In a device for controlling a focus to an optical disc having a land section and a groove section, the control is performed so as to avoid a focus step difference at a land-area/groove-area switching point.

In recent years, the number of recorder devices using recordable optical discs has been rapidly increased, and such recorder devices have come to be adopted not only for domestic applications but also for mobile fields. Further, as one of the conventional recordable optical discs, there is a phase change type disc (hereinafter referred to as "DVD-RAM") which can record data in both lands and grooves, and also development of mobile devices adopting such phase change type disc recording apparatus has been accelerated.
Hereinafter, a focus control in the conventional DVD-RAM recording device will be described.
A DVD-RAM medium is constituted having lands and grooves, and the optimum focus positions for the land and the groove are different from each other due to such as a step difference between them. So, in the conventional DVD-PAM recording device, the optimum focus positions as the jitter best positions are learned for the land and the groove, respectively, and the focus control is performed with switching the offset values thereof at the boundary between the land and the groove, thereby performing recording and reproduction (refer to Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2000-155961 (Page 14, FIG. 9).

Focus control device, and optical disc device

Abstract: When performing write-in or readout of data to an optical disc on which a land area and a groove area are continuously formed, using an optical pickup, there are provided a land learning unit (1) for determining a focus position in the land area, a groove learning unit (2) for determining a focus position in the groove area, and a focus position calculation unit (3) for determining a focus position in an area where the land area and the groove area are switched, and the focus position of the optical pickup is moved so that it is located at the third focus position when the switching signal is inverted according to the switching between the land area and the groove area.


System and methods for servicing staggered printheads in an inkjet-imaging device are described. In one aspect, the color inkjet-imaging device collectively moves one or more of the staggered printheads along a single actuation axis from a respective spittoon in a particular service station to a print zone without colliding with any portion of an adjacent cleaning unit.

Good print quality is of considerable importance to the inkjet printer industry and consumers alike. Since images are formed of thousands of individual dots, the quality of the image is ultimately dependent upon the quality of each dot and the arrangement of the dots with respect to one another on the print medium. Even in view of existing techniques that address print quality, there is a continuing need to improve imaging architectures and procedures to provide better print quality in manners that are more efficient.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Single actuation axis printhead cleaner architecture for staggered printheads

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The present invention features a reciprocating wire saw particularly adapted or configured for cutting hard materials. In one aspect, the reciprocating wire saw comprises (a) a flexible wire; (b) a plurality of cutting segments fittable onto the flexible wire, wherein each of the cutting segments comprises an outer surface; and a (c) plurality of superabrasive particles braze bonded onto the outer surface of the cutting segments to form a cutting wire. In another aspect, the reciprocating wire saw comprises a plurality of superabrasive particles braze bonded directly to the wire itself to form a cutting wire. The cutting wire is unique in that it comprises a pre-determined superabrasive particle concentration and is configured to cut various materials, such as granite, in a reciprocating manner.

Several different abrasive-type cutting saws exist in the marketplace, each of which employ one or more abrasive or superabrasive materials, such as diamond, formed on a cutting segment that actually performs the cutting function. These conventional abrasive-type cutting saws include circular saws, frame saws, wire saws, chain saws, band saws, and others. The typical design of these conventional saws is to provide a unidirectional cutting motion, meaning that the cutting segments move only in one direction during the cutting process. This is particularly true when cutting hard materials, such as granite stone or quartzite.
It is well established that unidirectional cutting provides, as one advantage, high speed cutting. Moreover, unidirectional cutting allows the abrasive particles, namely the diamond grit, to be supported by the "bond-tail" of the matrix material left behind during the cutting action. Due to the lack of mechanical support, the abrasive particles or diamond grit will be knocked off easily by the impact force encountered. This is particularly true for those cutting members attached by mechanical means, such as by electroplating with nickel or by sintering with a metal matrix.
In the case of an impregnated diamond bead, placement of the diamond particles on the bead is difficult to maintain due to the physical characteristics of the diamond particles and the way they are mounted onto the bead. This is particularly true if cutting hard rock, such as granite. As such, it is crucial that a remnant of the metal matrix be left behind to reinforce each diamond particle and to maintain its proper placement on the bead during cutting.
With respect to the cutting of hard materials or substances, although unidirectional cutting has the advantage of enabling high cutting speeds and adequate abrasive particle support, there are several inherent deficiencies and limitations to unidirectional cutting. Moreover, unidirectional cutting is currently the only way to cut harder materials. In the case of circular saws and chain saws, the cutting depths are limited by the relative distance between the support or holding elements. In addition, these have a difficult time maintaining a continuously straight cutting path due to the often weak mechanical support from the holding elements. In the case of the band saw, the cutting span is very small. Furthermore, the abrasive particles are typically fixed to the cutting segment by electrodeposition, which is not strong enough to withstand the cutting of hard materials.
Only some of the above-identified abrasive-type saws allow parallel sawing of multiple blades. Chain saws and band saws typically cut with only a single blade, but circular saws and wire saws may comprise a plurality of blades. Of particular note, frame saws are capable of cutting with more than one hundred blades. Consequently, this is the most attractive saw for cutting and slicing large slabs or blocks of material. However, because frame saws move in a bidirectional or reciprocating manner, the "bond-tail" is lost. As a result, frame saws can only cut soft material, such as limestone because of the relatively weak support of the abrasive elements. If a frame saw, with its reciprocating motion, is used on hard material, such as granite, the abrasive cutting segments will fail. In other words, the abrasive particles will be ripped from the cutting segment as their support structure is not able to withstand the acting forces created during the cutting session as the cutting segment is applied to the hard material. Therefore, cutting hard materials remains a difficult task.
The most inexpensive way to cut hard materials is by sawing them with a steel blade frame saw that effectively achieves a grinding effect. During the cutting session, the steel blades are slid back and forth against the material while a slurry of iron grit and lime mud is fed into the cutting groove. The hard material is gradually eroded away by chemical reaction and mechanical abrasion. However, this is an extremely slow process and is also environmentally unfriendly. During operation, the steel blades grind away at the granite until it is cut. To illustrate how slow this process is, it takes four days to slice through 5 m2 of a granite block with a blade of this type. Other problems exist. First, it is difficult to keep the cutting path straight. Second, iron particles may produce stains on the material if the saw is exposed to humid weather for an extended period of time. Each of these lead to a significant amount of post-cut preparation and finishing. Third, because the steel blade is not cutting, but grinding, there is a substantial amount of vibration that can cause the often brittle material to crack. Fourth, the number of slabs that can be produced is limited, thus tipping the supply and demand scale against the consumer. Fifth, the slabs produced are relatively thick, thus limiting their use. For example, it is more desirable to use thin slabs when covering the exterior of a building as thicker slabs are heavy and expensive. Moreover, if the slabs could be cut large and thin, they could be used to replace wood and plastics as decorative coverings or linings. This is not currently possible. Although slow, and although there are several inherent deficiencies, this cutting system and method represents the most viable and economical way of cutting large blocks of hard materials that is available today.
Alternatively, in recent years abrasive-type wire saws have been utilized to slice through and cut granite blocks. Among the several different types of abrasive-type cutting saws, wire saws are a relatively new and unique addition to the family of abrasive-type cutting saws having originated from within the stone quarry industry, wherein the wire saws were created for the purpose of cutting and/or demolishing both stone and concrete in a more precise manner. Since their inception, wire saws have been modified and redesigned to provide specialized cutting in a wide variety of industries. As such, several variations of wire saws exist for use within a number of corresponding applications. As mentioned, one of the more common applications is in the stone cutting industry, wherein wire saws are utilized to cut concrete, stone, and other similar materials. Another common application is in the semiconductor industry, wherein wire saws are utilized to cut a silicon ingot to prepare a large diameter, thin-body silicon wafer used for manufacturing semiconductor devices.
The driving force behind the success of wire saws is the cutting wire itself and the technology used to create the cutting wire. Essentially, a cutting wire comprises a flexible steel carrier cable that is threaded through a series of steel segments or beads to which one or more abrasive materials is bonded or attached. The abrasive segments or beads are often called diamond beads or diamond peals. This is because the abrasive material most commonly used is diamond as it is the hardest and most durable abrasive material available. Indeed, diamond is widely used as a superabrasive on saws, drills, and other devices which utilize the abrasive to cut, shape and/or polish other hard materials. Diamond coated tools are particularly suited for applications where other cutting tools lack sufficient hardness and durability. For example, in the stone industry, diamond cutting tools are about the only type which are sufficiently hard and durable to make the cutting economical. Likewise, in the precision grinding industry, diamond tools, due to their superior wear resistance, are uniquely capable of developing the tight tolerances required, while simultaneously withstanding wear.
Typically, these diamond beads are made of steel cylinders having diamond particles or grits embedded on their exterior. There are several different sizes of diamond beads depending upon the intended application and the object to be cut. The most common sizes range anywhere from 6 mm in diameter to 10 mm in diameter. However, a smaller diameter diamond bead will narrow the kerf and the resulting loss of material than a larger diameter diamond bead.
The diamond beads are mounted in succession onto or about a flexible steel cable so as to be positioned at a fixed distance (e.g., approximately 40 diamond beads per meter) with respect to one another. The positioning of the diamond beads along the cable is pre-determined by the existence of steel, plastic, or rubber spacers lodged between each diamond bead. These spacers also serve as a protective coating for the steel cable, thus preventing its exposure to corrosive elements and prolonging its life.
Currently, there are three basic types of cutting wires. The first comprises a series of electroplated diamond segments or beads with compressed steel spring spacers therebetween. The second comprises a series of impregnated diamond beads, also with compressed steel spring spacers positioned therebetween. The third comprises a series of impregnated diamond beads with injection-molded plastic spacers positioned therebetween. From this, it is apparent that there are also two current primary bonding methods employed for manufacturing the various diamond beads. The method for creating an electroplated cutting wire involves attaching a single layer of diamond to the steel bead using electroplated nickel. The method for creating an impregnated bonding cutting wire involves pressing and sintering a diamond impregnated metal matrix to or around the steel bead, wherein the matrix comprises a blended powder metal alloy and diamond mixture, thus providing multiple diamond layers for more efficient and prolonged cutting. However, both of these types of conventional diamond beads are limited in their cutting ability when applied to hard materials, such as granite stone, as the diamond particles are mechanically coupled and subject to premature failure. Specifically, both the electroplated diamond beads and the impregnated diamond beads, produced as described, are only suited for unidirectional cutting of hard materials, and not for cutting such materials in a reciprocating manner. As discussed above with respect to frame saws, the cutting of hard materials in a reciprocating manner would effectively cause the diamond beads to fail.
Although many different types of wire saws exist, one conventional design that is frequently used to cut concrete, stone, and other hard materials comprises a loop of wire mounted on a series of pulleys, wherein the wire is further coupled to a flywheel that is driven by a hydraulic or electric motor. The wire, having a plurality of diamond beads, moves in a unidirectional, circular motion along its identified course at high speeds to perform the actual cutting function. While these wire saws present an alternative cutting system to the frame saws discussed above, there are still several significant disadvantages, thus they are seldom used. For example, wire saws are extremely expensive to manufacture compared to the lifespan of the cutting wire. In addition, the kerf from current wire saws is much larger than that produced by the frame saws, thus reducing the overall yield. Still further, although advantageous, current abrasive-type wire saws are unable to be operated in a reciprocating manner to produce a bi-directional cutting motion due to the limitations in the mounting of the abrasives. Although abrasives such as diamond have proven to be superior cutting particles, and although abrasive tools have long been used in numerous applications, including cutting, drilling, sawing, grinding, lapping and polishing materials, these have not been successfully utilized in wire saw in a reciprocating manner for the specific purpose of cutting hard materials.

