A foam earplug that includes a first segment a second segment and a predetermined articulation zone disposed between the first segment and the second segment. The earplug exhibits an equilibrium bend force of no greater than about 10 g.

The invention relates to articulating earplugs.
Earplugs have been used for many years to protect hearing. Over the years earplugs have been made from a variety of different materials including cotton, soft wax, thermoplastic polymers and foam. The shape of earplugs has also been varied to achieve improved effectiveness and comfort. Examples of known earplugs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,094,315, 5,044,463, Des. 340,282, Des. 358,463, and Des. 371,193 and examples of known banded earplugs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,490,857, 4,819,624, and 4,671,265.
A person""s ear canal has a number of bends and a diameter changes located along the path of the canal. Good hearing protection can generally be obtained if the earplug is inserted just past the first bend of the canal. The bending of an earplug in the canal, however, can cause a force to be exerted on the canal, which creates discomfort for the wearer. The resulting irritation may cause the wearer to pull the plug out of the ear, either totally or partially. Wearers thus must endure the pain and discomfort caused by such an earplug or risk exposing their ears to loud noises that can damage their hearing.
The present invention is directed to a new earplug that can protect the wearer from loud noises without causing serious discomfort to the wearer.
In brief summary, the invention features a foam earplug that includes a first segment, a second segment, and a predetermined articulation zone disposed between the first segment and the second segment, such that the earplug exhibits an equilibrium bend force of no greater than about 10 g.
In another aspect the invention features a foam earplug that includes a first segment, a second segment, and a predetermined articulation zone disposed between the first segment and the second segment and adjacent the first segment and the second segment, the cross sectional area of the earplug taken at the articulation zone being no greater than about 80% of the cross sectional area of the earplug taken at the apex of the first segment and no greater than about 80% of the cross sectional area of the earplug taken at the apex of the second segment.
The inventive earplug is capable of bending at least one predetermined zone to exert a relatively low force against the inner wall of the ear canal. The earplug can be constructed to include a number of predetermined articulation zones, which can enable the earplug to bend in a number of different directions, and which can enable the segments to move somewhat independently relative to one another. The earplug can adapt to the contours of the ear canal and obturate the ear canal. In short the inventive earplug may provide good comfort to the wearer as well as good hearing protection.
In reference to the invention, these terms have the meanings set forth below:
xe2x80x9cArticulatedxe2x80x9d means composed of segments.
xe2x80x9cArticulatingxe2x80x9d refers to jointed bending.
xe2x80x9cArticulation zonexe2x80x9d is a joint that is capable of being bent.
xe2x80x9cPredetermined articulation zonexe2x80x9d is an articulation zone that is created when the earplug is manufactured.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof, and from the claims.


Systems, methods, and apparatuses for error checking are disclosed. In one embodiment, an error checking system is used on a device that has a plurality of parallel data lanes as inputs. It may be desired to provide an error checking system with sufficient resolution to detect single-bit errors, determine how many bits are in error, and/or determine which bit(s) of a parallel data lane are in error. In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides for switchable error checking through the use of a multiplexor configured to select a particular data lane for error checking. This switchable error checking may provide benefits such as low cost, low power consumption, and/or low size.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to the detection of errors in data transmission in integrated circuits and other devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of integrated circuits and other devices may be coupled to computer buses, including processing elements, memory controllers, peripherals, etc. Such devices may pass information including address, data, and control to one another over these buses. From time to time, information being transmitted on a computer system bus may be corrupted, resulting in transmission errors. Such errors may occur in a variety of manners—for example, during writing, reading, storage, transmission, or processing of data. Data that is "silently" corrupted—that is, without being detected by the computer system—may cause catastrophic failures.
Accordingly, various techniques for detecting such errors have been used and are known in the art. In some embodiments, however, the known techniques may require an excessive amount of error checking circuitry or may be unable to determine the location and nature of errors with specificity.


A catheter kit including a drainage catheter hub having a rotatable lever handle adapted to secure a suture thread to maintain the anchor configuration of the distal end of the catheter to secure the position of the catheter within the patient's body. The rotatable lever handle has a released position for allowing movement of the suture and a secured position for preventing movement of the suture. A rotatable lever handle adapted to secure the proximal portion of the suture that may otherwise remain loose during the procedure. The rotatable lever handle and associated rotatable barrel can be depressed relative to hub body in a locked configuration to prevent inadvertent rotational movement of the rotatable lever handle and a release slot or release button that can be actuated by the practitioner with a release tool to allow for rotational movement of the rotatable lever handle.

The present invention relates to catheters. In particular, the present invention relates to a catheter kit including, a drainage catheter with a locking hub adapted to secure a suture thread to maintain an anchor configuration at a distal end of the catheter, and a tool for unlocking the locking drainage catheter hub.
One problem often encountered in modern medicine relates to volumes of fluids that collect in a patient's tissue, body cavities, or other positions within a patient's body that exceed normal volumes. Collected fluids can contribute to infection, exert harmful pressure on the patient's organs, or otherwise impede the proper care and recovery of a patient. Drainage catheters have long been utilized to drain such excess volumes of fluids from a patient's body. Typically, the catheter is adapted to be introduced into the patient to the site where the excess fluid is accumulated. A plurality of drainage bores are positioned in the distal end of the catheter to allow passage of the fluids and any materials suspended in the fluids from the volume of fluid to the drainage bore of the catheter.
The distal ends of drainage catheters are typically adapted to form an anchor configuration to secure the drainage catheter at the site where excess fluid is accumulated. However, the tissue surrounding drainage sites often does not provide a solid or reliable substrate to maintain the position of the catheter. As a result, the anchor configuration of the catheter is typically formed in a relatively large pigtail type loop that provides a reliable anchor regardless of the characteristics of the surrounding tissue. The pigtail loop is formed by curling the tip of the catheter tube such that the tip of the catheter contacts a more proximal position on the catheter tube. This is accomplished utilizing a suture that is threaded between the proximal position and the tip of the catheter. When the suture is foreshortened, the tip of the catheter is securely positioned relative to the proximal position on the catheter tube. The portion of the distal end of the catheter tube between the tip of the catheter and the proximal position where the suture exits the catheter tube forms a resulting pig-tail type loop.
The suture is adapted to run the length of the catheter and exit the catheter at the proximal end of the catheter tube. This allows the user to manipulate the suture to maintain or release the anchor configuration of the distal end of the catheter while the distal end of the catheter is positioned inside the patient. Once the anchor configuration of the distal end of the catheter has been established, the practitioner secures the suture to maintain the anchor configuration of the catheter. Otherwise, inadvertent movement of the patient could pull the suture resulting in separation between the tip of the catheter and the proximal position on the catheter tube where the tip of the catheter tube is secured by the suture. Conventionally, a practitioner wraps or ties the free portion of the suture around the proximal portion of the catheter or proximally positioned catheter hub. However, wrapping or tying of the suture can be somewhat inconvenient to perform and make it difficult to release, reposition the anchor, or withdraw the drainage catheter.
A number of devices have been developed to attempt to secure the suture to maintain the anchor configuration of the distal end of the drainage catheter. One device provides a catheter hub adapted such that the suture is threaded between a proximal portion and a distal portion of the hub. To secure the suture, the proximal portion and the distal portion of the hub are pushed toward one another resulting in clamping of the suture between the proximal portion and the distal portion, minimizing movement of the suture. A number of deficiencies are presented by currently available suture securement devices. Many such devices are difficult to manipulate while manually maintaining tension on the suture thread. Additionally, such devices may provide ease in securing the suture, but are not as easily released to allow subsequent manipulation of the suture. Other devices are not intuitive to practitioners utilizing the devices requiring training or leading to improper usage of the device. Some devices do not effectively secure the suture leading to slippage or undesired placement of the distal end of the catheter within the patient. In some cases, the patient may disturb the suture, leading to problems with the drainage catheter that may require reinsertion or other procedures.
What is needed is an easy-to-use locking hub for sutures in a drainage catheter that can be adjusted by a practitioner and cannot be disturbed or adjusted by the patient either on purpose or accidentally.

Locking drainage catheter with rotatable lever handle and release tool


A protective helmet and method and apparatus for making same. The helmet is made of an expanded, resilient polymer and configured with an undercut portion and with holes for ventilation and/or the mounting of a helmet retention system. The holes are generally perpendicular to the surface of the helmet at the hole. The mold for making the helmet includes a core and a cavity. The cavity is configured with projections for molding holes in the back of the helmet and the core is configured with projections for molding holes in the front of the helmet. The space between the core and cavity when in an engaged position defines the shape of the helmet, including any desired undercut portions. The helmet is molded by injecting compressed, resilient polymeric beads into the mold, venting the mold while applying heat to expand the beads, permitting the mold to cool and retracting the cavity from the core along a line of retraction to release the part from the mold.

