A fastener particularly suited to affixing metal to plastic parts, such as fastening electrical connectors to plastic circuit board mounting housings, includes a head and an elongate shank with an internally threaded through-bore. Located directly beneath the head is a shoulder which extends along the outside of the shank a distance equal to the total width of the parts to be joined. A mid-section of the shank is of reduced diameter, creating a thin-walled area of the shank compared with the areas at either end. A bottom part of the fastener includes internal threads, said bottom part beginning at the end of the thin-walled, mid-section of the shank. The through-bore includes a step down to a reduced diameter at the end of said mid-section. Therefore, when axially compressed, the fastener repeatedly bulges outwardly at its weakest point which lies just beyond the shoulder. The parts to be joined are thus trapped between the head and this radial bulge of the shank.

The present invention is a new design for an internally threaded fastener. It is similar to other fasteners, called "rivet nuts", because it includes characteristics of both a rivet and a nut. Parts to be joined become trapped (riveted) between the head and the collapsible middle portion of the fastener shank which bulges radially outward, being deformed by compression as a screw threaded into the fastener shank is tightened. Later, other parts may be joined to the riveted subassembly by a headed screw driven into the fastener's internal threads. An example of this type of fastener is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,283 issued to Adachi et al. This reference shows leads of a busbar attached to a circuit board with the use of a rivet nut type fastener.
The specific application to which the present invention is most advantageously applied is in the circuit board component assembly arts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,659 issued to Viselli shows the use of metal retaining brackets to affix a plastic connector housing to a circuit board. The mounting brackets disclosed in this patent include metal shanks which are peened over to secure mounting ears of the housing to the bracket. In modern practice, however, separate mounting brackets are eliminated in favor of connector housings (made of plastic) with mounting brackets molded into the body of the housing. This creates new problems for fasteners used in the electrical connector assembly, since the connector fasteners now must be applied directly to a plastic part, rather than a metal bracket.
Greater background of the specific application of the present invention described above is shown in FIG. 1 which depicts a prior art electrical connector assembly utilizing fasteners applied directly to a plastic housing. Housing 11 includes molded-in brackets which provide mounting points to both the printed circuit board and the connector assembly. The electrical connector assembly includes interlocking shells 13a and 13b which are joined to the vertical portions of the housing mounting brackets by the use of internally threaded fasteners 17. Jack screws 19 secure panel 15 to the assembly and provide securement for the electrical connector plug, which is not shown in this figure. Female fasteners 17 are affixed to housing brackets 10 by broaching the shanks into the plastic material around the bracket apertures.
While this method creates a simplified assembly, it poses production problems and limitations upon the connector fasteners. For example, many of the housings become damaged when the fasteners are broached into the plastic part. Furthermore, the pullout resistance of the fasteners is limited by the inherent weakness of the broached plastic. Also, the fasteners need to be relatively short because of the broach insertion and this limits the amount of threads in the fastener bore. Lastly, when removing the connector assembly from a mounting panel, the jack screw often turns with the mating cable end connector and the board-mounted connector can accidentally become disassembled.
There is therefore a need in the art for a fastener and fastening system for joining metal and plastic parts which provides a strong joinder of parts without damage to the plastic element. Furthermore, there is need for such a fastener which also includes self-locking threads.

Self-clinching fastener for electrical components


A mask device, a mask plate and frame are provided. The mask device includes a frame and a first mask plate. The frame includes an inner edge, an outer edge, and a plurality of mounting grooves. A first mask plate includes a substrate, at least one first mask opening on the substrate, and a plurality of clamping portions protruding and extending outward from at least part of a periphery of the substrate. The plurality of clamping portions are mounted in the plurality of mounting grooves, respectively, so that the substrate is mounted on the inner edge of the frame. A direction along which the clamping portion extends from the substrate to a direction away from the substrate is a first direction, a direction perpendicular to the first direction is a second direction.

Evaporation is one of the commonly used processes for thin film deposition, and in the process of thin film evaporation, a mask device is usually used. Organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel is more and more popular in the market due to its advantages of self-illumination, low power consumption, high display brightness, wide viewing angle, and fast response speed. For example, the organic light emitting layer in an organic light emitting diode display panel can usually be formed by evaporation. With the development of the market demand, the application of organic light emitting diode display panel has expanded from mobile phones, computers, etc. to wearable fields, and what follows is that, the shape requirements of organic light emitting diode display panel are diversified, and the shape of display panel gradually changes from ordinary rectangle to other irregular shapes, such as circle, or polygon. The diversity of display panel shapes puts forward higher requirements for the evaporation mask plate used in the manufacture of display panels.


An ice fishing tip-up includes a base frame adapted to span a hole in a layer of ice over a body of water, and carrying a mast which is extendible through the hole into the water. The mast includes a shaft fixed at its lower end to a spool of fishing line and at its upper end to a cam cylinder with a helical groove formed in its outer surface. A signal staff is spring-biased to a raised position and is movable to a lowered position received in one of the convolutions of the helical groove. A pull on the fishing line rotates the cam until the staff reaches the end of the helical groove, releasing it to its raised position, the amount of pull required to trip the staff being adjustable with the cam groove convolution in which it is retained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a tip-up signal device for ice fishing and, in particular, to a tripping mechanism for the signal staff of such a device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In ice fishing a fisherman frequently leaves a fishing line unattended, extending into the water through a hole in the ice. Accordingly, signaling devices of various types have been used with ice fishing apparatus in order to signal to the fisherman that a fish has taken the hook and pulled the fishing line from the fishing reel. When fishing through a hole in the ice, a retracted signaling device, such as a signal flag, is retained in a non-signaling position by various structural arrangements. A tripping mechanism responds to a pull on the fishing line to trip the retaining structure and release the signal flag for movement to a signaling position. A disadvantage of such prior art signaling devices is that the tripping mechanism is designed so that a predetermined pulling force on the fishing line, or unreeling of a predetermined length of line, will trip the mechanism. But different types of fish and different fishing conditions sometimes make it desirable to allow for different pull forces or different pull lengths to occur before signaling that a fish has actually taken the bait. A disadvantage of prior signaling devices is that they have not allowed for variation of the tripping conditions.


Disclosed is a method and apparatus for integrally controlling lighting according to the status of power reserve stages. The apparatus for integrally controlling lighting according to power reserve stage, comprises: a lighting control result receiver for receiving lighting control result data generated by integrating a lighting identification number and control result information of the LED light source the brightness of which is controlled according to power reserve stage-based lighting control information; a power reserve stage determination unit for determining a power reserve stage based on the received lighting control result data; and a power reserve stage issuer for transmitting the determined power reserve stage to the lighting controller in real time.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an integrated lighting control system which depends upon power reserve stage and, more particularly, to an integrated lighting control technology which enables integrated control of lighting by reflecting power supply status information in order to control lighting power demands accordingly and monitoring the controlled results in real time.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Republic of Korea has a power reserve scale divided into 5 stages in order to prevent incidents such as power blackouts, etc. Usually, the power reserve, when exceeding 5 million kW, is considered as being in a stable stage while an emergency alert is issued when the power reserve falls below 5 million kW. In detail, the emergency alert is classified according to the power reserve level: a preparation stage at 4˜5 million kW, an attention stage at 3˜4 million kW, a caution stage at 2˜3 million kW, an alert stage at 1˜2 million kW, and an urgency stage at less than 1 million kW, with action guidelines for each stage supplied for the government, corporations, and the general population.
As such, the power demand management system finally aims to stabilize electricity supply and demand by fairly diverting daytime peak demand in the summer, a season where there is a lot of transient power usage, towards demand at a midnight time slot so as to achieve an electricity load balance, and by improving capacity factors, with the consequent reduction or delay of a demand and investment for electricity sources. As used herein, the term "electricity load balance" refers to a reduction in difference between maximum and minimum loads of the entire power usage. Load management for load balancing includes a maximum demand suppression program and a maximum demand transition program. The maximum demand suppression program is structured so as to suppress the maximum demand by seasons or time slots, and includes a load control charge support system, direct load control, remote air-conditioner control, and a provision of a maximum power management device, etc. The maximum power transition program is configured to transfer power demand during peak hours to light load hours so as to reduce the maximum demand during daytime peaks and increase loads at midnight, and includes the program of, for example, spreading cold storage type cooling equipment.
As described above, there have been increasing demands for measures for achieving the final target of power demand management and preventing enormous economic loss due to the occurrence of blackouts, and thus increasing demands for a method and an apparatus for controlling lighting according to the power reserve state and for resolving inefficient power problems attributed to power demand forecast errors.
A related art may be found in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2013-0005769, which discloses a smart lighting control method.

