Non-volatile memory elements having a high programming speed and a reduced constant voltage requirement for data storage. Each memory cell of a non-volatile SRAM includes an SRAM unit and a non-volatile memory unit. When power is off, the data levels of data nodes of the SRAM unit are programmed into a corresponding non-volatile memory element through a pass transistor connected to the data node. When the power is on, the data levels programmed into the non-volatile memory elements are recalled to the corresponding data nodes through the pass transistors, and then the programmed non-volatile memory element is erased. The non-volatile memory element has an oxide stack including a tunnel oxide film, a storage oxide film, and a blocking oxide film. A potential well where the SRAM unit is formed is isolated from a potential well where the non-volatile memory unit is formed. Bias voltages are applied during program, recall and erase modes to the potential well where the non-volatile memory unit is formed.

In recent years, non-volatile static random access memory has been widely used. Non-volatile static random access memory (nvSRAM) does not lose data stored therein, even when the power to the nvSRAM is interrupted.
A unit memory cell of an nvSRAM is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,895. That unit memory cell includes a non-volatile circuit configured as a non-volatile memory element for maintaining non-volatile data. It also includes an SRAM configured as a volatile memory element for performing read and write operations of volatile data. FIG. 1 is a schematic equivalent circuit illustrating a unit memory cell 10 of the nvSRAM described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,895.
Referring to FIG. 1, the memory cell 10 includes an SRAM 12 and a pair of non-volatile memory circuits (hereinafter, referred to as NVM) 14. The SRAM 12 includes a pair of access transistors 30, 32 and a latch circuit 33. The latch circuit 33 includes two NMOS transistors and two PMOS transistors which are cross-coupled to each other.
A data true level signal and a data complement level signal are output to data nodes 20 and 22, respectively. The data nodes 20, 22 are located within the latch circuit 33. The data true level signal and the data complement level signal are opposite to each other.
The access transistor 30 is coupled between the data node 20 and a signal line BT. The access transistor 32 is coupled between the data node 22 and a signal line BC. The signal line BT is a bit line for the data true level. The signal line BC is a bit line for the data complement level. The bit lines BT and BC extend to all the stacked cells in a single vertical column in a memory cell array. Each vertical column of cells has a common pair of bit lines.
The access transistors 30, 32 are controlled by a signal applied to a signal line WL. The signal line WL is a word line connected in common to the gate terminals of the access transistors 30, 32 and to the gate terminals of all the other access transistors in all the stacked cells in a single low.
The NVM 14 is a circuit connected to each of the data nodes 20, 22 for storing data at the data nodes 20, 22 such that the stored data is not volatile.
The NVM 14 of FIG. 1 is configured as a pair of tri-gate transistors 41, 42 including recall transistors 41a and 42a, SONOS (silicon/oxide/nitride/oxide/silicon) transistors 41b and 42b, and pass transistors 41c and 42c.
The SONOS transistors 41b, 42b, which are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,895 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,770,950, have an ONO (oxide/nitride/oxide) structure. The SONOS transistors 41b, 42b store the data levels of the data nodes 20, 22 such that the data levels stored in the latch circuit 33 are not volatile. The data levels stored in the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b are removed when a control signal Vse is applied thereto.
The recall transistors 41a, 42a recall the data levels stored in the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b and write the data levels stored in the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b into the latch circuit 33 when a control signal Vrcl is applied to the recall transistors 41a, 42a.
The pass transistors 41c, 42c read the state of the data true level signal and the complement level signal in the latch circuit 33, or write the data levels stored in the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b into the latch circuit 33 when a control signal Vpas is applied to the pass transistors 41c, 42c.
The operation of the conventional nvSRAM 10 will now be described. When a power source is on and the nvSRAM operates normally, all of the voltages of the control signals Vrcl, Vpas and Vse are set to 0[V] so that all of the transistors of the tri-gate transistors 41, 42 are turned off. As a result, the SONOS transistors 41b and 42b are isolated from the latch circuit 33 and, thus, are not affected by state variations of the levels at the data nodes 20, 22 of the latch circuit 33.
However, when the power source is turned off, the nvSRAM 10 stores the levels at the data nodes 20, 22 of the latch circuit 33 in the SONOS transistor 41b, 42b, or erases the levels while passing through an erase mode and a program mode.
In the erase mode, a voltage of −10 to −15 [V] (depending on erase speed, erase time, the ONO structure, etc) is applied to the gate electrodes of the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b. Also, a voltage of 0 [V] is applied to the control signal line Vrcl and to the control signal line Vpas for a predetermined time. In general, the bias voltage is usually applied for less than 10 [msec] in the erase mode.
Under the bias conditions of the erase mode, the recall transistors 41a, 42a and the pass transistors 41c, 42c are held in an off state, and the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b are placed in an accumulation mode. Most of the electric field associated with the voltage applied to the gate electrodes of the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b is concentrated on the ONO layer.
As a result of the intensive electric field concentrated on the ONO layer, holes accumulated on a silicon substrate surface on which the gate electrodes of the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b are placed tunnel through the tunnel oxide film of the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b, and are trapped in traps which are present in the nitride film of the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b. Then, the electrons which have been trapped in the nitride films tunnel the tunnel oxide and escape into the silicon substrate, thereby resulting in erasure whereby a threshold voltage of the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b is lowered.
Next, in the program mode, a voltage of +10 to +15 [V] (depending on program speed, program time, the ONO stack structure, etc) is applied to the gate electrodes of the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b. Also, 0 [V] is applied to the control signal line Vrcl, and a voltage "H" (herein, "H" refers to a voltage representing a high logic state; typically 2.5 [V]) is applied to the control signal line Vpas for a predetermined time. In general, the bias voltage is usually applied for less than 10 [msec] in the program mode.
Under the bias conditions of the program mode, the recall transistors 41a, 42a are held in an off state, and accordingly, do not conduct current from the Vcc voltage. The conducting states of the pass transistors 41c, 42c are determined by the logic levels ("H" and "L") stored in the data nodes 20, 22 of the latch circuit 33. For example, if we assume that a high voltage level "H" is stored in the data node 20 and a low voltage level "L" is stored in the data node 22, since a high level Vpas is applied to the gate electrode of the pass transistor 41c connected to the data node 20 and the data node 20 is connected to the source electrode of the pass transistor 41c, the voltage difference between the gate electrode and the source electrode becomes nearly 0 [V]. Accordingly, the pass transistor 41c does not conduct current. As a result, the silicon substrate below the gate electrode of the SONOS transistor 41b goes into a deep depletion state due to the positive voltage applied to the gate electrode of the SONOS transistor 41b.
During this deep depletion, since the electric field caused by the positive voltage Vse applied to the gate electrode of the SONOS transistor 41b is mostly applied to a depletion region of the silicon substrate and, thus, is only slightly applied to the ONO layer, the program mode (where electrons tunnel the tunnel oxide film and are trapped into the traps of the nitride film) does not occur. This phenomenon is called a dynamic write inhibition (DWI).
Since this deep depletion occurs in a non-equilibrium state, it disappears over time as the non-equilibrium state turns to an equilibrium state. When the deep depletion condition disappears, DWI does not occur any longer. In other words, although programming is not conducted due to the DWI phenomenon occurring at the beginning of the program mode, programming is conducted as the DWI phenomenon disappears after a predetermined period of time elapses. The characteristic of the DWI phenomenon depends on the device structure. The DWI phenomenon typically lasts for 1 to 100 [msec].
On the other hand, since the voltage Vpas applied to the gate electrode of the pass transistor 42c has a high level "H, a low voltage level "L" is stored in the data node 22, and since the data node 22 is connected to the source electrode of the pass transistor 42c, a voltage difference between the gate electrode and the source electrode becomes nearly "H" [V]. Consequently, the pass transistor 42c is turned on.
As a result, the voltage applied to the silicon substrate below the gate electrode of the SONOS transistor 42b becomes nearly an "L" [V]. Thus, most of the program voltage applied to the gate electrode of the SONOS transistor 42b is applied to the ONO layer. Accordingly, electrons accumulated on the surface of the silicon substrate tunnel the tunnel oxide film, and the program mode is conducted to trap the electrons in the traps of the nitride film. The trapped electrons increase the threshold voltage of the SONOS transistor 42b.
In other words, the SONOS transistor 41b maintains an erase state at the beginning of the program mode and, thus, has a low threshold voltage because the program mode is suppressed due to the DWI phenomenon. However, the SONOS transistor 42b has a high threshold voltage as the program mode is conducted.
When the power source is on, a recall mode for recalling data stored in the SONOS transistors 41b, 42b to the latch circuit 33 is performed. In the recall mode, a low voltage 0 [V] is applied to the control signal line Vse, and a high voltage "H" is applied to the control signal line Vrcl and to the control signal line Vpas.
Under the bias conditions of the recall mode, since the control signal line Vrcl and the control signal line Vpas are set to a logic high voltage "H", the recall transistors 41a, 42a and the pass transistors 41c, 42c go into an on state. Since the SONOS transistor 41b is in an on state, current flows therethrough and the data node 20 goes into a logic high state "H". Since the programmed SONOS transistor 42b is in an off state, it does not flow current therethrough and the data node 22 goes into a logic low state "L".
Accordingly, even though a memory element configured by the nvSRAM is powered off while passing through the erase mode, the program mode and the recall mode, the data of SRAM can be securely stored in the NVM 14.
However, in an nvSRAM using conventional SONOS transistors 41b, 42b, due to the DWI phenomenon when data is stored, one data node is programmed and the other data node is not programmed depending on the states of the data nodes 20, 22 of the latch circuit 33. In such a selective program mode, it is important to improve the DWI characteristic and the programming speed.
However, it is very difficult to improve the DWI characteristic. Although programming time is prolonged when the selective program mode is conducted by a DWI mechanism, a threshold voltage window (i.e., a difference between a threshold voltage of a SONOS transistor to be programmed and a threshold voltage of a SONOS transistor in which the DWI phenomenon occurs) cannot be increased beyond a certain voltage.
In addition, since the thickness of the tunnel oxide film of the SONOS transistor is very small (typically about 20 Å), the retention characteristic of the SONOS transistor is very poor. Furthermore, since the programming speed of the SONOS transistor is relatively low, a significantly large capacitance is required to maintain a constant voltage required to store the data of the SRAM for a predetermined time when the power is off.
In the drawings and the following detailed description, the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference.

