An implant includes an implantable body portion adapted to be at least partially recessed within a patient's alveolar bone, and which has a peripheral surface portion, which is configured to stimulate and/or facilitate the engagement of osteoblasts and other bone tissues with the implant. The implant body provides bone engaging regions along one or more of the distal and/or mesial implant surfaces, which are elongated relative to bone engaging regions on the lingual and/or buccal surfaces of the implant body. In particular, the implantable portion of the implant body includes a bone engaging surface which, when the implant body is fully seated within the patient's jaw bone, extends from a distal portion of the implant body to a remote proximal-most edge. The proximal-most edge has a contour selected to generally follow a predetermined crestal outline of the supporting bone tissue.

Conventional implant constructions are generally of a two-part design and include a body portion which is adapted to be recessed into the patient's jaw, and a prosthesis in the form of a ceramic tooth which is adapted for coupling to a proximal end of the body. The implantable body which is made from stainless steel, titanium or other suitable metals or alloys is configured to be recessed into a suitable bore hole formed in the patient's jaw bone at the site of a lost tooth. Typically, the body has a threaded interior or is otherwise configured to mechanically receive thereto an attachment post which serves as a support for the ceramic tooth.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,457 to Pilliar et al., entitled "Porous Surfaced Implant", discloses a frustoconical shaped implant which is characterized by a porous coated bone engaging lower portion and a smooth non-porous upper bone attachment region or collar. The implant is press-fitted into a complementary sized bore formed in the patient's jaw bone at the site of placement and over time, bone tissues grow into and engage the porous coating on the lower portion of the implant to firmly anchor it in the place of a natural tooth. The implant which is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,457 has achieved a significant degree of success in the market place, and is presently sold by Innova Corp. of Toronto, Canada, under the name Endopore®. Endopore® dental implants are used in the replacement of various teeth including, lost molars and bicuspid teeth in the anterior and posterior regions of the mouth.
Other conventional implant constructions are characterized by the implantable body being cylindrical in shape and provided with a roughened lower exterior surface, texture, external thread configuration and/or coating, to facilitate the engagement of the implant body with the patient's surrounding bone tissues and its anchoring in place.
A difficultly exists with conventional implants in that todate, they have achieved limited success in replacing incisors and teeth in the frontal-most regions of the mouth where high aesthetic demands exist. The abutment-implant interface, also termed "microgap", is believed to harbor bacteria and bacterial products following exposure to the oral environment. This in turn results in the establishment of a "biological width" around the implant (i.e. the distance from the peri-implant bone crest to the microgap). The biological width is relatively constant and seems to be approximately 2 mm, similar to the biological width present around natural teeth. It has been found that following implantation, crestal bone remodeling occurs, whereby supporting bone tissues and the overlying bone tissues tend to recede to the uppermost peripheral edge of the textured or porous coated bone engaging portion of the implant body. A further variable that can play a role in crestal bone remodeling is lack of mechanical coupling around any smooth upper collar surface. For example, it has been demonstrated that the crestal bone resorption around Endopore® implants stops at the junction of the smooth collar and the porous surface. It has been suggested that the lack of mechanical coupling around the smooth collar surface results in "disuse atrophy" of the crestal bone to the level of the junction with the porous surface. This has been demonstrated also with other textured implant surfaces.
The receding supporting tissues or crestal bone loss around dental implants has led to an aesthetic challenge when attempting dental restorations in that it may result in exposure of the metal implant body, greatly detracting from the natural appearance of the prosthesis. Conventional implants suffer the disadvantage in that the alveolar bone which encases the tooth root tends to gradually disappear along the portion of the implant where engagement of bone tissue with the implant body does not occur. This leads to a corresponding recession of the sulcus and overlying gum tissues which gradually results in the exposure of the silver/grey stainless or titanium steel body of the implant. In the more aesthetically important regions of the mouth, the exposure of the stainless steel portion of the implant body may be seen through the patient's gum tissue as a grey tinted band, greatly detracting from the natural look of the prosthesis.
This problem is particularly pronounced in the anterior regions of the mouth and when using two implants positioned adjacent to each other. Loss of inter-implant bone height (as a result of the normal crestal bone remodeling that is associated with each of the implants) results in the absence of a papilla between the two implants due to lack of bone support. This creates an aesthetic deformity, often termed "black triangle", between the two implant crowns. "Black triangles" are particularly visible when present in the maxillary anterior region and the patient has a high lip line. The patient's perception of a successful implant-supported prosthesis depends not only on restoring function, but also on restoring normal anatomy and aesthetics. The lack of a papilla and the presence of a "black triangle" can lead to patients' dissatisfaction with the whole implant treatment, even with patients having a low smile line. Heretofore, the dental profession has been forced to come up with techniques to deal with "black triangles". Most commonly, pink acrylic or porcelain is added to the final restoration to replace the missing papilla. This solution is far from ideal since it is impossible to replicate the gingival tissue with acrylic or porcelain in terms of texture and colour. Several attempts have also been made in establishing surgical procedures that will regenerate the missing papilla; however, these procedures are very unpredictable and seldom result in 100% regeneration.
Conventional implants are poorly suited to accommodate for the crestal bone remodeling which occurs with implants. With conventional implant designs, most often any bone engaging textured, porous or coated surface extends downwardly from an uppermost radial edge surface which is located a constant distance from the lower apex of the body. Conventional implant designs suffer the disadvantage that they fail to account for the fact that with natural incisor teeth, the surface contour of healthy supporting bone tissues tends to be higher along the distal and medial surfaces of the tooth than along the lingual and buccal regions. Heretofore, the bone engaging regions for conventional implants have either been limited by the lowermost extent of expected bone recovery, weakening the integrity of the dental implant attachment, or suffer the disadvantage that the lingual and buccal portions of the implantable portion of the implant body may be visible at the patient's gum line.

Implant for use in aesthetic regions of the mouth with colored contoured edge portion


Method for preparing a substrate for a heat generating device, such a heat generating substrate and an ink jet recording head having such substrate, includes the steps of irradiating a high density energy stream on the surface of a base material on which is provided a material capable of forming an insulating layer by heating, and forming a layer having insulating properties on the surface of said base material while melting the material by heating.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for preparing a substrate for a heat-generating device, which is suitable for providing a heat generating element required to repeat an intermittently heated state and non-heated state in extremely short cycles, such as an ink jet recording head or thermal head, and a method for preparing a heat-generating substrate having said heat-generating device and also a method for preparing an ink jet recording head.
2. Related Background Art
As the heat-generating device for various instruments such as ink jet recording heads or thermal heads, there have been widely used those having heat-generating resistance layers comprising various metals, alloys or inorganic compounds which generate heat by current passage and electrodes connected electrically to said heat-generating layers, all provided on a substrate.
As the substrate for arranging the heat-generating device thereon, there have been employed in the art those having insulating layers provided on a metallic base material, for the advantages of high heat dissipating characteristic, easy workability and low cost.
As such substrate, there have been known, for example, enamel substrates having enamel layers provided on metallic base materials, Alumite substrates having aluminum oxide coating provided on the surface according to an anodic oxidation method, organic film coating substrates having a film comprising an insulating organic compound coated on the metal surface, vapor deposition substrates having inorganic insulating material vapor deposited on the metal surface, or those with a constitution having two or more of these techniques combined.
Also, as a substrate using no metallic material, an Si substrate having a thermally oxidized product film thereon or an alumina substrate prepared by sintering alumina powder has been known.
Whereas, for the substrate for providing a heat-generating device required to repeat intermittently a heated state and a non-heated state in extremely short cycles, such as an jet recording head or thermal head, for example, various characteristics as shown below have been demanded.
a) To have a surface state such as surface roughness, etc. adequate for the formation of a heat generating device with good precision (for example, when the surface roughness approaches the thickness of the heat-generating device, desired resistance value cannot be obtained in some cases).
b) To have adequate heat-dissipating characteristics (for example, in the case of a substrate to be used for an ink jet recording head, if the substrate temperature becomes too high, bubbles are generated through lowering the solubility of dissolved gas in the ink within the head, which will hamper discharging ability in a thermal head, if heat-dissipating characteristics are bad, the so-called tailing phenomenon may occur).
c) To have heat-resistance to the extent sufficient to withstand the peak temperature of the heat-generating device.
d) To have insulating properties sufficient to withstand the driving voltage of the heat-generating device.
e) To be capable of easily forming a large device, when used for an instrument which is required to be made on a large scale.
f) When liquid such as ink, etc. or various materials to be in contact with the substrate or there is such possibility, to have resistance, for example, acid resistance or alkali resistance, to these.
Further, these characteristics are desirably obtained with low cost and high reliability.
However, no substrate satisfying sufficiently all of the above requisite characteristics has been found in the prior art.
For example, an enamel substrate can have formed thereon an enamel layer (which is an insulating layer) by coating a glassy material on the substrate surface by dipping, and therefore it is difficult to make the insulating layer thinner than a certain thickness, whereby good heat dissipating characteristics cannot be obtained.
On the other hand, in the case of an Alumite substrate, when aluminum oxide which becomes an insulating layer is coated by an anodic oxidation method, the aluminum oxide formed undergoes columnar crystal growth in the vertical direction relative to the substrate, whereby many voids may be sometimes formed so as to exhibit adequate heat dissipating characteristics. There was also a problem that the surface roughness after such anodic oxidation was too great. In order to obviate these problems, there may be used methods of applying sealing treatments and surface polishing, but these can cause new problems in that the number manufacturing steps becomes too large.
In Organic substrates, there was the problem that heat resistance was inferior.
Further, with vapor deposited substrates, defects such as pinholes in the vapor deposited layer are liable to be generated, and also good adhesiveness of the insulating layer to the substrate may not be obtained, whereby peel-off of the insulating layer may sometimes occur after prolonged usage. Thus, reliability was lacking, and also the preparation device was expensive, since a long time for preparation was required, whereby the results were not necessarily satisfactory in the aspect of cost.
Also, in substrates using metals as the base material, for formation of a good insulating layer on the base material, the surface must be subjected to mirror surface working by polishing, lapping, polish finishing, etc., and for this reason, the number of manufacturing steps is basically large, which was an obstacle against reduction in cost.
An alumina substrate can be prepared by sintering Al powder, with its surface being porous in nature, so that further lowering of surface roughness by surface polishing is limited, whereby it is required for obtaining preferable characteristic to apply further treatment such as a coating of a glaze layer. However, application of such treatment not only resulted in an increased number of steps, but there ensued sometimes the problem that heat dissipation was lowered.
On the other hand, an Si substrate having a thermally oxidized film, can satisfy the characteristics a)-d) and f) as described above, and therefore is more desirable in the aspect of performance from among the substrates of the prior art as described above. However, a problem remained in preparation of a substrate with a large area, and also working steps such as surface polishing, etc, are further required, and therefore there still remained room for further improvement also in the aspect of production cost.

