Various embodiments relate to a method and a harbour plant for mooring a floating body. The harbour plant includes a piled base structure provided with two upwards through sea level projecting sidewalls terminated above sea level and a laterally arranged bottom structure interconnecting the sidewalls, where a top surface of the bottom structure is arranged at a depth allowing the floating body to be floated in between the sidewalls, and where the floating body is arranged to be rigidly, but releasably supported by at least parts of the sidewalls. The method includes bringing the floating body into a position between the sidewalls and fixing rigidly the floating body to the vertical sidewalls of the base structure and still exposing the floating body more or less fully to buoyancy by allowing a water-filled gap at least between bottom of the floating body and a corresponding upper surface of the base structure.

A major problem exists for floating offshore structures in waters exposed to extreme sea conditions with e.g. storm surges. It is well known that storm surges mostly appear in shallow waters near land, e.g. in connection with tropical cyclones, where water levels near shore may temporarily increase by up to 8-9 meters. This will impose huge uplift forces onto a Gravity Based Structure (GBS) with liquids storage with large water plane area at sea level and being located near shore. The additional fixed ballast volumes to counteract such temporary uplift forces will necessitate significant increase of the GBS volume and weight to secure positive bottom pressure at all times, but also to secure additional buoyancy during float-in, submergence and installation of the GBS onto the seabed. Such increase in volume will again result in further increase of uplift forces, necessitating additional ballast volumes for both sea water ballast and fixed ballast, —representing a negative design effect spiral which will make a GBS solution very costly.
It is also known that GBS solutions may not be feasible or at best will be very expensive for use in soft and unconsolidated seabed soils, such as found in river deltas. For such reasons the GBS may be equipped with suction skirts, but the mere size and vertical height of such skirt solutions may represent prohibitively expensive foundation solutions, having to date made floating storage bodies the only viable solution in areas with such soil conditions.
To reduce the problems associated with the dynamics of the floating bodies during loading operations, it has been proposed to install large, rectangular or square steel or concrete structures on the seabed, functioning as artificial harbours, where a continuous steel or concrete wall is intended to form a protection from incoming waves. Typical depths of water proposed are 8-30 metres. This type of large constructions is intended to be built away from populated areas and at the same time functioning as a breakwater for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships during loading and unloading operations.
The problem with waves can be reduced by moving the ship over to the leeward side of the harbour construction, but calculations and basin experiments have shown that the harbour construction which forms a continuous barrier must be built to be very large if one is to obtain a significant shielding effect when waves and swells come during one period from a particularly unfavourable angle. This is due to the well known effect that ocean waves will be diffracted around both sides of such a construction and a focal point will arise some distance behind the leeward side where the diffracted waves meet. At this focal point, the height of the waves can actually be higher than the incoming waves.
A large harbour construction placed on the ocean bottom, intended to act as a shield from the waves, will therefore be very costly. Different forms for such types of harbour sites for LNG built in concrete for shielding vessels from the waves during loading operations have been suggested. One suggested shape is, for example, to build the construction as a horseshoe and let the LNG vessels load/unload inside this. This will reduce the dynamics considerably, but the harbour site will be even more costly than a harbour site in the shape of a rectangle.
GB 1369915 describes a harbour site comprising a number of units that are afloat or sunk and otherwise constructed for placement on the seabed. Each unit comprises a base, load-carrying structure and moveable wave-breaking elements that can be moved if required.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,426 describes a harbour site comprising a number of units placed apart on the seabed, so that at least one straight mooring location is formed. The units are provided with fenders and wave dampening devices.
WO 2006/041312 discloses a harbour plant for storage, loading and unloading hydrocarbons such as LNG at sea, the whole content of which hereby being included by the reference. The harbour comprises three units built from steel or concrete, placed on the seabed. The units are placed in sidewise relation in-line. The harbour is configured to dampen the waves, the vessel being intended to lie on the leeward side of the mooring.
WO 2013/002648 discloses a harbour plant for storage, loading and unloading of hydrocarbon products at sea, comprising a number of units being mutually placed on the seabed so that a harbour plant is formed. The units are placed independently at a given distance apart in sideways direction and having a front surface along which a vessel is intended to be moored, forming passage(s) for parts of the waves, and being configured to dampen a part of the incoming waves while allowing other parts of the waves and current to pass through the harbour plant.
US 2005/139595 describes a plant storage and loading LNG, consisting of a seabed structure resting on a seabed, the seabed structure having a base slab resting on the seabed and three upwards extending walls. The seabed structure has an opening, allowing a floating module to be manoeuvred into position inside the seabed structure and ballasted to rest on the base slab.
FR 2894646 describes a gravity based structure resting on the seabed due to its own weight and provided with downwards projecting and open skirts, pressed down into the seabed. The gravity based structure has a U-shaped form, with vertical walls extending upwards from a submerged bottom slab, provided with buoyancy chamber, functioning as weight for providing the required weight. One embodiment of the gravity based structure may also be provided with piles extending downwards through the vertical walls and into the supporting soil, the piles being terminated at the top of the walls above sea level.
However, these harbour plants for storage can be large in scale, complex and expensive. They take a long time to build and they have limited variation with respect to mobility and other applications. Due to dependencies of deep skirts to enable foundation, problems may also be experienced during installation, in particular in shallow waters with muddy or soft seabed. In addition, the density, composition, consolidation and topography of seabed soil may vary significantly for one seabed location to another. For example, the soil in river mouths will often be dominated by soft, muddy soil with a kind of yoghurt texture, while other seabed areas may be influenced or overlapped by hard sandstone, limestone or ancient volcanic rock. This will have direct impact on the load bearing capacity of the seabed soil, and hence the possibility to find a predictable and reliable foundation solution for a seabed structure which shall be resting onto the seabed.
Hence, there exists a requirement for cost-effective, versatile and flexible harbour plant systems that can be installed in shallow waters and that is suitable for installation in areas with a sea bed having poor load carrying capacity. Moreover, there is a demand for an offshore plant which can be standardized as far as possible for fabrication and cost reasons, and which can easily be deployed in offshore or near shore locations with any type of seabed soil.
There is also a need for a method for securing proper and adequate piling of such harbour plant, avoiding relative movement between the plant and the sea bed during the piling operations.

Harbour plant and method for mooring a floating body in a harbour plant


The invention discloses a first connection unit having a plurality of sensor surfaces and which is adapted to be aseptically connected to a second connection unit mounted e.g. on a flexible bioreactor bag.

In the production of biopharmaceuticals there is a trend towards single-use systems, not least for the cell cultivation operations. Typical single-use systems for cell cultivation involve bioreactors where the cell culture is contained in a flexible bag, either an inflatable self-supporting bag where agitation is provided by rocking (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,913), or a bag supported by a stainless steel support structure where agitation is usually provided by an impeller (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 7,629,167) or pneumatically (see e.g. WO 2007/068945A1).
In both types of system there is a need for applying sensors in contact with the cell culture, in order to monitor important variables such as cell density, pH, oxygen concentration and concentrations of various metabolites and/or nutrients. Such sensors are typically integrated with the bag via welded ports as in EP2503320. However, many sensors cannot be sterilised by the same methods that are preferred to use for sterilisation of the bag.
Accordingly there is a need for a convenient technology to connect separately packaged sensors aseptically to a single-use bioreactor bag.


A suction cleaning apparatus or suction cleaning horn is a generally cylindrical barrel or sleeve with an insertion cone to control and direct the distal tip of a suction tool into the bore of the barrel. A stylet is secured within the suction cleaning barrel and aligned on the longitudinal axis of the bore such that insertion of the suction tool into the cleaning barrel inserts the stylet into the channel of the suction tool to mechanically clear any obstructions of the suction tool. The distal end of the suction cleaning horn may also include one or more holes or vents to permit cleaning liquid to be drawn into the bore of the cleaning horn and into the suction tool channel to help clear obstructions in the suction tool.

Surgical procedures are complicated, dangerous and expensive. The tools used by surgeons are selected to provide the greatest utility and efficiency to achieve optimal outcomes for the patient. A basic tool used in virtually every surgical procedure is suction, which is implemented through a slender tube. During surgery, the suction tube may become clogged with tissue being removed from the surgical site. Once clogged, the suction apparatus requires a surgical assistant to clear the obstruction to enable the surgery to continue. With surgery costs into the hundreds of dollars per minute, every minute wasted is expensive and potentially dangerous for the patient.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention relates to novel compounds that are useful in the treatment of human papillomaviruses, and also to the methods for the making and use of such compounds.

