of material on the membranes, which produces clogs, and prevents proper functioning and raises the resistance of the cell. Thus, both initial costs and maintenance very high.
There are currently no large-scale electrolysis units suitable for integration with an electric utility. While there are some units which utilize membrane electrode assemblies (MEA's), these too are very expensive and unsuitable for scaling-up. Further, in an electrolysis cell there are three key sources of electrical losses, namely resistive, overpotential and polarization. Resistive losses occur when a current passes through any resistance. These losses are generally kept low by keeping resistance low. Overpotential is a phenomenon unique to electrochemical processes. In general when a gas is to be created out of a solution there tends to be an overpotential that is largely dictated by the material of the electrode surface. Platinized platinum has been found to be a material having the lowest overpotential for producing hydrogen from water. However, this material is clearly expensive, and its useful life is probably not sufficiently long enough under the conditions of a large-scale electrolysis. Polarization losses are caused by mass transport phenomena. Essentially ions need to be able to reach the electrodes in the cell. Anything that hinders this movement will create a situation where there are not enough ions present at the electrode to deliver the required current. There is a competition with consumed ions needing to move away from electrode sites while fresh one move in. If this is not met by natural convections, a field is formed that pulls in more ions. This field, however, requires energy and manifests itself as a lower voltage output, caused by polarization losses.
Most electrolysis technology currently employs a standard platinum-carbon coated Nafion MEA (membrane electrode assemblies) which can achieve about 1 watt per square centimeter at acceptable efficiencies of approximately fifty percent (50%). Accordingly, a megawatt system requires 1 million square centimeters or about 100 square meters of a product that costs over $30,000/square meter in large quantities. This amounts to a cost of over $3,000,000 per megawatt just for the membrane. The balance of the plant costs would easily double that amount to over $6,000,000 per megawatt. In a 1,000 megawatt plant the electrolysis unit would cost over $5 billion. Such costs are unacceptable. Further, MEA's have severe problems as they get larger, and therefore, capital costs on a per watt basis would not be expected to drop appreciably as the unit is scaled-up. Specifically, if the membranes are too large and the plates too close to achieve lower resistance, the flow rates required for gas and water become excessive and result in a premature failure of the membrane of which there are several modes including wear, tearing and freezing. Further, the maintenance and reliability of such MEA systems at the required scale are generally not acceptable. It is also well known that the MEA's are very susceptible to poisoning by almost all transition metal ions. This fact necessitates the use of a distilled water source to prevent the rapid degradation of the MEA. Systems that use platinized platinum in order to achieve lower potentials suffer from cost constraints, scalability problems and short life cycles of these fragile materials, all of which make these MEA systems unacceptable for large-scale systems.


Methods for reducing gastroesophageal reflux are provided. One method includes passing a piercing device into the esophagus of a patient. The piercing device includes an elongated portion, a manipulation portion, and a hook portion. The hook portion is positioned proximate to the stomach of and the piercing device is manipulated such that the hook portion retracts a portion of stomach tissue proximate to the distal esophagus to form a fold of tissue having a first layer and a second layer. A securing device is passed into the esophagus of the patient, wherein the securing device includes a connector, a manipulation portion, and a securing mechanism. The securing mechanism is located proximate to the fold of stomach tissue of the patient retracted by the piercing device. The first and second layers of the fold are secured together utilizing the securing mechanism. The securing mechanism places a securing device, such as a biocompatible staple, rivet, locking device or stitch, through the layers of the fold, thereby forming a valve about the distal esophagus such that flow of gastric juices into the esophagus of the patient is substantially reduced. Optionally, one or more tubes having one or more lumens can be inserted into the esophagus of the patient for facilitating passage of the piercing device and/or securing devices into the stomach. Biocompatible locking devices and piercing devices are also described.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common upper-gastrointestinal disorders in the western world, with a prevalence of approximately 360 cases per 100,000 population per year. Approximately 25% of individuals with GERD will eventually have recurrent, progressive disease and are candidates to undergo antireflux surgical procedures for effective long term therapy. Typically an individual afflicted with GERD can control the discomfort associated with the disease by over-the-counter antacids. However, for the more chronic sufferer, prescription drugs are prescribed which can cost as much as $2,000 per year and are one of the most common treatments for GERD. It is estimated that the total direct and indirect costs of GERD prevention and treatment are estimated at $101 billion dollars a year for the United States alone.
GERD is a condition in which acids surge upward from the stomach into the esophagus, the food tube connecting the back of the throat to the stomach. Backflow of acid into the esophagus makes it raw, red and inflamed, producing the condition known as esophagitis; it also causes the painful, burning sensation behind the breastbone known as heartburn. Backflow or reflux of acid can occur when the sphincter or band muscle at the lower end of the esophagus fails to stay closed. This sphincter is called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES acts as a valve to the stomach, remaining closed until the action of swallowing forces the valve open to allow food to pass from the esophagus to the stomach. Normally the valve closes immediately after swallowing to prevent stomach contents from surging upward. When the LES fails to provide that closure, stomach acids reflux back into the esophagus, causing heartburn.
Various therapies to alleviate the symptoms of esophagitis include loss weight if the individual is overweight, not wearing tight clothing that constricts the stomach and not eating for at least three or four hours before lying down. Other non-drug treatments include avoiding foods that tend to open the LES. These foods include caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea and sodas; chocolate; fatty foods and peppermint.
When non-drug treatments are not enough, the individual can take an over-the-counter antacid for the occasional case of heartburn, such as MAALOX.RTM.. Also available are over-the-counter acid blockers like TAGAMET HB.RTM., PEPCID.RTM., AXID AR.RTM. or ZANTAC 75.RTM.. These drugs serve to block the release of acid into an individual's stomach.
Prescription strength versions of the acid blockers available. Additionally, there are other medicines that help empty the stomach of food and reduce the chances of reflux. These medicines are known as pro-kinetic drugs and include PROPULSID.RTM. (cisapride) and REGLAN.RTM. (metoclopramide).
An additional class of medicaments useful in combating esophagitis are known as proton pump inhibitors. These drugs act to block the molecular "pump" that produces acid in the stomach. These drugs include PRILOSEC (omeprazole) and PREVACID (lansoprazole). Proton pump inhibitors are typically used only in severe cases of esophagitis. They are the strongest known medicines available to counter severe symptoms of esophagitis. Typically, a physician will prescribe a combination of a proton pump inhibitor with a pro-kinetic drug, such as for example, the combination of PRILOSEC and PROPULSID.
For that percent of the population whose esophagitis does not fully respond to any prescription treatment, surgery is an option. The general approach for corrective surgery involves creating a new valve or tightening the existing valve. This procedure is known as "fundoplication" and is used to prevent the back flow of stomach acids into the esophagus. Various fundoplication procedures have been developed to correct GERD and are known as Nissen fundoplication, Belsey Mark IV repair, Hill repair and Dor repair. Each surgical procedure has its own unique attributes; however, each requires an invasive surgical procedure, whereby the individual must endure trauma to the thoracic cavity. The individual remains hospitalized after the procedure for about six to ten days.
Each of the surgical procedures were designed with an emphasis on GERD being consistent with a physiologic abnormality secondary to hypertension of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and not as the result of an anatomic abnormality. Early on it was not recognized that restoration of normal function between the esophagus and the gastrointestinal tract was a prerequisite of successful antireflux procedures and not just simple restoration of the individual's normal anatomy.
For example, the Nissen fundoplication technique involves enveloping the lower esophagus with the gastric fundus by suturing the anterior and posterior fundal folds about the esophagus. Modifications of this procedure include narrowing of the esophageal hiatus posterior to the esophagus, anchoring of the fundoplication to the preaortic fascia and surgical division of the vegas nerve. The degree of the fundal wrap can be modified to incompletely encircle the esophageal tube to avoid gas float syndrome and has also been modified to include a loose wrap. Similarly, the Belsey Mark IV repair, Hill repair and Dor repair are directed to modifications for encirclement of the esophageal tube by fascia.
Complications of these fundoplication procedures include the inability to belch or vomit, dysphagia, gastric ulcer, impaired gastric emptying and slippage of the repair that may foil the best surgical results. Therefore, the fundoplication procedures have been modified to adjust the length and tension of the wrap, include or exclude esophageal muscle in the sutures and leaving the vagus nerves in or out of the encirclement.
A relatively new fundoplication technique is known as Nissen fundoplication laparoscopy. In contrast to the traditional Nissen fundoplication procedure, which requires a 6 to 10 inch incision and a 6 to 10 day hospital stay with up to 8 weeks of recovery at home, the laparoscopy technique is performed through 4 to 6 tiny openings about the thoracic cavity. One opening is generally at the navel and the others are about the abdomen. Each incision is less than an inch in diameter. A surgeon inserts tubes called trocars into the body and passes a telescope-like instrument, called a laparoscope, which is connected to a camera and a video screen, through a trocar. The surgeon performs the fundoplication, constricting the esophagus much like the traditional Nissen fundoplication procedure. After the surgery is complete there is no large incision and most patients experience less discomfort than a traditional Nissen fundoplication procedure. Patients tend to leave the hospital in two days and can return to work and other activities within a week or two.
An alternative surgical procedure/device described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,875,928; 4,271,827; 4,271,828; and 5,006,106, collectively known as the Angelchik antireflux prosthesis (AAP), is also available for treatment of severe GERD. This procedure employs insertion of a donut-shaped prosthesis through an incision made in the abdomen. The prosthesis is placed about the intra-abdominal esophagus. A tape is passed around the esophagus and tied to the prosthesis to pull the prosthesis into position. The tape ends are tied and connected by a hemostasis clip used to secure the tightened ends of the tape. One disadvantage of the AAP is that the device tends to migrate from its original placement. This migration often times causes obstruction of the stomach, and therefore, requires repeated surgery to correct placement of the AAP. Another disadvantage is that the prosthesis cannot be reinflated if a loss of fluid occurs.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a minimally invasive method and a device for reducing gastroesophageal reflux in a patient.
A further object of this invention is to provide a biocompatible locking device for securing a fold of stomach tissue, such that a valve is created which substantially reduces the flow of gastric juices into the esophagus.
Another object of this invention is to provide a piercing device for retracting a portion of stomach tissue of a patient, such that a valve or flap is created which substantially reduces the flow of gastric juices into the esophagus.
Other general and specific objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

