An improved surgical drain tube 10 having an internal passageway 12, a plurality of portions 14 of the external wall of the tube extending outwardly and being arranged in opposing pairs, the walls of the outwardly extending portions forming the sidewalls 14A, 14B, 16 of external channels 18 that run longitudinally along the length of the tube, and crossholes 20 positioned on the sidewalls of the outwardly extending portions 14 that provide for fluid flow from the channel 18 into the internal passageway 12 of the tube.

Surgical invasion of the body generally results in trauma and to an accumulation of fluids from the traumatized tissue itself or from the circulatory system. To avoid the build-up of pressure and to minimize the danger of infection, it is desirable that such fluids be removed from the surgical site. Accidentally inflicted wounds also are subject to similar fluid build-ups, and will heal faster if the excess fluids are drained and are prevented from re-accumulating. In such cases, it is common practice to install a drain tube designed for this purpose, and to leave this tube in place to provide for continuous fluid removal until the accumulation has abated.
A variety of drainage tubes or catheters have been devised for removing excess fluids from postsurgical sites or wounds. Such drains often employ external grooves to collect the fluids, or contain perforations through which fluids can enter a central passageway that carries the fluids away from the site. In many cases, suction is applied to the external end of the tube to aid in the fluid removal. One problem with existing drainage tubes and catheters is that when a drainage device is left in place for any length of time, tissue often grows into the drain, especially into its perforations, thus hindering and rendering very painful the drain's eventual removal from the body. Thus, an optimal drain design is one that efficiently removes unwanted fluids, but that minimizes the tendency of tissues to grow into the drain. Previous drain designs have approached these goals in different ways.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,414 provides a drain having a circular internal passageway and several externally extending portions whose walls curve inwardly to form a number of relatively small external lumens that run lengthwise along the external surface of the drain. The curved walls forming the lumens do not quite meet, thus providing a groove-like opening into which fluid can enter. The drain itself is interrupted by several perforations that are large enough to intersect more than one of the external lumens, and that provide a means for fluid enter the central passageway.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,463 describes a tube for surgical drainage that has an internal passageway formed in a clover-leaf cross-section, and that has an external channel formed by outwardly extending portions of the tubing wall that curve towards each other to form the channel. Perforations located at the bottom of the external lumen connect the lumen with the internal passageway to provide for fluid flow into the internal passageway of the tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,965 discloses a drain tube with smooth exterior walls and having two lumens, and which is perforated at one end. This drain features an antibacterial filter and a check valve that are mounted in-line within the second lumen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,089 provides a drain consisting of a thick walled tube having two closed lumens situated entirely within the wall, one of which is used for feeding fluids into the body or wound, the other of which is used for aspiration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,935 describes an aspiration cannula assembly for use during heart surgery in delivering cardioplegic fluid to and aspirating air from the aorta. The device provides an inner cannula for delivering fluids, which is enclosed within an outer cannula that has a plurality of holes through which air can be aspirated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,481 describes a wound drain catheter having a drain segment, a transition tube segment, and an extrusion tube segment. The drain segment lacks a central passageway, but provides several external longitudinal channels that are formed by outwardly projecting extruding portions of the tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,897 discloses a surgical drain catheter that has a central passageway and one or more external slots or lumens that extend longitudinally along the catheter. Perforations located at the bottom of the external lumens connect them to the central passageway of the main tube to provide for fluid flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,527 discloses a surgical drain comprising inner and outer tubes, one within the other, which are arranged so that fluid can be introduced through one tube into the body cavity while suction is simultaneously applied to remove excess fluids from the site through the other tube. The inner wall of the outer tube is equipped with inwardly extending ribs to prevent its collapse against the inner tube. Both the inner and outer tubes are perforated to allow for the flow of fluids.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,641 discloses a catheter having multiple internal lumens that provide a principal channel and one or more secondary channels, with an opening through the sidewall of the catheter at the proximal end to provide access to the secondary channel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,020,913 discloses a surgical drain comprising a flexible tube with an inner and outer wall. An inlet means is provided by holes between the two walls, which connect the passage to the outside of the tube at one location to let fluid drain into the passage. The outlet means comprises an axial slit that extends through the tube between the walls, and is designed so that the slit is closed when the tube is compressed on both walls. Thus, the slit will open to let fluid escape from the passage when the pressure inside the passage exceeds the external pressure on the outside walls of the tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,596,754 describes a surgical drain designed to resist collapsing by virtue of two pair of internally located ribs that run longitudinally inside the internal passageway of the smooth-surfaced drain tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,930,378 describes an abdominal drain tube, closed at one end, consisting of flexible inner and outer tubes, one running within the other, both tubes being perforated.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,045,326 discloses a flexible irrigating catheter closed at one end and designed for introducing fluids into body cavities, and for causing a return flow of the irrigating liquid on the exterior of the catheter. This catheter has an internal passageway and also has external open U-shaped channels arranged longitudinally along its exterior surface, the channels being designed to provide for the return flow of the irrigating fluid. Perforations situated at the bottoms of the open channels connect the channels with the internal passageway.
Despite the above-described approaches to providing drains or catheters for removing excess fluid from the body, there has remained a need for new and improved methods for such drainage, particularly methods that minimize or eliminate the problem of occlusion of the drain by debris in a wound or the ingrowth of living tissue surrounding the wound during the time it is left in place.


The invention is directed to an arrangement for providing a reproducible target flow for the energy beam-induced generation of short-wavelength radiation. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for providing a reproducibly supplied target flow for the generation of a plasma that emits short-wavelength radiation which ensures a high directional stability of the target flow over a large number of individual plasma generation process for any target materials under given process conditions. According to the invention, this object is met in that a nozzle protection device is provided in the interaction chamber between the target nozzle and the interaction point for the generation of the plasma, and the nozzle protection device contains a gas pressure chamber which has an aperture along the target path for unobstructed passage of the target flow and which is filled with a buffer gas that is maintained at a pressure of some 10 mbar.

a) Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to an arrangement for providing a reproducible target flow for the energy beam-induced generation of a plasma that emits a short-wavelength radiation, in particular for the generation of EUV radiation. It is applied particularly in projection lithography for semiconductor chip fabrication.
b) Description of the Related Art
A radiation source based on energy beam-induced excitation of plasma that is used for applications which are stable over long periods of time, e.g., in semiconductor fabrication for EUV lithography, must have a very durable injection system for providing targets so that the required high directional stability is maintained over a very large number of individual plasma generation processes.
Systematic studies conducted by XTREME technologies GmbH on the operating life of target nozzles have shown that erosion at a nozzle after approximately one million plasma generation processes leads to an unstable target flow. Sputter particles (ions or atoms) that are unavoidably emitted by the plasma along with the desired radiation have been determined as the cause of erosion at the nozzle opening.
In energy beam-induced XUV plasmas (in particular laser-excited EUV plasmas), mass-limited targets, i.e., targets that provide the approximate quantity of atoms that can be excited to radiation in the region of interaction with the energy beam, are used according to the prior art. Mass-limited targets of this kind, which are preferably droplet target flows or jet target flows with a diameter appreciably less than one millimeter (at least in one dimension), have the purpose of minimizing vaporization processes of target material that is not sufficiently excited and minimizing the generation of sputter particles (usually called debris) in the interaction chamber. However, the generation of debris from the plasma cannot be totally suppressed.
In prior art EUV radiation sources, these kinds of sputter effects from the plasma have obviously not yet been investigated in relation to the target nozzle in view of the fact that publications concerning debris reduction are geared exclusively to the operating life of the optics that are employed. For example, WO 99/42904 discloses a filter for protecting collector optics which is positioned between the source and the optics as a honeycomb structure. The interaction of the particles with a background gas results in a retardation of the particles and subsequent condensation at the filter walls. However, since the filter is arranged in the optical light path of the emitted radiation, a sufficiently high degree of transparency must be ensured for the emitted EUV radiation in the interaction chamber over a large solid angle by a sufficiently low (vacuum) pressure on the one hand, so that the gas atmosphere in the interaction chamber absorbs as little emitted radiation as possible, and, on the other hand, by minimizing shadows cast by the honeycomb structure of the filter.
As will be shown, solutions are also known from the prior art which have similarities to the present invention, although the teaching according to the invention is not rendered obvious thereby.
US 2003/0223546, for example, describes a pressure reservoir directly around the target nozzle with a buffer gas which serves to generate droplet targets and which especially reinforces the target shaping of xenon droplets. Another surrounding chamber in which the buffer gas can then be sucked out again leads to an acceleration of the droplet targets and regulation of the intervals between the droplet targets. There is no mention of a reaction on the target nozzle.
Further, it has been shown for a radiation source with high average output such as is required in semiconductor chip fabrication that degradation processes likewise occur at the nozzle due to the radiation from the plasma that is absorbed by the nozzle. By degradation is meant both irreversible and reversible thermal changes due to radiation absorption at the nozzle opening which lead—at least temporarily—to an appreciable deterioration in the directional stability of the target jet.
With regard to the set of problems in stabilizing a reproducibly provided, continuous target jet over time, WO 97/40650 discloses a step in which a continuous target jet is provided as a stable target flow for short-wavelength radiation sources. However, the problem of decreasing jet stability due to nozzle erosion over longer operating periods is not examined. Therefore, there is also no indication of suitable countermeasures.
It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for providing a reproducibly supplied target flow for the generation of a plasma that emits short-wavelength radiation which ensures a high directional stability of the target flow over a large number of individual plasma generation process for target materials with any vapor pressure under given process conditions.
In an arrangement for providing a reproducible target flow for the energy beam-induced generation of a plasma emitting short-wavelength radiation, particularly for the generation of EUV radiation in which a target nozzle is provided for introducing target material under pressure into an interaction chamber and in which an energy beam is directed to the target flow at an interaction point in the interaction chamber, the above-stated object is met, according to the invention, in that a nozzle protection device is provided in the interaction chamber between the target nozzle and the interaction point for the generation of the plasma, and in that the nozzle protection device contains a gas pressure chamber which has an aperture along the target path for unobstructed passage of the target flow and which is filled with a buffer gas that is maintained under a pressure at which a sputter particle from the plasma is subjected to at least one thousand collisions with particles of the buffer gas when traversing the gas pressure chamber.
In a pressure range of some 10 mbar, an energy sputter particle already collides with particles of the buffer gas several thousand times over a distance of a few millimeters through the gas pressure chamber and loses several orders of magnitude of kinetic energy. The person skilled in the art will immediately be led to variations of longer gas pressure chambers with lower buffer gas pressures.
The nozzle protection device is advantageously constructed as a sputter protection plate in which the gas pressure chamber is incorporated. The gas pressure chamber has a cylindrical aperture and, radially, at least one channel for supplying the buffer gas.
In a first variant, the sputter protection plate advisably has a plurality of uniformly distributed radial channels as gas feeds for the buffer gas and an annular distribution channel arranged concentrically around the gas pressure chamber. The annular distribution channel connects the radial channels and has at least one gas inlet opening that does not meet one of the radial channels.
In a second variant, the sputter protection plate advantageously has an upper terminating plate and a lower terminating plate, each with an aperture for the passage of the target flow. The terminating plates are connected parallel to one another by an annular distribution channel which has at least one inlet opening for gas supply. The apertures of the gas pressure chamber are advisably arranged in the preferably circular terminating plates as coaxial bore holes.
It has proven advantageous when the nozzle protection device additionally has a heat protection plate with coolant channels or the coolant channels are integrated in the material of the gas pressure chamber as heat protection.
The nozzle protection device with the gas pressure chamber is advantageously arranged in the interaction chamber at a defined distance from the target nozzle.
In another advisable construction, the gas pressure chamber is arranged in the interaction chamber directly around the target nozzle. It is advantageous when the gas pressure chamber is arranged around the opening of the target nozzle by means of an antechamber housing that surrounds the target nozzle in a gas-tight manner. The antechamber housing has an aperture that is centered with respect to the axis of the target flow and has at least one gas feed for providing the buffer gas.
With respect to the injected target flow, a tin is advantageously used as the main target material and can liquefy under necessary defined process conditions. Tin chlorides, preferably tin(IV) chloride or tin(II) chloride in alcoholic or aqueous solution, are particularly suitable for this purpose.
An inert gas is advisably used as buffer gas for generating a partial pressure in the gas pressure chamber. This inert gas can be nitrogen or any noble gas, preferably argon. On the other hand, mixtures of inert gases can also be used, particularly a mixture of noble gases such as helium and neon.
In a particular construction of the nozzle protection device for which target materials with a vapor pressure of >50 mbar are used, the buffer gas in the gas pressure chamber is formed by gaseous target material due to the vaporization of the target flow in the interaction chamber and a partial pressure of some 10 mbar is adjusted due to the flow of vaporizing target material through the gas pressure chamber. This obviates a separate supply of buffer gas.
For this embodiment form of the invention, preferably liquid xenon is injected through the target nozzle as target material.
To support the buildup of pressure through vaporizing target material, the gas pressure chamber advantageously has at least one narrowed aperture for generating a dynamic pressure. The gas pressure chamber is preferably barrel-shaped.
The underlying idea of the invention is based on the understanding that the target nozzle (as well as the collector optics) of a plasma-based radiation source is damaged by debris emission and radiation from the plasma. However, for nozzle protection, in contrast to optics, a high optical transparency is not required. Rather, other parameters apply for optimal protection of the nozzle which merely do not impede or interfere with the liquid target flow. Therefore, the invention does not use a filter, but rather employs a gas pressure chamber which is arranged between the target nozzle and plasma along the target path with an individual aperture and in which the target nozzle is shielded from fast debris particles and from radiation emitted by the plasma by a quasi-statically adjusted, relatively high buffer gas pressure (some 10 mbar compared to the vacuum of less than 1 mbar in the interaction chamber).
The solution according to the invention makes it possible to provide a reproducibly supplied target flow for the generation of a plasma emitting short-wavelength radiation which ensures a high directional stability of the target flow for target materials with any vapor pressure under the respective process conditions over a large number of plasma generation processes and which therefore makes it possible to produce radiation sources with a long operating life.
The invention will be described more fully in the following with reference to embodiment examples.

Arrangement for providing a reproducible target flow for the energy beam-induced generation of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation


An electrochemical capacitor is provided, including an organic electrolyte solution and polarized electrodes immersed in the organic electrolyte solution. As an active substance of the polarized electrodes, the reaction product of an electrochemical reaction of a partially oxidized carbon material that contains fine crystals of graphite-like carbon in an organic electrolyte solution is used. The electrochemical capacitor has a high electrostatic capacity density based on a pseudo-capacity.

The present invention relates to an electrochemical capacitor that exhibits a high electrostatic capacity density based on pseudo-capacity by using a carbon material having fine crystals of graphite-like carbon as a polarized electrode material, and by using a reaction product of an electrochemical reaction as an active material.
An electrochemical capacitor (hereafter called xe2x80x9ccapacitorxe2x80x9d) is used in a backup power source for electronic devices and in batteries for various transport machines such as motor vehicles because of its large farad-class capacity and excellent charge-discharge cycle characteristics. The use in the storage of electric power at nighttime has also been examined from the viewpoint of effective use of energy.
A single electrode cell 10, one of the basic structures of such a capacitor, generally comprises as FIG. 1 shows, a positive-side polarized electrode 24 and a negative-side polarized electrode 26 formed on current collectors 20 and 22 consisting of a metal material, respectively. The polarized electrodes 24 and 26 are separated by a separator 28, and are impregnated with an electrolyte solution consisting of a solvent and an electrolyte.
FIG. 2 shows the structure of a single capacitor cell 12, in which a plurality of single electrode cells 10 are electrically connected in parallel by electrode extensions 30 and 32 formed on current collectors 20 and 22. Such a single capacitor cell 12 is suitably used in a capacitor of a relatively large capacity used for motor vehicles and the like. These single electrode cells 10 and single capacitor cell 12 are both flat plate types, and are characterized in the ease of increasing packing densities and surface areas.
In addition to such a flat-plate type capacitor, there is a winding-type capacitor 70 as FIG. 3 shows. In a winding-type capacitor 70, a wound body 76 fabricated by cylindrically winding a positive electrode sheet 72 comprising a positive-side polarized electrode 24 formed on a current collector 20 and a negative electrode sheet 74 comprising a negative-side polarized electrode 26 formed on a current collector 22 via a separator 28 is used as an electrode body. For example, this wound body 76 is accommodated in a case 78 filled with an electrolyte solution, and the open end of the case 78 is sealed with a seal plate 82 on which electrode terminals 80 are formed, while securing electrical conduction between the electrode sheets 72, 74 and the electrode terminals 80.
As a material of the polarized electrodes for such capacitors, an activated-charcoal-based material that has a specific surface area of 1000 m2/g or more has been used. The major electrostatic capacity produced in such capacitors using activated charcoal is electric double layer capacity. In this case, the electrostatic capacity density is limited to 20F/cc, and the withstand voltage is limited to about 3 V.
In order to further improve the performance of capacitors, a new material for polarized electrodes that has a high electrostatic capacity is demanded, and a capacitor utilizing pseudo-capacity by a redox reaction of a metal oxide such as ruthenium oxide or a conductive high polymers such as polypyrrole is attracting attention.
However, since capacitors that use metal oxides require expensive materials such as ruthenium, and can use only aqueous electrolyte solutions, the operating voltage cannot be elevated. When a conductive high polymer is used, although the withstand voltage can be elevated because an organic electrolyte solution can be used, chemical synthesis is complicated and expensive, and thick films are difficult to form, making an increase in the capacity difficult.
Considering the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a capacitor that exhibits a high electrostatic capacity based on pseudo-capacity, and uses an active substance that can be synthesized at low costs.
According to the present invention, an electrochemical capacitor is provided, comprising an organic electrolyte solution, and polarized electrodes immersed in the organic electrolyte solution, wherein a reaction product formed by an electrochemical reaction of a carbon material that has partially oxidized fine crystals of graphite-like carbon in the organic electrolyte solution as an active substance of the polarized electrodes.
In the electrochemical capacitor of the present invention, the carbon material is preferably an easily graphitizable carbon material that has been heat-treated in an inert gas atmosphere at a temperature between 500xc2x0 C. and 1000xc2x0 C. One of the methods of partial oxidation comprises a heat treatment of the carbon material In the presence of at least one of an alkali metal compound that contains an alkali metal and oxygen in an inert gas atmosphere above the temperature at which a vapor of the alkali metal is generated. Another method of partial oxidation comprises the immersion of the carbon material in an oxidant that forms graphite acid when graphite is immersed therein. Furthermore, heat treatment of the carbon material may be carried out in an oxidizing atmosphere that contains an oxidizing gas at a temperature below the carbonization temperature of the easily graphitizable carbon material.
The electrochemical reaction for generating electrostatic capacity is preferably carried out by immersing an assembly of a sheet-like electrode fabricated using the partially oxidized carbon material, a separator, and a current collector in an organic electrolyte solution to construct a capacitor, and then passing an electric current through the capacitor. In this case, the electrolyte solution used for carrying out the electrochemical reaction may be different from the electrolyte solution that acts as a capacitor.