This invention relates to an improved protective helmet and a method and apparatus for making such a helmet. More particularly, the present invention relates to a helmet, and method and apparatus for making the same, having an undercut portion and perpendicularly directed holes which may be formed with a molding process.
Although protective helmets have long been essential equipment in contact sports such as baseball and football, they are finding more favor in non-contact sports such as bicycling, skateboarding and skating. In many of these principally non-contact sports, a potential impact to the wearer of the helmet occurs when the wearer falls down, striking his head on the ground or other object. Thus, helmets used in such non-contact sports are ideally designed to protect as much of the wearer's head as is possible.
A popular design for such a helmet is a compound curved surface having a generally elliptical hemispherical shell shape. Because of manufacturing constraints discussed below, most such helmets do not exceed 180 degrees of curvature in any single direction.
Even though such hemispherically shaped helmets cover a major portion of the skull, in use they can lack effectiveness. A helmet having the general shape of a hemispherical shell, with only 180 degrees of curvature, will sit on the top of the wearer's head. A retention system, usually in the form of a chin strap, must be employed to keep the helmet attached to the head in the event of a fall. Without a retention system, the helmet is only held on the wearer's head by the force of gravity.
However, the motion of the wearer's body during a fall which results in any substantial impact to the head is typically quite turbulent. With any significant turbulence of the body, the retention system may be incapable of preventing the helmet from shifting either down over the forehead, thereby leaving the back of the head exposed, or shifting rearwardly, leaving the forehead exposed. In either situation, a portion of the head which would otherwise be covered by the helmet is left exposed.
Even with an adequate retention system, properly adjusted by the wearer of the helmet, a helmet whose compound curved surface does not extend beyond 180 degrees still leaves portions of the head exposed. These include the portion of the skull inferior to the occipital lobe, including particularly the mastoid bone --the area of the cranial cavity where a basil skull fracture is most likely to occur.
One way of providing for additional coverage by the helmet is to extend the curvature of the helmet beyond 180 degrees, providing the helmet with a "backdraft" or "undercut," and allowing the helmet to cover the area inferior to the occipital lobe. An additional advantage of such a design is that the helmet, rather than just sitting on the head, is secured to the head by the undercut. When a helmet with an undercut is employed with a retention system, shifting of the helmet as a result of agitation of the head during a fall is minimized.
Protective helmets for non-contact sports such as bicycling, skateboarding and skating are typically made of expanded, non-resilient polymers such as expanded polystyrene (EPS). EPS consists of plastic cells that have been bonded together in the shape of a helmet during the molding process. EPS is currently the material of choice for such helmets because it is lightweight and has excellent shock attenuating properties
When subjected to an impact, the cells of an EPS helmet will "crush," or permanently deform, thereby protecting the wearer of the helmet by attenuating the energy of the impact. However, the inelasticity of EPS that allows for such good shock attenuation properties has some disadvantages.
For example, helmets made of EPS are rigid, inelastic, and have very little flexibility. Because EPS helmet liners are rigid and inflexible, they tend to break or crack on substantial impact. Therefore, helmets made of EPS are generally considered to be "singleimpact" helmets because they are no longer effective after a single substantial impact and must thereafter be replaced.
EPS helmets must typically be employed with a covering surrounding the EPS liner. In the event the EPS liner breaks into pieces upon impact, the cover preserves the integrity of the helmet. Coverings used on EPS helmets range from high-density plastic shell covers to fabric covers designed to merely hold the pieces together in the event of a fall. Regardless of the cover employed, utilizing a covering in connection with an EPS helmet adds cost and complexity to the manufacturing of the helmet.
Another significant disadvantage arising out of the inelasticity of EPS is that its use imposes limits on the shapes of helmets which can be molded. EPS helmets are generally made by a foam molding injection process. A typical mold for an EPS helmet liner has a core and a cavity. The space between the core and the cavity defines the shape of the helmet. The core is generally hemispherical in shape, and configured to roughly match the shape of the top of a human head. The cavity has generally the same shape as the core, but is slightly larger by a predetermined amount, thereby determining the wall thickness of the helmet.
When molding an EPS helmet, raw polystyrene beads containing a blowing agent are exposed to heat and pre-expanded to roughly the density desired in the helmet. The beads are then fed into the mold where they are further heated, causing additional expansion of the beads, forcing them to conform to the shape of the mold and causing the beads to bond to each other.
The mold is then allowed to cool, permitting the EPS to stabilize, at which time the core and the cavity are separated, usually by retracting the cavity from the core along a straight line of retraction, leaving the EPS helmet attached to the core. The helmet is then ejected from the core by a blast of air channeled into the core or with an ejector pin pushing the helmet off the core.
Care must be taken when ejecting the EPS helmet from the core to ensure that the helmet is not broken during the ejection process. To this end, the core of the mold is typically coated with a release agent, such as Teflon, to facilitate removal of the helmet.
Thus, the fragile nature of EPS helmets places certain limitations on the shapes of helmets which may be molded using EPS technology. For example, molding an EPS helmet with any significant undercut is impossible on a conventional mold. Because a helmet with an undercut has an inside curvature extending beyond 180 degrees, the helmet could not be removed from the core of the mold without breaking the helmet. In other words, an EPS helmet with an undercut would not have sufficient elasticity to permit the helmet to elastically deform a sufficient amount to be removed from the core of the mold.
Complex molds with collapsible cores have been utilized to manufacture EPS helmets with an undercut. Such molds are expensive and can be complicated to operate. Because steam is frequently utilized as a heat source in the molding process, such collapsible cores oxidize quickly and must be replaced with more frequency than non-collapsible molds.
Another attempt of the prior art to form an EPS helmet with an undercut is to mold the helmet in two sections and then attach the pieces. A significant disadvantage of this process is the additional cost of manufacture. Additionally, the impact-resistant properties of such a two-piece helmet are not as favorable as with a one-piece helmet.
The prior art has made attempts to design an EPS helmet providing similar protection to a helmet with an undercut. Such attempts have resulted in helmets having a generally hemispherical shell portion with a rear section extending downwardly in a straight line from the edge of the shell. Because such a design does not curve inwardly toward the head, the helmet is still susceptible to substantial movement during a fall.
An additional problem encountered in the manufacture of EPS helmets is configuring the helmet with holes in it to accommodate a helmet retention system or air vents. Virtually all sport helmets made today must be manufactured with a configuration of holes in them to accommodate both a helmet retention system and some form of an air ventilation system.
One method employed by the prior art for forming holes in an EPS helmet is to cut the holes in after the molding process with a hot knife or wire. The principal disadvantage to this procedure is that it can be extremely messy because melted EPS tends to accumulate on the knife and around the work station where the cutting is performed. Additionally, manually forming the holes in the helmet represents an additional step in the manufacturing process, resulting in increased manufacturing costs.
Attempts have been made to mold the holes in an EPS helmet at the same time the helmet is being molded. One method employed by the prior art is to configure the core and/or the cavity with projections to form the holes in the helmet as the part is molded. However, because of the extreme brittle nature of EPS, any projections extending into the part must necessarily be positioned along the line of retraction of the cavity. Otherwise the part cannot be removed from the mold without breaking. In a conventional molding process, this would result in the holes in the helmet being configured vertically.
Preferably, however, holes used for ventilation purposes are configured horizontally (as the helmet is worn) or are configured substantially perpendicular to a line tangent to the surface of the helmet at the hole. Because these positions are not along the line of retraction, they cannot be molded into an EPS helmet using a conventional molding process
Perhaps a more significant disadvantage of molding vertically positioned holes into the helmet is that the amount of material taken from the helmet is greater than necessary. For example, when attempting to mold a hole in the front of the helmet with a mold projection which must extend vertically, a great deal of material must be displaced to form the hole. In some helmet designs, the additional material taken from the helmet would unacceptably weaken the helmet.
Another attempt made by the prior art to efficiently mold holes into EPS helmets is to employ a "sliding" core in which there are movable projections in the core which correspond in size to the holes to be formed in the helmet. When molding the helmet, the projections are inserted into the void between the core and the cavity before the polystyrene beads are introduced into the mold. After the part cools, the projections are retracted into the core before the core and the cavity are separated. Such sliding cores, however, are expensive to manufacture and, because they operate in a hot, moist environment, their useful life is only a fraction of that of a one-piece core.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that what is needed in the art is a protective helmet, and a method and apparatus for making the same, having good shock attenuating properties and which can be molded in one piece with an undercut by conventional molding processes.
It would also be an advancement in the art if a protective helmet could be provided, and a method and apparatus for making the same, in which holes positioned perpendicular to the surface of the helmet could be molded into the helmet without the use of sliding cores.
Such a helmet, and method and apparatus for making the helmet, is disclosed and claimed herein.


