A wafer, having at least a spindle region and at least two through regions alongside the spindle region, is provided. The wafer in the spindle region is partially removed from the bottom surface. Thereafter, the bottom surface is bonded to a carrier with a bonding layer, and the wafer in the through regions is completely removed from the top surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a method of double-sided etching, and more specifically, to a method of forming a micro spindle by double-sided etching.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Micro electromechanical system (MEMS) technology is an emerging technology which highly integrates electronics and mechanics, and has been broadly adopted to fabricate various devices having electro and mechanical characteristics, such as micro sensors, micro actuators, micro motors, photosensitive switches, etc. MEMS devices generally have mechanical structures more complicated than semiconductor devices, and thus cannot be directly fabricated by standard semiconductor processes. Take the micro spindle, one of the most common structures in MEMS devices, for example, accurate shape and smooth surface condition are strictly required for ensuring reliability and stress-bearing capability.
Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a micro spindle 10; FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are schematic diagrams illustrating a conventional method of forming a micro spindle. As shown in FIG. 1, the micro spindle is a suspension structure capable of being driven by a voltage, light beams, or a magnetic field, and thereby rotates in the direction as the arrow indicates shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, the micro spindle 10 must have an accurate shape, a smooth surface, and a uniform axis so as to guarantee reliability and stress-bearing capability. The conventional method of fabricating the spindle 10 is described below.
As shown in FIG. 2, a wafer 20 is provided. Then, an etching stop layer 22 and a photo resist pattern 24 are respectively formed on the bottom surface and the top surface of the wafer 20. As shown in FIG. 3, an etching process is followed to etch through the wafer 20 not covered by the photo resist pattern 24 until the etching stop layer 22.
According to the conventional method, however, equilibrium of the etching process and the thickness uniformity of the wafer 20 are not taken into consideration. Thus, the yield of the etching process cannot be well controlled because etching rates in different regions of the wafer 20 are not equal. For example, on the occasion of etching through the wafer 20, the overall area being etched varies dramatically, and leads to unexpected changes during the etching process. In addition, when the etching process is performed down to the etching stop layer 22, side etching effect tends to occur and therefore results in an undercut 26 as shown in FIG. 3. As mentioned earlier, if the shape accuracy of the micro spindle degrades, reliability of the micro spindle will be seriously affected.


Described are components, component combinations, kits and methods useful for creating reconstructed tissue structures such as reconstructed nipple structures. Novel combinations are described involving surgical marking templates, implants having features correlated to the templates, and/or post-surgical shields.

The present invention relates generally to surgery, and in particular embodiments to components and component combinations useful for performing tissue reconstructive surgery, especially such surgery adapted to create an external, upstanding tissue structure such as a nipple.
Tissue reconstructive surgeries are often performed after a natural tissue structure has been damaged or surgically removed or modified due to disease, injury or other causes. One relatively common reconstructive surgery involves breast reconstruction after mastectomy or other cancer-related surgeries. A surgeon rebuilds the breast, typically so it is about the same size and shape as it was before the mastectomy. The nipple and the darker area surrounding the nipple (the areola) can also be surgically reconstructed.
Several types of breast reconstruction surgery are known. Options include a newly shaped breast with the use of a breast implant, the use of a tissue flap from the patient, or a combination of the two. Nipple and areola reconstructions are usually the final phase of breast reconstruction. This surgery is done to make the reconstructed breast resemble the original breast more closely, and is an important consideration in acceptable patient outcomes in the overall breast reconstruction surgery. It is usually done after the new breast has had time to heal, which may be several months after the original surgery.
In today's practice, the tissue used to rebuild the nipple and areola is taken from the patient, such as from the newly created breast, opposite nipple, ear, eyelid, groin, upper inner thigh or buttocks. Tattooing may be done to match the color of the nipple of the other breast and to create the areola. A challenge that arises in creating a reconstructed, upstanding nipple, is that the volume and/or height of the originally reconstructed nipple is often lost over time as the patient heals.
There remain needs in the area of tissue reconstruction for components, kits and strategies that facilitate the retention of desirable appearance qualities, such as height and/or volume, of reconstructed, upstanding external tissue structures such as nipples. In several embodiments, the present invention is addressed to these needs.

Kits, components and methods for tissue reconstruction


A method and system for locating aircraft with respect to airport runways and taxiways, generating and annunciating situational awareness advisories as a function of aircraft state parameters relative to a determination of the aircraft location.

Runway incursions and taxiway transgressions are currently well recognized as major flight safety issues. Runway incursions and taxiway transgressions usually involve an inappropriate entry to either or both of a taxiway and a runway and potentially can result in unsafe separation from other aircraft or ground vehicles. As with any aviation accident or incident, the causal chain of events leading to runway incursions and inappropriate taxiway transgressions is complex. Current data show that these events include consequences such as: take-off or landing from a taxiway; take-off and landing from an incorrect runway; turning onto an incorrect taxiway; unauthorized take-off or landing; unauthorized runway crossing or taxing across an active runway; failure to hold short of a runway prior to departure or unauthorized runway entry; and unauthorized taxiing. Many occurrences of these events involve poor pilot approach or on-the-ground situational awareness that has not been overcome by either current traffic controls or tower instructions. Furthermore, existing "runway picker" algorithms are useless during taxi because they simply select the closest runway endpoint.