Methods and devices for gastroesophageal reflux reduction

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Inc.


A server system is disclosed. The server system comprises a motherboard and a server power system. The server power system comprises a power transmission interface, a power supply, a battery backup unit (BBU) and a signal transmission interface. The power supply converts an AC power into a DC power and then outputs the DC power to the motherboard via the power transmission interface. The BBU provides parallel or redundant power to the motherboard via the power transmission interface. The BBU and the power supply have the same size. The signal transmission interface is electrically connected to the motherboard, the power supply and the BBU.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a computer system, and more particularly to a server system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, an architecture diagram of a conventional server system is shown. The conventional server system 1 comprises a motherboard 11 and a server power system 12. The server power system 12 comprises a number of power supplies 122 for converting an AC power VAC into a DC power VDC and outputting the DC power to a circuit board 11. The reason for employing plural power supplies 122 is to assure that when one of the power supplies 122 breaks down, the other power supplies 122 may provide a backup power supply to maintain the normal operation of the server system 1. However, when the AC power VAC is disconnected or the power line comes off the connection, the conventional server system 1 still cannot be exempted from power failure.


A switching arrangement is connected between a PC and a communications line. The switching arrangement is controlled by a power supply voltage in the PC that can be accessed externally. When the PC switched off, this supply voltage disappears and the device in the communications line goes into a blocked state. This makes it possible to completely disconnect the PC from the communications line without conducting any operations in the PC, even if the communications card or the modem wants to maintain a constant connection with the outside world.

If the user of a PC wants to access the intranet, he needs a modem in his personal computer (PC). The modem allows the connection of the PC to a telephone or ISDN line, which constitutes the communications connection with a remote communications computer.
Definite connections should always exist or should be activated as needed. So that electrical current is not used unnecessarily in spite of these requirements, a sleep mode is provided for modern PCs, into which the PC is practically completely shut off, few device groups. However, the PC can be remotely turned on again by means of a wake-up signal.
This output characteristic is always present in the PC and means that the PC, which from the standpoint of the user is turned off, can actually always be remotely switched on, unless the user operates a mechanical network switch.
Modern PCs as a rule no longer have the classic arrangement of a switch connected with the electric power supply for disconnecting the device completely from the current supply. Instead, the power units of the PCs are continuously connected with the power supply and are activated and deactivated by means of semiconductor switches. The energy required for the activation and deactivation is also taken from the power supply. As a result, it becomes possible, as mentioned above, to switch the PC on or off for example, the electronic switch for the operational status of the power unit can be controlled by means of the modem. The modem itself receives its power via a different path, so that it is continuously switched on independently of the PC.
A PC can also be attacked via the telecommunications lines. Such attacks often occur when it can be assumed that the user cannot monitor his PC.

Disconnecting device for communications connections


A microscope objective lens having a large aperture and yielding satisfactorily corrected, flat images. The microscope objective lens includes, in order from the object side, a first lens group G1 having an overall positive refractive power and a second lens group G2. The second lens group G2 includes plural Gauss lens sets G2A, G2C. Each Gauss lens set is formed of, in order from the object side, a meniscus-shaped optical element with its concave surface on the image side, and a meniscus-shaped optical element with its concave surface on the object side. Preferably, each of these meniscus-shaped optical elements is formed of two lens elements that are cemented together. Prescribed conditions are set forth to favorably correct various aberrations.

Microscope objective lenses having a large numerical aperture are advantageous in improving resolution and brightness for observation using fluorescence. However, large numerical apertures hamper the forming of flat images. One of the lens types that facilitates forming flat images is a set of meniscus-shaped optical elements that hereinafter will be termed a Gauss lens set. Each meniscus-shaped optical element of a Gauss lens set may be formed of a positive lens element and a negative lens element that are cemented to form a single lens so that, overall, the lens is meniscus-shaped. One of these meniscus-shaped optical elements has its concave surface on the image side and the other has its concave surface on the object side so that the two concave surfaces are adjacent and face each other. Such a Gauss lens set can compensate for a positive Petzval sum (created by positive lenses) using the negative Petzval sum created by the negative refractive power of the facing concave surfaces of the meniscus-shaped optical elements, thereby controlling the curvature of field to ensure flat images.
Microscope objective lenses comprising a Gauss lens set having a large aperture and that facilitate the forming of flat images are described in the prior art. For example, Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. H8-136816 has a Gauss lens set that provides a magnification of 20xc3x97 and uses liquid immersion to achieve a numerical aperture of 0.8. Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. H10-274742 has a Gauss lens set that provides a magnification of 40xc3x97 and uses liquid immersion to achieve a numerical aperture of 1.3, and Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. H7-35983 has a Gauss lens set that provides a magnification of 60xc3x97 and uses liquid immersion to achieve a numerical aperture of 1.4. As in the prior art described above, a Gauss lens set is often used to ensure a flat image with an objective lens having a low magnification and a high numerical aperture, or with an objective lens that uses liquid immersion to achieve a high magnification and an even higher numerical aperture. However, there are limitations in ensuring a flat image with a low magnification using a lens having still higher numerical apertures or in obtaining flatter images using a lens having still higher magnifications.
The object of the present invention is to provide a microscope objective lens having a large numerical aperture that ensures satisfactorily corrected, flat images.