Reciprocating wire saw for cutting hard materials


A filter including a ring of filter media circumscribing a central cavity, an exit passageway downstream of the central cavity and that has an inlet opening disposed within the central cavity, and a hydrophobic foraminous membrane disk that spans the inlet opening for separating water from fuel passing through the hydrophobic foraminous membrane disk.

Diesel engines have become increasingly popular for operating motor vehicles. Although this type of engine provides increased fuel economy over the more traditional gasoline engines, diesel engines are particularly sensitive to contaminates in the fuel oil supply, particularly water mixed with the fuel oil. Water mixed with fuel oil has many deleterious effects on the vehicle engine, and should be separated out for the proper operation of the diesel engine. A filter may be provided downstream (on the pressure side) of a fuel pump to protect downstream components.
Heretofore, filters have used internal support frames with or without coalescer elements to promote coalescence of water droplets that will flow down the internal support frame or drop by gravity to the bottom of the filter where they can be collected, for example, in a collection bowl. While this removes a significant portion of the water from the fuel, some water droplets may become re-entrained in the fuel and thus pass out of the filter with the fuel, particularly when the filter is located on the pressure side of the fuel pump. In the past, secondary coalescing elements have been provided within the interior of the internal support frame to capture these remaining or re-entrained water droplets. These secondary coalescing elements have included an annulus of hydrophobic material. This, however, adds considerable cost given that hydrophobic material is relatively expensive.

Depth coalescing filter with barrier media patch


An assembly comprises a corner block piece and a locating plate. The corner block piece has a node receiving cavity which includes an aperture configured to receive a locking pin. The locating plate includes at least one locking node. The locking node includes a spring-loaded locking pin configured to engage the aperture when the locking node is inserted in the node receiving cavity. The assembly facilitates construction of a portable staging system involving a platform, at least two support legs, and bracing.

In order to create an environment in which spectators may each enjoy a largely unobstructed sightline of an event, staging is erected. Such staging may involve constructing a raised platform for conducting the event, raised or tiered seating for the spectators to view the location of the event, or a combination of both. Both staging approaches involve constructing raised platforms and such construction may be temporary or permanent. Typically, the raised platforms are constructed of modular flooring panels elevated on vertical support legs, or other types of understructure, to provide for optional platform configurations. As with most forms of construction, there are several guidelines and safety requirements that the materials and final product must satisfy.
For example, both modular floor panels and vertical supports of a platform modular floor system must meet certain structural performance requirements. More specifically, a floor system must be capable of withstanding loads and stresses within stated limits. Floor panels, for example, must be able to withstand a concentrated load and rolling load of a specified force applied using a square plate to a 7×7 square inch (177.8 mm×177.8 mm) area of the panel at any location on the panel without failure. Failure is the point at which the panel will no longer accept the load. The floor panels must also not exceed a specified permanent deflection after the concentrated load is removed. Floor panels, along with their supporting understructure for example, must be capable of supporting an impact load dropped from a height of 36 inches (914.4 mm) onto a one square inch area (645.16 mm2), using a round or square indentor, at any location on the panel without failure. A vertical support assembly must sustain an axial load without deforming permanently. Another test for a vertical support assembly involves determining the average overturning moment without deformation when the assembly is supported by a clean, sound, uncoated concrete surface.
Floor systems must satisfy other safety guidelines, such as those directed to natural forces (e.g., earthquakes and fires). With respect to earthquakes, for example, access flooring systems must withstand specified lateral seismic forces. A representative standards setting body for such requirements is the International Conference of Building Officials, which publishes building codes, including codes for specific seismic zones. With respect to fire, floor system components with exposed finishes must meet flame spread and smoke development criteria. Other components, such as support system components, may qualify as noncombustible. A representative standards setting body for such requirements is ASTM International (originally known as the America Society for Testing and Materials), which is another international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services.
Thus, to ensure the safety of end users of an infill platform floor system, several structural and safety performance requirements must be satisfied. These must be met while also providing a system that is durable and convenient to work with, e.g., modular, lightweight, and portable. Common stage systems that include portable components typically require a tedious erection over a long duration with many bulky and heavy components. These systems are typically constructed in their final positions by first erecting the support system and then installing the platforms. The platforms typically attach to the support system with a manual locking system to prevent movement of the platforms once in place. Additional parts, hardware, and tools are commonly required to erect these support systems and platforms. These systems may be particularly useful with respect to sporting event venues, concerts, ceremonies, worship facilities, and performing arts venues.


A manufacturing method of a sunroof apparatus includes a panel drive unit including a first guide rail arranged at each end portion of a roof opening portion, a panel support member configured to displace a movable panel to open and close the roof opening portion in accordance with a movement of a first moving portion, and a shade unit including a second guide rail arranged inward relative to the first guide rail in the vehicle width direction. The first guide rail and the second guide rail are separately provided. The manufacturing method of the sunroof apparatus includes a first process connecting the movable panel to the panel support member, and a second process connecting the first guide rail and the second guide rail to the movable panel after the first process.

A known sunroof apparatus including a movable panel and a roller blind is disclosed in in DE102005030055A (hereinafter referred to as Patent reference 1). The movable panel disclosed in Patent reference 1 moves between an opening position where a roof opening portion is opened and a closing position where the roof opening portion is closed. The roller blind moves between an extended position where the roller blind extends so that light penetrating the movable panel does not reach a vehicle compartment, and a retracted position where the roller blind is retracted so that the light penetrating the movable panel reaches the vehicle compartment.
The sunroof apparatus disclosed in Patent reference 1 includes a guide rail, a first moving portion, a second moving portion, and a panel support member. The guide rail extends in a vehicle front-rear direction. The first moving portion and the second moving portion move along the guide rail. The panel support member supports the movable panel and is supported by the first moving portion. The panel support member is displaced such that the movable panel moves between the opening position and the closing position in response to the movement of the first moving portion in the vehicle front-rear direction. The roller blind moves between the extended position and the retracted position in response to the movement of the second moving portion in the vehicle front-rear direction.
According to the sunroof apparatus disclosed in Patent reference 1, the guide rail is formed such that a groove on which the first moving portion moves and a groove on which the second moving portion moves are arranged next to each other in a vehicle width direction. Accordingly, depending on the shape of a wall portion defining the groove on which the first moving portion moves and the groove on which the second moving portion moves, the wall portion may be an obstacle when the movable panel is fixed on the panel support member.
For example, in a case where a tool for fixing the movable panel to the panel support member interferes with the wall portion, a fixing portion has to be exposed from the wall portion to the extent where the tool reaches the fixing portion fixing the movable panel and the panel support member. That is, in this case, the wall portion is required to include a cutout portion so that the tool reaches the fixing portion, or the movable panel is required to be fixed to the panel support member in a state where the panel support member is displaced upward of a vehicle.
A need thus exists for a manufacturing method of a sunroof apparatus which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.

