A cooling circuit for a neck ring of a preform is conformed to the surface of the neck ring by providing a neck ring in two parts. The first part supports the neck ring and provides strength and durability to the neck ring insert. The second part is formed of porous steel impregnated with highly thermally conductive metal and includes a cooling channel that provides substantially uniform cooling around the neck ring of the preform.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to the injection molding of preforms, and more particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a mold insert for forming a neck ring on the preform and a method for making a mold insert.
2. Background Information
U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,567 to Gellert describes a neck ring insert for a perform mold that has a contoured cooling channel in the insert. The cooling circuit described in Gellert moves the coolant vertically in an outer channel and then horizontally to an inner channel that forms an inner cooling loop. The cooling loop has both horizontal and vertical sections and finally connects to an outer discharge channel. This channel construction causes more rapid cooling of the portions of the neck ring near the beginning of the cooling channel. The non-uniform cooling of the neck ring is undesirable.
U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 38,396 to Gellert describes a method of making a neck ring insert for a preform mold. A first portion of the neck ring is manufactured by investment casting and has a portion of a cooling circuit formed on an outer surface of the casting. An outer portion is brazed to the casting to form the neck ring and includes cooling channels that connect to the cooling channels on the first portion. The cooling channel so formed is a serial channel that provides the same non-uniform cooling that is provided in the Gellert U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,567 referenced hereinbefore.
There is a need for a simple, easy to manufacture and uniform cooling neck ring insert.

Cooling circuit for cooling neck ring of preforms


A method of fabricating a cladding region for use in MRAM devices includes the formation of a conductive bit line proximate to a magnetoresistive memory device. The conductive bit line is immersed in a first bath containing dissolved ions of a first conductive material for a time sufficient to displacement plate a first barrier layer on the conductive line. The first barrier layer is then immersed in an electroless plating bath to form a flux concentrating layer on the first barrier layer. The flux concentrating layer is immersed in a second bath containing dissolved ions of a second conductive material for a time sufficient to displacement plate a second barrier layer on the flux concentrating layer.

A magnetic memory device has a structure which includes ferromagnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic layer. Information is stored as directions of magnetization vectors in magnetic layers. Magnetic vectors in one magnetic layer, for instance, are magnetically fixed or pinned, while the magnetization direction of the other magnetic layer is free to switch between the same and opposite directions which are called "Parallel" and "Anti-parallel" states, respectively. In response to parallel and anti-parallel states, the magnetic memory device represents two different resistances. The resistance indicates minimum and maximum values when the magnetization vectors of two magnetic layers point in substantially the same and opposite directions, respectively. Accordingly, a detection of changes in resistance allows a magnetic memory device to provide stored information.
In magnetoresistive random access memory (hereinafter referred to as "MRAM") devices, the memory cells are programmed by magnetic fields induced by a current carrying conductor such as a copper interconnect. Typically, two interconnects are employed, with one positioned above (generally referred to as the bit line) the MRAM device and the second positioned below (generally referred to as the digit line) the MRAM device. Because the name and position of the lines may be altered in various applications, the term "conductive line or lines" will be used to generally identify either or both lines hereinafter. The purpose of the electrically conductive lines is to provide magnetic fields for programming the MRAM device.
A problem with prior semiconductor processing of conductive lines for MRAM devices is that it involves using a number of expensive and complicated vacuum deposition tools and complex processing steps which increase the cycle time and cost. For example, the preferred method of forming the conductive lines is to form copper interconnects by a damascene or inlaid process wherein the conductive line is typically covered with a flux concentrating layer. The flux concentrating layer functions to focus the magnetic field around the conductive line toward the MRAM cell or bit, and, consequently, reduces the required programming current by a factor of approximately two. However, the steps involved in forming the flux concentrating material require the use of several vacuum deposition and etching tools, as well as photolayers. For example, reactive ion etching (hereinafter referred to as "RIE") is typically used to remove the evaporated layers from unwanted areas. Unfortunately, RIE can over-etch the layers, which can cause shorting. Also, photolayers are an expensive step in device fabrication, so the cost can be reduced by utilizing alternative techniques.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.

Method of applying cladding material on conductive lines of MRAM devices


A method for assembling a device. The method comprises placing a functional element in a first opening formed in a template substrate and transferring the functional element to a device substrate having a second opening formed therein wherein the functional element is held within the second opening and against an adhesive film coupled to the device substrate.

For the fabrication of many electronic devices such as displays or radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, there is a need to distribute functional elements such as integrated circuit chips across large area substrates. The manufacturing of these devices is moving toward using a roll-to-roll processing. In many cases, the majority of the substrate area will not contain active circuitry or functional elements and the functional elements will occupy only a small fraction of the substrates' active areas. Functional elements are typically deposited into a substrate using pick-and-place or a fluidic-self assembly process. These processes are typically expensive. Because of the relatively sparse population of the functional elements on the substrates, it may be advantageous to assemble the functional elements in a different substrate and transfer to the substrates used for the devices.

Transfer assembly for manufacturing electronic devices


A method of synchronizing the information held in a switching database associated with a switching function of a data switching node, with a data network node identifier record associated with a management processor enabling a managed mode thereof is provided. An entry of the switching database is modified. A status specifier corresponding to the modified entry is set to signify the modification thereof. An inspection of the switching database is initiated on the expiration of an adjustable timer, and the information held in modified switching database entries is synchronized with the data network node identifier record. This method of synchronization of the information held in the switching database spreads out of burst changes thereof over time. The advantages are derived from the use of a more economical management processor while providing the same or enhanced levels of service of the data switching node.