Non-volatile memory element with oxide stack and non-volatile SRAM using the same


A liquid crystal display device comprising electrodes of the one side formed on the pixel regions on the surface of one of the substrates arranged facing each other with the liquid crystals interposed therebetween and on the side of the liquid crystals, and electrodes of the other side formed on at least the pixel regions on the surface of the other substrate on the side of the liquid crystals, wherein each electrode of the one side has a shape of a plurality of circular patterns or patterns close to circles that are arranged in contact with each other, whereby a region where the electrode of the one side is not formed is surrounded by the circular patterns or patterns close to circles of an odd number of three or more, and projections are formed on the surface of the other substrate on the side of the liquid crystals at portions facing nearly the centers of the circular patterns or the patterns close to circles.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among various kinds of liquid crystal display devices, there has been known the one in which there are formed pixel electrodes of a transparent conducting layer on pixel regions of one of the substrates that are facing each other with the liquid crystals interposed therebetween and on the side of the liquid crystals, and the light transmission factor of the liquid crystals is controlled by the electric field generated among the electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules being oriented perpendicularly to the substrate when there is applied no electric field.
In order to obtain wide visual field characteristics in the thus constituted liquid crystal display device, there has been known the one in which each pixel electrode is divided into a plurality of regions to form electrodes (hereinafter referred to as sub-pixels), and projections are formed on the surface of the substrate of the side on where the opposing electrodes are formed on the side of the liquid crystals at positions where they are facing the centers of the sub-pixels (see, for example, JP-A-2000-47217 (patent literature 1)).
When an electric field is generated between the pixel electrodes and the opposing electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules on the sub-pixels so behave as to radially fall with the projections as centers, and light passing through the liquid crystals are emitted to the observers over a wide range.
In the thus constituted liquid crystal display device, however, each pixel electrode has been formed by a set of a plurality of sub-pixels obtained by dividing the pixel electrode. Therefore, there are inevitably formed regions without electrode among one sub-pixel and other sub-pixels surrounding the above one sub-pixel.
This means that there is formed a region where the liquid crystals are not driven in each pixel region, imposing limitation on improving the so-called numerical aperture of the pixels.

Liquid crystal display device with one pixel electrode having a plurality of generally circular patterns in each pixel region


Biological treatment for an environmental hormone in water can be efficiently performed by use of a microorganism-immobilized carrier is provided. To biologically remove an environmental hormonal substance in water by a microorganism-immobilized carrier having microorganism immobilized onto a carrier. The microorganism-immobilized carrier is formed of an immobilizing material prepared by mixing and polymerizing a hydrophilic prepolymer and a hydrophobic prepolymer or prepared by polymerizing a prepolymer having a hydrophilic group and a hydrophobic group in a molecule.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of removing an exogenous endocrine-disrupting chemical (hereinafter referred to as an "environmental hormonal substance") in water, and more particularly, to improvement in the performance of removing the environmental hormonal substance by using a microorganism-immobilized carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
Chemical substances having in-vivo endocrine-system disrupting activities are present in wastewater such as sewage water and seepage water from landfills. They act as environmental hormonal substances, causing problems. The endocrine systems of living organisms are disrupted by the presence of these environmental hormonal substances, with the result that abnormal reproductions and gender changes from male to female occur, having significant effects upon the ecosystem. The endocrine system of living organisms reacts with extremely sensitivity to such chemicals at certain period of their growth. In humans, the sensitivity is high particularly in fetuses and infants. The effects of the environmental hormonal substances upon them have been a cause of concern. Most environmental hormonal substances are detected at concentrations in the order of several tens μg/L to several ng/L. Although most of environmental hormonal substances are detected in extremely low amounts, they must be disposed of as much as possible in consideration of their effects on the ecosystem as mentioned above.
In the meantime, the environmental hormonal substances present in water can be decomposed to some extent by a biological treatment such as a conventional activated-sludge process. However, the biological treatment has a drawback in that since the environmental hormonal substances are present in extremely low concentrations, they cannot be completely decomposed by microorganisms. To improve the efficiency of the biological treatment, there is a method of maintaining a large amount of microorganism in a reaction vessel by depositing them onto a carrier or immobilized within a carrier. This method is effective in reducing nitrogen or BOD in wastewater, but ineffective in removing the environmental hormonal substances.

Method of removing exogenous endocrine-disrupting chemical in water

Hitachi Plant Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.


A method for fabricating a semiconductor component with a through wire interconnect includes the step of providing a substrate having a circuit side, a back side, and a through via. The method also includes the steps of: threading a wire through the via, forming a contact on the wire on the back side, forming a bonded contact on the wire on the circuit side, and then severing the wire from the bonded contact. The through wire interconnect includes the wire in the via, the contact on the back side and the bonded contact on the circuit side. The contact on the back side, and the bonded contact on the circuit side, permit multiple components to be stacked with electrical connections between adjacent components. A system for performing the method includes the substrate with the via, and a wire bonder having a bonding capillary configured to thread the wire through the via, and form the contact and the bonded contact. The semiconductor component can be used to form chip scale components, wafer scale components, stacked components, or interconnect components for electrically engaging or testing other semiconductor components.

A semiconductor component includes a semiconductor substrate containing various semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. Typically, the semiconductor substrate comprises a semiconductor die, that has been singulated from a semiconductor wafer. For example, a chip scale semiconductor component includes a semiconductor die provided with support and protective elements, and an external signal transmission system. Semiconductor components can also include multiple semiconductor substrates in a stacked or planar array. For example, a system in a package (SIP) includes multiple semiconductor dice packaged in a plastic body. A semiconductor component can also include a support substrate, such as a module substrate, a test substrate, or a printed circuit board, configured to electrically engage a semiconductor substrate.
As semiconductor components become smaller and have higher input/output configurations, different types of interconnects have been developed for implementing different signal transmission systems. Interconnects can be formed "on" the semiconductor substrate for transmitting signals in x and y directions. Interconnects can also be formed "in" the semiconductor substrate for transmitting signals in a z direction, or "external" to the semiconductor substrate for transmitting signals in x, y and z directions.
For example, surface interconnects, such as conductors "on" a circuit side of the semiconductor component, can be used to electrically connect the integrated circuits with terminal contacts on the circuit side. Via interconnects, such as metal filled vias formed "in" the semiconductor substrate, can be used to electrically connect the integrated circuits to terminal contacts on a back side of the semiconductor substrate. Wire interconnects, such as wires bonded to the semiconductor substrate, can be used to electrically connect the integrated circuits to "external" terminal contacts on a support substrate for the component.
In fabricating semiconductor components, particularly chip scale components, interconnects having a high electrical conductivity and a low parasitic capacitance provide the best performance in the signal transmission system. In addition, it is advantageous for interconnects to be capable of fabrication in dense arrays using conventional equipment and techniques. Further, it is advantageous for interconnects to require as little space and additional elements as possible. In this regard, each of the different types of interconnects has advantages and disadvantages.
One significant advantage of via interconnects is that they occupy space in the semiconductor substrate that is otherwise unused. This facilitates the fabrication of small, highly integrated semiconductor components. The disadvantages of via interconnects include a relatively low electrical conductivity, a relatively high capacitance, and a relatively low reliability, particularly with temperature cycling. In addition, via interconnects can require expensive fabrication techniques, such as the filling of vias using seed and plating metallization equipment.
On the other hand, wire interconnects require additional space and insulation, but have a higher electrical conductivity, and a lower capacitance, than via interconnects. In addition, wire interconnects can be made using mature, economical and robust wire bonding processes and equipment.
The present invention is directed to a method and system for fabricating semiconductor components with through wire interconnects. The through wire interconnects are hybrids, which combine aspects of both via interconnects and wire interconnects. In addition, the present invention is directed to semiconductor components, including chip scale components, wafer scale components, stacked components, and interconnect components having through wire interconnects fabricated using the method and the system.

Method for fabricating stacked semiconductor components with through wire interconnects


A kebab machine (10) is disclosed for inserting sticks (12) into various food components (14a-f), such as meat, vegetables and the like, automatically. The food components are held within carriers (500, 600) while the individual sticks are conveyed by a stick conveyor (22). The sticks are driven through the carriers (500, 600) and food components therein to form the kebab. As the carriers (500, 600) pass over a sprocket (66), adjacent carrier elements (502, 602) tilt relative each other with finger like extensions (504, 506, 604, 606) tilting up to release and eject the kebabs from the carriers for further processing.