A memory card connector includes an insulating housing defining conductive terminal grooves and two locating grooves at a sidewall thereof. A shelter shell coupling with the insulating housing to form a card cavity has a top section and two side sections. A front surface of the top section extends frontward and then extends downward to form two anti-mismating portions adjacent to the two side sections. The two anti-mismating portions have different width and vertical length. Conductive terminals are fixed in the conductive terminal grooves and soldered to a printed circuit board for electrically engaging with corresponding contacts of a memory card inserted into the card cavity. And a pair of switch terminals mounted in the locating grooves and soldered to the printed circuit board. One switch terminal is pressed outward by the memory card fully inserted into the card cavity, which causes the two switch terminals to contact with each other for grounding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a memory card connector, and more particularly to a memory card connector having anti-mismating portions to prevent incorrect insertion of a memory card.
2. The Related Art
Recently, electronic devices, such as digital cameras, MP3 players, cellular phones, etc., are required with larger capacity of storage to store data. A memory card, such as a Memory Stick Duo card, a SD card, a Mini SD card, a MMC card, a M2 card, etc., which has larger capacity of storage and a small size, is extensively used to expend the capacity of storage of the electronic devices. The data transmission between the electronic device and the memory card is through a memory card connector mounted on a PCB (printed circuit board) of the electronic device for connecting with the memory card. The memory card connector has an insulating housing. The insulating housing includes a receiving cavity for receiving the memory card and a plurality of grooves for respectively receiving a plurality of terminals. One end of the terminal forms a soldering portion for being soldered to the PCB, and the other end of each terminal forms a connecting portion for mating with the memory card. A metallic cover couples with the insulating housing. The memory card is inserted and held in the receiving cavity of the memory card connector for being used in storing various data and taken by the electronic device as a recording medium. If not in use, the inserted memory card can be pulled out from the receiving cavity of the memory card connector.
However, the memory card connector described above has no structure to prevent incorrect insertion therein of the memory card. Once the memory card is inserted into the memory card connector in a wrong way, the terminals of the memory card connector are crushed and broken. Therefore, the connection between the memory card and the memory card connector is susceptible to being interrupted, resulting in unstable signal transmission between the memory card and the memory card connector.