A method and arrangement for queuing data in a prioritized manner has a queue with a single queue write side in which data entries are input to the queue. The queue also has a plurality of queue read sides, with each read side having a different priority level. An entry exiting from the queue write side is examined to determine the priority level of the entry, and then placed into the queue read side with the matching priority level as the entry. The queue read sides form the output of the queue, and are polled and emptied so that the higher priority queues are emptied completely before emptying lower priority queues.

The present invention relates to the field of temporary data storage, and more particularly, to queues that receive, temporarily store, and release entries in a prioritized manner.
In many types of systems, from simple to sophisticated, entries to the system often cannot be processed through the system immediately. Rather than discard the entries, xe2x80x9cqueuesxe2x80x9d are employed to temporarily hold the entries and release an entry for processing by the system when the system is able to process the next entry. An example of a queue from everyday life is a customer line, at a bank or an airport ticket counter, for example. Typical queues maintain a first-in, first-out (FIFO) ordering of the entries to the queue.
There are many types of electronic data systems in which queues are used. These include microprocessors, memory transfer systems, airline telephone reservation systems, and packet switched networks, for example. In most systems, it is desirable that the queues have low latencies so that processing of an entry is not delayed very long due to delays caused by the queues themselves. A low queue latency means that an entry will flow from the entrance to the queue to the exit of the queue quickly, in comparison to queues with higher latencies. One factor that has a significant impact on the latency of a queue is the length, or capacity, of the queue. The greater the capacity of the queue to store entries, the higher the average latency of the queue.
Many systems carry different types of traffic. Some types of traffic may be considered higher in priority than other types of traffic. For example, video data is typically considered to be a high priority traffic type, since this data must normally be delivered on a high-speed basis with little latency to provide an acceptable video signal at the output device. Other types of data may be considered high priority due to their relative importance, so that discarding of such data due to congestion is to be avoided if at all possible. By contrast, low priority frames do not have as rigid time requirements for arrival at their destinations.
A problem that occasionally occurs in network switches and other devices that receive and forward data is internal congestion, which occurs when the device receives more data than it can transmit. For example, a typical network switch includes at least one output queue that queues frames of data received at the switch for transmission from a switch port. If the output queue becomes full, as may happen when data arrives at the switch faster than it can be forwarded, later arriving frames will be discarded, and the data lost. Systems which have an established priority scheme for data attempt to avoid the discarding of the higher priority data. A common arrangement employs multiple queues, with one queue dedicated for each of the different priority levels. Hence, a high priority frame will be loaded into the high priority queue, while a lower priority frame will be loaded into a lower priority queue. In such arrangements, the high priority queue is serviced and emptied before the lower priority queue is serviced.
The problem with such systems is the large amount of space that is devoted to the queuing structure to provide the multiple priorities. For example, at a single port, where there are three different levels of priority allowed per entry to be queued, three separate queues are employed. This requires dedication of usually precious on-chip space to the multiple queues. The problem is especially felt when the switch or device has multiple ports, for example 28 ports. If three separate queues are provided for each of the ports to support three different levels of priority, 84 queues would be located on the chip, increasing the chip size and cost.
There is a need to provide a queuing structure and a method of queuing that will prioritize traffic in a device in a space and cost-effective manner.
This and other needs are met by embodiments of the present invention which provide a queue that queues and prioritizes entries and has a write side and a plurality of read sides. The queue side forms a queue input at which entries to the queue are received, each entry having a priority level. The plurality of queue read sides forms a queue output at which entries from the queue write side are received, queued and output from the queue. The queue read sides have different levels of queuing priority from a highest priority queue read side to a lowest priority queue read side. Control logic examines entries to the queue write side to determine the priority level of the entries and directs the entries from the queue write side to one of the queue read sides based on the priority levels of the entries.
An advantage of the queue of the present invention is that the entire queue structure is not replicated for each of the different priority levels, and for each of the different ports. Instead, the queue has two sections, a write side and a plurality of read sides. Each of the read sides of the queue can be kept relatively small to maintain the overall capacity of the queue to a desired amount, yet provide multiple levels of priority for queuing different priority data. The single write side, which is relatively much larger than any single one of the read sides, is not duplicated and is used in the queuing of all of the different priority levels of data. Only the relatively small read sides are duplicated to provide the different priority queuing. Hence, the overall size of the queue arrangement for providing different queuing priorities is much less than prior arrangements in which a plurality of entire queues are dedicated to the different priority levels.
The earlier stated needs are also met by another embodiment of the present invention which provides a multiport network switch for a packet switched network, the switch having a plurality of ports through which packets from the network are received and from which packets to the network are transmitted. The switch has a plurality of queues corresponding to the plurality of ports. At least one of those queues has a queue write side forming a queue input at which entries to the queue are received, each entry having a priority level, and a plurality of queue read sides forming a queue output at which entries from the queue write side are received, queued and output from the queue. The plurality of queue read sides have different levels of queuing priority from a highest priority queue read side to a lowest priority queue read side. Control logic is provided that is configured to examine entries to the queue write side to determine the priority level of the entries and to direct the entries from the queue write side to one of the queue read sides based on the priority levels of the entries.
The network switch according to the embodiments of the present invention has the advantage, among others, of providing multiple ports with output queues that will queue data in a prioritized manner. It does so in a cost-effective and space saving manner due to the duplication of only the read sides of an output queue for the different priority levels, rather than duplication of an entire queue. This split queue structure with multiple read sides is especially advantageous when the switch has multiple ports, since the space savings may be realized at each of the ports.
Another embodiment of the present invention also satisfies the earlier stated needs by providing a method of queuing and prioritizing entries including the steps of receiving entries to the queue in a queue write side that forms an input of the queue and determining a level of priority of the entries to the queue write side. Entries exiting the queue write side are directed to one of a plurality of queue read sides of the queue, based on the determined level of priority of the entries. The queue read sides have different levels of queuing priority, from a highest priority queue read side to a lowest priority queue read side.
The foregoing and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Queuing structure and method for prioritization of frames in a network switch


An electromechanical servo steering system with an electric servomotor having a motor shaft that drives a shaft which cogs with a helical gear. The shaft is arranged in a transmission housing and is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation at its end near the motor in a bearing arrangement and is mounted pivotably in the transmission housing about a pivot axis which lies transverse to the axis of rotation. At least one spring element is provided which axial pretensions a bearing element that is pivotably movable with the shaft about the pivot axis, of the bearing arrangement in a spring-elastic manner against a bearing element that is arranged in a stationary manner in the transmission housing, of the bearing arrangement, wherein precisely two spring elements are provided which are arranged oppositely in the circumferential direction of the bearing arrangement.