Method and apparatus for integrated lighting control according to power reserve stage

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A sliding track assembly including a first, second and third rails, the second rail slidably mounted on the first rail, and the third rail slidably mounted on the second rail, so that the second and third rail can move relatively to the first rail and to each other. The sliding tract assembly also includes a latch member mounted on the third rail near its outer end and having two resilient or/and compressible portions each having asymmetric inward and outward facing slopes, and a lock member mounted or formed on the second rail near its outer end. The third rail can move together with the second rail when the latch member and the lock member are engaged, and the third rails can move freely by itself when the latch member and the lock member are disengaged.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to sliding track assemblies, and in particular, it relates to sliding track assemblies used to moveably mount platforms, drawers or chassis to cabinets, storage shelves or equipment racks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional sliding track assemblies have been used for moveably mounting platforms, drawers or device chassis to cabinets, storage shelves or equipment racks. A typical sliding track assembly includes an outer rail, an intermediate rail and an inner rail. The rails have formed edges and are assembled together in sliding engagement so that the inner and intermediate rails can move telescopically relative to each other and the stationary outer rail between extended and retracted positions. Two opposite sliding track assemblies are usually used to mount a platform or chassis. The stationary outer rails of the two sliding track assemblies are secured in a rack or cabinet in a spaced apart alignment, the movable inner rails are secured to the opposites sides of the platform or chassis, and the inner rails interconnect the outer and inner rails of the sliding track assemblies respectively, such that the platform or chassis may be pulled out of the rack or cabinet to an extended position to be used in a cantilevered support arrangement, and pushed back into the rack or platform to a retracted position when not in use.
Various releasable engagement mechanisms have been developed for regulating the relative movement of the telescoped rails. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,311 issued to Liang et al. on Oct. 15, 2002 for "Lock and Release Mechanism for Slide Assembly" disclosed a slide assembly having a lock and release mechanism which includes a flexible strip attached to an intermediate rail. The flexible strip has a fork at one end which is locked by a stopper on the outer rail as the intermediate rail is extended to the locked out position.
It is desirable to provide a sliding track assembly with a releasable engagement mechanism that is simple and low cost to produce yet easy and smooth to use.


A set of radial springs to bias the sensor arms of an inline pipeline inspection tool radially outward towards the pipe wall. The springs are resilient clips typically made of metal which bias adjacent sensor arms away from one another and radially outward. There are two sets of springs, a forward set and a rearward set which operate independent of each other. Each set of springs operates on a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the body of the tool and perpendicular to the planes upon which the sensor arms extend.

Inline inspection tools are used to locate defects in existing pipelines and other conduits. The magnetizer section of the tool typically has a plurality of sensor arms which each carry a plurality of Hall effect sensors located between a north magnet and a south magnet. The arms are extended from the tool as it passes through the pipeline. This places the arms with their sensors and magnets in close proximity to the interior pipe wall. The magnets create a magnetic field in the wall of the pipe. Defects in the pipe wall such as corrosion, pitting, cracks and the like disrupt the magnetic field as the tool passes by them. The Hall effect sensors locate these defects by sensing changes in the magnetic field.
The prior art sensor arms are biased outward by linear spring mechanisms which operate on the same plane as the one on which the sensor arm extends outward. These spring mechanisms are typically helical springs, although pressurized gas cylinders have been used on occasion. These linear spring mechanisms do not have a significant mechanical advantage over the arm. Further, due to their linear nature of expanding and contracting they are susceptible to damage from debris or rough conditions in the pipe. Once bent out of their original shape they lose much of their effectiveness.
What is needed, therefore, is a mechanism which will bias the sensor arms outward without the susceptibility of these linear spring mechanisms and which have a mechanical advantage over the sensor arm.

Radial springs on sensor arms of pipeline inspection tool


A steerable rear assembly is disclosed for a lowboy trailer. The assembly includes a lowboy trailer deck and a neck extending partially upwardly rearward and partially horizontally rearward from the deck. A front bogey is positioned beneath the horizontally extending portion of the neck, and the front bogey is connected to the neck by a horizontal pivot between the neck and the front bogey and by a turntable between the neck and the front bogey. A rear bogey is positioned behind the front bogey and is connected to the front bogey by a vertical pivot between the front and rear bogeys.

In the construction industry, and specifically with respect to utility construction and utility maintenance, there is a need to mobilize heavy equipment into remote areas on narrow and curving roads. Generally larger and heavier construction equipment requires larger and heavier transportation equipment. In some cases government regulations mandate the size of the transportation equipment based upon the expected load. Many roads are inaccessible for the larger sized, longer trailers that are necessary to transport heavy construction equipment due to the tight turning radius of the narrow and curving roads that are encountered in (for example) remote locations.
A lowboy trailer is preferred for hauling equipment in excess of 50,000 lbs, or over 10 feet in height. A lowboy trailer also allows heavier equipment to be unloaded more quickly and easily. A lowboy trailer has a lowered center deck between (rather than above) the axles. This in turn requires that the axles be moved further from the center of the trailer, thus making the trailer longer and increasing the turning radius. A conventional lowboy trailer is depicted in FIG. 16.
Smaller equipment (i.e., up to about 50,000 lbs in weight) can usually be hauled on a tag-a-long trailer or a flat trailer on which the deck and the equipment are positioned directly above the trailer axles, thus reducing the overall length of the trailer and allowing for a tighter turning radius.
In remote rural areas (or in any location in which the geometry prevents a lowboy from turning), the inability of the lowboy to reach certain locations makes it difficult or impossible to use at those locations. This in turn requires the use of smaller equipment. In some cases (e.g., lumbering, clearing, power line maintenance), this means items as small as chainsaws must be used manually for work that could be carried out more efficiently (and in some cases more safely) by the type of heavy equipment that requires a lowboy.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need for more effective devices and methods to mobilize heavy equipment on narrow and curving roads, or other confined spaces.

Lowboy trailer with steerable rear assembly


A computerized mortgage loan system and process to enable borrowers to design mortgage loans that meet their particular individual needs and financial goals, and that can be adapted to fit changing needs and goals is provided. The loan requirements of the borrower are obtained and applied to a set of rules for combining loan product features. One or more loan recommendations are determined and presented to the borrower. The loan recommendations include customized combinations of loan features based on the loan requirements of the borrower and the rules.

The present invention relates generally to a computerized mortgage system and process that permit potential borrowers to customize mortgage loans to meet their changing needs and different financial goals.
When considering the purchase or refinance of a home, potential home buyers consult mortgage lenders such as mortgage companies, savings and loans institutions, credit unions, state and local housing finance agencies or the like to obtain the finds necessary to purchase or refinance their homes. These lenders, who make (originate and fund) mortgage loans directly to home buyers, comprise the "primary mortgage market."
When a mortgage is made in the primary mortgage market, the lender has several options which include: (i) holding the loan as an investment in its portfolio; (ii) selling the loan to investors in the "secondary mortgage market" (which includes government-sponsored entities, pension finds, insurance companies, securities dealers, financial institutions and various other investors) to replenish its supply of finds; or (iii) packaging the loan with other loans and exchanging them for securities like mortgage backed securities which provide lenders with a liquid asset to hold or sell to the secondary market. By choosing to sell its mortgage loans to the secondary mortgage market, or by selling the mortgage backed securities, lenders get a new supply of funds to make more home mortgage loans, thereby assuring home buyers a continual supply of mortgage credit.
A secondary mortgage market purchaser finances the loans and mortgage backed securities it buys for its own mortgage portfolio by the sale of debt securities in the global capital markets. Working with investment banks, the purchaser sells its debt to both domestic and international investors such as central banks, pension funds, investment funds, commercial banks and insurance companies.
Lenders compete in the primary mortgage market by offering and advertising various mortgage products typically having predetermined or "pre-packaged" features. This "one-size-fits-all" approach to mortgage loans has been both a source of missed opportunities for lenders and discouragement for borrowers.

Mortgage loan customization system and process


The invention relates to a process for the production of liquid, storage-stable isocyanate mixtures with a low color index having carbodiimide-(CD) and/or uretone imine (UI) groups, the isocyanate mixtures that can be obtained by this process and their use for the production of blends with other isocyanates or for the production of isocyanate group-containing pre-polymers and also of polyurethane plastics, preferably polyurethane foamed plastics.

Isocyanate mixtures having-CD and/or UI groups may be produced simply with the highly effective catalysts from the phospholine series, in particular the phospholine oxide series, by the process according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,853,473, U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,699 and EP-A-515 933.
The high catalytic activity of phospholine catalysts, in particular phospholine oxide catalysts, is desired on the one hand to activate the carbodiimidization reaction under mild temperature conditions, but on the other hand there has hitherto been no known process for ensuring that phospholine or phospholine oxide catalysis is effectively stopped without restriction. The carbodiimidized isocyanates have a tendency to post-react, i.e. they gasify as a result of CO2 formation. This then leads, particularly at higher temperatures, to a build-up of pressure for example in the storage containers.
There has been no shortage of attempts to find an effective means of stopping phospholine catalysis. Such stoppers are mentioned e.g. in patent specifications DE-A-25 37 685, EP-A-515 933, EP-A-609 698 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,699 and comprise e.g. acids, acid chlorides, chloroformates, silylized acids and halides of elements of the main group. Stopping the catalyst with acids which, e.g. may also be present as acid chlorides, is not sufficiently effective.
According to the disclosure of EP-A-5 15 933, CD/UI-containing isocyanate mixtures produced by phospholine catalysis are stopped with at least an equimolar quantity, preferably a 1-2 fold molar quantity in relation to the catalyst used of e.g. trimethylsilyl trifluoromethane sulfonate (TMST). In practice however, it has proved that CD/UI-containing isocyanates produced in this way are not universally suitable for the production of pre-polymers, i.e. reaction products of these CD/UI-containing isocyanates with polyols. The reaction products produced accordingly from polyols and the CD/UI-modified isocyanates have a tendency to gasify, which can lead to a build-up of pressure in transport containers or to foaming during handling of these products.
This problem can be avoided by using the silylized acid used according to EP-A-515 933 in higher molar equivalents (e.g. 5:1-10:1 in relation to the catalyst) to stop the phospholine catalyst. In practice however, it is then found that the CD/UI-modified isocyanates obtained have a considerably poorer color index. This therefore also applies to the pre-polymers produced from them.
This applies also if the phospholine catalyst is stopped with acids of the trifluoromethanesulfonic acid type according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,699. Pre-polymers produced from these also have a considerably increased color index.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Process for the production of liquid, storage-stable organic isocyanates with a low colour index having carbodiimide- and/or uretone imine groups


The present invention provides a system for determining downhole conditions including a time domain reflectometer (172) that is operable to generate a transmission signal and receive a reflected signal. A tubular (192) is positioned downhole in a downhole medium (214, 216, 218, 220, 222) and a waveguide (186), which is in electrical communication with the time domain reflectometer (172), is operably contacting the downhole (214, 216, 218, 220, 222). The waveguide (186) is operable to propagate the transmission signal and operable to propagate the reflected signal that is generated responsive to an electromagnetic property of the downhole medium (214, 216, 218, 220, 222).