Ground operations and imminent landing runway selection


A method and system are disclosed for providing help-data in association with applications launched from a network, such that the applications are displayed within a window of a graphical user interface. Initially, an application is selected from among a number of applications, which are constructed from data generated at a server located within the network. Next, help-data associated with that application is identified. Thereafter, the identified help-data is automatically converted to hypertext data if the identified help-data is derived from a native format other than hypertext format. Hypertext links associated with the identified help-data are then automatically displayed within a window of the graphical user interface. Thereafter, the help-data is automatically displayed within a window of the graphical user interface as a hypertext document, in response to an invocation of the hypertext link by a user of the application. Thus, the hypertext links associated with the identified help-data can be presented to the user in the form of a table and in a graphical user interface window other than the graphical user interface window in which the application is displayed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to improved information-retrieval methods and systems. In particular, the present invention relates to data-processing systems which are linked to other data-processing systems by associated linking networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and system for providing user help information that can be accessed efficiently by a user during a network-navigating session.
2. Description of the Related Art
The development of computerized information resources, such as the "Internet," allow users of data-processing systems to link with other servers and networks, and thus retrieve vast amounts of electronic information heretofore unavailable in an electronic medium. Such electronic information is increasingly displacing more conventional means of information transmission, such as newspapers, magazines, and even television.
In communications, a set of computer networks which are possibly dissimilar from one another are joined together by "gateways" that handle data transfer and the conversion of messages from the sending network to the protocols used by the receiving network, with packets if necessary. A gateway is a device used to connect dissimilar networks (i.e., networks utilizing different communication protocols) so that electronic information can be passed from one network to the other. Gateways transfer electronic information, converting such information to a form compatible with the protocols used by the second network for transport and delivery.
The term "Internet" is an abbreviation for "Internetwork," and refers commonly to the collection of networks and gateways that utilize the TCP/IP suite of protocols, which are well-known in the art of computer networking. TCP/IP is an acronym for "Transport Control Protocol/Interface Program," a software protocol developed by the Department of Defense for communication between computers. The Internet can be described as a system of geographically distributed computer networks interconnected by computers executing networking protocols that allow users to interact and share information over the networks. Because of such wide-spread information sharing, the Internet has thus far generally evolved into an "open" system for which developers can design software applications for performing specialized operations or services, essentially without restriction.
Electronic information transferred between data-processing networks is usually presented in hypertext, a metaphor for presenting information in a manner in which text, images, sounds, and actions become linked together in a complex non-sequential Web of associations that permit the user to "browse" or "navigate" through related topics, regardless of the presented order of the topics. These links are often established by both the author of a hypertext document and by the user, depending on the intent of the hypertext document. For example, traveling among links to the word "iron" in an article displayed within a graphical user interface in a data-processing system might lead the user to the periodic table of the chemical elements (i.e., linked by the word "iron"), or to a reference to the use of iron in weapons in Europe in the Dark Ages. The term "hypertext" was coined in the 1960s to describe documents, as presented by a computer, that express the nonlinear structure of ideas, as opposed to the linear format of books, film, and speech.
The term "hypermedia," on the other hand, more recently introduced, is nearly synonymous with "hypertext" but focuses on the nontextual components of hypertext, such as animation, recorded sound, and video. Hypermedia is the integration of graphics, sound, video, or any combination thereof into a primarily associative system of information storage and retrieval. Hypermedia, as well as hypertext, especially in an interactive format where choices are controlled by the user, is structured around the idea of offering a working and learning environment that parallels human thinking--that is, an environment that allows the user to make associations between topics rather than move sequentially from one to the next, as in an alphabetic list. Hypermedia, as well as hypertext topics, are thus linked in a manner that allows the user to jump from one subject to other related subjects during a search for information. Hyper-link information is contained within hypermedia and hypertext documents, which allow a user to move back to "original" or referring network sites by the mere "click" (i.e., with a mouse or other pointing device) of the hyper-linked topic.
A typical networked system that utilizes hypertext and hypermedia conventions follows a client/server architecture. The "client" is a member of a class or group that uses the services of another class or group to which it is not related. Thus, in computing, a client is a process (i.e., roughly a program or task) that requests a service provided by another program. The client process utilizes the requested service without having to "know" any working details about the other program or the service itself. In a client/server architecture, particularly a networked system, a client is usually a computer that accesses shared network resources provided by another computer (i.e., a server).
A request by a user for news can be sent by a client application program to a server. A server is typically a remote computer system accessible over the Internet or other communications medium. The server scans and searches for raw (e.g., unprocessed) information sources (e.g., newswire feeds or newsgroups). Based upon such requests by the user, the server presents filtered electronic information as server responses to the client process. The client process may be active in a first computer system, and the server process may be active in a second computer system, communicating with one another over a communications medium, thus providing distributed functionality and allowing multiple clients to take advantage of the information-gathering capabilities of the server.
Client and server communicate with one another utilizing the functionality provided by Hypertext-Transfer Protocol (HTTP). The World Wide Web (WWW) or, simply, the "Web," includes those servers adhering to this standard (i.e., HTTP) which are accessible to clients via a computer or data-processing system network address such as a Universal Resource Locator (URL). The network address can be referred to as a Universal Resource Locator address. For example, communication can be provided over a communications medium. In particular, the client and server may be coupled to one another via Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) or TCP/IP connections for high-capacity communication. Active within the client is a first process, known as a "browser," which establishes the connection with the server and presents information to the user. The server itself executes corresponding server software which presents information to the client in the form of HTTP responses. The HTTP responses correspond to "Web pages" constructed from a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), or other server-generated data. Each Web page can also be referred to simply as a "page."
The client and server typically display browsers and other Internet data for a user via a graphical user interface. A graphical user interface is a type of display format that enables a user to choose commands, start programs, and see lists of files and other options by pointing to pictorial representations (icons) and lists of menu items on the screen. Choices can be activated generally either with a keyboard or a mouse. Internet services are typically accessed by specifying a unique network address (i.e., Universal Resource Locator). The Universal Resource Locator address has two basic components, the protocol to be used and the object pathname. For example, the Universal Resource Locator address, "http://www.uspto.gov" (i.e., home page for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), specifies a hypertext-transfer protocol ("http") and a pathname of the server ("www.uspto.gov"). The server name is associated with a unique numeric value (TCP/IP address).
The evolution of personal computers over the last decade has accelerated the Web and Internet toward useful everyday applications. Nearly every computer sold over the last several years has or will, at some point, become "on-line" to an Internet service provider. Somewhere between 20 and 30 million people around the globe use some form of Internet service on a regular basis. The graphical portion of the World Wide Web itself is usually stocked with more than twenty-two million "pages" of content, with over one million new pages added every month.
Free or relatively inexpensive computer software applications such as Internet "search engines" make it simple to track down sites where an individual can obtain information on a topic of interest. A person may type in a subject or key word and generate a list of network sites (i.e., Web sites). Thus, with "home pages" published by thousands of companies, universities, government agencies, museums, and municipalities, the Internet can be an invaluable resource. With a little practice, even new users can skim millions of Web pages or thousands of newsgroups, not only for topics of general interest, but also to access precise bits of data. The market for Internet access and related applications is explosive and is growing faster than expected, doubling in size approximately every three months.
As the Internet expands daily, an increasing number of first-time users are entering the Internet via the World Wide Web. Most inexperienced users need some kind of assistance to utilize applications launched over the Internet. Most developers do provide help information with 30 their applications. However, such information cannot be easily or readily accessed by a user. Most developers place help information on a Web page in the form of links to other help pages, which makes the help information difficult for a user to utilize because of the necessity of continually "jumping" from page to page, particularly when an application launched over the Internet and the help information share the same page. When jumping from page to page, the original information is lost from view, and must be reloaded from cache memory when a previously accessed page is requested. Such constant jumping can frustrate the inexperienced user.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that a need exists for a method and system to provide help information readily and easily to a user in an efficient manner. A solution to the aforementioned problem would save an Internet user time and energy in downloading applications from the Internet that include help information. A method and system that allow a user the opportunity to utilize an application launched over the Internet and directly consult help information without navigating back and forth to different Web pages or network sites is a goal eagerly sought by World Wide Web page developers but which, thus far, has not been met in the prior art.

Method and system for providing user help information in network applications

International Business Machines Corporation


To provide a novel light-emitting device with high productivity, the light-emitting device includes a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, and a third light-emitting element. In the first light-emitting element, a first lower electrode, a first transparent conductive layer, a first light-emitting layer, a second light-emitting layer, and an upper electrode are stacked in this order. In the second light-emitting element, a second lower electrode, a second transparent conductive layer, the first light-emitting layer, the second light-emitting layer, and the upper electrode are stacked in this order. In the third light-emitting element, a third lower electrode, a third transparent conductive layer, the second light-emitting layer, and the upper electrode are stacked in this order. The first transparent conductive layer includes a first region. The second transparent conductive layer includes a second region as thick as the third transparent conductive layer. The first region is thicker than the second region.

1. Field of the Invention
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a light-emitting device, an electronic device, and a lighting device which include a light-emitting element in which a light-emitting layer capable of emitting light by application of an electric field is provided between a pair of electrodes.
Note that one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-described technical field. The technical field of one embodiment of the invention disclosed in this specification and the like relates to an object, a method, or a manufacturing method. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a process, a machine, manufacture, or a composition of matter. Specifically, examples of the technical field of one embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specification include a semiconductor device, a display device, a liquid crystal display device, a light-emitting device, a lighting device, a power storage device, a memory device, a method for driving any of them, and a method for manufacturing any of them.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a light-emitting element including a light-emitting layer containing an organic compound between a pair of electrodes (e.g., an organic EL element) has been actively developed. An electronic device (e.g., a smartphone) equipped with a light-emitting device in which the light-emitting elements are arranged in a matrix is manufactured and commercially available.
In an organic EL element, voltage application between a pair of electrodes, between which a light-emitting layer is interposed, causes recombination of electrons and holes injected from the electrodes, which brings a light-emitting substance (an organic compound) into an excited state, and the return from the excited state to the ground state is accompanied by light emission. Since the spectrum of light emitted from a light-emitting substance is peculiar to the light-emitting substance, use of different types of organic compounds as light-emitting substances makes it possible to provide light-emitting elements which exhibit light of various colors.
In the case of light-emitting devices for displaying images, at least three-color light, i.e., red, green, and blue light is necessary for reproduction of full-color images. Furthermore, to enhance image quality with favorable color reproducibility, various efforts such as use of a microcavity structure and a color filter have been made to improve color purity.
As a way to achieve full-color display, for example, there is a method in which light-emitting layers for different colors are deposited in pixels side by side. The light-emitting layers are evaporated in only predetermined pixels using a shadow mask. In this case, to reduce cost by reducing the number of steps, a structure in which layers except the light-emitting layers, for example, a hole-transport layer, an electron-transport layer, and a cathode are formed to be shared among a plurality of pixels is disclosed (e.g., see Patent Document 1).