In electromechanical servo steering systems, a torque is generated via an electric motor, which torque is transmitted to a transmission and is overlaid there by the steering moment provided by the driver.
A generic electromechanical servo steering system comprises an electric servomotor which drives a worm shaft which cogs with a worm gear arranged on a steering shaft, wherein the worm gear is operatively connected to an input shaft of a steering gear and wherein the worm shaft and the steering shaft are rotatably mounted in a joint transmission housing. The worm shaft is connected to the motor shaft of the electric servomotor via a coupling.
DE 10 2008 001 878 A1 discloses a pivot bearing for a worm gearing, wherein the worm is mounted by means of a cardanically mounted bearing ring. The bearing ring comprises in this case a pivot axis which runs perpendicular to the axis of rotation and in the direction of the worm gear. This configuration has been shown to be disadvantageous since the coupling is under greater load, as a result of which the coupling wears more quickly with time and increased tooth flank play with corresponding vibration noises occurs.
It is furthermore known to configure the bearing with a lot of play so that the desired pivotability is possible. This method is, however, problematic in that different thermal expansions arise as a result of large component tolerances.
A pivot bearing which comprises spring elements which support the bearing towards the housing is known from first publication DE 10 2009 016 187 A1. It is provided in this case that the spring force is not distributed evenly on the circumference so that a pivoting moment in the form of a tilting moment is generated on the bearing element. This tilting moment is directed so that the bearing ring and thus the shaft are pretensioned in a targeted manner in a pivoting direction and can be inclined with a central axis in relation to the rotational axis. The worm shaft can thus be pretensioned in the steering gearing in a targeted manner in the direction of a play-free tooth engagement against the toothing of the worm gear. The spring element thus rotates in the direction of the pivoting movement, as a result of which the coupling is under greater load. This has the result that the coupling wears to a greater extent and increased tooth flank play with corresponding vibration noises occurs.
Thus a need exists for an electromechanical servo steering system with a worm gearing in the case of which the coupling between motor shaft and worm shaft is under less load and noise and play can thus be reduced.

Electromechanical servo steering system having a spring-loaded bearing arrangement


Data communications between a FAX modem (36) and a facsimile (38) can be performed without using a telephone line. Electric characteristics of a line (44) are interrupted in view of direct current, and is connected in view of alternating current by a capacitor (C1). When an off-hook detection circuit (62) detects an off-hook state of the FAX modem (36), and the off-hook detection circuit (62) puts the direct current converter 60 in operation, a telephone line emulation voltage is applied to the line (44). A ringback signal is outputted to the line (44) by a ringback signal output circuit (66) as a result of a judgement of the ringback signal output circuit that it is a transmission from the FAX modem when an answering tone is not detected for predetermined duration. Data communication between the FAX modem (36) and the facsimile (38) can then be performed by calling the facsimile machine (38).

Recently, a modem having the function of a facsimile machine (hereinafter referred to as a FAX modem) has become popular. The FAX modem is an apparatus for converting documents, drawings or the like prepared by a computer into image data, and then transmitting the image data to a facsimile machine through a telephone line. It is possible for the FAX modem to transmit the document and the drawings etc. prepared by the computer to the facsimile machine without performing printing by a printer. Because there are some errors in reading papers caused by mechanical parts of the facsimile machine when the papers printed by the printer are read by the facsimile machine, the FAX modem has the advantage of no such errors in reading, and is capable of performing data transmission with high accuracy.
There is a demand to use a facsimile machine as a printer when the FAX modem is located near a facsimile machine. In that case, it is feasible to use the facsimile machine as a printer when the image data is transmitted to the facsimile machine by the FAX modem through the telephone line. However, since the data transmission performed therebetween requires the use of the telephone line, it requires various operations in addition to phone charges.
To resolve the problems described above, the applicant has already filed one patent application to the Japanese Patent Office entitled "Network Control Unit" (application number Hei 1-38949 and laid-open publication number Hei 2-218259). The inventions disclosed in the application have come to actual products named "STARFAX" and the products are on the market.
FIG. 1 shows a FAX modem 2 disclosed in laid-open publication number Hei 2-218259. In the FAX modem 2, both a switch 12 and a switch 14 are switched to a contact 12a and a contact 14a respectively, together with switching of a switch 16 and a switch 18, so as to contact 16b and to contact 18b, by controlling a relay 6 utilizing a computer 4. By carrying out these switchings, a facsimile modem circuit 24 (hereinafter referred to as FAX modem circuit) is coupled to a telephone line 22, so that data transmission through the telephone line 22 can be performed.
Also, the switch 12 and the switch 14 are switched to the contact 12a and the contact 14a together with switching of the switch 16 and the switch 18 so as to contact 16b and to contact 18b by controlling the relay 6 utilizing the computer 4. Thus, the facsimile machine 20 and the FAX modem circuit 24 are connected in series so that a voltage equivalent to a line voltage (48V) is supplied to the telephone line 22. Therefore, both the facsimile 20 and the FAX modem circuit 24 are in the same electrical state in that both are connected through the telephone line 22.
In case of performing data transmission from the FAX modem circuit 24 to the facsimile machine 20, ringback signals which are supposed to be generated by a switchboard are outputted from the FAX modem circuit 24. Upon receiving the ringback signals, the facsimile machine 20 sends back an answering tone corresponding to the ringback signals. Thereafter, procedures for data transmission in accordance with the ITU-T recommendation can be performed between the FAX modem circuit 24 and the facsimile machine 20. In addition, the answering tone is outputted from the FAX modem circuit 24 when data transmission from the FAX modem circuit 24 to the facsimile machine 20 is performed. Then, the procedures for data transmission in accordance with the ITU-T recommendation can be performed between the FAX modem circuit 24 and the facsimile machine 20.
Thus, direct data transmission between the FAX modem circuit 24 and the facsimile machine 20 can be performed without utilizing the telephone line 22. Thus, the invention laid opened in the laid-open publication number Hei 2-218259 has a great value.

Communication control apparatus and a method thereof


Use of a mass flow cock with control units and pressure reducing systems results in an even output at changing exit dimensions respectively nozzle exit bores by an automatic balancing of the process volumes, reduces thereby the equipment expenditure and increases the maintenance intervals. This mass flow cock operates using a large pressure difference and an exact adjustment of a special cock piece at two diaphragms.

During oxy-cutting, scarfing, heating and similar procedures using a heating gas flame in which a mixture of oxygen or air is burnt with a fuel gas, there can be a reduction of passages and therefore a reduction of gas quantities resulting in a weaker than required heating flame power due to pollution of the nozzles or safety-, measuring-or other gas supplying arts arranged before it. Vice versa it is possible that an increase of the passage and outlet diameters due to abrasion leads to an increase of throughout and respectively heating capacity. Therefore a frequent adjustment of the heating flame media especially near the nozzle is necessary to achieve a safe and effective performance. On one hand access is very limited due to environmental or constructional circumstances i.e. during oxy-cutting of hot steel products and because of the very long operation times which cannot be interrupted, on the other hand a frequent adjustment of pressure reducers and valves is work requiring and susceptible for mistakes.
There are methods and procedures by which the requested operation circumstances of the gas operated and heating flame producing equipment are regulated or adapted automatically, depending on problem and duty, especially when the number of heating flame nozzles can be changed during production. The electronical measurement of data and their processing in computers or similar for regulating intervention by adjusting, switch on or off of control devices is typical for these methods, as described i.e. in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,249 and EP 0188 763. The necessary effort for that is very extensive, very expensive and increases the susceptibility to disruptions of the plant.

Oxy-cutting machine with mass flow controlled supply to the cutting burner


A sprinkler head including a sprinkler body with a passage for fluid and a seal mechanism sealing the passage, and a cage member. A frangible bulb extends between the cage member and the seal. A shape memory alloy element is associated with the frangible bulb and has a first configuration that fits within, about, or abutting the bulb and a second configuration at a predetermined temperature which breaks the frangible bulb releasing the fluid through the passage.