Manufacturing method of sunroof apparatus


A process chamber having voltage driven electrodes, e.g. plasma chamber, can be made self cleaning of particle contamination by appropriate design of the workpiece or electrode surface to provide protuberances, grooves or tapers thereon which result in a predetermined pattern in the electrostatic potential within the process chamber which can trap particulate contamination in preselected regions within the plasma chamber. These particles can then be channeled out of the process chamber through a pump port.

Effectiveness of plasma etching and deposition in electronic device fabrication is reduced by contamination problems. Particulate contamination is a major problem encountered during plasma processing of microelectronic materials. It is estimated that as much as 50% of current semiconductor chip yield loss may be attributed to direct or indirect effects of particulate contamination during fabrication. This fraction is expected to increase as device dimensions are reduced in future technologies. Particles that reduce process yields today range in size from the macroscopic to the sub-micron size.
Particulate contamination also has an extremely deleterious effect on the performance and reliability of microelectronic devices produced by plasma etching or deposition. Particulate contamination can result in device failure, poor film quality, changes in material resistivity, and impurity permeation. Further, as device dimensions are reduced, tighter control of the etching profile requires ever more stringent restrictions on the allowable particle contamination number, density and size. To meet these requirements, tightly controlled, clean rooms are required to avoid particle deposition on produce surfaces during wafer transport and handling.
Improvements in clean room technology and in the handling of in-process substrates (for semiconductor and other applications) have reduced the once appreciable introduction of particles onto substrates during non-process exposure such as wafer handling and transfer. Particulate formation during process steps, including plasma processing, may now contribute a significant fraction of total contamination exposure with corresponding yield reduction. G. S. Selwyn, R. S. Bennett and J. Singh, "In-situ Laser Diagnostic Measurements of Plasma-Generated Particulate Contamination in RF Plasmas" J. Vac. Sci. Tech. A. Vol. 7 (4), pp. 2758-2765 (Jul./Aug. 1989).
In addition, the industry trend is towards "integrated vacuum processing", or "multi-chamber processing". This means that surface contamination previously removed by wet or dry mechanical means will be more complex or impossible to remedy since it now requires removal of the substrate from the vacuum chamber. In multi-chamber tools, particulates which drop onto a wafer before, during, or at the completion or a process step may have an especially severe impact on subsequent process steps in that tool.
Recent studies in our laboratory have shown that certain etching plasmas can produce particulates which may be a significant source of product contamination and device failure. These experiments have shown that particles can be nucleated, grown and suspended in a process plasma until they are significant in size. Sizes of these particles range from the submicrons scale to hundreds of microns in diameter. In addition, when the plasma is initiated, our studies have shown that particles are transported from the wall regions of the chamber into the central plasma region. The problem is that the particles ultimately fall onto devices being fabricated in the same manufacturing environment. If particles fall before or during film deposition or pattern transfer, they can disrupt the process step. If they fall at the end of a process step, the particulates may disrupt subsequent process steps. These contaminants often produce defects which affect the device yield, performance and reliability. Similar results have been observed in deposition type plasma (PECVD Silane), see R. M. Roth, K. G. Spears, G. D. Stein and G. Wang "Spatial Dependence of Particle Light Scattering in an RF Silane Discharge" App. Phys. Lett., 46(3), 253-255 (1985)).
The effects of particulate contamination can be magnified when selective plasma etching processes are used. Certain plasma etching processes rely on a combination of feed gases and etching conditions to selectively etch material surfaces on the wafer. The chemical formation of particulates which are etching at a slow rate in these highly selective plasmas results in micromasking, or an irregular surface often referred to as "grass". This spike or hill of unreacted material will also degrade the device performance and reduce process yield.
Contrary to common belief, presence of these particulates is not always due to material flaking from chamber walls, but may also be due to gas phase processes such as homogeneous nucleation. This suggests that particle contamination problems may not be eliminated solely by rigorous attention to clean room techniques and frequent cleaning of manufacturing equipment. Instead, since the plasma itself can result in product contamination, this problem may pose a "base level" of contamination even with the higher clean room technology. It is therefore important to develop means to operate the plasma while controlling or eliminating particle formation. Further, techniques are also necessary for removing particles, once present in a process.
Laser-light scattering studies on our laboratory have indicated that the plasma composition and gas flow have a pronounced effect on the formation of particle contamination in etching plasmas. In particular, faster gas flow resulting in shorter residence time in the plasma as well as lower pressures and shorter plasma exposure, all tend to inhibit particle formation in certain plasmas. This suggests a mechanism of nucleation and growth for particle production. Feed gas chemistry also has an important effect on particle formation. Chlorine-containing plasmas are highly prone to particle formation, although non-chlorine plasmas, such as CF.sub.4, can produce particles on a smaller scale. Most important, however, has been the discovery by spatially-resolved laser light scattering experiments, that particle growth occurs primarily at the sheath boundary, and may be confined to a vertical region or less than 1 mm thick.
This same region has been shown experimentally to trap plasma negative ions, resulting in high concentration of plasma negative ions in this region as explained by the reference, G. S. Selwyn, L. D. Baston and H. H. Sawin, "Detection of C1 and Chlorine-containing Negative Ions in RF Plasmas by Two-photon Laser-induced Fluorescence" Appl. Phys. Lett., 51 (12), 898-900 (1987). It has been explained theoretically by the reference: M. S. Barnes, T. J. Colter and M. E. Elta, "Large-signal Time-domain Modeling of Low-pressure FR Glow Discharges" J. Appl. Phys., 61(1), 81 (1987).
Applicant's have discovered that by modifying the surface of an electrode on which a workpiece is disposed or by modifying the surface of the workpiece particles in the plasma chamber can be channeled to predetermined locations in the plasma chamber from where they can be removed. This is achieved by a predetermined pattern of protuberances and filled or unfilled grooves in the electrode or wafer surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,237 to Hinckel et al. describes a plasma reactor for etching and depositing material at an enhanced rate on a semiconductor wafer. The effect is attributed to weakening the electric field outside the regions of the electrode opposite the wafer. The electrode opposite the wafer has holes or apertures which are filled with a dielectric such as quartz. The holes are concentric with respect to the substrates which are being etched or are angular around the electrode. The dielectric insert must be similar in shape to the substrate which is being etched. In contradistinction, the protuberances or grooves which can be filled with the dielectric according to the present invention are not required to be similar in shape with the workpiece substrate. The protuberances or grooves instead provide drainage channels in the equipotential surfaces by which contamination particles can be drained off. The protuberances or grooves of the present invention are generally at the periphery of substrate or between substrates. The Hinckel dielectric insert must be on the electrode opposite the workpiece. In contradistinction, according to the present invention, the dielectric protuberances or dielectric filled groove is generally on the same electrode as the workpiece. The field generated by the Hinckel apparatus is sufficient to intentionally alter the etch or deposition characteristics of the plasma. In contradistinction, according to the present invention, weaker fields are designed not to influence low mass electrons or ions for the purposes affecting the etch or deposition but the much weaker fields are designed to provide a directed radial gradient in the region of the sheath boundary. It is this region in which particles substantially accumulate in plasmas. This gradient affects the motion of massive particles, but has a substantially lower effect on much lighter ion and electrons.
It is an object of this invention to alter the electrostatic potential within a process chamber to selectively collect particles in predetermined regions for subsequently draining them away from the workpiece or out of the processing chamber.
It is an object of this invention to selective alter the electrostatic potential by providing grooves or protuberances or combinations thereof on the surface of the electrode holding a workpiece to be etched or upon which material is to be deposited or from which the material is to be removed or by providing protuberances or grooves on the workpiece itself.

Method and apparatus for contamination control in processing apparatus containing voltage driven electrode

International Business Machines Corporation


The system and method described herein for managing information technology models in an intelligent workload management system may include a computing environment having a model-driven, service-oriented architecture for creating collaborative threads to manage workloads. In particular, the management threads may converge information for managing planned changes and recovery processes for version-controlled snapshots of the information technology models. For example, a discovery engine may enrich models of an infrastructure with identity information obtained from an identity vault and the infrastructure itself, and a management infrastructure may then manage planned changes to the infrastructure model. In particular, the management infrastructure may construct implementation plans that coordinate interaction between managed entities to implement the planned changes, and may further detect drifts between operational states and planned states for the infrastructure models.