Method for preparation of a substrate for a heat-generating device, method for preparation of a heat-generating substrate, and method for preparation of an ink jet recording head


Portable docks are provided for use with a camera having a camera memory and a camera power supply. A dock has a dock memory, a dock power supply with sufficient power so that the camera power supply can be charged with at least sufficient power to enable the camera to perform completely at least one additional camera function, and an electrical connector adapted to engage a mating camera connector for data communication and power exchange therethrough. A control system enables the transfer of image related data between the camera memory and the dock memory. The dock memory, power supply, electrical connector, and control system are held by a body adapted to receive the camera so that the camera connector can engage the electrical connector.

There are digital camera docking systems currently available, such as the Kodak EasyShare™ model LS443, that provide a 'safe harbor' for the camera, and connect to a computer. This connection is an interface that firstly passes an electrical source to the dock for recharging the batteries in the camera, and secondly, passes the image memory content from the camera to the computer, either automatically, or as selected by the user. It is noted here that video sequences and sound may also be captured, digitized, and stored by a digital camera.
In a normal sequence for a digital imaging system then, the camera is removed from the dock and taken to another location(s) where images are captured by the camera's sensor, digitized, and stored, usually on a removable solid state storage medium of various formats, hereafter referred to generically as 'memory cards'. The camera is then returned to the dock to recharge the camera batteries, and to transfer the stored images to the computer's Hard Drive or other mass storage device, such as a server on a network, either internal, or external such as the Internet. The image transfer is done to clear the memory card, so that it can be used again to temporarily store further captured images.
Digital cameras are used for various purposes: for personal remembrance, such as vacations, family milestones, and trips to entertainment venues; and official/business, such as for insurance claims and other documentation purposes. In many situations, users desire a greater number of images to be captured on a picture-taking outing, e.g. away from the computer, than allowed by the constraint of the memory card capacity as typically measured by the number of bits of digital information that it can hold. This is an economic issue for many users due to relatively unfavorable pricing/capacity ratios for memory cards. This capacity limitation is compounded when the user wishes to save images in a high or the highest resolution available with the camera. For example, doubling the resolution of an image results in four times the image data. Furthermore, when the user wishes to avoid compression artifacts, lossless compression methods must be used that greatly increase the required memory allocation for resultant image file storage, when compared to the same files after lossy compression, such as the jpeg standard. When users encounter these situations while away from the computer, their only recourse is to purchase additional and/or larger capacity memory cards.
Alternatively, portable digital storage devices such as the X's-Drive Pro sold by Vosonic, Chu-Pei City, Hsi-Chu, Taiwan; the Digital Album 2 sold by Nixvue, Snohomish, Wash., USA; the Gmini 220 or Pocket Video Recorder 4V480 sold by Archos, Inc., Irvine, Calif., USA; the eFilm PicturePAD sold by Delkin Devices, Poway, Calif., USA; or the Phototainer sold by Innoplus Ltd., Dae Jeon City, Korea, provide portable digital memory storage devices that can be plugged into a digital camera and can download images from the camera for storage in a multi-gigabyte hard disk. Other similar devices such as the Disc Steno CP 200 sold by Apacer Technology Inc., Taipei, Taiwan; the Dynamo640 Photo sold by Fujitsu, Sunnyvale, Calif., USA; or the DM220 8XCD Burner sold under the Digimagic brand by Cordmedia (Europe) Ltd., East Sussex, United Kingdom enable a user to download images for storage on optical media. However, such devices are highly expensive, and only provide a download and store function.
It is also well known that current digital camera battery capacities are such that the available operational time of a digital camera between recharging sessions is often inadequate, e.g. while away from the computer and the dock, many users would like to take more pictures than a single charge allows. When users encounter this situation, their only recourse is to have purchased additional batteries as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,308 entitled "Electric Supply Equipment for a Camera" filed by Nishiani on Oct. 18, 1996, to connect the camera to a portable charger as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,626 entitled "Auxiliary Battery Holder With Multicharger Functionality" filed by Snyder et al. on Aug. 1, 1997 or to connect the camera to a separate plug-in charger. The latter might not even be an option, as with some camera/dock systems, the camera can only be recharged by the dock. There is further always a common desire to minimize jumbling and snagging of interconnecting wires, for example of a charger, to reduce both the possibility of damage, and the obviously wasted time spent untangling them.
Owners often desire to have a protective case for their digital cameras, and can often purchase one specifically designed for their camera, or at least a case, less desirably, of a general design usable with a variety of cameras. Currently available products have the sole purpose and capability, of protecting the camera.
These additional items: memory cards and/or digital storage devices, batteries, charger, and protective case, satisfy the immediate needs of the user/owner of a digital camera during picture taking outings away from their computer and dock. However, this necessitates carrying and handling these items. Additionally, these independent solutions are collectively expensive, being separately produced and marketed, therefore lacking the known economies of integration.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a portable solution that enables a digital camera to operate away from a conventional computer and charging system yet conveniently provides similar functionality. This combination product would further reduce the effort and time spent locating and determining each item's usability and inter-operability with their camera.


A new cultivar of Guzmania named `Twist` characterized by a plant form that is funnel-form rosette; plant height of approximately 40 cm; linear-lanceolate leaves measuring 25-40 cm in length and 3-4 cm in width; leaf color upperside of R.H.S. 146A and underside of R.H.S. 146A; and primary bract color of R.H.S. 64A suffused with R.H.S. 156D, color of R.H.S. 156D.

Guzmania are predominantly epiphytic with a few terrestrial species and are native to the tropics. For the most part species vary in diameter from 7 or 8 inches to 3 or 4 feed and have rosettes of glossy, smooth edged leaves.
Floral bracts of Guzmania frequently have brilliant colors and may last for many months. The range of colors for Guzmania is generally from yellow through orange but may also include flame red and red-purple. White or yellow, tubular, three petalled flowers may also appear on a stem or within the leaf rosette but are usually short lived.
Guzmania may be advantageously grown as pot plants for greenhouse or home use. Desirably the plants are shaded from direct sunlight and during the spring to autumn period the central vase-like part of the leaf rosette is desirably filled with water.
Guzmania is native to tropical America. Leaves of Guzmania are usually formed as basel rosettes which are stiff and entire and in several vertical ranks. Guzmania have terminal spikes or panicles which are often bracted with petals united in a tube about as long as the calyx. The ovary is superior and the seeds plumose.
Asexual propagation of Guzmania is frequently done through the use of tissue culture practices. Propagation can also be from off-shoots produced by the plant which may then be rooted. The resulting plantlets are detached from the mother plant and may be potted up in a suitable growing mixture.
Methods for cultivation and crossing of Guzmania are well known. For a detailed discussion, reference is made to the following publications, which are incorporated herein by reference. Benzing, David H., The Biology of the Bromeliads, Mad River Press, Inc., Eureka (1980); Zimmer, Karl, Bromelien, Verlag Paul Parey, Berlin (1986); and Rauh, Werner, Bromelien, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (1981).
The new cultivar `Twist` is a product of a planned breeding program and was originated by the inventors from a cross made during such a program in Assendelft, The Netherlands, in 1987. The male or pollen parent was a proprietary selection of Guzmania wittmackii minor identified by Code No. 8719802. The female or seed parent was a proprietary selection of Guzmania lingulata minor identified by Code No. 8719801.
The selection comprising the new variety was chosen from among progeny of the above cross following commencment of flowering in 1989 in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The selection was first asexually propagated through off-shoots by, or under the supervision of, the inventors in Assendelft, with subsequent asexual reproduction through tissue culture. Continuous asexual propagation has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar `Twist`, as observed in Assendelft, the Netherlands, are firmly fixed and are retained through successeive generations of asexual reproduction.
`Twist` has not been tested under all available environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, light intensity, frequency of fertilization, composition of fertilizer, acetylene treatment, day length and humidity without, however, any change in the genotype of the new cultivar.
The closest comparison cultivars are `Limbo` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,514 and `Salsa` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,369. In comparison to `Limbo` and `Salsa`, the cultivar `Twist` has a greater lilac part of the inflorescence and a brighter cream-white part. Overall, `Twist` has a more compact growth habit and produces a lilac-white inflorescence.