In the field of data switching, the storage of routing information is necessary to enable fast data switching functionality of data switching nodes participating in a data transport network. Data switching nodes are multi-ported data network nodes forwarding Protocol Data Units (PDUs) (also known as Payload Data Units) generated by origination data network nodes and sent over the data transport network towards destination data network nodes. Each data network node has an associated data network node identifier associated therewith.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing elements implementing general functionality of a data switching node 100.
The data switching node 100, performs a switching function 102 on PDUs received 104 via a plurality of physical ports 106.
Received PDUs (104) are typically stored in processing queues collectively shown in FIG. 1 as PDU processing buffer 108. The invention is not limited to implementations of data switching nodes having PDU processing queues. Implementations of data switching nodes not buffering PDUs for processing exist.
Each PDU includes a header and a payload. The PDU header specifies routing information used by the switching function 102 to determine an output port 106 via which to forward 110 each PDU towards an intended destination data network node. The PDU header includes routing information such as data network node identifiers corresponding to an origination data network node that generated the PDU and a destination data network node for the PDU. One example of a data network node identifier includes a Media Access Control ADDRess (MAC ADDR) which is a unique designation of a type of data transport network interface component. The invention is not limited to MAC ADDR type data network node identifiers.
In performing the switching function 102, the data switching node 100 determines an output port 104 via which to forward each PDU. It is necessary for the switching function 102 to have available information specifying which data network nodes are reachable via a particular physical port 106. For this purpose, received PDUs (104) are inspected by a data network node identifier discovery function of the data switching node 100 shown in FIG. 1 as a MAC ADDR discovery function 120.
For each PDU received via a specific input physical port 106, the MAC ADDR discovery function 120 extracts the origination data network node identifier from the PDU's header and reports 122 the pair including: the physical port designation via which the PDU was received (the input port designation) and the origination data network node identifier of the data network node that generated the PDU; to a switching database. The switching database is shown as a MAC ADDR database 124. A tabular representation thereof includes row entries comprising specifiers holding: a data network node identifier and a port designation.
In processing and forwarding PDUs, the switching function 102 makes use of the switching database 124 to determine output ports 106 via which to forward PDUs. The switching function 102 requests a search 126 of the switching database 124 using as a key the destination data network node identifier extracted from the header of each PDU being processed.
If an entry corresponding to the destination data network node identifier exists in the switching database 124, search 126 provides the corresponding output port 106 via which to forward 110 the PDU.
If an entry corresponding to the destination data network node identifier is not found in the switching database 124, the PDU being processed is flooded to all output ports 106 of the data switching node 100.
Efficient operation of the data switching node 100 and in particular of the switching function 102 is dependent on efficient access to the switching database 124. For this reason implementations of the switching database 124 include hardware implementations.
Hardware implementations of the switching database 124, although necessary, are expensive. The costs related to the development, optimization, and manufacturing thereof. A balance is struck at the design phase of the data switching equipment between the size of the switching database 124 and performance capabilities of the data switching node 100. Having a limited storage capacity, the memory space in the switching database 124 should not be squandered. Switching database entries no longer used have to be discarded to enable the establishment of new associations between ports and data network node identifiers.
An entry aging function 128 is used to police 130 the usage of the memory space of the switching database 124. The entry aging function 128 makes use of a time stamp specifier field associated with each entry in the switching database 124, the time stamp specifier field holding a time value at which the entry was either created or last accessed.
In establishing 122 a new association between a data network node identifier and a port 106, the time stamp specifier is populated with a time value corresponding to the time at which the association was created. In receiving subsequent PDUs with the same association between an origination data network node identifier and port 106 the time stamp specifier corresponding to the entry is refreshed (122). In searching 126 the switching database 124 for a particular entry, the time stamp value of the entry is refreshed.
In identifying stale switching database entries which have not been used for a long period of time, the entry aging function 128 inspects 130 each entry in the switching database 124 to identify entries which were either not created nor accessed within a predetermined period of time expiring at the time of the inspection 130. Subsequent to the identification of stale entries in the switching database 124, the entry aging function 128 makes the memory storage space allocated to stale entries available for further associations to be made.
The operation of the data switching node 100 typically includes a managed mode of operation in which a management processor 150 is used to oversee the function of, and/or augment the available services at, the data switching node 100. In performing its intended function, the management processor 150 maintains a (MAC ADDR) record 152 of the associations between data network node identifiers and corresponding ports 106. As such, the management processor is updated with changes made to the switching database 124.
A typical implementation of the update functionality between the switching database 124 and the MAC ADDR record 152 includes a message queue 154 having a size. The message queue 154 stores a limited number of messages pending processing detailing switching database changes. The size of the message queue 154 limits a number of messages that can be stored therein. Switching database change messages are issued by the MAC ADDR discovery function 120 as schematically shown at 156 and/or the entry aging function 128 as schematically shown at 158.
The issuance of switching database change messages 156 and 158, and the update of the MAC ADDR record 152 are decoupled by the use of the message queue 154. The management processor 150, in performing its function services 160 the message queue 154 by processing pending messages stored therein.
In optimizing the performance of the data switching node 100, design requirements for the switching function 102 call for the utilization of the highest processing power available. The components and methods used to implement the data switching function are at the cutting edge of the technology available at the time of development.
To balance costs, the processing power of the management processor 150 is sacrificed to levels adequate in performing the management of the data switching node 100 and providing the augmented services. A variable in the cost/performance balance with respect to synchronizing the switching database 12 and the MAC ADDR record 152 is the size of the message queue 154. The size of the message queue 154 is typically chosen to provide storage for a predetermined time averaged number of messages expected to await processing in the message queue 154 based on a time averaged performance of the data switching node 100.
Situations arise, as is the case during but not limited to: data network startup, recovery from network failure, excessive requests for the establishment of web browsing connections, intensive bursts of new data traffic, etc. in which a large number of data connection are setup and a corresponding number of entries of the switching database 124 are changed. In such instances the message storage capacity of the message queue 154 is exceeded. As a result, the MAC ADDR discovery function 120 is temporarily halted.
Subsequent to a network failure, the entry aging function 128 discards a large number of entries in the switching database generating a large number of switching database change messages 158.
Compounding the situation, the management processor 150 typically cannot service the queue 154 fast enough and the message queue 154 fills up.
Current implementations of the managed mode of operation of data switching equipment such as the data network node 100 prevent the successful establishment of the association between newly discovered data network node identifiers and corresponding ports, without successfully queuing the message 156 in the message queue 154. The MAC ADDR discovery function 120 is temporarily halted in order to prevent potential loss of information synchronization between the switching database 124 and the MAC ADDR record 152, which compounds the problem because of the above mentioned behavior of data switching equipment according to which PDUs having an unknown output port 106 to be forwarded to, are flooded to all output ports 106 of the data switching node 100.
A common method of conveying PDUs across a data transport network includes the breakup of large PDUs (themselves being a part of a sequences of PDUs) into a subsequences of PDUs of a smaller size (in accordance with data transport protocols based on bandwidth availability at intermediary data transport equipment). A times during which the message queue 154 is full, all subsequence PDUs are flooded to all ports 106 severely impacting data throughput at the data switching node 100.
There therefore is a need to smooth out the synchronization of burst changes of the information held in the switching database during a managed mode of operation of the data switching node.

Method of pacing the synchronization of routing information in a data switching environment


The invention provides a method for manufacturing a microelectronic device and a microelectronic device. The method for manufacturing the microelectronic device, without limitation, may include forming a first mirror layer over and within one or more openings in a sacrificial spacer layer, and forming a dielectric layer over an upper surface of the first mirror layer and within the one or more openings. The method may further include subjecting the dielectric layer to an etch, the etch removing the dielectric layer from the upper surface and leaving dielectric portions along sidewalls of the one or more openings, and forming a second mirror layer over the first mirror layer and within the one or more openings, the dielectric portions separating the first mirror layer and the second mirror layer along the sidewalls.

A Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) is a type of micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) device. Invented in 1987 at Texas Instruments Incorporated, the DMD is a fast, reflective digital light switch. It can be combined with image processing, memory, a light source, and optics to form a digital light Processing® system capable of projecting large, bright, high-contrast color images.
The DMD is fabricated using CMOS-like processes over a CMOS memory. It has an array of individually addressable mirror elements, each having a mirror that can reflect light in one of a plurality of directions depending on the state of an underlying memory cell. By combining the DMD with a suitable light source and projection optics, the mirror reflects incident light either into or out of the pupil of the projection lens. Thus, the first state of the mirror appears bright and the second state of the mirror appears dark. Gray scale is achieved by binary pulse width modulation of the incident light. Color is achieved by using color filters, either stationary or rotating, in combination with one, two, or three DMD chips.
DMD's may have a variety of designs, with the most popular design being a structure consisting of a mirror that is rigidly connected to an underlying yoke. The yoke is connected by two thin mechanically compliant torsion hinges to support posts that are attached to the underlying substrate. Electrostatic fields that develop between the underlying memory cell and the mirror cause rotation in the positive or negative rotation direction.
The fabrication of the above-described DMD superstructure begins with a completed CMOS memory circuit. Through the use of photoresist layers, the superstructure is formed with alternating layers of aluminum for the address electrode, hinge, yoke, and mirror layers and hardened photoresist for sacrificial layers that form air gaps.
While the DMD superstructures are presently quite popular, they do experience certain problems. For example, one problem that today's DMD superstructures experience is the device failure of the mirror layers. This is particularly problematic because the failure of each mirror layer causes a pixel in an image being displayed by the DMD superstructure to be incorrect. It is believed that the failure of the mirror layers is at least partially a function of metal fatigue that the mirror layers experience, for example at the rotation point thereof.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a method for manufacturing a microelectronic device, such as a DMD, that does not experience the drawbacks of the prior art methods.

Mirror including dielectric portions and a method of manufacturing the same


For overcoming the disclination issue existing in the wing region of the electrode of the vertical alignment (VA) liquid crystal display (LCD), an improved LCD having a novel pixel structure is provided. The provided liquid crystal display includes a first substrate having a first electrode thereon and at least a second substrate having a second electrode with at least a opening thereon, where the second electrode is provided with a stair pattern having plural steps corresponding to the length of a specific side thereof, so that the disclination of the LC molecules is efficiently inhibited without any additional voltage applying.

Nowadays, there are many techniques developed for obtaining a wider viewing angle of the liquid crystal display (LCD). Among so many wide viewing angle (WVA) techniques, the vertical alignment (VA) techniques including a multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) LCD, a patterned vertical alignment (PVA) LCD and a biased bending vertical alignment (BBVA) LCD are widely applied.
Among the mentioned VA techniques, the MVA technique utilizes the properties of the non-identical directions in arrangements and rotations of the liquid crystal (LC) molecules to increase the viewing angle and shorten the response time of the LCD. For example, the LC molecules arranged in the MVA LCD could be promoted to align in various directions by the surface prominence, such as bumps and protrusions. As for the PVA LCD, which is another application in the MVA techniques, the pixel thereof is divided into multiple domains by a patterned indium tin oxide (ITO) on the color filter (CF) substrate. Furthermore, the BBVA technique relates to adjusting the arrangements and rotations of the LC molecules in various directions by means of the electrical field provided by a further electrode, i.e. the biased electrode.
However, there are still some issues affecting the image property of the conventional multi-domain vertical alignment mode LCD, and one of which resides in the pressure mura resulting from the disclination of LC molecules. Take the BBVA LCD for example, the disclination phenomenon occurs because the LC molecules arranged in the sides of the pixel electrode paralleled to the scanning lines or data lines, i.e. the pixel wing as respectively shown in area I of FIG. 1, always tilt in conflicting directions.
With reference to FIG. 2, which is a diagram illustrating the root cause of the reverse domain of the conventional BBVA LCD and the pressure mura observed in the pixel structure thereof, the pressure mura as shown is referred to two different cases, where one relates to the conflict of LC molecules resulting from the structure of pixel electrode, as shown in areas I″ and II″, and the other relates to the intrinsic shift of LC molecules accordingly, as shown in areas I′ and II′ thereof. As a result, the LC molecules will be aligned disclinatedly on the fringe of the overlapping field of the biased electrode and the pixel electrode of the conventional BBVA LCD, and the reverse domains and thus the pressure mura and lower transmittance would be generated correspondingly.
In order to overcome such issues of the conventional VA LCD, an improved VA LCD having a new pixel structure is provided in the present invention, whereby the disclination lines thereof would be efficiently removed and the pressure mura resulting therefrom is hence prevented.