It is well known in the subterranean well drilling and completion art that relatively fine particulate materials may be produced during the production of hydrocarbons from a well that traverses an unconsolidated or loosely consolidated formation. Numerous problems may occur as a result of the production of such particulates. For example, the particulates cause abrasive wear to components within the well, such as tubing, pumps and valves. In addition, the particulates may partially or fully clog the well creating the need for an expensive workover. Also, if the particulate matter is produced to the surface, it must be removed from the hydrocarbon fluids using surface processing equipment.
One method for preventing the production of such particulate material to the surface is gravel packing the well adjacent the unconsolidated or loosely consolidated production interval. In a typical gravel pack completion, a sand control screen is lowered into the wellbore on a work string to a position proximate the desired production interval. A fluid slurry including a liquid carrier and a relatively coarse particulate material, such as sand, gravel or proppants, which is typically sized and graded and which is referred to herein as gravel, is then pumped down the work string and into the well annulus formed between the sand control screen and the perforated well casing or open hole production zone.
The liquid carrier either flows into the formation or returns to the surface by flowing through a wash pipe or both. In either case, the gravel is deposited around the sand control screen to form the gravel pack, which is highly permeable to the flow of hydrocarbon fluids but blocks the flow of the fine particulate materials carried in the hydrocarbon fluids. As such, gravel packs can successfully prevent the problems associated with the production of these particulate materials from the formation.
It has been found, however, that a complete gravel pack of the desired production interval is difficult to achieve. For example, incomplete packs may result from the premature dehydration of the fluid slurry due to excessive loss of the liquid carrier into highly permeable portions of the production interval causing the gravel to form sand bridges in the annulus. Thereafter, the sand bridges may prevent the slurry from flowing to the remainder of the annulus which, in turn, prevents the placement of sufficient gravel in the remainder of the annulus.
Numerous attempts have been made to improve the quality of the gravel packs. For example, changing fluid slurry parameters including flow rate, viscosity and gravel concentration and providing alternate paths for the fluid slurry delivery provide for a more complete gravel pack in some completion scenarios. Even using these improved techniques, however, a nonuniform distribution of the gravel that results in the presence of localized spaces that are void of gravel within the production interval is typically undetectable. As such, well operators are typically not aware that corrective action is required until after sand production from the well has commenced.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for a system and method for gravel packing a production interval traversed by a wellbore that provide for monitoring downhole conditions during a gravel packing operation. A need has also arisen for such a system and method that generate a real time profile of the downhole conditions surrounding the sand control screen. A need has further arisen for such a system and method that inform well operators that corrective action is required during both the completion and production phases of well operation.

System and method for determining downhole conditions


A method and apparatus that establishes peer-to-peer communications is disclosed. The method may include determining a group to which a first device belongs, determining the identity of other devices in the group, sending an initial communication to the other devices to indicate that the first device will be joining the group, informing the other devices of applications that are available at the first device, and informing the applications about each equivalent application that is available in other devices in the group.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to peer-to-peer communications in electronic devices.
2. Introduction
Traditional IP networking developed as an overlay on top of different types of link layers for communicating from a device to a remote device. The key applications, for instance, were the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to move data from one device to another and the Network Virtual Terminal Protocol (TELNET) to log in to a remote device.
Utilizing this approach to communicate with a user is an after thought and is often implemented as an overlay on top of device centric Internet. For instance there is an overlay of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) servers to deliver email and an overlay of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) servers to enable an end point reach a user. Internet Protocol (IP) itself is peer-to-peer in nature and was based on the end-to-end argument of intelligent end points with no service related state in the core. However, the overlays on top of it, have been based on a client-server model with relatively dumb clients and with intelligence in the servers which reside the in core network. In such a model, the clients require the core network entities to understand session/application protocols to provide value to a user. Only the network has sufficient intelligence to act as a "proxy" for the user.
Some of the reasons for such an approach to gain hold have been (a) insufficient capabilities (processing power and battery power) of end points (such mobile phones) that users often use to communicate; (b) lack of continuous presence (home PC using dialup are not always connected, cell phone may be powered off or out of coverage, etc.); and (c) low bandwidth last hop connectivity. While most of these reasons are either not valid today or will not be valid in the near future, such approaches are still the main stream.
In this scenario, there is a need for solutions that take advantage of the new end device capabilities and increasing network bandwidth and connectivity choices to (a) provide existing services at a significantly lower costs and (b) provide new services that are of tailored to the needs of users. The number of users for many new services may be small and so tailoring the core network to their needs would not have economics of scale to justify the capital and/or operational expenditure. However, there will be a large number of small groups of users with specific needs that can only be satisfied using service specific intelligence exclusively in the end points.

Method and apparatus for establishing peer-to-peer communications


A rough road detection system includes a collection module, a statistical module, and a comparison module. The collection module collects samples from a vibration sensitive signal. The statistical module removes a periodic anomaly from the samples and removes a random anomaly from the samples with a filter having a filter coefficient based on an engine speed signal. In addition, the statistical module calculates a statistical signal based on the samples. The rough road detection system also includes a derivative module that calculates a first and second derivative based on a rate or time. The derivative module removes negative derivatives when the derivatives are calculated with respect to the rate and positive derivatives when the derivatives are calculated with respect to time. The comparison module determines whether a rough road condition exists based on the statistical signal or the first and second derivatives.

Vehicles include an internal combustion engine that generates drive torque. More specifically, the engine draws in air and mixes the air with fuel to form a combustion mixture. The combustion mixture is compressed within cylinders and is combusted to drive pistons that are slidably disposed within the cylinders. The pistons rotatably drive a crankshaft that transfers drive torque to a transmission and wheels. When the engine misfires, the combustion mixture of a cylinder does not combust at all or only partially, and may cause engine vibration and driveline oscillation.
Engine control systems sometimes include misfire detection systems that determine when the engine misfires. The engine control system can adjust engine operation to reduce engine misfire, thereby improving engine performance and vehicle drivability. Some road conditions can cause the engine control system to incorrectly register a misfire event when one has not actually occurred. For example, rough roads can induce feedback torque on the wheels that can affect rotation of the crankshaft. Abnormal crankshaft rotation is one characteristic of an engine misfire event.
Some misfire detection systems identify misfire events based on changes in engine speed with respect to a reference. The reference represents expected changes in speed of a normal engine operating in similar conditions and may be obtained experimentally by running a vehicle at different operating conditions without misfire. When misfire occurs, the drop in engine torque produces a corresponding drop in engine speed. This speed change is sometimes greater than changes in a reference.
Rough roads also produce changes in engine speed that are similar in magnitude to those generated by engine misfire events. This poses a problem for engine misfire detection systems that rely on changes in engine speed to detect engine misfire events. To prevent the systems from generating false misfire events due to rough roads, the misfire detection system may be disabled when rough roads are detected.


A system, as well as associated methods, for increasing the efficiency of a gas turbine including an inlet assembly and a compressor may include a housing configured to channel airstream towards the inlet assembly, an air treatment module positioned at a proximal end the housing, and at least one air conditioning module mounted downstream of the air treatment module for adjusting the temperature of the airstream entering the compressor. The air treatment module may include a plurality of inlet air filters and at least one blower configured to pressurize the air entering the air treatment module.