"Cloud computing" generally refers to a computing environment with dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources, which are typically provided as services over the Internet. For example, cloud computing environments often employ the concept of virtualization as a preferred paradigm for hosting workloads on any appropriate hardware. The cloud computing model has become increasingly viable for many enterprises for various reasons, including that the cloud infrastructure may permit information technology resources to be treated as utilities that can be automatically provisioned on demand, while also limiting the cost of services to actual resource consumption. Moreover, consumers of resources provided in cloud computing environments can leverage technologies that might otherwise be unavailable. Thus, as cloud computing and cloud storage become more pervasive, many enterprises will find that moving data center to cloud providers can yield economies of scale, among other advantages.
However, while much of the information technology industry moves toward cloud computing and virtualization environments, existing systems tend to fall short in adequately addressing concerns relating to managing or controlling workloads and storage in such environments. For example, cloud computing environments are generally designed to support generic business practices, meaning that individuals and organizations typically lack the ability to change many aspects of the platform. Moreover, concerns regarding performance, latency, reliability, and security present significant challenges, as outages and downtime can lead to lost business opportunities and decreased productivity, while the generic platform may present governance, risk, and compliance concerns. In other words, once organizations deploy workloads beyond the boundaries of their data centers, lack of visibility into the computing environment may result in significant management problems.
While these types of problems tend to be pervasive in cloud computing and virtualization environments due to the lack of transparency, existing systems for managing and controlling workloads that are physically deployed and/or locally deployed in home data centers tend to suffer from many similar problems. In particular, information technology has traditionally been managed in silos of automation, which are often disconnected from one another. For example, help desk systems typically involve a customer submitting a trouble ticket to a remedy system, with a human operator then using various tools to address the problem and close the ticket, while monitoring systems that watch the infrastructure to remediate problems may remain isolated from the interaction between the customer and the help desk despite such interaction being relevant to the monitoring system's function.
As such, because existing systems for managing infrastructure workloads operate within distinct silos that typically do not communicate with one another, context that has been exchanged between two entities can often be lost when the workload moves to the next step in the chain. When issues surrounding workload management are considered in the context of business objectives, wherein information technology processes and business issues collectively drive transitions from one silo to another, modern business tends to move at a speed that outpaces information technology's ability to serve business needs. Although emerging trends in virtualization, cloud computing, appliances, and other models for delivering services have the potential to allow information technology to catch up with the speed of business, many businesses lack the knowledge needed to intelligently implement these new technologies.
For example, emerging service delivery models often lead to deployed services being composed and aggregated in new and unexpected ways. In particular, rather than designing and modeling systems from the ground up, new functionality is often generated on-the-fly with complex building blocks that tend to include various services and applications that have traditionally been isolated and stand-alone. As such, even though many emerging service delivery models provide administrators and users with a wider range of information technology choices than have ever before been available, the diversity in technology often compounds business problems and increases the demand for an agile infrastructure. Thus, despite the advantages and promise that new service delivery models can offer businesses, existing systems tend to fall short in providing information technology tools that can inform businesses on how to intelligently implement an information technology infrastructure in a manner that best leverage available technology to suit the particular needs of a business.

System and method for managing information technology models in an intelligent workload management system


A hydraulic engagement apparatus for automatic transmissions includes a high clutch and a reverse clutch disposed adjacent to each other so as not to axially overlap with each other, each clutch including drive plates engaged with an inner surface of a clutch drum. When engaged, the high clutch and the reverse clutch serve to transmit rotation of an input shaft to a high-clutch hub and a reverse-clutch hub, respectively. A high-clutch piston and a reverse-clutch piston are arranged to axially spaced relative to each other, and to be movable with respect to the drive plates of the high clutch and the reverse clutch.

The present invention relates to a hydraulic engagement apparatus for automatic transmissions.
The hydraulic engagement apparatus arranged in a power transmission serves as a shift element put in engagement or disengagement hydraulically. Conventionally, the hydraulic engagement apparatus comprises a reverse clutch for reverse run interposed between a reverse-clutch drum and a reverse-clutch hub and is put in engagement through a reverse-clutch piston, and a high clutch for overdrive interposed between a high-clutch drum and a high-clutch hub and is put in engagement through a high-clutch piston.
The reverse-clutch hub is fixed to the high-clutch drum, which is directly connected to an input shaft, and the reverse-clutch drum is connected to a sun gear of a front planetary gear, and the high-clutch hub is connected to a pinion carrier of the front planetary gear.
However, the known hydraulic engagement apparatus has the following problems:
1) Due to the structure with two clutch drums and two clutch hubs, the apparatus is large in size in the axial and radial directions, having a disadvantage in weight and space; PA1 2) Due to no existence of a rotary member, which rotates in the same way as the input shaft at the outer side of the apparatus, it is difficult to arrange a turbine sensor for measuring the turbine revolution available to shift control; and PA1 3) When racing the engine at N range with the high clutch seizing, the sun-gear connected members such as reverse-clutch drum and reverse-clutch piston are over-rotated, increasing possible burst of the reverse-clutch drum. That is, with the high clutch seizing, rotation of the input shaft is transmitted to the high-clutch hub through the high clutch, rotating the pinion carrier of the front planetary gear. This produces rotation of the sun gear with the input shaft rotating at increased speed, over-rotating the reverse-clutch drum, etc. connected to the sun gear. PA1 1) Since the reverse-clutch piston also serves as a high-clutch drum, the radial dimension of the apparatus is restricted to decrease the radial dimension of plates of the high clutch, lowering the clutch capacity, i.e., heat and torque capacities of the high clutch; PA1 2) Due to heavy weight of a member disposed inside the reverse-clutch drum, distortion of the drum is easy to occur by a centrifugal force with rotation thereof. Specifically, since, with the reverse clutch engaged, the reverse-clutch piston transmits power to the reverse-clutch drum through the piston stopper, the conventional aluminum-alloy piston is deficient in strength, requiring a material change to iron, resulting in increased weight; and PA1 3) Two splines are needed in inner surfaces of the reverse-clutch drum and the reverse-clutch piston, resulting in increased manufacturing cost. PA1 a clutch drum directly connected to the input shaft; PA1 first and second clutch hubs arranged in said clutch drum, said first and second clutch hubs being separate members, respectively; PA1 first and second clutches, each including plates engaged with an inner surface of said clutch drum, said first and second clutches transmitting, when engaged, rotation of the input shaft to said first and second clutch hubs, respectively, said first and second clutches being disposed adjacent to each other so as not to axially overlap with each other; and PA1 first and second pistons arranged in said clutch drum, said first and second pistons being axially placed on each other, said first and second pistons being movable with respect to said plates of said first and second clutches. PA1 an input shaft; PA1 a clutch drum directly connected to said input shaft; PA1 first and second clutch hubs arranged in said clutch drum, said first and second clutch hubs being separate members, respectively; PA1 first and second clutches, each including plates engaged with an inner surface of said clutch drum, said first and second clutches transmitting, when engaged, rotation of said input shaft to said first and second clutch hubs, respectively, said first and second clutches being disposed adjacent to each other so as not to axially overlap with each other; and PA1 first and second pistons arranged in said clutch drum, said first and second pistons being axially spaced relative to each other, said first and second pistons being movable with respect to said plates of said first and second clutches.
The solution of the above problems is proposed, for example, in the document entitled "Advanced Shift Control Technology on Newly-developed Automatictransaxle" published in May, 1995 by the Automotive Technical Society. Specifically, the reverse-clutch piston with piston stopper is arranged to the reverse-clutch drum on the inner-diameter side thereof so as not to rotate relative to the reverse-clutch drum. The reverse-clutch piston also serves as a high-clutch drum.
The high clutch has an input side directly connected to the input shaft through the reverse-clutch piston and the reverse-clutch drum, and an output side connected to the pinion carrier of the front planetary gear through the high-clutch hub. The reverse clutch has an output side connected to the sun gear of the front planetary gear through the reverse-clutch hub.
With this apparatus, the two pistons are axially placed on each other, obtaining reduced axial dimension of the apparatus. Further, the reverse-clutch drum, which rotates in the same way as the input shaft, is disposed at the outer side of the apparatus, enabling easy arrangement of the turbine sensor. Furthermore, only the reverse-clutch hub serves as a sun-gear connected member, so that, even when racing the engine at N range with the high clutch seizing, burst of the reverse-clutch drum can be avoided.
However, the above proposition also has the following problems:
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a hydraulic engagement apparatus for automatic transmissions that can secure required clutch capacity with no distortion of the reverse-clutch drum, nor increase in manufacturing cost and weight.