The invention relates to an optical microlens array producing method. The microlens array producing method according to the invention uses an intermediate material forming process for forming an intermediate material of photoresist on a flat sheet, the intermediate material having projections formed in the shape of a predetermined pattern; a resist master forming process of forming a resist master by heating the intermediate material to thereby smooth the surfaces of the projections; an inverted mold forming process for forming an inverted mold having a surface shape that is the inverse of the resist master; a clad portion forming process, for forming a clad portion having grooves equal in sectional shape to the inverted mold, using the inverted mold and also using a first light-transmitting material of a low refractive index; a process for forming microlenses by filling the concave portion of the clad portion with a second light-transmitting material which is higher in refractive index than the first light-transmitting material microlens with index than the first or the second light-transmitting.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an optical waveguide array for the optical transmission of a signal or energy.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, one method for producing optical waveguide arrays has used photolithography as described below.
FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate a selective polymerization method as a first example, the method is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 3-143069.
According to this selective polymerization method, a solution of an acryl monomer 52 dispersed in a polycarbonate 51 having a refractive index of 1.59 is cast into a film 55 (FIG. 9A).
Next, a transparent photomask 54 having light shielding portions of optical waveguide patterns is laminated onto the film 55 in close contact therewith. Then, ultraviolet light is radiated onto the film 55 from above and through the photomask 54. As a result, the acryl monomer 52 in each ultraviolet-radiated portion of the film 55 polymerizes with the polycarbonate 51 to form a copolymer 56 in the ultraviolet-radiated portion (FIG. 9B).
The film 55 with the copolymer 56 formed therein selectively is then heated in a vacuum, whereby unreacted acryl monomer 52 is removed from the portions of the film 55 that have not been radiated with the ultraviolet light. Each portion from which the acryl monomer 52 has been removed leaves a polycarbonate portion 57 (refractive index 1.59) behind. As a result, the portions with the copolymer 56 formed therein become lower in refractive index (refractive index 1.575) than the polycarbonate portions 57. Therefore, when an optical waveguide array is later completed, the polycarbonate portions 57 formed in the shape of the optical waveguide patterns serve as core portions, while the portions with the copolymer 56 formed therein become a part of a clad portion (FIG. 9C).
Lastly, the film 55 is sandwiched in between low refractive index materials 58 having a refractive index lower than 1.59 to obtain a filmy, plastic, optical waveguide array 60 (FIG. 9D). The low refractive index materials 58 also constitute a part of the clad, portion of the optical waveguide array 60, like the copolymer 56 formed portions. The clad portion consists of the low refractive index materials 58 and the copolymer 56 formed portions, whereby the polycarbonate portions 57, the core portions, are covered completely.
A molding method that provides a second example is illustrated in FIGS. 10A to 10G. Examples of this molding method are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open Nos. 55-120004 and 61-138903.
According to this molding method, first the upper surface of a glass or a metallic flat sheet 61 is coated with a photoresist 62 to form a thin layer onto which is then laminated, in close contact therewith, a photomask 63 having openings defining optical waveguide patterns. Ultraviolet light is selectively radiated onto the layer of the photoresist 62 from above and through the photomask 63.
Next, the photomask 63 is removed and then the photoresist 62 is removed from each of the ultraviolet-radiated portions using a developer. As a result, at each portion not radiated with the ultraviolet light, the photoresist 62 remains on the flat sheet 61 as a projection 64 of a pattern that is a reverse to the waveguide pattern of each opening of the photomask 63 (FIG. 10B).
Then, the flat sheet 61 is exposed to a solvent capable of dissolving the flat sheet 61 in accordance with a chemical etching method. At this time, the solvent does not come into contact with the portions of the flat sheet 61 where there remain the projections 64 of the photoresist 62 so that those portions of the flat sheet 61 are not dissolved. Thereafter, the projections 64 are removed, whereby grooves 66 are formed in the flat sheet 61 correspondingly to the openings of the optical waveguide patterns formed in the photomask 63. The flat sheet 61 having the thus-formed grooves 66 serves as a master 65 or an optical waveguide array (FIG. 10C).
Next, using the master 65, there is, formed a clad base 70 of a light transmitting plastic material. The method for forming the clad base 70 from the master 65 could be a casting method or an injection molding method. In this case, an electroconductive nickel film is formed on the groove-side surface of the master 65 by a sputtering method and a thick nickel layer is formed by a nickel electroforming method. Then, a light-transmitting plastic material of a low refractive index is poured into the master 65, and by separating the master 65 from the thus cast light-transmitting plastic material there is formed a stamper 67 having projections correspondingly to the openings of the optical waveguide patterns (FIG. 10D).
Then, using the stamper 67, there is formed a clad base 70 provided with grooves 69 having optical waveguide patterns in accordance with a known method such as, for example, a casting method or an injection molding method. A light-transmitting plastic material having a certain refractive index is used as the material of the clad base 70 (FIG. 10E).
Next, a light-transmitting plastic material is allowed to flow into the grooves 69 of the clad base 70 from one end of the grooves by using capillary action. This light-transmitting plastic material has a refractive index higher than that of the light-transmitting plastic material used to form the clad base 70. After the grooves 69 have been sufficiently filled with the resin, the resin is cured by the radiation of ultraviolet light, whereby cores 71 are formed in the grooves 69 (FIG. 10F).
Lastly, the whole surface on the side where the cores 71 have been formed is coated uniformly with a light-transmitting plastic material having a refractive index lower than that of the cores 71 to form a clad layer 72. In this way there is obtained an optical waveguide array 80 (FIG. 10G). In this case, a clad is formed by both the base 70 and the clad layer 72 to cover the cores 71 completely.
However, according to the selective polymerization method described as the first example above,, it is difficult to enlarge the difference in the refractive index between the copolymer portions 57 and the polycarbonate portions 58. Because the core-clad difference in refractive index cannot be made large leads to the problem that the optical waveguide opening angle of the optical waveguide array 60 formed by those materials also cannot be large. The "opening angle" indicates a spread angle at the points where light is emitted from the exit end of each optical waveguide, namely, an angle .theta. C (=sin-1 (NA)) determined by the number of openings, NA, of the optical waveguide (FIG. 5). That the opening angle cannot be made large means that it is impossible to construct an optical waveguide in a curved form having a small radius of curvature. It also means that, since the receiving angle for the light beam incident on each optical waveguide is small that the transmittable light quantity of the light beam coupled to the optical waveguide is small. Although how to calculate the percent opening is omitted, the opening angle of each optical waveguide of the optical waveguide array 60 formed in the first example is as small as 12.6.degree.. The transmission loss of each optical waveguide formed by this method was 0.2 dB/cm.
According to the second method, the molding method, the optical waveguide array 80 can have a large opening angle because it is possible to freely select the material of the clad base 70 and that of the clad layer 72. For example, as the material of the cores 71 there is used an acrylic resin (trade name: Aronix M210, where the refractive index is 1.54, manufactured by Toa Gosei Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) which is a photocurable resin, and as the material of the clad base 70 and clad layer 72 there is used an acrylic resin (trade name: Aronix M310, refractive index=1.46, a product of Toa Gosei Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) which is also a photocurable resin. The opening angle of each optical waveguide in the resulting optical waveguide array 80 is 26.5.degree., which is larger than that in the optical waveguide array of the first example. However, the surface roughness of the inner walls of the grooves of the optical waveguides formed by the etching process is very conspicuous. Consequently, the optical waveguides of the optical waveguide array 80 formed in the second example each have a very large transmission loss and so can transmit a limited amount of light. In general, it is necessary that the surface roughness of an optical system, including optical waveguides and lenses, be kept to a value on the order of 0.01 .mu.m or less.