The present disclosure relates generally to a turbine such as, but not limiting of, a gas turbine, a bi-fuel turbine, and the like, and may generally include, in serial flow arrangement, an inlet assembly for receiving and channeling an ambient airstream, a compressor which receives and compresses that airstream, a combusting system that mixes a fuel and the compressed airstream, ignites the mixture, and allows for the gaseous by-product to flow to a turbine section, which transfers energy from the gaseous by-product to an output power.
For example, a gas turbine engine may be used to supply power to a hydraulic fracturing system. Hydraulic fracturing is an oilfield operation that stimulates production of hydrocarbons, such that the hydrocarbons may more easily or readily flow from a subsurface formation to a well. For example, a fracturing system may be configured to fracture a formation by pumping a fracturing fluid into a well at high pressure and high flow rates. Some fracturing fluids may take the form of a slurry including water, proppants, and/or other additives, such as thickening agents and/or gels. The slurry may be forced via one or more pumps into the formation at rates faster than can be accepted by the existing pores, fractures, faults, or other spaces within the formation. As a result, pressure may build rapidly to the point where the formation may fail and may begin to fracture, thereby releasing the load on the pumps. By continuing to pump the fracturing fluid into the formation, existing fractures in the formation are caused to expand and extend in directions farther away from a well bore, thereby creating flow paths to the well bore. The proppants may serve to prevent the expanded fractures from closing when pumping of the fracturing fluid is ceased or may reduce the extent to which the expanded fractures contract when pumping of the fracturing fluid is ceased.
Gas turbine engines may be used to supply power to hydraulic fracturing pumps for pumping the fracturing fluid into the formation. For example, a plurality of gas turbine engines may each be mechanically connected to a corresponding hydraulic fracturing pump via a transmission and operated to drive the hydraulic fracturing pump. The gas turbine engine, hydraulic fracturing pump, transmission, and auxiliary components associated with the gas turbine engine, hydraulic fracturing pump, and transmission may be connected to a common platform or trailer for transportation and set-up as a hydraulic fracturing unit at the site of a fracturing operation, which may include up to a dozen or more of such hydraulic fracturing units operating together to perform the fracturing operation. Once a fracturing operation has been completed, the hydraulic fracturing units may be transported to another geographic location to perform another fracturing operation.
Hydraulic fracturing may be performed generally at any geographic location and during any season of the year, often in harsh environmental conditions. As a result, hydraulic fracturing may occur under a wide variety of ambient temperatures and pressures, depending on the location and time of year. In addition, the load on the hydraulic fracturing pumps and thus the gas turbine engines may change or fluctuate greatly, for example, depending on the build-up and release of pressure in the formation being fractured.
The performance of a gas turbine engine is dependent on the conditions under which the gas turbine engine operates. For example, ambient air pressure and temperature are large factors in the output of the gas turbine engine, with low ambient air pressure and high ambient temperature reducing the maximum output of the gas turbine engine. Low ambient pressure and/or high ambient temperature reduce the density of air, which reduces the mass flow of the air supplied to the intake of the gas turbine engine for combustion, which results in a lower power output. Some environments in which hydraulic fracturing operations occur are prone to low ambient pressure, for example, at higher elevations, and/or higher temperatures, for example, in hot climates. In addition, gas turbine engines are subject to damage by particulates in air supplied to the intake. Thus, in dusty environments, such as at many well sites, the air must be filtered before entering the intake of the gas turbine engine. However, filtration may reduce the pressure of air supplied to the intake, particularly as the filter medium of the filter becomes obstructed by filtered particulates with use. Reduced power output of the gas turbine engines reduces the pressure and/or flow rate provided by the corresponding hydraulic fracturing pumps of the hydraulic fracturing units. Thus, the effectiveness of a hydraulic fracturing operation may be compromised by reduced power output of the gas turbine engines of the hydraulic fracturing operation.
To generate additional power from an existing gas turbine, an inlet air conditioning system may be used. The air conditioning system may increase the airstream density by lowering the temperature of the airstream. This increases the mass flowrate of air entering the compressor, resulting in increased efficiency and power output of the gas turbine. An air conditioning system may include, for example, but not limited to, a chiller, an evaporative cooler, a spray cooler, or combinations thereof, located downstream of an inlet filter house within an inlet assembly of the gas turbine. Some air conditioning systems, however, add resistance to the airstream entering the compressor. This resistance may cause a pressure drop in the inlet assembly. Reduced gas turbine efficiency and power output may result from inlet assembly pressure drop.
The higher the inlet assembly pressure drop, the lower the efficiency and power output of the gas turbine. Typical pressure drop values across the gas turbine inlet assembly for power generation varies from about two (2) to about five (5) inches of water column (about five to about 12.7 centimeters of water). This includes the pressure drop across the air conditioning system, which varies from about 0.5 inches to about 1.5 inches of water column (about 1.27 to about 3.8 centimeters of water). Depending on the size of the gas turbine frame, the value of this pressure drop adversely affects the gas turbine output. For example, a gas turbine could lose up to 5% of rated output power from the pressure drop alone if the altitude and temperature remained at ISO conditions. Any change in temperature and/or pressure from ISO rated conditions could increase the rated output power loss. Every point of efficiency and power, however, is essential in the competitive business of power generation or the variety of other uses for mechanical drive gas turbines.
Accordingly, Applicant has recognized a need for an air condition system for an operating a gas turbine, for example, in a wide variety of ambient conditions and during changing loads on the gas turbine. Desirably, the system should reduce the inlet assembly pressure drop when not in operation.

Mobile gas turbine inlet air conditioning system and associated methods


A cable, in particular an audio cable, has an inner conductor surrounded by a dielectric and a conductive layer surrounding the dielectric. A separating layer is inserted between the dielectric and the conductive layer.

Instrument cables (as well as measuring leads and the like) are usually non-symmetrical lines having a coaxial structure. Viewed from the outside to the inside, a typical instrument cable includes an outer jacket made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a copper helical shield or a copper braiding, a conductive plastic layer made of conductive PVC or polyethylene (PE), a dielectric (conductor insulation) made of solid or foamed polyolefins (PE or PP), and a copper inner conductor. For the electric quality of such a cable, the values for the conductor resistance and the capacitance (conductor/shield) are relevant. Due to the use as a connecting line between high-impedance devices (inductive sensors and high-impedance amplifiers), a microphonic effect or "microphony" occurs as an interfering component. This term is understood to mean noises which are audible in the form of crackling and sizzling upon movement of the cable. Microphony may likewise be indicated in values, with a higher value representing a poorer interference performance and a lower value representing a better interference performance.
In order to curb microphony, in the conventional production process a conductive layer serving as a shield is applied inside the cable over the dielectric directly surrounding the inner conductor, as is shown in EP 0 260 373 A2, for example. The conductivity of this shield has a decisive influence on microphony: the higher the conductivity, the lower the microphonic effect. The conductive layer is usually formed of electrically conductive PE or PVC. PE has a conductivity that is 100 times higher than that of PVC, so that under this aspect PE is basically preferable to PVC.
What presents a problem, however, is the bonding of the conductive layer to the dielectric surrounding the inner conductor. When a dielectric without foaming is used, for example, further processing is necessary to separate the conductive layer from the dielectric, such separation generally leads to the dielectric being torn off. In the case of a foamed dielectric, as known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,528, for example, it is impossible to separate the conductive layer from the dielectric. Only the use of a separating agent (e.g. graphite) that is applied between the two components, such as proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,865, can provide a remedy in this case. But, on the other hand, separating agents generally have the disadvantage that they considerably contribute to a deterioration of the microphony behaviour of a cable.
In conventional cable manufacturing, attempts have therefore been made to counter this problem by using a conductive layer made of PVC, which however does not bond to the dielectric made of polyolefins. The poorer conductivity resulting therefrom leads to an increase in microphony.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cable having an improved microphony performance while eliminating the drawbacks described above.

Klotz Audio Interface Systems A.I.S. GmbH


Crystalline forms A and B of 5-methyl-pyridine-2-sulfonic acid [6-methoxy-5-(2-methoxy-phenoxy)-2-pyridin-4-yl-pyrimidin-4-yl]-amide of formula (I) are described, whereby form B is the most stable form. 5-methyl-pyridine-2-sulfonic acid [6-methoxy-5-(2-methoxy-phenoxy)-2-pyridin-4-yl-pyrimidin-4-yl]-amide also forms solvates with, for example, ethanol, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, methanol, isopropanol, 2-butanone and dichloromethane.

5-methyl-pyridine-2-sulfonic acid [6-methoxy-5-(2-methoxy-phenoxy)-2-pyridin-4-yl-pyrimidin-4-yl]-amide corresponding to the formula
is an inhibitor of endothelin receptors. WO00/52007 describes the preparation of said compound which is crystallized from Me2Cl2.
Own investigations have shown that there exist two distinct crystalline forms, hereinafter referred to as form A and form B, as well as a number of further solvates, in particular the methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, dichloromethane, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone and tetrahydrofuran solvates.
It was further surprisingly found that the thermodynamically stable crystalline form—form B—can be prepared under controlled conditions and that said form B can be prepared with a reliable method in an industrial scale, which is easy to handle and to process in the manufacture and preparation of formulations.

Crystalline forms of a pyridinyl-sulfonamide and their use as endothelin receptor antagonists


A new and distinct form of Begonia plant characterized by broad leaves colored silver with a dark star-shape at the leaf base that is surrounded by a purple blush, maroon leaf backs, a bushy habit, light pink flowers in winter to early spring, tolerant of cool temperatures to 33° F., and excellent vigor.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia, of the family Begoniaceae, and given the cultivar name, 'First Blush'. The new cultivar originated from a cross between unknown Begonia rex-cultorum parents. This selection is uniquely characterized by:                1. broad leaves colored silver with a dark star-shape at the leaf base that is surrounded by a purple blush,        2. maroon leaf backs,        3. a bushy habit,        4. light pink flowers in winter to early spring,        5. tolerant of cool temperatures to 33° F., and        6. excellent vigor.
Compared to Begonia 'Raspberry Swirl', an unpatented plant, the new cultivar has leaves that are flatter and not swirled, with a larger silver area and a larger star pattern at the leaf base.
Compared to Begonia 'Fireworks', an unpatented plant, the new cultivar has leaves that are less rugose, darker silver colored, the star pattern is smaller and does not go into the veins to the leaf margins, and the blush is around the star pattern rather than the leaf margin.
The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by micropropagation as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.


Compositions and methods for modulating HIF-2α to meditate of hypoxia signaling in satellite cells and applications thereof for improving skeletal muscle generation and repair are provided. For example, methods of enhancing, increasing, accelerating or/and otherwise improving skeletal muscle generation or regeneration in a subject in need thereof are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods include administering the subject an effective amount of HIF-2α inhibitor. The HIF-2α inhibitor can be effective to, for example, increase muscle satellite cell proliferation, differentiation, or a combination thereof in a subject. Composition and methods for improving respiration, and reducing or preventing the development or progression of fibrosis are also provided. The disclosed compositions and methods are particularly useful for treating muscular dystrophies, myopathies, and other muscle-related diseases and disorders.