Light-emitting device having multi-thickness transparent conductive layers

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


The data disc type can be discriminated in utilizing a part of control information or using through holes of disc cassette, and even in the case where the magneto-optical disc is loaded erroneously, the desired data can be recorded/reproduced on the corresponding disc selectively by shifting the operation as occasion demands. And thus, even in the case where this type of magneto-optical disc is used for data recording, the magneto-optical disc device and the magneto-optical disc which are capable of simplifying the disc control can be obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to magneto-optical disc recording/reproducing devices and, more particularly, to a magneto-optical recording/reproducing device which detects an incorrect type of disc loaded into it and, responsive thereto, prohibits a recording/reproduction operation.
Some conventional magneto-optical disc devices are capable of recording compressed audio data on a compact magneto-optical disc utilizing thermal magnetic recording.
As shown in FIG. 1, in such a prior art magneto-optical disc device 1, an audio signal AI is inputted successively and is converted into digital signal at an analog-to-digital converter (A/D) 2.
The converted digital signal is audio compression processed at an audio compandor 3 (to decrease the quantity of data) to form audio data DAI.
The magneto-optical disc device I stores this audio data DAI in a memory circuit 5, through a memory controller 4, and outputs the audio data DAI successively to a data processing circuit 6.
The data processing circuit 6 divides the audio data to be outputted successively from a memory circuit 7 into prescribed blocks and forms error correction codes. Then, the data processing circuit 6 modulates the data with a modulation method suitable for magneto-optical disc recording to form recording data, and outputs the resultant recording data to a magnetic head driving circuit 8.
The magneto-optical disc device I controls the overall operations with a system control circuit 11, to rotate a magneto-optical disc 10 at a prescribed revolution speed via a servo circuit 12.
Furthermore, the magneto-optical disc device 1 drives a thread unit 13 via the servo circuit 12 and thus, transfers a magnetic head 9 signal and an optical head 14 signal to prescribed recording tracks of the magneto-optical disc 10.
The magneto-optical disc device 1 drives the magnetic head 9 corresponding to the recording data and impresses the modulation magnetic field formed by the magnetic head 9 to a desired recording track of the magneto-optical disc 10.
Under these conditions, in the magneto-optical disc device 1, an optical beam is irradiated from the optical head 14 to the part of the disc impressed with the modulation magnetic field and thus, by applying the method of thermal magnetic recording, audio data is recorded with high density.
Furthermore, the magneto-optical disc device 1 detects the reflection light of this optical beam at the optical head 14 and outputs the detection result to an address decoder 16 via an amplifier 15 and, thus, detects the address information which was previously recorded on each track.
Wobbling pre-groove is also pre-recorded on the disc. This wobbling is FM modulated so as to record the address information into the whole disc.
Thus, in the magneto-optical disc device 1, audio data can be recorded successively on desired recording tracks depending upon this detection result of position information.
Furthermore, at this point, in the magneto-optical disc device 1, tracking error signal, focus error signal, etc., from the optical head 14 are reproduced at the amplifier 15 and are outputted to the servo circuit 12. Thus, the desired audio data can be certainly recorded.
At the time of this recording, in the magneto-optical disc device 1, by processing audio data per block at the data processing circuit 6, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, audio data will be recorded per cluster (FIG. 2A).
One cluster is composed of the sub data for 4 sectors and the main data of 32 sectors (FIG. 2B).
When a track jump is detected based on the position information detection result, the magneto-optical disc device 1 stops recording, returning to the former recording track and starts recording audio data from the recording track on which the track jump occurred.
At this point, the magneto-optical disc device 1 again outputs audio data stored in the memory circuit 5 per cluster and thus, the dropout of audio data can be avoided by utilizing the memory circuit 5 as a buffer memory. Even in the case where the entire magneto-optical disc device 1 failed to write data due to vibrating, etc., audio signals can be recorded successively.
On the other hand, during reproduction, the magneto-optical disc device 1 decreases the quantity of light of optical beam to be outputted from the optical head 14, as compared to during recording. By detecting changes of polarized wave plane of reflection light obtained from the magneto-optical disc 10, the magneto-optical disc device reproduces the recording data of magneto-optical disc 10 by utilizing the Kerr effect.
The magneto-optical disc device 1 demodulates the output signal of the amplifier 15 at the data processing circuit 6 and processes error correction, then outputs the demodulated, error-corrected, data to the memory controller 4.
At this point, the magneto-optical disc device 1 outputs the audio data SDO reproduced by utilizing the memory circuit 5 as the buffer memory in the same manner as when recording. The audio compandor 3 audio expands the data.
With this arrangement, the magneto-optical disc device 1 demodulates the audio data SDO to digital audio signal AO at this audio compandor 3 and outputs in the form of analog signal via a digital-to-analog converter 16.
Furthermore, during reproduction, by monitoring sub data, which are added to the main data, the magneto-optical disc device 1 detects the track jump. Audio data will be repeatedly reproduced per cluster from the same track based on this detection result as occasion demands. Thus, even if track jump occurs during reproduction, audio signals can be reproduced avoiding the sound cut in advance.
This type of magneto-optical disc recording/reproducing device is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,087.
Hereupon, it is considered to be convenient if this type of magneto-optical disc device can be used as an external memory device for storing, e.g., computer data.
In this type of magneto-optical disc device, since data can be accessed randomly, the access time can be shortened.
Also since the memory capacity of magneto-optical discs is large, and they are developed already for audio, the magneto-optical disc itself can be produced easily and in large quantities, and can be supplied at lower cost than the conventional disc.
Also, since the magneto-optical disc can be removed, like floppy discs, it is considered that its usability can be improved, as compared with the hard disc.
However, a magneto-optical disc with recorded audio data may be erroneously loaded onto a magneto-optical disc device for data recording. Conversely, a magneto-optical disc for data recording may be erroneously loaded onto a the magneto-optical disc device for audio reproduction.
Accordingly, if the magneto-optical disc device for audio reproduction is allowed to be used as a data recorder, it has been a problem that the user must be careful as to which particular type of disc device he inserts.
2. Object and Summary of the Invention
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a magneto-optical disc device which is capable of simplifying control of the magneto-optical disc device, even when a magneto-optical disc inserted into the disc device is for recording.
The foregoing object and other objects of this invention have been achieved by provision of a device for recording/reproducing audio data and program data which comprises: an input/output section for audio data; an input/output section for program data; a compandor for extension processing audio data in which the inputted audio data to be connected to the input/output section for audio data is compressed to output; a switching circuit for switching the compandor with input/output section for program data; a discrimination circuit for judging whether the loaded recording medium is for audio or for program; a control section for controlling the switching circuit based on the result of the discrimination circuit.
Further, this invention provides a recording/reproducing device for audio which comprises a judgment section for judging the loaded recording medium, and a control section for controlling the prohibition of recording/reproducing operation when the judgment section judges that the recording medium for data storage is loaded.
Furthermore, this invention provides a recording/reproducing device for data storage which comprises judgment section for judging the loaded recording medium, and a control section for controlling the prohibition of recording/reproducing operation when the judgment section judges that the recording medium for audio is loaded.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.

Recording and reproducing apparatus for data storage and/or audio


The apparatus is a multi-speed flat belt durability tester that can simultaneously test several belts of different lengths. The tester can apply different tensions to each belt with a tension pulley powered by a hydraulic cylinder, and it monitors the tracking of the belts with photocell sensors. At least two belt test positions located at the outer edges of the apparatus include cantilevered pulley ends that greatly facilitate installation and removal of the belts being tested.

This invention deals generally with an apparatus for testing power transmission belts and more specifically for a machine for life testing of flat belts of substantially different lengths.
Numerous power transmission belts are used on farm machinery, and there can even be six to eight belts on a single machine. Although such belts are usually thin flat belts, they can be either true "endless" belts or so called "laced" belts, those that have a spliced junction forming the loop. Field test evaluation of the performance of such belts under normal operation in crop conditions can take years. Furthermore, because of the width of such belts, which are up to a foot wide, the pulleys they ride upon are typically supported at both ends, making installation and removal of such belts very cumbersome and time consuming.
Several belt testing machines are patented, but all such devices have some shortcomings. For one thing most are designed for the common narrow "V" belt, or at least a belt in which the width is comparable to its thickness. This makes installation and removal of the belt relatively simple and reduces the problem of those belts drifting sideways on pulleys. Another aspect of the available testers is that they test one belt at a time.
For life testing wide flat belts it would be very advantageous to have available a machine which facilitates installation and removal of the belts, tests both endless and laced belts, and simultaneously tests several belts of different length.


A window cover support device and method of use thereon, wherein the device is non-rotating and comprises a bracket having support members in the form of pairs of upward-facing hooks over which a valance rod or curtain rod may be placed, a box structure for confinement of one end of a miniblind support rod, and also a round or rectangular slotted opening for installation of one end of a shade support rod therein. The bracket is utilized in pairs with a tension rod between same to provide support to the selected window cover or combination of window covers. In furtherance of adhesion to the wall, the present invention incorporates a novel plug-flap device of rubber, or other similar material, suitable for insertion into the end of the tension rod, the plug-flap device providing a large surface area of rubber or similar material under the bracket.