An emulsification agent for hydrocarbons is provided comprising an ethoxylated nonylphenol, the reaction product of tall oil and an alkanolamine and tripropylene glycol methyl ether. The agent optionally can include sodium xylene sulfonate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention related to an emulsification agent for hydrocarbon compositions. More particularly, this invention relates to an emulsification agent for hydrocarbon compositions or for materials contaminated with hydrocarbon compositions.
2. Description of Related Art
In the past, it has been difficult to clean spills of hydrocarbon compositions which are immiscible with water. It has been common practice to treat gasoline and oil spills with large quantities of water and flushing the spills by the force of the water stream. Final cleanup was accomplished by use of absorbent materials such as sand or sawdust. In addition, if the hydrocarbon is insufficiently diluted, it can remain flammable. However, such treatment often leads to pollution of water in streams and ponds. This process is undesirable when the hydrocarbon contaminant is absorbed in a carrier material such as soil. It has also been proposed to utilize solvents which are miscible with the hydrocarbon composition in order to dilute and disperse the hydrocarbon composition. Oftentimes, this approach is undesirable since the solvents are either flammable or toxic or both. In addition, the use of these solvents is not effective when the hydrocarbon composition is absorbed in a material such as soil.
It would be desirable to provide a composition which safely emulsifies hydrocarbon compositions and which would permit further treatment of the emulsified hydrocarbon composition to render it inert such as by treatment with bacteria which utilize hydrocarbons as a nutrient source.


The present invention entails a water ski vest having an integral lumbar compression belt. A lumbar compression belt is secured to the inside back of the ski vest and the compression belt includes a lower portion that covers and wraps around the lumbar region of the subject or person wearing the water ski vest. By first fastening the compression belt the lumbar region of the person is compressed and positively supported. Thereafter, additional support is provided by fastening the water ski vest about the lumbar compression belt.

It has been known to provide positive lumbar support in a water ski vest. For example, in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,221, I disclosed a water ski vest having a relatively hard frame structure implanted into the vest. This frame extended down the back of the water ski vest and extended over the lumbar region of the subject's lower back. Consequently, the water ski vest disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,221, provided positive lumbar support for the subject wearing the vest.
However, the design of the lumbar support structure shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,221, basically lent itself to custom applications. That is, this design is best suited to a situation where the inner lumbar support frame is custom designed to fit the individuals back. Thus, the water ski-lumbar support structure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,221 is not particularly suited for mass merchandising.
After the advent of the water ski vest shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,221, there has been additional work in the area of improving back support in water ski vests. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,805 addressed the problem of providing additional back support structure in a water ski vest. A review of this patent shows the use of a belt and plastic plate structure in conjunction with the water ski vest. In particular, the belt is designed to simply hold the plastic plate against the small of the back for providing additional back support structure to the person wearing the water ski vest. Despite the references to the lumbar region, the design of the water ski vest shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,805 is such that the plastic plate only controls and provides support to the small of the back and not to the lumbar region.
Therefore, there has been and continues to be a need for a water ski vest that is comfortable, easy to use, and which provides direct and positive lumbar support to the person wearing the ski vest.

Water ski vest having an integral lumbar compression belt


A switch device includes a switch housing having an operation member receiving part and an operation member which is mounted on the operation member receiving part of the switch housing as the main components. The switch housing has a regulation wall between an engaged region and a predetermined region X where a front end of the operation member is brought into contact with the switch housing by a seesaw operation of the operation member. The regulation wall is positioned such that the regulation wall facingly contacts an extension part of the operation member in a state in which the extension part of the operation member is in contact with the top surface (predetermined region X) of the switch housing, and the regulation wall does not facingly contact the extension part of the operation member when the operation member is mounted on the switch housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch device, more particularly, to a switch device suitable for an operating motor for driving, for example, a power window.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of switch devices have been manufactured according to various purposes in the related art. Of those switch devices, a switch device for driving a motor, mainly, a motor for a power window for a vehicle is disclosed in JP-A-2000-348569 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,372). FIGS. 5A and 5B are views showing the construction of a switch device according to the related art. FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing an operation member, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of a switch housing on which the operation member is mounted.
The switch device is constructed of a switch knob 102 mounted on a switch housing 110, and the switch housing 110 which is mounted on a panel 100 having a switch accommodation part 100a. Specifically, as a protrusion 100c extending outwardly from a wall 100b of the switch housing 110 is engaged with a hole 102a formed at a side wall of the switch knob 102, the switch knob 102 is mounted on the switch housing 110. In this switch device, by operating the switch knob 102 in a direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 5A, the switch knob 102 seesaws about the engaged region as a fulcrum. Accordingly, a motor can be driven in the normal or reverse direction.
However, when a force is applied in an upward direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 5A, a front end 102b of the switch knob 102 is brought into contact with the surface of the switch housing 110. When a force is applied in a direction which lifts up a rear end 102c about a contact Y of the switch housing as a fulcrum, a large amount of force is applied on a region between the bottom surface of the protrusion 100c and a lower part of the inner peripheral surface partitioning the hole 102a, and accordingly, a slip therebetween occurs. Thus, the switch knob 102 is deformed so that the front end (opening end) of the switch knob 102 widens. Therefore, the protrusion 100c is disengaged from the hole 102a, and eventually, the switch knob 102 is disengaged from the switch housing 110.
Parts facing the protrusions 100c of the switch housing 110 can prevent the switch knob 102 from extending outward to some degree. However, the switch knob 102 is disposed at a free end side with respect of the switch housing 110, and thus the switch knob 102 can be easily deformed. Further, it is difficult to reliably prevent the switch knob 102 from extending outward since there are accuracy problems when the switch knob 102 is mounted on the switch housing 110. In this structure, there is also a problem in that formation of the panel 100 is limited.

Switch device having operation member which is not easily disengaged from housing even when large amount of load is applied


A composition of matter useful as a hotmelt adhesive is provided. The composition is comprised of a polyamide based on dimerized fatty acid and having an amine value higher by at least two units than the acid value of said polyamide and a filler comprised of a carbonate. The filler is preferably comprised of fine particles of calcium carbonate. The adhesive is particularly useful for bonding metals, e.g. to plastics and the bonding of cables with multilayer sheaths, e.g. in optical cables and power cables.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a polyamide hotmelt adhesive containing fillers and to its use.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Polyamide hotmelt adhesives containing fillers are known. Thus, DE 23 61 486 describes a hotmelt adhesive consisting of a polyamide resin and 5 to 80% by weight of an inorganic filler. The polyamide resin is produced from 0.5 to 0.8 equivalent of a polymeric fatty acid, 0.2 to 0.5 equivalent of another dicarboxylic acid, 0 to 0.6 equivalent of ethylenediamine and 0.4 to 1.0 equivalent of piperazine, the equivalent ratios between the dicarboxylic acids and the diamines being substantially the same. The five Examples only describe polyamides of which the acid value is greater than the amine value by at least 2 units. Chalk and heavy spar are mentioned as inorganic fillers (cf. the Examples and page 2, paragraph 4). The polyamide hotmelt adhesive is said to be used as an edge-banding glue for heat-resistant edge glueing. The edge veneer materials mentioned include veneers of wood, melamine/formaldehyde or urea/formaldehyde resins, polyesters and also polyvinyl chloride and polyacrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene. These edge veneer materials are bonded to furniture boards.
Polyamide hotmelt adhesives containing fillers are also known from Schering AG's pamphlet on "Eurelon". Among the 15 types mentioned, there is one of which the amine value is higher than acid value. All the other types either have substantially the same values or a higher acid value. Inorganic fillers, such as chalk, heavy spar, kaolin or aluminium oxide, may be added to these polyamide resins in their molten form. In view of the relatively low melt viscosity of some of the resins, preference should be given to light fillers with little or no tendency to sediment in order as far as possible to avoid sedimentation of the filler during application of the hotmelt adhesive. The incorporation of fillers is recommended if, in the bonding of porous materials, an overly thin adhesive penetrates into the substrate to such an extent that the actual glueline consists solely of a paper-thin film. Not only do the surfaces to be bonded have to be degreased, it is also necessary in most cases, for example in the case of metals, to remove troublesome oxide or scale layers by mechanical roughening or pickling or, in the case of plastics with non-polar surfaces, to convert these surfaces into a polar state by a chemical pretreatment. The following materials may be bonded: aluminium and aluminium alloys, steel and stainless steel, magnesium and magnesium alloys, ceramic materials, glass and china, concrete and asbestos cement, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamides, foams, leather and rubber, natural and synthetic rubber and various materials, such as thermosets, rigid PVC, polystyrene, polyacrylates, polycarbonates and polyacetates. The hotmelt adhesives are used not only in the shoe industry, the furniture industry, the automotive industry and the packaging industry, but also in the electrical industry, inter alia for bonding coil ends and coil windings, in the bonding of housings and in the application of ornamental trims, etc.
DE 42 11 125 describes polyamide hotmelt adhesives which may contain 0.5 to 2% by weight of fillers. Particulars of the type of fillers used are not provided. The polyamides may be both acid-terminated and amine-terminated. Amine-terminated polyamides are used in the Examples. The hotmelt adhesives are used to bond non-pretreated polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride or metals, more particularly copper, lead and aluminium, to one another or to themselves. Specific applications are in the electrical industry, more particularly for bonding cables and lines.