Hydraulic engagement apparatus for automatic transmissions


Isolated polynucleotides encoding polypeptides having the activity of enzymes in the mevalonate pathway are provided. These sequences are useful for recombinantly producing isoprenoid compounds, such as carotenoids, in particular zeaxanthin. Expression vectors, cultured cells, and methods of making isoprenoid compounds are also provided.

Carotenoids are commercially important C-40 isoprenoid compounds used as nutritional supplements, pharmaceuticals and food colorants for humans and as pigments for animal feed. Currently industrially important carotenoids are produced mainly by chemical synthesis (β-carotene, canthaxanthin and astaxanthin) or extraction from natural sources (lutein from marigold, capsanthin from paprika). Production of carotenoids, however, using microorganisms has been achieved in some cases. For example, β-carotene is produced by fermentation with the fungus Blakeslea trispora (Finkelstein et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,845) or by pond culture using the halotolerant alga Dunaliella salina (Borowitzka, J. Biotechnol. 70, 313-321, 1999). Lycopene production has also been reported in B. trispora (Bernasconi et al., International Patent Application Publication No. WO 00/77234). Astaxanthin is produced by fermentation using yeast (Phaffia rhodozyma, (recently renamed Xanthophyllomyces dendorous)). (Jacobson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,684) or in photobioreactors or open ponds using the alga Haematococcus pluvialis (Lorenz and Cysewski, Trends Biotechnol. 18, 160-167, 1999; Olaizola, J. Appl. Phycol. 12, 499-506, 2000). Such microbial production systems, however, do not produce carotenoids in amounts sufficient for economical industrial scale production.
In the mid-1960's, scientists at Hoffmann-La Roche isolated several marine bacteria that produced the yellow carotenoid zeaxanthin, which has application in poultry pigmentation and the prevention of age-related macular degeneration in humans. One bacterium, which showed promising levels of zeaxanthin production, was given the strain designation R-1512, and it was deposited at the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Manassas, Va., USA) as strain ATCC 21588 (Schocher and Wiss, U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,504). Using the accepted taxonomic standards of that time (classification performed by the Eidg. Technische Hochschule (Zurich) and the National Collection of Industrial Bacteria, Torry Research Station (Aberdeen, Scotland)), the zeaxanthin-producing organism was classified as a member of the genus Flavobacterium, but no species designation was assigned.
An extensive mutagenesis and screening program was subsequently conducted to isolate mutants of R-1512 with higher zeaxanthin productivities. With respect to the presently described work, two such mutants are significant. These mutants, listed in order of their zeaxanthin productivities, are R1534 and R114. A variety of other mutants have been used over the years for biochemical studies of carotenoid biosynthesis (Goodwin, Biochem. Soc. Symp. 35, 233-244, 1972; McDermott et al., Biochem. J. 134, 1115-1117, 1973; Britton et al., Arch. Microbiol. 113, 33-37, 1977; Mohanty et al., Helvetica Chimica Acta 83, 2036-2053, 2000).
The early attempts to develop a commercially viable fermentation process for the production of zeaxanthin using classically derived mutants of strain R-1512 were not successful. However, with the advent of molecular biology, the possibility arose that higher zeaxanthin-producing strains could be developed. The first step in this direction was taken with the cloning and sequencing of the carotenoid gene cluster from strain R1534 (Hohmann et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,087,152 ("Hohmann '152"), which is hereby incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein). Hohmann '152 discloses that the carotenoid genes were functionally expressed in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis resulting in zeaxanthin production in these hosts. Hohmann '152 also disclosed that by modifying the carotenoid gene cluster or by adding a gene from an astaxanthin producing bacterium, it was possible to produce carotenoids other than zeaxanthin (See also Pasamontes et al., EP Application No. 872,554 ("Pasamontes '554")). Moreover, Pasamontes '554 disclosed that carotenoid production was increased in strain R1534 by introducing cloned carotenoid gene clusters on a multi-copy plasmid.
Despite the enormous structural diversity in isoprenoid compounds, all are biosynthesized from a common C-5 precursor, isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP). Up until the early 1990's it was generally accepted that IPP was synthesized in all organisms via the mevalonate pathway (FIG. 1A), even though some experimental results were not consistent with this biogenic scheme (Eisenreich et al., Chemistry and Biology 5, R221-R233, 1998). The discrepancies have since been reconciled by the discovery of an alternate pathway of IPP biosynthesis, the deoxyxylulose (DXP) pathway (Note: The alternate pathway of IPP biosynthesis has been referred to by various names in the scientific literature (DXP pathway, DOXP pathway, MEP pathway, GAP/pyruvate pathway and the non-mevalonate pathway). We use the name DXP pathway here only for the sake of simplicity). The first five reactions of the DXP pathway have been identified (FIG. 1A) (Herz et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 97, 2486-2490, 2000), but the subsequent steps leading to formation of IPP have not yet been elucidated.
McDermott et al. (Biochem. J. 134, 1115-1117, 1973) and Britton et al. (J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Comm. p. 27, 1979) showed that crude extracts of zeaxanthin producing mutant strains derived from the original Roche isolates incorporated labeled mevalonate into zeaxanthin. While there was no reason to question this evidence for IPP biosynthesis via the mevalonate pathway, the work was done prior to the discovery of the DXP pathway, and it has been reported that some bacteria (Streptomyces species) possess both pathways for IPP synthesis and that expression of these pathways is temporally regulated (Seto et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 37, 7979-7982, 1996; Dairi et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 262, 957-964, 2000.). In addition, at present, only a small number of eubacteria have been shown to possess the mevalonate pathway for IPP synthesis. The genes encoding the enzymes of the mevalonate pathway have been cloned and sequenced from some of these bacteria. (Wilding et al., J. Bacteriol. 182, 4319-4327, 2000 and Takagi et al., J. Bacteriol.; 182, 4153-4157, 2000).
Several examples exist where the application of metabolic engineering has succeeded in altering or improving carotenoid production in microorganisms (Lagarde et al., Appl. Env. Microbiol. 66, 64-72, 2000.; Wang et al., Biotechnol. Bioeng. 62, 235-241, 1999; Wang et al., Biotechnol. Prog. 16, 922-926, 2000 (and references therein); Sandmann et al., Trends Biotechnol. 17, 233-237, 2000; Misawa and Shimada, J. Biotechnol. 59, 169-181, 1998; Matthews and Wurtzel, Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 53, 396-400, 2000; Albrecht et al., Nature Biotechnol. 18, 843-846, 2000; Schmidt-Dannert et al., Nature Biotechnol. 18, 750-753 2000). For example, E. coli, a non-carotenogenic bacterium, can be engineered to produce carotenoids by introducing the cloned carotenoid (crt) genes from the bacteria Agrobacterium aurantiacum, Erwinia herbicola or Erwinia uredovora (Misawa and Shimada, J. Biotechnol. 59, 169-181, 1998). Harker and Bramley (FEBS Lett. 448, 115-119, 1999) and Matthews and Wurtzel (Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 53, 396-400, 2000) disclosed that carotenoid production in such engineered E. coli strains could be increased by over-expressing the gene coding for 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXPS), the first enzyme in the DXP pathway (E. coli possesses only the DXP pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis and does not use the mevalonate pathway (Lange et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 97, 13172-13177, 2000)). Harker and Bramley (FEBS. Lett., 448, 115-119, 1999) also disclosed an increase in the isoprenoid compound ubiquinone-8, in the cells overproducing DXPS. These results supported the hypothesis that limited availability of IPP, resulting from insufficient in vivo activity of DXPS, was limiting the production of carotenoids and other isoprenoid compounds in the engineered strains. Using a similar E. coli system, Kim and Keasling (Biotechnol. Bioeng., 72, 408-415, 2001) disclosed that the combined over-expression of the genes encoding DXPS and the second enzyme of the DXP pathway, DXP reductoisomerase (see FIG. 1A) gave higher carotenoid production than over-expression of just the gene encoding DXPS.
All of these studies were done in E. coli engineered to produce carotenoids. Accordingly, one disadvantage to these studies was that the amount of carotenoids produced by these recombinant E. coli strains were very low compared to the amounts produced by even non-recombinant microorganisms used for industrial production of carotenoids. Furthermore, improved carotenoid production in bacteria by genetic engineering of the IPP biosynthetic pathway has only been shown in organisms that utilize the DXP pathway for IPP formation. No similar studies have been reported for bacteria that produce IPP via the mevalonate pathway.
Metabolic engineering of the mevalonate pathway to improve production of isoprenoid compounds has been reported in yeast. For example, Millis et al. (International Patent Publication No. WO 00/01649) disclosed that production of isoprenoid compounds is increased in Saccharomyces cerevisiae when the gene coding for 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase, refer to FIG. 1A) is over-expressed. However, it has not been shown that this strategy improves isoprenoid production in bacteria, and in particular, it has not been shown that carotenoid production in bacteria can be improved by amplifying expression of mevalonate pathway genes. While it has been shown that some mevalonate pathway genes from eukaryotes (Campos et al., Biochem. J., 353, 59-67, 2001) and from the bacterium Streptomyces sp. strain CL190 (Takagi et al., J. Bacteriol., 182, 4153-4157, 2000) can be expressed in E. coli, no increase in isoprenoid production was reported in the strains.
In addition to the reactions that form IPP (via the DXP or mevalonate pathways) and the reactions that convert farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) to various other isoprenoids (e.g., carotenoids, quinones) (FIG. 1B), two other reactions are known to be involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis. IPP isomerase interconverts IPP and its isomer, dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) (FIG. 1B). Two forms of IPP isomerase exist, the type 1 enzyme is well known in eukaryotes and some bacteria, and the newly identified type 2 enzyme that is FMN- and NADP(H)-dependent (Kaneda et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 98, 932-937, 2001).
Several reports disclose that in E. coli engineered to produce carotenoids, amplification of native or heterologous type 1 IPP isomerase (idi) genes stimulates carotenoid production (Kajiwara et al., Biochem. J., 324, 421-426, 1997; Verdoes and van Ooyen, Acta Bot. Gallica, 146, 43-53, 1999; Wang et al., Biotechnol. Bioeng. 62, 235-241, 1999). In one report (Wang et al., Biotechnol. Bioeng. 62, 235-241, 1999), it was further disclosed that over-expression of the ispA gene, encoding FPP synthase increased carotenoid production in an engineered carotenogenic strain of E. coli when combined with over-expression of the idi and crtE (GGPP synthase) genes. As is the case for the pathway of IPP biosynthesis, however, it has not been shown that over-expression of genes coding for IPP isomerase or FPP synthase improves carotenoid production in a naturally carotenogenic microorganism. Also, the levels of carotenoids produced in the E. coli strains described above are very low, and it has not been shown that these strategies work in an industrial microorganism where carotenoid production was already high.