A fluid control valve includes: a valve housing in which a flow path having gas inlet and outlet is formed; a drive device attached to the valve housing; a valve shaft connected to an output shaft of the drive device and moving in an axial direction; and a valve body attached so as to radially extend to an axis of the valve shaft, and opening and closing the flow path by being moved with the valve shaft so that one side surface moves away from or comes into contact with a valve seat formed in the flow path, wherein the valve housing is attached to an attachment target member so that the valve shaft is tilted, and the valve body includes a wall portion corresponding to a portion where a liquid inside the flow path collects due to its weight, within a portion having the valve seat, and formed along an edge portion on the other side surface opposite to one side surface of the valve body.

Japanese Patent No. 4141810 (Reference 1) discloses a type of fluid control valve. As illustrated in FIG. 1 of Reference 1, the fluid control valve includes a valve housing (first and second valve bodies 11 and 12) in which a flow path (configured to have a fluid inlet path 17, a communication path 19, and a fluid outlet path 18) having a gas inlet and a gas outlet is formed, a drive device (an electromagnetic actuator 16) attached to the valve housing, a valve shaft (a plunger 16a) which is connected to an output shaft of the drive device and moves in an axial direction in the valve housing, and a valve body 15 which is attached so as to radially extend with respect to an axis of the valve shaft, and which opens and closes the flow path by being moved with the valve shaft so that one side surface moves away from or comes into contact with a valve seat (seat portion 20) formed in the flow path of the valve housing.
In the above-described fluid control valve disclosed in Reference 1, when the valve housing is attached to an attachment target member in a state where the valve shaft is tilted to a horizontal plane (for example, a state where the fluid outlet path 18 is located on a lower side in FIG. 1 of Reference 1), while the valve body is in contact with (sits on) the valve seat, a fluid (for example, water) inside the flow path collects in the lowest portion (for example, a left side of the valve seat) of the flow path in some cases as the fluid spills over an upper surface portion of the valve body. In this case, if the water freezes, there is a possibility that the fluid control valve may not open.
In order to solve this problem, a method may be considered which operates the frozen and stuck valve body by improving a drive force of the drive device. However, the method causes the drive device to be increased in size and to be very expensive in cost.


A toy construction kit for constructing sand cast structures using a set of different casting molds, support posts installed in the molds during filling and compacting the sand, and support plates that encompass the open part of the mold and that include a socket to engage the post, the support plate and post supporting the sand casting when the mold is removed the kit including interconnection clips to interconnect the support plates of multiple casting when constructing a multi-tier structure.

This invention relates to a toy construction kit for building wet sand structures. The toy construction kit includes sets of building modules for casting supportable sand components in making large and elaborate sand structures.
Children enjoy playing in the sand at the beach, or in a playground or home "sandbox." Particular enjoyment is derived from building sand castles and other sand structures from wet or damp sand. Building large or complex sand structures often requires an artistic talent and dexterity not possessed by young children. In fact, such structures are frequently built by young adults, often in teams, during competitions. As the wet sand begins to dry, the sand structure crumbles under its own weight, often before the entire structure is completed.
To provide younger children with the means to produce large, imposing structures in a short period of time, casting pails are frequently used. By packing sand in a sand pail, and inverting the pail at the desired location, elements of a structure can be completed quickly before appreciable drying occurs. While this method is popular with young children, the inability to construct tall and complex structures leads to disinterest and boredom.
In order to provide young children and enthusiastic adults with a challenge in building cast sand structures, the toy construction kit of this invention was devised. The primary problem with the use of existing pail cast structures is the inability to stack castings or span between castings. The toy construction kit of this invention solves the problems of existing sand casting kits that merely provide a series of different molds, and provides structural elements to greatly expand the type and size of structures buildable using the toy construction kit.
The toy construction kit is designed as an educational tool to both develop motor skills and conceptualization. Building integrated structures from a set of modules requires a gradual increase in dexterity as the structures increase in complexity.
The toy construction kit was primarily designed for use with wet sand, but any compactible material, such as snow can be used with the construction kit. In summer or winter, hours of enjoyment can be provided with the toy construction kit of this invention.


A method of purifying a vapor product stream obtained from cracking of biomass catalyzed by a fluidized solid catalyst is provided. The catalyst is separated from the vapor product stream to provide a de-catalyzed vapor product stream. Solid biomass residue is cyclonically separated from the de-catalyzed vapor product stream to provide a purified vapor product stream.

With the diminishing supply of crude mineral oil and fossil fuels in general, use of renewable energy sources is becoming increasingly important for the production of liquid fuels. These fuels from renewable energy sources are often referred to as biofuels.
Biofuels derived from non-edible renewable energy sources, such as cellulosic materials, are preferred as these do not compete with food production. These biofuels are also referred to as second generation biofuels or advanced biofuels. Most of these non-edible renewable energy sources, however, are solid biomass materials that are somewhat cumbersome to convert into liquid fuels.
One process that can be used for converting solid biomass into liquid fuels or other useful chemicals is fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), which has been widely used for some decades in fossil fuel refining.
Fluid catalytic cracking comprises mixing hot regenerated catalyst with a hydrocarbon feedstock in a riser reactor under catalytic cracking reaction conditions. This causes the feedstock to be cracked to yield hydrocarbon vapours (including for example gasoline-range boiling hydrocarbons, diesel-range boiling hydrocarbons, dry gas, liquefied petroleum gas and other hydrocarbons) as well as degradation products, for example coke, which deposit on the catalyst causing a reduction in catalytic activity. Hydrocarbon vapours and coked catalyst are passed from the top of the riser reactor to a separator vessel where catalyst is separated from hydrocarbon vapours. The separated catalyst is then passed to a stripper where it is contacted with a stripping gas to remove volatile product hydrocarbons. The stripped catalyst is then passed to a separate regeneration vessel where coke is oxidised from the catalyst. Catalyst having had a substantial portion of the coke removed is then passed to a regenerated catalyst standpipe to the riser reactor for cyclic reuse in the process.
Of particular concern in the field of fluid catalytic cracking has been the development of methods and systems for separating hydrocarbon vapours from catalyst particles under efficient separating conditions so as to reduce overcracking and improve product purity. Patent publications EP-A-162978, EP-A-629679, U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,411 and EP-A-604026 all describe developments concerned with the rapid separation and recovery of entrained catalyst particles from hydrocarbon vapour. The rapid separation is achieved in that the catalyst is separated from the reactor riser effluent in a first cyclone separator in fluid connection with a second cyclone. This cyclone line-up in fluid catalytic cracking reactors is also referred to as close-coupled cyclone separation provided that the primary and secondary cyclones are contained in one larger vessel.
More recently, fluid catalytic cracking has been proposed to process biomass, especially solid biomass. WO2010/135734 describes a method for co-processing a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock in a refinery unit comprising catalytically cracking the biomass feedstock and the refinery feedstock in a refinery unit comprising a fluidized reactor, wherein hydrogen is transferred from the refinery feedstock to carbon and oxygen of the biomass feedstock. In one of the embodiments in WO2010/135734, the biomass feedstock comprises a plurality of solid biomass particles having an average size between 50 and 1000 microns. In passing, it is further mentioned that solid biomass particles can be pre-processed to increase brittleness, susceptibility to catalytic conversion (e.g. by roasting, toasting, and/or torrefication) and/or susceptibility to mixing with a petrochemical feedstock.
A drawback of many prior art fluid catalytic cracking processes for converting biomass is that they are often based on equipment and/or principles of fluid catalytic cracking processes originally designed for fossil fuel feedstocks, particularly refinery feedstocks. This can lead to processes that are prone to providing impure products and/or require more frequent maintenance or component replacement.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method and/or apparatus that address at least one problem associated with the prior art.


A medical laser apparatus suitable for medical treatment, which is capable of obtaining a plurality of visible laser beams each having a different wavelength, but which has an inexpensive structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical laser apparatus capable of selectively irradiating a plurality of visible laser beams each having a different wavelength onto an affected part of a body.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a medical laser apparatus such as a laser apparatus for use in photo coagulation treatment in ophthalmology, a type including a Raman fiber laser and a wavelength conversion element, for obtaining a plurality of visible laser beams each having a different wavelength that is suitable for the treatment at high intensity, has been proposed.
However, in the case of using the Raman fiber laser, a considerable number of fiber Bragg gratings having appropriate characteristics corresponding to the wavelength of an infrared beam, which is the source of a visible beam that is being sought, need to be combined, thereby complicating the structure and resulting in a high level of costs. Moreover, in order to obtain a plurality of infrared beams each having a different wavelength, which are the sources of a plurality of visible beams each having a different wavelength, a plurality of expensive Raman fiber lasers corresponding to the respective wavelengths of the infrared beams needs to be used. Further, the Raman fiber laser entails a problem insofar that the width of a spectrum of a Raman shifted infrared beam is likely to expand so that wavelength-conversion efficiency of its wavelength conversion element is reduced. Thus, if the intention is to obtain a visible beam of a level of more than 1 W (watt) that is necessary for the treatment, an excitation light source having a high level of output becomes necessary, thereby resulting in an expensive apparatus.

