A clock circuit for outputting serial data without using a PLL is described. The clock is a VCO designed to start at a frequency that is slightly higher than necessary to preserve the data. The frequency of the clock is measured and if the frequency is too high or too low the DC control voltage for the VCO is changed to bring the VCO frequency back to the start frequency. Clock counters, holding registers, comparators, and a D/A form a feed back path around a VCO. In addition, a word boundary generator is used to define individual data words. The word boundary is formed by the absence of a bit clock transition while there is a data bit transition. A high/low threshold may be used where the VCO frequency, as measured, must transcend a threshold before the DC control voltage to the VCO is changed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data transmission, and more particularly to serializing and sending, bit by bit, a data word and a bit clock with an embedded data word boundary.
2. Background Information
FIG. 1 illustrates a known serializer in a block schematic form. A parallel data word 10 is loaded into a buffer register 12 with a word clock 14. The word clock 14 is also fed to a phase locked loop (PLL) or a delay locked loop (DLL) 16, hereinafter PLL will be used to refer to both the PLL and DLL. The PLL generates a bit clock 18 that loads the shift register 20 and subsequently shifts out the data in the shift register 20 serially bit by bit through a cable or transmission line driver 22. The bit clock 18 that shifts the data out bit by bit stays synchronized to the bit positions within the word by the PLL. Along with the serial bits from driver 22, a word clock 24 is output via driver 26. The receiver will be able to distinguish the beginning and ending of the serial data stream by referencing the bit stream via the word clock.
FIG. 2 shows a receiver circuit that de-serializes the bits to form words. The serial data 30 is input to a shift register 32. The word clock 34 is input to a PLL 36 that generates a bit clock 38 that is synchronized to the bit location in a word by the PLL. With this synchronization, the bit clock 38 properly loads the bit stream into the shift register 32. When the word has been received by the shift register 32 (as determined from the word clock), the PLL outputs a clock 40 that loads the parallel data in the shift register 32 into a buffer register 42. The word data 44 is in parallel form ready for use in the receiving system.
FIGS. 1 and 2 contain a buffer register that holds the word to be sent or the word just received. The buffer allows nearly the entire time for a word to be sent or received before the next word is loaded. The logic and the timing to accomplish these tasks are well known. However, the buffer registers are not required, and if not used, then the word to be sent and the word received must be loaded during a bit time. Again, such designs are well known in the art.
FIG. 3 shows a complete bidirectional system using the serializers as in FIG. 1 and de-serializers as in FIG. 2. Note that there are eight data lines and a single clock into each serializer and out from each de-serializer. The data and clock lines between the serializer and the de-serializer are typically differential signals each using two conductors.
The serializer/de-serializers of FIG. 3 each contain a PLL that are common in such devices. But, PLL's consume significant power, are complex, require long locking times, and occupy considerable chip real estate. It would be advantageous to dispense with PLL's.
FIG. 4 shows a generic timing chart that illustrates the serial sending of a data word. A word clock 60 is fed to a PLL that generates a synchronous bit clock 62, the word clock 60 must occur often enough for the PLL to remain locked. The data bits are loaded into a shift register using a word clock edge. Then, the data bits in the shift register are shifted out serially by the bit clock 62. In FIG. 4 an eight bit word is shifted out on the rising edge of the bit clock 62.
A similar operation applies to the receiving of the serial data. In FIG. 2, a word clock 34 is received and applied to a PLL 36 that generates a synchronous (to the word clock) bit clock that is used to load the data bits into a receiving shift register. Data bits must be stable when the clocks cause the data bits to be sent and to be received. Time delays are designed into such systems to accomplish this, as known in the art. In the case shown, the data bits are sent out synchronously where the first bit of the next word is sent out directly after the last bit of the prior word. In other instances the data may be sent out asynchronously, typically using a start and stop bit that frames the data bits. In both the synchronous and asynchronous cases, system means must be employed, as are well known in the art, to prepare the sender and the receiver to properly send and receive the data. Also, systems are arranged to send data, then, after sending, to receive data; while other systems can send and receive simultaneously. The former is referred to as half duplex and the latter as duplex. Again, system designers understand the limitations and requirements of such systems to properly send and receive data.
It is axiomatic that the receiving system must be able to distinguish data bits and word boundaries from a stream of serial bits, as discussed above. U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,549 to Knapp sends serial data with a bit clock. In this application, the bit clock, traveling with the data bits, is received by a re-triggerable; a one-shot. When a word boundary is created by the sender, a bit clock is not sent. The receiver one-shot times out and the ensuing missing bit clock is interpreted as a word boundary. In this case, the re-triggerable one-shot must be carefully set to receive the bit clocks in order to trigger and to time out properly. This approach is limited by requiring an accurate one-shot set up and then the use of a set bit clock that cannot change. The present invention employs a different approach and circuit compared to the Knapp patent, and the present invention is not so limited in its applications.
In general, transferring serial data offers an advantage that the cable running between the sending and receiving systems need only have a few signals (if differential signals, one data pair and one clock pair) carrying wires (and, of course, if not differential, a common return wire could be used). In contrast, sending data over cables in parallel requires line drivers for each bit in a word and, at least, a clock driver. These parallel drivers consume high power and output high currents that create significant system noise.
In applications where cables or transmission lines are not used, but where parallel data is sent between integrated circuit packages, many pins on those packages must be set aside for each bit of the parallel data. In the newer designs, using sixty-four and one hundred and twenty-eight bits, the pins available on the packages become a design limitation. Larger packages and ball grid array and similar packages that provide pins over the entire bottom surface of a package address this problem. However, the problem persists. Applications that may suffer from these limitations include virtually all computing systems with complex displays, e.g. cell phones, desk-top and lap top computers, electronic games, computing systems with off-chip memory, any computing system addressing bulk memory, and electronic instrumentation, monitoring and controlling equipment.
Up to the present time, serializing and de-serializing data entails using PLL's that are complex and costly of power chip space and time, as discussed above. Serializing and de-serializing would find greater acceptance if these limitations were removed.