The coordinated proliferation and differentiation of adult stem cells that reside in many adult tissues provide sustainable cell sources for tissue repair and regeneration. In support of long-term tissue homeostasis, many adult stem cell populations fine-tune the balance between proliferative and quiescent states to both meet the need for tissue repair and lessen cell cycle-associated stresses. Ineffective reversal of proliferation/quiescence in adult stem cells has been implicated in aging and many diseases (Goodell, et al., Science, 350(6265); 1199-204 (2015)).
Adult muscle stem cells, also called satellite cells (SCs), are important for skeletal muscle regeneration. SCs and their undifferentiated progeny universally express Pax7, a character that has been utilized to manipulate gene expression specifically in SCs (Murphy, et al., Development, 138(17):3625-37 (2011); Seale, et al., Cell, 102(6):777-86 (2000)). In uninjured muscle, SCs reside closely juxtaposed with contractile myofibers beneath the basal lamina and are mitotically quiescent (G0). SC quiescence is jointly maintained by multiple mechanisms, but not limited to, TTP-mediated RNA decay, SIRT1-dependent histone deacetylation, restraint of myogenic and proliferation-associated gene expression by microRNAs (Cheung, et al., Nature, 482(7386):524-8 (2012); Crist, et al., Cell Stem Cell, 11(1):118-26 (2012); Hausburg, et al., Elife, 4:e03390 doi: 10.7554/eLife.03390 (2015); Ryall, et al., Cell Stem Cell, 16(2):171-83 (2015)). Upon muscle injury, SCs transit through a G(Alert) phase and enter the cell cycle in response to the activation of HGF/FGF-mediated receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling and p38/MAPK signaling (Rodgers, et al., Nature, 510(7505):393-6 (2014); Jones, et al., J Cell Biol., 169(1):105-16 (2005); Troy, et al., Cell Stem Cell, 11(4):541-53 (2012)).
After limited rounds of proliferation, a subset of SCs return to quiescence and the niche location adjacent to myofibers (self-renewal), whereas many SCs undergo myogenic differentiation and eventually repair damaged myofibers. Angiopoietin-1/Tie2 RTK signaling, RTK negative regulator Spry1, and inactivation of p38/MAPK signaling promote SC self-renewal (Troy, et al., Cell Stem Cell, 11(4):541-53 (2012); Abou-Khalil, et al., Cell Stem Cell, 5(3):298-309 (2009); Shea, et al., Cell Stem Cell, 6(2):117-29 (2010)). Dynamic remodeling of the muscle microenvironment also plays a pivotal role to direct SC behaviors during muscle repair (Yin, et al., Physiol Rev., 93(1):23-67 (2013)). However, how SCs fine-tune quiescence vs. activation and balance self-renewal vs. differentiation in response to niche cues remains incompletely understood.
Oxygen (O2) is important for mitochondrial respiration and bioenergetic homeostasis; low oxygen tension (hypoxia) underlies many disease conditions (Semenza, Cell, 148(3):399-408 (2012)). The cellular responses to hypoxia are mainly mediated by hypoxia-inducible factors, which are bHLH-PAS transcription factors that form heterodimeric complexes between an O2-sensitive α-subunit (HIF-1α, HIF-2α, HIF-3α) and a stable β-subunit (HIF-1β). The O2-dependent degradation of HIF α-subunits serves as an O2-sensing mechanism. Under normoxia, HIFα is hydroxylated by HIF prolyl-hydroxylases, recognized by von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein and targeted to proteasome degradation. Under hypoxia, limited O2 (a substrate for HIFα hydroxylation) stabilizes HIFα/HIF1β transcription factor complex, which binds hypoxia-responsive elements (HREs; 5′-RCGTG-3′) and activate target gene expression. Intriguingly, many types of adult stem cells prefer hypoxic niches to maintain their quiescent and/or undifferentiated states (Mohyeldin, et al., Cell Stem Cell, 7(2):150-61 (2010)). Hypoxia has a profound impact on proliferation and differentiation of cultured myogenic cells in vitro (Chaillou, et al., FASEB J., 30(12):3929-41 (2016)). Yet, it remains elusive whether hypoxia is of any physiological relevance to SC in vivo, and if so, whether a hypoxia-inducible factor plays a role in SC quiescence/self-renewal. Thus, there remains a need for characterizing muscle SC pathways and modulating them to improve muscle repair.
It is an object of the invention to provide compositions and methods of use thereof for the increasing muscle generation and regeneration.

Compositions and methods of modulating HIF-2A to improve muscle generation and repair

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.


A method for enhancing the enzymatic efficiency of an enzyme added to poultry feed for a living subject, comprises adding a cellulose-degrading enzyme to a mobile enzyme sequestration platform (MESP) so as to form an enzyme-MESP complex; adding the enzyme-MESP complex to poultry feed for a living subject; the enzyme efficiency of the cellulose-degrading enzyme of the enzyme-MESP complex after being exposed to a first adverse environment for a first period of time is at least 50% higher than the enzyme efficacy of the cellulose-degrading enzyme independent of the MESP being exposed to the first adverse environment for the first period of time.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present invention. The subject matter discussed in the background of the invention section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background of the invention section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background of the invention section or associated with the subject matter of the background of the invention section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background of the invention section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is an important factor reflecting the growth performance of animals in animal and poultry industry. It is a ratio or rate measuring of the efficiency with which the bodies of animals convert animal feed into the desired output. For animals raised for meat (such as beef cows, pigs, chickens, and fish), the output is the flesh. That is, the body mass gained by feeding, represented either in the final mass of the animal or the mass of the dressed output. FCR is determined by the animal's genetics and age, the quality and ingredients of the feed, the conditions in which the animal is kept, and storage and use of the feed by the farmworkers. To enhance the FCR, addictive and/or supplement are frequently added into feeds for animals. These addictive and/or supplement may comprise enzymes which are designed to assist breakdown of the feeds in a more timely and efficient manner, such that the animal's absorption of the nutrients from animal feeds can be improved.
However, pH value of an animal's gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in different sections varies significantly. Taking meat-type poultry as an example, as widely known in the poultry industry, the pH value in a chicken's GIT varies between different sections of the GIT. In particular, the pH value of proventriculus and gizzard of the chicken GIT is around 1.1-3.2, while the pH value of duodenum and jejunum of the chicken GIT is around 5.5-6.6. As such, when the enzymes added into the poultry feed pass through the proventriculus and gizzard of the chicken GIT before they enter into the duodenum and jejunum, the enzymes' bioactivity and enzymatic efficiency can be significantly impaired or reduced due to the low pH environment in the proventriculus and gizzard. Other meat-type poultries have similar GIT environment variations, and therefore have same enzymes' bioactivity and efficiency problems as well.
Therefore, there is a long-existing need for a formula and/or method to preserve the bioactivity and enzymatic efficiency of the additive/supplement enzymes added to the poultry feed so as to enhance the FCR in the poultry and other meal-type animal industry.

Methods and systems for enhancing feed-conversion-ratio in animals using mobile enzyme sequestration platforms (MSEP)

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS


A method for applying release agent to wood material and binder used in the manufacture of chipboard. An aqueous solution of the release agent is foamed to form a coherent foam blanket that is applied to the wood material and binder. The foam leaves a coating of release agent on the wood material and binder that enhances release of a platen from the same. Foaming the release agent avoids deleterious aerosolization and increases the efficiency of applying the release agent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved method for the manufacture of the construction material known as "waferboard" or "chipboard" and, more particularly, an improved process for applying release agent to a mass of wood material and binder to facilitate release of the mass from a platen used to compress it during the manufacture of chipboard.
2. Description of the Related Art
Chipboard is a substitute for common plywood. It is manufactured by compressing "chips" or small broken-up pieces of wood material and binder into flat sheets suitable for use in construction. The chips may also be compressed into other shapes useful in construction and other applications. In the manufacture of chipboard, trees are "chipped" or mechanically broken-up into small pieces approximately 1-3 inches in length by 1/4-1 inch in width by 1/32-1/16 inch in thickness. The chips are then mixed with a binder or glue, such as diphenyl methyl diisocyanurate (MDI). A specific volume of chips mixed with MDI is placed on a press where heated, top and bottom platens compress the mass into boards of various dimensions. Both platens are conventionally sprayed with a release agent which prevents the mass of chips and binder from adhering to the hot platens during the compression of the chips and binder. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,532,096 and 4,374,791.
Spraying the release agent upon the platen, however, is disadvantageous. Aerosolized release agents are sprayed into the atmosphere, thus increasing pollution and possible adverse effects on workers. Moreover, spraying the release agent is not an efficient mode of applying the agent. Significant amounts of the release agent are lost into areas other than the interface of the wafers and the platen.
Numerous other methods of applying release agent are also known. Release agent has been brushed onto the top surface of wood material and binder prior to the step of hot pressing (U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,802). It has been found that utilizing a metallic surface including magnesium and zinc for the platen enhances release of the wood material and binder therefrom (U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,897). Binders having a self-release effect (U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,153) or incorporating an internal release agent are also known (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,528,153, 4,376,089, 4,528,154, 4,257,995, 4,257,996, 4,376,088 and 4,258,169). See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,397 which teaches providing a metallic soap at the interface between the mold and the mass of wood material and binder to assist release.