Abstract: A medical laser apparatus capable of selectively irradiating a plurality of visible laser beams each having a different wavelength onto an affected part, comprises: a fiber laser source unit including an excitation light source, a plurality of fiber lasers for oscillating, by means of excitation light from the excitation light source, a plurality of infrared fundamental beams each having a different wavelength and a first optical switch having an input portion and a plurality of output portions for selectively switching a transmission path of the excitation light from the excitation light source to one of the fiber lasers, the fiber laser source unit being capable of selectively oscillating the fundamental beams; and a plurality of wavelength conversion elements for wavelength-converting the fundamental beams, from the fiber laser source unit, to a plurality of visible second harmonic beams.


A method for mapping height of a feature upon a test surface is provided. The method includes projecting patterned illumination upon the feature, the patterned illumination having a plurality of distinct fringe periods. A first image of the feature is acquired while the patterned illumination is projected upon the feature. Relative movement is then generated between a sensor and the feature to cause relative displacement of a fraction of a field of view of a detector, the fraction being equal to about an inverse of the number of distinct regions of a reticle generating the pattern. Then, a second image of the feature is acquired while the patterned illumination is projected upon the feature. The height map is generated based, at least, upon the first and second images.

Circuit boards that carry electronic circuits as well as discrete electronic components are well known. A circuit board substrate is prepared with predetermined conductor paths and pads for receiving the lead of an electronic component such as integrated circuit chips, resistors or capacitors. During the circuit board fabrication process, solder paste bricks are placed onto the board substrate at appropriate positions. The solder paste is usually applied by placing a screen onto the substrate, applying solder paste through the screen openings and removing the screen from the substrate. The circuit board electronic components are then positioned onto the substrate, preferably with a pick and place machine, with the leads of the electronic components placed on the respective solder paste bricks. The circuit board is passed through an oven after all of the components are positioned on a substrate to melt the solder paste thus creating an electrical as well as mechanical connection between the components and the substrate.
The size of the solder paste bricks and the accuracy with which they must be placed on the substrate has become increasingly smaller and tighter with the increased emphasis on miniaturization in the electronics industry. Solder paste brick heights can be as small as 100 microns and the height of the solder paste brick must often be measured to within 1 percent of the designed height and size. The center-to-center spacing between solder bricks is sometimes 200 microns. Too little solder paste can result in no electrical connection between the lead of an electronic component and the pad of the circuit board substrate. Too much paste can result in bridging and short-circuiting between the leads of a component.
A single circuit board can cost thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars to manufacture. Testing of a circuit board after the fabrication process is complete can detect errors in solder paste placement and component lead connection, but often the only remedy for a faulty board is the rejection of the entire board. It is accordingly imperative that a circuit board be inspected during the fabrication process so that improper solder paste placement can be detected prior to the placement of the electronic components onto the substrate. Such in-process solder inspection reduces the cost of failure since expensive components have not yet been placed onto the circuit board. Embodiments of the present invention are applicable to a variety of automated optical inspections relative to electronics manufacture. Important inspections include, solder paste inspection, adhesive or glue inspection, post-placement component inspection, lead/ball coplanarity inspection, et cetera.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,750,899, assigned to the Assignee of the present application, provides a height topology inspection system that is able to detect the size and height of solder paste by projecting light through a reticle so as to project a pattern of light onto an area of the printed circuit board. A board transport positions the board to at least two different positions, where each position corresponds to a different phase of the projected light. An image corresponding to each respective position phase is acquired at each position. The relative movement between the sensor and the board is measured, and a processor co-sites the at least two images and constructs a height map image with the co-sited images. The height map image is then used to detect size and height of solder paste on a circuit board.
While U.S. Pat. No. 6,750,899 represents an important contribution to the art of height topology inspection, there is some room for improvement. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention, as will be described hereinafter, generally improve upon the design provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,750,899.

Method for three-dimensional imaging using multi-phase structured light


A foldable stroller has a frame assembly that can be moved from an in-use configuration to a folded configuration. A storage latch for the foldable stroller has a catch part carried on a first frame part that extends transversely between left and right frame sides. The storage latch also has a latch part carried on a second frame part that extends transversely between the left and right frame sides, at least one of the latch or catch parts moving from a stowed position to a latching position adjacent the other of the parts as the frame assembly is moved to the folded configuration.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure is generally directed to strollers, and more particularly to a centrally mounted storage latch that can automatically catch when the stroller is folded for storage to retain the stroller in the folded configuration.
2. Description of Related Art
Strollers are known that collapse from an in-use position to a collapsed or folded configuration. Strollers are also known to have latches that hold or retain the stroller in the folded configuration for storage. Typically, the storage latch on such a stroller is mounted on an outer left or right side frame part of the stroller frame, and only on one side of the stroller. The latch can be accessed readily when it is desired to release the stroller from the folded and latched condition. However, one disadvantage with this type of latch, being on the side of the stroller, is that the device can visibly detract from the aesthetic appearance of the product. Most stroller manufacturers provide a storage latch that is mounted in line with or outside of the lengthwise or longitudinal frame tubes on the stroller frame. Such a latch may automatically catch when the stroller is folded. However, many of these types of frame side latches must be manually pivoted to the latching or catch position.
In one typical example, a known side latch is on one side frame part and operates to automatically catch another component on a mating side frame part when the stroller frame is moved to the folded configuration. This type of side latch is often in the form of a cantilevered lever that has a snap detail at the terminal or distal end. When the stroller is folded, the snap detail cams over and catches on a post or stud on the mating side frame part to latch the two folded or collapsed frame parts together. To release the latch, the user must bend the resilient lever to release it from the post or stud. Another disadvantage with this type of latch is that the lever is often difficult to manipulate and bend.
Additionally, with this type of latch typically provided only on one side of the stroller frame, asymmetrical torque can be applied to the frame structure during movement and transport of the folded stroller and just prior to release of the latch. This is disadvantageous in that the resulting asymmetry can cause undue wear on the joints of the stroller frame over time.


A fan nacelle includes a metallic fan containment case. A nacelle inlet is secured to the metallic fan containment case by permanent fastening elements. A gas turbine engine includes a metallic fan containment case. A core engine has a static engine structure housing a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. The core engine is configured to receive core airflow. A fan is arranged within the metallic fan containment case. The fan is coupled to the core engine and is arranged in a bypass flowpath provided between the core engine and the metallic fan containment case. A nacelle inlet is secured to the metallic fan containment case by permanent fastening elements.

This disclosure relates to an integrated nacelle inlet and metallic fan case.
One type of gas turbine engine includes a fan driven by a core engine. The fan is arranged in a bypass flowpath, which is provided between the core engine and a fan nacelle. The fan nacelle houses a fan containment case that surrounds the fan. The fan containment case supports structure that provides a seal relative to the fan and retains debris during a fan blade-out event.
The fan nacelle also includes a fan nacelle inlet arranged upstream from the fan to provide a smooth entry for airflow into the bypass flowpath. Typically, the fan nacelle inlet has been secured to a metallic fan case by removable means, such as nuts and bolts. In one application, a composite fan case has been used, and the nacelle inlet has been integrated with the composite fan case to provide a unitary composite structure.

Integrated nacelle inlet and metallic fan containment case


In a wireless communication network comprising at least one mobile terminal and an access point, the access point detects a beacon signal transmitted by a mobile terminal, and transmits a beacon signal in place of a given mobile terminal if it detects that the given mobile terminal transmits a beacon signal. The mobile terminal, on the other hand, stops transmitting the beacon signal and receives the beacon signal transmitted by the access point.

The present invention relates to a method of communication in a network.
The invention is in the field of wireless networks. These networks may be highly centralized, have one base station which manages the whole network and allocates network access to the various members, or else may be more distributed, that is to say that the decisions about network access are the result of one or more terminals deciding the rights of network access for themselves or for the others.
These networks have in common the fact of having a channel for network management information, sometimes called the "beacon channel", and a channel for the user information, carrying data known as "payload data". The beacon channel is normally managed by the base station, which is in principle connected to a wired network of telephone or data type. The terminal is capable of transmitting a certain amount of information to the base station, in order to describe its own situation in relation to the network.
The commencement of the existence of a wireless network, on switching on the elements which make it up, is generally characterized by the presence of a beacon channel. Usually, this beacon channel is attributed to a base station which is an access point to a wired network.
Among the existing systems, i.e. principally systems conforming to the DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) standard or to variants of it, two main categories may be identified: either a base station or an access point begins to transmit over a beacon channel as soon as it is turned on, or a mobile terminal that is turned on detects the lack of a beacon channel and declares itself to be a base station, whether or not it is an access point.
However, such systems are not relevant in the case where the network under consideration is a mixed network, that is to say having a wired part and a wireless part, where the access points are multiple and linked to the same wired network. Such a mixed network is shown in FIG. 1. The references MT0 and MT1 in the Figure represent mobile terminals and AP0, AP1, and AP2 represent access points linked to the same wired network.