Human Papillomaviruses (HPVs) are small nonenveloped DNA viruses involved in many conditions and diseases. For example HPVs cause a wide variety of benign and pre-malignant tumors.
HPV is spread by direct contact. HPVs may be divided into two categories: cutaneous and mucosal. The cutaneous HPVs cause warts on hands and feet, such as common, plantar, filiform, or flat warts. The mucosal HPV types infect the anogenital region and the oral cavity. Approximately 100 different types of HPV have been characterized to date. Approximately 40 HPV types specifically infect the genital and oral mucosa.
Mucosal HPVs are most frequently sexually transmitted and, with an incidence roughly twice that of herpes simplex virus infection, HPVs are considered one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) throughout the world. Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) may not cause any symptoms and does not always produce visible genital warts. When symptoms do develop, they usually occur 2 to 3 months after infection with the virus. Symptoms have been known to develop, however, from 3 weeks to many years after infection occurs. As such, HPV may be spread unknowingly.
More than 25 HPV types that are implicated in anogenital diseases are broadly classified as either low risk or high risk. Low risk HPVs, such as HPV-6 and HPV-11, are the etiological cause of genital warts (condyloma acuminata). High risk HPVs, such as HPV-16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, and 68, usually do not produce visible genital warts. Rather the high-risk viral types may be identified by DNA testing. High risk HPVs such as HPV-16 and HPV-18 may be found on Pap screening tests and be related to precancerous cervical cell change, cervical dysplasia, and cervical cancer. In fact, high-risk HPV types, such as 16, 18, 31, 33, and 35, are strongly associated with precancerous and cancerous changes of the cervix. Most cervical cancers (about 90%) contain one of these high-risk types. High risk HPV infection creates a lifetime risk of invasive cancer in the range of 5-10% for untreated infection.
In addition to cervical cancer, high risk HPVs are associated with a number of anal and perianal cancers.
Current treatments for genital warts and cervical dysplasia include physical removal such as cryotherapy, electrosurgery, and surgical excision. Currently, there are no effective antiviral treatments for HPV infection.

Tetrahydrocarbazole derivatives and their pharmaceutical use


Technologies are generally described for a porous graphene electrode material is described herein that may incorporate a three-dimensional open-cell graphene structure fabricated via chemical vapor deposition onto a metal foam. After the graphene is deposited, the metal foam may be dissolved, leaving a three-dimensional open-cell graphene structure that may include single or few layer graphene. Pseudo-capacitive materials, such as RuO2, Fe3O4, or MnO2, may be deposited within the pores of the three-dimensional open-cell graphene structure to form the porous graphene electrode material. The porous graphene electrode material may have a specific capacitance comparable to chemically modified graphene (CMG) electrodes. The porous graphene electrode material may also have a conductivity greater than CMG electrodes of equivalent surface area. Use of the porous graphene electrode material in capacitors may result in significant improvements in specific power compared to CMG based capacitors.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Chemically Modified Graphene (CMG) electrodes are employed in Electrical Double Layer Capacitors (EDLCs) and hybrid EDLCs (Faradaic Capacitors) with specific capacitance reported as high as 216 Farads per gram, in part due to the reported specific surface area for graphene of 2630 square meters per gram. These electrodes include highly porous Chemically Modified Graphene (CMG), fabricated, for example, from graphene oxide flakes followed by reduction to form graphene.
The present disclosure appreciates that there are limitations with known CMG electrodes. For example, in sheet form the electrical conductivity of CMG may be less than other forms of graphene, reportedly ten times than graphene formed by chemical vapor deposition. Lower electrical conductivity may lead to a lower specific power and energy loss for a corresponding capacitor due to internal resistance. The present disclosure appreciates that preparing porous graphene electrodes with desirable levels of conductivity and surface area, particularly for use in EDLCs and hybrid EDLCs, may be a complex undertaking.

Chemical vapor deposition graphene foam electrodes for pseudo-capacitors


A compound of formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts and/or solvates or hydrates thereof. A process for preparing the compound, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound and an application for resisting cannabinoid CB1 receptor are provided.

Cardiovascular disease is resulted by long-term addition of multiple combined dangerous factors, such as smoking, a rise in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), abdominal obesity, decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL), high triglyceridemia, hypertension, type II diabetes, and the like. These multiple dangerous factors of cardiovascular disease are closely related to abnormal mode of life, such as unhealthy excessive diet, too little sports and smoking. Recent studies have proofed that endocannabinoid EC system is related to the multiple dangerous factors of cardiovascular disease.
Endocannabinoid EC system is a physiological system in body. It acts on nervous centralis and peripheral tissue and plays a role in regulating body weight, affecting glycolipid metabolism and smoking habituation.
Endocannabinoid EC is an endoagonist of its receptor, it produces on cell membrane based on demand, its metabolism changes rapidly, and usually exerts only at the location where endocannabinoid EC produces. The stimulation of obesity and nicotine causes excessive activation of endocannabinoid EC system, leading to appetite excitation and smoking dependence in nucleus accumbens, promoting increase in intake of food, causing smoking habitation. The stimulation of obesity and nicotine also leads to fatty accumulation in peripheral fatty tissue, and thereby initiating resistance to insulin, damage of carbohydrate tolerance, decrease in adiponectin and high density lipoprotein, and increase of triglyceride.
Studies show that selective cannabinoid CBI receptor antagonists (J. Med. Chem., 2002, 45, 2708-2719) can remarkably reduce body weight and fatty accumulation, improve insulin sensitivity, result in normal blood sugar on an empty stomach, improve lipid, and increase level of adiponectin.

Pyrazole carboxamide derivatives, pharmaceutical compositions and its preparation

Beijing Molecule Science and Technology Co., Ltd.


The present invention provides a vehicle including a frame, a rear wheel, a swingarm coupling the rear wheel to the frame, and a pivot shaft assembly rotatably coupling the swingarm to the frame. The pivot shaft assembly includes a first shaft having a non-circular outer surface engageable with a corresponding non-circular aperture in the frame. The pivot shaft assembly also includes a second shaft threaded to one end of the first shaft. The second shaft pivotably supports one side of the swingarm with respect to the frame. The pivot shaft assembly further includes a third shaft threaded to the other end of the first shaft. The third shaft pivotably supports the other side of the swingarm with respect to the frame.

Motorcycles typically include an engine, a transmission that receives power from the engine, and a power transmission assembly that transfers power from the transmission to a rear wheel of the motorcycle. Such power transmission assemblies can include sprockets coupled to the output shaft of the transmission and the rear wheel, respectively, which in turn are coupled by a chain. Other power transmission assemblies can include pulleys coupled to the output shaft of the transmission and the rear wheel, respectively, which in turn are coupled by a belt.

Vehicle having multiple-piece pivot shaft assembly

Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group, Inc.


In a method for operating a tape storage system, while a tape is being moved in a tape drive across a tape head for one or more of reading and writing user data from/to a data track of the tape, a read element of the tape head, which read element is assigned to the data track, is moved transverse to a moving direction of the tape for a distance of more than a width of the data track. A transverse position of one or more of the following elements is subject to a signal supplied by the read element during its transverse move: The read element; another read element assigned to the data track; and a write element assigned to the data track.

Servomechanisms in tape drives include several components, which are mechanical parts, transducers, and signal-processing units that are realized by logical circuits. For example, in a track-follow servomechanism for state-of-the-art tape drives, a coarse actuator and a fine actuator may be used for the lateral positioning of a rigid tape head module containing data write and read elements as well as servo read elements, also known as servo elements. In addition, a skew actuator might tilt the tape head module to align the tape head module with the tape for write/read operations. One or multiple servo elements that are part of the tape head module provide servo signals to respective servo channels for computing estimates of tape velocity and longitudinal tape position as well as a lateral tape head position, also known as transverse position, with respect to the tape, and a controller determines digital control signals for actuators such as an actuator for moving the tape head module as a whole in a lateral dimension. With an increase in track density that is envisaged for future tape drives, controlling only the lateral position of a rigid tape head module and potentially its skew, whereby the distances between the servo elements and the individual read/write elements are fixed, might not be sufficient to ensure adequate individual positioning accuracy of the read elements that move along data tracks. In state-of-the-art tape drives, environmental conditions may lead to tape expansion or tape contraction that may reduce the positioning accuracy and eventually limit the achievable track density. Furthermore, low-frequency processes such as tape tension fluctuations and residual dynamic tape skew of the tape head with respect to the tape also contribute to the reduction of positioning accuracy of the individual read elements.

International Business Machines Corporation


A field effect transistor with associated parasitic lateral npn bipolar junction transistor includes a source region in a substrate, a channel region in the substrate laterally adjacent to the source region, a drain region in the substrate laterally adjacent to the channel region, and a gate above the channel region of the substrate. In addition, a reduced trigger voltage region of the substrate is positioned below the drain region. The reduced trigger voltage region has a threshold voltage of about zero and comprises an undoped region of the pure wafer substrate. Thus, the reduced trigger voltage region is free of implanted N-type and P-type doping.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to enhancing the parasitic bipolar turn-on which is formed via the junctions of the field effect transistor. This includes a reduced trigger/turn-on voltage region (P+ zener-like implant beneath the junction) below the drain region that comprises an undoped region of the pure wafer substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrostatic charges are a constant threat to modern electronics. Therefore, electrostatic discharge protection (ESD) devices are an important component of the protection circuitry provided in today's electronic devices. As the technologies scale and the ESD protection requirements stay constant, effective ESD protection will become even more difficult in the future. This drives the need for continuous improvement and innovation in this area. To be as effective as possible, low trigger voltage ESD protection devices such as N-type field effect transistors (NFETs) are used because such devices provide effective protection (the parasitic lateral NPN beneath NFET turns on during an ESD event), decrease the area of the chip consumed, and reduce the capacitive loading of the ESD devices. An improved parasitic NPN transistor that has a low trigger voltage and low leakage and can be effectively used as an ESD protection device is presented below.