A fastener for a housing assembly. The fastener is comprised of a key having a hooked end portion formed to project beneath a front housing assembly portion, and a track member formed in a side wall of a rear housing assembly portion. Top and bottom face surfaces of the hooked projecting portion of the key, and top and bottom ledge surfaces of the track member are semi-circular in configuration. Interfitting surfaces of the front and rear housing assembly portions are also semi-circular in configuration. When the front and rear housing assembly portions are tandemly-positioned, and aligned with one another, the hooked end portion of the key and the track member engage with one another. Radial translation of the front housing assembly portion repositions the key projecting therebeneath at a fastening side of the track number to fasten thereby the front and rear housing assembly portions theretogether.

The present invention relates generally to fasteners for fastening two surfaces theretogether, and, more particularly, to a fastener for fastening a housing assembly theretogether.
Many electronic devices are comprised of electronic circuitry disposed upon one or more electrical circuit boards which are housed within a housing assembly. The housing assembly provides a supportive enclosure for supporting the electrical circuit boards therewithin and facilitates handling, and usage of the electronic device by a user.
Typically, the housing assembly is comprised of two portions. A first portion of the housing assembly is commonly referred to as a front (or top) housing assembly portion. And, a second portion of the housing assembly is commonly referred to as a rear (or bottom) housing assembly portion. The one or more circuit boards upon which the electronic circuitry of the electronic device is disposed is suitably positioned, or otherwise affixed, to one of the housing assembly portions. Thereafter, the other of the housing assembly portions is positioned in tandem with the first of the housing assembly portions so as to enclose the one or more circuit boards within the housing assembly in supportive enclosure therein.
Once the two housing assembly portions have been tandemly-positioned to enclose the one or more circuit boards in supportive enclosure therewithin, the housing assembly portions are typically fastened theretogether to maintain the housing assembly portions in tandem to maintain the one or more electrical circuit boards in the supportive enclosure.
Most simply, the housing assembly portions may be fastened theretogether by threaded shaft members engaging with the opposing housing assembly portions. Fasteners may also be integrally formed within the housing assembly portions such that, once the housing assembly portions are properly aligned to be tandemly-positioned, the housing assembly portions become fastened to one another by their mere proximity to one another.
Usually, when the fastener is integrally formed within the housing assembly portions, the fastener is formed of mated portions formed upon each of the housing assembly portions. Once the housing assembly portions are suitably aligned with one another to be tandemly-positioned thereby, mated engagement between the portions of the fastener result in the fastening of the housing assembly portions theretogether.
Use of such fasteners which are integrally formed with the housing assembly portions is particularly advantageous when the housing assembly portions are formed of a thermoplastic material as the fastener may be formed along with the housing assembly portions during molding of the housing assembly portions.
In some existing designs of fasteners comprised of the thermoplastic material and formed integral with the housing assembly portions, the fastener is constructed such that one portion thereof is flexible. When the housing assembly portions are positioned theretogether, the flexible, fastener portion of the fastener bends, or elastically deforms. Such fasteners are constructed such that the bending or elastic deformation of the fastener portion permits positioning of the fastener portions at a fastening position, thereby to fasten the housing assembly portions theretogether.
A flexing-member, snap-hook fastener is an example of such a fastener. In such a fastener, a rigid hook member is formed to protrude beyond a surface of one of the housing assembly portions. A flexible hook-retaining ring is formed upon the other of the other of the housing assembly portions. When the housing assembly portions are aligned with one another, the hook member protruding beyond a surface of one of the housing assembly portions engages with the flexible, hook-retaining ring.
Over time, the ability of such a flexing-member, snap-hook fastener to fasten adequately the housing assembly portions theretogether may be reduced due to loss of structural integrity of the flexible, hook-retaining ring of such a fastener. Loss of structural integrity of the flexible, hook-retaining ring may also occur after repeated use of such a fastener to fasten, and then to release, repeatedly, the housing assembly portions from their fastening engagement. Additionally, constructions of such a fastener requires specially-designed tools to release the fastener portions of the fastener from their fastening engagement to permit thereafter removal of the housing assembly portions from their tandem positions.
A radio transceiver, such as a radio telephone utilized in a cellular, communication system, is an example of an electronic device which typically is formed of one or more circuit boards supportively enclosed within a housing assembly. Radio telephone constructions operative in such a cellular, communication system are of many varied designs. One such design of a radio telephone is a mobile radio telephone which is constructed to permit mounting of the telephone within a vehicle. Another design of a radio telephone is a portable radio telephone.
Mobile radio telephones, constructed to be mounted permanently, or semi-permanently, in a vehicle need not be constructed to minimize the physical dimensions and weight thereof. Conversely, portable radio telephones, constructed to be carried by a user, are constructed to be of minimal physical dimensions and weight. In either type of radio telephone design, however, the radio telephone includes electronic circuitry disposed upon electrical circuit boards which are housed within a housing assembly, in manners described hereinabove.
Mobile radio telephones and portable radio telephones each include a handset having a speaker and a microphone supported therein. The handset typically further includes electrical circuitry disposed upon one or more circuit boards which, together with the speaker and the microphone, are housed within a housing assembly, similar to a housing assembly, as above-described.
In a portable radio telephone, the entire circuitry of the radio telephone is housed within the housing assembly of the handset. In a mobile radio telephone, typically, a portion of the circuitry of the radio telephone is housed within the housing assembly of the handset, and the handset is coupled to additional transceiver circuitry by way of a cable.
As the circuitry housed within the housing assembly of the radio telephone of either type of construction includes circuitry which generates high frequency signals as a byproduct of normal operation thereof (such signals are in addition to, and distinct from, the desired radio frequency signal transmitted upon a desired radio frequency channel by the radio telephone), the housing assembly must further function as a shield to prevent emanation of such high frequency signals. Accordingly, the housing assembly portions of the housing assembly, when fastened theretogether by one or more fasteners, must seat against one another in a manner to prevent emanation of the high frequency signals thereaway. Fastening of the housing assembly portions theretogether by the fasteners in such a manner is also advantageous for acoustic and aesthetic reasons.
Commercial assembly of such handsets is typically carried out in an assembly line-like manner. Fasteners utilized to fasten the front and rear housing assembly portions of the handset housing assemblies of such handsets of either design of radio telephone must permit quick assembly and fastening of the housing assembly portions theretogether by assembly line personnel.
Such design of fastener should permit the fastening theretogether of the housing assembly portions while not requiring manufacture of the handset housing portions to be within stringent manufacturing tolerances. Such design of fastener should also not be susceptible to loss of structural integrity.
What is needed, therefore, is a fastener for fastening portions of a housing assembly theretogether which does not require great precision of the fastener components and which is not susceptible to loss of structural integrity.

Telephone handset assembly having rigid fastener for connecting handset assembly portion-portions theretogether


This invention relates to clinically useful therapeutic regimens comprising the administration of (R)-6-(2-(ethyl(4-(2-(ethylamino)ethyl)benzyl)amino)-4-methoxyphenyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-ol.

The compound of formula I ((R)-6-(2-(ethyl(4-(2-(ethylamino)ethyl)-benzyl)amino)-4-methoxyphenyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-ol) and it salts are described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,612,114 B2, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Use of the compound formula I for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms is described in WO2008/002490 also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. While the effectiveness of compound 1 and its salts in the treatment of vasomotor symptoms has been described, improved dosing regimens would benefit those suffering from vasomotor symptoms.