A control system includes a device having a position between minimum and maximum positions. A first position sensor senses the position of the device and generates a first position value. A second position sensor senses the position of the device and generates a second position value. A sensor module communicates with the first and second position sensors and generates a single signal waveform based on the first and second position values. A frequency of the waveform is varied based on the first position value. A duty cycle of the waveform is varied based on the second position value. A conductor has a first end that communicates with the sensor module and a second end that communicates with a control module. The sensor module transmits the waveform to the control module on the conductor. The control module decodes the waveform to determine the first and second position values.

Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly replacing mechanical linkages in vehicles with sensors and electromechanical devices to reduce weight and cost. For example, sensors are replacing mechanical linkages to detect positions of user operated devices such as accelerator, clutch, and brake pedals. Signals are transmitted from the sensors to controllers and/or electromechanical devices in the vehicle. For example, a signal from an accelerator pedal may be transmitted to an actuator in the electronic throttle body to adjust the position of the throttle plate 26. Additionally, a throttle position sensor detects the position of the throttle plate 26 and transmits a signal to an engine control module.
In cases where mechanical linkages are at least partially eliminated, multiple sensors are commonly used to perform redundant measurements and ensure system accuracy. For example, some manufacturers use analog position sensors that are based on a resistive ink or paste that is deposited on a non-conducting substrate. Other manufacturers use application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) in combination with sensors. The sensors typically include hall effect or inductively coupled sensors. The ASICs receive analog signals from the sensors and output pulse width modulated (PWM) or other types of signals. Any of these sensors may use one or multiple shared reference voltages. However, as the number of sensors increases, the number of wires and overall cost increases.

PWM and variable frequency based position indicators


First electrode pads formed on one semiconductor package surface include a first reinforcing electrode pad having a surface area larger than that of other first electrode pads. Second electrode pads formed on a printed wiring board on which the semiconductor package is mounted include at least one second reinforcing electrode pad. The second reinforcing electrode pad opposes the first reinforcing electrode pad, and has a surface area greater than that of the other second electrode pads. The first and second electrode pads are connected by solder connection parts. A cylindrical enclosing member encloses an outer perimeter of a solder connection part connecting the first and second reinforcing electrode pads. Increases in the amount of warping of semiconductor devices such as the package substrate and the printed wiring board are suppressed, and the development of solder bridges with respect to adjacent solder connecting parts or adjacent components is reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printed circuit board on which two mutually opposing electrode pads are connected by a solder connection part, a semiconductor device connection structure, and a method of manufacturing a printed circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been a constant need for lighter, more compact, and multi-functional digital electronic devices such as digital still cameras and digital video cameras. In order to fulfill that need, it is necessary to achieve advances in making electronic components within the electronic devices lighter, more compact, and multi-functional, and to mount the electronic components at a high density on a printed wiring board. Ball grid arrays (BGAs) and chip size packages (CSPs), which are capable of arranging connection electrodes at a high density, are often used as mounting techniques in order to realize these demands. Further, in order to address the demand for additional size reductions, land grid array (LGA) semiconductor packages have been employed for connection to connection electrode parts by using solder pastes instead of solder bumps.
With LGA semiconductor packages, a volume of an individual solder connection part used for connection is smaller than that when using BGA semiconductor packages. Further, the height between the semiconductor package and a printed circuit board after connection is small (on the order of 100 μm to 200 μm). Solder pastes thus easily spread out into their surroundings when softened by reflow heating, allowing solder bridges to form with respect to adjacent terminals and adjacent components.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-142185, there is disclosed a flip chip semiconductor device where barriers are formed for solder connection parts of a package substrate in order to prevent solder bridges.
Warping may develop in semiconductor packages and printed circuit boards during solder heating and melting due to differences in their coefficients of thermal expansion. However, with the structure disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-142185, barriers having the same height are formed between all of adjacent solder connection parts of the semiconductor device. The connection reliability of solder connection parts in regions where a gap between the semiconductor package and the printed circuit board increases due to warping is thus significantly reduced. That is, although melted solder normally is capable of suppressing stress due to warping, with the structure of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-142185, the barriers between the solder connection parts inhibit this process.
Further, with the structure of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-142185, barriers are only formed between respective electrode pads of the semiconductor device, while barriers are not formed in perimeter portions of the semiconductor device. Accordingly, when solder pastes soften due to reflow heating, the solder pastes flow out to the perimeter portions of the semiconductor device. This leads to problems where the solder pastes may detach, may form solder balls and splash out, and may lead to solder bridging with respect to other adjacent components.

Printed circuit board, semiconductor device connection structure, and method of manufacturing a printed circuit board


A panel system including a sheet-like movable panel; a lower profile carrying the panel weight and acting as a panel guide track; an upper profile supporting the panel from above and acting as a panel guide track; and an opening guide track placed in parallel with the lower profile, carrying the panel weight and acting as a panel guide track. The panel can move from the lower profile onto the opening guide track and simultaneously pivot to an open position, in which the panel weight is carried by both the lower profile and the opening guide track. In an embodiment, an opening angle of the panel with respect to the lower profile in the open position is smaller than 90° or 85°, or not greater than 45°, or is preferably from 10° to 15°. In an example, the panel system further includes a sheet-like immovable panel with an open position.

Various panel systems can be placed in connection with a building, for example in connection with a balcony, a terrace or a canopy of a building. It is often a panel made of glass or a similar material, the system comprising several panels. Panel systems can also be placed inside a building, for example as walls.
Panel systems typically comprise an upper profile and a lower profile which are used as guide tracks and inside which are placed the movable hinge devices and guides, on which the panel, in turn, is mounted. The panel moves along the guide tracks by means of said hinge devices and guides.
The upper and lower profiles are normally horizontal and fastened to the structures of e.g. a building. The lower profile can be placed flush with the floor or higher than that, for example on the edge of a balcony. By the hinge devices, the single panels can be opened and closed, whereby they are pivoted around a normally vertical rotation axis. By means of the guides in the panel, the panel remains e.g. closed, and when the guide is allowed to come out of the profile, it is possible to open the panel.
The hinge devices may be provided with locking devices for locking the panels to the profile or to another panel. The panels can be moved and opened to form one bundle when a larger opening is to be provided in the system, for ventilation or passage. Panel systems of prior art are disclosed in documents EP 2119864 A2, WO 04/011752 A1, WO 03/042482 A1, and WO 02/29177 A1.
In many cases, the structures on which the upper profile is mounted, change in their dimensions, straightness or in other respects in the course of time, for example because of various loads effective on the building. This may have negative effects on the installation and the functionality of particularly a panel system, in which the panels are suspended from the upper profile and the whole weight of the panels falls on the upper profile.


Left and right main hoppers offset laterally from each other on opposite sides of the centerline of a seeding machine provide an operator access area between the hoppers. A third hopper located forwardly of and between the two main hoppers has a capacity less than that of each of the main hoppers for refuge or male seed. The hoppers are sized to maximize productivity. In one embodiment, first and second hoppers communicate with downstream conduit structure, and valve structure selects one or the other of the first and second hoppers for delivery of the material. The valve structure can be operated remotely and can be map based. Alternatviely, selectively blockable nozzle structure is located in the first and second hoppers. Easily changeable connector structure facilitates row pattern selection and hose routing.

Numerous seeding implements are available for delivering seed from one or more central hoppers to individual row units. The individual row units may include a small hopper for automatic seed on demand refilling. When planting seed, certain agronomic benefits are available by changing seed varieties for a given row. For example, when planting seed corn the ability to easily select and change the pattern of rows for the male and female varieties can be highly advantageous. Many currently available bulk seed hopper systems are not readily compatible with planting practices utilizing two or more different seed hybrids.
Variety selection for the rows of a seeding implement is also advantageous for operations utilizing genetically modified seed. Planting of a refuge seed is often required when planting the genetically modified seed. A percentage of non-transgenic seed is typically planted with an insect transgenic seed to delay onset of resistance development. Regulatory agencies such as the USDA and EPA prefer the refuge crop be planted with a non-transgenic crop as a block separate and apart from the recombinant crops. Operators are required to purchase the regulatory amount of non-recombinant seed required for refuge along with any recombinant seed purchase. The percentage of refuge crop planted can vary from a small amount up to 20% or more of the total crop, depending on the type of crop plant subject to regulatory requirements and the amount of insect pressure expected for a particular geographic location. Although refuge for insect resistant hybrids can be planted adjacent the resistant crop or even in an adjacent field, effectiveness of the refuge increases if the refuge is planted in strips in the same field as the insect resistant variety.
In some fields, it may be desirable to vary the row location and/or percentage of refuge crop or other variety planted from one area to another. When a circle irrigated field is planted, for example, varying seed varieties can improve drought resistance for non-irrigated regions. Also, ability to change seed varieties within a field to improve pest or mold resistance can be highly advantageous. Changing varieties on the go or with little downtime has been difficult or impossible with many currently available seeding implements such as those with seed on demand delivery systems. As map-based farming practices become increasingly popular, the need for improved variety control for such delivery systems becomes more evident.
If the crop harvested from the genetically modified seed is to be separated from the crop harvested from the refuge seed, a different row pattern may need to be employed to accommodate harvester header configuration than if the crops are not to be segregated at harvest. Some farmers leave one unplanted row of crop approximately every sixty feet or other desired spacing to act as a row marker for spraying. The set-up of the planter or seeding implement for proper variety control, refuge percentage control, row spacing, marker row spacing and/or male-female seed row configuration can be very time-consuming. To achieve various row patterns, delivery lines to certain row units must be blocked or rerouted. Placement of hoppers for conveniently loading two or more materials while maintaining acceptable load distribution on the seeding implement with fully loaded hoppers is also a continuing source of difficulty. Loading of some of the seed varieties by hand from bags while bulk loading other varieties is not uncommon. Therefore, convenient access must be provided for both bulk filling and manual filling. It is also desirable to maximize use of individual hopper capacity to lessen the number of hopper reloading operations required.