When information signals are recorded on an information signal recording medium formed with circular information signal tracks, the information signals are recorded after being scrambled with scrambling signals of cyclic codes. The period at which the scrambling signal makes a round is determined longer than a time length of an information signal quantity recorded on the maximum recording capacity (e.g., the outermost tracks), or a part of the scrambling signals are used repeatedly. The information signal recording method can remove the correlation between the adjacent tracks, and thereby enable a stable tracking control.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of recording information signals on an information signal recording medium formed with a plurality of circular tracks, and more specifically to a method of recording information signals scrambled with scrambling signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, in an optical disk such as a compact disk (CD), digital signals are recorded by forming concave and convex portions (referred to as pit and land portions) along tracks formed on the disk, and the light reflected from the pit and land portions is received by a quadrant optical sensor housed in an optical head, and further converted into electric signals to read information signals from the optical disk.
For focusing the detection light onto the optical disk, an objective lens of the optical system housed in a pickup is so controlled as to follow the surface deflection of the disk in accordance with an astigmatic method, for instance. In addition, for tracking to eccentric tracks, the pickup is so controlled as to follow the tracks in accordance with a three-beam method, push-pull method, heterodyne method, etc.
In the focusing and tracking control, the respective output signals of the double- or quadrant-divided optical sensor are calculated to obtain a focusing control signal and a tracking control signal for servo-controlling.
A laser beam emitted by the pickup produces a phase difference between the beam reflected from the pit portion and the beam reflected from the land portion, so that it is possible to obtain reproduced signals on the basis of the difference in reflected light intensity caused by the interference effect and then incident upon the optical sensor. In the case of a compact disk, data is recorded by forming pit and land pattern on the basis of EFM (eight to fourteen modulation) signals. Therefore, the recorded data can be reproduced by binarizing the reproduced signals modulated on the basis of the light intensity change along the pit and the land portions, and further demodulated into digital signals.
In the signal recording systems, two system, that is, a CAV (constant angular velocity) system in which the disk angular velocity is kept constant and CLV (constant linear velocity) system in which the track linear velocity is kept constant are so far known. In the case of the CAV system, the number of sectors of each track is equal to each other, and all the tracks are so formed that the sector heads of all the tracks are perfectly arranged on the radial lines extending from the disk center.
Further, in the case of the CLV system, since the track linear velocity is constant, although the sector heads of all the tracks do not match each other on the disk, there exists some cases where the sector heads of a part of the adjacent tracks are arranged along on the same radial line extending from the disk center.
Under these circumstances, in the case where a great quantity of the information signals have of the same content such as music intermissions, no-music sections, no-image sections, etc. are recorded for instance when music or image information signals are recorded, the recorded information signals are scrambled with scrambling signals in general in order to prevent the signals of the same pit and land shape or arrangement from being recorded in the adjacent tracks.
The scramble procedure as described above is adopted to prevent the synchronizing signal for synchronizing the sector heads of information signals from being generated in the recorded data as a pseudo-synchronizing signal, that is, to improve the DSV (digital sum variation) controllability of the EFM signal. That is, the information signals and scrambling signals referred to as M (maximum) period sequence are scrambled with each other, and then the scrambled signals are recorded as the information signals. Here, the M period sequence used for the scrambling procedure is defined by cyclic codes represented by (2.sup.x -1) units of 0 or 1.
For instance, the prior art scrambling means adopted in the conventional CD-ROM outputs the M period sequence of cyclic codes of (2.sup.15 -1=32767) represented by 0 or 1. Further, information signals are scrambled with the cyclic codes by using the same initial value (code) for each sector.
In the present tendency of the optical disk, the disk capacity and disk density are both increased more and more. In the prior art scrambling means as described above, however, when the information signals having the same content are recorded at the same positions at which the sector heads are arranged in the radial lines extending from the disk center, since the shape at the pit portion matches the shape at the land portion, correlation between both the portions increases, with the result that an amplitude of the tracking error signal is reduced and thereby the S/N (signal to noise) ratio decreases, thus causing a problem in that the tracking control cannot be executed stably.

Method and apparatus for recording an information signal with scrambling thereof


A screen basket with greater structural integrity and fatigue resistance is mounted within a screening apparatus with substantially no axial compressive loading. The screen basket has end portions attached to a pair of support members with screen basket position engagement elements or fasteners to place the screen basket in a condition with no substantial axial compressive load. The screen basket, supported in this way, remains stationary when exposed to high hydrodynamic torsional forces and reduces the magnitude of deflections and bending stresses placed on the screen basket. The screen basket is preferably mounted in axial tension or with an axial neutral load.

This invention relates to screen baskets for screening apparatus as encountered in the pulp and paper industry. The screen baskets separate rejectable material from acceptable material when both are in a liquid suspension.
In the papermaking process, a screening apparatus is typically used to separate wood knots and other foreign material from a fluid pulp. A typical screening apparatus includes a housing within which a screen basket is mounted around a concentrically positioned rotor assembly. The screen basket is usually fabricated from a relatively thin metal plate material although bar or wire materials are also often used and when mounted in a screening apparatus, provides a barrier between a screening chamber and an accept chamber. Fluid pulp is introduced to the screening chamber by way of a feed inlet which is upstream of the screening chamber. The fluid pulp is introduced to either the inner or the outer portion of the screen basket depending on the type of screening apparatus used. Material which does not pass through the screen basket flows to an end of the screening chamber away from the feed inlet and is removed through a reject outlet. One type of screen basket has circular shaped openings sized to reject unwanted solids and may have support rings located along the length of the basket to provide additional mechanical support. Another type of screen basket has slots having lengths much greater than their widths for separating other types of materials and may have support rings located along the length of the screen basket to provide additional mechanical support.
The rotor assembly generally includes hydrofoils or a contoured drum mounted on a rotating shaft in close proximity to the screen basket to sweep past the openings of the screen basket. The hydrofoils or contoured drum may be positioned to sweep over the inner or the outer surface of the screen basket. The rotating hydrofoils or contoured drum generate hydrodynamic pulses in the radial direction with enough force and frequency to continuously remove any fiber plugs that occur in the screen basket openings. The localized flows caused by the hydrodynamic pulses are generally in a direction opposite to the flow of the fluid pulp provided to the screen basket under pressure.
End rings are generally attached to end portions of the screen basket for mounting the screen basket into the screening apparatus. The end rings are bolted to a stationary member to prevent the screen basket from rotating in response to the torsional forces generated by the rotating hydrofoils or drum. Such a mounting arrangement generally places the screen basket in an axially compressive loading condition.

Non-compressive loading of a screen basket for a pulp pressure screening apparatus


An electronically commutated motor (ECM) often employs a Hall sensor for reliable operation. Even when a Hall sensor is omitted from a motor having a plurality of stator winding phases (24, 26) and a permanent-magnet rotor (22), one can reliably detect direction of rotation of the rotor by the steps of: (a) differentiating a voltage profile obtained by sampling either (1) induced voltage in a presently currentless phase winding or (2) voltage drop at a transistor, through which current is flowing to a presently energized phase winding, and (b) using such a differentiated signal (du—24″/dt, du—26″/dt) to control current flow in an associated phase winding. In this manner, one obtains reliable commutation, even if the motor is spatially separated from its commutation electronics.

A preferred application of the invention is in "double-phase" motors. This may be explained as follows: because handy abbreviations are always desirable in engineering, and a differentiation in terms of "two-pulse" and "two-phase" is too complex for normal commerce, the generic term "double-phase motors" is usually used for such motors, regardless of whether such a motor has one or two phases.
Because, for example, a two-pulse motor receives two stator current pulses (which in some circumstances can be very short, e.g. only 10° el., and can also be subdivided into even shorter pulses by pulse width modulation) in its stator for each rotor revolution of 360° el., in motors of this design, a gap in the electromagnetically generated torque occurs between the two stator current pulses, and this gap is bridged by an auxiliary torque of arbitrary nature. This can be a mechanically generated auxiliary torque, but in the majority of cases it is a so-called "reluctance torque," which results from the interaction of a permanent-magnet rotor with the iron masses of the stator.
For this purpose, the iron masses of the stator must be distributed inhomogeneously with respect to the stator's circumference; there are infinite possibilities for this. When the permanent-magnet rotor of a (currentless) motor of this kind is then driven at uniform speed, it induces an alternating voltage in the stator winding, i.e. the motor then works as an alternating-current generator. The induced alternating voltage deviates from the sinusoidal shape, and its shape additionally depends on the rotation direction. These factors must be taken into account in the design of such motors.

Method for sensorless operation of an electronically commutated motor and motor for carrying out such a method


An email content builder that generates email content based upon customer created rules is described. Messages to clients are edited automatically to suit a client's needs. The language in the text of a message is translated and changed depending on the country and client. Users select a script in an ebusiness system. After retrieving the appropriate script and associated information, the email content builder would either build the appropriate script corresponding to a client or retrieve appropriate text from the database. Then, the email content builder builds a script and email message depending on certain aspects of the client, such as language, billing information, etc.