There are provided a wafer stage, an exposure apparatus having the same, and a wafer flatness correction method using the same. The wafer stage includes a chuck having first and second vacuum holes, a first vacuum pump applying a vacuum suction force to the first vacuum holes and a second vacuum pump applying a vacuum suction force to the second vacuum holes. Further, the exposure apparatus and the wafer flatness correction method using the same are disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly, to a wafer stage capable of correcting the flatness of a wafer placed on a chuck using a vacuum suction force and a method employing same.
This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0016465, filed Feb. 20, 2006, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if set forth fully herein.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, semiconductor devices are manufactured by repeatedly performing processes such as etching, diffusion, deposition, and photolithography in a selective or sequential manner. The photolithography process mainly includes an application process for applying a photoresist onto a wafer, an exposure process for disposing a reticle in which a circuit pattern is designed on the wafer on which the photoresist is applied and for radiating light onto the wafer. A development process selectively removes the photoresist using a developer by dividing a portion exposed to the light radiated during the exposure process and an unexposed portion.
Here, the apparatus for performing the photolithography process is mainly classified into an application and development apparatus generally called a spinner, and an exposure apparatus generally called a scanner or stepper. The application and development apparatus and the exposure apparatus are in-line linked to perform the photolithography process on the wafer. The exposure apparatus includes a wafer stage on which a wafer is placed. Here, the wafer stage includes a chuck on which the wafer is placed directly by a vacuum suction force applied through a central portion of the chuck. A plurality of protrusions supporting the bottom surface of the wafer is provided on the top surface of the chuck.
Typically, a wafer is placed on the upper side of the chuck while the central portion of the wafer is supported by a lift pin. The bottom surface of the wafer is supported by the protrusions of the chuck while a predetermined vacuum suction force is applied to the bottom surface of the wafer through holes in the central portion of the chuck. The vacuum suction force is applied between the protrusions on the upper side of the chuck. Because the vacuum suction is applied to the central portion of the wafer, this suction force decreases toward the edge of the wafer which allows the edge of the wafer to deflect upward. The inclination of the edge of the wafer increases the step rate at the edge of the wafer. Thus, the focus length becomes short causing a focusing defect and a normal circuit pattern cannot be transferred onto the edge of the wafer increases product defect rates. In addition, the wafer is more stepped toward the edge after the polishing process. When the exposure is performed onto the top surface of the wafer's edge stepped in this manner, a focusing defect may be caused as described above.

Semiconductor wafer flatness correction apparatus and method


A turbjet engine includes various elements for adjustment of play of the stator by having the stator heated or cooled by a gas. The outer housing to which the ferrule bearing the fixed vane stages is secured may be formed of two skins between which the gas is injected. The ferrule may be composed of sectors extending over one circumference fraction and fixed via their center and simply guided at their extremity; finally, it is possible to provide sealing devices between the outer housing and the support bearing surfaces of the ribs of the ferrule elements. The volume between the ferrule and the housing is then sectioned and is able to receive separate gas feedings for play adjustment.

The considerable heat to which a turbojet engine of an airplane engine is subjected provokes thermic dilations and it is a considerable advantage to be able to adjust said dilations so as to in particular avoid any gas leaks and the resultant losses of efficiency. In particular, it is extremely important that the radial play, namely between the external extremities of the mobile vanes of the rotor and the internal ferrule of the stator bearing the fixed vanes for correcting the flow between the mobile vanes, is as small as possible. Two main means exist so as to obtain a satisfactory construction: producing the ferrules with a soft coating at the location in front of which the mobile vanes move so that any possible rubbing of the extremity of the mobile vanes, which would be produced by means of a higher dilation of said vanes, would result in wear of the coating and provoke a shaping of the stator at this location, or producing the stator in such a way that it is possible to have the gas circulate there and be taken from another location of the engine, for example, said gas being taken at a particular temperature and with a flow rate able to produce heating or cooling which governs the dilations of the ferrule and thus its play with the mobile vanes.
There is available a wide number of dispositions able to attain this objective with relative success. In one of the most related conceptions of the invention illustrated by the French patent No 1 003 299, the stator is provided, apart from one outer housing in the shape of a circular ring, with ferrule elements bearing fixed vanes and having the shape of a sector of a circle and merely covering one circumference fraction of the stator. The ferrule elements are juxtaposed in such a way that they are divided into groups, each group extending over the entire circumference of the stator, except for plays which extend between their extremities and which thus separate them. The ferrule elements are rigidly secured to the housing at a central location of the sector. This disposition has the advantage that the dilations of the ferrule elements may be easily adjusted without obtaining internal stresses by virtue of the discontinuity of the elements, but it means that the extremities are no longer supported and guided, which is likely to provoke damaging vibrations and prevents an accurate adjustment of the position of the ferrule elements.

Turbo aero engine equipped with means facilitating adjustment of plays of the stator and between the stator and rotor

Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation S.N.E.C.M.A.


Use as microbicides of thioacryloyl compounds of the formula ##STR1## Compounds and compositions are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of antimicrobial agents.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Certain classes of thioacrylates and thioacrylamides have been prepared as antimicrobials but no compound within those classes has achieved commercial success.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,115,103; 4,123,254; 4,169,850; and 4,198,304 to Kao Soap Co., disclose alkyl substituted beta-thioacrylamides and beta-thioacrylic acids (and salts thereof) and the corresponding alkyl sulfone and alkyl sulfoxide derivatives as germicidal herbicides, antibiotics, and as antimicrobial agents in non-food or medicinal compositions.
German patent DE 2536252 to Bayer AG discloses beta-thiocyanovinyl aryl ketones as antimicrobial agents. Thioalkyl-and thiocyano-alkyl- alpha-substituted acrylic acids (and esters thereof) are disclosed as plant growth regulators in Japanese Kokai J 50-03622 to Mitsubishi Chemical. German unexamined patent application 2821639 to Hoechst AG discloses S-substitutedalkyl-beta-thioacryloyl compounds as fungicides and bactericides.
Methyl 3-thiocyanoacrylate and dimethyl alpha-thiocyanofumarate are known compounds (Tetrahedron, 41(4), 801 (1985)), but have not been disclosed as antimicrobial compounds. Cis-3-thiocyanoacrylic acid is a known compound (Justus Liebigs Annalen der Chemie, 8, 1249 (1977)) but has not been disclosed as an antimicrobial compound. Beta-carbomethoxyvinylisothiurium chloride is a known compound. (J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 101(21), 6306 (1979)) but has not been disclosed as an antimicrobial compound. Methyl 3-thio(propan-2-on-1-yl)acrylate is a known compound (Berichte, 97(8), 2109-17 (1964)) but has not been disclosed as an antimicrobial compound. N,N-Dimethyl-3-thiocyanoacrylamide is a known compound (J. Org. Chem., 30, 2660-2665 (1965)) but has not been disclosed as an antimicrobial compound.

Use of substituted 3-thioacryloyl compounds as antimicrobial agents


A bird feeder port, especially suited for dispensing fine sized birdseed and configured for insertion through an exterior wall of a bird feeder; the port comprising a feed distributor with an open front portion accessible to a bird and in addition having at least an upper portion and a lower portion; said lower portion having an aperture in the lowermost floor portion through which bird seed is in use presented and can be eaten by a feeding bird. The aperture preferably comprises a slot and has a width of between 5 and 13 mm.

The present invention relates to bird feeding equipment and in particular to a bird feeder port; either alone or as part of a bird feeder.
Bird feeders which store seed in a cylindrical vessel typically dispense seed through apertures in the wall. If a simple aperture is used it is typically circular in shape, having a diameter somewhat larger than the maximum seed dimension. Such feeders are typically used for dispensing fine seed; such as Nyjer seed to small birds. However, such feeders suffer the disadvantage that a significant proportion of the seed is wasted due to feed intermittently escaping through the aperture and falling to the ground where other animals can eat it. A general solution to this problem is to use a seed port; this helps retain seed within the bird feeder body. Ports typically comprise a member with an aperture and roof, but no floor, and are configured so that they may be inserted in alignment with a corresponding aperture in the wall of a bird feeder. However, such ports are generally ineffective in retaining fine sized bird seed, such as Nyjer seed.


A shielded cannula for use with an I.V site having a threaded exterior surface and a septum comprises a cannula assembly including a hub having an open proximal end, a distal end, and a cavity therein, and a cannula having a proximal end projecting from the distal end of the hub, a distal end and a lumen therethrough in fluid communication with the cavity. A shield is connected to the cannula assembly and surrounds at least the proximal end of the cannula. The shield has a cylindrically shaped inside surface with at least one helical thread formed in the inside surface. A pointed plastic projection extends outwardly from the thread. The projection includes a base portion and a tip portion wherein the tip portion is positioned to be far enough away from the thread so that the tip portion is deflected by a thread on the exterior surface of the I.V. site when the thread of the shield engages the thread on the I.V. site.