Method and apparatus for generating a serial clock without a PLL


An apparatus for setting an interference region of a robot includes a 3D camera which photographs surroundings of a robot to acquire a camera image of a region around the robot including distance information and color information, a 3D map generation unit which generates a 3D map including a plurality of point sequences which are arranged at equal intervals in a 3D space around the robot on the basis of the camera image, a color setting unit which sets a color of the robot, a color search unit which searches for a point sequence including color information corresponding to the robot color from the 3D map, and an interference region setting unit which sets an interference region on the basis of position data of the searched point sequence.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interference region setting apparatus for setting an interference region of a robot.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when performing work using a robot, an apparatus for setting an interference region where there is an obstacle or the like, around a robot, in order to avoid interference between the robot and the obstacle so as to inhibit the robot from entering the interference region is known. For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-81445 describes an apparatus for setting an interference region to perform operation simulation in an offline state. The apparatus described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-81445 reads in three-dimensional (3D) shape data of a robot and an obstacle or the like from a CAD device to set an interference region on a screen using the 3D shape data. Furthermore, with mouse operation or like, the apparatus sets an interference region corresponding to a safety fence or the like on the screen.
However, in the apparatus of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-81445, a three-dimensional shape model needs to be prepared in advance in order to set an interference region, and, additionally, the interference region needs to be manually input, thus requiring a great deal of time and labor.

Apparatus for setting interference region of robot


A side knock-type mechanical pencil comprises: a barrel, a push member supported on the side wall of the barrel, and a sliding tube longitudinally slidably inserted in the barrel so as to correspond to the push member and internally provided with a lead passage. An angular cam portion formed in a middle portion of the sliding tube has a stepped surface consisting of a high slope and a pair of low slopes. The pair of side members of the push member touch the pair of low slopes in the initial stage of the pushing operation, and the top member which joins the pair of side members the high slope in a final stage of the pushing operation. The axis of a back portion is displaced from the axis of the barrel to a side opposite the side of the push member. A funnel-shaped lead receiving portion is formed integrally with the back portion at the back end of the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a side knock-type mechanical pencil provided with a push member pivotally supported to the side wall of a barrel so as to be operated to cause a sliding member to slide longitudinally for projecting a lead.
2. Prior Art
Various side knock-type mechanical pencils have been proposed. Referring now to FIG. 1 illustrating a side knock-type mechanical pencil disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 51-17942, a push lever 22 is received in a slot 21 formed in the side wall of a barrel 20 containing a lead chucking mechanism therein, and supported at one end thereof to the barrel 20. The push lever 22 is adapted to be pushed with a fingertip to advance a lead.
When the push lever 22 is pushed or knocked, a free end 22a of the push lever 22 engages with an inclined surface 24a formed on a sliding member 24 mounted on an elongated cylindrical portion 27 of a chuck 26 connected to a lead tank 23, and advances the chuck 26 against a force of a spring 25 biasing the chuck 26 backward. As the chuck 26 is moved forward, it is opened to permit a lead to advance forward relative to the chuck 26.
Whereas there is no restrictions on the diameter of the barrels of end knock-type mechanical pencils, there is a limit to the diameter of the barrels of those side knock-type mechanical pencils. Therefore, in the prior art side knock-type mechanical pencil, the lead can be advanced by a short distance by one lead advancing stroke of the chuck which is caused by one stroke of the push lever, and hence the push lever needs to be pushed many times to advance the lead from the lead tank so that the lead can be projected, which requires a troublesome operation. If it is desired to increase the lead advancing stroke of the chuck beyond a limit, the diameter of the barrel must be greatly increased, and an increased pressure is necessary for pushing the push lever because the point of engagement of the push lever and the inclined surface of the sliding member moves down beyond the center axis of the elongated portion of the chuck.


A security barrier apparatus which may be used in conjunction with an existing security gate or may be used as a stand-alone security barrier gate. The system uses a passive restraining device comprising a bollard having at least one catch horn extending therefrom which engages a corresponding structure on the gate to restrain the gate when impacted.

With heightened security requirements at facilities across the country and overseas, an increased need has developed for devices that can easily operate as gates or gated barriers and meet necessary crash barrier requirements. Such devices may be entirely stand-alone systems or the devices may act as an upgrade or improvement to previously existing gates or gated barriers.
A prior art device in use at Argonne National Laboratory since the mid-1980s provides an approach that has been improved with the present invention. The prior art device is simply a straight steel pipe with a wire rope cable through it. The cable ends are connected so that the cable forms a loop, part inside and part outside the pipe. The pipe is attached to the fence and the cable loop hangs below the pipe. A variation of the prior art device appears to include metal standoffs welded to the pipe and clamped to the cable to hold the cable above the pipe. The pipe is attached to the gate, and two bollards with hooks will catch the cable loop when impacted in such a way that the pipe passes through the bollards.
One weakness of both the prior art devices is that they permit the full force of impact to bear as a concentrated load on a single point in the cable. Additionally, these systems do not provide protection against the potential cutting action of the pipe ends or the standoffs on the wire rope when either device experiences dynamic stresses such as those that result from the impact of an automobile against such a device.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention offers advantages including, but not limited to, the following: 1) providing for distribution of the loading, 2) transferring critical impact loading, 3) eliminating sharp edges that could cut a cable, 4) using an improved catch horn design, and 5) including a modified reinforcement technique for a bollard to facilitate installation. Once installed, the preferred embodiment of the present invention does not require operation of any active elements to perform its catching function.


An electrical connector may include a connector housing, a first leadframe assembly received in the connector housing, a second leadframe assembly received in the connector housing and a retention member. Each leadframe assembly may include a leadframe housing, and a plurality of electrically conductive contacts extending therethrough. Each leadframe housing may include a recess. The retention member may include a first body portion, a first member extending from the first body portion and a second member extending from the first body portion such that a face of the first member opposes a face of the second member. The first member may apply a first force against a first surface of each respective recess and the second member may apply a second force against a second surface of each respective recess.