A kebab is generally understood to be a series of food items skewered on a stick which is then typically cooked over a stove or barbecue. The typical kebab includes meat, such as beef and chicken, vegetables such as onions, peppers and the like, and any other food items desired.
A significant and growing market is the production of kebabs within a mass production setting. The kebabs are then refrigerated or frozen and distributed to stores for sale to customers. Customers find these items to be very desirable as the customer need not purchase the particular food items, cut them to the desired shape and skewer them on a stick, but need only take the kebab from its appropriate packaging and begin the cooking processing. A need exists for an efficient and effective apparatus and method for producing these kebabs in a mass production environment.


The present invention is directed toward a bead securement device comprising a tension spring, a first cover and a second cover. The first cover and the second cover are removably secured to the tension spring. In use, a force is exerted on the spring through the covers causing the spring to deform and the gaps between the plurality of coils on the spring expand. Once expanded, the filament may be passed in between one of these gaps so that when the force exerted on the end members of the spring is released, the filament is squeezed between the coils of the spring and held in place. The filament can be easily removed by using the covers to manipulate the end members of the spring.

In the course of making jewelry, decorative beads are often strung onto a filament or line to create decorative necklaces or bracelets. As the filament holds more beads, it becomes progressively more difficult to prevent beads from sliding off the end of the filament. It is also sometimes desirable to store an uncompleted project between uses. Without a mechanism to secure the end of the filament, the careful arrangement of beads may be lost as the strung beads slide off the end of the filament. This can result in hours of lost work and significant frustration.
In order to avoid these problems, it is desirable to be able to prevent beads from slipping or sliding off the filament during the creation of the design. It is further desirable that this process be easy to apply and remove, since a permanent application such as a knot or a glued bead would adversely affect the aesthetic and functional characteristics of the finished product.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,051,414 discloses a method of retaining components strung on a wire. The method requires the user to directly squeeze the angled end members of a coiled spring. Various problems arise with this arrangement. Since the end members of the coiled spring are thin in profile, when the end members are manipulated a substantial concentration of force is exerted on the user's fingertips. This can cause undesirable pain and discomfort to the user during the operation of the securement device. Moreover, the end members of the spring provide little traction or grip during use.
In order to alleviate these problems, the invention disclosed herein, includes covers that are releasably engaged to each end member. Each cover is adapted to fit and couple with the end member of the tension spring. Preferably, the cover is also flattened so that the force from the manipulation of the end members is distributed over a wider surface area, thereby reducing the user's discomfort. It is also desirable that the cover be textured to provide improved traction and grip during use. There is thus a need for a convenient device that can be used to secure and prevent a set of beads from sliding off the end of a filament line.


This invention pertains to an apparatus and method for measuring throwing power of electroplating solutions. The apparatus is easy to use and gives reproducible measurements. The apparatus emulates the performance of a conventional Haring Blum cell. The major disadvantage of the standard Haring Blum cell is its limited aility to vary the solution mass transport, thus limiting its applicability to very low current density applications. Furthermore, even under low-mass transport conditions, non-uniform solution distribution is experienced leading to erroneous interpretation. This invention permits the study of throwing power of electroplating solutions under a whole variety of solution agitation. The invention embodies an instrument for and a method of measuring the throwing power of electrolytes. The instrument is in a form of an elongated cylindrical body adapted for rotation about its longitudinal axis and includes a fixed conductive anode element and at least two cathode elements, at least one of which is variably spaced from the anode element. Preferably, one cathode element is fixed relative to the anode element a first predetermined distance and another cathode element is spaced from the anode element a second variable distance which is a multiple of the first distance. The instrument also includes means for providing current to the anode element and equi-potentially to each of the cathode elements. The measuring includes providing each of the cathode elements with a pre-weighed removable metal foil, rotating the instrument which the anode and cathode elements are completely submerged in an electrolyte, applying current to the anode and the cathode elements, removing the metal foils from the cathode elements and weighing the metal foils with the deposit thereon to compare the weight of deposited metal at different cathode element positions.

Throwing power is one of performance parameters of plating solutions that has held electroplaters' attention for many years. Among the many characteristics of electrodeposits, the most commonly specified by end users are macroscopic thickness uniformity and minimum and/or maximum thickness. The capability of a plating bath to give uniform thickness distribution is referred to as having a good throwing power. Deposition of a metal over an entire area of a complex part and leveling of the rough finishes are particularly important. Connectors with grooves, springs, tubing, stamped metal connectors and other complex stamped parts need uniform coverage of metals to meet specified functional requirements. Plate finish standards and end-users' specifications typically give minimum and maximum thickness criteria. Knowing, a priori, whether or not such requirements can be met, is quite challenging because the throwing power, as a parameter specific to each particular plating solution, is not readily available. Therefore, the plating engineer must develop the finishing processes which reproducibly provide acceptable quality. To accomplish this, one must rely on published information about the throwing power of commercially available plating baths. However, little reliable information is available which quantifies the throwing power. This is particularly true for modern electroplating solutions where high current densities usually require high solution agitation.
Since the 1920s an apparatus known as the Haring-Blum (HB) cell has been a standard tool for measuring throwing power. A schematic representation of a Haring-Blum cell, 80, is shown in FIG. 8. It is a rectangular container, 81, with positions for one anode element, 82, and two equi-potential cathode elements, 83 and 84, placed on either side of the anode. Current to the anode element and the cathode elements is provided from a current source 85 via conductors 86 and 87, respectively. By moving the anode element toward one or the other cathode element, various ratios of distances between the anode and the two cathodes may be preselected. The measurement is performed by weighing the deposit on each of the two cathode elements after simultaneous deposition on both. In the case of an "ideal" weight distribution, i.e., both deposits have equal weight. However, the reproducibility and the measurements performed with the Haring-Blum (HB) cell are rather limited. This is primarily due to the lack of well-defined and reproducible hydrodynamics, inability to provide high-speed solution agitation, and inability to attain high current densities.
Many modern electroplating cells employ fluid velocities of several meters per second, while the HB cell or similar equipment has a practical limit at 20-30 cm/s. Solution agitation is typically conducted by means of air bubbling or by magnetic stirrers, e.g. stirrer 88. Therefore, the information obtained under low to moderate agitation is not directly applicable to high-speed processes. The information obtained with the HB cell is limited to low current densities due to the inherent limitations of low solution agitation. Current densities of the order of up to 40 ASF and low solution agitation are amenable for application of the HB cell.
Solution agitation can affect the current distribution through secondary and tertiary current distribution effects and thus influence the throwing power. The electric field and its resulting primary current density distribution are the first order parameters which govern metal deposit distribution, Typically, the current density decreases as the distance from the anode increases. In order to overcome this primary current density distribution effect, commercial plating apparatus are designed to apply the kinetic and/or the transport of matter "adjustments" to the current density.
The kinetics adjustments can be divided into two kinds: the enhanced polarization at retained high current efficiency and enhanced polarization at reduced current efficiency. This results in the so-called secondary current density distribution, definable as a current density distribution which encompasses an additional "resistance" at the interface (polarization), which is not a function of part geometry and/or interelectrode gap. Thus, the strict dependence of current density on the part geometry and solution resistance can be reduced. An additional benefit is obtained when the polarization brings about a non-plating process (e.g. hydrogen evolution) so that the "excess" current is "consumed" without metal deposition.
The transport of matter is the key parameter which can influence throwing power. Generally, the polarization of metal deposition process (assuming the same metal in various chemical environments) is a result of two effects; one is the coordination shell composition and the other is the presence of additives. The coordination shell plays a role in the steps preceding discharge and immediately following the deposition, creating a thin solution layer which is chemically different than the bulk solution. Additives, byproducts and contaminants may also participate in the mechanism of deposition. The magnitude of these effects on metal distribution are a function of the transport of matter.
The transport of matter adjustment is performed with low concentration of depositing metal. Under these conditions, if solution agitation is relatively uniform across the plated part, one obtains the transport limited current at low current density. This results in the so-called tertiary current density distribution and leads to little or no change in the transport limited current density across the plated part, regardless of the magnitude of the excess current.
T. C. Tan undertook to give an electrochemical interpretation to the throwing power, in which electroplating parameters such as electrode polarization and overall voltage are taken into consideration. See T. C. Tan, "Model for Calculating Metal Distribution And Throwing Power of Plating Baths", Plating and Surface Finishing, July 1987, pages 67-71. See also Thiam Chye Tan, "A Novel Experimental Cell for the Determination of the Throwing Power of an Electroplating System", Journal of Electrochemical Society: Electrochemical Science and Technology, Vol. 134, No. 12, December 1987, pages 3011 et seq. Tan has devised his own cell design for throwing power measurements. This multi-compartment cell contains anodes and cathodes covering a range of distances, while mixing is provided by gas spargers. Although the uniformity of agitation has been improved over the Haring Blum cell, it is still limited by low solution agitation rates and restricted solution volume.

Rotating cylinder-throwing power electrode


A substrate panel primarily comprises a plurality of substrate strips arranged in an array, one or more current input lines, a plurality of cascaded lines connecting between the substrate strips, and a current input buffer gate. Current input lines connect a current input side of the substrate panel to the adjacent substrate strips. The current input buffer gate has a frame around the substrate strips and a plurality of meshes where the frame intersects with the current input lines and the meshes intersect with the cascaded lines with both ends of the meshes connecting to the frame. Therefore, the current can be evenly distributed to each substrate strip during plating processes to improve the issues of different plating thicknesses and different plating roughness caused by different current densities and to protect the internal circuits inside the substrate strips from the damages due to current surges and unstable voltages.