Fire sprinklers can be automatic or open orifice. Automatic fire sprinklers operate at a predetermined temperature, utilizing a fusible link, a portion of which melts, or a frangible glass bulb containing liquid which breaks the bulb at high temperatures. The water stream impacts a deflector, which produces a specific spray pattern, designed in support of the goals of the sprinkler type (i.e., control or suppression). Modern sprinkler heads are designed to direct spray downwards. Spray nozzles are available to provide spray in various directions and patterns. The majority of automatic fire sprinklers operate individually in a fire. Contrary to what is often shown in movies, the entire sprinkler system does not activate, unless the system is a special deluge type.
Open orifice sprinklers are only used in water spray systems or deluge sprinklers systems. They are identical to the automatic sprinkler on which they are based, with the heat sensitive operating element removed.
Automatic fire sprinklers utilizing frangible bulbs follow a standardized color-coding convention indicating their operating temperature. Activation temperatures correspond to the type of hazard against which the sprinkler system protects. Residential occupancies are provided with a special type of fast response sprinkler with the unique goal of life safety.
Maximum CeilingTemperatureTemperatureColor Code (withGlass BulbTemperatureRatingClassificationFusible Link)Color100° F./38° C.135-170° F./57-77° C. OrdinaryUncolored orOrange (135°) orBlackRed (155°)150° F./66° C.175-225° F./79-107° C. IntermediateWhiteYellow (175°) orGreen (200°)225° F./107° C.250-300° F./121-149° C.HighBlueBlue300° F./149° C.325-375° F./163-191° C.Extra HighRedPurple375° F./191° C.400-475° F./204-246° C.Very Extra HighGreenBlack475° F./246° C.500-575° F./260-302° C.Ultra HighOrangeBlack625° F./329° C.650° F./343° C.Ultra HighOrangeBlack
Most sprinkler systems installed today are designed using an area and density approach. First the building use and building contents are analyzed to determine the level of fire hazard. Usually buildings are classified as light hazard, ordinary hazard group 1, ordinary hazard group 2, extra hazard group 1, or extra hazard group 2. After determining the hazard classification, a design area and density can be determined by referencing tables in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. The design area is a theoretical area of the building representing the worst-case area where a fire could burn. The design density is a measurement of how much water per square foot of floor area should be applied to the design area. For example, in an office building classified as light hazard, a typical design area would be 1500 square feet and the design density would be 0.1 gallons per minute per square foot or a minimum of 150 gallons per minute applied over the 1500 square foot design area. Another example would be a manufacturing facility classified as ordinary hazard group 2 where a typical design area would be 1500 square feet and the design density would be 0.2 gallons per minute per square foot or a minimum of 300 gallons per minute applied over the 1500 square foot design area.
After the design area and density have been determined, calculations are performed to prove that the system can deliver the required amount of water over the required design area. These calculations account for all of the pressure that is lost or gained between the water supply source and the sprinklers that would operate in the design area. This includes pressure losses due to friction inside the piping and losses or gains due to differences in elevation between the source and the discharging sprinklers. Sometimes momentum pressure from water velocity inside the piping is also calculated. Typically these calculations are performed using computer software but before the advent of computer systems these sometimes complicated calculations were performed by hand. This skill of calculating sprinkler systems by hand is still required training for a sprinkler system design Technologist who seeks senior level certification from engineering certification organizations such as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET).
Sprinkler systems in residential structures are becoming more common as the cost of such systems becomes more practical and the benefits become more obvious. Residential sprinkler systems usually fall under a residential classification separate from the commercial classifications mentioned above. A commercial sprinkler system is designed to protect the structure and the occupants from a fire. Most residential sprinkler systems are primarily designed to suppress a fire in such a way to allow for the safe escape of the building occupants. While these systems will often also protect the structure from major fire damage, this is a secondary consideration. In residential structures sprinklers are often omitted from closets, bathrooms, balconies, garages and attics because a fire in these areas would not usually impact the occupant's escape route.
If water damage or water volume is of particular concern, a technique called Water Mist Fire Suppression may be an alternative. This technology has been under development for over 50 years. It hasn't entered general use, but is gaining some acceptance on ships and in a few residential applications. Mist suppression systems work by lowering the temperature of a burning area through evaporation rather than "soaking". As such, they may be designed to only slow the spread of a fire and not extinguish it. Some tests that may or may not be biased, showed the cost of resulting fire and water damage with such a system installed to be dramatically less than conventional sprinkler systems.
The commercial market demands regarding glass bulbs for sprinklers for automatic fire extinguisher systems and also for other thermal release means, are for much shorter release times, which may be up to almost ten times shorter. Such shorter release times must be achieved without sacrificing durability of the glass drum or the axial loading in the sprinkler.
One prior proposal to meet these requirements consisted of reducing the volume of breaking liquid in the glass bulb by placing a solid displacement member in the bulb without modifying the dimensions of the glass body, and therefore without modifying the strength characteristics. See U.K. Patent No. 2,120,934, published Dec. 14, 1983. Attempts have also been made to reduce the release times by reducing the overall diameter of glass drum so as to bring about a more favorable ratio of the surface area to the volume of the bulb, and consequently of the volume of the breaking liquid in the bulb. However, these attempts have lead to an unacceptable reduction in strength.
In sprinklers, which constitute the main field of use for glass thermo bulbs, such bulbs act as a thermally active release member to keep a valve closed. The elongate bulb is generally secured at its ends between two ends of the sprinkler and the ends apply an axial force on the ends of bulb. In the case of a fire, the glass bulb shatters and allows the valve to open and to release the fire extinguishing medium, which is usually water.
Such a glass bulb typically comprises a hollow and generally cylindrical or barrel shaped enclose or shaft, the length of which may vary widely. The bulb is often provided with an annular offset or shoulder in the wall at one end of the shaft so as to form the thermally active part together with the expansible breaking fluid or liquid confined within the glass enclosure. At the ends, which engage sprinkler abutments, flat, conical or curved, and substantially thermally inactive ends bound the shaft. One of the ends is normally referred to as the tip end, which is thin and tapered to a rounded point. The expansible breaking fluid is introduced into the bulb through the tip end during manufacturing, and thereafter the tip end is closed.
The glass bulb must be able to take a specific permanent load which is dependent upon the nature of the valve construction or release mechanism in the sprinkler as to insure that the sprinkler remains closed over several decades and is always kept in a state of readiness.
The Response Time Index is a calculated value taking into account the actual activating time of a glass bulb mounted in a sprinkler or other devices in given standard conditions. Fast response times are associated with lower RTI values.
                    RTI        =                                            (                                                -                                      t                    r                                                                                u                                            )                                                  (                              1                +                                  C                                      u                                                              )                                            ln            [                          1              -                              [                                                                            (                                                                        T                          ea                                                -                                                  T                          u                                                                    )                                                                                (                                              1                        +                                                  C                                                      u                                                                                )                                                                                T                      g                                        -                                          T                      u                                                                      ]                                      ]                                              (        1        )            RTI=Response Time Index [(ms)1/2]tr=actual response time of thermal release element (s)u=actual gas velocity in the test section of the wind tunnel (m/s)Tea=mean liquid bath operating temperature of sensitive detector element (° C.)Tg=actual gas temperature in test section (° C.)Tu=ambient air temperature during testing (° C.)C=Conductivity Factor [(m/s)1/2]UL Conditions: 135° C. at 2.54 m/s
Thermo bulbs with response times slower than an RTI value of 80 is used in all products requiring Standard Response functional properties as defined by local agencies or authorities in the USA, Europe and Asia and as specified in International Standard ISO 6182:1.
These types of thermo bulbs are used applications where Insurers Hazard Classifications require sprinklers, which have an RTI<80, e.g., as per LPC's attachment to BS 5306:2, TB 20: Selection of Sprinkler Heads, in the UK and for Concealed or Recessed type sprinklers. Other international regulations also require Intermediate Response bulbs.
These bulbs are specified for domestic sprinklers in the USA and where Insurers Hazard Classifications require Fast Response—or in Extended Coverage Sprinklers, which require faster operational times due to the increased distance between installed sprinklers.
The Super Fast and Ultra Fast bulbs F2.5, F2 and F1.5 are typically used in high performance products where very early activation is essential. Examples are ESFR Sprinklers or Water Mist products.
Previously known glass bulbs, which satisfy the appropriate standards imposed by insurance or governmental agencies, generally have a diameter between 8 and 12 mm, a wall thickness of 1 to 1.5 mm, and an overall length of 20 to 30 mm. Such relatively thick glass bulbs do not respond quickly to heat from a fire, and have rather long release times, i.e., the time lapse from the first occurrence of critical temperature to be sensed to the shattering of the bulb and release of the valve. Such long release times are a result of the unfavorable ratio of the heat-absorbing surface of the bulb to the volume within the bulb to be heated. U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,710 (JOB® GmbH) discloses a bulb with a unique bone shape design that uses reinforced ends to absorb loads from the mounting supports and to introduce these axially into a shaft of reduced diameter thus avoiding unfavorable shearing and bending stresses in the glass. The bone shape design allows for a low mass structure, which, combined with the special filling liquid, provides very short response time. But it is expensive to manufacture with the cost of the bulb approximately 40-50% of the total cost of a sprinkler head. It is also fragile and requires careful packaging to avoid damage during shipping and installation.