An electrical connector may include a connector housing and a plurality of leadrame assemblies positioned in the connector housing. Such an electrical connector may include a retention member for stabilizing and securing the leadframe assemblies within the connector housing. For example, it may be necessary to keep the leadframe assemblies from moving in the x, y, and/or z directions.
There are a few different retention members that have been used to align the leadframe assemblies. One such retention member includes a right angle plate that connects to the top and back sides of each leadframe assembly. With the increased desire to miniaturize electrical connectors, however, attaching the right angle plate to the leadframe assemblies has been difficult, since the right angle plates must be miniaturized as well.


A hierarchical power management circuit includes N power management circuits respectively included in N power domains each including at least one intellectual property (IP), wherein N is a natural number greater than one. The i-th (1<i<N) power management circuit from among the N power management circuits manages supply of power to an (i+1)th power domain from among the N power domains in response to a power management request signal output from a first power management circuit from among the N power management circuits.

Example embodiments relate to a power management circuit, and, more particularly, to hierarchical power management circuits that are distributed in a plurality of power domains and are capable of managing supply of power to each of the power domains and the operations of intellectual properties (IPs) respectively formed in the power domains, a power managing method using the same, and a system on chip (SoC) including the hierarchical power management circuits.
A mobile SoC may need to reduce power consumption. In general, the mobile SoC includes a power management circuit built therein.
The power management circuit reduces power consumption of the mobile SoC by using a method of stopping an operation of a circuit installed in the mobile SoC or blocking power provided to the mobile SoC. However, because power is always provided to the power management circuit, power consumption of the power management circuit increases when the power management circuit has a complex structure.

Hierarchical power management circuit, power management method using the same, and system on chip including the hierarchical power management circuit


A torque tool comprises a torque converter, a power tool for actuating the converter and an attachment adapter, interposed between the torque converter and the power tool, for coaxially and firmly interconnecting the former to the latter. The power tool, having its chuck removed, includes, at its front part, an outwardly extending shaft of tubular configuration incorporating a dead hole of hexagonal cross-section. The torque converter includes several coaxially successive planetary gear assemblies, first of which being driven by a first sun gear. The latter together with a hexagonal shaft form a unitary element. The hexagonal shaft is shaped and sized to fit and drivingly engage the dead hole of the outwardly extending shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of torque tools. More specifically, it relates to a torque tool which integrates well known and long tested subassemblies into a unitary assembly that provides a greatly amplified output torque.
2. Field of the Invention
Technological production in various industries requires high torques tools with lower angular velocities than in the power generating subassemblies.
Various transmission mechanisms with reduction gears are employed to transmit motion from an electric, pneumatic or hydraulic prime mover to an output shaft of a torque converter.
The following disclosures, identified in the prior art, relate to various types of torque tools:
Sasaki (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0055432 A1, published Mar. 25, 2004);
Chen (U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,470 B1, issued Dec. 2, 2003);
Holzer et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0173097 A1, published Sep. 18, 2003);
Tang (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0185290 A1, published Dec. 12, 2002);
Tsai (U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,285 B1, issued Aug. 20, 2002); and
Provost (U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,572 B1, issued Jun. 11, 2002
The applicant believes that the cited disclosures, taken alone or in combination, neither anticipate nor render obvious the present invention. The foregoing citations do not constitute an admission that such disclosures are relevant or material to the claims. Rather the disclosures are related to the field of the invention and are cited as constituting the closest art of which the applicant is aware.


A coupling assembly may include an anchor member, a receiver member, and a seat member. The receiver member may have an anchor member end that cooperates with the anchor member and may have an implant receiving aperture for receiving an implant. The seat member may be disposable within the receiver member between the anchor member and the implant receiving aperture. First and second rotation-limiting features may be engageable to limit rotation of the seat member relative to the receiver member.

The present disclosure generally relates to orthopedic coupling assemblies for anchors used with implants for correction of spinal injuries or deformities.
In the realm of orthopedic surgery, implant systems may be utilized to fix the position of bones. In this way, the healing of a broken bone can be promoted, and malformations or other injuries can be corrected. Typical implant systems include several pieces. Bone screws, for example, are well know as fixation devices, which are connected or adjoined to a particular bone as a connection between the remainder of the implant and the bone. With rod-type implants, a series of two or more screws are typically inserted into two or more vertebrae to be instrumented. The rod is then placed within or coupled to the heads of the screws, or is placed within a connecting device that links the rod and a screw head, and the connections are tightened. In this way, a rigid supporting structure is fixed to the vertebrae, with the rod providing the support that promotes correction of the vertebral malformation or injury.
Multi-axial bone screws often have multiple pieces, allowing a threaded portion to engage the bone and a head portion to connect to the remaining implant system, such as the rod. Other components engage, hold, attach to, or affect the movement of the rod relative to the screw. Alignment of these components can be difficult and tedious within the confines of a surgical opening. Accordingly, what is needed is a screw that allows simple securing of screw components in a desired position.

Keyed crown orientation for multi-axial screws


A ranging method of an access terminal that requests a ranging to an access point through a wireless network and performs the ranging, the ranging method including a) initializing a ranging period, b) setting a timer with the ranging period and starting the timer, c) requesting a ranging by transmitting a given ranging code to the access point based on radio resource allocation information provided by the access point, d) receiving a ranging response message from the access point, and controlling transmission power, timing, and frequency offset of an access terminal according to transmission parameters included in the received ranging response message, e) estimating a downlink channel condition through which a signal from the access point is transmitted, f) resetting the ranging period according to the estimated downlink channel condition, and g) iteratively performing b) to f) according to the reset ranging period.