Window coverings are available in a variety of forms, including curtains, valances, miniblinds and shades. Each type of window covering is typically positioned differently with respect to a selected window, and each may further require or utilize standard, but different, attachment means and methods for securing same over the window.
Curtains and valances typically utilize a sliding rail device in order to permit horizontal movement and positioning of the curtain or valance with respect to the window. Often, such a sliding rail is generally 'U'-shaped, wherein slots formed in the ends thereof are adapted to attach to wall-mounted, or window frame-mounted, upward facing hook pins, via slots in the ends of the sliding rail.
Miniblinds typically utilize a box mount located within the frame of the window. Often, such box mounts permit the insertion of the integral miniblind support rod therein, followed by retention of same within the box via a securing mechanism.
Shades, similar to miniblinds, typically reside within the confines of the window frame. However, since shades perform a rolling/unrolling action, most shades must be fashioned upon thin integral support rods to facilitate such action. Most support rods are typically inserted into circular and/or slotted retention fixtures that are secured to the window frame.
For proper performance and desired aesthetic results, certain considerations must be evaluated when attaching a support device for a window covering. Most important among such considerations is determining whether the installation is to be permanent or temporary. Where installation is permanent, it is customary and prudent to secure a window covering support via screws, nails or adhesive as described by Weber et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,237). However, Weber et al. '237 is unsuitable for easily removable, temporary installations, and is limited to attachment of curtain rods.
As such, other suitable securing methods are needed for situations when a temporary installation is desired, such as in college dormitories or in rental apartments, where a resident is typically not permitted to install permanent fixtures. Where a temporary installation is desired, the typical choice for installing curtains is via a tension rod, wherein the rod is extended between the faces of the window frame and secured by spring pressure or interference fit. (Although commonly referred to as "tension" rods, it is noted that such rods in fact operate by compression, typically comprising an inner spring that springfully urges or forces apart two slidably-engaged sections.)
Unfortunately, such assemblies positioned within the window frame do not provide the look of a more formal curtain or valance that extends outwardly a few inches from the wall or beyond the window frame. However, attempts to attach outward extensions to tension rods to install another curtain rod thereon, typically cause a levering action that leads to rotation of the tension rod, thereby causing the curtain and rod retained on the extensions to sag or droop; thus, leaving an unsightly gap above the curtain.
A disadvantage of available curtain rods is that most are limited to supporting curtains or valances only, and do not provide facility for installation of miniblinds and/or shades in conjunction with the curtain and/or valance. Indeed, it is often desirable to have more than one window cover, such as, for exemplary purposes only, a combination of a shade with a curtain drawable thereover.
Various attempts have been made to overcome the aforementioned problems. For instance, Nicholson (U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,295) teaches a bracket that permits conversion between a miniblind and a curtain rod by providing a box bracket for the miniblind, wherein the box bracket has an extension for hanging a curtain rod thereupon. However, the device of Nicholson '295 teaches a device that is not easily removable and does not teach a device that can be utilized to install curtain rods, shades and/or miniblinds.
Downey et al. (U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2002/0162929) teaches an adapter for insertion into a box bracket, wherein the adapter both secures miniblinds in the traditional manner, but also includes upward-facing hooks for installation of curtains and/or valances. However, the device of Downey et al. '929 requires utilization of existing secured box brackets that are not easily removed, if a user so elects, to return the window area to its original condition.
Athey (U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,095) teaches a combination window shade holder and curtain rod hook adapter that install over a window frame. However, the device of Athey '095 requires access to the rear side of a window frame ledge—a surface typically not accessible in fixed windows.
Murray (U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,847) teaches a combination shade and curtain rod bracket plate that must be mounted via fasteners, such as screws, thereby rendering the device unsuitable for temporary installation.
Rozon (U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,013) teaches a curtain rod device that attaches to the end of an integral blind support rod, thereby permitting the utilization of both valance and other curtains along with the blind. However, the device of Rozon '013 requires an existing and installed blind with access to the ends thereof, and thus, is further unsuitable for application to miniblinds, which are typically held within a window frame, thereby preventing access to the ends of the integral support rod thereof.
Patrick et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,337) teaches an interference telescoping rod having brackets that can be inserted at the ends of the rod for the support of both valance or other curtains, and for the retention of a shade within the frame of the window. The bracket devices of Patrick et al. '337 typically extend outwardly from the wall, but could be placed against the wall surface, thereby preventing rotation of same. The device of Patrick et al. '337 also selectively includes a rubber backing layer selectively adhesively affixed to the brackets to provide a firm and non-slipping engagement with the wall. However, Patrick et al. '337 does not teach the inclusion of a box bracket for retention of miniblinds, and requires the utilization of a complicated compression unit as part of the interference fit telescoping rod.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for a simple window covering support device and method for the temporary installation of curtains, valances, miniblinds and/or shades over a selected window structure.

Window covering support device and method of use thereof


A method of making soft, strong, high bulk tissue is disclosed. The method includes pre-conditioning a wet web by straining the wet web in the cross-machine direction prior to transferring the wet web to a throughdrying fabric. The pre-conditioned web provides improved sheet softness and conforms more readily to the surface contour of the throughdrying fabric, thereby creating greater caliper (bulk) in the resulting dried sheet. The bulk is maintained during a subsequent creping step by maintaining the dried sheet in registration with the throughdrying fabric when the dried sheet is applied to the surface of the creping cylinder.

Uncreped throughdried tissue manufacturing methods are capable of extremely high production rates when producing single-ply products such as towels and bathroom tissue. Softness is achieved by proper selection of fibers, layering, highly-contoured throughdrying fabrics and heavily calendering the resulting sheet. While such products are commercially successful, much of the bulk realized on the tissue machine is lost during calendering. As a result, there is still a need to further improve the softness of such sheets. By comparison, conventional creped throughdried tissue sheets are generally soft, but they lack the bulk and processing flexibility associated with uncreped throughdried processes.
Therefore there is a need for an improved tissue making process that provides a tissue sheet having a combination of high bulk, good strength and a high degree of softness.


The invention relates to a method for lowering the viscosity of a fat based mixture comprising solids and fat that have been previously refined to a powdery mass characterized in that the powdery mass is submitted to elongational flow effective as such to provide breaking up of the agglomerates and intimate interactions of the solids with the fat thereby resulting in the production of a pasty mass with coating of the solids with the fat. The method enables to replace conching in a traditional conche or at least reduce conching time or increase the subsequent loading and throughput of the fat based mass in traditional conches.