Medication or other injectable liquid in a syringe or other fluid handling device is frequently administered to a patient through an injection site of an intravenous set or catheter which is in fluid communication with a patient's vascular system. Injection sites or ports are covered by pierceable septums or pre-slit septums and are known in the art and sometimes referred to as "PRN" from the Latin pro re nata meaning "as the need arises." Pierceable septums are usually accessed by use of a sharpened cannula, such as a hypodermic needle which is used to pierce the septum and establish fluid communication with the catheter or I.V. set. There is a trend toward needleless I.V. systems which do not require a pointed cannula to pierce the injection site of an I.V. set. These systems have injection sites covered by a pre-slit septum which can be accessed with a blunt cannula. In some instances medication or other injectable liquid is administered to the I.V. set or catheter in a very short period of time such as one minute. In other instances, it is desirable to maintain the connection between the syringe or other fluid handling device for longer periods of time such as between two and seventy-two hours. Cannula, blunt or sharp, intended for longer term connection with the I.V. set or catheter are sometimes provided with some sort of retention structure to prevent the inadvertent disconnection of the cannula and the I.V. site. In the art, there are cannulas with levers which snap over portions of the I.V. site when the cannula enters the I.V. site. Removal requires the intentional flexure of the levers to unlock the fluid handling device from the I.V. site. Other prior art devices include shielded cannula with structure in the shield and cooperating structure in the cannula shield and on the I.V. site to provide for retention of the cannula in the septum of the I.V. site. Such structures included bayonet slots in the shield which engage pins on the I.V. site. With this structure, the operator is required to twist the shielded cannula after insertion of the cannula in the septum. Shielded cannula having internal threads in the shield are popular and intuitive to use. They can also shield the I.V. site during connection therewith to protect it from inadvertent contamination.
Threaded elements on the exterior of an I.V. site and on the interior of a cannula shield are tolerance sensitive. For example, shields, which have threads with peaks describing a diameter which is smaller than the root diameter of the thread on the I.V. site, may be impossible or difficult to engage and disengage. On the other hand, threads that are loose will engage easily and smoothly but may, in certain circumstances, tend to come loose. Such an occurrence will disconnect the medication or injectable liquid from the patient frustrating the patient's plan of therapy. Accordingly, although a threaded shielded cannula is a preferred device for connecting cannula to I.V. sites, there is still a need for a threaded shielded cannula which is less sensitive to manufacturing tolerances and provides high resistance to removal during the use of the product, and more preferably a higher resistance to removal than the resistance to insertion.

Shielded cannula for use with an I.V. site


A transport device for transporting a transportable product, especially a bulk-type product, includes an essentially cylindrical chamber containing at least one shaft which extends along the cylindrical chamber and comprises a plurality of first transport elements for transporting products in a product transport direction. The transport elements extending radially outwards from the shaft and are respectively connected to the shaft at connection points on the surface thereof. The individual connection points are located along a helical line on the surface of the shaft and the plurality of first transport elements form a first path which corresponds to the helical line and comprises a first discontinuous section extending in a helical manner around the surface of the shaft. Other elements are arranged at least in partial regions of the first path, such elements protruding into the first path.

The invention relates to a conveying device for transporting a conveyable product, particularly a flowable product, with an essentially cylindrical chamber, in which at least one shaft is disposed, which extends along the axis of the cylinder, each shaft having a plurality of first conveying elements for transporting the product in a product-conveying direction, which extend radially from the shaft and are connected with the shaft in each case at a connecting site on the surface of the shaft, the individual connecting sites being disposed along a helical line at the surface of the shaft and the plurality of first conveying elements forming a first flight, corresponding to the helical line, with a first so-called discontinuous web, which extends helically about the surface of the shaft. This discontinuous web or "quasi web" consists of conveying elements, which are disposed along a helical line at the shaft.
Such conveying devices are used, for example, for preparing starting materials for the production of foods or feeds. The products to be transported are, for example, starting materials, which usually are grainy or flaky products, optionally moistened with water and partly soaked, which are then processed in further steps into food or feed products. These further steps take place, for example, in an extruder, a flake-forming rolling mill or in a pellet press.
During the conveying of such or similar flowable products by the conveying device named above, compacting of the product into plug-like accumulations, which emerge intermittently at the outlet of the conveying device and, with that, lead to a non-uniform ejection of the product at the outlet of the conveying device named above, takes place increasingly during the transport of the product by means of the conveying elements. This non-uniformity of the product flow then continues in the further steps of the process of product preparation and product processing and leads, on the one hand, to non-uniform processing of the product and, on the other, to non-uniform loading or even overloading of the machines in the further processing steps. In any case, an optimum, continuous process cannot be conducted in this way.


A control circuit 6 of a resonance type switching power source comprises a drive circuit 21 for supplying drive pulses to each gate terminal of first and second MOS-FETs 2,3; a PWM circuit 9 for causing drive circuit 21 to produce drive pulses; an input voltage detector 7 for detecting input voltage from DC power source 1 and comparing the input voltage and input reference voltage Vref1; and a frequency adjuster 8 for adjusting oscillation frequency of PWM circuit 9 in response to output level from the input voltage detector 7. With adjustment in oscillation frequency of PWM circuit 9 in response to input voltage Vin from DC power source 1, control circuit 6 can modify on-off timing of first and second MOS-FETs 2, 3 to keep good resonating action and prevent off-resonance although DC power source 1 produces fluctuating input voltages.

FIG. 11 shows an electric circuit diagram of a prior art resonance type switching power source. This power source comprises a DC power source 1 such as a battery or rectifier circuit of capacitor-input type; a transformer 4 having primary and secondary windings 22, 23; first and second switching elements 2, 3 such as MOS-FETs connected in series to both electrodes of DC power source 1; a series circuit of primary winding 22 of transformer 4 and a current resonance capacitor 15 connected in parallel to first switching element 2 and in series to second switching element 3; a rectifying and smoothing circuit 5 which comprises a rectifying diode 16 and a smoothing capacitor 17 connected to secondary winding 23 of transformer 4; an electric load 10 connected in parallel to smoothing capacitor 17; and a control circuit 20 for producing drive pulses to first and second switching elements 2, 3. The power source also includes first and second parasitic diodes 12, 13 connected in parallel respectively to first and second switching elements 2, 3; and a capacitor 14 connected in parallel to first switching element 2. Control circuit 20 produces outputs to alternately turn on and off first and second switching elements 2, 3 so that electric current flows through primary winding 22 to electrically resonate current resonance capacitor 15 and primary winding 22 when second switching element 3 is turned on while DC power is supplied from secondary winding 23 of transformer 4 through rectifying and smoothing circuit 5 to load 10. When first switching element 2 is tuned off, a closed circuit is formed which involves first switching element 2, primary winding 22 and current resonance capacitor 15. Transformer 4 is a leakage transformer with leakage inductance to form a resonance reactor (not shown) connected in series to primary winding 22.
The power source shown in FIG. 11 also comprises an output voltage detector 11 connected to rectifying and smoothing circuit 5 for detecting output voltages from secondary winding 23, comparing the output voltage with an output reference voltage (not shown), and controlling pulse width of drive pulse signals from control circuit 6 in response to the compared result. Control circuit 20 comprises a drive circuit 21 for supplying drive pulses to each control terminal of first and second switching elements 2, 3; and a PWM circuit 9 for causing drive circuit 21 to produce the drive pulses. Output voltage detector 11 detects the output voltage Vo to load 10 to provide PWM circuit 9 with detection signals so that PWM circuit 9 varies time width of the pulses to drive circuit 21 which thereby alternately turns on and off first and second switching elements 2 and 3 by supplying each control or gate terminal of first and second switching elements 2 and 3 with first and second drive pulse signals in response to the output voltage Vo. As shown in FIG. 11, output voltage detector 11 transports the detection signals to an input terminal of PWM circuit 9 through a photo-coupler of photo-diode 18 and photo-transistor 19.
In operation, control circuit 20 provides each gate terminal of first and second switching elements 2, 3 with first and second drive pulse signals of opposite phase to alternately turn them on and off so that resonance current of substantially sinusoidal waveform flows through primary winding 22 of transformer 4 under resonance action of leakage inductance in transformer 4 and current resonance capacitor 15. Electric current through primary winding 22 produces across secondary winding 23 an inductive voltage which is supplied to load 10 as DC output voltage Vo through rectifying and smoothing circuit 5 of rectifying diode 16 and smoothing capacitor 17. When DC output voltage Vo is higher, a large amount of electric current flows through photo-diode 18, and therefore, photo-transistor 19 receives a larger amount of light from photo-diode 18 so that PWM circuit 9 serves to produce drive pulses of shorter time width to first and second switching elements 2, 3 with the higher DC output voltage Vo. Adversely, when DC output voltage Vo is lower, a small amount of electric current flows through photo-diode 18 so that photo-transistor 19 receives a smaller amount of light from photo-diode 18. Accordingly, PWM circuit 9 serves to produce drive pulses of wider time width to first and second switching elements 2, 3. In this way, PWM circuit 9 adjusts the time width or "on width" of drive pulses to first and second switching elements 2, 3 in response to voltage level of DC output to thereby stabilize DC output voltage Vo to load 10.
In the power source shown in FIG. 11, current on switching rises with the substantially sinusoidal wave form as zero-current switching when first or second switching element 1 or 2 is turned on. Also, voltage on switching rises with the gentle wave form as zero-voltage switching when first or second switching element 1 or 2 is turned off. Zero-current and zero-voltage switching results in reduction of switching loss upon on or off operation of first and second switching element 2, 3. Prior art resonance type switching power sources of similar type are for example shown by Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 11-332232 published Nov. 30, 1999 and Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 2002-171755 published Jun. 14, 2002.
As mentioned-above, prior art resonance type switching power sources utilize series resonance action by reactance component and resonance capacitance of transformer to accomplish zero-current switching, reduction of noise and high efficiency for the power sources. Such control technique is preferably applicable with less change in input voltage, for example, with a narrow range of input voltage such as only 100 volts or only 200 volts or otherwise under PWM control with locked oscillation frequency. However, if input voltage varies in a wide range from 100 to 200 volts, time ratio or duty ratio λ for PWM control steeply changes without change in resonance frequency, but disadvantageously coincidentally producing off-resonance in transformer or interruption of current flow through secondary winding in transformer which results in drop of output voltage or considerable increase of noise.
An object of the present invention is to provide a resonance type switching power source capable of producing a stable output voltage under wider variation of input voltage applied to the power source.