Low trigger voltage, low leakage ESD NFET


The present invention is a water-less lithographic printing plate, in which a photosensitive layer and a silicone rubber layer are laminated in this order on a substrate, characterized in that the photosensitive layer contains the reaction product between a compound with at least one each of phenolic hydroxyl groups and non-phenolic hydroxyl groups and a quinonediazide compound, or contains both the reaction product between a compound with at least one of phenolic hydroxyl groups and a quinonediazide compound, and the reaction product between a compound with at least one of non-phenolic hydroxyl groups and a quinonediazide compound.. The water-less lithographic raw plate of the present invention is excellent in image reproducibility and printing durability, and so can be favorably and economically advantageously used also in the commercial web offset printing and the newspaper web offset printing where high printing durability is required.

Various printing plates for lithography using a silicone rubber or fluorine resin as the ink repellent layer without using any dampening water, especially selectively exposed and developed photosensitive lithographic printing plates have been being proposed.
For example, as positive type photosensitive lithographic printing plates, Japanese Patent Publication (Koho) SHO 54-26923 and 56-23150, etc. propose water-less lithographic printing plates with a photo polymerizable adhesive layer and a silicone rubber layer as an ink repellent layer laminated on a substrate, and Japanese Patent Publication (Koho) HEI 3-56622, Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) SHO 61-153655, etc. propose water-less lithographic printing plates with a photo-dimerized photosensitive layer and a silicone rubber layer as an ink repellent layer laminated on a substrate.
Furthermore, as negative type photosensitive lithographic printing plates, Japanese Patent Publication (Koho) SHO 61-616 and 61-54218, etc. propose water-less lithographic printing plates with a photosensitive layer containing a quinonediazide compound formed on a substrate and with a silicone rubber layer as an ink repellent layer formed on the photosensitive layer through an adhesive layer, and Japanese Patent Publication (Koho) SHO 61-54222, etc. propose water-less printing plates with a silicone rubber layer as an ink repellent layer formed on a photo releasable photosensitive layer. These printing plates are known to have practically excellent performance. Among them, especially Japanese Patent Publication (Koho) SHO 61-54222 proposes a negative type water-less lithographic printing plate, in which a photo releasable photosensitive layer obtained by crosslinking a partially esterified product of 1,2-naphthoquinone-2-diazido-5-sulfonic acid chloride and a phenol novolak resin by a polyfunctional isocyanate is formed on a substrate, with a silicone rubber layer as an ink repellent layer formed on the photosensitive layer.
Moreover, as photosensitive lithographic printing plates using a fluorine resin as the ink repellent layer, Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) HEI 2-254449 and 2-85855, etc. disclose water-less lithographic printing plates with a fluorine resin obtained by using 1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate or 1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl methacrylate as the ink repellent layer.
However, these photosensitive lithographic printing plates are relatively hard and fragile in the photosensitive layer, and are liable to be damaged by the stress acting on the plate surface during offset printing. According to the increase in the number of printed sheets, the photosensitive layer is damaged in the non-image area under the ink repellent layer, and the damage expands into the ink repellent layer, to lower image reproducibility disadvantageously. This appears as a problem of low printing durability of the printing plate.
To improve the printing durability, various studies have been conducted. Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) HEI 5-53306 and 5-53307, etc. propose water-less lithographic printing plates with a soft primer layer containing a natural protein and an urethane elastomer, or a polyurethane and a silane coupling agent, between the substrate and the photosensitive layer. In either case, no practically sufficient printing durability can be obtained, and since the primer layer is required to be thick enough to ensure the physical properties required for the photosensitive layer, the primer layer may be insufficiently cured to cause the peeling of the ink repellent layer and the peeling of the photosensitive layer, and furthermore in a worse case, the peeling of the primer layer itself from the substrate.
There have been attempts to increase the thickness of the ink repellent layer, but they lower the developability and lessen the ink mileage disadvantageously.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) HEI 1-154158 and 1-154159, etc. adopt a thicker silicone rubber layer as the ink repellent layer, and an ink retaining material is embedded for adjustment of cell depth to compensate for the decrease of the ink mileage caused by the thickening. However there remains the problem of lower developability, and adding a new step of embedding an ink retaining material, etc. is practically inconvenient. Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) HEI 1-161242 proposes a water-less lithographic printing plate prepared by exposing a plate with an ink retaining layer (photosensitive layer) at the top to an image, developing, coating it with an ink repellent layer (silicone rubber layer), and developing again. However, the plate obtained by this technique is poor in the ink retainability of the image area, and unpractically requires many steps such as the application of the silicone rubber layer after development of the photosensitive layer and twice development per plate.
The improvement of the physical properties of the silicone rubber layer as the ink repellent layer is also studied. The addition of a filler and the increase of the molecular weight of polydimethylsiloxane are proposed. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) HEI 2-32349 proposes a water-less lithographic printing plate with a microporous layer containing a hardened ink repellent material, and Japanese Laid-Open (Kokai) HEI 2-8847, a water-less lithographic printing plate with a silicone rubber layer containing a graft polymer with a polyorganosiloxane as grafts. However, though these techniques can improve the flaw resistance, they cannot improve the printing durability sufficiently. On the contrary, there is a problem that they lower the ink repellency which should be kept by the silicone rubber layer.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) SHO 63-213848 proposes a photosensitive layer containing an acrylic acid derivative copolymer, but the proposal has problems that if the amount of the acrylic acid derivative copolymer contained in the photosensitive layer is 50 wt % or more, the image reproducibility and the adhesiveness to the silicone rubber layer as the ink repellent layer are impaired, and that if 50 wt % or less, the printing durability is insufficient.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) HEI 3-20741 proposes to let the photosensitive layer contain a high polymer with a vinyl carboxylate as a component, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) HEI 3-68946, to let the photosensitive layer contain a hydroxyphenylmethacrylamide derivative copolymer. Both the proposals state that plates which allow development by an aqueous developing solution and are excellent in printing durability can be obtained. However, these plates have a problem that since they are insufficient in resistance against the solvents of plate cleaner, UV ink, etc., the image areas are destroyed during printing, while the photosensitive layers are eroded by solvents in their non-image areas, to lower the printing durability.
The present invention has been devised to improve the disadvantages of these conventional techniques, and presents a water-less lithographic raw plate greatly improved in printing durability without being lowered in plate developability, image reproducibility, printing characteristics, solvent resistance, etc. by letting the photosensitive layer contain a compound with a specific structure, to soften the photosensitive layer, and by specifying the flexibility of the photosensitive layer and/or the primer layer in reference to the tensile properties such as initial elastic modulus, 10% stress and rupture elongation.

Water-less quinonediazide lithographic raw plate


A process for degassing a continuously flowing liquid stream is executed using an apparatus that comprises an air-tight housing, in which is mounted for rotation a centrifuge bowl of circular cross-section and having an inner surface for spreading centrifugally impelled liquid to be degassed and an annular peripheral trough for retaining centrifugally impelled degassed liquid. The liquid stream is fed into the bowl and the degassed liquid is withdrawn through a tube extending from an exit line outside the housing to an open end of elongate cross-section which is positioned within the trough of the bowl and is immersible in the degassed liquid. The pressure of the exiting degassed liquid is measured, the pressure measurement being used to regulate the flow of liquid into the bowl so as to maintain a substantially constant level of the liquid therein. Gas is withdrawn to maintain a sub-atmospheric pressure within the apparatus housing, and the flow of the degassed liquid stream is regulated so that the liquid level in the bowl remains substantially constant.