The present invention relates to a method and device for liquefying of a fat based mixture. The invention is particularly useful to replace or at least significantly shorten the traditional conching of fat based mixtures carried out in the chocolate making process.
In the traditional manufacture of chocolate or chocolate-like compounds, finely ground powders are dispersed in a continuous fat phase. The powders found in chocolate or chocolate-like compounds are traditionally sugar, cocoa solids and/or milk solids. These are mixed in differing proportions together with cocoa butter and/or vegetable fats, milk fats and emulsifier(s), such as lecithin. Plain chocolate is obtained by mixing sugar, cocoa butter, optionally other fats, and cocoa mass. Mills chocolate contains fat and milk non-fat solids as additional ingredients. White chocolate contains milk fat and milk non-fat solids, sugar and cocoa butter and/or vegetable fat without the addition of the cocoa mass or cocoa powder. Chocolate compounds may also be produced by using alternative fats in place of or in conjunction with natural cocoa butter. Such alternative fats belong to three main categories which are cocoa butter equivalents (CBE), cocoa butter substitutes (CBS), cocoa butter replacers (CBR). Detailed discussions of these different types of alternative fats can be found in a variety of sources, see for example, Traitler, H. et al., Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society, 62(2), 417-21 (1985).
In the traditional chocolate production method, the chocolate ingredients are normally mixed and ground in a refiner or mill to sufficiently reduce particle size of solids. Then, the paste is conched at a temperature from 50 to 110° C. for periods of time from a few hours to a few days depending on the type of product and the equipment used. The conched chocolate is then usually cooled after conching to set hard either without tempering or by tempering followed by cooling or allowing to stand for a suitable period of time.
Conching of the refined flakes is usually regarded as an essential production step for the development of the final texture of the chocolate. In the conching operation, shearing created in the conche causes the breaking up of the agglomerates, which are usually solids particles sticking together by pressure or water bonds. Then, the solids particles are coated with the fat and the fat phase finally disperses throughout the chocolate mass. Conching may additionally change the flavour and remove unwanted volatile compounds such as water or acetic acids by evaporation.
Devices for conching a chocolate refined mass have been developed for decades based on the principle of producing high shear flow on the mass by rotary means such as stripping elements or vanes revolving along an inner surface of large containers. For instance, a device for conching is known from DE 39 18 813 which consists of three axis-parallel cylindrical upwardly open chambers. These are a central main chamber with a greater diameter and two lateral subsidiary chambers. The three chambers merge into one another thereby forming the conche container. Mixing tools are disposed in each chamber on driven shafts. In general, high shearing and compression are both formed between the moving stripping tool and the static surface of the chambers. Due to the size to surface volume ratio of the known conching systems, only a small amount of chocolate mass is sheared at one time. Even while providing high shearing flow, the transition of the chocolate flake to the desired finished rheology is a time consuming process. Furthermore, the industrial conching machines occupy a considerable floor space in the factory and hence, the capital cost of these machines is very high.
Therefore, the conche is very important in the chocolate making process however it is a very inefficient mixer. With conche mixing taking up to a day to achieve the desired texture and quality, it is both an energy intensive and time consuming part of the chocolate processing.
Furthermore, the viscosity of the fat based mass is critical to produce the correct final product weight. For that, fat plays an essential role as it is the main ingredient used to coat the solid particles, plastify them and finally liquefy the mass. As fat is one of the most expensive major ingredients, any reduction of the fat content for a same level of viscosity reduction provides a significant economical advantage.
EP 0603487 A2 relates to a process for plastically extruding a fat-confectionery material comprising feeding a fat-confectionery material, usually chocolate, into an extruder barrel and applying pressure of a piston to the material in a substantially solid or semi-solid non-pourable form upstream a flow constriction of a die at a temperature at which the material is extruded isothermally. This process enables to form chocolate by extrusion. The starting material is a fat-based confectionery material in a liquid, paste or solid or semi-solid form but is already composed of solids that are already coated with the fat. Therefore, it is already chocolate product when entering into the extruder. Usually, this material is in the form of chocolate buttons. The process is a forming operation to provide a temporarily plastic end product from a solid material but is not an operation pertaining to the chocolate making process 'per se'.
EP 0 775 446 A2 also relates to cold extrusion of chocolate where the starting material is already chocolate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,498 relates to a method and apparatus to prepare in a very short time a chocolate paste from a pasty mass of solids and cocoa butter. A refined paste is subjected to a dry conching treatment in a screw conveyor, the paste being obtained being then subjected to a liquefaction treatment by incorporation of additives in proportions in proportions according to the recipe. The dry conching stage comprises a first simple kneading and a second kneading step with production of shearing and rolling which intensity increases gradually. Conching in a screw conveyor like this provides essentially shearing and rolling by the screw, then, elongational flow at the exit of the conveyor. Applying shearing and rolling is energy consuming and it also requires complex and expensive extruding equipment. Extruding equipment provides also less versatility and requires important and expensive modifications of the tooling (e.g., exchange of the screw parameters, its pitch, size and shape) if one wants to modify the final characteristics of the output product such as its viscosity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,615 also relates to preparing chocolate mixtures in a twin-screw extruders.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,231 refers to a continuous conche used in traditional chocolate factories which provides essentially shear forces to the fat and solid mass during the dry and liquid phases.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,786 relates to a cooking drying method for making a powder but not a liquefied mass.
Therefore, there is a need for a method that provides a quicker, more effective and less energy consuming way for reducing the viscosity of a previously refined fat based mass.
There is also a need for significantly reducing the residence time of the product in this processing stage while providing satisfactory rheological properties to the final compound.
There is further a need for a method that requires less floor occupation and is a continuous process which makes also changeovers between products easier.
There is further a need for a method that more efficiently lowers the viscosity of a fat based bulk material while making the best use of the amount of fat available to coat the solids with fat.
There is also a need for replacing the conching or at least reduce in conching the liquefying time and/or increase the loading or throughput of material in the conche.
There is also a need for a method that enables to reduce the amount of fat for essentially the same level of viscosity.
There is also a further need to provide a lower cost manufacturing process.

Method and device for liquefying of a powdery fat based product particularly in the production of chocolate and the like


A compact displaying optical system capable of reducing a speckle noise and a loss of light amount is disclosed. The displaying optical system which projects images using coherent light, comprises a light source which emits the light; and a polarization control unit. The polarization control unit changes the polarization state of the light emitted from the light source temporally.

Many image projection apparatuses which project images using a laser beam have been proposed. For example, a laser scan display has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-21800, which displays images on a screen by scanning the laser beam with a scanning device.
However, since the laser beam has high coherence, a speckle noise (that is, a granular interference pattern) which causes degradation of image quality appears in the displayed image.
A method for reducing a speckle noise has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-206449, in which a transparent optical element having a refraction index "n" and including "N" areas whose thicknesses change by "Δt" is used. In the method, laser light that is a diverging luminous flux from a semiconductor laser (laser diode) is converted into a parallel luminous flux by a collimator lens, and enters the transparent optical element. The transparent optical element gives optical path differences "(n−1) Δt" to luminous fluxes (divided luminous flux) passing through portions with different thicknesses, thereby reducing the coherence of each divided luminous flux. It is possible to reduce the speckle noise by overlapping the incoherent luminous fluxes that have passed through the transparent optical element by a lens.
Furthermore, a method for reducing a speckle noise has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H06-208089, in which a laser beam is scattered with a rotatable diffusing element. The speckle pattern is changed at a speed undetectable to the human eye by rotating the diffusing element. Overlapping the speckle pattern changing at a high speed by the eye's afterimage effect makes it possible to reduce the speckle noise.
However, in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-206449, it is necessary to increase the step "Δt" of the transparent optical element to give enough optical path differences to the divided luminous fluxes. As a result, it becomes difficult to downsize the optical system. In particular, the size of the transparent optical element becomes larger when using light having a long coherence length such as a solid-state laser and a single-mode semiconductor laser.
Furthermore, in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H06-208089, the loss of light amount becomes relatively large because the laser beam is transmitted through the diffusing element.

Displaying optical system and image projection apparatus


A soil compacting device has an upper mass and a lower mass that is coupled to the upper mass by a spring device and that has a soil contact element. In addition, a drive is provided for producing a working movement of the soil contact element. The drive has an electric motor, a drive frequency of a drive movement produced by the electric motor being equal to a frequency of the working movement of the soil contact element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a soil compacting device and to a method for operating a soil compacting device. The present invention can be used for working machines for soil compaction, such as tampers or vibrating plates.
2. Description of the Related Art
Soil compacting machines are typically driven by internal combustion engines and/or electric motors. While internal combustion engines enable largely independent operation of the soil compacting device due to the storage of the fuel in a tank on the machine, through the use of electric motors stress on the environment and on an operator operating the soil compacting machine can be avoided. The supply of power to the electric motor generally takes place via an external connection to the public power supply network or, for example in the case of smaller soil compacting machines, via an electric accumulator.
With the use of electric motors, the rotational frequency of the electric motors required to produce the motor power is significantly higher than the operating frequency of the compactor, i.e. the tamping or vibration frequency. As a consequence, reduction gear mechanisms are provided between the drive motor and the tamper or vibration system, which reduce the frequency of rotation of the drive movement produced by the electric motor and increase the drive torque.
Such reduction gear mechanisms contain complex assemblies that require adequate constructive space, have a high weight, and result in high production costs. During operation, they are exposed to strong loads, have a high degree of wear, and thus result in limited reliability of the overall system.
During the driving of the soil compactors, fast-rotating electric motors consequently act on the soil contact element via step-down gear mechanisms and spring packets. Thus, as a result of the design it is not possible to infer the position of the tamper foot and its loading condition from the angle of rotation of the drive motor. Rather, the tamper frequency, an impact speed, and the temporal course of the impact process are a function of the system variables of the soil compacting device and of the condition (rigidity) of the soil being compacted.
In their conception and design, tampers are adapted to the conditions of uncompacted standard soils in such a way that the best possible compaction effect of the machine is achieved precisely when the properties of the soil agree with the soils taken into account in the dimensioning of the tamper system. When compacting soils having different properties, the tamper effect can therefore be less.


A resin impregnated paper (RIP) condenser core configured for being positioned around an electrical conductor. The condenser core includes a winding tube forming a longitudinal through hole through the condenser core, configured for allowing an electrical conductor to be inserted there through; an electrically insulating RIP body wound onto and around the winding tube; and at least one electrically conducting foil coaxially encircling the winding tube and being surrounded by the RIP body insulating each of the at least one foil from any other of the at least one foil. The winding tube is of an electrically insulating material which has been chosen from a group consisting of materials having a volumetric thermal expansion coefficient within the range of 50% to 200% of the volumetric thermal expansion coefficient of the RIP body.