An image forming apparatus that can improve image quality by correcting for variations in the potential characteristics of a photosensitive member and enhance the responsiveness of an image forming operation. The photosensitive member is rotated by a drive unit and exposed to light from an exposure unit. A first generation unit periodically generates a first signal. A second generation unit generates a second signal. A plurality of generation periods of the second signals are included in one generation period of the first signal. A control unit, while the photosensitive member is controlled to accelerate, counts the second signals in response to input of the first signal, identifies an exposure position when the photosensitive member is switched from the acceleration control to constant-speed control, reads correction data corresponding to the identified exposure position from a storage unit, and controls the light quantity of the exposure unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that scans light irradiated on a photosensitive member while rotating the photosensitive member, thereby forming an image on the photosensitive member.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, electrophotographic printers have been increasing in performance, and techniques for realizing improvements in responsiveness in printing, print speed, and print image quality, and low cost.
Examples of indexes for evaluating the responsiveness include FPOT (First Print Out Time) and FCOT (First Copy Out Time) as the time period between user's print instruction and the completion of output a first recording medium with an image formed thereon. FPOT and FCOT are desired to be a few seconds or less.
By the way, a thickness of a photosensitive layer (hereinafter referred to as the "film thickness") of a photosensitive drum in electrophotographic printers cannot be uniform due to the limits of production accuracy. Moreover, a surface of the photosensitive drum wears because the photosensitive drum comes into contact with a recording medium, an intermediate transfer member, or a cleaning member during the formation of an image. At this time, the wear amount differs at individual positions of the photosensitive drum, and hence the unevenness of the film thickness is further promoted. In a case where such a photosensitive drum is charged and exposed to light, potential characteristics of the surface of the photosensitive drum cannot be uniform. For this reason, there are variations in an image density of an output image. Therefore, to correct for variations in the image density of an output image resulting from nonuniform potential characteristics of the surface of the photosensitive drum and improve image quality, a technique to correct for variations in the potential characteristics of the surface of the photosensitive drum has been developed. As examples of such a technique, those disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. S63-49779, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2004-223716, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2007-187829, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2007-34233 are known. These prior arts are a technique to correct for variations in the potential characteristics of the photosensitive drum by adjusting a laser light exposure amount according to a position exposed to light when an exposure unit exposes the photosensitive drum to light. This technique have realized an improvement in print quality, resulting in an improvement in allowable variation level, and a decrease in the production cost of the photosensitive drum which is highly-durable and long-lived and allows variations in the potential characteristics.
FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an arrangement of an optical writing unit in an image forming apparatus that corrects for variations in the potential characteristics of the surface of a photosensitive drum. The image forming apparatus is a one-photosensitive drum four-beam laser simultaneous scanning electrophotographic printer. For the simplification of explanation, units for forming an image on a paper medium, such as a charging unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and a fixing unit associated with a general electrophotographic process are omitted from the figure.
The image forming apparatus has a multi-beam laser optical writing unit 1100, a system control unit 1140, an image data process unit 1150, a photosensitive drum 1130, and so on. The system control unit 1140 controls the overall operation of the apparatus, and is comprised of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a user interface (not shown) for controlling devices, and so on.
The image data process unit 1150 is comprised of an ASIC, and operates while communicating information with the system control unit 1140 by register access from the CPU of the system control unit 1140. A drum drive unit 1136 that drives the photosensitive drum 1130 to rotate is provided on a side of the photosensitive drum 1130.
FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing operations of the units when the photosensitive drum starts rotating in the image forming apparatus. The timing chart shows a photosensitive drum drive state 1201, a photosensitive drum potential characteristic variation correcting process valid/invalid state 1202, and a rotation reference position signal 1122. The rotation reference position signal 1122 is obtained by a rotation reference position sensor 1120 and a rotation position mark 1121. States a to e in the figure correspond to determinations about control states by the system control unit 1140 and state transitions responsive to control instructions.
FIGS. 8A and 82 are flowcharts showing procedures of an image forming operation and procedures of a potential characteristic variation correcting operation. In the figure, FIG. 8A shows the operation of the CPU in the system control unit 1140, and FIG. 8B shows the operation of a potential characteristic correction unit 1161 in the image data process unit 1150 (ASIC). In the figure, broken lines indicate transmission of information via input/output signals to and from the devices.
Referring to FIGS. 6, 7, 8A, and 8B, a description will be given of the operation of the image forming apparatus. The system control unit 1140 brings the image forming apparatus into an image formation stopped-and-drum stopped state as an initial state (step S101). This state is represented by the drive state a in FIG. 7. On the other hand, the potential characteristic correction unit 1161 lies in a state of not corrected for variations as an initial state. Namely, the potential characteristic correction unit 1161 is waiting in the variation correcting process invalid state d in FIG. 7.
The system control unit 1140 waits for an instruction to start image formation (step S102). Upon receiving the instruction to start image formation, the system control unit 1140 instructs the drum motor drive unit 1136 and a polygon mirror motor drive unit 1103a to start operating, thus starting a preparation for image formation (step S103). In the preparation for image formation, the drum drive unit 1136 starts driving the photosensitive drum 130 according to a rotation instruction signal 1141 given to the drum drive unit 1136. At the same time, the polygon mirror motor drive unit 1103a starts rotating a polygon mirror 1103 at constant speed according to a rotation instruction signal 1142 for scanning laser light. At this time, the drive state 1201 of the photosensitive drum 1130 is the drive state b.
The system control unit 1140 waits until a predetermined waiting time period has elapsed after the start of the motors (step S104). When the predetermined waiting time period has elapsed, the drive state 1201 of the photosensitive drum 1130 changes to the drive state c in which the photosensitive drum 1130 rotates at stable constant speed required for image formation.
The system control unit 1140 confirms an input of the rotation reference position signal (drum reference signal) 1122 (step S105). In the drive state b in which the photosensitive drum 1130 starts rotating and the drive state c, the rotation reference position signal 1122 is generated each time the rotation position mark 1121 on the photosensitive drum 1130 passes the rotation reference position sensor 1120 of the photosensitive drum 1130.
After the drive state 1201 of the photosensitive drum 1130 changes to the drive state c in which the photosensitive drum 130 rotates at stable speed, the rotation speed of the polygon mirror 1103 stabilizes, and further, at the time when the rotation reference position signal 1122 is inputted, the system control unit 1140 instructs to correct for variations in potential characteristics (step S106). As a result, a register access instruction 1143 for the correction for variations in potential characteristics is generated, and the variation correcting process valid/invalid state 1202 changes to the valid state e.
The system control unit 1140 carries out the image forming operation (step S107). During the image forming operation, the image data process unit 1150 starts image data process in response to the register access instruction 1143 for image formation from the system control unit 1140.
When image data 1151 is inputted from an external personal computer (not shown), the image data 1151 is sent to a line buffer control unit 1152 and stored as data in line buffers 1153 corresponding in number to the number of multiple lasers. The stored data is read in parallel as data corresponding in number to the number of multiple lasers from the line buffers 1153 in timing with BD signals 1135, and sent to a photosensitive drum potential characteristic correction image process unit (multiplication unit) 1154.
Next, a description will be given of a flow of a photosensitive drum potential characteristic variation correction image process. After the photosensitive drum 1103 goes into the drive state c in which it rotates at stable speed, the potential characteristic correction unit 1161 carries out an address computation at the time when the rotation reference position signal 1122 is inputted (step S201). The address computation is carried out based on the BD signal 1135 indicative of a scanning start position generated by laser light incident on a laser light sensor for controlling a beam exposure start position in laser scanning, and counting using crystal oscillator clocks. As a result of the address computation, an appropriate address for taking out variation correction data is selected.
The potential characteristic correction unit (memory controller) 1161 selects and successively reads correction data from a nonvolatile memory (table memory) 1160 storing table data on variations in photosensitive drum potential characteristics (correction data) (step S202). The correction data is prepared in advance in the table memory 1160 in accordance with a photosensitive drum provided in the image forming apparatus.
The potential characteristic correction unit 1161 causes matching process units 1163 to successively carry out processes for matching the table data on variations in photosensitive drum potential characteristics transmitted via memory data buses 1162 to data that is to be multiplied with image data (step S203). Further, the potential characteristic correction unit 1161 successively transmits the variation correction data from the matching process unit 1163 to the multiplication unit 1154 (step S204). The multiplication unit 1154 multiplies the image data with the variation correction data. After that, the potential characteristic correction unit 1161 terminates the present operation.
In the above described way, after the drive state 1201 of the photosensitive drum 1103 goes into the drive state c in which it rotates at stable speed, at the time when the rotation reference position signal 1122 is inputted, an appropriate address for taking out variation correction data is selected based on the BD signal 1135 indicative of a scanning start position and counting using the crystal oscillator clocks. Thereafter, the potential characteristic correction unit 1161 goes into a state of correcting for variations in potential characteristics, and the variation correction process valid/invalid state 1202 goes into the valid state e.
The data having been subjected to the potential characteristic variation correcting process by a computation (multiplication) of the data from the line buffers 1153 and the variation correction data in the multiplication unit 1154 is transmitted to a laser Pulse Width Modulation Unit (PWMU) 1155, and made available for use in blinking a four-beam multi-laser semiconductor chip 1101 via a laser current drive unit 1106.
The laser light is gathered by a collimator lens 102 and then reflected/scanned by the polygon mirror 1103 to pass through an fθ lens 104. Further, the laser light follows a laser light path 1105 from the polygon mirror 1103 to the photosensitive drum 1130 and is scanned on the photosensitive drum 1130 along paths taken by scanning lines 1133 of exposure spots 1131 by the four-beam multi laser by rotation of the polygon mirror 1103. On the photosensitive drum 1130 thus charged, an electrostatic latent image is formed.
After the electrostatic latent image is formed, the image forming apparatus develops the electrostatic latent image with toner, transfers the image to a paper medium, fixes the image on the paper medium by heating and pressurizing, so that an image is formed.
When a time period required to form an image of a predetermined size has elapsed, the system control unit 1140 determines whether or not the image forming operation has been completed (step S108). When the image forming operation has been completed, the system control unit 1140 outputs the rotation instruction signal 1141 to stop the rotation of the photosensitive drum 1103 (step S109), and waits until the stop of the photosensitive drum 1130 is confirmed (step S110). Upon confirming the stop, that is, the completion of the deceleration, the system control unit 1140 terminates the present operation.
By carrying out the above described operation, the image forming apparatus draws a latent image on which the correction for variations in the potential characteristics of the photosensitive drum has been carried out, and the correction for variations in laser writing has been carried out.
However, there are problems as described below in improving the performance of the conventional image forming apparatus. When acceleration control for accelerating the photosensitive member is switched to constant-speed control, the formation of an image may not be started immediately depending on the position of the rotation position mark 1121 provided on the photosensitive drum relative to the rotation reference position sensor 1120. The correction for variations in the potential characteristics of the photosensitive drum is started in response to generation of the rotation reference position signal (drum reference signal) 1122. The rotation reference position signal 1122 is generated in response to the rotation position mark 1121 provided on the photosensitive drum passing the rotation reference position sensor 1120, but the formation of an image cannot be started unless the rotation reference position signal 1122 is generated even when the formation of an image is ready to be started in a state in which the photosensitive drum is rotating at constant speed. For this reason, there may be a case where the formation of an image cannot be started until substantially one turn of the photosensitive drum is completed after the rotation speed comes to be a constant speed, and in this case, FPOT lowers.
For example, if the photosensitive drum of 80 mmφ is rotated at a surface speed of 251 mm/sec, the time period required for one turn of the photosensitive drum is as follows.80*3.14/251−251 mm/251=1 sec
In a case where the acceleration control of the photosensitive drum is completed and switches to the constant-speed control immediately after the rotation position mark 1121 passes the rotation reference position sensor 1120, the formation of an image cannot be started until the rotation position mark 1121 passes the rotation reference position sensor 1120 next time. Namely, the output of an image delays about one second at the maximum, and this causes considerable deterioration of performance for printers assuming correction.
Here, if the time period required for stabilization of the rotation speed of the polygon mirror is longer than the time period required for stabilization of the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum, the formation of an image cannot be started until the rotation speed of the polygon mirror stabilizes, and hence the above described problem is alleviated or does not arise. However, because polygon mirrors of recent years have been increasingly reduced in weight, and the rotation speed of the polygon mirror stabilizes within a short time period than the time period required for stabilization of the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum. For this reason, in response to stabilization of the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum, image forming apparatuses of recent years go into a state of readiness to carry out image formation. Thus, the above described problem may arise.


A liquid crystal display device includes: a pair of substrates disposed to face each other with a predetermined distance therebetween; a seal pattern, provided between the pair of substrates and has a closed-loop shape to surround and seal a liquid crystal, wherein the liquid crystal is provided in a form of a plurality of droplets on one of the pair of substrates and then is sandwiched between the pair of substrates, so that the plurality of droplets are respectively spread and sealed in a region surrounded by the seal pattern; and a dummy pattern, which is formed on the one substrate in the region surrounded by the seal pattern and has a height less than half of the predetermined distance, the dummy pattern being arranged adjacent to and in parallel to the seal pattern and in a range to which one droplet is spread out.