In a wireless communication system, wireless portable Internet is a next-generation communication system that supports mobility and local area data communication, such as in a conventional wireless local access network (LAN) that uses a fixed access point.
In such a wireless portable Internet system, a mobile access terminal (AT) requires a ranging to access an access point (AP). The ranging in a wireless portable Internet system is a function that controls transmission power, timing, and frequency offset of an uplink so that the AP can receive accurate data from the AT. When the AT periodically transmits Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) codes to the AP, and the AP receives the CDMA codes, estimates transmission parameters (transmission power, timing, and frequency offset), controls the transmission parameters to be within a range set for receiving accurate data, and transmits the controlled transmission parameters to the AT.
In more detail, a ranging process is divided into an initial ranging and a controlling ranging. During the initial ranging, the AT selects a resource from among uplink resources provided by the AP and initially accesses the AP by transmitting a CDMA code assigned to the AT to the AP through the selected resource. During the controlling stage, the AT periodically performs receiving and processing a ranging response (RNG_RSP) message transmitted from the AP that has received the CDMA code and controlling transmission parameters of the uplink. In general, the controlling ranging is performed at predetermined intervals to periodically control transmission parameters so that the AP receives data from the mobile AT with accuracy even though a wireless data communication environment dynamically changes as the AP moves from one area to another.
However, a conventional ranging is performed at fixed intervals without considering changes of the wireless data communication environment, and thus it is difficult to control transmission parameters when the AT moves vary fast. Moreover, since the ranging is performed at fixed intervals when the AT is fixed, CDMA codes transmitted from different ATs may be collided with each other in a contention-based CDMA code transmission, thereby causing degradation of a wireless communication system.

Terminal in wireless communication system and ranging method for dynamically changing ranging period thereof

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A cord for reinforcing elastomers excellent in adhesion to elastomers such as rubber is provided. The cord is a cord for reinforcing elastomers (10) that includes metallic filaments (1) and a resin filament (2) twisted together, the resin filament (2) being made from a polymeric material having a melting point or softening point of 80 to 160° C. The cord for reinforcing elastomers includes a core and at least one sheath layer, wherein, after vulcanization, a distance w between metallic filaments (1b) forming an outermost sheath layer is 100 μm or less, and, on a cross section of the cord taken along a direction orthogonal to an axial direction, a filling ratio, which is a ratio of an area of a polymeric material (3) derived from the resin filament (2) to a gap region is 52 to 120%, where the gap region is defined as a portion occupied by a material other than the metallic filaments (1) within a region formed by connecting the centers of the individual metallic filaments (1b) constituting the outermost sheath layer.

As a reinforcement material for tire belts, a steel cord made by twisting steel filaments together has been conventionally used. However, rust may form in the steel cord when, for example, an outside tire surface is damaged and the damage reaches a belt, and moisture and others in the external environment enter a space between steel filaments constituting the steel cord. For this reason, gaps are created in the steel cord so that rubber is caused to penetrate into the steel cord during vulcanization so as to block water paths. Among such solutions, Patent Document 1 proposes a composite cord that is made by twisting together sheath element wires made up of 2 to 12 steel filaments around a core made of a resin filament having a melting point of 50° C. to less than 200° C. The resin filament included in the composite cord is melted during vulcanization to cause rubber to penetrate into the steel filaments, thus preventing the steel filaments from rusting.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A coordinated lift system with user selectable RF channels coordinates the raising and lowering of a vehicle relative to a surface by using wireless communications. The lift system includes at least two lift mechanisms each having support frame, including a post, a carriage, an actuating device, and a control device with a channel selector switch. The carriage is slidably mounted on the post and is configured to support a portion of the vehicle. The actuating device is engaged between the support frame and the carriage and is activated to move the carriage relative to the post. The control device is interfaced with the actuating device and includes an RF transceiver to enable communication by RF signals with the other control device. The channel on which the transceiver operates is user selectable in the field. A rechargeable battery may provide power to the control device to allow for increased mobility of the lift system.

The present invention relates to a coordinated lift system and, more particularly, to a coordinated lift system incorporating at least two lift mechanisms that communicate by wireless signals on user selected RF channels to coordinate lift mechanisms in the raising and lowering of a vehicle.
The need to lift a vehicle from the ground for service work is well established. For instance, it is often necessary to lift a vehicle for tire rotation or replacement, steering alignment, oil changes, brake inspections, exhaust work, and other automotive maintenance. Traditionally, lifting a vehicle has been accomplished through the use of equipment that is built-in to the service facility, such as either lift units with the hydraulic actuator(s) installed below the surface of the floor or two and four post type lift systems installed on the floor surface. These built-in units are located at a fixed location at the service facility and adapted to engage the vehicle frame to lift the vehicle from the ground. However, built-in units tend to be relatively expensive and are sometimes not as useful as they might otherwise be due to their immobility.
In an effort to increase the versatility and mobility of lift devices and reduce the need to invest in permanently mounted lifting equipment, devices commonly known as a mobile column lifts (MCL's) have been developed. Apparatus for lifting a vehicle using multiple MCL's is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,079 to Berends et al. The lifting device in the Berends patent includes using a number connecting lines or wires to provide electrical power and control of the MCL's. The lines or wires that are connected between the MCL's allow the vehicle to be raised or lowered in a coordinated fashion. However, the lines and wires used to connect the MCL's extend across and are looped within the working area. The presence of the wires and lines in the work area poses a hazard to people working near the vehicle, and the connecting lines may be damaged by vehicles driving over them.
Another apparatus for lifting a vehicle using multiple MCL's is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,461. The '461 lifting device includes multiple MCL's that are coordinated by coded wireless signals, such as RF (radio frequency) signals, and powered by rechargeable batteries in each lift unit. By these means, the lifting devices in the '461 patent eliminate the need for both power cables and control cables. However, the wireless system of '461 does not allow the user to select the frequency of operation of transceivers of the control units of the lift devices. For this reason, two systems may not be usable simultaneously in a given location without the possibility of interference. Further, if signal interference occurs at a specific location, the frequency on which the system is operating cannot be changed in the field to avoid such interference.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a control unit for a wireless mobile lift system with intercommunication frequencies which can be user selected in the field to avoid interference from other lift systems or from unknown sources.