Utilization of the Internet continues to rise at a rapid pace. Indeed, business and governmental entities as well as individuals are increasingly relying upon the Internet for research, communication, entertainment and transactional purposes. Access to the Internet network is provided by Internet servers. Such servers are typically maintained by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) who offers "use" of its servers to customers on a pre-determined, subscription basis. Basically, an ISP is a business or organization that sells access to the internet and other related services.
Furthermore, electronic mail (email) is used by many people. Recipients can also reply to or forward the email and can opt to include an attachment as part of a replying or forwarding function. Forwarding the email includes creating a new email that includes the contents of the original email to additional addressees & recipients. The forwarding party (i.e. the recipient of the original email) can also edit the email. Replying to the email includes forwarding the email to one or more of the other addresses and/or the sender of the email.
In addition, email allows mail messages to be exchanged between users of computers around the world and out of the world, to space shuttles and the International Space Station. Internet email in particular provides a standard communications mechanism for millions of computers connected to the Internet. In the early days of email, email messages were very limited in features. They were restricted to ASCII characters; they had maximum line lengths and maximum message lengths. Modern email messages, however, support digital objects comprising audio, video, and graphic images. The modern email standard for the Internet, initiated in 1992, is called MIME, an acronym for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. MIME allows mail messages to contain multiple digital objects in a single message, text having unlimited line length or overall length, character sets other than ASCII (allowing non-English language messages), multi-font messages, and binary or application specific files. Email messages are delivered to email clients, software application programs capable of connecting to the Internet through mail servers and downloading email messages from electronic mailboxes maintained in email servers.
Access to information and movement around the Internet is enhanced through the use of hyperlinks ("links") within a web page's hypertext markup language (HTML). The link, which is typically a word in a text field or an image on a web page, acts as a path that moves a user from one web page address, Uniform Resource Locator (URL), to another web page address on a web site. The movement from one URL to another allows near-instant access to information, products, and services and is particularly well-suited to the exchange of information, goods, and services between buyers and sellers. Such business is commonly referred to as "e-commerce," or "electronic commerce."
The current state of e-commerce is a state of confusion; many people are losing a great deal of money. Only few make any profit, mostly due to a poor set of products and tools. For instance, there are credit card security issues, limited ways to pay for merchandise, older browser versions, and sites that do not update their catalogs. E-commerce web sites sell products, such as goods or services, online. They both display the products for sale and provide an easy way to complete a sales transaction. This usually involves credit card verification and automatic merchant account processing.
There are two levels of ecommerce sophistication: static and dynamic. In static, separate web pages exist for each product usually with a picture, a description, and a price. Each time the user wants to change product information they change the product's web page and upload it to the website. "Shopping Cart" functionality is a user-friendly feature and is included as standard equipment in every ecommerce hosting plan. If the user already has a website that they are happy with, and are only selling a small number of items, then a shopping cart application maybe suitable. A shopping cart enables the existing web site to take orders, and sends those orders to another application for processing. Usually, the user will have to add HTML code to the web site after every product description. (This is often referred to as "bolt-on" software.) The code will create buttons and boxes that will allow the customers to select colors, sizes and quantities, place an order, and check out. Most will allow the user to choose a design template and will then create product and category pages that already include shopping cart functions. The software generally includes a database so that adding products and updating product information requires no knowledge of HTML. The software can either be licensed outright, or rented by the month from an ASP.
These web sites can be free, meaning that there are no monthly hosting fees and there are no development costs; easy to use point-and-click templates are provided by the host. However, some costs are involved, such as per transaction fees and merchant account setup fees. In contrast, the dynamic ones have product information stored in a database and displayed dynamically per users' requests. These are never free; users must pay a monthly hosting fee and develop these sites professionally.
In addition, there are several different ways to receive funds online. A user can travel down the time-consuming yet intellectually rewarding path of building their own shopping cart. But if the user does not have programming muscles to flex, let alone the time to build something, a web storefront service maybe the way to go. When moving currency from one party to another is involved, the time, money, and craftiness needed to implement them varies.
Just as there are bodegas and high-fashion shops, there are a wide variety of store fronts. Web stores have a more uneven quality, however. Some of the poorly managed storefronts sell non-existing merchandise; lack photos where appropriate, have a lack of customer support, have hidden payment options, and employ non-electronic payment methods. The better sites have ease of searching for content, obvious pathways through the site, and frequently updated catalogs. Furthermore, they have a way to retract purchases easily, a way to confirm purchases via email or fax, and have a way to record problems.
Consumer goods can often be complex, with a product coming in different sizes, shapes, or colors. Moreover, each attribute (such as color) can have a number of options (such as green, blue, red, etc). Better software will allow an unlimited number of attributes and allow a merchant to define a store keeping unit (SKU) for each combination. A merchant may define different prices and assign different images to products that have attributes. When a customer selects a specific combination of options for such a product, the screen will change to show the merchant defined price and image for that specific SKU. Furthermore, for merchants that sell food items and non-food items, it is important to tax the order accordingly. Some software allows the merchant to define a product as either taxable or non-taxable and will calculate the total sales tax per order accordingly. Write-In-Attributes are particularly useful for merchants that sell custom products. An example of would be a company selling shirts with monograms. The customer could enter his or her monogram using the write-in-attribute. For the merchant selling hundreds to thousands of products, intuitive categorization of the product line is a must. Some software allows for an unlimited product hierarchy—others limit the number of subcategories. Merchants should make their products as easy as possible to find. Often this means putting one product in multiple categories. For optimal results, the user should be using every opportunity they have to draw customers to the web store and to increase conversions once they have a visitor.
There is a need for an invention that will enable e-commerce companies to combine their e-commerce platforms to reduce customer handling time and mistakes. Specifically, there is a need for reducing the number of scripts sent by e-business systems to the e-commerce platforms by incorporating a script builder engine into the process. The present invention provides a solution to these needs and other problems, and offers other advantages over the prior art.


A lightweight, small size, high sensitivity gauge for indirectly measuring displacement or absolute gap width by measuring axial strain in an orthogonal direction to the displacement/gap width. The gap gauge includes a preferably titanium base having a central tension bar with springs connecting opposite ends of the tension bar to a pair of end connector bars, and an elongated bow spring connected to the end connector bars with a middle section bowed away from the base to define a gap. The bow spring is capable of producing an axial strain in the base proportional to a displacement of the middle section in a direction orthogonal to the base. And a strain sensor, such as a Fabry-Perot interferometer strain sensor, is connected to measure the axial strain in the base, so that the displacement of the middle section may be indirectly determined from the measurement of the axial strain in the base.

Fiber optic sensors are known to have a number of beneficial properties over conventional electronic sensors, such as reduction/elimination of EMI susceptibility, electrical isolation with no electrical current/power at the sensing area, insensitivity to radiation, remote readout, no wires, robust, wide temperature range, small size for high fidelity measurements, and highly manufacturable and reproducible.
Various types of fiber optic sensors are commercially available based on a white light Fabry-Perot interferometric readout concept for measuring strain, temperature, etc. Such sensors are generally made by precisely positioning and attaching segments of optical fiber in tiny glass capillary tubes.
There is still a need, however, for a lightweight, high sensitivity gauge for gap width measurement which is capable of accurately sensing position, displacement, and gap width at the micrometer level with a micro sensor, while being small enough to fit the requirements of a restricted amount of space and achieving the other benefits associated with fiber optic sensors.