Printed circuit boards have been implemented as micro substrates or substrate units for carrying chips in semiconductor packages. A plurality of micro substrates are arranged in an array and disposed on a substrate strip where the semiconductor packages are assembled on the substrate strip. Furthermore, a plurality of substrate strips are arranged on a substrate panel for mass production by the processes of printed circuit boards. Normally, before the singulation of a substrate strip, nickel/gold or other metals are electroplated on the metal pads on the substrate panel to prevent metal oxidation and to enhance metal bonding strengths in the following processes such as wire bonding or solder ball placement.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional substrate panel 100 comprises a plurality of substrate strips 110, a plurality of current input lines 121 and current output lines 122 at opposing sides, and a plurality of cascaded lines 130 where the lines 121 and 122 and the cascaded lines 130 are copper traces formed from the same metal layer. The substrate strips 110 are connected to each other as one body and are disposed in an array on the substrate panel 100 where some of the substrate strips 110 adjacent to the current input side 101 of the substrate panel 100 are numbered as 110A. The current input lines 121 connect from the current input side 101 of the substrate panel 100 to the adjacent substrate strips 110A, the current output lines 122 from the current output side 102 of the substrate panel 100 to the adjacent substrate strips 110. Two adjacent substrate strips 110 are connected by the cascaded lines 130. During plating processes, current flows from the current input side 101 to the substrate strip 110A through the current input lines 121, then flows to the adjacent substrate strips 110 through the cascaded lines 130, and finally flows to the current output side 102 through the current output lines 122 where the direction of the current flow is shown in the arrows in FIG. 1. Since the current flows to the substrate strip 110A first and then flows to other substrate strips 110, the substrate strips 110A experience the highest current density, then the current density will gradually decrease toward the current output side 102 as the distance of the substrate strips 110 from the current input side 101 increases causing different current densities at different substrate strips 110 at different locations of the substrate panel 100 leading to poor plating qualities such as different plated thicknesses and different plated roughness. Moreover, poor plating qualities will cause wire-bonding failure or poor solder ball jointing strengths during semiconductor packaging processes. Furthermore, when there are current surges or unstable voltages, the adjacent substrate strips 110A to the current input side 101 will be damaged by the surges through the current input lines 121.

Substrate panel having a plurality of substrate strips for semiconductor packages


A friction-textured elastic yarn is prepared by twisting a single-component multifilament melt-spinnable polymer yarn having an initial modulus of 80 to 150 cN/tex and a melting point of at least 200.degree. C. at a speed of at least 200 m/min, the thus twisted yarn is heat-set at 160.degree. to 190.degree. C. to produce a fixated yarn, and the fixated yarn is friction-textured at a pretension of 0.5 to 3.0 cN/tex.

High elastic fibers, so-called elastomeric fibers made of rubber as well as of thermoplastic plastics, are known. Thus, the elastane fibers, which belong to the elastomeric fibers, exhibit unsatisfactory textile properties if they consist of bonded multifilaments.
The manufacture of such elastomer fibers requires special measures. As a rule, the fibers are subjected to a wrapping or twisting process before processing. Elastomers of this kind cannot be used alone since the textile planar structure exhibits a greasy appearance. Therefore, elastomeric fibers are always manufactured into a composite yarn together with different chemical fibers such as nylon or polyester (DE-A-24 12 592). This involves a high amount of labor and cost in many operational steps of the manufacture and results in poor economic efficiency.
Attempts of texturing by means of a carrier spindle have so far failed in that the elongation potential of the yarn reaches the limit and the yarn cannot be pulled over a twist pin. Other attempts to texture elastomers by means of friction units have so far not yielded a textured yarn.

Process for manufacturing an elastic bulk yarn


A valve and valve assembly having a hybrid valve member are provided. The valve includes a housing, with an inlet, a primary outlet, and a secondary outlet. The hybrid valve member is rotatably positioned within the housing. The hybrid valve member has a fully closed position wherein the hybrid valve member prevents flow between the inlet and the primary outlet and prevents flow between the inlet and the secondary outlet. The hybrid valve member includes a planar portion and a hemispherical portion on a first side thereof. The planar portion faces the inlet in the fully closed position and the hemispherical portion faces the secondary outlet in the fully closed position.

It is generally known in the art to syphon or "bleed" air from a compressor section of a turbine engine upstream from the combustion section. Such bleed air is used for a variety of functions including but not limited to cabin pressurization, engine operability, powering of pneumatic actuators, anti-icing, etc.
Many contemporary systems modulate such bleed air through the use of multiple air valves. Each air valve is in fluid communication with a certain portion of the compressor section. Controlling the restriction offered by the internal metering element of each air valve controls the amount of bleed air that is allowed to flow from the compressor section. This modulated bleed air flows from each air valve to its appropriate destination to achieve one or more of the exemplary functions identified above.
Unfortunately, such contemporary systems are complex. Indeed, they typically involve multiple stand-alone air valves each having an independent actuator, or at least multiple separate metering elements controlled by a single actuator, each being connected to the single actuator by way of a relatively complex linkage. As one example, a stage of compressor section may utilize two stand-alone air valves each having an actuator, or a single valve having two metering elements therein which are connected by way of a linkage to a single actuator. While the above systems have proven to sufficiently modulate bleed air, they also have a large overall engine foot print, have a large part count, are generally complex in their linkages, and tend to be high cost.
Recent designs have included a single metering element that allows for a primary bleed air function as well as a secondary function. While such systems present a significant improvement over existing designs, the applicant has found that for smaller bleed valve port sizes, on the order of about two inch port diameter, (i.e. smaller bleed functions) such designs are not as efficient in terms of space and weight. That is, despite this smaller bleed function, such systems require a sufficiently large actuator to deal with internal resistive torque on the metering element. For smaller bleed functions, there is an expectation of smaller size and weight envelope as well, however. As such, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method that modulates bleed air in smaller bleed applications that presents a reduced amount of internal frictional forces and resistive torque so as to reduce overall actuator size requirements.
The invention provides such an apparatus and method. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.


The present invention describes a method and an apparatus of multi-feature lookup process using multi-feature classification memory (“CM”). In one embodiment of the present invention, the method defines various features, offered in the router, into a feature hierarchy. Individual associated CMs are merged into a combined associated multi-feature CM. The feature rules for packet processing are merged according to the feature hierarchy and the multi-feature CM is populated with the merged rules. The multi-feature CM includes combined packet-processing rules for multiple features. The multi-feature CM eliminates the need for individual associated CMs. The memory space in the multi-feature CM is shared by various feature rules.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of packet routing, and more particularly relates to feature lookup of incoming packets using classification memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, routers have numerous features that are enabled upon the processing of incoming packets. The features are enabled based on user-specified router configurations. When the incoming packets match a particular pattern (e.g., source address, destination address, incoming port, data rate or the like), the router enables features associated with that pattern. For example, a conventional access control list (ACL) feature determines whether to permit or deny the incoming packets when the incoming packets match a predefined pattern. Similarly, a quality of service (QoS) feature specifies a policing scheme that can be enforced when the incoming packets match a predefined pattern. In software routers, the features are linked to a data structure for incoming packet pattern. When the incoming packet pattern matches a predefined pattern for a data structure, the incoming packet is processed according to the rules defined in the data structure.
However, in hardware routers, typically the data structures are fixed. The pattern of incoming packets is compared against a fixed hardware directory of features or content-addressable memory (CAM). When a match is found, the CAM generates an index. The index is used to access an associated classification memory (CM) that defines the rules for the processing of the incoming packets. Conventionally, in a hardware router ("router"), one CAM bank is assigned for every feature and each CAM bank is associated with a CM that defines the rules for packet processing. For example, when the router has 'n' features, 'n' CAM banks are assigned for feature lookups. The patterns of incoming packets are matched against each CAM to determine an index to packet processing rule in the associated CM. The routers are pre-configured to include CAM banks for every offered feature.
When a customer application does not use a feature, the CAM bank assigned for that feature cannot be used for other features. For example, when a customer application uses the ACL feature and does not use the QoS feature then the CAM bank assigned to the QoS feature is not used even when the customer exhausts the space in the ACL CAM.
One approach to solve the problem of unused CAM banks is to remove the unused CAM banks and include additional CAM banks for other features. However, when the customer application requires infrequent use of a feature, a CAM bank must be assigned for that feature. For example, when the customer uses one policing entry for QoS feature, an entire CAM bank must be dedicated for the QoS feature. A method and apparatus is needed to CAMs and associated CMs for multi-feature packet processing in a router.

Multi-feature classification memory structure for associative matching


A fishhook mounted for pivotal movement so as to be able to avoid entanglement with weeds or trash, this novel hook having an eye where a fishline may be attached and an upper shank portion extending at an angle downwardly from the eye. The hook also has a lower lure-receiving shank portion integral with the upper shank portion, with the upper and lower shank portions meeting in a curved shoulder portion forming an acute angle. This construction enables the lower shank portion to reside in a generally horizontal position when a lure has been inserted upon the lower shank portion with the head of the lure residing close to the curved shoulder portion and the hook is suspended from the eye. The end of the lower shank portion remote from the shoulder portion is provided with an upturned portion terminating in a point having a barb thereon. The eye forming the support for the hook and lure is normally located upwardly and forwardly of the lure, thus making it possible for the lure to weathervane, and face forwardly in a realistic manner. The weathervaning occurs whether the hook is utilized in an upright position with the lower shank portion of the hook inserted into an upper part of the lure, or the hook is utilized in an inverted position and the lower shank portion is inserted into a lower portion of the lure.