Coordinated lift system with user selectable RF channels


An alarm clock comprises circuitry for a primary alarm that causes an alarm to sound at a preset time of day and a secondary alarm which causes the alarm sound after countdown of a secondary alarm time period. The alarm clock includes a secondary alarm switch, a central processing unit and a memory electrically connected to the central processing unit and the secondary alarm switch. The memory contains a program which enables a user to set the alarm to activate at the end of the secondary alarm time period. The program preferably further provides that the secondary alarm period can also be set independent of whether the alarm has sounded at the primary alarm time or whether the primary alarm on/off switch is in an on or an off state. The program also preferably causes the secondary alarm time period to be displayed on the display unit. Also, an alarm clock comprises an alarm discontinue switch operable to discontinue activation of the alarm after the primary alarm time without changing the state of the primary alarm on/off switch to an off state.

Various alarm clocks include a snooze feature that enables a person to return to sleep after an initial or primary alarm (that is, an alarm set to sound at a specified time of day, for example, 6:15 AM) has sounded and be awakened a predetermined amount of time after activation of the snooze time, typically nine minutes after such activation. In the case of most alarms with a snooze feature, if the person would like to sleep for a longer period than the preset snooze time, he or she must reset or reactivate the snooze feature each time the predetermined time has elapsed and the alarm sounds. For instance, if such an alarm clock has a predetermined snooze time of nine minutes, for the person to sleep 27 minutes beyond the sounding of the primary alarm, the person must first activate the snooze button after the primary alarm initially sounds and then be awakened twice (by the sounding of the alarm at 9 and 18 minutes) to reactivate the snooze feature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,600, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses an improved snooze-timer device that provides an uninterrupted snooze time interval selected by the user. After sounding of the primary alarm, the snooze time interval can be selected by the user by repeatedly depressing a snooze button to increase the snooze time by a predetermined interval. For example, with a predetermined interval of five minutes, the user simply presses the snooze button six times after the initial or primary alarm sounds to program a snooze time of thirty uninterrupted minutes. The snooze time interval can be reset to zero during countdown thereof by pressing and holding the snooze button for two seconds. An alarm sounding after the countdown of the snooze time interval can be stopped by either pressing and holding the snooze button for two seconds or by turning the primary alarm on/off switch to the off state.
Although the snooze-timer device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,600 is a substantial improvement over the prior art, it remains very desirable to develop alarm devices incorporating improved features, and, particularly, improved snooze features.


A conductive member includes, a conductive supporting body, an electric resistance-adjusting layer formed in the conductive supporting body, and a space holding member which is formed on each end of the electric resistance-adjusting layer and has a material different from a material of the electric resistance-adjusting layer, the space holding member constantly maintaining a space between an image carrier and the electric resistance-adjusting layer, and the electric resistance-adjusting layer including a resin composition having a thermoplastic resin (A) containing at least an ether group, a fibrous polymer (B), which do not melt in (A) and has an aromatic skeleton in a molecule, and an electrolyte salt (C).