In a manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display panel, a vacuum filling method and ODF (One Drop Filling) method are generally used as a liquid crystal filling process to fill a liquid crystal into the liquid crystal display panel. In the one drop filling method, a liquid crystal cell is formed in such a way that a substrate on which a seal pattern is formed by applying a sealing agent and on which the liquid crystal is dropped and an opposite substrate are vacuum bonded and then the sealing agent is cured. The sealing agent to form the seal pattern is in an uncured state during the vacuum bonding. Accordingly, when the liquid crystal is excessively spread out to come into contact with the seal pattern, it may cause incoming of the liquid crystal into seal pattern formation regions and contamination of the liquid crystal due to elution of sealing agent component into the liquid crystal. On the other hand, when the spread of the liquid crystal is insufficient, the liquid crystal does not spread out to, especially, a region close to the seal pattern in the display panel and thus bubble regions may be caused. As a result, the cell or seal pattern itself is too squashed in the region close to the seal pattern, and thus the display defects that a peripheral gap (a distance between substrates) becomes non-uniform. Specifically, in a case of a liquid crystal display panel, in which conductive particles are included in the sealing agent, to have a function to enable conduction between the substrates, the seal pattern formation regions are held on the substrate by the conductive particles which are elastically deformable to keep a stable conduction. Accordingly, when the above-described bubble regions is caused and thus a differential pressure greater than an expected pressure by the atmospheric pressure when being open to air is applied, the seal pattern and the conductive particles are more squashed than a predetermined gap. Thereafter, since the sealing agent is cured as it is in the state of squashed gap, the above-described peripheral gap becomes non-uniform and thus occurrence of the defects is to be significant. Further, according to the recent diversification of the liquid crystal display panel, there has also been developed a liquid crystal display panel, in which a width of the frame region is different at four sides, or a variant-shape liquid crystal display panel, which has an outer shape other than a rectangular shape, for example, a circular shape, an elliptical shape or a polygonal shape or the like. In these liquid crystal display panels, the width of the frame region is different in the vicinity of the display region. In particular, the gap unevenness is likely to occur in a relatively wide frame region.
As a method to deal with the above-described situations, JP-A-2003-315810 discloses a method which suppresses the excessive spread of the liquid crystal and suppresses the occurrence of the display defects by forming a frame-shaped liquid crystal flow control wall between the display region and the seal pattern. Also, JP-P-H08-190099 discloses a method, in which the time until the liquid crystal reaches the seal pattern formation regions is extended to suppress the liquid crystal from being in contact with the uncured sealing agent by forming convex parts made from the same material as a color filter and having a frame-shaped pattern or an island-like (dotted) pattern between the display region and the seal pattern.

Liquid crystal display device and manufacturing method thereof


The Dual Spectrum Illumination System (DSIS) is a modular light source having two independent emitters of optical radiation. A halogen bulb provides a high intensity visible beam. The second source of emissions is a ring of light emitting diodes (LED). The LED ring can be configured to supply area illumination, beam illumination, or a combination of area and beam illumination. The spectrum emitted by the LED is selectable from the wide range of commercially available diodes. The illumination system provides a beam and infrared area lighting using 21 high power, 6 watt, LEDs emitting at 880 nanometers mounted on the ring. Illumination control electronics are provided on a printed circuit assembly to provide the diodes with the correct current and voltage. A second embodiment of the invention is as a direct replacement for aircraft landing lights, mobile vehicle head lights, and any other situation requiring beam illumination. This embodiment of the DSIS provides high intensity beams of visible light and infrared light and is particularly suited for U.S. Air Force covert operations. The system includes a mounting plate having a plurality of receptacles that receive the LEDs. Shield are provided that each surround a portion of selected receptacles in order to block infrared light that would otherwise impinge upon the cockpit of the aircraft.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lighting, and particularly to the illumination of areas or beam lighting for use as aircraft landing lights and automobile headlights.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, when a lamp, such as a sealed beam incandescent bulb, was used to provide a specific band of electromagnetic radiation, a filter or cold mirror was used to block the unwanted wavelengths. However, the filter or cold mirror trapped heat and the bulb operated at a temperature above the intended operating range. Consequently, the bulb burns out if operated for more than about 15 to 20 minutes and the excessive heat shortens the expected lifetime of the bulb by about 50%. In addition, changing the active spectrum required manual effort or a complex mechanical device to insert or remove the filter.
Another approach uses a dual bulb made with the reflecting surfaces pointing in opposite directions. To change the active spectrum, again a man or a complex mechanical device is needed to rotate the bulb. This approach requires a unique fixture and has relatively high cost.
Another fixture built for use on aircraft consists of four sealed beam lamps, two with cold mirrors and two unfiltered. The fixture, however, is a large complex assembly that is expensive to install on aircraft and also suffers from the bulb overheating problem described above.
Other lights are made using arc lamps, but these are also broad band and require filters with the same difficulties noted above to select specific bands of the spectrum.


Some embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods and apparatus for more accurately determining the thickness of a refractory lining included in an operating metallurgical furnace. Specifically, in some embodiments a transient propagated stress wave is used to determine the condition of a refractory lining, and additionally, provide a systematic way to include the affect that temperature has on the velocity of a compressive wave through a heated refractory material and/or accretions. As identified in aspects of the present invention, and contrary to the common understanding in the art, the velocity of a stress wave, at each frequency and in a refractory material, is not necessarily constant over a temperature range. In accordance with aspects of some specific embodiments of the invention, a scaling factor α can be calculated for each refractory material to adjust for the presumed velocity of the stress wave through each refractory material.

A typical metallurgical furnace is a container having sidewalls with a multi-layer construction. The outer layer is typically a steel shell provided for structural support. The inner layer includes a refractory lining, constructed from one or more layers of refractory bricks, that is provided to shield the outer steel shell from molten materials and aggressive chemicals inside the furnace. In some furnaces, a cooling layer is also provided between the outer steel shell and the refractory lining to prevent excessive heat transfer from the refractory lining to the outer steel shell. In some furnace designs, the layers of brick and/or cooling elements are set in place with a soft sand-like material that solidifies during the operation of the furnace.
During the operation of a metallurgical furnace, the refractory lining is deteriorated by mechanical and thermal stress in addition to chemical corrosion resulting in a loss of overall refractory lining thickness. As the refractory lining deteriorates molten materials and aggressive chemicals penetrate into widening spaces in and/or between refractory bricks leading to delamination (i.e. separation) of the layers in the refractory lining. Deterioration of the refractory lining ultimately leads to structural failures that may cause the outer steel shell to be exposed to molten materials and aggressive chemicals inside the furnace. Moreover, if the molten materials and aggressive chemicals reach the outer steel shell there is an imminent risk of severe injury to personnel working near the furnace, because the outer steel shell is not capable of reliably holding back the molten materials and aggressive chemicals from inside the furnace. Loss of heat transferability and conductivity are also known to occur as results of the deterioration of the refractory lining.
Another mode of refractory lining deterioration, common in furnaces that include water-cooled elements, is hydration of the refractory lining. Under certain temperatures, water that has leaked from a cooling element can react with the refractory bricks causing expedited deterioration of the refractory lining. In particular, magnesium (MgO) based refractory bricks are susceptible to this mode of failure.
It is desirable to regularly check the thickness of the refractory lining, as well as inspect the refractory lining for defects such as cracking, delaminations, accretions and other build-up. Making a reliable and accurate assessment of the refractory lining thickness is difficult to do without first emptying the furnace and shutting down the industrial process in which the furnace is involved. Shutting down a metallurgical furnace for routine inspection is costly and operators try to make use of inspection methods that can be employed while the furnace is operating. However, the hostile working-environment, that the furnaces are included in, skews the measurements made. For example, extremely high temperatures in the furnaces, vibrations, ambient noise, dust, and electrical and mechanical hazards are known to distort the thickness measurements generated by the previously known inspection methods. A systematic method of taking such sources of error into account has not been developed to improve previous inspection methods. As a result, operators are forced to shut down and cool furnaces in order to check the refractory lining from time-to-time.