In the fishing lure art, there has been a proliferation of various types of artificial lures having bodies made of soft, life-like plastic and imitating various types of natural baits, such as worms, night crawlers, grubs, toads, crawfish, minnows, etc. that form the prey of gamefish. These artificial lures are molded in a wide range of colors and specific shapes in an attempt to attract fish of particular types under the particular water and light conditions encountered by the fisherman.
Fishermen typically carry in a tackle box, the soft, plastic artificial lures described above and also hardbodied wood, metal or plastic artificial lures that typically resemble small fish or other creatures upon which larger gamefish prey. These hard bodied lures are also made in a wide range of colors and specific shapes to attract fish under various water and light conditions.
One type of lure design which has gained appreciable popularity is generally comprised of a body having the appearance of a minnow or shad, i.e., the body has a front head portion and a tail portion with simulated eyes, gills and fins and constructed of soft, life-like, resilient materials, such as plastic or latex. These have come to be more popular than hard bodied lures which are encumbered with fixed attachments of hooks, deflectors, etc. that detract from the lure's natural appearance and life-like behavior.
One of the oldest and most frustrating problems which confronts fishermen is the probability that the tug on the end of his fishing line is the engagement of a weed or other unwanted catch rather than a fish. This is the most common predicament in which a fisherman finds himself, given the fact that many fish are to be found in areas that contain weeds or other obstacles. If the point of a fish hook is exposed and dragged through the water, it is far more likely to snag debris than to catch a fish.
Various designs intended to render hooks weedless have been implemented. One common design in use today consists of light, flexible, strands of spring steel, affixed to the hook in such manner as to precede and guard the hook's point. Other designs have involved mechanical weed guards that were required to be set not unlike a mousetrap. However, sometimes the tension holding the weed guard in place would be too great and the mechanism would not disengage when struck by a fish. Conversely, if the tension were too weak, the mechanism would disengage without a fish strike. These types of lures are believed to no longer be readily available on the market.
I am aware of the existence of the Kahle U.S. Pat. No. 2,624,146 entitled "FISHHOOK" and I have noted he has placed particular emphasis on the configuration of his hook. This patentee has positioned the sharp point of his fishhook so that, using his words, the fish can strike his hook "from almost any direction with little or no interference from the shank of the hook." Kahle sets forth that the point of his hook is relatively far from the upper shank portion, with this distance being substantially greater than the distance from the point to the adjacent lower shank portion. This inventor specifically states in his Column 2 that "Extending laterally at an angle of more than 90.degree. from the lower end of the upper shank portion there is a lower shank portion 13 which is slightly curved and terminates in a bend 15 having thereon a sharp point 16 with a barb 17." However, Kahle makes no mention of the use of a hook of a configuration involving a downwardly angled upper shank portion meeting at an acute angle with a generally horizontally disposed lower shank portion, such that the hook will provide a forwardly located support for a lure mounted on the lower shank portion. This patentee also makes no mention of lure interchangability, involving for example a lure of resilient plastic material permitting a degree of elongation along the longitudinal centerline of the lure, whereby upon the lure being stretched lengthwise to a slight extent, it can be readily installed on the lower shank portion of the hook, making use of a pocket provided in a hollow interior portion of the lure. He also says nothing about his lure having weedless qualities.
There is a distinct need for an improved hook-lure combination that will combine the attributes of attractiveness to a fish; ease of lure installation on the fishhook; tendency of the lure to "weathervane" so as to maintain a desired orientation; and an ability of the hook-lure combination to disengage itself from encountered weeds; and maintain a natural horizontal attitude at all times.

Weedless hook and lure having lure interchangeability


Process and system for managing a mix design catalog of a concrete producer that involves collecting slump curve data obtained during in-transit monitoring of delivered concrete loads made from a plurality of various mix designs, wherein each mix design is identified by a different identification code (regardless of whether components are different), clustering slump curve data having same movement characteristics according to assigned strength value, and selecting a mix design to produce, to display, or both to produce and to display, from among the two or more slump data curves of individual mix designs within the same data curve cluster. The selection is based on same movement characteristic and assigned strength value, and at least one factor relative to cost, performance, physical aspect, quality, or other characteristic of the concrete mix or its components. Exemplary methods for generating new mix designs are also set forth.

Concrete producers, such as manufacturers of ready-mix or precast concrete, require different concrete mix designs to meet strength and slump targets for various customers and to address various applications (e.g., pavements, columns). Typically, the design of a concrete mix takes into consideration various factors including cement type, aggregate type and ratio, water-to-cement ratio (w/c), chemical admixture(s), air characteristics, placing methods, and numerous other factors.
The term "mix design catalog" as used herein refers to the collection or accumulation of various concrete mix designs of a given concrete producer. Concrete producers rapidly accumulate concrete mix designs in their catalogs over time.
In the construction industry, successful concrete producers will typically have an extended history in the business. During expansion of the customer base or the acquisition of production plants, for example, a concrete producer can rapidly increase its number of product offerings from tens to hundreds, and from hundreds to thousands and even to tens of thousands. The proportion of significantly different and useful mix designs can vary widely. That is to say, for many concrete producers, there could be a large number of duplicative mix designs, which means that a number of designs could effectively be discarded from the mix design catalog. As will be explained, however, house cleaning can be a heavy burden on the concrete producer and frequently does not happen in the concrete industry.
Concrete producers collect concrete mix designs over time for numerous reasons. Such reasons include, as an example, different construction applications that require different aggregates, different aggregate blends, or different mix ratios (e.g., coarse to fine aggregate), different amounts of water depending on aggregate packages (See e.g., ACI 211-65), and different admixture components (e.g., air entrainers, corrosion inhibitors, plasticizers, etc.).
Various concrete mix designs can also arise due to a large number of specific technical or performance considerations and customer requirements. For example, material sources and raw materials change over time. These include cements, pozzolans, aggregates, chemical admixtures, and other components. Substitution of components can involve new blending ratios. All of these considerations give rise to new mix designs.
A sales team or quality control department can generate new mix designs to satisfy individual customer requests. Putting new mix design codes on "new" mix designs might entail minor changes in the actual component mixture. This could result in negligible differences in terms of quality or performance between two different mix designs.
The present inventors believe that over time the mix design catalog grows in size because old mix designs are retained in the catalog even as new mix designs are added. As a new mix design often requires laboratory or full-scale testing to confirm performance, producers hesitate to remove mix designs from their catalogs. This is partly due to the desire to avoid losing past investments in the testing of the mix design, as well as due to the consideration that past mix design performance may be needed or requested for a future project.
However, it is on account of the rapidly growing number of mix designs that concrete producers find it increasingly difficult to confirm whether an existing mix design will meet specific requirements of a future customer. This is especially true if there occurs a change in a material that is required in a large portion of the mix designs within the mix catalog. The very act of re-evaluating a myriad of existing mix designs means that a lot of time would be required to sift through a collection of mix designs to confirm that a specific desired performance would be attained by a given mix design within the collection. The growing number of mix designs impedes the ability as well as thwarts the determination of a quality control group to manage the mix design catalog. In other words, the large number of mix designs leads to a limited ability to check performance through physical testing as the effort is spread out over the many mix designs. This dilutes the quality of information for any one mix design which leads to a higher overdesign as required by standards such as ACI 318-14. Thus, the present inventors believe that the very proliferation of mix designs is in itself a vexing cost magnifier for concrete producers.
Although there are methods for creating new mix designs including the ACI method of mix design (ACI 211.1-91), methods developed by Ken Day (Concrete Mix Design, Quality Control and Specification), methods developed by Francois de Larrard (Concrete Mixture Proportioning), and Per Andersen ((See e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,386,368 wherein the use of a "K factor" is disclosed for generating new mix designs), no methods exist at present for managing the various mix designs that a concrete producer has accumulated in its mix design catalog over time, based on real time rheology monitoring processes.
Accordingly, the present inventors believe that the concrete industry needs a novel and inventive way to manage efficiently and effectively the mix design catalog of a concrete producer.


Light emitting diode (LED) display modules, display screens comprising a plurality of display modules and methods of forming display screens are disclosed. Each display module 10 forming a display screen comprises a flexible substrate 11 supporting a plurality of LEDs 14. A set of connectors 16, 50, 52, 54 comprising male connectors and female connectors are coupled to the flexible substrate for connecting the display module to a respective set of connectors 16, 50, 52, 54 of an adjacent display module along at least one first edge 18 of the display module such that horizontal and vertical alignment of the display modules and the LED pitch size is maintained during flexing of the display screen.