Method for the manufacture of waferboard


The present invention is directed to a class of cyclohexene derivatives bearing sulfamoyl and ester groups which have an inhibitory activity on nitric oxide (NO) production and cytokine production, and are useful as an agent for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of diseases such as, cardiac disease, autoimmune disease, inflammatory disease, central nervous system disease, infectious disease, sepsis, and septic shock.

Nitric oxide (NO) has been reported to play various roles in the physiological activity in the body of mammal; for example, as a vasodilator in the vascular system [Pharmacol. Rev., vol. 43, 109-142 (1991)], as a factor showing tumor cell eradicating activity in the leukocyte system [Curr. Opin. Immunol., vol. 3, 65-70 (1991)], and as a neurotransmitter in the nervous system [Neuron, vol. 8, 3-11 (1992)]. Basically, NO is produced from L-arginine by NO synthase (NOS), and to date, the presence of three kinds of isoforms of genetically nerve NOS, vascular endothelial NOS and inducible NOS (iNOS) has been clarified [Cell, vol. 70, pp. 705-707 (1992)]. Based on the mode of presence, the former two are also referred to as constitutive NOS (cNOS) as contrasted with the latter as iNOS.
The cNOS is considered to be present in the vascular endothelial cell and neurocyte, be calcium calmodulin-dependant, produce a small amount of NO by activation of various receptor stimulations, and to be responsible for the aforementioned physiological control. In contrast, iNOS is known to be induced by various cytokines, bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and the like to produce a large amount of NO in a sustained manner in macrophage, neutrophile and the like, and to damage and hurt cells and tissues at a production site, while showing the above-mentioned physiological activity [Immunol. Today, vol. 13, 157-160 (1992)]. Known cells and tissues that express iNOS are the aforementioned cells, as well as hepatocyte, kupffer's cell, glia cell, vascular smooth muscle cell, vascular endothelial cell, inner membrane of cardiac muscle, cardiac muscle cell, mesangial cell, chondrocyte, synovial cell, pancreatic β cell, osteoclast and the like [FASEB J., vol. 6, 3051-3064 (1992), Arch Surg., vol. 128, 396-401 (1993), J. Biol. Chem., vol. 44, 27580-27588 (1994), J. Cell. Biochem., vol. 57, 399-408 (1995)].
Heretofore, L-arginine analogs [Pharmacol. Rev., vol. 43, 109-142 (1991)], aminoguanidine [Br. J. Pharmacol., vol. 110, 963-968 (1993)], S-ethylisothiourea [J. Biol. Chem., vol. 43, 26669-26676 (1994)] and the like have been reported to inhibit iNOS.
It is also known that cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6 and the like, are secreted by various cells such as monocyte, macrophage, lymphocyte, neutrophile, fibroblast, vascular endothelial cell and the like and widely involved in biological defense and immune system based on inflammation [The Cytokine Handbook, 2nd ed Academic Press Limited (1994), Advances Immunol., vol. 62, 257-304 (1996)].
It has been clarified that TNF-α and IL-1 show activities such as (1) fever, (2) activation and promoted chemotaxis of inflammatory cells such as macrophage, neutrophile and the like, (3) induction of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, TNF, CSF and the like and acute protein, (4) promotion of production of various chemical mediators such as NO, O2−, PAF, prostaglandin, leukotriene, protease and the like; and that IL-6 shows activity such as (1) introduction of acute protein, (2) increasing blood platelet, (3) differentiation and activation of lymphocyte and NK cell, (4) growth of osteoclast, and the like. However, excess production of these cytokines and production thereof at inappropriate sites and time is inconvenient for organisms. For example, these cytokines have been found to be involved in various diseases such as cachexia, allergic disease, rheumatoid arthritis, abscess, graft rejection, anemia, arteriosclerosis, autoimmune disease, diabetes, central nervous system disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cardiac disease, hepatitis, cirrhosis, nephritis, osteoporosis, psoriasis, septic shock and the like, caused by protozoan, bacteria, fungi, virus, cancer and the like. It has been described that a substance that suppresses or antagonizes production of TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6 and the like can be a therapeutic drug of these diseases [Eur. J. Immunol., vol. 18, 951-956 (1991), Immunol., vol. 83, 262-267 (1994), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., vol. 93, 3967-3971 (1997), J. Immunol., vol. 147, 1530-1536 (1991), Immunol. Today, vol. 12, 404-410 (1991)].
Because substances that suppress NO production by iNOS inducible cell, thereby to treat cardiac disease, autoimmune disease, inflammatory disease, septic shock and the like are considered to be effective as a prophylactic and therapeutic drug of various diseases, such as arteriosclerosis, myocarditis, cardiac myopathy, brain ischemic disorder, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, septic shock, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, ulcerative colitis, diabetes, glomerular nephritis, osteoporosis, pneumonia, hepatitis, psoriasis, graft rejection, pain and the like, and because the cells targeted by cytokines are diversified over, for example, the inflammation system, the vascular system, the central nervous system, the hematopoietic system, the endocrine system and the like, the biological activities thereof are considered to be diversified, too. These compounds, however, are not entirely satisfactory from the aspect of activity, and are associated with problems that they inhibit not only iNOS but also cNOS responsible for physiological activity, and the like. Therefore, the invention provides an improved agent for the prophylaxis or treatment of diseases such as cardiac disease, autoimmune disease, inflammatory disease, septic shock and the like.

Substituted aromatic-ring compounds, process for producing the same and use


A method determining artillery fire corrections toward a fixed target using a fixed observation system is oriented and equipped with a device measuring orientation of line of sight, a laser rangefinder, a positioning device, and a display screen with fixed crosshair, displaying and moving another crosshair. The method includes: orienting the observation system to display the central crosshair on the target image and calculating target geographical coordinates using distance provided by the rangefinder. If, after firing, the impact and target do not coincide, the method includes, if the orientation is fixed: displaying a second crosshair on the impact image and measuring offset between the two crosshairs, displaying a third crosshair symmetrical to the second crosshair; and orienting the optronic system to position the third crosshair on the target image, the first crosshair coinciding with the impact point image, and actuating the rangefinder to obtain distance between the system and impact.

During artillery fire, a forward observer is placed between the artillery pieces and a fixed target, typically at approximately 1 or 2 km from the target, the artillery pieces being placed to the rear at a distance typically between 5 and 50 km for terrestrial artillery fire. This observer, who has a direct view of the target, is initially responsible for determining the position of this target. This is referred to as extraction of coordinates of the target.
The latter are obtained in the following manner by means of a fixed but orientable optronic observation system such as a multifunctional scope or binoculars fixed to a tripod.
This observation system described with reference to FIG. 4 conventionally includes an observation channel that includes an image sensor 2 and a laser rangefinder channel referred to as the laser channel that includes a rangefinder 4; it also includes a display screen 1 common to the two channels on which appears the image 10 from the image sensor and on which is positioned a rangefinding crosshair R1 showing the aiming axis of the laser rangefinder, as can be seen in FIG. 1. This crosshair generally takes the form of a cross. The laser beam of the rangefinder is emitted in a very narrow sector typically of approximately 1 mrad, which imposes very accurate pointing of the laser. A harmonization, that is to say alignment of the axes of the laser channel and the observation channel, is factory-set; as a result of this the crosshair R1 is located substantially at the center of the screen 1. To measure the range of the target, the operator orients the binoculars so as to position the laser crosshair R1 over the image of the target after which rangefinding is effected by means of a user interface 7, for example by action on a pushbutton. The observation system is furthermore equipped with means 5 for measuring the orientation of the aiming axis (of the observation channel or of the rangefinding channel since they have the same axis), such as a magnetic compass, a goniometer or a gyrocompass, etc., or any other means, and positioning means 6 such as a two-antenna GPS system, for example.
This observation system is for example mounted on a tripod and therefore has a fixed geographical position and can be oriented. As indicated, the observer orients the observation system so as to make the crosshair R1 coincide on the display screen 1 with the image 10 of the target as shown in FIG. 1. They then operate the rangefinder to measure the distance D between the system and the target, at the same time as the measured position and orientation of the system are respectively calculated by the positioning and orientation means. The coordinates of the target are extracted from these three measurements and transmitted to the artillery pieces, for example by voice transmission.
A certain number of factors may lead to the first impact not being on the target:                Inaccuracy of the extraction of coordinates,        Defective adjustment of the artillery piece,        Temperature of the powder and the barrel,        Wind,        Etc.
If the first impact is not on the target, the second mission of the forward observer is to provide the operators of the artillery pieces with the parameters necessary for the determination of artillery fire corrections to be made to achieve a second strike, this time on the target. The forward observer provides three parameters, as indicated in FIG. 2:                target observation bearing,        distance to right or left between impact and target, which is 10 m more to the left in the example in the figure,        distance of the impact in front of or behind the target, which is 15 m closer in the example in the figure.
These parameters are calculated on the basis of the measurement of the following elements, knowing that the measurement of the distance D resulting from the coordinate extraction step is considered sufficiently accurate:                Distance D′ between the observer and the impact,        Orientation offset between the impact and the target: in practice this is an offset in bearing.
To prevent the image of this second strike being outside the target and therefore to minimize collateral damage, the calculation of these parameters must be as accurate as possible, notably with an angular accuracy of one mrad, the accuracy in respect of D′ being sufficient.
In fact, the distance D′ is obtained by laser rangefinding with sufficient accuracy of the order of ±5 m.
At present there are two devices for determining the offset in bearing between the target and the impact:                The magnetic compass,        The goniometer.
The magnetic compass is a device sensitive to the terrestrial magnetic field and enables magnetic North to be determined at a location; it is then easy to deduce geographical North at this location, by adding the magnetic declination. With the aid of a magnetic compass it is possible to measure by pointing at a target the observation bearing to that target. By pointing toward the impact and effecting a subtraction, it is possible to determine the offset in bearing between the target and the impact. The advantage of the device lies in its compactness and its lightness. It is easy to integrate into more complex systems such as multifunction binoculars, for example. Its disadvantage is linked to the sensitivity of this type of sensor, which is extremely sensitive to interference and in the best possible scenario is unable to guarantee a measurement to within less than 10 mrad. Now this accuracy of 10 mrad is highly insufficient since the order of magnitude of the artillery fire corrections that it is required to provide is 1 milliradian.
The goniometer is a relative angle measuring device. It makes it possible to measure a relative angle with great accuracy, less than one mrad. By successively pointing the sight line of binoculars at the target and then at the impact point, it enables the offset in bearing to be measured with the required accuracy. The disadvantage of the goniometer is that it is heavy and bulky, which is a penalty for tactical hardware, and that it adds a non-negligible cost to the system.
It is also possible to calculate these correction parameters using an observation system such as binoculars or a scope, the display screen of which is provided with a micrometric crosshair R1, i.e. one completed by small markers, the distance between two markers defining a field of view, as represented in FIG. 1. Observers evaluate the offset in bearing and in elevation for themselves as a function of the offset that they observe on their display screen 1 between the micrometric crosshair R1 positioned over the image 10 of the target and the image 11 of the impact on their screen; however, this evaluation by the observers themselves cannot achieve the required accuracy of the order of 1 mrd. By rangefinding, they then measure the distance after first orienting their observation system toward the impact, that is to say positioning the crosshair over the image of the impact.
Consequently, there remains at present a requirement for a system simultaneously satisfying all the aforementioned requirements, in terms of the accuracy of the corrections to be made, compactness, lightness and cost.