Seed hopper and routing structure for varying material delivery to row units


An apparatus for coating tubular members, such as stents comprises a liquid reservoir and a stent support member for supporting, in use, a tubular member. Support member dipping means places the support member in the liquid reservoir in use and draws the support member therefrom. Pressure differential generating means generates a pressure differential. The stent support member is arranged to provide a central passageway through a stent placed thereon, the central passageway having a plurality of perforations formed therein, and the pressure differential generating means is arranged to generate, in use, a pressure differential between the passageway and the tubular member.

This invention relates to the coating of tubular members, such as stents.
During the manufacture of stents it is often necessary to coat a stent with a liquid. The liquid may be a biocompatible material or a coating which encases the stent with a material once the liquid has dried. Such coating has often been performed by manually dipping the stent in the liquid and then removing the stent and drying it. Such a process leads to manufacturing inconsistency. Furthermore, many stents have plural apertures formed in the surface thereof and the presence of excess liquid or inconsistent drying of the liquid can lead to such apertures becoming blocked unnecessarily.
The present invention seeks to overcome the above and other problems.
According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for coating tubular members, such as stents, the apparatus comprising:
a liquid reservoir;
a stent support member for supporting, in use, a tubular member;
support member dipping means for placing the support member in the liquid reservoir in use and drawing the support member therefrom; and
pressure differential generating means for generating a pressure differential, wherein:
the stent support member is arranged to provide a central passageway through a stent placed thereon, the central passageway having a plurality of perforations formed therein, and
the pressure differential generating means is arranged to generate, in use, a pressure differential between the passageway and the tubular member.
The support member may be formed from a rigid hollow member, such as a needle, with apertures formed therein. The support member may alternatively be formed from a rigid member having a series of slots formed therein. With such an arrangement a sheath may be placed around the external periphery of the member to define a series of circular perforations. The support member may be formed from metal, a plastics material, or a combination thereof.
The pressure differential generating means may be a pump. The support member may have two collars and a central rigid support member, the collars arranged to engage with each end of a tubular member in use.
The dipping means may be arranged to enable inversion of the support member once it has been removed from the liquid reservoir.
The apparatus may further comprise a drying chamber into which a heated gas can be pumped to dry the tubular member on the support member after removal from the liquid reservoir.
Plural support members may be provided in the apparatus. Each support member may support plural stents.
A corresponding method is also provided.
The apparatus and method of the present invention provides a system which produces consistent coating results. Furthermore, because the pressure differential that is generated can prevent apertures becoming blocked with dried solution, stents with apertures that are produced by the apparatus and method are less likely to be rejected because of such blockages. In addition the apparatus and method can produce a thin coating (for example in the region 5 nm to 200 nm) on the inside of the stent whilst producing a thicker coating (for example 500 nm to 1500 nm) on the outside.


The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a three-dimensionally structured member which can be made by a simpler process. The method for manufacturing a three-dimensionally structured member includes shaping a flat plate-shaped base member to produce a three-dimensionally structured member having a plurality of sections that are different from one another in thickness. The manufacturing method comprises: a mask formation step for forming a mask over the whole of at least one main surface of the base member; a mask removal step for removing a part of the mask; and an etching step for etching an exposed part of the base member wherein a combination of the mask removal step and the etching step is performed on the mask and the base member that correspond to each of the plurality of sections of the three-dimensionally structured member, in the order from thinnest to the thickest of thicknesses of the three-dimensionally structured members.

For example, there is a capacitance type (MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) type) acceleration sensor including an acceleration pickup member including a pendulum section swinging in accordance with the acceleration (for example, see Patent Document 1). Such an acceleration sensor or an acceleration pickup member can detect tilt, motion, vibration, impact, etc. and is used for various purposes such as measurement of acceleration and shaking of a moving body, analysis of vibration and tilt, and measurement, monitoring, warning, etc. of earthquakes (for example, see Patent Documents 2 and 3).
Such an acceleration pickup member includes a pendulum section swinging in accordance with the acceleration, a hinge section coupled to the pendulum section, a support section supporting the pendulum section through the hinge section, and a through groove section between the pendulum section and the support section.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2008-70356
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2009-222540
Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H10-325762

Method for manufacturing three-dimensionally structured member, method for manufacturing acceleration pickup, acceleration pickup, and acceleration sensor


An underground porosity reservoir includes substantially impermeable barriers and an aquiclude surrounding a volume of alluvial materials for storing water within the pore spaces of the alluvial materials. Upstream and downstream ends of the reservoir define both a static storage portion (extending below an elevation of the downstream end of the reservoir) and an elevated wedge-shaped portion that extends above the static portion. Once the static portion of the reservoir is filled, additional amounts of water are dynamically stored within the wedge portion by removing water from the downstream end of the reservoir and adding water to the upstream end of the reservoir. Water may be recirculated within the wedge portion, or external water may be added to the upstream end of the reservoir at a first flow rate while water is removed from the downstream end of the reservoir at a similar flow rate.

It is becoming increasingly difficult, both in terms of cost and site availability, to construct conventional open reservoirs for the storage of water. Such reservoirs typically require the construction of a dam across a river, thereby flooding vast expanses of land upstream of the dam while severely curtailing the flow of water downstream from the dam. In light of the increasing value of water and the complexities of the various water laws across different jurisdictions, it is becoming prohibitively difficult to form an open reservoir in this manner.
A further disadvantage of open reservoirs is the high degree of evaporative losses experienced by such reservoirs due to the relatively large air/water interface. Specifically, in arid climates (such as those found in the Western United States), open reservoirs are subject to extremely large evaporative losses. Indeed, such evaporative losses are typically greatest where water is needed most.
Underground porosity reservoirs, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,840,710 to Peters et al., titled UNDERGROUND ALLUVIAL WATER STORAGE RESERVOIR AND METHOD, have been posited as an alternative to open reservoirs. Underground porosity reservoirs include a volume of porous material, such as natural alluvium, bounded by substantially impermeable walls to create an underground vessel capable of storing water. Underground reservoirs are not subject to evaporation losses and can potentially be used without the loss of surface use of the site.
Methods of operating an underground porosity reservoir are described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/704,347, titled METHOD OF OPERATING A WATER STORAGE RESERVOIR HAVING POROSITY STORAGE, filed Nov. 7, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference. Following initial steps of building the substantially impermeable walls and pumping entrapped water back to the surrounding groundwater system, the porosity storage reservoir is typically filled to capacity and then emptied to determine the net storage capacity of the reservoir. Filling the reservoir to capacity typically produces water levels within the reservoir that are higher than would otherwise occur naturally within the alluvium. Depending on the amount of fine-grained materials existing between the sand and gravel particles, several filling cycles may be required to flush out these relatively fine materials and thereby increase the net capacity of the porosity reservoir.
In order to maximize the storage capacity of a porosity reservoir, it is necessary to fill the reservoir to its highest level. However, the dimensions of a porosity reservoir may be vast (e.g., hundreds of acres of surface area and thousands of acre-feet in volume), and thus the surface of the land encompassed by the substantially impermeable walls may be gently sloped as opposed to level. This tendency is only amplified due to the fact that porosity reservoirs are typically constructed within the alluvial soils of a river bed so that there is an "upstream" and "downstream" portion to the reservoir corresponding to the overall valley gradient. In one example, if a porosity reservoir has an average depth of 50 feet but the surface level of the reservoir drops 10 feet from the upstream to the downstream end of the reservoir, it can be presumed that approximately ten percent of the overall volume of the porosity reservoir is not used when the reservoir is filled to the maximum level of the "downstream" end of the reservoir (i.e., an average of 5 feet from the upstream to the downstream end divided by the 50-foot depth). That is, when the reservoir is filled to capacity in a static state so that there is no water flow through the reservoir, the water level will be no higher than the height of the lowest "top" elevation at the downstream end of the reservoir. The portion of the reservoir that extends above this maximum static water level is referred to herein as the "wedge" since it constitutes a generally wedge-shaped portion when viewed in a section extending from the upstream to the downstream portion of the porosity reservoir.
In order to maximize the amount of water that can be stored within the underground porosity reservoir, an improved system is needed to store water in the wedge portion of the reservoir (i.e., recover some or all of the ten percent loss described above). It is with respect to these and other background considerations, limitations and problems that the present invention has evolved.