The Regents of the University of California


A carry look-ahead adder obtains high speed with minimum gate fan-in and a regular array of area-efficient logic cells in a datapath by including a first row of propagate-generate bit cells, a second row of block-propagate bit cells generating a hierarchy of block-propagate and block-generate bits, a third row of carry bit cells: and a bottom level of sum bit cells. The second row of block-propagate bit cells supply the block-propagate and block-generate bits to the first carry bit cells in chained segments of carry bit cells. In a preferred embodiment for a 32-bit complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) adder, the logic gates are limited to a fan-in of three, and the block-propagate bit cells in the second row are interconnected to form two binary trees, each including fifteen cells, and the carry cells are chained in segments including up to four cells. In general, the interconnections between the block-propagate bit cells are derived from a graph which is optimized to meet the constraints of fast static complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuit design: low fan-out and small capacitance load on most signals. Sufficient gain stages are present in the binary trees to build-up to a large drive capability where the large drive capability is needed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a and more particularly to a multi-level carry look-ahead adder. The invention specifically relates to a multi-level carry lookahead adder implemented as an array of regularly-spaced rows and columns of logic cells in a datapath.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital computer typically includes a multiplicity of binary adders. At least one binary adder, for example, is used in an integer arithmetic logic unit (ALU) for performing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. A floating-point processor requires at least two adders, one for processing the mantissa, and another for processing the exponents. Additional adders are typically used for computing relative addresses for memory access or branch instructions.
In many digital computer designs, the speed of the computer is limited by the time required performing an addition or subtraction in the arithmetic logic unit. The time required for performing an addition or subtraction is typically limited by the time required for generating the "carry out" of the addition or subtraction, because the "carry out" of the addition or subtraction is a logical function of all of the input bits and the "carry in" to the adder or subtractor. Due to the large number of logical inputs defining the carry function, it is impractical to implement the carry function in just a few levels of gates, and instead the carry out is generated by intermediate carry signals that propagate through the adder.
Carry propagation is best understood with reference to a known adder design 20 shown in FIG. 1, which adds an augend A to an addend B and a carry in C.sub.-1 to obtain a sum S and a carry-out C.sub.n-1. It is assumed that A, B, and S are n-bit binary numbers. In other words, A=A.sub.n-1 . . . A.sub.1 A.sub.0, B=B.sub.n B.sub.n-1 . . . B.sub.1 B.sub.0, and S=S.sub.n-1 . . . S.sub.1 S.sub.0.
The adder 20 shown in FIG. 1 generates a number of intermediate functions. A "carry generate" function G is defined as: EQU G.sub.i =A.sub.i .multidot.B.sub.i
The carry generate function G indicates that a carry is originated at the ith stage of the adder. A "carry propagate" function P is defined as: EQU P.sub.i =A.sub.i .sym.B.sub.i
The carry propagate function P is true when the ith stage of the adder will pass the incoming carry C.sub.i-1 to the next higher stage. Moreover, when P.sub.i is generated by an exclusive-OR function between A.sub.i and B.sub.i, then the carry propagate function P also indicates the "half sum" of A.sub.i and B.sub.i. In this case, the carry C.sub.i and the full sum S.sub.i from the ith stage are related to the generate bit G and propagate bit P.sub.i by: ##EQU1##
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the digital logic for the adder 20 can use gates having a low fanin and a low fan-out, and the gates can be arranged as an array of regularly-spaced rows and columns of logic cells in a datapath. The datapath in the adder 20 extends from the top (the A and B inputs) to the bottom (the S outputs). The cells include a first row 21 of propagate-generate bit cells 22, 23; a second row 24 of carry bit cells 25, 26; and a third row 27 of sum bit cells 28, 29. Each propagate-generate bit cell 22, 23 in the ith column or bit position of the adder 20 includes a respective AND gate 31, 32 providing the generate bit G.sub.1, and a respective exclusive-OR gate 33, 34 providing the propagate bit P.sub.i. Each carry bit cell 25, 26 includes a respective AND gate 35, 36 and a respective OR gate 37, 38 which together provide the carry bit C.sub.i. Each sum bit cell 28, 29 includes a respective exclusive-OR gate 40, 41 providing the sum bit S.sub.i.
One disadvantage of the adder circuit 20 is that the speed of the adder is limited by the time for a carry signal to propagate left-to-right through the chain of carry bit cells 25, 26 from the carry input C.sub.-1 to the carry output C.sub.n-1. In particular, the carry propagation time is a linear function of the number of columns n in the adder, and therefore the adder 20 is very slow when it has a large number n of columns or bits. A known solution to this problem is to use carry look-ahead logic to reduce the time for generating the more significant carry bits. The carry look-ahead logic has logic gates for more directly solving the carry function: EQU C.sub.n-1 =G.sub.n-1 +G.sub.n-2 P.sub.n-1 +. . . +C.sub.-1 P.sub.0 P.sub.1 . . . P.sub.n-1
In general, the equation C.sub.i =G.sub.1 +P.sub.i .multidot.C.sub.i-1 is known as a "recurrence relation," and repeated application of the "recurrence relation" computes the carry function. Cells of logic gates which together compute the carry function are known as "recurrence solvers."
As disclosed in Kai Huang, Computer Arithmetic, John Wiley & Sons, New York, N.Y., 1979, pp. 84-90, the carry function can be computed by "block carry generate" G* and "block carry propagate" P* functions in multi-level circuits. Shown in FIG. 3.13 on page 90 of Huang, for example, is a two-level carry look-ahead adder with a 32-bit word length arranged in an 8-by-4 configuration. The carry generation logic includes an upper level of eight four-bit block-carry look-ahead units and a lower level having an 8-bit carry look-ahead unit. Each four-bit block-carry look-ahead unit generates block carry generate and block carry propagate functions, for i=3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, and 31: EQU G.sub.1 *=G.sub.i +G.sub.i-1 P.sub.i +G.sub.i-2 P.sub.i P.sub.1-1 +G.sub.i-3 P.sub.1 P.sub.i-1 P.sub.i-2 EQU P.sub.i *=P.sub.i-1 P.sub.i-2 P.sub.i-3
The lower-level unit generates the carry functions C.sub.i for i=3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, and 31 according to: EQU C.sub.i =G.sub.i *+G.sub.i-4 *P.sub.1 *+. . . +C.sub.-1 P.sub.i *P.sub.1-4 * . . . P.sub.3 *
Disadvantages of the circuit in FIG. 3.13 of Huang are the need for multi-input logic gates, and the absence of regular gate cells for the carry logic at the columns or bit positions in the data path of the adder.
General design techniques for high-speed and area-efficient very-large-scale integrated circuit (VLSI) technology has been the subject of continuing research. As observed by Ong et al., "A comparison of ALU structures for VLSI technology," Proceedings of the 6th Symposium on Computer Arithmetic, IEEE, Piscataway, N.J. (1983), pp. 10-16, there is a continuing need to reevaluate the design techniques in the context of developments in VLSI circuit technology. Furthermore, recent work in complexity of algorithms, particularly the solution of recurrence relations, suggests new candidate structures for generating the carry vector and raises questions as to their practicality in modern logic design practice. Floor plans for two-bit and four-bit look-ahead carry assimilations for 16-bit adders are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of Ong et al. A floor plan of a 16-bit adder suggested by recurrence solvers is shown in FIG. 9 of Ong et al., and this floor plan includes four rows of carry-logic cells.
A carry-skip scheme is disclosed in Oklobdzija et al., "Some optimal schemes for ALU implementation in VLSI technology," Proceedings of the 7th Symposium on Computer Arithmetic, IEEE, Piscataway, N.J. (1985), pp. 2-8. The carry-generate portion, which consumes a large amount of logic, is eliminated. As in a carry look-ahead adder, the bits to be added are divided into groups. A circuit is provided for detecting when a carry signal entering a group will ripple through the group. When this condition is detected, the carry is allowed to skip over the group.
Graph representations for designing area-time efficient VLSI adders are disclosed in Han et al., "Fast area-efficient VLSI adders," Proceedings of the 1987 Symposium on Computer Architecture, IEEE, Piscataway, N.J. (1987), pp. 49-56. When a prefix graph is used as a basis for designing binary addition circuitry in VLSI, each node of the graph represents a set of logic equations. Thus, each node can be thought of as a processing element that will be expanded from being a point in the graph to occupy a fixed amount of area in the layout. For binary addition, four types of processing elements can be used: pggen, black, white, and sum. The pggen cell produces initial p and g signals (carry propagation and generation signals). The black cell comprises a pair of p signals and a pair of g signals to generate a p and g signal at a lower level. Two different types of black cells are used: a positive input, negative output cell; and a negative input, positive output cell. The white cell is a simple inverter that inverts a p signal and a g signal. The sum cell generates the sum bit from a propagate bit, a generate bit, and two carry bits. Because the carries produced by the carry generation circuitry alternate between being positive and negative, there are two types of sum cells: one type takes two carries without inversion, and the other takes two carries with inversion. The carry look-ahead adder based on the hybrid prefix algorithm is densely packed by using a folding method. The folding method places two levels of the prefix graph into one level of the layout, since space is available to embed cells.
As is evident from the above references, recurrence solvers have the advantage that the gate levels required to calculate the carry for large groups of bits grows slowly as a function of the number of bits. But the previously implemented or proposed recurrence solvers have had high fan-out, many long interconnections, or excessive levels of gates, which have resulted in a relatively slow complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) implementation.

Fast area-efficient multi-bit binary adder with low fan-out signals


Disclosed is a continuous method for producing perfume-containing melting bodies which include at least one water-soluble or water-dispersible carrier polymer having a melting point>30° C. to 250° C. and at least one aromatic substance. The method contains the following steps: continuous supply, optionally continuous production and supply, of a melt having the at least one water-soluble or water-dispersible carrier polymer; continuous addition of the at least one aromatic substance to the melt-having the at least one water-soluble or water-dispersible carrier polymer; mixing the melt having the at least one water-soluble or water-dispersible carrier polymer and the at least one aromatic substance; and cooling the mixture in order to produce perfume-containing melting bodies. Also disclosed is perfume-containing melting bodies produced in this way.