Systems, methods and apparatus for non-disruptive and non-destructive inspection of metallurgical furnaces and similar vessels


The invention provides a UV illumination device for sterilizing and disinfecting a desired item or area. The device is having a built-in camera and UV light source in order to disinfect and sterilize the desired item or area. The device automatically detects the human presence and the acts as a normal household light and can be fit inside the conventional light bulb or tube light holder. Further, the device uses an artificial intelligence module, object detection module, machine learning module, localization module, and a plurality of sensors to easily detect the application area and act according to parameters of a particular item. Furthermore, the device can be manually controlled by using a remote device which is having a display where the user can select, identify, prioritize the items and can adjust the time and intensity of the light projection based upon his/her own intellect.

Different forms of light can be used in different applications by making use of specific wavelengths of light effects such as, inactivation of bacteria, fungi, viruses, chemical reactions including the curing of plastics and other materials.
Historically, mercury lamps have been the only option for disinfection and sterilization. But with UV LED technology advances, there are new options that are smaller, more robust, toxin-free, long-lived, energy efficient, and allow infinite on/off switching. The UV LED technology allows solutions to be smaller and portable, battery powered, and with the instant full light output.
Ultraviolet (UV) light has been used for many years in the industry, particularly in, health and hygiene regimes.
As known in the art, Ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted at certain wavelengths is mutagenic to micro-organisms. Subtype C of the UV spectrum (UVC), also referred as "germicidal" UV radiation, is generally considered to be radiation emitted at a wavelength ranging from 100-280 nanometers. On application, the UVC radiation can be used to inactivate (i.e., destroy, render harmless, and/or prohibit the growth or reproduction) certain micro-organisms.
Prevention of infection by certain micro-organisms is an important concern in places where micro-organisms are substantially present like, laboratory settings, gym, hospitals, locker rooms, and bathrooms etc. In a hospital operating room, for example, it may be important to inactivate microorganisms at the surgical site and on surfaces in the operating room, such as the operating table. This is often accomplished through the use of specialized UV lamp fixtures surface-mounted on the ceiling of the operating room. Also, specialized UV lamp fixtures are often mounted in the ceilings of an operation theatre in hospitals, in order to disinfect the OT apparatuses.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,424B1 Jeffery L. Deal, discloses an Ultraviolet Area Sterilizer (UVAS) which is mobile or stationary. The UVAS is positioned in a room, such an operating room or intensive care unit. Motion detectors sense movement, to assure that personnel have evacuated the space to be sterilized. Subsequently, UV-C generators, such as a bank of mercury bulbs, generate intense levels of UV-C. An array of multiple UV-C sensors scans the room, and determine the darkest area, or the area reflecting the lowest level of UV-C back to the sensors. A basic Stamp contained in the device calculates the time required to obtain a bactericidal dose of UV-C reflected back from the darkest area. Once a bactericidal dose has been reflected to all the sensors, the unit notifies the operator and shuts down. By relying on reflected doses rather than direct exposure, the UVAS is able to sterilize or sanitize all surfaces within the room that are within view of an exposed wall or ceiling.
In another U.S. Pat. No. 9,517,280B2, William Warren Lynn et. al, discloses a germicidal light fixture and germicidal light fixture system. The germicidal light fixture includes a support structure and at least one first lighting device coupled with the support structure operative to emit ultraviolet radiation at a first predetermined wavelength. At least one second lighting device is coupled with the support structure and is operative to emit ultraviolet radiation at a second predetermined wavelength. The first and second predetermined wavelengths are selected such that ultraviolet radiation emitted from the at least one first lighting device and from the at least one second lighting device, respectively, is operative to inactivate microorganisms. At least one third lighting device is coupled with the support structure and is operative to emit visible radiation.
In another U.S. Pat. No. 9,974,873B2 Theodore John Cole, discloses a germicidal system for use in disinfecting a human interface device includes at least one human interface device. One or more ultra-violet (UV) light sources are used in proximity to the at least one human interface device for disinfecting a touch surface of the human interface device below a surgical grade sterilization. A memory for storing usage data of the at least one UV light source. At least one server is used for providing a central storage location for user data supplied from the memory and a computer is used in communication with the at least one server for controlling the operational parameters of the at least one UV light source.
The existing devices are not compact enough and are only limited to one type of UV radiation which is not effective for complete disinfection and sterilization. The existing devices have multiple parts making the product bulkier and costlier. Further, the existing devices are not capable of object detection and/or material identification for disinfection and sterilization.
Hence, it is desirable to have a device that is smart enough to sense the human presence, identify different materials and provide the UV light projection based on the properties of the different materials.
Further, it is still desirable to have a device which can fit with the existing lighting fixtures and doesn't require any special arrangement for installation.

System and method for sterilization using ultra-violet illumination


The invention offers a simple and economical mounting possibility for gas burners in molded parts made of a brittle-friable material, such as glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic, by means of which gas burners can be mounted without stresses, in a leakage-proof and gastight fashion in cooking surfaces of such a material without having to impose a restriction as to a special appliance and/or a specific burner type. The molded part which is made of the brittle-friable material, is the sole support for the gas burners, however, if the molded part breaks, the gas burners will drop onto a lower metal support so that the gas feed lines do not rupture.

This invention relates to a burner arrangement, for example, for cooking units, wherein at least one gas burner is mounted in a supporting frame and the surrounding surface of the gas burner or gas burners is covered by a molded part of a brittle-friable material, such as glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic. Each gas burner extends through an opening in the molded part consisting of the brittle-friable material up to beyond the topside of the latter. Between the molded part and each gas burner, a long-term elastic junction and sealing device is provided with a junction and sealing element in contact firmly and in liquid-tight fashion with the marginal zone of the opening with at least one junction surface formed by the gas burner.
In gas ranges or bowl-shaped cooking units with a burner arrangement of this type, available on the market, the gas burners are fixedly mounted in the supporting frame or housing. A glass plate covering the surrounding surface of the gas burners is provided with an opening that is substantially larger than needed for the respective gas burner, for example with twice the diameter of the opening than the diameter of the respective gas burner. The thus-formed wide annular gap between the gas burner and the rim of the opening is covered with a ring-shaped sheet-metal collar which includes a sealing element only toward the opening rim of the glass plate but not toward the gas burner. Although a mechanical separation of the gas burner from the glass plate is thereby ensured, this manner of mounting of the gas burner within the glass plate has disadvantageous effects in practical use, especially with regard to cleaning. Thus, in these known devices, boiled-over matter can pass into the joint between the glass plate and the sheet-metal collar and run into the gap between the sheet-metal collar and the gas burner.
Therefore, cleaning of these conventional devices frequently requires at least partial disassembly.
It has been known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,487 to improve the seal of the burner with respect to the glass or glass-ceramic molding by making the opening of only such a size that it can accommodate the gas burner, and connecting the gas burner for sealing purposes along the opening rim firmly with the glass or glass-ceramic molding. Besides, the gas burner is attached to a crosspiece connected to the supporting frame. Such a mechanically rigid connection between a brittle-friable molded part, supporting frame, and gas burners, however, leads to the formation of distortions in the molded part under mechanical or thermal load on the cooking surfaces at the instant of stress. Depending on the structure, there may even be permanent distortions arising in the molded part. In either of the two cases, the risk of breakage of the molded part in a cooking unit or a gas range would be substantially increased.