Maintaining dynamic water storage in underground porosity reservoirs


A gate driver and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display including the gate driver are disclosed. The gate driver includes a shift register block including a plurality of cascade-connected shift registers, a selection block including a plurality of selection units, which are respectively connected to the plurality of shift registers, and a buffer block including a plurality of buffers, which are respectively connected to the plurality of selection units. Each of the shift registers outputs a scan pulse, whose a phase is shifted by one horizontal period, in response to a start voltage, a first clock, a second clock, and a third clock.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present application relates to a gate driver and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display including the gate driver.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, the development of various flat panel displays is being accelerated. As a type of flat panel display, organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays use self-emitting elements, and thus have a fast response time, excellent emission efficiency, high brightness, and a wide viewing angle.
The OLED display includes an organic light emitting diode (OLED) in each pixel. The OLED includes an organic compound layer formed between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode. The organic compound layer includes a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer. When a driving voltage is applied to the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, holes passing trough the hole transport layer and electrons passing through the electron transport layer move to the light emitting layer to form excitons. As a result, the light emitting layer generates visible light.
The OLED display arranges the pixels each including the OLED in a matrix form and controls brightness of the pixels based on a gray level of video data. The OLED display selectively turns on thin film transistors (TFTs) serving as an active element to thereby select the pixels. Further, the OLED display maintains the light emission of the pixels using a voltage stored in a storage capacitor.
Recently, research is being actively conducted for realizing a three-dimensional (3D) image as well as a two-dimensional (2D) image by using an OLED display as a display device. Among the types of OLED displays that are being currently manufactured for realizing a 3D image, there are a polarization glasses type and a liquid crystal shutter glasses type.
In the liquid crystal shutter glasses type OLED displays, a left eye image and a right eye image are alternately displayed on a display panel in unit of one frame, and left and right eye shutters of liquid crystal shutter glasses open and close in synchronization with a display timing, thereby implementing the 3D image. The liquid crystal shutter glasses open only the left eye shutter during nth frame periods, in which the left eye image is displayed, and open only the right eye shutter during (n+1)th frame periods, in which the right eye image is displayed, thereby making binocular disparity in a time division method.
The OLED display includes a gate driver for driving gate lines formed in the display panel. In other words, the OLED display includes a scan driver for driving scan lines and an emission driver for driving emission lines. The scan driver supplies a scan pulse for determining an addressing time of data to the scan lines, and the emission driver supplies an emission pulse for determining a light emitting time of the pixels to the emission lines. During a period in which data is addressed, the scan pulse of a turn-on level (or an active level) and the emission pulse of a turn-off level (or an inactive level) are generated. During a period in which the pixels emit light, the scan pulse of the turn-off and the emission pulse of the turn-on level are generated. The gate driver is formed in a non-display area of the display panel through the same process as the TFTs of the pixels based on a gate-in-panel (GIP) type.
In the GIP-based gate driver, the emission driver receives the scan pulse from the scan driver and generates the emission pulse with the scan pulse. The scan pulse is generally generated so that a phase of the scan pulse having a predetermined width is shifted by about one horizontal period. Thus, the emission pulse is inevitably generated depending on the scan pulse such that the phase of the emission pulse is shifted by about one horizontal period.
As a result, the related art GIP-based gate driver is merely applied to a sequential light emission for realizing the 2D image as in a portion A of FIG. 1 and is not applied to a simultaneous light emission for realizing the 3D image as in a portion B of FIG. 1. To realize simultaneous light emission, the emission pulses respectively supplied to all of the emission lines are required to be simultaneously generated at the turn-on level in a period in which the left eye image or the right eye image is displayed.

Gate driver and organic light emitting diode display including the same


A method of manufacturing a color filter forming a black matrix on a substrate, the black matrix defining a plurality of pixels, forming liquid ink layers within the pixels and drying the liquid ink layers, penetrating solvent vapor into surfaces of the dried liquid ink layers to form ink layers have mobile surfaces, and drying the ink layers having the mobile surfaces.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a method of fabricating a color filter, and more particularly, a method of fabricating a color filter by which color characteristics can be improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
Until recently, cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors have been usually used to display information from TVs (televisions) and computers. However, flat panel displays, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), electro-luminescence (EL) displays, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and field emission displays (FEDs), are now being used with an increase in sizes of screens. LCDs among these flat panel displays are widely used as desktop computer monitors, lap-top computer monitors, etc., because the LCDs have low power consumption.
The LCDs include a color filter that forms images of desired colors by transmitting white light modulated by a liquid crystal layer. The color filter includes an arrangement of a plurality of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) pixels formed on a transparent substrate. The color filter has been fabricated using conventional methods including a dyeing method, a pigment dispersion method, a printing method, an electrodeposition method, etc. However, these conventional methods include a repetition of predetermined processes for pixels of each color, thus degrading process efficiency and increasing fabrication costs.
Accordingly, a conventional method of fabricating a color filter using an inkjet printing technique has been recently proposed, which is performed more simply and cost-effectively as compared to other conventional methods. In this method, ink drops of predetermined colors, such as R, G, and B, are discharged into pixels on a substrate through nozzles of an inkjet head, thereby forming a color filter.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are views illustrating a conventional method of fabricating a color filter using a conventional inkjet printing technique. Referring to FIG. 1A, when ink droplets of predetermined colors are discharged from nozzles of an inkjet head (not illustrated) into pixels defined by a black matrix 20 on a substrate 10, the pixels are filled with liquid ink layers 30. Referring to FIG. 1B, when the liquid ink layers 30 are dried, solid ink layers 31 of the predetermined colors are formed within the pixels. However, while the liquid ink layers 30 are drying, a variety of mass flows occur within the pixels according to properties of the black matrix 20, characteristics of the ink, a drying speed of the ink, etc. Accordingly, a thickness of each of the solid ink layers 31 within the pixels is very non-uniform, as illustrated in FIG. 1B. Additionally, drying conditions of the pixels of the color filter are different according to their locations on the substrate, so that the solid ink layers 31 have different shapes from one another. Due to the non-uniform thicknesses of the solid ink layers 31 within the pixels, light may leak from the pixels, or a blurry image may be generated. Consequently, color characteristics of the color filter are degraded.