Sorter/organizer for file folders or other objects, includes at least three planar walls arranged parallel to one another and including a front wall, a rear wall and at least one dividing wall arranged between the front and rear walls. Side walls are connected to the three walls with each having a lower edge coplanar with a lower edge of the front wall and arranged to enable a bottom of the compartments to be positioned at varied heights. A first stepped bottom wall is connected to the three walls and to at least one side wall such that at least two compartments receivable of objects and staggered in relation to one another are formed. At least one side wall has upper edge portions connected to the first bottom wall. Ledges extend above the upper edge portions of the side walls and alongside a bottom of a respective compartment.

Organizers for storing and organizing file folders to be held on a desk are well-known. Specifically, organizers for storing and organizing file folders and other papers are known which include a one-piece molded member having a plurality of vertically oriented compartments which receive the file folders. Throughout the following specification, "file folders" are referred to for convenience. However the invention is also useful for sorting/organizing/storing other items such as papers, booklets, pamphlets, pictures and any other similar objects.
Generally, these known organizers can be grouped into three different groups.
A first group includes organizers having compartments of equal height, so that the file folders are stored one behind the other. However, with such organizers, it becomes difficult to view labels provided on the rearmost file folders, and therefore, it becomes necessary to remove the file folders from the organizer in order to determine the subject matter of the rearmost file folders. This is because the label portion of one file folder will generally block the view of the label on a rearwardly adjacent file folder when the file folders are all at the same height.
A second group includes organizers having compartments of differing heights with larger compartments placed behind smaller compartments, thereby providing a staggered relation of compartments. However, there is no stepped relation between the compartments. Rather, larger file folders and papers are placed in the larger, rear compartments and extend to a height higher than the shorter folders and papers in the forward compartments. However, if file folders of the same height are used, the file folders will be difficult to access from the rear compartments, and in addition, the same disadvantages of the first group of organizers would also apply.
A third group includes organizers having compartments which are of the same height but staggered in height relative to each other by means of steps. In the past, such organizers were not able to support themselves on a desk because of the stepped arrangement and thus were typically limited to being mounted to walls. However, the inventor, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,730 incorporated by reference herein, describes an organizer of this type with compartments having substantially the same height and wherein the compartments are staggered in height relative to each other and wherein the organizer can be stably supported on a desk or other flat surface.
Specifically, the '730 patent describes a file folder organizer including a front wall, a rear wall and side walls connecting the front and rear walls together in parallel, spaced apart relation and such that a lower edge of the rear wall is raised relative to a lower edge of the front wall and an upper edge of the rear wall is raised relative to an upper edge of the front wall. Lower edges of the side walls and the front wall are substantially coplanar to enable the organizer to be supported on a horizontal surface in a vertical orientation. A bottom wall connects the lower edges of the front and rear walls. The bottom wall has steps of different heights which are parallel and offset from each other in a heightwise and depthwise direction of the organizer. The bottom wall is at least partially enclosed by the side walls so that the side walls hide the steps of the bottom wall. Lengthwise and transverse dividing walls divide an area bounded by the front, rear and side walls into a plurality of compartments, at least two of which are closed at a bottom thereof by different steps of the bottom wall so as to provide a staggered relation to the compartments.
The presence of the side walls and transverse dividing wall(s) limits the size of file folders and similar objects which may be placed into the compartments. That is, since the length of each compartment has a length defined by one of the side walls and a transverse dividing wall (or possibly two transverse dividing walls when multiple transverse dividing walls are present), a file folder which is longer than the length of the compartment cannot be placed into the compartment.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a file folder organizer in which there is no limitation on the length of a file folder which can be placed in compartments of the organizer.

Multi-level sorter/organizer with optional intermediate compartment


A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) using a transistor, capable of-using a capacitor for DC blocking with small capacitance and achieving a large amount of change in the oscillating frequency. The voltage-controlled oscillator comprises a transistor for oscillation and amplification, first and second nodes, a quartz-crystal element inserted between the first and second nodes, a first capacitor connecting the first node with a base of the transistor, a second capacitor connecting the second node with a collector of the transistor, a first variable capacitance diode connected to the first node, a second variable capacitance diode connected to the second node, and means for applying a control voltage to the first and second variable capacitance diodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) using a piezoelectric vibrator, and more particularly to a voltage-controlled oscillator which uses a quartz-crystal element as a piezoelectric vibrator and a transistor as an element for oscillation and amplification, achieves a large amount of change in frequency, and allows a reduction in circuit size.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A voltage-controlled oscillator using a piezoelectric vibrator such as a quartz-crystal element and providing an oscillating frequency depending on an applied control voltage is incorporated in, for example, a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) circuit. In recent years, it is desired that the voltage-controlled oscillator is reduced in size by forming circuit elements except a quartz-crystal element as an IC (Integrated Circuit) and exhibits a large change in capacitance with respect to the applied control-voltage, that is, a large change in the oscillating frequency.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary configuration of a conventional voltage-controlled oscillator. The voltage-controlled oscillator comprises bipolar transistor 1 for oscillation, quartz-crystal element 2 as a piezoelectric vibrator, and two variable capacitance diodes D1, D2. Transistor 1 has a grounded emitter and a collector connected to power supply Vcc through load resistor 4. Quartz-crystal element 2 is connected between a base and the collector of transistor 1. A connecting point of quartz-crystal element 2 and transistor 1 is referred to as node A.
First variable capacitance diode D1 is inserted between node A and a ground point through first capacitor C1 for DC blocking. Second variable capacitance diode D2 is inserted between the collector of transistor 1 and a ground point through second capacitor C2 for DC blocking. The voltage-controlled oscillator is provided with control voltage Vc from the outside to change the capacitance values of variable capacitance diodes D1, D2. Control voltage Vc is applied to a connecting point (node B) of capacitor C1 and first variable capacitance diode D1 through resistor 3a for radio frequency blocking, and to a connecting point (node C) of capacitor C2 and second variable capacitance diode D2 through resistor 3b for radio frequency blocking. In addition, resistor 5 for self-bias is inserted between the collector and the base of transistor 1 to supply a base bias voltage from power supply Vcc to transistor 1.
The portion of the voltage-controlled oscillator except quartz-crystal element 2 is formed as an integrated circuit and incorporated into an IC chip.
In the voltage-controlled oscillator, quartz-crystal element 2 and variable capacitance diodes D1, D2 constitute a resonant circuit or a resonant loop. Specifically, a resonant circuit including quartz-crystal element 2 as an inductance component and variable capacitance diodes D1, D2 as capacitance components is formed. The resonance frequency component of the resonant circuit is fed back to and amplified by transistor 1 to obtain oscillation output Vout from the collector side.
While the oscillating frequency of the oscillator generally depends on the resonance frequency of the resonant circuit, the capacitance of transistor 1 or the like is added in. As a result, the oscillating frequency is determined by the series equivalent capacitance on the circuit side viewed from both ends of quartz-crystal element 2, that is, the load capacitance of quartz-crystal element 2. Since control voltage Vc applied from the outside changes the capacitance values of variable capacitance diodes D1, D2, the load capacitance of quartz-crystal element 2 is also changed. Thus, the oscillating frequency can be changed by control voltage Vc.
FIG. 2 equivalently shows only capacitance components viewed from quartz-crystal element 2 extracted from the aforementioned voltage-controlled oscillator. In FIG. 2, CTr represents the capacitance component of transistor 1, while CD1 and CD2 represent the capacitance components of first and second variable capacitance diodes D1, D2, respectively. Specifically, when viewed from quartz-crystal element 2, capacitance component CTr of transistor 1 is connected in parallel with a circuit including capacitances CD1, CD2 of variable capacitance diodes D1, D2 and capacitors C1, C2 for DC blocking connected in series. In other words, capacitors C1, C2 are inserted in series into a resonant loop comprising quartz-crystal element 2 and variable capacitance diodes D1, D2. In such a circuit, since a change in capacitance of first and second variable capacitance diodes D1, D2 caused by control voltage Vc is canceled with capacitors C1, C2 and reduced as a whole, it is difficult to achieve a large amount of change in the oscillating frequency.
A large amount of change in the oscillating frequency can be achieved by using capacitors C1, C2 for DC blocking with large capacitance values. In this case, however, an IC chip including the voltage-controlled oscillator inevitably has a larger size, thereby presenting a problem of impairing a reduction in size.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a voltage-controlled oscillator using a transistor as an element for oscillation and amplification, allowing a reduction in size when it is formed as an IC chip, and achieving a large amount of change in the oscillating frequency.
The present inventors focused attention on xe2x80x9cVoltage-Controlled Inverter Oscillator Circuitxe2x80x9d disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 7-273547 (JP, A, 07273547) by the assignee of the present application. The inverter oscillator circuit is a voltage-controlled type oscillator circuit using an inverter serving as a logical gate, and prevents a reduction in effectual capacitance change by connecting a DC blocking capacitor to a variable capacitance diode in parallel, rather than in series. The present inventors examined the application of the technique disclosed in the publication to a voltage-controlled oscillator including a transistor having an emitter grounded, and a base and a collector between which a quartz-crystal element is connected, and have completed the present invention.
The voltage-controlled oscillator of the present invention comprises a transistor for oscillation and amplification, first and second nodes, a piezoelectric vibrator such as a quartz-crystal element inserted between the first and second nodes, a first capacitor connecting the first node with a first terminal of the transistor, a second capacitor connecting the second node with a second terminal of the transistor, a first variable capacitance diode connected to the first node, a second variable capacitance diode connected to the second node, and means for applying a control voltage to the first and second variable capacitance diodes.
In the present invention, with the aforementioned configuration, the first and second capacitors for DC blocking are equivalently connected in parallel with the first and second variable capacitance diodes. Thus, an effectual capacitance change in the first and second variable capacitance diodes is not reduced. The configuration allows the use of the first and second capacitors with small capacitance values, a reduction in size of an IC chip when the voltage-controlled oscillator is formed as the IC chip, and a wide changing range of the oscillating frequency.