Light emitting elements in the form of LEDs are widely used in display screens, particularly for large scale applications. Larger scale applications include advertising screens, information screens, such as those in building lobbies, airports, train stations and the like and for entertainment purposes, such as those used at concerts and in television studios.
With reference to FIG. 1A, to achieve the large display areas typically required for such applications, one type of large LED display screen 2 comprises a plurality of smaller display modules 4a, 4b which are coupled together. Such modules must be physically held together in the desired formation to form the finished screen. The modules must also be coupled together for both power and data transmission through all of the modules to power the LEDs 6 of each module and to cause the array of LEDs on each module to display the respective portion of the overall images being displayed.
Larger scale LED display screens are producing higher resolution images by reducing the LED pitch size, i.e. by reducing the distance between the centres of adjacent LEDs and hence increasing the number of LEDs per unit area. As the pitch size decreases, it is increasingly important to accurately align adjacent display modules. Misalignment of modules results in distorted images being displayed and thus the image quality is impaired. Improving or even maintaining image quality in the presence of decreasing LED pitch size, but in the absence of an accurate means of joining the modules therefore becomes more difficult.
Many applications require LED display screens to conform to one or more curved surfaces. With reference to FIG. 1B, when the screen 2 is bent to conform to a curved surface, display module 4a is at an angle to display module 4b, such that the pitch size between adjacent modules is different to the pitch size for each module, which leads to distorted images. A gap 8 is also created between adjacent modules, which is unsightly and produces a display screen with poor aesthetics. Existing display module coupling systems cannot maintain the LED pitch size between adjacent modules.
Some display screens are flexible, which is achieved by using suitable materials that enable the individual display modules forming the screen to bend. However, bending the display modules changes the pitch size between adjacent modules resulting in distorted images being displayed. The problem is exacerbated with increasing curvature of the modules.
Some known methods of coupling LED display modules for flexible large scale displays comprise interlocking ridge and lip arrangements. However, these do not maintain the pitch size between adjacent modules. At least some of these also have the drawback that access to the modules from the front of the module, for example for maintenance or test purposes, is not possible. Therefore, access must be via the rear of the module. Since the displays are often mounted to a curved surface, access from the rear can also be difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, in some cases, the displays must be dismantled and/or removed from their mounting to permit access.
Another problem with conventional flexible displays is that the power and logical connections at the rear of the multiple modules can be cluttered, which can be time consuming to disconnect and diagnose problems during maintenance. This problem is exacerbated with the size of the display and the increasing numbers of modules.
Where large scale LED displays are used in external environments, another requirement is that the LED screens and their components need to be waterproof.


Microfluidic method and device that can be used for sensing and measurement of properties of liquids, gases, solutions, and particles is proposed, wherein the measurable liquid or gas (with or without particles) flow in at least one channel through a measurement chamber (cell) formed between at least two isolated electrodes is used for electrical impedance measurement. The proposed solution is characterized in that the cross-section of at least one pair of similar spatial electrodes decreases smoothly towards the tiny measurement chamber (cell) in order to increase the sensitivity and accuracy of the measurement. Typically, a device with multiple similar channels is advantageous to use for comparative measurement and differential measurement schemes.

Solutions are known in which the frequency characteristics of a mixture and its particles are measured by measuring the response of the generated alternating excitation signal using the electrodes in the measurement chamber (cell) containing the mixture and subsequently calculating it. The complex value (also referred to as the vector value) obtained by the ratio of the excitation signal to the response signal indicates the electrical impedance of the mixture under investigation at the applied AC signal measurement frequency or several frequencies simultaneously if the excitation signal contains multiple frequency components (S. Grimnes, Ø. G. Martinsen, 2015. Bioimpedance and bio-electricity basics, 3rd edition Elsevier-Academic Press, M. Min, et al. 2015. Impedance detection: In: Prof. Dongqing Li ed., Encyclopedia of microfluidics and nanofluidics, 2nd edition. New York: Springer, pp. 1338-1361).
Measurement of the impedance at several different frequencies results in a complex impedance spectrum, which gives more information about the properties of the liquid and its particles. The association of the properties of a liquid, a mixture, or a gas, and the particles therein, with the impedance spectrum, is generally accomplished through an equivalent electrical model or equivalent circuit of the mixture and the particles, with electrodes in contact with the solution being also an important part of the electrical model (S. Grimnes 2015; Chen, J. et al., "Microfluidic Impedance Flow Cytometry Enabling High-Throughput Single-Cell Electrical Property Characterization Review," Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2015, 16, 9804-9830; U.S. Pat. No. 6,703,819B2) since their impedances remain in series with the impedance of the mixture to be measured. Such devices for detecting, counting and measuring the properties of mixtures and particles therein, with various electrode arrangements, are described in articles (Min 2015; Chen 2015) and U.S. patents (U.S. Pat. No. 6,703,819B2; U.S. Pat. No. 8,329,437B1; U.S. Pat. No. 7,417,418B1) whereas, in order to increase the sensitivity of particle detection, differential measurement schemes have also been proposed in which the amplitude and polarity of the signals change abruptly as the particle moves between several electrodes.
A typical frequency response curve of impedance magnitude spectrum of the measurement chamber (cell) of a microfluidic device is shown in FIG. 1A, which shows a typical frequency response of the solution impedance magnitude when the measurement chamber (cell) diameter d=1 mm, length l=1 mm and electrode area s=0.8 mm2. The solution to be measured is a salt solution corresponding to a standard biological solution with a specific conductivity of 1 S/m. The first falling part of the magnitude is defined here by the electrical capacitance of the electrodes and the fluid interface, more precisely by the so-called constant phase element (CPE), due to the so-called double layer effect of the electrically charged surface of chemically inert metals, e.g., gold and platinum and solution (Min 2015; Chen 2015). For smooth and clean electrodes, CFE is approximately equivalent to electrical capacitance, with a value proportional to the electrode area. The second, falling part of the magnitude, is caused by the electrical capacitance between the electrodes, which is formed by the capacitance of the solution and the parasitic capacitance (mainly the input capacitance of the connecting wires and measurement electronics) The resistance of the solution causes the middle, horizontal part of the magnitude.
In a Lab-on-a-Chip-solutions, diminishing the physical dimensions of the measurement chamber (cell) is required for several reasons. Firstly, it is necessary for achieving sufficient sensitivity in the case of small particles (cells, bacteria, etc.) as it depends on the volume ratio of the particles to the surrounding fluid. However, for biological objects, the resistivity of a suitable solution is relatively low (˜1 Ωm, specific conductivity 1 S/m), so that the effect of small particles with much higher resistance (and impedance) remains small with the larger amount of solution in the measurement chamber (cell). In many cases, the second reason is the cost of expensive reagents (antibody solutions, etc.) used in measurements. As the measurement chamber (cell) decrease, also the surface area of electrodes and their electrical capacitance decrease, leading to a shift of the first (lower frequency) incident part of the magnitude spectrum toward higher frequencies (FIG. 1B illustrating the magnitude frequency response of the complex impedance magnitude of the same solution with a smaller measurement chamber (cell) and smaller electrodes (d=0.1 mm, l=0.05 mm, s=1000 μm2). Here, the second (higher frequency) falling part of the magnitude shifts significantly less, since the input capacitances of the measurement electronics remain approximately the same and the role of the solution capacitance is relatively small. Shifting the center part of the magnitude spectrum towards higher frequencies makes the measurement more complicated and, under other equal conditions, degrades its accuracy and resolution. The effect of parallel parasitic capacitance also increases (since this capacitance now affects the horizontal part of the spectrum more due to the proximity of the knee frequency—up to the situation where no horizontal part remains), which is often variable in temperature, the amplitude of input voltages, and finally also in time. Because the central part of the spectrum plays an important role in detecting the properties of biological objects (e.g., detecting pathogens by selective interlayer), the efficiency of the device (sensor) decreases with size reduction.
A known solution for increasing the electrode area is the use of porous electrodes (S. Zheng, "Micro Coulter Counters with Platinum Black Electroplated Electrodes for Human Blood Cell Sensing", Biomed Microdevices (2008) 10: 221-231). The disadvantages of such a solution are the increased uncertainty of the measurement results due to the long-time movement of the solution in the micropores of electrodes and the variance of that time between different electrodes. This particularly influences the results of comparative (differential) measurements. Another problem is the increased contamination of electrodes.
A known solution for the increasing of the electrode area is the use of finger-shaped electrodes (U.S. Pat. No. 8,841,924B2). The disadvantages of this solution are the large unevenness of the current density and the impedance measurement sensitivity near the electrodes, which makes it complicated and inaccurate to relate the measurement results to the electrical model parameters of the object.


This invention provides a cost-effective, easy-to-integrate Flash EPROM cell array. Starting with a substrate (31) of first conductivity-type, a first diffusion (30) of second conductivity-type forms the sources (11), and the connections between sources, of all of the memory cells (10) of the array. A second diffusion (32) of first conductivity-type forms the channel of at least one memory cell (10) in the array. A floating gate (13) and a control gate (14) of that memory cell (10) are located over, and insulated from, a junction of the first diffusion and the second diffusion. A third diffusion (33) of second conductivity-type is isolated in the second diffusion (32) to form the drain (12) of the memory cell (10). During operation, only positive voltages may be used for programming and erasing of the cells (10), thus eliminating the need for negative voltages and for triple-well diffusions. The cell array of this invention requires little or no current for Fowler-Nordheim erase operation. Therefore, there is no need for wordline (15) decoding of large arrays. In addition to the above features, use of the cell array of this invention saves space by eliminating, in certain types of prior-art arrays, the need for space-consuming columnar metal source lines. In that same type of array, a self-aligned-source etch step and a self-aligned-source implant step are eliminated.