A collecting unit is disposed on an exhaust passage of a semiconductor processing apparatus to collect by-products contained in an exhaust gas. The collecting unit includes a trap body detachably disposed inside a casing and configured to collect a part of the by-products. The trap body includes fins arrayed in a flow direction of the exhaust gas and having a surface on which a part of the by-products is deposited and trapped. The collecting unit further includes a receiving mechanism disposed inside the casing and configured to receive a part of the by-products that peels off from the trap body or an inner surface of the casing to prevent this part from being deposited on a bottom of the casing. The receiving mechanism is configured to allow a part of the by-products held thereon to be in contact with a cleaning gas from above and from below.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collecting unit used for a semiconductor processing apparatus for processing a target substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, and a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process provided with the collecting unit. The term "semiconductor process" used herein includes various kinds of processes which are performed to manufacture a semiconductor device or a structure having wiring layers, electrodes, and the like to be connected to a semiconductor device, on a target substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate used for an FPD (Flat Panel Display), e.g., an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), by forming semiconductor layers, insulating layers, and conductive layers in predetermined patterns on the target substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In manufacturing semiconductor devices for constituting semiconductor integrated circuits, a target substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer (made of, e.g., silicon) is subjected to various processes, such as film formation, etching, oxidation, diffusion, reformation, annealing, and natural oxide film removal. There is a vertical film formation apparatus (of the so-called batch type), which performs a film formation process on a plurality of semiconductor wafers all together.
In the vertical film formation apparatus, semiconductor wafers are first transferred from a wafer cassette onto a vertical wafer boat and supported thereon at intervals in the vertical direction. The wafer cassette can store, e.g., 25 wafers, while the wafer boat can support 30 to 150 wafers. Then, the wafer boat is loaded into a process container of the hot wall type from below, and the process container is airtightly closed. Then, a predetermined film formation process is performed, while the process conditions, such as process gas flow rates, process pressures, and process temperatures, are controlled.
Reaction products generated during the film formation process are deposited (adhered) not only on the surface of the semiconductor wafer, but also on, e.g., the inner surface of the process container and other members, the latter being as by-product films. If the film formation process is continued while by-product films are present on the inner surface of the process container, a stress is generated and causes peeling of some of the by-product films and the quartz of the process container due to a difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between the quartz and by-product films. Consequently, particles are generated, and may decrease the yield of semiconductor devices to be fabricated and/or deteriorate some components of the processing apparatus.
In order to solve this problem, cleaning of the interior of the process container is performed after the film formation process is repeated several times. Conventionally, for example, hydrogen fluoride (HF) solution is typically used to clean the process container. In this case, by-product films are removed by wet etching. However, this wet etching requires work operations for detaching the process container, manually cleaning the container, and then reattaching and adjusting the container. Further, the heat-processing apparatus needs to be shut down for a long time, thereby increasing downtime of the apparatus and lowering the operating rate thereof.
In light of this problem, in recent years, dry cleaning accompanied by no disassembling of a process container is widely used. In this dry cleaning, the interior of the process container is heated at a predetermined temperature by a heater, and a cleaning gas, such as a mixture gas of fluorine and a halogen-containing acidic gas, is supplied into the reaction tube. The by-product films deposited on the inner surface of the process container are thereby dry-etched and removed by the cleaning gas. This trend in the cleaning process is seen not only for film formation apparatuses of the batch type but also for film formation apparatuses of the single-substrate type which process semiconductor wafers one by one.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publications No. 3-31479, No. 4-155827, No. 6-151396, and No. 2004-343095 disclose techniques concerning a cleaning process of this kind.
In the film formation apparatus described above, gas exhausted from the process container contains by-products generated by film formation. Accordingly, in order to collect and remove the by-products from the exhaust gas, the exhaust system connected to the process container is provided with a collecting unit for removing the by-products.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a conventional collecting unit used in a case where an SiO2 thin film is deposited by use of, e.g., TEOS (tetraethylorthosilicate) as a film formation gas. As shown in FIG. 11, the collecting unit 2 includes a cylindrical casing 4 and a trap body 6 disposed therein. The casing 4 has a gas inlet 4A formed at one end, and a lid 10 detachably connected to the other end by bolts 8. The lid 10 has a gas outlet 4B formed at the center.
The trap body 6 includes a plurality of metal fins 12, each of which is formed of a circular ring, are attached to support rods 14 at predetermined intervals. The trap body 6 includes a semispherical cover 16 on the upstream side, while the trap body 6 is attached to and supported by the lid 10 on the downstream side.
In the structure described above, during film formation, gas exhausted from a process container enters the casing 4 of the collecting unit 2 through the gas inlet 4A. This exhaust gas comes into contact with the surface of the fins 12, flows through the center of the ring fins 12, and is exhausted through the gas outlet 4B. At this time, by-products contained in the exhaust gas are deposited and trapped on the surface of the fins 12, and thereby removed from the exhaust gas.
In this case, the by-products are trapped mainly by the fins 12, but they can be deposited on any portion which the exhaust gas comes into contact with. Accordingly, the by-products are removed from the exhaust gas while some of them are deposited on the surface of the cover 16, the inner surface of the casing 4, and so forth.
The by-products thus trapped are removed along with by-products inside the process container by a cleaning gas, such as ClF3 gas or HF gas, when the cleaning gas is supplied to clean the interior of the process container. Hence, the collecting unit 2 is prevented from being clogged.

Collecting unit for semiconductor process


A system includes a plurality of apparatuses connected to a network, wherein each apparatus monitors the occurrence of trouble in a monitoring object apparatus which is one of the apparatuses in the system. Further, each apparatus is monitored for the occurrence of trouble in the apparatus by a monitor apparatus which is another one of the apparatuses in the system. The system enables adding and subtracting apparatuses to the system, as well as restoring apparatuses which were previously subtracted due to detected troubles which have been corrected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monitoring technology for monitoring whether or not trouble has occurred in an apparatus connected to a network, such as a computer, a telephone exchange system or a process controller. Particularly, the present invention relates to a mutual monitoring technology in which an apparatus connected to a network monitors whether or not trouble has occurred in another apparatus connected to the network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Technologies in which an apparatus connected to a network monitors another apparatus connected to a network include the following technologies.
In the related art described in Japanese Patent Published Application No. 2001-75837, each computer to be monitored regularly sends to other computers a packet including its identifier. The packet is sent by broadcast or multicast. Each computer contains a component information storing portion where identifiers of all computers to be monitored are registered. If the identifier of a computer is registered in that storing portion of other computers and a packet from that computer has not been received within a predetermined time, the other computers determine that trouble has occurred in that computer from which a packet has not been received.
This related art has a problem of increasing the load on a network because it is necessary to send a packet by broadcast or multicast. Further, this related art has a problem of requiring a large memory size for the component information storing portion if there are a large number of computers to be monitored. It is also not easy to add a new computer to be monitored. This is because it is required that the identifier of all computers to be monitored should be registered in the storing portion of each computer for use in broadcast or multicast.
In the related art described in Japanese Patent Published Application No. 2002-312199, each computer to be monitored has a list showing an order of inquiry of each computer. Namely, in this list, identifiers of all computers to be monitored are linked by pointers in an order of inquiry. In this list, the pointer of the last computer shows the identifier of the first computer. That is, this list is a ring type order list. Each computer sends back a response upon inquiry from another computer. Each computer recognizes the first computer to which the inquiry is made based on that ring type order list retained by itself, and inquires of that first computer. If a response is given to that inquiry from the first computer, it is determined that the first computer is normal, and processing is ended. If no response is given from the first computer, it is determined that trouble has occurred in the first computer. In this case, further, each computer inquires of the second computer in the order of inquiry based on the ring type order list. If a response is given from the second computer, it is determined that the second computer is normal, and processing is ended. In this case, the second computer which sends back a response, performs processing same as the processing described above based on the ring type order list retained by the second computer.
This related art has a problem of requiring a large memory size when there area large number of computers to be monitored. It is also not easy to add a new computer to be monitored. This is because it is necessary for each computer to retain the ring type order list in which identifier of all computers to be monitored is linked by pointers.

Monitoring system of apparatuses connected in a network, monitoring apparatus, monitoring method and program


A chain conveyor for transporting sheets in a printing press. The chain conveyor includes two conveyor chains disposed opposite one another and revolving together during operation, and at least one gripper bar extending in a direction transverse to and between the two conveyor chains. An expansion joint is provided to connect one end of the gripper bar to one of the conveyor chains and to allow movement of the gripper bar in the direction transverse to the two conveyor chains. The expansion joint may also allow rotational movement of the gripper bar. The expansion joint reduces wear of the conveyor chains by allowing the gripper bar to move.

Field Of The Invention
The invention relates to a chain conveyor for transporting sheets in a printing press, having two conveyor chains disposed opposite one another and revolving together during operation, and at least one gripper bar extending in the longitudinal direction thereof between the two conveyor chains and being connected at a respective end thereof to one of the conveyor chains, and also relates to a sheet-processing printing press equipped with the chain conveyor.
A chain conveyor of the aforementioned type has been disclosed heretofore, for example, in the published European Patent Document EP 0 669 210 A1. In this regard, a connection between a conveyor chain and the gripper bar is produced by a carrier which is divided into two parts of which a first part is connected to the gripper bar and a second part to the conveyor chain, the two parts being received telescopically in one another in a direction parallel to the travel path of the conveyor chain and being threadedly secured or screwed to one another in the direction in which they are joined.
Therewith, and indeed in the unscrewed condition thereof, i.e., in the condition thereof that is not suitable for the intended operation of the chain conveyor, the gripper bar can easily be disassembled by displacing it parallel to the travel path of the conveyor chain, if it should have become damaged due to a process failure and requires replacement or repair.
The gripper bars of the foregoing chain conveyors carry grippers which close under spring force and which, when in operation, are opened periodically, so that periodic gripper opening forces act upon the conveyor chains. With regard to the heretofore known chain conveyors of the type mentioned in the introduction hereto, these gripper opening forces are absorbed by chain guide tracks, as are centrifugal forces occurring in the returning or reversing regions of the conveyor chains. In order to avoid over-dimensioning of the width of the chain guide track and the length of the chain rollers of the roller chains which are employed as conveyor chains in the case of the foregoing chain conveyors so as to attain an acceptable pressure between the chain guide track and the chain rollers, it is therefore desirable to support the chain rollers on the chain guide tracks as much as possible over the entire extent thereof between the inner fitting plates of the roller chains. This is countered, however, by the fact that, in this case, particularly at the side surfaces of the chain guide tracks which face the gripper bar, considerable wear occurs if, as a result of production and installation tolerances, stresses occur between the chain guide tracks and the conveyor chains.

Chain conveyor for transporting sheets in a printing press