The invention includes a method of providing media data of a SIP-based Auxiliary Service from an Auxiliary Application Server, AS, to a recipient peer of an established communication exchange between peers. The method includes issuing an invocation to the Auxiliary AS, the invocation including an indication of the recipient peer of the Auxiliary Service. The Auxiliary Service media data is prepared and sent to the recipient together with a correlation ID identifying the established communication exchange, and an Application Classmark identifying the auxiliary service.

IP Multimedia services provide a dynamic combination of voice, video, messaging, data, etc. within a communication session. It is also possible to combine media in a session, and the number of services offered to end users continues to grow, enriching the inter-personal communication experience. The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is the technology defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to provide IP Multimedia services over mobile communication networks. The IMS provides key features to enrich the end-user person-to-person communication experience through the use of standardised IMS Service Enablers, which facilitate new rich person-to-person (client-to-client) communication services as well as person-to-content (client-to-server) services over IP-based networks.
The IMS makes use of the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to set up and control calls or sessions between user terminals (or user terminals and application servers). The Session Description Protocol (SDP), carried by SIP signalling, is used to describe and negotiate the media components of the session. Whilst SIP was created as a user-to-user protocol, the IMS introduces additional functionality for e.g. subscription handling, security and charging to allow operators and service providers to control user access to services and to charge users accordingly.
FIG. 1 illustrates schematically how the IMS 2 fits into the mobile network architecture in the case of a GPRS/PS access network. Call/Session Control Functions (CSCFs) 4 operate as SIP proxies within an IMS core network 2a. A user accesses the IMS 2 via an access network 5 and gateway nodes in a connectivity layer 6. The user must register with the IMS using the specified SIP REGISTER method in order to gain access to IMS services. A Home Subscriber Server HSS keeps a log of users' subscription profiles that define the services that the user has subscribed to. After registering, the user is able to establish a communication session with other peers, making use of the multimedia capabilities of the IMS. The IMS also includes a service network 2b, in which Application Servers (ASs) 8 are provided for implementing IMS service functionality. Application Servers 8 provide services to the end-users, and may be connected either as end-points over the 3GPP-defined Mr interface, or "linked in" (invoked) by an S-CSCF over the 3GPP-defined ISC interface.
SIP and IMS architectures are centred around a "call" model where services offered to end users are provided by either device applications or Application Servers in the network. FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a session path during the establishment phase of a SIP session in accordance with known current practice. This shows how a call/session between an originating peer (caller) 10 and terminating peer (recipient) 12 is currently established in the IMS. Each peer 10, 12 operates a SIP terminal, and is registered with an IMS network. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, there is an IMS network on the originating side and an IMS network on the recipient side. The 3GPP architecture defines three types of CSCFs: the Proxy CSCF (P-CSCF) 4a which is the first point of contact within the IMS for the caller 10 and recipient 12; the Serving CSCF (S-CSCF) 4b controls the provision of services to the users in accordance with the user's subscription; and the Interrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) 4c whose role is to identify the correct S-CSCF 4b, based on the user's subscription profile which it obtains from the user's HSS 6, and to forward to that S-CSCF a request received from a SIP terminal via a P-CSCF 4a. Services requested by the peers 10, 12 are identified at the session initiation stage and are provided by linking in the appropriate Ass 8a, 8b, in the IMS networks.
Currently SIP technology (as described in the Internet Engineering Task Force Request for Comments, IETF RFC 3261) provides for sessions to be established between communicating parties and for the media transfer between peers to be associated with a certain session or "call". This call/session is handled by an application, typically implemented as a device application and sometimes with network support by an application server (AS 8). The device application provides the graphical user interface, GUI, implemented for the service (e.g. for a videotelephony call). The session is set up in an initial condition, making use of an initial media service, or set of media services provided by one or more ASs. Once the session is established, the initial media can either be replaced by another type of media, or additional media can be added between the parties. For example, initial audio can be replaced by video, or video can be added to initial audio creating a videotelephony service.
The device application responsible for the GUI and SIP session handling has no problem when changes are made to the services provided within the same session—i.e. when the change is initiated by one of the communicating peers. WO2006/125471 describes the inclusion of service identifiers as feature tags in SIP messages. The service identifiers identify a particular communication service to which a SIP message relates. This application also describes a MCS-qualifier that enables an application to correlate several simultaneous IMS sessions. An Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Sipping Working Group Internet Draft, dated Jun. 25, 2006 but now expired, describes a "Same-Session" SIP header field to logically correlate an existing SIP dialog with a new dialog.
However, it is not currently possible for a third party source to initiate the addition of media to an established SIP session such that the additional media is associated with the established SIP session. Also, not all IP media communications occur during established SIP sessions. There are many communications, or SIP transactions, in which a message is sent from one network source, such as a user terminal or an AS, to another user's SIP terminal but which does not entail establishing a session. Examples include notifications sent from the IMS to a registered user terminal by exchange of SIP MESSAGEs such as might occur as communications in a game being played between two peers. Again, there is currently no method to enable a third party source to add service media or functionality to these communications.
At present, for an AS to provide a service at any time during the lifetime of a session, it must be linked in during the establishment phase. It cannot be linked in later, due to inherent characteristics of the SIP protocol. In many cases this is not a problem (e.g. when providing telephony-like services to voice over IP calls). However, for other services it is a severe restriction or is wasteful of resources, especially for services that are only needed conditionally. In such cases, it is at present necessary to always link these services into the session path at session establishment, which leads to longer call set-up times and ties up unused resources.


An electrical component includes a substrate, component structures on the substrate, and solder metal platings electrically connected to the component structures. The substrate is electrically and mechanically connected in a flip chip arrangement to a carrier via connections formed by solder bumps. The solder bumps mate to the solder metal platings. At least one of the solder bumps is on a first solder metal plating. The first solder metal plating has first and second dimensions, where the first dimension is larger than the second dimension.