Method and apparatus for thermally activated sprinklers


An anode terminal or a cathode terminal is provided with an exposure portion that extends substantially perpendicularly to an arrangement direction of the two terminals and that have an end face exposed on a side face of a housing. At least the end face on the exposure portion is plated for improving the solder wettability. Furthermore, a front end portion of the exposure portion is bent upwards along a peripheral face of the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid electrolytic capacitor and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a conventional solid electrolytic capacitor (1) upside down. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 12, and shows the capacitor in FIG. 12 upside down (see Japanese Patent No. 3312246).
The solid electrolytic capacitor (1) is provided with a capacitor element (2) from which an anode lead (22) projects, and the capacitor element (2) is covered by a housing (70) made of a synthetic resin. The bottom face of the capacitor element (2) is attached to a cathode terminal (90), and the anode lead (22) is attached to an anode terminal (9) via a bolster member (23). Between the anode terminal (9) and the capacitor element (2), an insulating material (not shown) is provided.
The solid electrolytic capacitor (1) is formed in the following manner. First, as shown in FIG. 14, a metal plate (8) is punched such that a first and a second terminal component (81) and (82), which become the anode terminal (9) and the cathode terminal (90), are provided. The two terminal components (81) and (82) are provided having an opening (80) therebetween, and their end edges are opposed to each other. The anode lead (22) is attached to the first terminal component (81), which becomes the anode terminal (9), via the bolster member (23), and the peripheral face of the capacitor element (2) is attached to the second terminal component (82), which becomes the cathode terminal (90). The peripheral face of the capacitor element (2) is covered by the housing (70), the metal plate (8) is cut along lines D-D and E-E, and thus the solid electrolytic capacitor (1) is obtained.
However, conventional solid electrolytic capacitors have the following problems.
1. In the solid electrolytic capacitor (1) shown in FIG. 12, the end faces of the anode terminal (9) and the cathode terminal (90) are not exposed on the side face along the arrangement direction of the terminals (the face C shown in FIG. 12) of the housing (70). Accordingly, in a state where the solid electrolytic capacitor (1) has been soldered to a printed board (not shown), it is impossible to confirm whether or not the anode terminal (9) or the cathode terminal (90) has been precisely soldered when viewed from the side.
2. Furthermore, in the solid electrolytic capacitor (1) shown in FIG. 12, an end face (91) is exposed on the housing (70). However, the end face (91) is a so-called cut face obtained by cutting the first terminal component (81), and thus the solder wettability thereof is poor. Accordingly, in a state where the solid electrolytic capacitor (1) has been soldered to the printed board, it is difficult to confirm whether or not they are soldered when viewing the end face (91).
3. It is necessary to improve the work efficiency when forming the anode terminal (9) and the cathode terminal (90) from the metal plate (8).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Solid electrolytic capacitor and method for manufacturing the same


When recording on a holographic recording medium by using a recording beam, the time required for an asking servo control to recover is reduced to increase the data transfer rate. In the holographic recording apparatus 10, a laser beam from a laser light source 16 is formed into a collimated beam having an expanded beam diameter and then is divided into an object beam and a reference beam. The divided object beam is modulated according to information to be recorded, and these object and reference beams are made incident on the reflective surface of a rotating polygon mirror 18, while maintaining collimated beam shapes and being adjacent to each other, through a condenser lens 24 having a focal point behind the reflective surface of the polygon mirror 18. The object and reference beams are made incident on the holographic recording medium 12 moving in the same direction as their scanning direction with angles different from each other so as to interfere with each other within the holographic recording medium 12.

A holographic recording method described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-183975, for example, uses a recording beam comprising a set of an object beam and a reference beam to perform recording and reproducing. In this case, a tracking mirror moves the recording beam in synchronization with a rotating holographic recording medium in the same direction as the recording medium, that is, an asking servo control is performed.
In the holographic recording method and apparatus described in the above Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-183975, although the recording beam is moved by the tracking mirror in synchronization with the recording medium, it is impossible for the laser beam to perform recording or reproducing during the recovery time of this tracking mirror.
Accordingly, there has been a problem in that the recovery time of this tracking mirror, i.e., the time required for the asking servo control to recover, is one of factors to degrade the data transfer rate.

Holographic recording method and apparatus


A rotary valve can include a housing, a manifold with multiple flow paths can be fixedly mounted to the housing. A rotary actuator with a first surface can be rotatably mounted within the housing, and a valve seat with a second surface can be fixedly attached to the manifold, where the second surface can sealingly engage the first surface. The rotary actuator can include a gap that selectively aligns with respective ones of valve seat ports as the rotary actuator rotates relative to the valve seat, thereby selectively pressurizing one or more actuators. A system and method can include a rotary valve that selectively causes pads to extend at a predetermined orientation in the wellbore to steer a drill bit. The azimuthal orientation of a rotary actuator of the valve can determine which pads are extended and which are retracted as the drill bit rotates.

Drilling wellbores in a subterranean formation usually requires controlling a trajectory of the drill bit as the wellbore is extended through the formation. The trajectory control can be used to steer the drill bit to drill vertical, inclined, horizontal, and lateral portions of a wellbore. In general the trajectory control can direct the drill bit into and/or through production zones to facilitate production of formation fluids, direct the drill bit to drill a portion of a wellbore that is parallel to another wellbore for treatment or production assist, direct the drill bit to intersect an existing wellbore, as well as many other wellbore configurations.
Therefore, it will be readily appreciated that improvements in the arts of steering a drill bit during drilling operations are continually needed.

Steering a drill bit with a rotary valve


An embodiment of the present invention provides an image display device capable of performing transmittance of a background and black display, while relaxing restriction of an installation position of a light source unit.

In recent years, there have been progressed developments of an image display device capable of transmitting a background as well as performing image display. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-191726, there is disclosed a presence display device that performs display by merging an image in a background. FIG. 30 is a view showing a configuration of a presence display device 200 disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-191726. As shown in FIG. 30, the presence display device 200 includes a projector 201, a transmission factor control screen 202, an image extracting device 203, and an image-outline forming device 204. The image extracting device 203 extracts an image to be displayed. The projector 201 projects the extracted image to the transmission factor control screen 202. The image-outline forming device 204 extracts outline information of the image to be displayed, and controls a state of the transmission factor control screen 202, based on the outline information. The transmission factor control screen 202 is specifically a PDLC (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal) panel. The transmission factor control screen 202 is controlled such that only a region in which projection light from the projector 201 is applied becomes in a state of spreading light (hereinafter, referred to as a "spreading state"), and that other regions become in a state of allowing light to be transmitted (hereinafter, referred to as a "transmittance state"). With this configuration, the presence display device 200 can display, to an observer 205, the image to be displayed, by merging the image into the background including an ornamental tree 206 and a wall picture 207, for example.

Image display device and drive method therefor

Abstract: The image display device includes a CF liquid crystal panel, a PDLC panel, and a first PDLC light source unit. The PDLC panel is positioned on the rear surface of the CF liquid crystal panel. At an image displaying time, the PDLC panel becomes in a spreading state. At this time, light source light of the first PDLC light source unit is spread by the PDLC panel and is emitted to the CF liquid crystal panel, and background light is spread by the PDLC panel. At an image non-displaying time, the PDLC panel becomes in a transmittance state. At this time, the background light is transmitted through the PDLC panel, and reaches the CF liquid crystal panel.


A buffer device includes a first driving circuit coupled between a signal terminal of the buffer device and a first reference potential, a current-limiting component including a first terminal coupled to the signal terminal, and a second driving circuit coupled between a second terminal of the current-limiting component and a second reference potential, wherein the current-limiting component limits an amount of ESD current flowing through the second driving circuit, and makes an amount of ESD current flowing through the first driving circuit be larger than the amount of ESD current flowing through the second driving circuit.

The present invention relates to a buffer circuit, and more particularly to a low cost buffer circuit having the capability of discharging static electricity.
In an integrated circuit (IC), an input/output (I/O) buffer is utilized for driving an output signal of the integrated circuit to other electronic devices, such as another integrated circuit, via an I/O pad of the I/O buffer. Normally, the driving capability of the I/O buffer is dependent on the size of the I/O buffer. For example, the width of the transistor forming the I/O buffer may need to be as large as a few hundred micrometers to provide enough driving capability for the output signal. In addition, since the I/O pad of the I/O buffer is exposed to the external environment when the I/O buffer is fabricated, the capability to discharge the static electricity is another concern of the I/O buffer. To meet the requirement of the ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) specification, the foundry that manufactures the integrated circuit further standardizes the ESD rules of the transistor forming the I/O buffer in order to sustain the high current produced by the static electricity. Normally, the ESD rules of the transistor can be significantly larger than the normal DRC (Design Rule Check) rules of the core transistor in the integrated circuit. Accordingly, the conventional I/O buffer occupies a large part of area in the integrated circuit and consequently increases the cost of the integrated circuit. Therefore, providing a small size I/O buffer for the integrated circuit while maintaining the capability to drive the output signal and discharge static electricity is a significant concern in the semiconductor industry.