According to an embodiment, an image processing device includes a generator and a processor. The generator is configured to generate, from a plurality of unit images in which points on an object are imaged by an imaging unit at different positions according to distances between the imaging unit and the positions of the points on the object, a refocused image focused at a predetermined distance. The processor is configured to perform blurring processing on each pixel of the refocused image according to an intensity corresponding to a focusing degree of the pixel of the refocused image.

There are known a light-field camera including a microlens array, camera array, or the like that simultaneously captures a plurality of images of the same object. In each of the images, a slightly different part of the same object, which is slightly shifted from each other, is shown. Thus, it is possible to reconstruct an image focused at any distance designated for the image by shifting and superimposing the plurality of images. Such reconstructed image is referred to as a refocused image.
In the conventional technology, however, there is a problem that variation in pixel values between the superimposed images is large in a region in which non-focused object is imaged, and thus, artifact of a false image shape occurs in the refocused image.

Image processing device, image processing method, and computer program product


A wind power generating system that includes a series of progressively larger fan fans, the fans positioned in series relative to one another such that the blades of the trailing fans project into the wind stream that has been disturbed by the preceding fan and the undisturbed wind stream.

(a) Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a fan system for harnessing wind power. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a system that uses several fans of progressively larger fan diameter that are positioned in series.
(b) Discussion of Known Art
Wind power has long been recognized as a source of reliable, environmentally safe source of power. Accordingly, many devices for harnessing wind power have been developed. One example of these devices is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,142,502 to Donnelly. Donnelly teaches the use of a pair of different sized fans connected in series to one another. The type of fan and arrangement taught by Donnelly was popular in its day, but this design gave way to the use of long blades with airfoil sections. These blades are mounted to a gearbox that is used for transmitting rotational power harnessed through the blades to a generator.
Typically, wind turbines are supported at a considerable height above ground level. The reason for the elevated support is two-fold. First, the blades of the fan are typically very long, in the order of at least fifteen feet per blade. The length of the blade is dictated by the large amount of torque needed to turn the generator connected to the blade. Second, in order to obtain the full use of the blades, the fan must be position at a sufficiently high position above ground to position the blades in the wind stream that is relatively unaffected by the ground.
The placement of the blades at a high location above ground requires the use of a tall tower, which must be capable of resisting very large bending moments created by the wind forces on the fan at the top of the tower. These bending moments have made the creation of lightweight towers a problem that is seemingly impossible to solve. Thus wind power generation stations have been confined to being large permanent installations that include towers made from reinforced concrete or heavy gage steel construction.
The weight associated with the towers has made portable wind power generation stations unfeasible. Portable wind power generation stations are highly desirable due to the fact that the direction of prevailing wind in an area is not constant. Thus, a wind power generation system, or fan farm, may provide optimal performance during certain months of the year, and provide inefficient results during other times of the year. This variation in efficiency is due to the fact that, while the blades and generator assembly may rotate in order to align the assembly with the wind, the fixed position of the various fan installations causes some installations to remain in a wind shadow behind other fan installations.
Thus, in order to provide efficiency to the installations on a fan farm, it would be advantageous to be able to provide a wind power generation system or fan system that is portable, so that the alignment and arrangement of the individual fan stations may be rearranged in the field to allow the placement of these stations to be optimized.
Still further, there remains a need for a wind power generation system that reduces the bending moment created on the support structure, while still harnessing the torque required to rotate the generator. Thus, there remains a need for a wind power generation system that allows the support of the fan blades with a light-weight, efficient structure.
There remains a need for a wind power generation system that can use small amounts of wind to rotate large fans.


A lens assembly includes a barrel having an object-side opening and an image-forming-side opening. The barrel further has a positioning section that positions an image-forming-side surface of a lens by having line contact around an optical axis at a center. The positioning section is disposed at a position that is closer to an object side than the image-forming-side opening of the barrel is. The barrel also has an image-forming section that extends from the positioning section to a center of the optical axis along the image-forming-side surface of the lens and forms an edge of the image-forming-side opening of the barrel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens assembly equipped with an image-forming optical system and to an image-taking apparatus provided with the lens assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, automobiles have been provided with cameras. Meanwhile, nowadays, automobiles are equipped with display screens thanks to the widespread use of car navigation systems. Therefore, many of cameras installed in automobiles can display the state of a blind spot for a driver on a display screen provided in front of the driver's seat.
Incidentally, automobiles may be left outdoors in hot summer and in freezing winter and therefore, a camera installed in an automobile is required to operate properly over an extremely wide range of temperatures. In order to guarantee the proper operation of a vehicle-mounted camera, a lens assembly employed in such a camera needs to be not only lightweight and robust as generally required, but also resistant to stretching and shrinking with temperature for the purpose of preventing the occurrence of a blur due to a change in temperature. To meet these needs, ceramic barrels have been devised (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publications No. 2006-284991 and No. 2006-292927). Also, the inventors of the present application have proposed to apply porous ceramic to an optical component (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-238430). The porosity of the porous body described in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-238430 is equal to or more than 10%.
However, the porous ceramic is prone to chip, which is a drawback that needs to be overcome.
Here, how such a drawback appears when the porous ceramic is used in a barrel will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a lens assembly to be applied to a vehicle-mounted camera, and FIG. 2 is a diagram for describing the state of a defect that has occurred at the time of assembling the lens assembly. Further, FIG. 3 is a diagram for describing the structure of a positioning section different from a positioning section shown in FIG. 1.
First, the structure of the lens assembly will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 1.
A lens assembly 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is provided with a barrel 10, and the barrel 10 has a hollow part 100 having an object-side opening 101 and an image-forming-side opening 102. Formed on an object-side periphery of the barrel 10 is a male thread SR1. From the object-side opening 101, lenses L1 trough L4 and spacing rings SP1 through SP3 are inserted while being aligned along the optical axis. These elements L1 through L4 and SP1 through SP3 may be collectively referred to as optical members. In this example, as shown in FIG. 1, the lenses L1 trough L4 and the spacing rings SP1 through SP3 are alternately disposed and sequentially inserted into the hollow part 100 of the lens barrel 10.
Furthermore, the lens assembly 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is provided with a pressing ring 11 that fixes the optical members L1 through L4 and SP1 through SP3 inserted into the hollow part 100 of the barrel 10, by pressing these optical members from the side where the object-side opening 101 is formed. The pressing ring 11 has: a mounting opening 110 into which an object-side part of the barrel 10 is inserted; and an optical opening 111 for making a central part of the lens L1 exposed. Among the optical members inserted into the barrel, the lens L1 is the one disposed at the position closest to the object. Formed on an inner wall on a mounting opening side of the pressing ring 11 is a female thread SR2 in which the male thread SR1 is engaged. When the male thread SR1 is engaged in the female thread SR2, the edge of an object-side surface of the lens L1 disposed at the position closest to the object on the object side is pressed by the pressing ring 11.
The lens assembly 1 shown in FIG. 1 is assembled by using the pressing ring 11 that presses the lenses L1 trough L4 and the spacing rings SP1 through SP3 in the barrel 10 toward the image-forming-side opening.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, the positioning section 103 positions an image-forming-side surface of the lens L4 disposed at the outermost position on the image-forming side, by having line contact around the optical axis at a center. The positioning section 103 is provided at a position in which the image-forming-side opening 102 is formed, so that the positioning section 103 can serve as a stopper for eliminating unwanted light. In other words, the positioning section 103 forms the edge of the image-forming-side opening 102. For this reason, the positioning section 103 is formed to have an acute angle in cross section including the optical axis, as illustrated in part (b) of FIG. 1.
Thanks to this structure, after the lens L4 located at the outermost position on the image-forming side is accurately positioned by the positioning section 103, the remaining lenses L1 through L3 are sequentially positioned by following the positioned lens L4. However, since the porous ceramic has such a drawback that it is liable to chipping as described above, the positioning section 103 illustrated in FIG. 1 may chip as well during assembly. Once such chipping occurs, not only the commercial value in view of the appearance is lowered, but also the quality of a shot image is reduced because incident light diffuses at a chip and a part of the incident light enters the shooting angle. In addition, such a chip may cause the lens L4 to lean without being precisely positioned, impairing the image.
FIG. 2 illustrates the state of a defect that has occurred when the porous ceramic is used for the barrel, and shows the state where many chips 1031 have appeared in the positioning section with the acute angle. In order to prevent these chips 1031 from being formed, it is conceivable to reinforce the positioning section. For example, a thick positioning section 103A can be formed by utilizing the technique of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-279557 as illustrated in FIG. 3. However, the positioning section 103A has such a drawback that subject light reflects at a portion 1031A and enters a shooting angle thereby lowering the quality of a shot image as in the case in which a chip is formed. For this reason, it is necessary to make the positioning section have an acute angle like the positioning section 103 illustrated in FIG. 1, while preventing a chip.
The drawback of the porous ceramic barrel has been described so far. However, even when a barrel is produced using ordinary non-porous ceramic, chipping may similarly occur, although this barrel may be stronger than the porous ceramic barrel. Alternatively, it is conceivable to employ a barrel made of, for example, plastic, by designing the barrel that can resist stretching and shrinking with temperature. The barrel made of plastic is free from a problem of a chip unlike the ceramic barrel. Instead however, the barrel made of plastic has such a drawback that when it is used as a material of the positioning section 103 illustrated in FIG. 1, the positioning section 103 is deformed when pressed by the lens L4, shifting the positions of the lens L4 as well as other lenses, thereby failing to realize the initial optical performance.