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to a conductive member, a process cartridge using the conductive member, and an image forming device using the process cartridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an electrophotographic process such as that carried out in a copier, a laser printer, or a facsimile, a conductive member is conventionally used as a charging member, which performs a charging process on an image carrier (photoconductor), and a transfer member, which conducts a transfer process on toners on the photoconductor.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an image forming device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the image forming device includes an image carrier 11 (photoconductor) onto which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a charging member 12 (charging roller: conductive member), which conducts a charging process in a contact state or a close state, a laser light 13 or an exposure light such as a reflection light of an original, a toner carrier 14 (development roller), which adheres toners 15 onto the electrostatic latent image of the image carrier, a transfer member 16 (transfer roller), which transfers the toner image on the image carrier to a recording medium 17, and a cleaning member 18 (blade), which cleans the image carrier after the transfer process. In addition, reference number 19 denotes toners removed from the image carrier by the cleaning member, and reference number 20 denotes a developing unit and reference number 21 denotes a cleaning unit.
In FIG. 1, functional units generally required for another electrophotographic process are not required for the present invention; thus, those are omitted.
The image forming device forms an image in the following order.
1. The charging roller 12 charges a surface of the photoconductor 11 at a predetermined potential.
2. An exposure unit (not shown) irradiates an image light to the photoconductor 11, so as to form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a predetermined image on the photoconductor.
3. The development roller 14 develops the electrostatic latent image by the toners 15, so as to form a toner image (visualize a toner image) on the photoconductor 11.
4. The transfer roller 16 transfers the toner image on the photoconductor 11 onto a recording medium 17.
5. The cleaning unit 21 cleans the toners remaining on the photoconductor 11 without being transferred.
6. The recording paper 17 to which the toner image is transferred by the transfer roller 16 is fed to a fixing unit (not shown) in the arrow B direction. The fixing unit heats and presses the toners, so as to fix the toners onto the recording paper 17.
By repeating the above processes from 1 to 6, a predetermined image is formed on the recording paper 17.
As a charging method using the charging roller 12, a contact charging method, which brings the charging roller 12 into contact with the photoconductor 11, is known (for example, refer to JP S63-149668A, JP H01-211779A, and JP H01-267667A). However, the contact charging method has the following problems.
1. Charging roller track: The component of the charging roller exudes from the charging roller, and then adheres onto the surface of the photoconductor. If this adhesion is developed, the track of the charging roller remains on the surface of the photoconductor.
2. Charging noise: When applying an alternating voltage to the charging roller, the charging roller which has contact with the photoconductor vibrates, causing charging noise.
3. The decrease in the charging performance by the adherence of toners on the photoconductor to the charging roller: Especially, by the above-described exuding, the toners easily adhere onto the charging roller.
4. The component of the charging roller easily adheres onto the photo conductor.
5. The permanent deformation of the charging roller which is caused when stopping the photoconductor for a long period of time.
In order to solve the above problems, a close charging method, which brings a charging roller closer to a photoconductor, is proposed (refer to, for example, JP S63-149668A, JP H01-211779A, JP H01-267667A, JP H03-240076A, JP H04-358175A, and JP H05-107871A).
In the close charging method, the distance of closest approach (hereinafter, referred to as a space) between the charging roller and the photoconductor is set to 50 μm to 300 μm. If a voltage is applied to the charging roller in a state in which the charging roller faces the photoconductor, the photoconductor is charged. In this close charging method, since the charging unit does not have contact with the photoconductor, the above-described problems 4, 5 of the contact charging method are solved. Due to the above-described problem 3, the amount of toners which adhere onto the charging roller is reduced, so the close charging method is advantageous.
A property required for the charging roller for use in the close charging method is different from that for the charging roller for use in the contact charging method.
A general charging roller for use in the contact charging method has a structure in which a cored bar is covered with an elastic body such as a vulcanized rubber. In this contact charging method, it is required that the charging roller uniformly have contact with the photoconductor, in order to uniformly charge the photoconductor.
In the close charging method, when the charging roller formed by such an elastic body is used, the following problems are caused.
1. It is necessary to dispose space holding members such as spacers in both sides of the charging roller, respectively, in order to form a space between the photoconductor and the charging roller. However, since the charging roller is made of the elastic body, it is difficult to uniformly maintain the space because of the deformation of the elastic body. As a result, displacement in the charged potential and an uneven image resulting from the displacement are caused.
2. The vulcanized rubber material which forms the elastic body deteriorates with age and easily deforms. Accordingly, the size of the space changes over time.
In order to solve the above problems, it is considered to use a thermoplastic resin which is a non-elastic body. Thereby, the space between the photoconductor and the charging roller can be uniformly maintained.
It is known that the charging mechanism to the surface of the photoconductor by the charging roller is a discharge mechanism according to Paschen's Law by micro-discharge between the charging roller and the photoconductor. It is necessary to control the resistance value of the thermoplastic resin in a semi-conductive range (about 106 Ωcm-109 Ωcm), in order to maintain the photoconductor at a predetermined charged potential.
As a method of controlling this electric resistance value, a method of dispersing a conductive pigment such as a carbon black in a thermoplastic resin is known. However, if the thermoplastic resin (resistance adjusting layer) is set in a semi-conductive property range by using the conductive pigment, the variations in the resistance values are increased. As a result, a charging error is partially caused, which causes an image error.
On the other hand, as another method of controlling an electric resistance value, it is considered to use an ion-conductive material. Since the ion-conductive material disperses in a matrix resin on the molecular level, compared to the case when the conductive pigment is used, the variations in the resistance value are decreased. In this case, a partial charging error is not a problem relative to an image quality. However, a low-molecular-weight ion-conductive material such as an electrolyte salt has a property which easily bleeds out on the surface of the matrix resin. For this reason, the toners are firmly fixed onto the surface of the charging roller when bleeding out, resulting in an image error.
In order to avoid this bleeding out, it is considered to use a solid high-monocular form ion-conductive material such as a polyamide series elastomer or a polyolefin block polymer. In this case, the ion-conductive material disperses and fixes in the matrix resin, so that it hardly bleeds out on the surface. By only using the high-molecular form ion conductive material, the resistance-adjusting layer can not be controlled in the semi-conductive property range because the resistance value of the resistance-adjusting layer is high. For this reason, a method of applying a conductive property by adding an electrolyte salt is used. Such an electrolyte salt includes a perchlorate such as a sodium perchlorate or a lithium perchlorate, an organic phosphonium salt, or a fluorine-containing organic anion salt such as a trifluoromethanesulfonate lithium is used.
However, in the high-molecular form ion conductive material, since water from the air meditates in a conductive path, the water absorption property of the material itself is generally high, and the volume expansion degree (swelling property) by the water absorption is high. Accordingly, when the high-monocular form ion conductive material is used as the resistance-adjusting layer of the charging roller in the close charging method, the environmental variations of the space between the charging roller and the photoconductor are increased, and the charging performance is decreased, resulting in an image error. More particularly, since the charging roller expands in high-temperature and high-humidity environments, the size of the space between the charging roller and the photoconductor is decreased, and the charging roller may have contact with the photoconductor in an extreme case. In this case, since the discharge product on the photoconductor adheres onto the charging roller, the conductive property of that portion is lowered, resulting in an image error. On the other hand, since the size of the space is increased in low-temperature and low-humidity environment, the discharge from the charging roller to the photoconductor becomes uneven, resulting in an image error.
In order to reduce the swelling property of the charging roller, the blending quantity of the insulating thermoplastic resin is increased in the resistance-adjusting layer, or the functional group ratio, which contributes to the water absorption property in the high-molecular form ion-conductive material, is adjusted. Thereby, the swelling property can be reduced by the low water absorption of the material. In this case, the resistance is also increased, so that the conductive property required for the charging roller can not be obtained.

Conductive member, process cartridge using the conductive member, and image forming device using the process cartridge