Input/output buffer and electrostatic discharge protection circuit


The invention relates to a wiper connector assembly (10) for a vehicle (1), comprising a wiper blade connector part (12) and a wiper arm connector part (14), wherein one of the wiper arm connector part and the wiper blade connector part is a male connector (22) and the other one a female connector (24) for connecting the wiper blade connector part to the wiper arm connector part, wherein the male connector (22) has a biased protrusion (15) extending from an exterior (23) of the male connector in a radial direction (R) of the male connector and having a visual indicator portion (16), said male connector further comprising a user-operable arm (18) configured to cooperate with the biased protrusion and having a tab portion (19) reachable by a user from an outside of the male connector; the female connector (24) defines an interior surface (25) and comprises a groove (40) disposed on the interior surface, said groove defining a path (41) for the biased protrusion of the male connector and having a groove end (45) comprising a through hole for said biased protrusion; the groove path having at least a first path section (42) extending substantially in an axial direction (A) and a subsequent second path section (43) extending from the first path section and substantially in a circumferential direction (C) along said interior surface of said female connector.

In connection with windscreens of vehicles, in particular front windscreens of vehicles, such as heavy-duty vehicles, a windscreen wiper system is often used. The windscreen wiper system is generally used to remove rain, snow, ice and debris from the windscreen. While there is a number of different types of windscreen wiper systems, a conventional wiper system generally consists of a wiper arm pivotally attached at one end to the windscreen or in close proximity to the windscreen and with a long rubber wiper blade attached to the other end. The wiper arm is generally powered by a motor, often an electric motor, although pneumatic power may also be used in some types of vehicles. By articulating the wiper arm via the motor, the wiper blade is swung back and forth over the windscreen, pushing water or other precipitation from its surface. The speed of the wiper blade is normally adjustable, with several continuous speeds. In other words, a windscreen wiper system typically includes the wiper blade and the wiper arm articulated arranged proximate the windscreen allowing the wiper blade to move along the surface of the windscreen.
Eventually, wiper blades are worn out during ordinary use of the windscreen wiper system, partly as the blades are often made of rubber. In order to permit easy replacement of worn-out parts of the windscreen wiper system, the wiper blade is often releasable connected to the wiper arm. The wiper blade can be connected to the wiper arm in several different ways, however, there are two common types of connectors for connecting wiper blades to a wiper arm; a threaded connection and a bayonet connection. For the threaded connection, the wiper blade is generally rotationally aligned with a thread of the wiper arm and then screwed into the wiper arm allowing the wiper blade and wiper arm to connect.
US 2006/0059647 A1 discloses one example of a bayonet connection, in which a connecting device for a wiper blade on a wiper arm is provided. The connecting device has an inner adapter bracket part with two opposite arranged grooves for a bayonet closure. Two corresponding guiding pins are placed interior of the wiper arm to engage with the grooves in the closure position. In addition, there is a spring device arranged on the outer end part of the adapter bracket for securing the closure position. In another example, as disclosed in relation to FIGS. 11a-11c and FIG. 12, there is provided a connecting devices, in which the adapter bracket has a latching knob for locking with a matching opening on the end part of the wiper arm.
Although these connectors are generally useable for various types of vehicles such as heavy-duty vehicles, there is still a need for an improved wiper connector assembly as well as a windscreen wiper system allowing the wiper blade to be easily and intuitively connected and disconnected to the wiper arm.

Windscreen wiper connector assembly for a vehicle


A data multiplexer system is comprised of a space division multiplexer having a plurality of space divided (SDM) input channels, each SDM channel adapted to carry a first number of time divided TDM channels at a first clock rate; at least one digital data source; apparatus for generating a second clock rate derived from the first clock rate, which is at the clock rate of the data source; apparatus for selecting data from the one source in synchronism with the second clock rate; and apparatus for applying the selected data to at least one of the SDM channels; whereby data from a digital data source having a clock rate either the same or different from the clock rate of a TDM channel may be applied to and be carried by any SDM channel.

Needs have arisen for so-called intelligent buildings, factory and campus installations to accommodate the transmission of data at various bit rates such as those shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ EXAMPLE OF BIT RATES BIT RATE APPLICATION ______________________________________ 1. kb/s Card Access Control Data Bus 2. kb/s HVAC Data Bus 19.2 kb/s RS-232C Personal Computer Network B = 64. kb/s PBX Digital Telephone/Data C = 16. kb/s BBX Data/Control B + D = 144. kb/s BBX and ISDN DS1 = 1.544 Mb/s Telephone/Data Trunk Line 2.5 Mb/s Arcnet LAN 10. Mb/s Ethernet LAN 16. Mb/s IBM Token Passing LAN ______________________________________
These various bit rates must be supported by a network in such installations because they interconnect the equipment that provides intelligence to the facility. A multiplexer-demultiplexer system is typically used in a network carrying data, which network must be able to support a wide range of bit rates, and to reconfigure quickly, and with minimum cost to accommodate such changes.
Three categories of multiplexer-demultiplexer systems are in common use. They are the synchronous, asynchronous, and asynchronous high speed over-sampling multiplexer-demultiplexer systems. Many variations are known but Table 2 summarizes the key features of some representative systems.
The multiplexer of a multiplexer-demultiplexer system is designed to combine a number of data signals present at the input channels by multiplex sampling the data signals and transmitting them as a serial bit stream. The demultiplexer extracts the samples from the bit stream and places them into the output channels that correspond to the input channels. The original data signals are then reconstructed and provided as the output signals.
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ MULTIPLEXER-DEMULTIPLEXER SYSTEMS MULTIPLEXER- DEMULTIPLEXER SYSTEMS KEY FEATURES ______________________________________ Synchronous 1. Clock frequency is supplied to the data signal source 2. Data signals have same bit rate 3. Data signals are in phase 4. Multiplex sampling is done synchronously Asynchronous 1. Data signal bit rate is lower than the specified operational bit rate 2. Bit-stuffing is used to match the data bit rate with the specified operational bit rate 3. Multiplex sampling is done synchronously Asynchronous 1. Multiplex sampling rate is more High Speed than 10 times higher than the Over-Sampling data signal bit rate 2. Data signals may have different bit rates and not be in phase 3. Multiplex sampling is done asynchronously ______________________________________
The input data signals to a synchronous multiplexer-demultiplexer system usually have the same bit rate and they are arranged to be all in phase at the input of the multiplexer. For this purpose, a single clock frequency supplied by the multiplexer-demultiplexer system is used to generate the data signals.
The data signals are then multiplex sampled sequentially and the sampled bits transmitted as a serial bit stream which is the TDM (Time Division Multiplex) signal.
The demultiplexer reverses the multiplex sampling operation by separating out each data sample, and delivering a reconstructed data to the output channel that corresponds to the input channel at the multiplexer.
For the asynchronous multiplexer-demultiplexer system, the bit rate of an input data signal to the multiplexer is usually slightly lower than the specified operational bit rate of the input channel of a synchronous multiplexer-demultiplexer system.
The bit rate of the data signal is adjusted to the specified operational bit rate by a bit-stuffing operation which inserts a sufficient number of dummy bits to bring the data signal bit rate into agreement with the specified operational bit rate. The data signal clock frequency and electronic circuits including a bit-stuffing circuit and a stuff-bit indicator circuit are used to realize this agreement of bit rates.
If the data signal clock frequency is not available, a clock recovery circuit is used to reproduce the frequency. In order to identify and remove the stuff-bits at the demultiplexer, means for identifying the stuff-bits are transmitted to the demultiplexer as part of the TDM bit stream.
At the demultiplexer, the synchronously transmitted data signal samples including the stuff-bits, are demultiplexed into the output channels corresponding to the input channels. The stuff-bits are removed and the reconstructed data signals are supplied to the output channels at the original bit rate. To provide the clock frequency necessary to reproduce the original bit rate, a tracking clock generator is used.
Asynchronous high speed over-sampling multiplexer-demultiplexer systems operate on the principle of a high speed commutator and decommutator. The data signals are multiplex sampled by an electronic commutator at a rate 10 times or more higher than the highest bit rate of the data signals. An electronic decommutator is synchronized to the commutator to allow one-to-one correspondence between the multiplexed data channels and demultiplexed data channels.
It should be noted that a data channel in a synchronous multiplexer-demultiplexer system can be used as an asynchronous high speed over-sampling channel provided the bit rate of the data signal is approximately 1/10 or lower than the specified operational bit rate of the data channel.
Most synchronous multiplexer-demultiplexer systems cannot accommodate the wide range of data bit rates required in facilities such as intelligent buildings because of the fixed operational bit rates of the data channels.
If the data channels are used as asynchronous high speed over-sampling data channels, the cost-effectiveness of the system obviously suffers because of the inefficient use of the overall transmission capacity.
Reconfiguring a synchronous multiplexer-demultiplexer system to accommodate a change in the operational bit rate of a data channel and/or the number of data channels involves a major modification in the system, or, in most cases, a complete replacement of the system. The cost of such reconfigurations are prohibitive.
The same can be said of most asynchronous multiplexer-demultiplexer systems.
Asynchronous high speed over-sampling multiplexer-demultiplexer systems cannot have many high bit rate data channels because the operational bit rate will readily exceed 100 Mb/s. Such bit rates require high cost ECL and GaAs integrated circuits, and cost effectiveness of the system is significantly diminished.
Ideally, a multiplexer-demultiplexer system for a facility such as an intelligent building should support bit rates ranging from DC contact closures to above 10 Mb/s for LANs (Local Area Networks) such as the Ethernet.