Many liquids used in industrial processes contain entrained and/or dissolved gases such as air as a consequence of the mode of their preparation or purification. Removal of these gases is frequently necessary to carry out the aforementioned industrial processes satisfactorily, but this is often difficult to accomplish as, for example, in the case of foamy or viscous liquids. In the manufacture of photographic products, in particular, it is essential to remove bubbles of air from the prepared solutions, which can be foamy as well as viscous, and to prevent subsequent formation of new bubbles in the solutions in order to ensure a uniform, smooth coating of the required thickness.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,634,907 discloses a centrifuging process and apparatus for continuously removing gas in which the liquid to be deaerated is fed into the centrifugal zone of a cylindrical rotor and the deaerated liquid is removed through a liquid seal into a substantially gas-free collecting zone. The level of liquid within the rotor chamber is preferably controlled by the size of the opening in an orifice plate valve located at the outlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,785,765 discloses a centrifuging apparatus for degassing liquids, which apparatus contains, in an air-tight housing, a generally dome-shaped rotatable member under a condition of partial vacuum into which liquid is fed through a "buttering ring" and from which the treated liquid is removed by a scoop that is a hollow tube of curved contour.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,595 discloses a centrifuge discharge means that is a skimmer having an elongate body and a leading end that is divided into an upper opening and a lower opening. The skimmer in operation is only partly immersed in the liquid to reduce the foaming tendency of the liquid.
Some fluids which are required to be degassed are not solutions but rather suspensions or emulsions. U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,117 discloses a discharge device for removing a fluid from a fluid processing apparatus, which device causes the fluid to flow around its converging side surfaces in a streamlined flow pattern and causes sufficient sub-surface turbulence to keep particles originally dispersed throughout the fluid from settling toward the bottom, which device further, by means of one or more inlet ports in its side surfaces, enables fluid to flow to the outlet of the fluid processing apparatus.
A vacuum degassing centrifuge apparatus ideally operates in a steady state condition in which the level of degassing liquid in the annular trough of the centrifuge bowl is maintained at a substantially constant level. This condition could theoretically be attained by using two perfectly matched pumps that produce exactly equal inlet and outlet rates. In practice this situation is virtually impossible to achieve, particularly when one takes into account other potential disruptions in this theoretical equilibrium condition, for example, when it becomes necessary to change a filter in the system. Under these circumstances there is a need for an additional means of controlling the level of liquid in the centrifuge bowl.
One such means of liquid level control that has been employed utilizes sensing probes located within the trough of the centrifuge bowl. In particular, conductivity sensors have been mounted on the leading edge of the centrifuge discharge device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,117. If a conductivity sensor immersed in the collected liquid becomes uncovered, a valve is opened to allow more liquid to enter the bowl. As the sensor again becomes covered, the valve is closed to stop the inflow.
The above described method of sensing and controlling the level of liquid in the centrifuge bowl is disadvantageous in that the operation of the valve is abrupt, leading to significant pressure fluctuations. The larger variations in pressure give rise to a hydraulic hammering effect that damages filters in the system. Smaller pressure changes, on the other hand, cause flow spikes in the degassed liquid exiting the apparatus; if that liquid is, for example, a photographic emulsion to be coated, an uneven, defective coating is the result.


Invented techniques and associated mechanisms are described for eliminating bi-directional flexure properties of coupled buoyant-slats forming a pool cover while simultaneously increasing the buoyancy of a leading or front portion of the cover and for assuring that the spiraling layers of wound-up layers of a buoyant pool cover are, and remain tightly wound around a submerged, rotatable cover drum at all times.

1. Field of the Invention
These inventions relate to buoyant-slat automatic pool cover systems and tuning techniques harnessing buoyancy forces for optimizing and overcoming inherent functional deficiencies in such systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic pool cover systems utilizing interconnected rigid buoyant slats described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,126, R. Granderath, which roll up on a submerged or elevated drum are popular in Europe. Such buoyant slat pool cover systems for non-rectangular shaped pools have covers which emerge from covered troughs below the pool bottom in the center of a pool and extend to the pool ends. [See EPO 0369038 A1 & B1, R. Granderath and DE 19807576 A1, K. Frey.] Descriptions of typical buoyant slats for such pool cover systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,352, Gautheron, and in. U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,846, Helge, Hans-Heinz (See also DE 4101727 and EP0 225862 A1.)
U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,031 Stolar describes a pool cover system similar to Granderath where, instead of rigid, hinged buoyant-slats, various floating sheet materials such as a polyethylene poly-bubble, or a laminate of vinyl sheeting and foamed substrate, are floated onto the surface of the pool water. Similar to Granderath, extension of Stolar type covers across pools is reliant on buoyant and gravitational forces.
The disadvantage of buoyant pool cover systems utilizing passive buoyancy or gravity forces for propelling or extending the cover components across a pool surface is that the passive forces are always present, and must be dealt with when the cover is stored fully wound up around the cover drum underneath the pool surface, when the cover unwinds from around the drum on extension, and when the cover winds up around the drum on retraction.
Pool cover systems that use buoyancy to propel floating covers across the pool, most typically wind the cover onto roller drums positioned below the water surface. When the cover is retracted from the pool surface and fully wound up onto the cover drum, the upper extremity or front/leading edge of the cover typically is at least two inches below the water surface of the pool. In some cases, the wound up cover and drum are located in a trough next to the pool. In other cases, the cover and drum may be located in an enclosure near the bottom of the pool, or in a special hidden trough compartment underneath the pool floor aesthetically hiding the cover and roller drum. In all cases, the cover drum mechanism is usually located or covered so that that swimmers and the mechanism cannot interfere with each other.
When a buoyant cover is wound up around the cover drum, underwater buoyancy forces act on both sides of the wound up cover with the cover drum acting as a pivot tending to turn in the direction on the side with the greater force. Accordingly, when the cover is fully retracted, the cover drum must be held stationary. An even more perplexing problem is that buoyancy forces tend to unwind the spirally wound up layers of the cover from around the cover drum, particularly in instances where the tongue or front portion of the cover has less volume (is less buoyant) than the main body cover. Typically, the front end of the cover is not secured when the cover is fully wound up in the retracted storage position. Accordingly, when the outer cover layer on the winding side of the cover drum is more buoyant than the outer cover layer on the extending side of the cover drum, the imbalance of buoyancy between the winding side and extension side with the cover drum held stationary, will pull the front portion of the cover around the wound cover layers in the winding direction, successively until the buoyancy forces on the respective sides (layers) of the cover roll balance (reach an equilibrium). Such passive unwinding or loosening of the retracted cover in the cover drum trough increases the cover roll radius leading to jams when that radius reaches or exceeds a design parameter such as a trough wall. Also such loosening effectively precludes limit switch control over cover extension.
The typical buoyant-slat for a pool cover has a transparent upper or top surface and a dark bottom or undersurface (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,846, Helge, col. 1, 11 27-34), The slat is a typically an extruded plastic tube with one or more stoppered, air filled longitudinal flotation chambers, having a longitudinal male, prong hook along one side and a longitudinal female prong-receiving channel along its other side [See FIG. 1]. A plurality of slats are interleaved together to form flexible or rollup-able cover. Buoyant pool cover slats are also quite vulnerable to over heating, i.e., heat increases air pressure in the flotation chambers that can compromise the water tightness of the slat. Water convection cools the dark undersides of the slats forming the cover when the cover is deployed on a pool surface.
The coupling between adjacent coupled slats is essentially a loose, longitudinal, bidirectional hinge that is flexible or bendable back and forth around the longitudinal coupling. The longitudinal prong-channel couplings between adjacent slats are typically configured to allow the longitudinal coupling to flex, with reference to a horizontal floating plane of a pool surface, in an underside direction and in a topside direction. The degree of topside and underside flexibility of the coupling between adjacent buoyant slats cover determines both the direction the cover is wound and the minimum diameter of the cover drum. Typically, the longitudinal couplings of the type shown in FIG. 1 allow a 30° topside flex and a 45° underside flex.
Under most circumstances, buoyancy forces keep the longitudinal couplings between adjacent slats in tension underwater until the couplings reach the pool surface. At the pool surface, tensioning due to buoyancy disappears allowing the coupling to unpredictably flex in opposite (topside-underside) directions. Such bidirectional flexing is a problem as the front or leading edge of the buoyant cover, on extension, emerges up through onto the horizontal surface of the pool unguided [See DE19807576 A1, K. Frey.] In particular, a myriad of different factors, e.g., momentum, wind, surface waves, and the like, all can affect the direction the front edge of the cover flexes. For example, the front edge of the cover emerging adjacent an end/side of the pool or other extending cover component, can flop onto the adjacent deck or other extending cover component, rather than the pool surface. In addition to interrupting automatic extension, if not immediately corrected manually, a flop in the wrong direction can lead to extensive damage. In particular, when the front portion of the emerging cover flexes in the topside direction, the cover folds over onto itself as the buoyancy forces accelerate extension of the remainder of the cover onto the pool surface. Folding the cover over exposes the dark undersides of the buoyant slats to the sun. Warmed by the sun, expanding air confined within the hollow slats can quickly compromise the water tightness of the slats.

Providing unidirectional hinge, increased buoyancy and passive tensioning for buoyant-slat automatic pool cover systems


To provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that make it possible to suitably provide three-dimensional property information.

Services to provide information about properties, such as apartments, on Internet websites or the like have become popular in recent years. In such services, for example, a floor plan, photos of inside a property and its surrounding environment, and information on the address, area, etc. of the property are provided as property information.
A service to provide not only a two-dimensional floor plan but three-dimensional information at the time of provision of property information is also conceivable (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2). For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology to convert floor plan data acquired from a WEB server into a three-dimensional stereoscopic shape according to an instruction from the floor-plan viewer side, and as a result, a three-dimensional stereoscopic floor plan is displayed on a screen.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

Abstract: A floor-plan identifying unit that generates floor plan information on the basis of a floor plan image and a model generating unit that generates a three-dimensional model using the floor plan information are included. The floor-plan identifying unit includes: a line-segment detecting unit that detects a line segment corresponding to a wall on a floor plan, a segmentation processing unit that identifies a room region corresponding to a room on the floor plan, a character recognizing unit that recognizes a character string included in the floor plan image, a fixture detecting unit that detects a fixture sign included in the floor plan image, and an integration unit that identifies a type of room of the room region and complements a room structure. The model generating unit includes an estimating unit that estimates a scale of the floor plan and a generating unit that generates a three-dimensional model of the real-estate property on the basis of the floor plan identified from the floor plan information, the scale, and an estimated ceiling height.