The present invention is made to provide an assembling machine for nuclear fuel assembly, having a simple mechanical construction, in which the time required for inserting the fuel rod can be reduced.. In the prior-art machine, the pull-in rod and its drive mechanism and the like are required to perform the operation for inserting the fuel rod into the supporting grid, thus, the mechanical construction must be complicated. Further, a relatively long time must be required to perform the operation for holding the fuel rod by the pull-in rod, which makes the whole working hours longer. In the machine according to the present invention, a drive mechanism is provided to drive a stopper, by which the regulation of the stopper for regulating the fall-down movement of the fuel rod can be released with ease. Thus, the fuel rod is fallen down by its own weight, so that the fuel rod can be inserted into the grid cell of the supporting grid which is supported by the supporting post. Therefore, the machine construction can be simplified, and it is not necessary to perform the prior-art operation for holding the fuel rod by the pull-in rod, so that the time required for performing the inserting operation of the fuel rod can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an assembling machine which assembles the fuel assembly to be provided for the atomic reactor such as the pressurized-water-type light-water reactor.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, there are provided the fuel assembly as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,081. This fuel assembly is illustrated in FIG. 2.
In FIG. 2, numerals 1 and 2 respectively designate a top nozzle and a bottom nozzle which are positioned apart from each other in a vertical direction and arranged to be faced with each other. A plurality of control-rod guide pipes 3 are extended between and securely fixed to the top and bottom nozzles 1, 2. A plurality of supporting grids 4 are secured to intermediate portions of the respective control-rod guide pipes 3 such that they are positioned apart from each other in a vertical direction.
As illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, the foregoing supporting grid 4 is formed such that a plurality of thin-plate-shape straps 7 are assembled perpendicularly to each other into a grid by the mutual fitting of slits 8 which are formed in a longitudinal direction and disposed by an equal pitch in the strap, and consequently, a plenty of grid cells 5 are formed in each grid. At the wall surface of each of the grid cells 5, there is provided a pair of a dimple 9 and a spring 10 which are arranged to be faced with each other, wherein the dimple 9 is used for supporting a fuel rod 6. The fuel rod 6 inserted in the grid cell 5 is supported by being pressed against the dimple 9 by the spring 10.
Meanwhile, there are provided some methods for inserting the fuel rod 6 into the grid cell 5 in the above-mentioned fuel assembly, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2-181699, for example. According to this method, the spring 10 is brought into an escaping state by use of a key member; then, the tip edge portion of the fuel rod 6 is held by a pull-in rod; thereafter, the fuel rod 6 is pulled in and inserted into each of the grid cells 5.
However, the above-mentioned method must require the pull-in rod providing the holding mechanism at its tip edge portion, drive mechanism for this rod, control means for controlling the operations of these mechanisms and the like, which makes the mechanical construction more complex. In addition, it is necessary to perform the holding operation on the fuel rod by the pull-in rod, which raises a drawback in that the time required for inserting the fuel rod into the grid cell must be longer.

Assembling machine for nuclear fuel assembly


Sintered silver-iron material for electrical contacts, with properties comparable with those of silver-nickel materials, is obtained by using iron powder having more than 0.25% carbon by weight and microhardness higher than 200 HV 0.025 and sintering in a hydrogen-free protective gas.

The invention concerns a sintered silver-iron material with 0.5 to 20% iron by weight and 0 to 5% by weight other metal, oxide, nitride, and/or carbide additives, the remainder being silver, which is useful for electrical contacts, and a process for producing this material.
Electrical switching contacts include stationary and moving conducting surfaces that make and/or break electric circuits. The choice of materials depends on the application. Common contact materials include palladium, silver, gold, mercury, and various alloys. Plated and overlaid surfaces of other metals such as nickel or rhodium are used to impart special characteristics such as long wear and arc resistance or to limit corrosion.
Materials for electrical switching contacts can be prepared by powder metallurgy. Powder metallurgy is the process of manufacturing articles from metallic powders. Powder metallurgy involves three main processes. First, the metal or alloy powder must be prepared. Second, the powder must be compacted in order to have sufficient strength for handling. Third, the resulting compacted material must be heated at a high temperature in a controlled atmosphere for such a time that the density of the compact increases to the desired value.
The purpose of the powder compaction process is to bring the individual powder particles into very intimate contact so that metal-to-metal bonding takes place. This compaction confers a small amount of mechanical strength and facilitates the mass transfer that must occur later during sintering to produce densification. Sintering involves compressing metal particles into a solid under heat, but at a temperature below their melting point.
After compaction, the material is heated at a high temperature in a controlled atmosphere. During sintering, the voids within the compact are progressively eliminated by atom movements and eventually a dense compact is produced practically free from porosity.
Sintering times vary and the sintering temperature is generally not less than two thirds of the melting point of the metal in degrees Kelvin. Sometimes the temperature is much more than this.
Contact materials for use in .he electrical power industry must have high resistance to burning [contact erosion], low sticking force [low contact welding force] and low contact resistance. Silver-nickel composite has proved useful for switches in air for low-voltage systems with switched currents of less than 100 A. It has high resistance to burning and very good over-heating behavior. One disadvantage of the material, though, is that nickel, especially in dust form, can be harmful to humans. For this reason, there have been various suggestions for use of iron as an alternative to nickel.
Electrical contact materials which contain iron, nickel, chromium, and/or cobalt along with silver are known from Japanese patent application 79/148109. Materials having the composition Ag and Fe (10%) have high resistance to contact welding while retaining good electrical conductivity.
Silver-iron materials for special contact applications are 41 also described in the journal "Materials and Methods," Vol. 44, No. 3, September 56, pages 121-126. Silver contact materials containing 0.001 to 1% nickel, iron, molybdenum, cobalt, chromium, titanium and/or vanadium, along with silver and the component that is oxidized are known from German patent application 11 53 178. German patent application 11 06 965 describes a process for producing dense sintered shapes from silver with 5 to 50% of at least one of the metals vanadium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, iron, cobalt or nickel. They can also be used as contact materials.
Silver-iron materials have not been used more widely because they tend to form coatings during switching, thus producing high contact heating. None of these materials match the favorable properties of the sintered silver-nickel material.
All the known silver-iron materials for electrical contacts are made from standard commercial iron powder with a carbon content of less than 0.05%, so that they are relatively soft. The sintering is usually carried out in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere, particularly in nitrogen-hydrogen mixtures.
Therefore it is an objective of this invention to develop a sintered silver-iron material containing 0.5 to 20% by weight iron and 0 to 5% by weight of other metallic, oxidic, nitridic, and/or carbidic additives, the remainder being silver, which is useful for electrical contacts. Such a material should have little tendency to weld, low contact resistance, and high resistance to burning, so as to have a long lifetime. Its properties should approach as nearly as possible those of the known silver-nickel contact materials. A further objective is to develop a process for producing such a material.

Sintered silver-iron material for electrical contacts and process for producing it


The present application is directed to a reaching aid apparatus that may be held in a person's hand and grab objects that would otherwise be out of a person's reach. The reaching aid apparatus includes an elongated member with an actuation handle assembly at one end and a grabbing elements assembly at the opposite end for grabbing, lifting and holding objects.