When using washing and cleaning agents, the consumer not only aims to wash, clean or care for the objects to be treated, but also wishes that after treatment, for example after washing, the treated objects, such as textiles, have a pleasant smell. For this reason, in particular, most commercially available washing and cleaning agents contain fragrances.
Fragrances are often used in the form of fragrance particles, either as an integral component of a washing or cleaning agent, or dosed into the washing drum right at the beginning of a wash cycle in a separate form. In this way, the consumer can control the fragrance of the laundry to be washed by individual dosage.
Fragrance particles of this kind are usually provided in the form of perfume-containing melt bodies in batch processes. Such perfume-containing shaped bodies made from melts require the perfume to be exposed to higher temperatures during production. The finished product melt is then transferred by cooling into a shaped body. Any production disturbances mean that the melt has to stay at higher temperatures for a longer time. This may lead to the degradation of thermolabile components, such as some perfume components. In addition, the melting of the ingredients of the shaped body including the perfume already means that said perfume is exposed to unnecessarily long high temperatures, which may also be disadvantageous for the reasons mentioned above.

Continuous method for producing perfume-containing melting bodies


In a switching power supply apparatus, a low-side switching device is connected in series with a primary winding. A high-side switching device and the primary winding define a closed loop. A voltage induced in a high-side drive winding is applied to the high-side switching device to turn on the high-side switching device. A transistor, which is turned on/off in accordance with the voltage across a capacitor charged by the voltage induced in the high-side drive winding, is connected to the gate terminal of the high-side switching device. When the capacitor is charged and the transistor is turned on, the high-side switching device is turned off. The capacitor is discharged by the voltage induced in the high-side drive winding, during the ON period of the low-side switching device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching power supply apparatus that includes a transformer and two switching devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-37220 discloses a switching power supply apparatus having a configuration in which two switching devices are alternately switched on/off in a complementary manner. The switching power supply apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-37220 includes a flyback converter and two switching devices, i.e., high-side and low-side switching devices (FETs). During an ON period of the low-side FET, energy is stored in a transformer, and the energy stored in the transformer is supplied to a load during an OFF period of the low-side FET. The switching power supply apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-37220 uses an active clamp method in which a surge voltage applied to the low-side FET is clamped, and a zero-voltage switching operation of the two switching devices is achieved.
In this switching power supply apparatus, the low-side FET, the primary winding of the transformer, and a DC power supply are connected in series with one another, and a series circuit including the high-side FET and a capacitor is connected between the two ends of the primary winding of the transformer. The transformer of the switching power supply apparatus includes first and second drive windings, and one end of the first drive winding is connected to a low-side switching control circuit. The low-side switching control circuit outputs a control signal to the gate of the low-side FET. The source of the high-side FET is connected to the drain of the low-side FET. A high-side switching control circuit includes a time constant circuit including a capacitor and a resistor.
The switching power supply apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-37220 is configured such that the high-side FET is driven by the second drive winding of the transformer and the time constant circuit. However, when a PFC converter is provided or a DC-DC converter which also functions as a PFC converter is provided, the low-side FET needs to be switched on/off in accordance with variations in the input voltage so as to improve a power factor. In this case, in the switching power supply apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-37220, since an ON period of the high-side FET is substantially fixed by the time constant circuit, it is difficult to enable the changing of the ON period of the high-side FET. On the other hand, in order to efficiently drive the FETs, the high-side FET may be controlled in accordance with ON/OFF operations of the low-side FET by including a driver IC in the high-side switching control circuit. However, a reduction in cost is difficult to achieve in this case.


A protective helmet and facemask assembly for use by baseball catchers, umpires, etc. The helmet is configured to cover a person's head, leaving a face area open. A facemask having a frame to fit around a person's face and a protective grid covering the frame is secured to the helmet by elastic straps. The mask can be moved between positions over a person's face to a position frictionally engaging the top of the helmet by pulling the mask slightly away from the helmet and pushing it upward. A chinstrap is provided to help hold the assembly on a person's head. The throat guard may loosely depend from the chinstrap. A suspension including a headband may hold the helmet spaced from the person's head, with the headband adjustable to provide a desired fit.

This invention relates in general to an assembly for protecting a person's head and face against impact injury and, more specifically, to an assembly comprising a helmet with a facemask secured thereto by radial elastic bands which permit the mask to be moved from a position over a person's face to a position on the top of the helmet. While such an assembly is useful in many sports or activities, it is particularly useful for catchers playing baseball, softball and the like.
Many helmets with removable facemasks have been developed to protect the wearer's face and head. Among these are motorcyclist helmets, fire fighter helmets, and various helmets used in sports such as hockey, lacrosse, football and the like. In general, the facemask is formed from transparent plastic or a metal or plastic grid which is semi-permanently fixed to the helmet. In some cases the facemask is removable or pivotable away from the face. Typical of these are the fire fighters' pivotable face shield described by Oleson in U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,417 the hockey helmets add facemasks of Copeland et al shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,108 and of Neeld et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,858 and the motorcycling headgear disclosed by Vitaloni in U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,836. While each of these has utility for the particular use described, in each case the facemask is difficult to remove or pivot out of the way quickly and, where pivoted, is not well restrained in the open position during continued intensive physical activity.
Baseball catchers have long used facemasks including a grid of metal or plastic mesh over the face, a padded rim for engaging the face around the mask, and a harness fitting-over a helmet. The mask must be quickly removed and dropped or thrown to the side in the event of a foul pop-up, a wild pitch, or other action on the field. Each time the mask is removed and dropped, there is a chance that the catcher will trip on the mask and be unable to complete a required action. Further, the mask, which becomes damp with perspiration, becomes covered with dirt when dropped and must be shaken out and possibly wiped off before play can be resumed. Retrieving and cleaning the facemask also delays play.
Increasingly, particularly in youth leagues such as Little League baseball, catchers must wear a helmet to protect their heads against impact injury from bats, balls, collisions, and the like. A combination helmet and mask, which must be rapidly removed and dropped to make plays, is heavy, cumbersome and difficult to remove quickly. Further, if the catcher wears glasses, removal of the helmet and facemask combination is likely to disturb, damage, or knock off the glasses. Because of the need for rapid removal, the existing helmet/facemask sets must fit loosely, and do not maintain an optimum, comfortable position during use.
In order to eliminate the problems associated with rapidly removing a catcher's facemask, dropping it out of the way, and cleaning before reusing, facemasks have been developed which are pivotally secured to a head-encircling band or strap. Lahan, in U.S. Pat. No. 991,859, discloses a catcher's mask secured to a head band by rigid arms or bars by a pivot pin. In use, the facemask is pivoted down over the face, with a strap running from the top of the mask over the head to the back of the headband to prevent the mask from settling to low. When it becomes necessary to remove the mask from the player's face, such as when a pop foul is hit, the mask is swung to the top of the head where a friction latch holds it in place. While sometimes effective, this arrangement has a number of problems. The rigid bars make it difficult to have the mask held tight to the player's face in normal use yet have it easily moveable out of the way. Pushing the mask upward quickly is likely to dislodge the headband, allowing the assembly to drop to the ground, where he or she may trip over it. Further, the latch may fail, allowing the mask to drop over the face at a critical moment when running after a ball. A more positive latch would be difficult to easily release to return the mask to the normal position.
Another catcher's facemask is described by Gray in U.S. Pat. No. 571,437. This mask uses a padded frame surrounding the player's face and a strap around the back of the head to hold the frame in place. A wire mesh mask is pivotally secured to a pivot attached to the frame and headband and is held against the frame by gravity and latched in place. When the mask must be moved out of the way, the latch is released and the mask is swung upward where it is held in place by weight or a latch. Before the mask can be moved out of the way, the hold-down latch must be released. Failure to properly release the latch will result in the facemask remaining in the vision-obstructing position over the face or in the entire assembly being pushed upward over the head, to fall in back of the player. Since the mask is not positively held in place in either position, accidental release of a latch may cause the mask to move to an angled and vision obstructing position partially over the face.
In order to protect the player's throat and underchin, catchers' masks often have an elongated pad or guard hanging loosely from the lower edge of conventional catchers' facemasks. The guard, while important for maximum protection, often strikes the catcher's face or eyes when the mask is being quickly removed.
Thus, there is a continuing need for improved protective helmet and facemask assemblies, in particular for use by catchers participating in games such as baseball, which overcome the above noted problems. In particular, the assembly should be held firmly to the head when the catcher is behind the batter while allowing the facemask portion to be easily moved out of the way when necessary. The facemask should be securely held in place in either of the two positions; namely, over the player's face or on the top of the helmet. Finally, the assembly should avoid the problems of a throat guard sliding across the face during mask removal.

Non-discard protective facemask/helmet assembly