SAW components typically contain one or more piezoelectric substrates and a housing and/or a carrier for receiving the piezoelectric substrate(s).
The piezoelectric substrate has interdigital transducers and reflectors as component structures, which are photolithographically structured in a thin metallic layer. The interdigital transducers comprise electrode and busbar regions, the reflectors comprise parallel reflector fingers and, if necessary, busbar regions which electrically connect them.
Some busbar regions are expanded into electrical contact points referred to as bond pads, at which the different potentials of the interdigital transducers and reflectors are transmitted via soldered connections to a suitable carrier, which may also be a housing or a part thereof.
One group of SAW components are the SAW filters referred to as DMS filters (double mode resonator filters) or also CRF filters (coupled resonator filters). They use multiple resonating regions which are acoustically and electrically coupled in order to achieve a desired transmission function.
A typical DMS filter has two acoustic tracks, each of which comprises a middle interdigital transducer having two busbars and bond pads, framed by a further interdigital transducer on each side and two reflectors on the two ends of these interdigital transducers. The bond pads of the middle interdigital transducer are, for example, connected on one side to the ground bond pads of the neighboring reflector, on the other side, the busbar is electrically connected to the busbar of the corresponding interdigital transducer from the second track. The connection pad used for the connection is electrically "floating" in relation to the electrical potentials of the middle interdigital transducer.
A further group of SAW components are the ladder-type filters. A ladder-type filter comprises at least one ladder base element, which is composed of a first resonator (series resonator), connected in series from the input to the output, and a second resonator (parallel resonator), which is connected in parallel to ground. A single resonator typically has an interdigital transducer structure including two busbars and bond pads and a reflector structure at each of the two ends. Typically, multiple such base elements are electrically connected in series one after another, multiple resonators of the same type also able to be assembled into one acoustic track. To electrically connect two series resonators, the output busbar of the first series resonator is linked to the input busbar of the second series resonator using a line. A branch from this connection line to the input busbar of the parallel resonator generates the electrical connection of the parallel resonator lying between them.
A third group of SAW components are the DMS filters having additional resonators, i.e., a mixture of DMS and ladder-type filters. Usually, an acoustic DMS track is combined with one or more resonator structures (series and/or parallel resonators). If a DMS track is combined with two series resonators, for example, a first series resonator is electrically connected to the first busbar of the middle transducer. The second busbar is expanded into a bond pad, for example. The external interdigital transducers are connected on one side to the ground bond pads of the neighboring reflector, and on the other side the two busbars are joined together and electrically connected to the second series resonator. Thus, a series circuit made of resonator, DMS track, and further resonator results. Bond pads are externally attached to each of the resonators.
A BAW resonator comprises at least one piezoelectric layer, which is positioned between at least two electrodes and is used for electro-acoustic conversion of an electrical signal applied to the electrodes. Either air on both sides (bridge-type), or a sequence of layers (solidly-mounted resonator) on one side, or a sequence of layers on both sides, each on a shared carrier (e.g., silicon) may be used as the mirror (=reflector) in this case.
Because of the miniaturization of electrical components required for many technical applications, flip chip technology has also been used for connecting the chip to a carrier in SAW and/or BAW components in recent years. The electrical connection of the chip to the housing and/or carrier is performed in this case via solder globules, bumps, which are placed on the bond pads, among other things. Carrier bond pads, which are diametrically opposite to the bond pads on the chip, are located on the carrier.
In this case, the chip is mounted upside down in the housing and/or on the carrier, so that the structured side points downward in the direction of the housing and/or carrier.
In order to produce a soldered connection between the housing and/or carrier and the first metal layer used for the acoustic structures, which comprises non-solderable aluminum and/or aluminum alloy, a second solderable metal layer, referred to in the following as the solder metal plating, is applied. This second, solderable metal layer is also referred to as the under bump metal plating (UBM). The actual circular bond pads to which the bump is finally soldered are defined by the solder metal plating, since the solder only adheres there. The soldering of the bumps is performed in a reflow process, in which the solder is caused to melt.
Sufficient mechanical stability of all bump connections is very important, since the functionality of the component would be destroyed by a single poor electrical bump connection. The volume of the bumps and the dimensions of the solder metal plating are dimensioned in such a way that the entire component withstands the maximum thermal and mechanical loads required by the client. The area of the solder metal plating per bump is thus subject to specific quality requirements and may not be made arbitrarily small. Further requirements result as boundary conditions from the manufacturing process, such as a minimum interval between the chip edge and a component structure or a safety interval between the solder metal plating and the acoustically active component structures.
FIG. 1 shows a known SAW filter. The size of the acoustic tracks is determined in this case by, among other things, the frequency and impedance positions of the SAW component. It is clear from the figure that, in addition to the acoustic tracks, the busbars, bond pads, and free chip regions also contribute to the overall chip size. The chip size also determines the size of the housing.
Because of the further miniaturization of electrical devices, housings which are small as possible are required. The assumption in this case is that specific requirements in regard to the electrical properties of the components are also to be fulfilled. The goal is thus to reduce the chip size through an optimized chip layout and thus further shrink the housing and/or finished parts with unchanged or even improved filter performance.
This object is achieved according to the present invention by a component according to Claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the present invention result from the subclaims.
Known solder metal platings on the chip and on the carrier and/or housing have been shaped circularly up to this point. A barrel-shaped connection, like a sphere having two cut-off poles, forms through the melting of the solder bumps with the two circular areas of the solder metal platings. This results in the same space being required for the bump connections in the x and y directions on the chip.
The present invention now suggests a bump connection defined via the solder metal plating, in which the dimension along a first axis is significantly smaller than that along a second axis, which particularly runs transversely thereto. Components according to the present invention have a dimension along a second axis which exceeds the dimension along the first axis by more than 30%, for example, by 30 to 80%. The shape and/or the cross-section of the solder metal plating is then, for example, ellipsoidal and/or a type of flattened or oblong circle, which has linear sections parallel to one another.
A more compact arrangement of the structures on the surface of the substrate results from the different dimensions of the solder metal plating on different axes, so that less substrate surface is required and therefore a smaller substrate is possible.
Since the solder bump is only soldered on the solderable solder metal plating provided for this purpose, it is forced into the shape of the solder metal plating during the reflow process. Independently of the area of the contact pad on the substrate, which is typically larger, the size and shape of the solder metal plating is solely responsible for the shape of the bump. The solder metal plating may additionally be applied to the normal metal plating, comprising aluminum, for example, e.g., as a multilayered thin metal plating having a thin gold layer as the actual solderable surface. For example, layer sequences made of Ti, Pt, and Au or Ti, Ni, and Au are well suitable.
The shape of the non-round solder metal plating is selected in such a way that the area content is equal to the previous circular solder metal plating in order to still fulfill the requirements on the mechanical stability. Depending on the length to width ratio of the ellipsoidal shape, in contrast to the circle, a reduction of the dimension results in the direction of the narrow side of the ellipse. In the most favorable case, the entire chip and/or the substrate may be shrunk precisely by the difference between circular diameter and narrow side of the ellipse in the x or y direction. For specific applications, it may also be advantageous to select a shape deviating from an oval or even an irregular shape for the solder metal plating, in order to better correspond to the space offered on the substrate. For chip area reduction, it may be favorable to design all or only a few of the solder metal platings as non-round according to the present invention.
In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the non-round and particularly ellipsoidal solder metal platings do not all have their longer axes aligned identically. With different solder metal platings, the larger dimension then results along different substrate axes. The alignment of the long and narrow sides of the solder metal platings is then performed as a function of the shape of the free substrate surface available.
It is also advantageous to position the solder metal platings between substrate edges and the component structures, the longer dimension of the solder metal platings then advantageously being aligned parallel to the particular substrate edge.
It is also possible to position the non-round solder metal plating between different component structures and align the second longer axis parallel to the neighboring edges of the component structures.
The present invention is applied especially advantageously in SAW filters of the greatly varying types cited at the beginning. In this case, the beveling of reflector structures provides further advantages, in order to at least partially place the necessary solder metal platings in the triangular free areas additionally obtained thereby.
Beveling the reflectors in the region which is furthest from the interdigital transducer assigned to the reflector does not result in worsening of the electrical properties of the SAW filter. A more compact chip layout results, which allows further reduction of the chip area.
The beveling is performed in such a way that a first group of reflector fingers, positioned closer to the assigned interdigital transducer, remains unchanged (equally long), while the reflector fingers of the second group have their length shortened on one or both sides, the length of the reflector fingers falling with increasing distance to the assigned interdigital transducer.
The first group of reflector fingers whose length is unchanged advantageously comprises 20 to 50 reflector fingers.
If the two features "ellipsoidal and/or non-round solder metal plating" and "beveled reflector structures" are combined, a further reduction of the chip area may be achieved in many applications.
The present invention is used especially advantageously in high-frequency components which operate using acoustic waves, in which the acoustic component structures are relatively small because of the relatively low wavelengths. However, with unchanged mechanical requirements on the component, the size of the bump connections is less affected thereby, so that in high-frequency components the proportion of the substrate area claimed by the bump connections is relatively large in relation to components which operate at lower frequency. A relatively greater reduction of the substrate size is thus achieved using the present invention in high-frequency components.
A substrate having a rectangular or generally quadrilateral surface, on which the component structures are oriented parallel to a diagonal of the substrate, may also be advantageous. A solder metal plating may be provided in the corners. This arrangement is especially advantageous if the component structures proximal to the corners cited are beveled reflectors, whose beveled edges are then approximated by the corner angle of the substrate. In the ideal case, the beveled edges are aligned parallel or approximately parallel to at least one substrate edge. The component structures may thus be shifted further into the corner and save further substrate surface.
A piezoelectric substrate, particularly piezoelectric substrates made of LiTaO3 or LiNbO3, is advantageously used. Silicon may also be used as a substrate for BAW components.
Since most crystalline piezoelectric substrates often have different thermal expansion coefficients along different crystal axes, very good thermal tailoring of substrate and carrier is practically not possible if not the same material is used for the carrier as for the substrate, which is typically not possible for reasons of cost, however. According to the present invention, it is now possible to match the carrier to the expansion coefficient along one axis of the substrate. If bump connections according to the present invention are used, minimized thermal tensions are obtained if the solder metal platings are implemented as oblong and ellipsoidal, for example, and are positioned on the substrate one behind another and aligned parallel to this substrate axis, to whose expansion coefficients the carrier material is thermally matched. Furthermore, it is advantageous if some solder metal platings which are oriented in the direction of the non-matched axis are positioned in the middle of the component, i.e., on the neutral line in relation to the thermal expansion. Using both measures, a lower mechanical load of the bump connections is obtained thermally and the bump size may be reduced without the mechanical stability of the bump connections suffering under thermal load. A smaller bump is implemented by a smaller solder metal plating and results in a gain in additional substrate area and/or allows shrinking of the substrate. However, vice versa, it is also possible to select a carrier material which, under the listed aspects in regard to minimal thermomechanical load of the bump connections, is matched to a given layout and/or to the positioning of the solder metal platings on the substrate surface.
In the following, the present invention will be explained in greater detail on the basis of preferred embodiments with reference to FIGS. 1 through 24. The figures are only schematic and are not bound to scale. In particular, the number of interdigital transducers and reflector fingers has been reduced for better visibility.

Electrical component having a reduced substrate area