High voltage bushings are used for carrying current at high potential through a plane, often referred to as a grounded plane, where the plane is at a different potential than the current path. High voltage bushings are designed to electrically insulate a high voltage conductor, located inside the bushing, from the grounded plane. The grounded plane can for example be a transformer tank or a wall.
In order to obtain a smoothening of the electrical potential distribution between the conductor and the grounded plane, a bushing often comprises a number of floating, coaxial foils made of a conducting material and coaxially surrounding the high voltage conductor, the coaxial foils forming a so called condenser core. The foils could for example be made of aluminium, and are typically separated by a dielectric insulating material, such as for example oil impregnated paper (OIP) or resin impregnated paper (RIP). The coaxial foils serve to smoothen the electric field distribution between the outside of the bushing and the inner high voltage conductor, thus reducing the local field enhancement. The coaxial foils help to form a more homogeneous electric field, and thereby reduce the risk for electric breakdown and subsequent thermal damage. OIP is used with oil-filled bushings, while RIP is used in dry-type bushings.
An RIP condenser core is produced by winding paper sheets in concentrical layers and positioning aluminium foils between some of the paper sheets such that the foils are insulated from each other. Under vacuum, epoxy resin is impregnated into the dry layers of wound paper, after which the resin is cured to produce the RIP core.
Some RIP condenser cores, are wound directly on the conductor. A potential connection is made between the conductor and the innermost foil in the core in order to achieve an environment within the innermost foil which is free of an electrical field. However, it may practical to be able to exchange the conductor, e.g. chose between a cupper or an aluminium conductor why a condenser core which is produced separate from the conductor and allows the conductor to be introduced through the core may be desired. This can be achieved by winding the core on a mandrel which is then removed to provide a longitudinal through hole in the core through which the conductor can be introduced. However, especially for larger cores, it may be difficult to remove the mandrel after winding due to shrinkage of the core during manufacture, which clamps the core to the mandrel. Another possibility is to wind the condenser core on a metal winding tube, usually of thin aluminium or copper. A reason for using a winding tube of a conducting metal is to be able to easily have a potential connection between the conductor/winding tube and the innermost foil in the condenser core. The winding tube remains in the core and provides the longitudinal through hole through which the conductor is inserted.
In an RIP condenser core with a winding tube, the thermal expansion coefficient of the RIP is in the order of three to five times higher than that of the aluminium or copper of the winding tube. Since the cross section area of the RIP in the core is significantly larger than that of the winding tube, the RIP will govern the thermal expansion of the core. This result in either the metal winding tube being delaminated from the RIP material or in high mechanical tension stresses in the winding tube. The RIP core may be designed such that the core is supposed to stick to the winding tube at one position whilst the rest is supposed to be able to separate from the winding tube during expansion of the RIP (by the use of e.g. cork, rubber and sealing). Occasionally the RIP core sticks to the winding tube anyway, which can destroy the winding tube.


An isolated zero-voltage-switching converter in which the magnetizing inductance of the isolating transformer is a resonant element and an open circuit is provided on the secondary side of the transformer during the time interval when both primary switches are off. When the secondary of the transformer is open, the magnetizing inductance is in series with the capacitances of the primary switches, thus forming a resonant circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to zero-voltage-switched, isolated converters, and more particularly to an improved zero-voltage-switched, transformer coupled converter that utilizes the inductance of the transformer as a resonant element to provide zero-voltage-switching.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Circuit parasitics, such as transformer leakage inductance, semiconductor junction capacitances, and rectifier reverse recovery are among the major factors impeding higher switching frequency of "hard switched" pulse-width-modulating (PWM) converters. Recent developments in high-frequency resonant and quasi-resonant converter topologies have shown an increased utilization of parasitic components. Several innovative techniques have been proposed to operate the active switch with zero-voltage turn-on in order to minimize switching losses, stresses, and noise. The zero voltage-switching concept has also been extended to include both active and passive switches. A generalized multi-resonant concept was proposed, enabling implementation of zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) for all semiconductor components. The resulting multi-resonant converters (MRCs) utilize the transformer leakage inductances and transistor and rectifier junction capacitances to form a multi-component resonant network in order to obtain zero-voltage turn-on of all semiconductor components, reducing switching losses.
Zero-voltage-switched quasi-resonant converters (QRCs) and multi-resonant converters (MRCs) require the use of a relatively large resonant inductor to achieve zero-voltage switching over a wide-load range. The resonant inductor is also subjected to high resonant currents and voltages. As a result, the resonant inductor has a significant impact on the overall efficiency and size of the zero-voltage-switching, quasi-resonant-converters and zero-voltage-switching, multi-resonant converters.
In isolated zero-voltage-switching and quasi-resonant-converters and zero-voltage-switching, multi-resonant converter topologies, the resonant inductor is connected in series with the primary winding of the power transformer as shown in FIG. 1 for a half-bridge (HB) zero-voltage-switching, quasi-resonant-converter. However, the magnetizing inductance cannot be used as a resonant element, because the transformer is shorted during the resonant stage.

Novel zero-voltage-switching family of isolated converters


A tablet, method of forming the tablet, and article of manufacture that includes the tablet. The tablet can include a layer of a first dissolvable material and a first circuit positioned on the layer of the first dissolvable material. The tablet can also include a layer of a second dissolvable material coating the first circuit, and a second circuit positioned on the layer of the second dissolvable material. The method can include providing the tablet, and determining a dissolving pattern for the tablet.

The present disclosure relates to edible circuits and, more specifically, to varying the solubility of layers between circuits in multilayered tablets.
Ingestible circuits are electrical circuits that once ingested transmit signals to an external device (e.g., a wearable electronic device). These circuits can be printed on silicon chips, flexible polymers such as polyimide, or edible materials such as ethyl cellulose. Ingestible circuits can be contained in digestible tablets which, when dissolved, expose the circuit to the surrounding environment (e.g., the gastrointestinal tract). The circuits can then gather data and/or transmit signals from inside the body to an external device (e.g., a wearable electronic device).

Multilayered tablets with customized dissolving patterns

International Business Machines Corporation


The disclosure relates to a collapsible flexible pump which includes an inflatable spring and framework. The inflatable spring framework is formed by attaching a layer of flexible material over selected exterior portions of the flexible material pumping chamber to form a passageway therebetween. Inflation of the inflatable spring framework via an inflation valve, results in the collapsed flexible pump distending into a three dimensional pumping chamber inscribed by the inflated spring framework. The pumping chamber includes appropriate inlet and discharge valves. By applying a compressive force to the pumping chamber, the volume of fluid within the pumping chamber is forced out through the discharge valve. The restoring tendency of the distended inflatable spring framework returns the pump chamber to the extended position on the returning intake stroke. A plurality of exemplary inflatable articles are disclosed.

The present invention relates to light weight pumps for providing a source of air or other fluid. In particular, the invention relates to such a pump in which an inflatable spring framework establishes the pump configuration in its extended position and which permits compression to a compressed position for pumping air and which is restored to the extended position by the restoring tendency of the inflated spring framework.
The present invention further relates to an inflatable pump device which can be used with many different articles that require inflation. More specifically, it relates to a pump device which, in its stored condition, is collapsible and requires a minimum of storage space. For example, one of its uses may be the incorporation of the inflatable pump into an inflatable poncho which, when properly inflated, will provide the user with protection from the elements such as wind, rain, sleet or snow or just plain cold weather with the inflated poncho serving as a thermal barrier.
When the novel pump is so incorporated into an inflatable poncho, both in a deflated condition, the poncho is capable of being folded and stored into a size sufficiently small enough to be received by a "fanny pack" or apparel pocket. When the poncho is properly inflated with the novel pump, it assumes an extended size of approximately five feet by nine feet with a thickness of up to nine inches.
Another use of the novel pump would be the incorporation of the pump unit into an inflatable blanket. As we all are well aware, inflating an object the size of an inflatable blanket with exhaled breath can readily become a major project. However, when the subject novel pump is made an integral component of the blanket, the inflation process is a quick procedure without the aggravation which normally accompanies other known means of inflation, such as the necessity of carrying a separate bulky pumping device.
These are just a few examples of the use to which the subject pump may be incorporated.
The inflatable pump can be used as a stand-alone pump with adapters to inflate a multiplicity of extant articles without the necessity of incorporating the device into the article. There are many other applications in which the novel pump will find use. In particular, the novel pump can provide air for any purpose. Further, the pump can be adapted to pump fluids other than air, including liquids.


A device of pulse width modulation type for load drive according to the present invention includes a first output unit (3) that applies a first output signal (e) to a load (5) in response to a first drive timing signal (c), a second output unit (4) that applies a second output signal (f) to the load (5) in response to a second drive timing signal (d), a signal converter (1) that converts a drive input signal (a) into a parallel signal (b), the drive input signal indicating time information allowing a potential difference to be generated across the load (5), and a drive timing generator (2) that generates the first and second drive timing signals (c, d) in response to the parallel signal (b), the load (5) being driven by increasing and reducing pulse widths of the first and second output signals (e, f).