A semimanufactured product of a stopper includes: a plate-shaped bridging portion; a first curved portion extending from one end portion of the bridging portion integrally; and a second curved portion extending from the other end portion of the bridging portion integrally, and an entirety of the semimanufactured product is formed in a C-shape. The first curved portion includes a first locking part at the end portion. The second curved portion includes a second locking part that engages with the first locking part at the end portion. The first locking part includes a convex-shaped convex portion and a pair of receiving portions positioned so as to sandwich the convex portion. The second locking part includes: a concave-shaped concave portion which can accommodate the convex portion; and a pair of projecting portions positioned so as to sandwich the concave portion.

A cylindrical member called a stabilizer bar is used in order to suppress rolling of a vehicle body and to improve running stability of the vehicle (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). The above-described stabilizer bar has a torsion bar portion extending linearly in the vehicle width direction and a pair of arm portions respectively extending from both ends of the torsion bar portion, and the entirety of the stabilizer bar is formed in a U-shape, for example.
The stabilizer bar is installed onto the vehicle body via a buffer member made of rubber and a U-shaped bracket in a portion of the torsion bar portion near both arm portions. Meanwhile, ends of both arm portions are supported by suspension arms.
In a stabilizer bar configured as described above, when the torsion bar portion of the stabilizer bar is twisted at the time of a circular run of a vehicle, the reaction force produced by the twist of the torsion bar portion acts as a force that suppresses rolling of the vehicle body.
A pair of movement prevention members (hereafter referred to as "stopper") of flange shape are respectively provided in positions of the torsion bar portion of the stabilizer bar adjoining the buffer member. If movement in the axial direction of the torsion bar portion is left uncontrolled when large force in the vehicle width direction is input onto the torsion bar portion at the time of the circular run of the vehicle, that causes a problem such as the torsion bar portion causing abnormal noise by interfering with vehicle body accessories.
Accordingly, in Patent Document 1, the flange portion of a pair of annular stoppers described above provided on the torsion bar portion is configured to contact with the buffer member when large force in the vehicle width direction is input onto the torsion bar portion at the time of a circular run of the vehicle. According to the stopper in Patent Document 1, it is possible to prevent problems caused by the torsion bar portion interfering with the vehicle body accessories in advance by regulating the movement of the torsion bar portion in the axial direction.

Semimanufactured product of movement regulation member, stabilizer bar having movement regulation member, and method for installing semimanufactured product of movement regulation member to a stabilizer bar


A method (20) is described for optically measuring the three-dimensional location of one or more wires W, in a group of wires W1-Wn, such a overhead power cables in an electric rail system. A first step (22) comprises obtaining stereoscopic image data for each of the wires W from the first and second spaced apart stereoscopic camera pairs 10a and 10b which lie in the common plane P1. At step (24), image data from the first and second stereoscopic camera pairs 10a and 10b is processed to identify each of the wires W in the region of interest (12). At step (26), a determination is made of the location in 3D space of selected identified wires W using image data from one of the cameras C1 or C2; and, C3 or C4 in each of the first and second camera pairs 10a and 10b.

Electric rail systems which are supplied with electricity from overhead power lines rely on a pantograph attached to an electric locomotive to provide a current pathway between an overhead power line and one or more electric motors. The pantograph supports a carbon brush that extends perpendicular to the direction of the overhead line. In order to maximise the life of the carbon brush and avoid damage, the overhead lines do not extend exactly parallel with the tracks on which the locomotive run, but rather are supported to meander within predetermined boundaries between the tracks. In this way the overhead line does not contact the carbon brush in the same location but rather the contact point moves from side to side along the brush as the locomotive traverses along the rail.
During the construction of the electric rail system, the location of the overhead lines is predetermined and recorded. From time to time when conducting maintenance of an electric rail system it is important to make measurements to ensure that the power lines are in their predetermined location.


A circuit has been shown to illustrate how a vertical indicator can be generated in logic for a simplified OSD generator. The vertical visual indicator generated uses little microcontroller firmware overhead allowing a less powerful microcontroller to be used in the specific application, thus lowering system cost. A single byte is written to a counter to indicate the position of the vertical indicator. The OSD video coming from the OSD logic is overridden with a pixel overwrite signal when the location of the vertical indicator is located. The pixels overwrite whatever is located below the position of the vertical indicator. The pixel overwrite occurs for a predetermined time to fill a predetermined number of pixels. For example, if the vertical indicator is three pixels wide then the pixel overwrite signal occurs until three pixels have been overwritten.

Many computers, televisions, and other equipment use on screen displays (OSDs) to display and adjust parameters related to the equipment. For example, OSDs may visually represent the level of volume, contrast, brightness, vertical position, horizontal position, and the like. While the user is adjusting the parameter, the OSD provides visual feedback to the user relating to the adjustment they are performing.
One common method of visual feedback employed in OSDs is to generate an indicator to show a parameter's level. An indicator typically shows the range of adjustment the parameter may be adjusted within as well as the current value of the parameter. For example, an indicator may be used to display a vertical position parameter for a screen.
A common technique for displaying a bar indicator within an OSD is to display characters on a display of the equipment. Such an OSD system is referred to as a character based system. In such an OSD system, several characters are typically used to represent portions of the OSD. For example, some characters are used to represent a background for the OSD and several other characters are used to represent the indicator. One such prior art system is illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art vertical indicator system. As shown in the figure, vertical indicator system 100 includes indicator arrow 120, vertical bar 130, and background 140. Icons I1–I10 illustrate different positions of indicator arrow 120 within a character. Characters 150–180 show vertical arrow system 100 divided into four different characters.
Character 150 shows a blank background character. Character 160 shows indicator arrow at a top position of the character. Characters 170 and 180 show characters representing vertical bar 130.
According to vertical arrow system 100, each character (I1–I10) represents a different location for the indicator arrow within a character. When the user steps through a sequence adjusting a parameter, indicator arrow 120 appears to move up or down in response to the change in sequence number. Character I1 shows indicator arrow 120 at the top of a character, while character I10 shows indicator arrow 120 at the bottom of a character.
Typically, the parameter value for the indicator arrow ranges between a minimum value and a maximum value. For example, the range may be between zero (0) and ten (10). As the user adjusts the parameter, the icon arrow appears to increment up or down from 1 to 10 providing feedback to the user. In order to achieve this effect, the microcontroller determines where the indicator arrow should be placed and selects the appropriate character. For example, the microcontroller selects from icons I1–I10 to achieve this effect. In practice, to facilitate this, the microcontroller runs a firmware routine that takes the sequence value, and maps the value to a particular icon character using a lookup table. This character is then written to the OSD page RAM.
This manipulation requires significant computation on the part of the low power microcontroller. Consequently, the firmware to provide this feature is quite large, takes up significant ROM space, and uses significant computation power.

Low cost vertical visual indicator system for on screen displays


A polyaxial bone anchoring device includes a receiving part to receive a rod for coupling the rod to a bone anchoring element, the receiving part having a top end and a bottom end, a first passage at the bottom end with a first longitudinal axis, and a second passage at the top end with a second longitudinal axis that intersects the first longitudinal axis, and a compression element, wherein at least one of the receiving part or the compression element has a seat with an opening facing the bottom end, and wherein the compression element is movable relative to the receiving part along the first longitudinal axis between a first position wherein the seat is expandable and configured for insertion of a head of a bone anchoring element and pivoting of the head, and a second position wherein the seat is compressed to lock an inserted head therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a polyaxial bone anchoring device providing a pivot angle that is enlarged to one side compared to an opposite side. The polyaxial bone anchoring device comprises a bone anchoring element with a head and a shank and a receiving part for receiving a rod for coupling the rod to the bone anchoring element. The receiving part has two passages, each coaxial with a longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axes of the two passages intersect one another and wherein one of the passages includes a seat configured to allow pivoting of the head. The head is insertable into the seat from a bottom end of the receiving part.
2. Description of Related Art
A polyaxial bone anchoring device with an enlarged pivot angle to one side is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,820 B2. This bone anchoring device comprises a screw member that is pivotably held in a receiving part, wherein the receiving part has an open first bore and a second bore on the end opposite to the first bore. On the bottom of the first bore, a seat for the head is provided. In order that the screw member can be pivoted to at least one side by an enlarged angle, an edge bounding the free end of the second bore viewed relative to the axis of the first bore is of asymmetric construction. The diameter of the second bore is greater than that of a threaded section of the screw member and smaller than that of the head.
Another bone anchoring device with an enlarged pivot angle is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,974,460 B2. It includes a coupling element having an inner surface defining a first bore coaxial with a first longitudinal axis, and a second bore coaxial with a second longitudinal axis, whereby the second longitudinal axis intersects the first longitudinal axis. The coupling element has a seat adjacent to the lower end of the coupling element for the head of a bone anchoring element.
The polyaxial bone anchoring devices described above are top-loading anchoring devices wherein the anchoring element is inserted into the receiving part from an upper end thereof.
A bottom-loading polyaxial bone anchoring device is known from US 2011/0276098 A1. This polyaxial anchoring device comprises a rod receiving portion and a head receiving portion and an outer locking ring that is configured to compress the head receiving portion to clamp and finally lock the head. The anchoring element is insertable into the receiving part from a bottom end of the receiving part.