This invention relates to flash electrically-erasable, programmable read-only memories (Flash EPROMs) and to a method for making such integrated-circuit devices. In particular, this invention relates to a structure and a method for forming an array of EPROM cells.
One conventional structure for memory arrays of the type used herein is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,527. In prior-art Flash EPROMs of the type described in exemplary U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,527, a horizontal source line connects to the sources of each memory cell in a row of an array of such memory cells. The term "array", as used herein, includes a subarray of several such subarrays on a chip. To flash erase of all of the memory cells in an array, a positive voltage is applied to the common source electrode for that array. With separate common source electrodes for subarrays, each of the subarrays may be erased separately from other subarrays on the chip.
The buried horizontal source lines of the foregoing prior-art arrays are formed by etching through vertical field oxide insulators. The horizontal source lines are formed in alternate spaces between the wordline/floating-gate stacks, with the stacks serving as masking for the self-aligned etching step.
The buried horizontal source lines are connected together by metal vertical source lines, so that all of the sources of the memory cells in an array are connected to a common electrode. Each metal vertical source line typically requires a space equivalent to about one and one-half columns of memory cells. The vertical source lines are placed at suitable intervals of columns of cells to compensate for the relatively high resistance of the buried horizontal source lines.
There is a need for a cost-effective, easy-to-integrate Flash EPROM structure that retains the advantages of the first prior-art structure described above, yet eliminates the need for space-consuming vertical source lines. In addition, there is a need for a Flash EPROM structure that decreases the number of steps for manufacturing the type of memory array described above.

Method of making EPROM cell array using n-tank as common source


An air injection type stomach band for distracting (e.g. stretching or extending) the lumbar vertebra of disc patients is disclosed. In the air injection type stomach band for distracting the lumbar vertebrae of disc patients, a plurality of air expansion tubes are connected perpendicularly to an air injection tube at equidistant intervals. When air is injected into the air expansion tubes, the air expansion tubes are elastically expanded so as to distract the vertebrae which constitute the lumbar vertebra. When the lumbar vertebrae are pressed, the pulpar nucleus which lies at the center of the fibrous ring is projected out. Then the projected pulpar nucleus presses the nerve, thereby causing pains in the patients. The wearing of the stomach band strengthens the fibrous ring and the lig. longitudinale anterius. Therefore, the pain is alleviated, and prevents the pulpar nucleus from being projected. Therefore, an essential treatment is possible. In this state, the wearer of this device can perform athletic exercise, so that the disc symptom can be cured. In a person who is not a disc patient, the device of the present invention protects the lumbar vertebra of the person during work or athletic exercise.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air injection type stomach and waist band for stretching or extending (sometimes referred to herein as "distracting") the lumbar vertebra of disc patients. In particular, the present invention relates to an air injection type stomach and waist pressing band for stretching or extending the lumbar vertebrae of disc patients, in which a plurality of air expansion tubes are disposed perpendicularly to an air injection tube at equidistant intervals. When air is injected into the air expansion tubes, the air expansion tubes are elastically expanded so as to distract the vertebrae which constitute the lumbar vertibrae. In this state, the wearer of this device can perform athletic exercise, so that the disc symptom can be cured. For a person who is not a disc patient, the device of the present invention protects the lumbar vertebra of the person during work or athletic exercise.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A disc patient has the following symptoms. That is, the lumbar vertibrae are composed of five vertebrae and, due to a bad posture or an excessive load, the fibrous ring which is disposed between the vertebrae is pressed. Then the pulpar nucleus which is within the fibrous ring is projected to the outside to stimulate the nerve. Consequently, the patient feels pain, and in a severe case, the waist of the patient is incapacitated.
In treating such a patient, the pressed lumbar vertebra is stretched or extended by an external force, so that the gap between the vertebrae would be restored to the original state, and that the pulpar nucleus would return to the original position. Or, alternatively, the projected pulpar nucleus is cut off, or medicine is injected into the intervertebral disc, so that the pulpar nucleus existing inside would be melted, and that the projected pulpar nucleus would be absorbed into the inside. However, with such treatment, only temporary effects are realized.
The reason is as follows. That is, the intervertebral is composed of fibrin and, therefore, the pulpar nucleus projected cannot be cured by surgery. The pulpar nucleus projected usually continuously flows out and, therefore, the symptom returns repetitively.
Therefore, an essential treatment can be realized as follows. That is, in a state with the lumbar vertibrae stretched or extended, the fibrous ring should be strengthened on a long time basis through athletic exercise. However, there has been no method or apparatus for stretching or extending the lumbar vertebra.
Recently, a stomach band made of a steel sheet has been used for correctly fixing the lumbar vertebra. However, this method makes it possible only to maintain the lumbar vertebra at the correct position, but cannot stretch or extend the lumbar vertebra. Further, with this steel band put on, an athletic exercise cannot be performed and, therefore, the fibrous ring or the lig. longitudinale anterius cannot be strengthened. Therefore, with this method, an essential treatment cannot be expected.
In an attempt to overcome the above described disadvantages of the conventional techniques, the present applicant disclosed a proposal which was filed under Korean Utility Model Application No. 94-4204. In the device of this proposal, illustrated in FIG. 12, separate connecting tubes 200 are connected to both ends of a plastic T shaped tube 100. An overlapped portion is secured by means of a connecting band 300 so as to form an air injection tube 110 of a certain length. An air expansion tube 500 vertically extends from the bottom 101 of each of the T shaped tubes 100, and the overlapped portion is secured by means of a connecting band 301. Such T shaped tubes 100 and the vertical air expansion tubes 500 are connected continuously, and this connected assembly is inserted into a securing cover 600. The securing cover 600 is provided with wrinkles 601 so that the air expansion tubes 500 can be expanded. Then the securing cover 600 is sewed to a stomach band 700.
When using the stomach band 700, in a state with the stomach band 700 attached for pressing the backbone, air is injected into the stomach band 700 through the air injection tube 110. Then the air expansion tubes 500 are expanded vertically, so as to stretch or extend the lumbar vertebra. With this stomach band put on, an athletic exercise can be performed owing to the elasticity of the air expansion tubes 500, thereby solving the conventional problems.
In this device, however, the T shaped tubes 100 are composed of a hard material, the air expansion tubes 500 are composed of through-tubes having a certain wall thickness, and the other ends of the tubes have to be plugged with corks 800. Then the corks 800 have to be secured by means of connecting bands 302, so that the corks would not become dislodged. Further, bolts 900 are driven through the lower portions of the corks to connect them to the securing cover 600. The corks are made of a hard plastic material and, therefore, when the air expansion tubes 500 are expanded by injecting air, the corks 800 and the hard T shaped tubes 100 press the backbone. Consequently, an abrasive or chafing feeling is aggravated. Further, the air expansion tubes 500 which are connected to the T shaped tubes 100 are secured by means of connecting bands 301 in a pressed state to maintain an air-tight state. Therefore, when the air expansion tubes 500 are expanded, the pressed portions are made thin, as shown at 501, and therefore, during the use of the device, the air expansion tubes 500 are liable to rupture on the thin portion 501. Further, each of the T shaped tubes is connected to an expansion tube by using the connecting bands 300 and by using connecting tubes 200 and, therefore, numerous connecting portions exist. Therefore, much manual work must be done in manufacturing the device and the manufacturing process is complicated.

Air injection type stomach band for pressing backbone


A transmitter circuit (200, 400, 510) and method reduces amplitude modulation distortion in an amplifier (210). The transmitter circuit (200, 400, 510) includes a power control error data generator (230), a feedforward predistortion data generator (240), feedforward adder logic (250) and the amplifier (210). The power control error data generator (230) receives amplitude modulation data (252) and an RF coupled output signal (254) and, in response, produces power control error data (256). The feedforward predistortion data generator (240) receives the amplitude modulation data (252) and, in response, produces feedforward predistortion data (258). The feedforward adder logic (250) receives the power control error data (256) and the feedforward predistortion data (258) and, in response, produces power control data (260). The amplifier (210) receives the power control data (260) and an RF input signal (261) and, in response, produces an RF output signal (262), such that the power control data (260) reduces amplitude modulation distortion in the RF output signal (262).