Lens assembly and image-taking apparatus


The present invention relates to a method for determination of real subsoil composition or structure characterized in that the method comprises: —receiving a model representing the real subsoil, said model comprising at least one parametric volume describing a geological formation in said model, said volume having a plurality of cells; —for each cell in the plurality of cells, determining a quality index (QIcell) function of a respective position of the cell in the geological formation; —receiving a set of facies, each facies in said set being associated with a proportion and a quality index ordering in said formation; —associating a facies to each cell, said association comprising: /a/ selecting a cell with a lowest quality index within cells in the plurality of cells having no facies associated to; /b/ associating, to said cell, a facies with a lowest Quality index ordering within facies of the set of facies for which the respective proportion is not reached in the formation; /c/ reiterating steps /a/ to /c/ until all cells in the plurality of cells are associated with a facies.

The present invention relates to determination of subsoil compositions/property, especially for the use in the hydrocarbon industries.
The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section. Furthermore, all embodiments are not necessarily intended to solve all or even any of the problems brought forward in this section.
In the past, when a subsoil composition should be determined, a same paradigm is used: "the model used for said determination should be meshed before any modeling".
Indeed, for any modeling methods, the meshing is mandatory.
Nevertheless, it is well known that this meshing prior to any modeling has several drawbacks as the size of the meshes, the orientation of the meshes, the number of the meshes induce bias in the modeling.
For instance, this meshing prior to any modeling cannot take into account the sedimentary bodies of the subsoil which will be identified during the modeling phase.
It is noted that the accurate determination of the subsoil composition and structure is a key feature for determining hydrocarbon reservoirs and enabling a proper industrial extraction of hydrocarbons.
In addition, when working with pre-meshed model, it may be difficult to accurately satisfy the well constraints (i.e. log data) as the log data may be transformed with blocking methods to adapt the precision of the log data to the dimension of the cells.
Furthermore, in prior art methods, it may be difficult to associate the cells with facies or geophysical property as the dimension of the cell does not allow a proper identification of their respective position in the geological formations.

Method for determination of subsoil composition


A reciprocating ocean microstructure profiler includes a first profiler subunit, a second profiler subunit and a central stand. The first profiler subunit is provided with the first buoyancy drive part and the first observation part; and the second profiler subunit is provided with the second buoyancy drive part and the second observation part. Both the first and second buoyancy drive parts are installed with a floating compartment, a drive compartment and a pressure housing each. A top oil bladder is provided in the floating compartment and a bottom oil bladder in the pressure housing. A drive pump assembly and a solenoid valve are installed in the drive compartment. The first and second observation parts are electrically connected to a controller each and each controller is electrically connected to a drive pump assembly and a solenoid valve.

People's understanding and exploration of the ocean can be dated back to the 3rd century BC. Later, pure commercial and expedition voyage, voyage involving scientific meanings and pure scientific investigation based on modern technology follow. Oceanography is an observation-based science and every leap in the process of cognition on the ocean is based on the advent of a new observation method and measuring device. Looking back to the marine observation history, the invention of the acoustic Doppler current profiler enabled people to understand the large-scale circulation structure in the globe; the appearance of the conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) profiler enabled the people to ascertain the large-scale water mass formation and transformation in the entire ocean, the launch of various satellite altimeters enabled the people to make preliminary cognition on meso-scale and small-scale processes in the ocean such as spatial structure and time evolution of meso-scale eddies and internal waves.
Great process has been made in the meso- and large-scale process concerning the research of oceanography but the scientific research of micro-scale has just started. In recently years, the shear, temperature and conductivity probes for high-frequency sampling have been successfully developed, which draws the curtain of the research on ocean micro-scale process. Currently, there are two methods in the measurement of ocean microstructure, namely mooring point measurement method and shipboard vertical profile measurement method. The former only conducts measurement at a specific depth of a fixed position in the ocean and it could contribute to better time-series observation but fails to obtain the characteristics of the vertical structure of the ocean. As for the latter, an oceanographic vessel is used to measure the ocean microstructure from the ocean surface to a specific depth; however, it is impossible to obtain the time variation characteristics of the ocean microstructure and the measurement may be subject to the limitation of some unfavorable factors including ocean conditions and complex site operation, etc. With respect to the research of ocean microstructure, time variation and spatial structure represents two important parameters for describing the characters of the research. Therefore, the ocean micro-scale structure observation device aiming to obtain the changes both in the spatial structure in vertical and time variation is to be urgently developed. In the description or research of ocean microstructure, turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate is an important physical variable. Therefore, the direct and accurate measurement on the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate is of great significance on the transfer and dissipation of the turbulent energy. In recent years, the shear probe for high-frequency sampling is able to accurately measure the turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate but its application is based on either mooring point measurement method or shipboard vertical profile measurement method and fails to realize the integration of both two methods. It can be seen that the shear probe for high-frequency sampling plays an important role in breaking through the bottleneck of ocean microstructure observation, making the observation methods and platform innovated and enabling the organic integration of both platforms above.

Reciprocating ocean microstructure profiler


Shaped elastomer portions are to be produced on an elastomer seal. For that purpose the shaped elastomer portions are provided with a thermoplastic layer, preferably by co-extrusion. The thermoplastic layer is converted into a molten state by heating. The shaped elastomer portions are then pressed against oppositely disposed regions of the elastomer seal and cooled until the thermoplastic layer has hardened again and a fixed bond has occurred on the one hand in relation to the shaped elastomer portions and on the other hand to the elastomer seal.