Digital multiplexer with logically allocatable channels and bit rates

Canadian Institute for Broadband & Information Network Technologies, Inc. (CIBINT)


A box-shaped plastic housing of integrally molded resin comprises a flat-shaped bottom wall having a peripheral edge and an upright wall extending upwardly from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall. The bottom wall and the upright wall cooperatively define an integral box-shaped molded product. The thickness of the bottom wall is in the range of two-thirds to one-third with respect to the thickness of the upright wall. The bottom wall is provided with at least one rib on its inner surface. The housing is produced by an injection molding process using a mold having a mold cavity which is provided with a groove on the inner surface of the cavity corresponding to each rib.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a plastic housing structure, a process for producing the same, and a mold structure used in this process. Such a plastic housing structure is used for home electric or electronic units, toys, telephones, office automation machines, and the like, and more particularly is suitable for portable personal computers portable wordprocessors, or the like.
At present, portable units, in particular, notebook type personal computers, or portable wordprocessors have been made lighter and lighter in weight. It should be noted that the material of the housing structure of these machines has been changed from a heavy metal to a plastic material which is lighter in weight and of a reduced specific gravity. However, in these products, the weight of housing is still about one third of the total weight of the product. Thus, it has been required to reduce the wight of the housing structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventionally known plastic housing for notebook type personal computers or portable wordprocessors has been required to be strong and easy to form. In this respect, it has been desired that the thickness of the housing be as uniform as possible, i.e., the thickness being 3 to 5 mm, or about 2.5 mm at a minimum. The specific gravity of a plastic material is generally 0.95 to 2.0, and the specific gravity of a plastic material of high strength is about 1.1 to 1.7. Therefore, it would seem impossible to reduce the weight i.e., the specific gravity, of the products by reducing the weight of housing material. One approach to this problem is to reduce the thickness of the housing walls. However, with this solution there arises the following problems in the prior art technique for forming plastic housings.
Thus, the following problems would arise if the thickness of the housing wall was reduced to 1.0 to 0.7 mm.
1) In general, the deformation of a plate due to a bending stress varies by amount inversely proportional to the thickness squared of the plate. Therefore, if the thickness of a plate is reduced by one-half (1/2), the deformation thereof will be increased four times. In such a manner, if the thickness of a plate is reduced, it becomes too easily deformable and, thus, the housing would become too weak to protect the contents thereof.
2) If the thickness of the housing wall is reduced, when the housing is made by injection molding, the melted resin must flow into a cavity which has the thin, wide area. Thus, a resistance to flow becomes very high and the pressure necessary for flowing the melted resin becomes also high. Therefore, an injection molding machine having a large injection capacity must be used. Also, if the pressure is to be thus increased, a large force is exerted on the mold to open the same, so that a variation of thickness of the housing wall might occur and fins might be generated. In addition, if the thickness of a housing wall is thin, the heated, molten resin comes into contact widely with the inner wall of the mold cavity, when flowing therein, so that the resin is rapidly cooled and thus the temperature of the resin is lowered. This means that the viscosity of the resin is increased and thus a part of resin might become solid before having reached to the terminal portions of the mold product which causes a so-called "short shot".
3) In order to prevent the above-mentioned variations and "short shot", if the thickness of the housing wall is increased at peripheral portions thereof and if the product is provided with ribs which serve as passages for the melted resin when forming the same by molding, the following secondary problems will arise. Namely, the resin will first flow into the portions of low resistance, i.e., the peripheral portions and the ribs, so that gas which could not be discharged to the outside, accummulates at a bottom wall and thin wall portions of the housing and, therefore, a so-called "burned mark (spot)" will arise due to "short shot" or a compression of gas.
4) In a final discharge process for taking the product out of the metal mold, if the product has a thin wall portion and if the product is pushed by a pusher engaging the thin wall portion thereof in the same manner as a general product, the thin wall portion may be damaged or deformed by the pusher, since such a portion has not been sufficiently solidified yet.

Box-shaped plastic housing of integrally molded resin


Described is a method for producing a molded silicone rubber product using a liquid silicone rubber (LSR) base comprising at least one vinyl siloxane polymer, at least one hydride crosslinker, and optionally at least one injection molding inhibitor. The single LSR base is fed into a feed line, and into the feed line are fed an inhibitor master batch comprising at least one liquid injection molding inhibitor and at least one vinyl siloxane polymer, and a catalyst master batch comprising at least one catalyst and at least one vinyl siloxane polymer. The invention is further directed to: said LSR base; said inhibitor master batch; said catalyst master batch; and a molded silicone rubber article produced by the methods and compositions described herein.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to method of preparing molded silicone rubber products using liquid silicone rubber (LSR). In particular, the invention uses a new liquid silicone rubber composition and process to produce cured silicone rubber products faster, with less equipment and less product variability.
2. Description of Related Art
Processes using liquid silicone rubbers (LSR) to form molded silicone rubber products have been around for almost four decades. Liquid silicone rubbers belong to the group of heat-curing rubbers. A characteristic feature is their low viscosity during processing compared to solid silicones or elastomers. Two-component mixtures increasingly crosslink by the addition process. This means that the reaction takes place without any decomposition product forming. This is an important benefit for the injection molding field since there are no byproducts of cure, there is no concern of deposits forming on the molds.
Typically, a two part platinum catalyzed addition cure reaction is used to make LSR molded rubber products, wherein the first component is a mixture of vinylsiloxane polymers, treated amorphous fumed silica, and platinum catalyst (component A) and the second component is a mixture of vinylsiloxane polymers, treated amorphous fumed silica, hydrogen siloxane crosslinking polymers, and a cure rate inhibitor (component B).
The A and B components are separately pumped and metered through a static mixer. The A and B mixture is further mixed in the LSR machine transferring screw prior to injection into the mold. The A and B mixture is then heat cured at a specific time and temperature depending on the part size. The finished cured product is automatically ejected from the mold, and the process repeated.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,866 discloses a two part LSR process using two different vinylsiloxane polymers, a platinum catalyst, and pre-treated silica filler for the first component, and the same vinylsiloxane polymers and pretreated silica filler plus a hydrogen containing polysiloxane and cure rate inhibitor as the second component. U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,243 discloses a two part LSR process using an in situ treated amorphous silica filler. U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,220 discloses a two part LSR process using a nitrogen organic cation salt to improve the compression set of the silicone mixture. U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,199 discloses a two part LSR process with improved cure rate inhibitors. U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,923 discloses a three part LSR process. The first component is a diorganopolysiloxane polymer and inorganic filler; the second component is a liquid catalyst and diorganopolysiloxane polymer mixture; and the third component is hydrogen siloxane mixed with an organopolysiloxane polymer. The patent also discloses the use of carbon black as an inorganic filler. The three separate parts result in improved storage stability over a two part LSR process.

Method for producing molded silicone rubber products using liquid silicone rubber


A sunshade device includes: a roll shade having a shade; a rod provided in a front end portion of the shade; two guide rails each configured to guide the shade; two first sliding members each having a slider attached to a corresponding one of opposite ends of the rod and guided by a corresponding one of the guide rails; and two second sliding members each having a shade support portion configured to support a shade corner portion and guided by a corresponding one of the guide rails, wherein the slider and the shade support portion are arranged in a direction crossing an advancing and retreating direction of the shade, and at least a portion of the slider and at least a portion of the shade support portion are disposed on a lateral side of the rod in a lateral direction along the rod.

As a sunshade device mounted on a vehicle, a technique described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,967,052 (Reference 1) is known.
The sunshade device described in Reference 1 includes a shade and a pair of guide rails which guides the shade. A rod is provided in a front end portion of the shade, and slides are provided on opposite ends of the rod. The slides are guided by the guide rails. Each of the slides includes a connecting portion connected to a corresponding end of the rod, a plate portion extending from the connecting portion to the winding side (the center shaft side of the shade), and a slide extending from the plate portion to a guide rail side. A guide device is attached to the plate portion to support the end portion of the shade.
Incidentally, in the sunshade device, a large opening area in a state where the shade is wound up is desirable.
Thus, a need exists for a sunshade device which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.