Many wireless communication protocols provide for transmitters, operating within a communication network, which are capable of employing phase modulation (PM) techniques and (AM) amplitude modulation techniques. Examples of such wireless communication protocols include Enhanced Data Rates for Global Systems for Mobile Communications Evolution (EDGE), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA). To accommodate the modulation requirement for each particular communication protocol, wireless devices such as wireless telephones, wireless personal data assistants (PDAs), pagers, two-way radios and other types of wireless devices employ a transmitter and modulation circuitry for providing the required amplitude and phase modulation.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a transmitter stage 10 illustrating one previous technique, which employs a single loop amplitude modulation circuit 110, a phase modulation control circuit 120 and a base band processor 122. The single loop amplitude modulation circuit 110 includes an amplifier 124, an RF coupler 126 an envelope detector 128, and an amplitude modulation feedback circuit 129. The amplitude modulation feedback circuit 129 includes a capacitor 130 and a difference amplifier 132. A portion of the RF output signal 134 produced by the amplifier 124 is fed to the envelope detector 128 via the RF coupler 126 as an RF coupled output signal 136. The difference amplifier 132 generates a power control signal 142 based on the difference in voltage between the detected envelope signal 144 and an amplitude modulation signal 140 provided by the base band processor 122. The base band processor 122 may include a digital to analog converter to produce the amplitude modulation signal 140 for conversion from digital data to an analog signal. The difference amplifier 132 provides the power control signal 142 to the amplifier 124 such that the amplitude of the RF output signal 134 from the amplifier 124 is responsive to the power control signal 142, thereby achieving amplitude modulation of the RF output signal 134.
The phase modulation control circuit 120 consists of a mixer 146, a phase comparator circuit 148, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 150, a switch 152, and a limiter circuit 153. The switch 152 selects from either a synthesizer output signal 154 produced by the VCO 150 or the RF coupled output signal 136 and provides a feedback signal 155 to the limiter circuit 153. Before the amplifier 124 is turned on, the switch 152 couples the synthesizer output signal 154 from the VCO 150 to the mixer 146 via the limiter circuit 153 as a limited feedback signal 156. After the amplifier 124 is turned on and the single loop amplitude modulation circuit 110 attains a locked condition, the switch 152 couples the detected RF output signal 136 to the mixer 146 via the limiter circuit 153. Accordingly, the switch 152 receives the detected RF output signal 136 and in response produces the feedback signal 155 such that the amplifier 124 becomes part of a phase locked loop formed by the phase modulation control circuit 120 and the single loop amplitude modulation circuit 110. As a result, the phase modulation control circuit 120 compensates for the phase distortion of amplifier 124.
The mixer 146 generates a phase difference signal 158 having an averaged energy level that is equal to the difference between the phase of the frequency reference signal 162 and the limited feedback signal 156. The phase comparator circuit 148 generates a modulated phase difference signal 160 based on the phase difference signal 158 and a phase modulation signal 161. The phase modulation signal 161 is provided by the base band processor 122. VCO 150 receives the modulated phase difference signal 160 and in response produces the synthesizer output signal 154. Since the limiter circuit 153 and the switch 152 have low phase distortion, the RF output signal 134 has a phase that is approximately equal to the phase of the frequency reference signal 162. When switch 152 is switched to receive the RF coupled output signal 136, then the phase modulation control circuit 120 thereby achieves phase modulation of the RF output signal 134.
A problem arises when the power control signal 142 provided to the amplifier 124 for controlling the amplitude of RF output signal 134 causes a phase shift on the RF output signal 134, referred to herein as an AM to PM conversion effect. A significant phase shift may occur, requiring burst-to-burst calibration due to the AM to PM conversion effect. This AM to PM conversion effect is a result of a nonlinearity of the amplifier 124 that is characteristic of power amplifiers that employ design techniques used to minimize bias current and maximize power efficiency and when the power of the RF output signal 134 is controlled by varying the amplifier 124 bias current. However, such techniques to enhance operating efficiencies may cause phase distortion in the RF output signal 134, resulting in significant errors in a receiver when attempting to receive the phase distorted RF output signal 134.
In the past, several approaches have been used in an attempt to eliminate this AM to PM conversion effect. According to one approach, by using a more linear amplifier 124, AM to PM effects were reduced. However, a highly linear amplifier 124 is inefficient and power-consuming and is not desirable for applications such as portable wireless devices.
According to another approach, the phase of the frequency reference signal 162 is adjusted such that the synthesizer output signal 154 is phase-predistorted, thereby canceling the phase distortion that occurs in the amplifier 124. However, the required degree of phase predistortion is dependent on the RF output signal 134 level, a supply voltage to the amplifier 124, and an operating temperature resulting in a very complex open loop control scheme. Additionally, the phase predistortion is further complicated when amplitude modulation is employed.
According to another method, the single loop amplitude modulation circuit 110 compensates for amplitude modulation distortion in the amplifier 124. The single loop amplitude modulation circuit 110, however, has a loop bandwidth that varies as a function of the power control signal 142. As a result, the single loop amplitude modulation circuit 110 may not sufficiently compensate for the amplitude modulation distortion within amplifier 124 resulting in an RF output signal 134 having excessive amplitude modulation distortion especially at high data rates.

Transmitter circuit and method for modulation distortion compensation


A drive unit for oscillatingly driven mowing sickles has a first transmission unit {1} with a first housing (5) defining a first axis (6). A rotor (7) is rotationally supported in the first housing (5) around the first axis (6). A first internal gear wheel (10) is fixed in the first housing (5) and provided with internal teeth. A toothed pinion (14) is rotationally supported in the rotor (7) around a second axis (12). The second axis (12) is radially off-set to the first axis (6). The toothed pinion (14) forms the output element of the drive unit and meshes with the first internal gear wheel (10). A second transmission unit (2) has an output (34) non-rotationally connected to the rotor (7) of the first transmission unit (1). The second transmission unit (2) is formed as a step-down gear. A motor (4), with an output shaft (45), rotationally drives the second transmission unit (2). The rotational speed N1 is reduced by the second transmission unit (2), formed as a step-down gear, to the rotational driving speed N2 of the first transmission unit (1).

These mowing sickles are driven by drives of different construction. Especially advantageous in these large mowing widths mowing sickles, where high power is required, are drive units which include a transmission unit. The transmission unit converts the rotational movement directly into a reciprocating movement. The transmission units are directly coupled to the mower head of the mowing sickle to provide this oscillating movement.
One such transmission unit is described in DE 36 15 058 C2. The unit has a housing, which forms a first axis. The transmission unit includes a rotor, which is rotationally supported in the housing around the first axis. The rotor is driven by a power source. An internally toothed gear wheel is stationary attached in the housing.
The gear does not rotate in relation to the housing. The rotor is held in bearings in the housing. A toothed pinion gear wheel is rotationally supported around a second axis on the rotor itself. The second axis is radially off-set to the first axis. The toothed pinion gear forms the driving element of the transmission and meshes with the internally toothed gear wheel.
In practice, such a transmission unit is, for example, driven via a belt drive by a motor. Additionally, a flywheel mass is often provided in order to be able to also handle suddenly appearing loads.
Such drive units require, however, a large space. If a hydraulic motor is arranged directly onto the transmission unit, a bulky construction size results. However, hydraulic motors are suitable in connection with the above described transmission unit for only low rotational speeds. Thus, due to the high consumption volume, the hydraulic motors are only suitable for harvesting machines which have an extensive hydraulic system.
The disclosure provides a drive unit for an oscillatingly driven mowing sickle which has a small space requirement. Thus, the usable working width is more advantageous and is suitable for high power requirements.


Athletes' shoes, or other selectable footwear conventionally having a flexible forward tongue, is modified into a tongue forward-fold provided with a horizontal aperture and in forward alignment with the incandescent lamp portion of a luminaire system so that such lamp might beam directionally forwardly from the tongue of the worn footwear. The directionally forward light beam is not only aesthetically attractive, but also can illuminate the directionally forward pathway being taken by the wearer. In preferred embodiments, the luminaire system is a unifiabie incandescent lamp and storage battery power source therefor, and with such unit being securely and replaceably positioned immediately behind the tongue forward-fold.

Primarily for aesthetic reasons, the prior art describes luminaire-provided footwear, but such prior art footwear is neither intended nor designed for adequately illuminating the directionally forward pathway taken by night-time walkers and joggers. In the prior art, the footwear luminaire systems tend to be cumbersomely located, uncomfortable to the wearer, and/or are difficult to repair or replace once the incandescent lamp or power source therefor wears-out or misfunctions.


A hook unit for use with a clamp in a manufacturing environment. The hook unit includes a base and a sliding member arranged therein. A hook extends through the base and sliding member. The hook and sliding member form a barrier for the clamp.

Hook pin assemblies have been known for numerous years in robotic and manufacturing applications. A hook pin assembly in one application may be used with a robot end effector to locate and clamp a work piece or material to a specified work station such that an operation can be performed on the work piece. One prior art example hook pin assembly can be found in the automobile industry, there the hook pin assemblies are used to locate and clamp or secure an automobile body to a frame assembly, wherein the frame assembly is connected to and moves the automobile body down a manufacturing line. The assemblies are used in conjunction with the hook mechanism which enters the hook pin assembly and clamps against a stop surface. Generally, the hook is placed with a force thereupon to ensure the hook is not disengaged from the pin during operation of the work piece in the work environment.
Some prior art hook pin assemblies include a single unitary hook pin unit. These prior art hook pin units generally have a rectangular portion that includes an appendage extending from one side of the rectangular portion. The prior art hook pin units also include a channel through the appendage of the hook pin unit along an axis of the appendage. The channel extends completely through both outer surfaces of the appendage and creates a locking surface to which a hook will engage during work piece operations. The rectangular portions of a prior art hook pin unit includes a plurality of holes such that it can be connected to an end effector of a robot or to a work piece unit depending on the configuration of the work environment.
However, there have been problems in the prior art with the hook pin units such that if a pin fails the entire line has to be stopped to replace the hook pin unit. This reduces productivity and increases the cost of manufacturing the work piece or article. Furthermore, the one piece pin units are more complicated to make and often tend to be very heavy. Also the prior art hook pin units are not as robust and have to be replaced frequently. Furthermore many of the prior art hook pin units are very susceptible to weld slag contamination thus reducing the reliability and life cycle of such hook pin units. Furthermore, these hook pin units require the use of a pin whereas in many manufacturers are now requiring just a hook without having the pin or protrusion as part of the unit.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved hook assembly that reduce costs, is stronger, more robust, is immune to weld slag, and has a longer life cycle while being easier to maintain and repair in the work place environment.