The invention concerns a process for making an elastomer assembly having an elastomer seal and at least one shaped elastomer portion.
Elastomer assemblies are known from a practical context in the area of vehicle construction, in which shaped elastomer portions and injection-molded portions are assembled to form an elastomer seal, for example a door frame seal. Previously, locally laminated elastomer profile portions have been produced on such elastomer seals, being applied thereto by hand. That procedure results in an elastomer assembly, the manufacture of which is comparatively complicated and expensive as the elastomer seal is generally of great length and is difficult to handle because of its flexibility. Furthermore, close tolerances are required for elastomer assemblies such that manufacturing procedures which were implemented previously by hand are complicated and expensive.
The object of the present invention is to facilitate and improve the production of such elastomer assemblies.
That object is attained by the present invention which provides for a process for making an elastomer assembly having an elastomer seal and at least one shaped elastomer portion, wherein in a step (a) a thermoplastic layer is applied to each shaped elastomer portion. In a step (b) the thermoplastic layer is converted into a molten state by heating. In a step (c) the elastomer seal and the at least one shaped elastomer portion are brought together along the thermoplastic layer, and, in a step (d) after the assembly operation of step (c), the thermoplastic layer is cooled down until the elastomer seal and the at least one shaped elastomer portion are fixedly connected together. The thermoplastic layer which is firstly converted into the molten state and then hardened again by cooling provides for a very firm and secure connection between the shaped elastomer portions and the elastomer seal. In addition this manufacturing procedure is effected in advantageously close production tolerances.
In step (a) above, a main elastomer body of each shaped elastomer portion and the thermoplastic layer can be co-extruded. In accordance with this feature, the subsequent application of an adhesive in an additional working step is avoided and the thermoplastic layer is applied very uniformly and in firmly bonded relationship to the shaped elastomer portion.
Furthermore, in step (a), the thermoplastic layer can be applied only to a first peripheral portion of each shaped elastomer portion. These features are sufficient to subsequently achieve an adequate connection to the elastomer seal.
As another feature, between steps (a) and (b) a textile cover can be applied by a laminating procedure to a second peripheral portion of each shaped elastomer portion. In accordance with this feature, the shaped elastomer portions can be produced in any desired manner by lamination.
Each shaped elastomer portion can be cut to length after step (a) and prior to step (b). Here, the shaped elastomer portions can be inexpensively produced by extrusion and subsequently cut to size.
The invention further provides a process as set forth above wherein between steps (a) and (b) at least a part of the length of the elastomer seal and the at least one shaped elastomer portion are introduced into a holding apparatus, the at least one shaped elastomer portion is lifted from the holding apparatus by a pick-and-place unit and positioned above an associated region of the elastomer seal, a heating apparatus is moved between the elastomer seal and the at least one shaped elastomer portion and heats the same until in step (b) the molten state of the thermoplastic layer is reached, the heating apparatus is then removed and in step (c) each shaped elastomer portion is pressed with its molten thermoplastic layer against the associated region of the elastomer seal by the pick-and-place unit, thereafter cooling in accordance with step (d) and movement of the pick-and-place unit away from the holding apparatus are effected, and then the elastomer assembly in the finished manufactured condition is removed from the holding apparatus. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, only the operation of introducing the elastomer seal and the shaped elastomer portions into the holding apparatus and the operation of removing the elastomer assembly in the finished manufactured condition from the holding apparatus are effected by hand. All other steps in the process are implemented by machine and with a correspondingly high level of precision. This has a highly advantageous effect on the dimensional accuracy and quality of the elastomer assembly. In principle only that part of the length of the elastomer seal which is to be subsequently produced with the at least one shaped elastomer portion is introduced into the holding apparatus. The remaining length of the elastomer seal is put down in a suitable fashion so that it does not interfere with the manufacturing procedure. It is possible in that way in one working operation to produce complete elastomer assemblies for a motor vehicle, for example the right-hand and left-hand door frames and a connecting portion along the windshield.
The invention further provides a process as set forth above wherein between steps (a) and (b) at least a part of the length of the elastomer seal and the at least one shaped elastomer portion is introduced into a holding apparatus in at least one handling station, the holding apparatus is thereafter moved into a processing station, in the processing station the at least one shaped elastomer portion is lifted from the holding apparatus by a pick-and-place unit and positioned above an associated region of the elastomer seal, in the processing station a heating apparatus is moved between the elastomer seal and the at least one shaped elastomer portion and heats the same until in step (b) the molten state of the thermoplastic layer is reached, then in the processing station the heating apparatus is removed and in step (c) each shaped elastomer portion is pressed with its molten thermoplastic layer against the associated region of the elastomer seal by the pick-and-place unit, thereafter cooling in accordance with step (d) and movement of the pick-and-place unit away from the holding apparatus are effected in the processing station, then the holding apparatus with the elastomer assembly in the finished manufactured condition is moved out of the processing station into the at least one handling station, and in said handling station the elastomer assembly is removed from the holding apparatus. The stations make it possible to increase efficiency and output in regard to making the elastomer assemblies.
Two holding apparatuses can be provided, and when one of the holding apparatuses is in the at least one handling station the other holding apparatus is arranged in the processing station. These features result in a further increase in efficiency and output.
The thermoplastic layer can comprise a modified polypropylene, and the thickness of the thermoplastic layer after step (a) can be between 0.1 mm and 0.6 mm, in particular about 0.3 mm. These features afford highly reliable connections between the shaped elastomer portions and the elastomer seal.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for making an elastomer seal and at least one shaped elastomer portion in the form of an elastomer assembly.
That object is attained by an apparatus for making an elastomer assembly having an elastomer seal and at least one shaped elastomer portion, the apparatus having a holding apparatus for receiving at least a part of the length of the elastomer seal and the at least one shaped elastomer portion, a thermoplastic layer facing towards the holding apparatus on each shaped elastomer portion, a pick-and-place unit with which the at least one shaped elastomer portion can be lifted from the holding apparatus and after a heating operation pressed against an associated region of the elastomer seal, and a heating apparatus temporarily movable between the holding apparatus and the pick-and-place unit for implementing the heating operation until the thermoplastic layer is in a molten state. The production procedure which is implemented substantially by machine affords elastomer assemblies of a high level of precision and operational reliability.
A cooling apparatus can be provided for cooling the manufactured elastomer assembly. This feature serves to accelerate hardening of the thermoplastic layer and thus the production of a strong bond between the shaped elastomer portions and the elastomer seal.
The cooling apparatus can be integrated into the pick-and-place unit. This affords a compact and effective cooling apparatus. Cooling already begins while the shaped elastomer portions are still being pressed by the pick-and-place unit against the elastomer seal.
The holding apparatus can have a respective cavity for the elastomer seal and the at least one shaped elastomer portion. In accordance with this feature, introduction of the elastomer seal and the shaped elastomer portions into the holding apparatus is facilitated.
The invention further provides for an apparatus as set forth above wherein there are provided two holding apparatuses, in at least one handling station the elastomer seal and the at least one shaped elastomer portion can be introduced into a first one of the holding apparatuses, the loaded first holding apparatus is movable into a processing station, the pick-and-place unit, the heating apparatus and the cooling apparatus are associated with the processing station, the first holding apparatus with the elastomer assembly in the finished manufactured condition is movable out of the processing station into the at least one handling station for removal of the elastomer assembly, and a second one of the holding apparatuses is arranged in the at least one handling station while the first holding apparatus is in the processing station. Furthermore, two handling stations can be associated with the processing station, the first holding apparatus can be reciprocal between a first one of the handling stations and the processing station, and the second holding apparatus can be reciprocal alternately with the first holding apparatus between a second one of the handling stations and the processing station. These features serve to speed up manufacture.
The holding apparatuses can be arranged on a carriage displaceable between the associated handling station and the processing station. Here, the reciprocating movement can be produced in a simple and precise manner.
In a further feature, the two holding apparatuses are rotatable about a horizontal axis arranged between them, and there is only one handling station. Here the apparatus is particularly compact and can easily be operate by just one operator.
In another feature, the holding apparatuses are arranged diametrically in relation to the horizontal axis and mounted on holding arms rotatably about their horizontal longitudinal axes relative to the holding arms, the holding arms are rotatable about the horizontal axis, and during the rotary movement of the holding arms an upper working side of each holding apparatus is always arranged upwardly. The features represent a structurally particularly advantageous configuration. The upper working side of each holding apparatus can easily always be held at the top for example by a suitable belt drive transmission.
As a further feature of the invention, the processing station is in a substantially closeable working space, and the handling station is arranged outside the working space. This facilitates temperature control, which is optimum for the procedure, in the working space or chamber, without the operator being stressed by virtue of elevated temperatures in the working space.
In another embodiment of the apparatus, a bulkhead is arranged between the holding apparatuses, the bulkhead is rotatable about the horizontal axis synchronously with the holding arms, and when the holding apparatuses are in the processing station and in the handling station the bulkhead seals off an opening in a wall of the working space. This ensures that the working space is adequately sealed off relative to the exterior during the working operation. In that way, there cannot be either unwanted heat losses out of the working space nor unwanted adverse effects due to draft into the working space.
In yet another embodiment of the apparatus the elastomer seal and the at least one shaped elastomer portion are arranged in mutually juxtaposed relationship in the holding apparatus, and besides a lifting movement the pick-and-place unit can also perform a lateral movement relative to the holding apparatus in order, prior to the at least one shaped elastomer portion being pressed against the elastomer seal, to orient the at least one shaped elastomer portion which has been lifted from the holding apparatus in aligned relationship with its associated region of the elastomer seal. This results in highly accurate alignment of the shaped elastomer portions with the elastomer seal before they are pressed together with the thermoplastic layer in the molten state.

Process for making an elastomer assembly

Meteor Gummiwerke K. H. Bxc3xa4dje GmbH and Co.