Polyaxial bone anchoring device with enlarged pivot angle


A golf club shaft is formed of graphite and includes an upper portion and tapers to a lower portion. The upper portion is designed to couple with a handle while the lower portion is adapted to coupled to a club head. A first flex point is disposed between the upper portion and the lower portion of the shaft. A second flex point is disposed between the first flex point and the lower portion of the shaft. A third flex point is disposed between the second flex point and the lower portion of the shaft. The shaft tapers to the first flex point and widens to taper to each successive flex point.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club shaft. In particular, the golf club shaft includes three or more flex points distributed along the length of the shaft.
2. Background
The functionality of a golf club shaft is determined by its torque, impact strength, frequency, and flex point location. These factors determine the capacity of the club to strike a ball, the distance and direction of a struck ball, and the tolerance of the shaft during impact. All of these factors may be altered by the manufacturer to achieve a functional shaft. The flex point location, however, is the factor most often selected by a golfer when choosing a set of golf clubs.
In choosing a flex point, a golfer is often asked to choose between three locations. A flex point located proximate the club head is termed a "low point". A flex point in the middle of the shaft is termed a "mid-point". A flex point located proximate the handle is termed a "high point". Typically, a low point shaft sacrifices distance for less vibration while a high point shaft increases vibration to obtain greater distance. A mid-point shaft tries to achieve a compromise in both distance and vibration. None of these options, however, provide maximum distance and reduced vibration.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to increase distance and reduce vibration in a golf club shaft.

Golf club shaft having multiple flex points


To provide an expansion valve which permits both the assembling cost and the cost of parts to be effectively reduced by a large margin and thus is highly economical. A high-pressure refrigerant pipe, a valve casing and a low-pressure refrigerant pipe are previously formed integrally with an evaporator. At the time of assembling, an expansion valve unit having a minimum function to serve as an expansion valve is inserted into the valve casing and fixed thereto by a clip, and a distal end portion of a temperature sensing cylinder is fixed to an outlet pipe of the evaporator, thereby constructing an expansion valve. No special joints are required to connect the expansion valve unit to the high-pressure and low-pressure refrigerant pipes, and therefore, the cost of parts can be cut down. Also, since the valve casing into which the expansion valve unit is fitted is formed integrally with the high-pressure and low-pressure refrigerant pipes and the evaporator, no pipe connection is required, thus reducing the assembling cost.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an expansion valve, and more particularly, to an expansion valve which is responsive to the temperature of refrigerant delivered to a compressor from an evaporator in a refrigeration cycle to control the quantity of the refrigerant introduced into the evaporator.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In an air conditioning system for automobiles, a refrigeration cycle is constructed in which high-temperature high-pressure gaseous refrigerant compressed by a compressor is condensed in a condenser and the resulting high-pressure liquid refrigerant is adiabatically expanded in an expansion valve to obtain low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant, which is then evaporated in an evaporator and returned to the compressor. The evaporator, to which the low-temperature refrigerant is supplied, exchanges heat with the air in the vehicle compartment, whereby the compartment is air-cooled.
The expansion valve includes a temperature-sensitive chamber of which the internal pressure rises or drops in response to temperature changes of the refrigerant in a low-pressure refrigerant passage connected to the outlet of the evaporator, and a valve mechanism actuated in response to pressure rise or drop of the temperature-sensitive chamber to control the flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the inlet of the evaporator. The valve mechanism is housed in a valve casing, whose refrigerant inlet and outlet are respectively connected by fastening members, such as nuts, to a high-pressure refrigerant pipe and a low-pressure refrigerant pipe leading to the evaporator. A temperature sensing cylinder is connected to the temperature-sensitive chamber and has a distal end portion thereof closely fixed to a refrigerant pipe connected to the outlet of the evaporator to sense the temperature of the refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator.
Originally expansion valves are designed to detect not only the temperature but the pressure of the refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator so that the valve mechanism may be controlled also in response to variations in the pressure. There has, however, been a demand for expansion valves reduced in cost. To meet the demand, an expansion valve has been developed which senses only the temperature of the refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator, as mentioned above, and in which a joint between the refrigerant pipe connected to the outlet of the evaporator and the refrigerant pipe leading to the compressor is omitted to cut down the cost. This arrangement is based on the fact that, when the refrigerant from the expansion valve passes through the evaporator, its pressure loss within the evaporator is almost constant and thus a pressure obtained by subtracting the pressure loss from the pressure at the outlet of the expansion valve can be regarded as the pressure of the refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator.
Even in this temperature sensing type expansion valve which requires no connection of refrigerant pipes on the outlet side of the evaporator, it is necessary that the high-pressure refrigerant pipe and the low-pressure refrigerant pipe leading to the evaporator should be connected, respectively, to the refrigerant inlet and outlet of the valve casing by fastening members when the expansion valve is assembled. Accordingly, there has been a demand for expansion valves which are further reduced in cost, inclusive of the assembling cost.
The present invention was created in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an expansion valve which permits both the assembling cost and the cost of parts to be effectively reduced by a large margin and thus is highly economical.
To accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an expansion valve for sensing temperature change of a refrigerant at an outlet of an evaporator to control a flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to an inlet of the evaporator. The expansion valve comprises an expansion valve unit including a temperature-sensitive chamber whose internal pressure rises or drops in response to temperature change of the refrigerant in a low-pressure refrigerant pipe connected to the outlet of the evaporator, and a valve mechanism actuated in response to pressure rise or drop of the temperature-sensitive chamber to control the flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the inlet of the evaporator, a valve casing having an opening into which said expansion valve unit is fitted, said valve casing being formed integrally with a high-pressure refrigerant pipe for introducing the high-pressure refrigerant, a low-pressure refrigerant pipe for letting out the refrigerant whose flow rate has been controlled, and the evaporator and fixing means for fixing said expansion valve unit fitted into said valve casing.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention by way of example.