Method for determining corrections for artillery fire


Photonic crystal fibers that guide light by virtue of a photonic band gap. Fibers that are formed from materials having higher refractive indices than silica are provided using an optical waveguide including a core with a relatively low refractive index and a photonic band gap structure that can substantially confine light to the core. The structure includes elongate regions of relatively low refractive index interspersed with elongate regions of relatively high refractive index, with the band gap residing above the fifth photonic band of the band gap structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical fibres and, in particular, but not exclusively, to photonic crystal fibres that guide light by virtue of a photonic band-gap.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photonic crystal is a dielectric structure with a refractive index that varies periodically in space, with a period of the order of an optical wavelength. Such a structure has a photonic stop band if light cannot propagate (in any state of polarisation) for certain values of frequency and direction; Bragg diffraction takes place. If the stop band persists for all directions at a given frequency, the light cannot propagate at all and the photonic crystal has a full photonic band-gap; hereinafter referred to simply as a band-gap.
Prior to about 1995, most reports relating to two-dimensional (2-D) photonic crystals invariant in the third dimension (the longitudinal, or z, direction) were associated with so-called 'in-plane' band-gaps, in which light was restricted to the transverse plane; having no component in the z-direction so that the propagation constant β=0.
An example of a 2-D photonic crystal is a regular array of rods of one refractive index surrounded by a material with a different refractive index. The rods can, for example, be air columns in a solid material or solid columns of material surrounded by air or another solid material.
When light propagation is restricted to the transverse plane (in-plane), an in-plane 2-D band-gap can appear for a large refractive index contrast, typically in excess of 2.6, where refractive index contrast is defined herein as the ratio of high refractive index to low refractive index. Conveniently, in a two-material system, when the low refractive index material is air, or a vacuum, and the high refractive index material defines the structure, refractive index contrast is the same as the refractive index of the matrix material. Materials commonly used in photonic crystals are gallium arsenide or gallium aluminium arsenide, having refractive indices of around 3.6 and 3.45 respectively, and air, where increasing the refractive index contrast increases the band-gap bandwidth.
In "Full 2-D photonic band-gaps in silica/air structures", Birks et al., Electronics Letters, 26 Oct. 1995, Vol. 31, No. 22, pp. 1941–1942, it was reported that a full band-gap may be created in a 2-D photonic crystal when there is a propagation component in the longitudinal direction (out-of-plane). It was also reported that this could be achieved with a much lower refractive index contrast, for example around 1.45, than for an in-plane band-gap. In particular it was reported that a full out-of-plane 2-D band-gap could be produced in a silica-air system, where round air columns are arranged in a silica matrix in a hexagonal array. The authors went on to propose a radically new kind of optical fibre, having a hollow core region surrounded by a 2-D band-gap cladding structure, in which light would be confined to the core by the band-gap cladding structure.
Since this paper was published, several groups, including the authors of the paper, have made and reported practical band-gap fibres of the kind proposed by Birks et al.
The first practical band-gap fibre was reported in "Photonic Band Gap Guidance in Optical Fibres", Knight et al., 20 Nov. 1998, Vol. 282, Science, pp. 1476–1478. The fibre reported in this paper guided light by virtue of a band-gap, which confined the light to a small region of silica around a hollow air core. This paper demonstrated for the first time that light guidance could be performed by using a band-gap, associated with a 2-D photonic crystal structure, along an optical fibre. In this case, guidance was not in an air core.
The first band-gap fibre to guide light in an air core was reported in "Single-mode photonic band-gap guidance of light in air", Cregan et al., Science, Vol. 285, pp 1537–1539, 3 Sep. 1999. That this publication was not made until nearly four years after air-core-guidance in band-gap fibres were first predicted is an indication of the difficulties associated with making such a fibre. The reported fibre had a cladding, generally comprising a triangular lattice of air holes in a silica matrix, surrounding a core region having a size approximately equal to seven unit cells; a middle unit cell and the surrounding six unit cells.
In "Analysis of air-guiding photonic band-gap fibres", Broeng et al., Optics Letters, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 96–98, Jan. 15, 2000, the authors provided a theoretical analysis of an air-guiding, silica and air band-gap fibre. The band-gap fibre had a cladding defined by a triangular lattice of round air holes, which amounted to 70% by volume of the cladding structure, and a seven-cell core defect having a radius of √7Λ/2 (where Λ is the lattice pitch of the cladding). The authors applied a variational method for solving the vectorial magnetic wave equation as an eigenvalue problem to analyse the band-gap structure. For a fixed out-of-plane wave-vector component β, a band diagram was generated that showed that, for a normalised propagation constant βΛ=9.0, a band-gap appeared at around a normalised frequency kΛ of 9.0. This band-gap is seen to exist between the fourth and fifth photonic bands of the band diagram and was said to be the lowest frequency band-gap of the band-gap structure, although other band-gaps were said to exist, at least for other structures.
In the chapter entitled "Photonic Crystal Fibers: Effective Index and Band-Gap Guidance" from the book "Photonic Crystal and Light Localization in the 21st Century", C. M. Soukoulis (ed.), ©2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers, the authors presented a useful overview of photonic crystal fibre technology. The chapter includes a description of a band structure for a triangular lattice of air holes, defined by a high dielectric material (∈=13), and a description of a band structure for a similar, silica and air structure having a seven-cell air-core defect (comparable with the structure in the preceding Broeng et al. paper).
Although the loss of practical band-gap fibres has decreased significantly since the idea was first proposed, see, for example, "Low Loss (13 dB/km) Air Core Photonic Band-Gap Fibre", Venkataraman et al., Post Deadline Session 1:PD1.1, ECOC 2002, the underlying design of reported band-gap fibres has not significantly changed. For example, the fibre reported in the aforementioned paper had a cladding structure formed from a silica matrix defining a triangular lattice of air-holes surrounding a core region, which is the size of about seven unit cells (each centred on a hole); a middle unit cell and the surrounding six unit cells. The main difference between this fibre and earlier fibres is that the cladding holes in the more recent fibres are larger, causing the cladding regions to have a higher fraction by volume of air.
In the paper "All silica photonic band-gap fiber", Riishede et al. CLEO 2003, paper CTuC5, the authors extended the theory first reported in the Birks et al. paper referred to previously herein. The authors reported that it is possible to make a band-gap fibre in which the band-gap is produced by an array of Ge-doped silica rods supported in a matrix of lower refractive index, un-doped silica. A core region of the fibre was also made of un-doped silica. The refractive index contrast in the reported fibre was extremely low, at around 1.45:1.47. In fact, the authors reported that they were able to produce full 2-D out-of-plane band-gaps with refractive index contrasts lower than one percent. This paper is significant in that it further distinguishes the theory of in-plane band-gaps, requiring a high refractive index contrast, from the theory of out-of-plane band-gaps.


A transmission comprises a main shaft, a first countershaft parallel to the main shaft, a second countershaft disposed rotatably over the first countershaft, a third countershaft disposed coaxially with the first and second countershafts, first-third gear trains and a reverse gear train disposed rotationally between these parallel shafts, and a planetary gear train whose carrier is connected to the first countershaft, whose sun gear is connected to the second countershaft, and whose ring gear is connected to the third countershaft. The transmission comprises first-fourth clutches connecting or disconnecting the first-third gear trains and the reverse gear train to or from the main shaft and the first and second countershafts, a fifth clutch connecting the carrier and the sun gear or disconnecting them from each other, and a brake holding the sun gear stationary, the transmission realizing seven forward speed ranges and a reverse range.