FIG. 8 shows a conventional device of pulse width modulation type for load drive, and FIG. 9 shows drive timings used by the device of pulse width modulation type for load drive.
A driving section 100 is composed of a drive timing generator 101, a first output unit 102, and a second output unit 103 to drive a load 104 on the basis of an analog drive input signal A shown in FIG. 9.
The drive timing generator 101 outputs a drive timing signal B and a drive timing signal C both shown in FIG. 9, on the basis of the level of a drive input signal A. The drive timing signals B and C, obtained by modulating the pulse width of the drive input signal A, are subjected to level conversion by the first and second output units 102 and 103, respectively. The resulting output signals D and E are applied to one end and the other end of the load 104, respectively. Consequently, current flows through the load 104 during a differential voltage interval t1. . . as shown in FIG. 9.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the voltage value of the drive input signal A is captured into the drive timing generator 101 at any timing. If the voltage value of the drive input signal A is greater than that of a reference voltage, the drive timing generator 101 generates the drive timing signals B and C so as to increase the width of an interval during which the level of the first output signal D increases above the level of the second output signal E consistently with the absolute value of the amount of the differential voltage between the voltage of the drive input signal A and the reference voltage so that current flows through the load 104 from an output of the first output unit 102 toward an output of the second output unit 103. The drive timing generator 101 thus controls the differential component between the output signals D and E (two pulse-like output signals in respective phases) output by the first and second output units 102 and 103 to drive the load 104.
If the voltage value of the drive input signal A is smaller than that of the reference voltage, the drive timing generator 101 generates the drive timing signals B and C so as to increase the width of an interval during which the level of the second output signal E increases above the level of the first output signal D consistently with the absolute value of the amount of the differential voltage between the voltage of the drive input signal A and the reference voltage so that current flows through the load 104 from the output of the second output unit 103 toward the output of the first output unit 102. The drive timing generator 101 thus controls the differential component between the output signals D and E (two pulse-like output signals in respective phases) output by the first and second output units 102 and 103 to drive the load 104.
If the voltage value of the drive input signal A is equal to that of the reference voltage, the drive timing generator 101 generates the drive timing signals B and C so that the level of the first output signal D equals that of the second output signal E. The drive timing generator 101 thus controls the differential component between the output signals D and E (two pulse-like output signals in respective phases) output by the first and second output units 102 and 103 to drive the load 104.

Device of pulse width modulation type for load drive


Provided is a composite dielectric molded product exhibiting excellent properties such as the antenna gain and side lobe, etc. when used for a lens antenna, and exhibiting less variation of properties in one individual product and between individual products. The composite dielectric molded product is formed by molding a composite dielectric material containing a dielectric inorganic filler and an organic polymer material so that the dielectric constant anisotropy is in the range of about 1.00 to 1.05.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composite dielectric molded product, and particularly to a composite dielectric molded product and a lens antenna using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, intelligent transport systems (ITS) for the next generation have been actively developed, and functions for supporting safe cruise driving have been increasingly developed. Particularly, an external environmental detection system of the ITS, functioning as the eye of an automobile, has been considered as most important, and detection systems using infrared rays, CCD or the like, have been developed. However, these detection systems have the problem of failing in the rain, and increasing the cost.
Therefore, a radar utilizing a millimeter wave (76 GHz) is considered to be used as external environmental detection means. Examples of such a milli-wave antenna include a planar antenna having a planar outgoing plane, a lens antenna having a convexly curved outgoing plane, and the like. The lens antenna is considered particularly excellent in antenna efficiency and detection angle.
Such a lens antenna generally comprises a lens body having a convex outgoing plane and a primary transmitter provided behind the lens body. Particularly, a composite dielectric material comprising a resin and a dielectric inorganic filler exhibiting a high dielectric constant even with a small thickness and excellent productivity is used as the material for the lens body for an on-vehicle lens antenna in which the thickness of the lens body must be decreased. The lens body is generally molded by injection molding from the viewpoint of molding cost and molding precision.
However, the values of antenna gain and side lobe of a lens antenna in a lens body (composite dielectric molded product) obtained by molding a conventional composite dielectric material cannot be achieved according to design, and variation occurs in characteristics to deteriorate yield.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a composite dielectric molded product exhibiting excellent properties such as antenna gain, side lobe, etc. when used for a lens antenna, and exhibiting less variation of properties in one individual product and between individual products.
In order to achieve the object of the present invention, a composite dielectric molded product in accordance with a first aspect, comprises a composite dielectric material containing a dielectric inorganic filler and an organic polymer material, wherein the dielectric constant anisotropy is in the range of about 1.00 to 1.05. The dielectric constant anisotropy represents the ratio (A/B) of dielectric constant A in the direction in which the dielectric constant is maximum to dielectric constant B in the direction in which the dielectric constant is minimum.
By using the composite dielectric material and controlling the dielectric constant anisotropy of the obtained molded product, a composite dielectric molded product having excellent electric properties and less variation in properties can be obtained. With attention to the fact that the dielectric constant of a composite dielectric molded product varies with the direction of an electric field depending upon the composite dielectric material used and molding conditions, the inventors found that the composite dielectric molded product exhibiting large variation in the dielectric constant produced an electric field direction in which the desired dielectric constant property cannot be obtained and in which there was variation in properties of the composite dielectric molded product. Therefore, it was found that by decreasing the variation in the dielectric constant with respect to the electric field direction, i.e., by controlling dielectric constant anisotropy to about 1.00 to 1.05, the above-described problem could be resolved, leading to the achievement of the present invention.
In a composite dielectric molded product according to a second aspect of the present invention, the composite dielectric material preferably has a melt viscosity of about 170 Paxc2x7s or more at a shear rate of 1000 Sxe2x88x921 during molding. With such a melt viscosity, the dielectric constant anisotropy can be controlled in the range of about 1.00 to 1.05 even in an injection molding method in which the dielectric constant anisotropy of the composite dielectric molded product is liable to increase.
In a composite dielectric molded product according to a third aspect of the present invention, the organic polymer material preferably comprises a thermoplastic resin. By using this organic polymer material, the composite dielectric material can be molded by injection molding, thereby decreasing production cost and permitting easy molding with high precision of form.
In a composite dielectric molded product according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the organic polymer material preferably comprises a thermoplastic resin containing a resin filler. By using such an organic polymer material, the dielectric constant anisotropy can be decreased because the orientation of the dielectric inorganic filler is suppressed by the resin filler.
In a composite dielectric molded product according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the dielectric inorganic filler preferably comprises at least one oxide, carbonate, phosphate or silicate of IIa, IVa, IIIb or IVb group elements, and compound oxides containing IIa, IVa, IIIb or IVb group elements. By using such a dielectric inorganic filler, a high dielectric constant can be obtained even when the composite dielectric molded product has a small thickness.
A lens antenna according to a sixth aspect of the present invention comprises at least a lens unit having a convex outgoing plane and a primary transmitter provided behind the lens unit, wherein the lens unit comprises a composite dielectric molded product in accordance with any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention. In the lens antenna having this construction, the antenna gain can be increased, and the side lobe and variation in properties can be decreased.
In a lens antenna according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the lens unit preferably comprises a lens body and a matching layer formed on the surface of the lens body, for matching the lens body with the air. By providing the matching layer on the lens body, reflection of electromagnetic waves can be further suppressed during emission and reception of electromagnetic waves.

Composite dielectric molded product and lens antenna using the same


When a gradation test pattern is read a predetermined period of time after the gradation test pattern was fixed, the correction amount can be controlled based on a stable image density, and an image with good gradation characteristics can be formed. A gradation test pattern including all color patterns is output in accordance with a gradation test pattern registered in a test pattern memory area, and at the same time, a timer is started. After an elapse of a predetermined period of time stored in a RAM, the output gradation test pattern is read by an original reader. On the basis of the read image density, a .gamma.-LUT is set.