A monolithic three dimensional memory array is described. The memory array comprises a first set of strips including a first terminal; a second set of strips including a second terminal; a third set of strips including a third terminal; a first pillar having at least one side wall with a slightly positive slope, said pillar disposed between and connecting said first and second sets of strips, and including a first P doped silicon region, a first N doped silicon region and a first insulating region; a second pillar having at least one side wall with a slightly positive slope, said pillar disposed between and connecting said second and third sets of strips, and including a second P doped silicon region, a second N doped silicon region and a second insulating region; wherein each of the pillars is substantially free of stringers.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a new way of making electrically isolated pillars in silicon active devices. It has particular application to three-dimensional (3D) memories, and in particular to 3D memories that include diodes or incipient diodes (i.e., two halves of a diode separated by an antifuse layer).
2. Discussion of the Related Art
3D memories can be much lower cost than conventional 2D memories. If a conventional memory occupies X square millimeters of silicon area, then a 3D memory comprising N planes of bits occupies approximately (X/N) square millimeters of silicon area. Reduced area means that more finished memory devices can be built on a single wafer, thereby reducing cost. Thus, there is a strong incentive to pursue 3D memories having multiple planes of memory cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,882, assigned to Matrix Semiconductor, Inc. and incorporated by reference herein, describes a 3D field-programmable, non-volatile memory that is well suited to extremely small memory cells. Each memory cell includes a pillar of layers formed at the intersection between upper and lower conductors. In one embodiment, the pillar includes a steering element, such as a diode, that is connected in series with a state change element, such as an antifuse layer. In the preferred embodiment described therein, each pillar is isolated from neighboring pillars by a pair of self-aligned etch steps and interleaved dielectric depositions. When the antifuse layer is intact (i.e., the cell is not programmed), the cell is electrically an open circuit. When the antifuse layer is breached (i.e., the cell is programmed), the cell is electrically a diode in series with the resistance of the breached antifuse layer.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/560,626 filed Apr. 28, 2000 and its continuation-in-part application Ser. No. 09/814,727 filed Mar. 21, 2001, both entitled, "Three-Dimensional Memory Array and Method of Fabrication, assigned to Matrix Semiconductor, Inc. and incorporated by reference herein, disclose, rather than pillars, a memory cell at intersections of rail stacks. The memory cell includes a combined steering element and state change element. Specifically, the disclosed memory cell includes an antifuse layer disposed between the anode and the cathode of an incipient diode. When the antifuse layer is intact, the cell is electrically an open circuit. But when the antifuse is breached, a portion of the anode material and a portion of the cathode material are fused in a small-diameter filament, thereby forming the diode.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/928,536, filed Aug. 13, 2001, entitled "Vertically-Stacked, Field Programmable, Nonvolatile Memory and Method of Fabrication," assigned to Matrix Semiconductor, Inc. and incorporated by reference herein, describes 3D memories having various pillar configurations and including antifuse and diode components.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/639,577 filed Aug. 14, 2000, entitled, "Multigate Semiconductor Device with Vertical Channel Current and Method of Fabrication" assigned to Matrix Semiconductor, Inc. and incorporated by reference herein, describes 2D memories having various pillar configurations and including transistor components.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/927,648 filed Aug. 13, 2001, entitled, "Dense Arrays and Charge Storage Devices, and Methods for Making Same," assigned to Matrix Semiconductor, Inc. and incorporated by reference herein, describes 3D memories having various pillar configurations and including diode or transistor components.
When pillar structures are formed, a typical procedure would be to etch a first plurality of layers into strips in a first direction, fill the spaces in between the strips with a dielectric, deposit a second plurality of layers, and then etch both second and first plurality of layers in a second direction, orthogonal to the first. The second etch is selective to material constituting the first and second plurality of layers, and does not appreciably etch the dielectric. Accordingly, as explained in more detail below, any material within the first plurality of layers, trapped under the dielectric that is laid down after the first etch, will not be removed in the second etch. This remaining material, sometimes called a "stringer," can provide an unintended electrical path between adjacent pillars.
Where two adjacent pillars have stringers that interfere with their electrical isolation from each other, the functioning of these memory cells can be compromised. Specifically, a write operation to one memory cell can undesirably affect one or both memory cells, i.e., a write disturb condition can occur.
Previously, stringer formation could be prevented in at least two ways: (i) by using an "aggressive," perfectly vertical anisotropic etch, such as pure Cl2 in the case of a silicon-containing first plurality of layers, so that no dielectric (e.g., SiO2) hardmask overhang forms over a sloped sidewall of the first plurality of layers, and therefore no material from the first plurality of layers is trapped under the dielectric to form a stringer in the first place, or (ii) by using a "less aggressive etch," i.e., an etch that results in a positive slope that causes stringers (due to the overhanging SiO2 hardmask), but following that etch by an isoptropic etch that clears away the stringer (dilute SF6 in a noble gas such as Ar, for example) after the stringers are formed. The distinction between these two approaches is that the former prevents stringers from forming, but the latter "cleans" them up after they've formed.
Nevertheless, both approaches have drawbacks. The use of etchants, such as Cl2, that typically produce quite vertical sidewalls is problematic because such etchants are so "aggressive" that they isotropically (i.e., multi-directionally) etch the refractory metal silicide conductors that are used in the devices (such as TiSi2), even though they very anisotropically (uni-directionally, e.g., vertically) etch Si. This aggressive etching is undesirable as it can cause such conductors to function unreliably. On the other hand, using a "stringer-clearing" second etch is problematic because it is very difficult to control and can etch the pillar as well as the stringer.
Therefore, a need arises for a method of accurately forming active devices, such as diodes, that is compatible with less aggressive etch chemistries.

Electrically isolated pillars in active devices


An efficient system and process for removing nitrogen from wastewater while enriching seed sludge in the mainstream treatment process. Bioaugmentation of seed autotrophic organisms facilitate the nitrification reactions by enhancing the rates of reaction advantageously within a smaller volume or within a shorter activated sludge solids retention time. Likewise, bioaugmentation of seed denitrification organisms will also enhance rate of reaction within a smaller volume or shorter activated sludge solids retention time. Separate treatment of high ammonia digester reject water is an efficient method to treat nitrogen in recycle streams as well as to enrich the seed nitrifying and denitrifying cultures.

With reference to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a conventional wastewater treatment process is shown. The treatment includes influent wastewater 111 being settled in a primary settling basin 110. Settled sludge 115 (i.e., primary sludge) is sent to an anaerobic sludge digester 140, while the settled wastewater 112 is sent for secondary treatment. This secondary treatment may include biological aeration in aeration tanks 120 and a final settling process in a final settling basin 130. A portion of the sludge 114 from the final settling basin 130 is returned to the secondary treatment in order to maintain biological compounds in the influent. Effluent water stream 118 that meets water quality standards is output from the final settling basin 130. The remainder of the waste activated sludge 113 from the final settling basin 130 is sent to the anaerobic sludge digester 140. After the anaerobic sludge digestion process, the removed water 116 is mixed with the incoming influent wastewater 111 and the stabilized solids (biosolids) 117 are now safe for application as fertilizers, for example.
One problem that plagues conventional wastewater treatment plants is nitrogen removal to meet effluent discharge water quality standards. There are various sources of nitrogen in municipal wastewater, including human feces, industrial wastes, and other garbage. Typically, nitrogen removal at wastewater treatment plants is achieved by a series of nitrification and denitrification steps. Specifically, nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia to nitrite and subsequently to nitrate, followed by denitrification of nitrite or nitrate to nitrogen gas. The general chemical equations for these processes are:

The capability to remove nitrogen is constrained by the rate limiting aerobic nitrification reactions to convert ammonia to nitrite and/or nitrate by slow growing autotrophic organisms. The cumulative volume requirements for nitrogen removal depends on the completion of these reactions. Accordingly, there is a need and desire for a more efficient nitrogen removal process by encouraging the nitrification/denitrification processes in the mainstream reactor.

Method for nitrogen removal and treatment of digester reject water in wastewater using bioaugmentation