Arrangement of at least one gas burner in a molded part of a brittle-friable material for example for cooking units


A tunnel magnetoresistive element includes a laminate including a pinned magnetic layer, an insulating barrier layer, and a free magnetic layer. The insulating barrier layer is composed of Ti—Mg—O or Ti—O. The free magnetic layer includes an enhancement sublayer, a first soft magnetic sublayer, a nonmagnetic metal sublayer, and a second soft magnetic sublayer. For example, the enhancement sublayer is composed of Co—Fe, the first soft magnetic sublayer and the second soft magnetic sublayer are composed of Ni—Fe, and the nonmagnetic metal sublayer is composed of Ta. The total thickness of the average thickness of the enhancement sublayer and the average thickness of the first soft magnetic sublayer is in the range of 25 to 80 angstroms. Accordingly, the tunneling magnetoresistive element can consistently have a higher rate of resistance change than before.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tunneling magnetoresistive element that may be installed in hard disk drives or magnetic detectors, and more particularly, it relates to a tunneling magnetoresistive element that can achieve a high rate of resistance change (ΔR/R).
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) elements generate a resistance change by utilizing a tunneling effect. When the magnetization direction of a pinned magnetic layer is antiparallel to the magnetization direction of a free magnetic layer, less tunneling current flows through an insulating barrier layer (tunnel barrier layer) disposed between the pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer, and thereby the resistance reaches its peak. On the other hand, when the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer is parallel to the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer, the tunneling current reaches the maximum, and the resistance reaches the minimum.
According to this principle, an external magnetic field changes the magnetization of the free magnetic layer and thereby changes the electrical resistance. The tunneling magnetoresistive elements detect the change in electrical resistance as a voltage change and thereby detect a leakage magnetic field from a recording medium.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-261637 discloses a tunneling magnetoresistive element that includes a free magnetic layer having a layered ferri structure.
In this patent document, the free magnetic layer includes ferromagnetic layers and a first orientation control buffer disposed between the ferromagnetic layers to generate large exchange coupling. A free magnetic layer including Ni81Fe19 (2 nm)/Ta (0.4 nm)/Ni81Fe19 (2 nm)/Ru (2.1 nm)/Ni81Fe19 (4 nm) laminated in that order from the bottom is disclosed in paragraph [0139].
However, this patent document does not disclose a structure that can achieve a high rate of resistance change (ΔR/R).

Tunneling magnetoresistive element including multilayer free magnetic layer having inserted nonmagnetic metal sublayer


In an embodiment, a memory interface includes integrated circuitry to verify the integrity of the memory interface. The circuitry propagates a test pattern through different paths of the memory interface, and checks the result against a reference value to determine whether the components of the paths are operating within an acceptable tolerance. The memory interface can also communicate with ATE to initiate such tests and return the results to the ATE.

Semiconductor device manufacturers are responsible for validating the integrated circuitry they produce before shipping products to customers. Automated test equipment (ATE) is an apparatus that can rapidly test and verify the operation of a semiconductor device using a number of automated tests and measurements. By using an ATE apparatus, vendors can administer many different test patterns to validate each transistor of a semiconductor device. Because of the substantial expense of ATE and the large number of devices that a typical vendor must verify, it is beneficial to minimize the time consumed by ATE validation for each semiconductor device.
Typical memory controller devices are semiconductor devices that include a memory array, a memory controller and a memory interface. In order to test and validate a memory interface using ATE, the memory controller device can be connected, via external pin connections, to a tester capable of emulating an external memory (or a device accessing a memory), and providing simulated responses back to the memory controller device. Under such a configuration, the ATE can operate the memory interface through simulated memory access operations, and verify that each transmit and receive path (and, by extension, the circuit components of each path) are working properly. A memory interface that fails the testing can be discarded or recalibrated and then subjected to further testing under the ATE.


A method of controlling an animation character with a controller that includes determining a position of the controller and determining a current state of the animation character. A history of positions of the controller is determined and compared with a set of history patterns based upon the current state of the animation character. An animation sequence is initiated based upon any matched history patterns.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for a stick-type controller, and more particularly, to systems and methods for controlling an animation character based upon a history of positions of the control stick.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many animation sequences, such as, for example, games, educational activities, interactive storytelling, interactive moving watching, etc., involve the use of some type of input device. These input devices may include keyboards, computer mice, track balls, and joysticks. With these input devices, animation characters or sequences may be controlled in a variety of ways.
With controllers commonly referred to as joysticks, the character or characters may be moved by moving the joystick in various directions and positions. By pressing a single button, or possibly a combination of buttons, an animation sequence may be triggered. However, there are generally numerous possibilities based upon the current state of the animation activity. Thus, by simply pressing a button or combination of buttons, there is no predictable way for a user to initiate a specified animation in a desired situation. Thus, it is generally left to chance or randomness.


A method of performing a software operation on a target of one of more processors in a distributed processing system wherein another processor is designated as a server. The method includes running a configuration program on the server to condition the server to serve on the target, the software operation which includes resource creation and object definitions; testing entry conditions in the configuration program for determining if entry conditions are met to serve the software operation on the target; if the entry conditions are met, serving the software operation on the target; at the completion of the software operation, testing exit conditions in the configuration program for determining if the software operation on the target completed successfully; if the exit conditions are met, exiting the software operation; returning to the configuration program to serve a second software operation on the target; and repeating until all software operations are served on the target.

The present invention relates to executing software on a parallel, distributed data processing system, and more particularly relates to performing a software operation on one or more nodes of a parallel, distributed data processing system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,730 issued Oct. 25, 1994 to Marron for METHOD OF OPERATING A DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM HAVING A DYNAMIC SOFTWARE UPDATE FACILITY and discloses non-disruptive installation of updated portions of a computer operating system while that operating system continues to run while simultaneously supporting application load on the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,009 issued May 30, 1995 to Platt for METHOD OF REMOTELY INSTALLING SOFTWARE DIRECTLY FROM A CENTRAL COMPUTER and deals with remote installation of software on a computer system. Disclosed is a method of installing a client portion of client-server software on client nodes without first manually preparing those client nodes with any type of software such as download software.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,617 issued Nov. 28, 1995 to Farrand et al. for COMPUTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED MANAGEMENT INFORMATION BASE and discloses a method of managing a plurality of networked manageable devices, with a management information base for use in managing hardware objects.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,416 issued Sep. 10, 1996 to Owens et al. for AUTOMATED SOFTWARE INSTALLATION AND OPERATING ENVIRONMENT CONFIGURATION FOR A COMPUTER SYSTEM BASED ON CLASSIFICATION RULES and is directed to remote, automated, rules based installation to automatically install software products on a computer system, and configure the operating environment of the computer system.
AIX NETWORK INSTALLATION MANAGEMENT GUIDE AND REFERENCE, SC23-1926-00, available from International Business Machines Corporation, provides information about managing the installation and configuration of software by using a network interface. Network Installation Management (NIM) enables the centrally managed installation of the AIX base operating system, the IBM version of the UNIX operating system, and optional software on machines within a networked environment.
The installation of operating system software on parallel, distributed computing system hardware is typically a complex and time consuming procedure. For a modern, full-functioning operation system such as the AIX operating system, numerous files must be placed on the system. As well, numerous files must be newly created or updated, numerous procedures must execute to successful completion on the involved systems, and other complex functions must be completed. NIM provides the base function to install a single system remotely, that is without requiring direct interaction with the target system. The IBM Parallel System Support Program (PSSP version 2.1) utilizes NIM to provide parallel, remote installation of multiple systems. PSSP installation provides automated installation of multiple systems from a single point of control. Much of the PSSP function is embodied in a single program which invokes numerous NIM, Kerberos and other PSSP functions to configure the installation server system to prepare it to install its client system(s).
However, due to the complexity of the installation process, the networking requirements of both the master and client (target) systems, and the complexity of configuring the installation server system, the installation of a remote system can fail for any of a large variety of reasons. In particular, because the installation server configuration function is contained within a single program which does not record the various states through which the server has progressed, if the installation fails the server and client systems can be left in such a state as to require significant detailed analysis and manual intervention to restore the systems to their previous states. It is not always possible to correct the initial problem and rerun the program because the various states through which the server is progressed are not recorded. Thus, it takes careful analysis and effort to restore the server to its original state. Even in cases where the server configuration program can be rerun, it consumes unnecessary time and resources to rerun all configuration steps when only the remaining steps need be completed.