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method having a function of adjusting the image forming condition of image forming means.
Conventionally, as a method of adjusting the image processing characteristics of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or the like, the following technique is known.
More specifically, in this technique, an image forming apparatus is turned on and a specific gradation test pattern is formed on a recording medium. Thereafter, the density of the gradation test pattern formed on the recording medium is read by image reading means, and correction data based on the read image information is fed back to means for determining an image forming condition such as .gamma. correction means. With this technique, image quality can be stabilized in correspondence with a variation in characteristics due to aging or a variation in environmental condition.
However, in a copying machine, a printer, or the like, the density of an output sample, which has just finished a fixing process is unstable.
For example, immediately after a thermal fixing process, a change in output toner image due to a change in temperature is large, and the physical properties of the toner on the output sample also change. As a result, the surface state of the output sample changes as the temperature of the sample becomes close to room temperature.
Furthermore, as is known, silicone oil is coated on the roller surface so as to prevent a toner image from becoming attached to a fixing roller, i.e., to improve separation characteristics. The silicone oil remains on the surfaces of a support member and a toner layer, and is absorbed in the support member as time elapses. This results in reductions in glossiness, density, and the like, and changes the optical density upon reading a toner image.
In the case of an ink-jet system, since ink dots formed on a recording medium are gradually dried, the optical density of an image changes.
In this manner, although the optical density of a gradation test pattern changes, since correction data is fed back to means for determining an image forming condition such as .gamma. correction means on the basis of the read information, an optimal image cannot be obtained.
On the other hand, in the conventional adjusting method, in an image reader, the amount of light emitted from a lamp used for reading changes as time elapses, and the reading condition changes depending on the degree of contamination of an optical system such as a reflecting mirror, a lens, and the like for focusing light emitted from the lamp.
In this case, the image forming condition is controlled under the changed reading condition, and it becomes difficult to accurately adjust the image processing condition of the image forming apparatus.
Furthermore, in the conventional adjusting method, when a recording medium formed with a gradation pattern (density data) and placed on an original table is to be read, if the recording medium is skewed or shifted, wrong data may be read. When correction data is fed back to the image forming condition based on the wrong data, an optimal image cannot be obtained.


The present invention refers to a resin composition comprising an ester compound and a polymer, wherein the ester compound and the polymer are obtainable by reacting a diene, a dienophile and a carboxylic acid. The invention also refers to adhesive compositions comprising the resin composition.

Synthetic polymers such as acrylic polymers have, for the most part, replaced naturally occurring materials such as animal glues, starches and vegetable gums in many adhesive applications. The key to this replacement was the development and use of tackifier resins in the formulation with synthetic polymers, because they give the system the ability to wet the substrate surface and thus form a strong bond. Without tackifiers in the adhesive formulation, the synthetic polymers have low tack and peel adhesive performance.
Various resinous materials have been suggested as tackifiers for synthetic polymers. Examples of materials suggested include rosin, disproportionated rosin, rosin esters such as glycerol esters of rosin and pentaerythritol esters of rosin, aliphatic hydrocarbon resins from petroleum, aromatic petroleum resins, DCPD (dicyclopentadiene) resins, terpene resins, terpene/phenol resins and cumarone/indene resins.
Tackifiers are resins that can be considered as high viscosity solvents for the base polymer. The term tackifier therefore, cannot be given to any material unless we relate that material to the product that it tackifies.
Acrylic polymer compositions have long been used as adhesive compositions, particularly in PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive) compositions. Common PSA compositions include a high-molecular-weight acrylic base polymer and a tackifying resin and when required, plasticizer, stabiliser, antioxidant, filler, colouring agent and the like. PSA compositions should have a high initial tack so that the adhesive surface merely needs to be contacted and pressed to the surface to achieve bonding. There should be little or no requirement to hold the adhesive and substrate in position for any significant time while a bond develops.
In developing adhesive formulations one seeks the optimum combination of several adhesive properties and since it is not generally possible to achieve the optimum for every property it is necessary to obtain the best balance of properties for the particular use in mind. In e.g. PSA compositions that are used in the label industry one tries to optimise the loop tack and peel and at the same time provide an adhesive whose component will not migrate during storage.
Nowadays mainly rosin derivatives, such as disproportionated rosin acids, and hydrocarbon resins are commercially used as tackifiers for adhesive compositions comprising acrylic polymers. The rosin derivatives have been preferred due to better compatibility with acrylics.
Initially most important were the solvent acrylics, but environmental, health and safety needs of industry have resulted in dramatic growth in water borne adhesive compositions comprising acrylic polymers. With increasing desirability of water borne systems and often their demonstration of significant performance enhancements with tackifier resins, new tackifier resins suitable for these systems are being sought.
EP 300624 discloses acid functional polymer resins which are obtained by polymerising an olefin or mixture of olefin, reacting the formed polymer with an acid to form an acid functional polymer which polymer subsequently is neutralised with a base.
The present resin composition combines the good adhesive properties of rosin among other no bleed trough, with the short reaction times generally applied for the synthesis of hydrocarbon resins. Another advantage with the present resin composition is that it provides improved adhesion properties of PSA compositions on non-polar surfaces. In addition, this resin composition has an improved smell and colour over the traditional hydrocarbon resins made by thermal polymerisation, without the need of a hydrogenation step. A further advantage with the present invention is to provide a resin composition comprising a minimum amount of rosin derived from natural sources thereby reducing the cost of production.


A frame for athletic miniatures and sports memorabilia having a double-sided frame made of wooden material with glass members on both sides, and a stiffening board for supporting an athletic miniature or sports memorabilia assembled between the glass members, so that the athletic miniature or sports memorabilia can be viewed through the glass members from both sides of the frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of showcases for collection of sports trophies. More particularly the present invention relates to the field of special frames in different sizes for containing and exhibiting athletic miniatures as well as athletic memorabilia of various sizes in full life size duplicates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been a long-time popular hobby for people to collect sports trophies for preserving memorabilia and recapturing precious moments of great, exciting and historical sports events. In particular, there are many people who collect clothing worn by famous athletes and equipment used in major sports events. For example, many baseball fans collect major league baseball memorabilia such as baseballs, bats, caps, gloves and uniform jerseys. These sports object collections are usually contained in some kind of showcase for both protection and presentation.
A typical sports trophy showcase has a solid wooden frame, a piece of glass, one or several padding pieces and a back panel. A sports object is first affixed to the back panel, then the back panel and the piece of glass are assembled in the frame with one or several padding pieces so that the sports object can be viewed through the glass while protected by the frame against dust or distortion. The frame may be hung on the wall or placed on a stand.
Over the years there are also many people who collect athletic miniatures. One reason people collect athletic miniatures is that the original athletic uniforms are limited and not available to everyone. Athletic miniatures are made exactly like the real athletic objects in every detail, only smaller in size. Some athletic miniatures are even made of the same material as the full-size original. They are contained in customized frames which are similar to the larger frames described above.
The frames for athletic miniatures and other sports memorabilia of various sizes currently used have one disadvantage. Take a miniature of a uniform jersey of a famous athlete for example. The real uniform jersey may have the athlete's name and number printed on the back and the name of the athlete's team printed on the front. To make it look authentic, the miniature jersey also has the same printing on both the front and the back. However when placed inside a frame with only glass on the front side, only the front of the miniature jersey is visible since the back of the miniature jersey is affixed to the back panel of the frame. It is desirable to have a frame for athletic miniatures which not only shows the front, but also the back of the athletic miniatures. It is also desirable to have a frame for full size athletic jerseys which also shows the front and back of the jerseys, and also a compatible frame for larger than regular sized athletic jerseys.

Frame with glass on both sides for athletic miniatures and sports memorabilia


Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to techniques for outputting a graphical keyboard comprising a group of keys, wherein each key in the group of keys is associated with a respective, different display region, receiving an indication of a gesture to select a sequence of keys that are each included in the group of keys of the graphical keyboard, determining that the selected sequence of keys corresponds to a character string that is identifiable by at least one format source, wherein the format source is associated with a syntax, determining, based at least in part on the syntax, that at least one separator character is associated with the character string, and in response to determining that the at least one separator character is associated with the character string, outputting the character string and the at least one separator character at a location proximal to the character string.

Computing devices (e.g., mobile phones, tablet computers, etc.) may provide a graphical keyboard as part of a graphical user interface (GUI) for composing text using a presence-sensitive display. For instance, a presence-sensitive display of a computing device may output a graphical (or "soft") keyboard that permits the user to enter data by selecting (e.g., by tapping or gesturing over) keys displayed at the presence-sensitive display. The graphical keyboard may thus enable a user of the computing device to compose and edit text included in, for example, an e-mail, a text message, a document, etc.
In some cases, the computing device may present a continuous gesture graphical keyboard with which the user interacts by essentially drawing a word to be input to the computing device by sliding his or her finger over the regions associated with the keys of the keyboard. In other words, the user may input an entire word in a single gesture by tracing over the letters of the word. In this way, continuous gesture graphical keyboards provide an input method that allows the user to enter a word or group of words with a gesture. As such, a continuous gesture graphical keyboard may allow the user to achieve greater input efficiency compared to, for example, methods involving one-handed tapping of the display.
However, some continuous gesture graphical keyboards have certain drawbacks. For example, some such keyboards may automatically insert a space character in response to detecting that a user has finished a gesture. In some examples, this space character may be unnecessary or result in an incorrect input value once automatically inserted into a character string. Consequently, the user may be required to correct a character string in certain circumstances where the automatically-inserted space character is unnecessary. As such, automatic insertions of space characters may reduce the speed at which the user may interact with the computing device.