A method and an apparatus for high quality texture mapping. Multi-resolutional texture data for a destination pixel is supersampled at horizontal and vertical screen space sampling rates based on the local rate of change at a texture coordinate. Two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional multi-resolutional texture data is sampled. The calculated local rates of change in texture can be scaled, independently, to allow the effect of each texture dimension upon the horizontal and vertical screen space sampling rates to be controlled separately. Three examples for calculating screen space sampling rates according to the present invention are provided based on a maximum texture gradient, an optimized maximum texture gradient, or a minimum sampling routine which ensures sampling when footprint area collapses to a line. Unnecessary calculations and delays encountered in supersampling an entire display image uniformly are avoided. An excellent filter is obtained for live video texture mapping in real-time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of computer graphics. More particularly, the present invention involves a method and apparatus for supersampling texture in a raster subsystem.
2. Related Art
Computer systems are commonly used for displaying graphical images on a display screen. A typical computer generated image is drawn from a plurality of constituent geometric primitives, i.e. polygons, points, lines and three-dimensional objects. To render a display image, each primitive must be transformed from object space to display screen space. Each input primitive may contribute to one or more pixels of the final image (a pixel is a picture element of a display means in display screen space).
Texture is added to provide richer surface detail to a display object. In texture mapping, texel data from a two-dimensional (2-D) or three-dimensional (3-D) texture map (or pattern image) is combined with an area or surface of an object to produce a modified object with the added texture detail. See, e.g., Foley et al., Computer Graphics Principles and Practice, Second Edition, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Mass. (1990), pp. 742-743 and 826-828 (incorporated herein by reference).
"Exact" texture mapping algorithms are known which can display a very high quality textured image. These algorithms obtain a substantially exact texture mapping by examining the contribution of every texel under a pixel footprint to an overall texel value to be mapped to the pixel footprint. In this way, texture is mapped over an entire pixel footprint for any arbitrary pixel footprint shape and orientation. See, e.g., the Feibush, Levoy, and Cook algorithm and the Blinn and Newell algorithm as summarized by Foley at pp. 742-743 and Wolberg, G., Digital Image Warping, (I.E.E.E. Computer Society Press: Los Alamitos, Calif. 1990), Chapter 6, page 178 (incorporated herein by reference).
For performance and cost reasons, however, exact mapping algorithms are often unworkable. A texture is often represented by a million or more texels. A single display scene can map from tens or hundreds of different textures. Complex video images and special effects further increase the work required for an exact texture-mapping, as the number of texels which must be processed and filtered for a single pixel footprint is driven higher. Thus, the number of calculations required in an exact mapping algorithm is simply too great to practically provide high-quality texture detail in real-time. The performance limitations of exact texture-mapping are especially acute in the display of complex images, such as video, or in special effects applications where display objects are warped, distorted, or displayed in perspective.
Approximations have been made to the pixel footprint's shape and/or orientation to map texture more economically. The loss of texture quality due to these approximations, however, is pronounced when the shape and/or orientation of the pixel footprint differs from a corresponding texel to which it is approximately mapped. Aliasing artifacts deteriorate image quality when texels are undersampled and do not adequately cover a pixel footprint area. Conversely, excessive blurriness results when too many texels are mapped to a pixel footprint due to oversampling. See, e.g., the discussion of anti-aliasing in Wolberg, Chapter 6, pages 163-186, incorporated herein by reference.
As shown in FIG. 1A, two specific orientations of a pixel footprint A relative to a texture grid, that is, rotated and in-perspective, illustrate the sampling problems encountered in texture mapping (see Wolberg at page 167). As the pixel footprint A rotates with respect to a texture grid, the sampling inaccuracy varies between undersampling and oversampling texels resulting in variable image quality. In a perspective display, a square pixel footprint can map into a rectangle in texture space. For extreme perspective views, many texels sometimes map into a single pixel footprint A.
Supersampling techniques have been developed to improve the texture detail which is mapped to a pixel footprint area. In so-called regular supersampling, an image is sampled n times the display resolution to improve the texture display quality (see FIG. 1B, n=9 adapted from Wolberg at page 169). Irregular supersampling techniques take samples at non-uniform sampling locations to further reduce aliasing artifacts which can arise when texture samples are regularly-spaced. See, e.g, the discussion of irregular sampling techniques such as stochastic sampling including Poisson sampling, jittered sampling, and point-diffusion sampling, in Wolberg, pp. 173-177. Regular and irregular supersampling techniques, however, have been inefficient and unworkable for real-time display of special effects images. Computational costs and delays quickly become prohibitive, especially when images are distorted, rotated, warped, or displayed in perspective.
The degree of supersampling is often determined based on a global consideration of the texture detail needed in a display image. For example, a regular supersampling grid as shown in FIG. 1B is often applied over an entire display regardless of any local pixel footprint orientation and shape when mapped in texture space. This is costly and inefficient. The regular samples can also create aliasing artifacts. Proposals for adjusting supersampling density locally, however, appear to be too costly and/or slow to provide texture in real-time for video special effects. See, the discussion by Wolberg regarding adaptive stochastic sampling in section 6.3.5, page 177 (referring to work by M. Dippe) and uniform supersampling based on a single compression or area value in section 6.4.4, page 179 (referring to work by Gangnet et al.).
Perny et al. uses per-pixel supersampling of texture based on the area of the pixel footprint in texture space. Each subsample is a bilinear interpolation of the four nearest texels. A single user-defined oversampling coefficient "S" and compression ratio A are used to control a mesh size, and thereby, jointly reduce sampling rates in X and Y. See Perny et al., "Perspective Mapping of Planar Textures," Computer Graphics, Vol. 16, No. 1, May 1982, pp. 70-100 and Gangnet et al., "Perspective Mapping of Planar Textures," Eurographics '82 Proceedings, pp. 57-71.
An efficient supersampling texture mapping approximation has also not been applied to pre-filtered multi-resolutional texture data. For example, MIP-mapping, involves pre-filtering a texture map at progressively coarser resolutions to form a set of multi-resolution level-of-detail (LOD) maps, also called an "image pyramid" or "MIP-map." To map texture to a pixel footprint, a square texel from a particular map having the most appropriate level of detail is chosen.
In the system of Dungan et al. an image pyramid is used to reduce the integration approximation for a pixel footprint in texture space to a few lookups in a reduced resolution image (LOG image). The LOD image chosen for a pixel is based on the average of the footprint width and height. As a result, a texture may be underfiltered in one dimension and overfiltered in another dimension. The entire screen is uniformly supersampled at a 2.times.2 rate to minimize undersampling artifacts. See, Dungan et al., "Texture Tile Considerations for Raster Graphics," Siggraph '78 Proceedings (1978), pp. 130-134.
L. Williams further describes blending between two nearest LOD images to approximate footprint size. Bilinear interpolation is used to position the footprint. See, Williams, L., "Pyramidal Parametrics," Siggraph '83 Proceedings, (1983), pp. 1-11. This technique essentially approximates a pixel's parallelogram footprint in texture space to a pre-filtered square texel. This produces an excessively blurry image due to oversampling and does not adjust for rotation. These drawbacks become especially pronounced in special effects computer graphics applications where an object is rotated, warped, or displayed in perspective.
What is needed is a texture supersampling algorithm for multi-resolutional texture data which efficiently approximates an arbitrary pixel footprint (shape and orientation) during texture mapping and displays high-quality special effects texture detail in real-time. Rich texture detail needs to be applied in real-time to video images even for warped, rotated, perspective, and/or distorted images. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional multi-resolutional texture data need to be accommodated.

Method and apparatus for supersampling based on the local rate of change in texture


An exposure apparatus for projecting an image pattern on a mask onto a photosensitive substrate, including: a body including a projecting optical system through which the image pattern is projected from the mask to the photosensitive substrate; a first stage movable to the body and adapted to mount the mask; a second stage movable to the body and adapted to mount the photosensitive substrate; a measuring device for measuring the position of either one of the mask mounted on the first stage and the photosensitive substrate mounted on the second stage; a vibration sensor for measuring vibration of the body; and a position controller for controlling the position of either one of the mask mounted on the first stage and the photosensitive substrate mounted on the second stage based on a measurement value of the vibration sensor and a measurement value of the measuring device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus, more particularly to an exposure apparatus which is used during manufacturing semiconductor devices, liquid crystal display devices and the like in a lithography step and to an exposing method.
2. Related Background Art
A projection exposure apparatus has been used, which projects patterns of a photomask and a reticle (hereinafter referred to as a reticle) under exposure light onto a photosensitive substrate via a projection optical system during manufacturing semiconductor devices, liquid crystal display devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,304 disclosed an exposure apparatus capable of performing an accurate exposure with the combination of a coarse motion stage and a fine motion stage for a reticle. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,160 discloses an exposure apparatus having a device capable of suppressing a vibration of the apparatus.
However, in the foregoing conventional exposure apparatuses, it is difficult to sufficiently suppress a faulty exposure due to vibrations of the exposure apparatus boy.
From the view point of the above described circumferences, the object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus which is capable of suppressing an occurrence of a faulty exposure due to vibrations of the exposure apparatus body and performing a high accuracy exposure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an exposure apparatus for projecting an image pattern on a mask onto a photosensitive substrate, the apparatus comprising: a body; a first stage movable to the body and adapted to mount the mask; a second stage movable to the body and adapted to mount the photosensitive substrate; a measuring device for measuring the position of either of the mask mounted on the first stage or the photosensitive substrate mounted on the second stage; a vibration sensor for measuring vibration of the body; and a position controller for controlling the position of either the mask mounted on the first stage or the photosensitive substrate mounted on the second stage based on a measurement value of the vibration sensor and a measurement value of the measuring device.
According to the exposure apparatus of the present invention, the position of either the mask or the photosensitive substrate is directly measured by the measuring means, and the vibrations of the portion in the exposure apparatus body as well as the portion other than that of either the mask or the photosensitive substrate is measured by the vibration sensor. Then, the position control system controls the position of either the mask or the photosensitive substrate based on the measurement values of the vibration sensor and the measuring means.
According to the present invention, when the vibrations are caused in the exposure apparatus body, the vibrations are measured by the vibration sensor, and the errors caused in the measurement values of the measuring means are corrected by the position control system using the measurement results, whereby the position deviation between the mask and the photosensitive substrate due to the vibrations is prevented, resulting in the suppression of the occurrence of the faulty exposure.
Moreover, various kinds of the vibration sensors that can be used in the invention are taken into consideration. It is sufficient that the foregoing vibration sensor may be an acceleration meter. Since the vibrations can be directly measured by the acceleration meter, the vibrations can be measured more precisely. As another vibration sensor, if the vibration sensor is placed at a position where it is not influenced by the vibrations of the apparatus body, the vibration sensor may be constituted by combining it with a displacement sensor such as a laser interference meter and a circuit to differentiate the measurement values of the displacement sensor twice. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of projecting a pattern image on a mask on to a photosensitive substrate, using an exposure apparatus comprising a a body with projection optical system for projecting the pattern on the photosensitive substrate; a first stage movable to the body and adapted to mount the mask; and a second stage movable to the body and adapted to mount the photosensitive substrate, the method comprising the steps of: mounting the mask on the first stage; mounting the photosensitive substrate on the second stage; directly measuring the position of either one of the mask and the photosensitive substrate to provide a first data; measuring vibrations of the body, using a vibrator attached to the body, to a second data; and controlling either one of the mask and the photosensitive substrate based on the first data and the second data to prerform the projective exposure.
The present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration only and are not to be considered as limiting the present invention.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.


A paper cup, including: a cup body including a surface, and a base. A plurality of uneven stiffeners are arranged on the surface of the cup body. A method for preparing the paper cup includes: 1) selecting polyethylene (PE) or polylactic acid (PLA) coated paper as a raw material, the PE or the PLA coated paper including: a coated side, and a printed side; 2) printing a figure on the printed side of the PE or the PLA coated paper; 3) embossing uneven stiffeners on the paper via an embossing device; 4) cutting the paper into a shape of a section as a cup body via a die cutting machine; 5) shaping the cup body and the base into the paper cup via a molding machine; and 6) sterilizing, and packaging the paper cups.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a paper cup, and more particularly to a paper cup and a method for preparing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, paper cups have been widely used because of their convenience. In the market, the paper cup is single layered, which has a low intensity, and is easily deformed after being filled with hot water, plus, it is not good at heat insulating and anti-sliding.
A new kind of double layered paper cup including an outer cup body and an inner cup body has been disclosed. Although this structure is useful to strengthen the intensity, and has a good heat insulation capability due to the gap between the inner and the outer cup body, the gap easily causes unevenness and deformation of the cup body.