Method and apparatus for performing single-function software operations on a server processor for a target of one or more processors in a network of processors


In order to optimize the so-called light-dark effect, i.e., the difference in ignition voltage between the first and second ignition after dark storage in gas-filled discharge paths, an additional component made of an oxide compound of cesium and a transition metal such as tungsten, chromium, niobium, vanadium or molybdenum is added in a quantity of 5 to 25% by weight to the activating compound which is comprised of several components. The other components of the activating compound include a barium compound and a transition metal in metallic form such as titanium, and an alkaline halide or an alkaline earth halide and/or sodium silicate and/or potassium silicate as a basic component.

In order to ensure the particularly desired performance characteristic such as igniting voltage, response time, static response voltage and dynamic response voltage, extinction voltage and glow operating voltage in discharge paths such as ignition gaps or overvoltage diverters filled with inert gas, various measures such as the structural design of the electrodes, the type and pressure of the gas filling and the selection of the activation compound applied to the active surfaces of the electrodes must be adjusted to one another. To produce definitive ignition conditions, it is also customary in this connection to arrange one or several ignition strips on the inside wall of the glass or ceramic insulator and a special ionization source may be provided, if necessary. Thus, for instance, a conventional overvoltage diverter has two electrodes inserted into the front ends of a ceramic insulator, the electrode surfaces facing each other being coated with an activation compound, the latter being arranged in depressions in the electrode surface. Several ignition strips extending in the axial direction of the ceramic insulator are arranged on the inside wall, the ignition strips being designed as middle ignition strips without a direct connection to the electrodes (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,260 corresponding to German Patent No. 28 28 650 C2). It is more customary to apply an additional ionization source in the form of a punctiform deposit of a radioactive material on the inside wall of the insulator in gas-filled overvoltage diverters which are located in a space sealed off against the ionization source in the form of a punctiform deposit of a radioactive material on the inside wall of the insulator in gas-filled overvoltage diverters which are located in a space sealed off against the effect of external light during their operation. Alternatively, the gas filling of the overvoltage diverter may include a radioactive gas (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,715). In order to ensure a very low ignition delay in gas-filled overvoltage diverters in the dark space, the use of an electroluminescent material as an additional ionization source is also known, the electroluminescent material being applied to the inside wall of the insulator as a coating connecting the two electrodes of the diverter (see German Patent No. 43 18 944 C2).

Gas-filled discharge path in a form of a spark gap or an overvoltage diverter


A leader location-determining receiver determines a leader location of a lead vehicle. A follower location-determining receiver determines a follower location of a follower vehicle, which has a container for storing a material. A data processor or position module calculates an observed relative position between the lead vehicle and the follower vehicle. Target relative positions are established between the lead vehicle and the follower vehicle. A data processor or selector selects a preferential one of the established target positions. A data processor or adjuster adjusts the observed relative position of the follower vehicle to achieve the selected preferential one of the established target positions.

A lead vehicle may harvest or collect material (e.g., harvested crop, grain, ore, mined materials, or other material) that is loaded into a follower vehicle that follows the lead vehicle. If the lead vehicle and the follower vehicle are manned and both moving, the operators may attempt to coordinate the relative positions of the vehicles to facilitate loading of a container associated with a follower vehicle. However, it may prove extremely difficult to coordinate the relative positions of the moving vehicles with accuracy because of potential variations in the positions of each vehicle, for instance. Accordingly, there is need to coordinate automatically the speed and position of the lead vehicle and a follower vehicle.

Method and system for controlling the loading of a container associated with a vehicle


According to one embodiment, a cooling device includes a heat diffusion plate, a heat receiving portion, a heat sink and a heat pipe. The heat receiving portion is provided on the heat diffusion plate and thermally connected to an object to be cooled. The heat sink is provided on the heat diffusion plate, and it releases the heat of the heat receiving portion to outside. The heat pipe has a first end portion to be connected to the heat receiving portion and a second end portion located on an opposite side to the first end portion and to be connected to the heat sink.

1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to a cooling device that can cool an object, and an electronic device that including the cooling device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2002-118388, for example, discloses a cooling device used to cool down circuit parts in the housing of a portable computer. The cooling device includes a base member formed on a sheet metal, a heat pipe mounted on the base member, a fin mounted on the base member, that radiates the heat of the heat pipe, a fan unit that cools down the fin, and a cover member that covers the fan unit from above. The heat pipe is thermally connected to the fin by its one end, and it is also thermally connected to the circuit parts by its mid portion. The base member and cover member together as an integral unit constitute a duct, which forms a flow path of air supplied by the fan unit. The base member has a linear groove section formed by, for example, bending carried out a plurality of times. The heat pipe is provided in the groove section. In this manner, the inner surface of the base member is flushed with the exposing surface of the heat pipe. Further, the fan unit is mounted on the upper side of the heat pipe.
In this cooling device, the heat generated from the circuit parts is propagated to the fin via the base member and heat pipe. On the other hand, the air supplied from the fan unit is guided by the base member to the fin. The heat propagated to the fin is released to the atmosphere by this air flow. With the structure in which the inner surface of the base member and the exposed surface of the heat pipe are flushed with each other, the generation of a turbulent flow can be prevented, and thus the air flow can be smoothed during this process.
In the meantime, Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 11-274779 discloses an other example of the cooling device, which will now be described. This cooling device includes a heat pipe and two plates between which the heat pipe is interposed. The plates abut on the electronic parts so as to be able to absorb the heat generated from the electronic parts. For the other sections of the plates, a fan unit is provided to release the heat of the plates to the atmosphere by the fan unit.
However, the cooling device disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-118388 requires the bending to be carried out onto the base member a plurality of times, which complicates the manufacturing process. Further, the heat pipe is thermally connected to the circuit parts by its mid portion, and therefore the heat transmitted from the circuit parts is propagated towards both end of the heat pipe. The portion of the heat that is propagated towards the fin is released to the atmosphere outside the housing. However, the portion directed towards the opposite end to the fin is never released to the atmosphere, and therefore it undesirably increases the temperature inside the housing. Further, the fan is mounted on an upper side of the heat pipe. With this arrangement, the thickness of the cooling device is increased, which undesirably blocks the thinning of portable computers.
The cooling device disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 11-274779 does not have such a structure that heat transmitted from circuit parts is propagated to the fan via a heat pipe, and therefore the heat conductivity may not be fully exhibited.


A retort system for heating product to a specified temperature for sterilization is provided. The system includes a vessel having an associated heating system. A frame within the vessel for securing the baskets during reciprocation of the baskets may include a progressive latch mechanism. A roller arrangement for supporting baskets within the vessel may include both a plurality of transfer rollers and a plurality of support rollers.

To sterilize many foods, pharmaceuticals and other products, to make them "shelf-stable," the products are subjected to a sterilization method by heating the food in its sealed container to a predetermined temperature. The product is held at this temperature for a product specific duration. This process is commonly referred to as an autoclave process, retort process or a sterilization process.
It is known to reciprocate product back and forth within the retort during the sterilization process by actually moving part of the internal retort structure that supports and secures the product baskets. In retorts in which multiple product baskets are loaded into the retort end to end along a reciprocating axis of the retort, it can be difficult to remove all slack, gaps or play between the product baskets prior to closing the retort door and beginning the retort process. When the reciprocating process begins the momentum of the product baskets tends to cause the product baskets to become more tightly compacted against each other in the reciprocating direction, creating the potential for gaps to form at opposite ends of the basket set between the basket set and the basket holding structure. These gaps form at the end of each stroke of reciprocation and can create an undesired level of force and vibration when the basket set shifts relative to the internal retort structure that is also moving. Specifically, the moving mass of the product baskets can be caused to slam against end located stop structure at the end of each stroke. Because the basket loads tend to be quite large, the impact created can be quite large. Supporting the baskets on roller supports during such movement while at the same time preventing lateral shifting of the baskets can also be difficult.
Accordingly, what is needed is a mechanism that can help eliminate gaps created by the reciprocating process. It would also be advantageous to provide a roller support system particularly adapted to improve loading, unloading and reciprocation of multiple basket loads.

Retort with progressive latch, roller support arrangement and method and system for reciprocation of loads