Because of demands for improvements in fuel efficiency and acceleration performance, the numbers of speed change ratios or speed ranges available for transmissions have increased (refer to, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-266138).
However, the increased number of speed change ratios or speed ranges also involves an increase in the number of engaging elements, which leads to an increase in the weight and cost of the transmission. For example, in the transmission described in patent reference 1, seven engaging elements are used for realizing six or seven speed change ratios as speed ranges in forward drive.


A variable voltage driver circuit produces an output swing off of a single voltage power supply which is logically configurable to allow interconnection of CMOS chips of varying technologies and power supplies. First a voltage requirement for a destination chip is identified to which a driver chip is to be coupled, and the voltage requirement for the driver chip is identified. The variable voltage driver circuit is activated to produce a variable voltage output swing off of a single voltage power supply meeting the voltage requirements of the driver chip. The driver has data input, and level selection inputs and pins which select and enable the driver independent of the output level state that the driver is in. The driver has predriver stage having a data input and a first and a second driver output level input for determining the voltage level at the output, and having control circuits for setting output states at the output stage to a supply level, intermediate voltage level, and a disabled level, and an output stage, having devices which establish a down level to set a logical state, and an up level and an intermediate level for setting a different logical state. A logical state level at the input will normally result in an output at the same logical state level but selection of driver output level inputs determines the voltage level at the output for one of the logical state levels, so that a selected one of said driver output level inputs determines the actual output voltage of the circuit.

Computer systems which use CMOS chips of varying technologies and power supplies for increased performance create unique problems which arise because of the need to develop special circuits to bridge the different technologies. Some time ago connecting CMOS circuits and TTL circuits was addressed, as those described in the article in IBM's TDB v36 n6A 06-93 p149-152, entitled "Laser Fuse Programmable Input Level Receivers" by authors M. K. Ciraula, C. M. Durham, and D. L. Jallice noted that VLSI chips require specific logic input levels that are characteristic of the system environment(s) in which they are to be used. Then two most common were CMOS (1.5 V and 3.5 V) and TTL (0.8 V and 2.0 V). They noted that when designing chips the interface circuits, known as on-chip receivers or OCRs, engineers must consider which set of logic input levels will be required in the system environment. When multiple system environments are expected with potentially differing logic input level requirements, the authors suggested designers must provide the option for different logic levels on the VLSI chip, stating that typically, these different levels are programmable using one or two processing mask level changes. However, this creates two problems: 1. multiple separate sets (or subsets) of processing masks are required, and 2. chips must be stockpiled in distinct formats. For discussion purposes, the two most common interface levels, TTL and CMOS were presented in this article. However, it should be noted that the concepts presented can be extended to most any interface level requirement. This article describes a means to provide input-level programming from CMOS to TTL or TTL to CMOS without the use of processing mask changes using laser fuses. Consequently, the resulting chip designs are more versatile for manufacturing and system designers, producing multiple input levels from a single processing mask set. Therefore, chip stockpiling can be done without regard to input-level requirements when on-chip receivers designed in CMOS technologies can be made to switch at various voltage levels by changing the ratio of input pull-up (P-FET) and pull-down (N-FET) devices. However, changing the hysteresis required added to the OCR circuitry to provide additional noise immunity, which is accomplished by adding feedback latches, Schmitt trigger circuits, hysteresis latches etc. This adds delay and complexity and cost to development.
Intel Corporation's inventors M. B. Haycock and S. R. Mooney, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,267 issued Apr. 25, 1995 Described a 3.3 V to 5 V interface buffer which had to be built for a specific purpose as a solid state BiCMOS device implemented on a reduced voltage process designed to operate from 3.3 V and 5 V supplies and capable of receiving a 0-3.3 V input signal while providing a external swing signal from 0-5 V. Specifically, cross coupled PMOS and NMOS devices manufactured by a 3.3 V process are utilized with level shifting diodes for achieving a device which operates on higher voltages than conventional circuit design techniques allow for a given process technique, while providing a 0-5 V output at the sending device. The references cited in this patent are replete with special interconnection circuits for particular applications.
IBM patented a "Precision Hysteresis Circuit" by B. L. Stakely and R. Wenda, with U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,680, for a CMOS circuit arrangement with precise balanced switch points. The circuit arrangement included a voltage-follower which forces a reference voltage across an on-chip reference resistor. The current which is generated is mirrored and is made to flow through a plurality of on-chip resistors. The mirrored current flowing through the plurality of resistors generates a plurality of proportional reference voltages. Two of the proportional reference voltages are used to set the switching threshold to one input of a comparator whose output is fed back to control a switch which selects one of the two voltages. Another one of the proportional reference voltages is coupled to another input of the comparator. The circuit arrangement forms a hysteresis circuit if positive and negative thresholds are chosen. Generating hysteresis on an integrated circuit chip generated a a precise voltage across an on-chip resistance, and current mirroring provided a current (IREF) flowing in the on-chip resistance (R0) to flow in a plurality of ratioed independent resistive means. Then a fixed voltage is generated across a selected one of the ratioed independent resistive means and compared with a selected one of a plurality of switched voltages generated across selected ones of the ratioed independent resistance. However, these ideas did not address a growing and current problem which needs to be addressed as complex machines are developed which migrate some components among successive machines as when new machines use newer technologies (migrating from one CMOS process which could be and has been called a Level 5, to a more dense, higher level, such as a level 6 process or technology) with lower signal swings. As an example in a situation addressed by the preferred embodiment of my invention, in newer S/390 machines the off multichip module (MCM) memory paths are 2.5 V signals, while it needs to couple to a cache of one technology which operates at 2.5 V for one machine while a related machine developed with a different technology may need a 1.8 V signal. The development of a separate 1.8 V memory interface for the related machine is costly. There is a need to improve the circuits in multiple technology chip crossings to ease migratable machines allowing older technology circuits to be used in a new generation of machines without having to remake the circuits for a new technology and having to incur the consequent development costs, which could be in the million dollar range

Method for interconnecting CMOS chip types

International Business Machines Corporation


A device for transporting and transferring objects of treatment arranged in a down flow to a plurality of treatment sections for treating the objects comprises a transportation section movable between the treatment sections, a first drive mechanism for moving the transportation section, a first arm movably attached to the transportation section and used for those objects of treatment which are adjusted to a predetermined temperature in the treatment sections, a second arm movably attached to the transportation section and used for the other objects of treatment than the ones adjusted in temperature, and a second drive mechanism for separately moving the first and second arms.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transportation-transfer device for an object of treatment used in, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly, to a semiconductor wafer transfer device of a resist film forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally known are semiconductor wafer treatment apparatuses which comprise a plurality of semiconductor wafer treatment mechanisms and a delivery mechanism for carrying semiconductor wafers into and out of the treatment mechanisms. These apparatuses, which are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,775,281 and 4,985,722, are applied to resist film forming apparatuses, developing apparatuses, etc.
In a resist film forming apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,722, two forks are arranged for movement from side to side along a transportation path, and wafer carriers loaded with semiconductor wafers without resist film thereon and wafer carriers for storing semiconductor wafers with resist film formed thereon are arranged on one side of the transportation path. A cooling mechanism, applicator mechanism, and baking mechanism are arranged on the other side of the transportation path. The cooling mechanism serves to adjust the wafers transported from the wafer carriers to a predetermined temperature. The applicator mechanism is used to apply the resist film to the wafers delivered from the cooling mechanism. In the baking mechanism, the semiconductor wafers coated with the resist film by means of the applicator mechanism are subjected to heat treatment.
Each of the two forks has a holding section, e.g., vacuum suction means, for holding each semiconductor wafer. Also, each fork is provided with a mechanism for moving the holding section to each wafer carrier and the position of each treatment mechanism in which the wafers are placed. In this arrangement, the semiconductor wafers can be successively delivered from the wafer carriers to the treatment mechanisms, and finally stored in the carriers.
While one semiconductor wafer is being carried out from one of the treatment mechanism, in the above-described apparatus having the two forks, another wafer to be treated next can be carried into the same treatment mechanism to be set therein. Accordingly, the time required for a treatment process can be shortened.
Since the semiconductor wafers are transported by moving the forks along the transportation path in the aforesaid manner, moreover, only one transportation mechanism can accomplish the transportation of the wafers between a plurality of treatment mechanisms. Thus, the apparatus can be reduced in size.
If the single transportation mechanism is bound to manage the wafer transportation between the treatment mechanisms, however, the temperature of each fork is increased by heat from each semiconductor wafer as the wafer is transported from the baking mechanism to one of the wafer carriers. When the semiconductor wafer to be treated next is transported from the cooling mechanism to the applicator mechanism, therefore, it is heated by the fork, so that the wafer temperature is inevitably deviated from the temperature set by means of the cooling mechanism.
When one of the two forks of the transportation mechanism increases, its heat is transmitted through ambient gas to the other fork. Even in the case where a semiconductor wafer is transported from the cooling mechanism to the applicator mechanism by means of that fork which does not engage in the transportation of the wafer from the baking mechanism to the wafer carrier, therefore, the newly transported wafer is undesirably heated in the same manner as aforesaid.
These problems are not limited to the case where the transportation-transfer device is applied to the resist film forming apparatus, and also arise when the device is applied to any other apparatus, such as a developing apparatus.

Transportation-transfer device for an object of treatment