Hand-operated devices for grabbing and holding objects at a distance are known. Known devices typically include a shaft having a handle on one end, engagement elements on the opposite end, a grab control on the handle and a linkage between the grab control and the engagement elements for drawing the engagement elements together for purposes of grabbing and/or holding an object there between.
Known devices have limitations, namely, their designs are limited to grabbing and/or holding objects of particular sizes, shapes and weights and objects constructed from particular materials. A device that overcomes these limitations is desired.


A conventional recreation vehicle or caravan toilet, which normally is connected by a simple slide valve to a holding tank mounted below it, can be easily converted to a vacuum toilet at a campground or like stationary site. The holding tank is slid out of the compartment in which it is mounted below the toilet of the recreation vehicle or caravan, and a vacuum adaptor is slid into its place, making a substantially airtight connection with the toilet. The vacuum adaptor is connected up to a substantially stationary vacuum source, such as a below ground vacuum tank at a campground. The vacuum adaptor is preferably connected by a dripless connection to the vacuum source, and includes an arcuately shaped movable valve element that is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis from a substantially airtight closed position, to an open position, when the toilet is flushed.

Perhaps the most common toilet system for recreation vehicles (also known as caravans) is a cassette system in which a gravity toilet is mounted above a compartment. A holding tank is slidable into and out of the compartment to mate with the bottom of the toilet. The holding tank has a sliding valve which is activated by a flush activator on the toilet. When the holding tank is slid into the compartment, channels on the holding tank engage the connection flange on the toilet to properly position the holding tank, and the actuator for the slide valve automatically engages the flush actuator. Such a system is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,776,631 and 5,031,249, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
While the heretofore described system is very successful, it can be unpleasant to use particularly at relatively long stays at a campground. The system described above requires deodorant chemical be added on a regular basis, and requires almost daily emptying, which is an unpleasant task. Therefore, it is highly desirable to be able to use an alternative to the prior art system described above when there is a relatively long stay at a campground. This would be particularly desirable for use at campgrounds having vacuum systems such as described in copending application Ser. No. 08/996,876, filed Dec. 23, 1997 (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein).
According to the present invention, in order to convert the low water usage, gravity toilet system as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,776,631 and 5,031,249 into a vacuum system, a simple change is made to the existing system. The conventional holding tank for the system is withdrawn and not used, and the vacuum adaptor is slid into the compartment vacated by the holding tank and the same connection system is used to connect the vacuum adaptor to the connection flange of the toilet. Preferably, also the same flush actuator for the toilet can be utilized, the actuator for the vacuum adaptor movable valve automatically moving into place when the vacuum adaptor is properly aligned with the toilet. The vacuum adaptor has its own self-contained substantially airtight valve since the adaptor will be connected up to a vacuum system. The movable valve element may comprise an arcuate element that is rotated about a substantially horizontal axis when the toilet flush actuator is actuated.
According to one aspect of the present invention a method of hooking up to a substantially stationary vacuum source having at least one hookup an onboard sewage system of a recreational vehicle is provided. The recreational vehicle sewage system includes a toilet, a holding tank slide connected to the toilet, a valve mounted to the holding tank between the holding tank and the toilet, and a compartment for removably receiving the holding tank, disposed under the toilet. The method comprises the steps of: (a) Parking the recreation vehicle near the stationary vacuum source at least one vacuum source hookup. (b) Removing the holding tank from the compartment, disconnecting the holding tank from the toilet. (c) Inserting a vacuum adaptor having a substantially airtight valve into the compartment in place of the holding tank to connect the vacuum adaptor to the toilet so that when the toilet is flushed the valve is opened and sewage passes from the toilet into the vacuum adaptor. And (d) connecting the vacuum adaptor to the at least one vacuum source hookup.
Preferably the recreational vehicle has a pre-existing flush actuator for the toilet, and the vacuum adaptor valve has a valve actuator; and step (c) is practiced to connect up the valve actuator of the vacuum adaptor to the pre-existing flush actuator for the toilet (this connection preferably automatically taking place when the vacuum adaptor is slide into the compartment). Step (d) is preferably practiced using a spring biased dripless connection between the vacuum adaptor and the vacuum source hookup. Step (b) is preferably practiced by sliding the holding tank out of the compartment, and step (c) is practiced by sliding the vacuum adaptor into operative association with the toilet. The toilet typically has a connection flange, and step (c) is preferably practiced by sliding a pair of channels on the vacuum adaptor into operative contact with a connection flange. The substantially airtight valve of the vacuum adaptor includes a rotatable valve element; and the method preferably comprises the further step of flushing the toilet by effecting rotation of the rotatable valve element from a closed to an open position.
According to another aspect of the present invention a vacuum adaptor for use instead of a holding tank for a pre-existing recreation vehicle toilet, having a connection flange, is provided. The adaptor comprises: The substantially hollow body having a top, bottom, and at least one side. A connection at the body top for connecting the body to the connection flange of a recreation vehicle toilet. A substantially airtight valve in the body, and having a movable valve element disposed in operative association with the connection. An actuator for the movable valve element, disposed in part exteriorly of the body. And a vacuum source connector extending from the at least one side or bottom of the body, and configured for connection to a vacuum source.
The vacuum source connector preferably comprises a dripless connector. Preferably the actuator includes: A first actuator element rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and connectable up to a pre-existing recreation vehicle toilet flush actuator; a second actuator element rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis for rotating the movable valve element about the same substantially horizontal axis; and a valve actuator connector connecting the first and second actuator elements to translate rotation of the first actuator element into rotation of the second actuator element.
Typically the movable valve element comprises an arcuately shaped element making a seal with a sealing material (e.g. an elastomeric material) as the movable valve element moves between opened and closed positions. The movable valve element is preferably mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis.
Typically the connection at the body top comprises a pair of spaced slide channel-defining elements including upper portions and lower portions. The lower portions engage the movable valve element and make sealing contact therewith. The lower portions may be elastomeric material strips. The movable valve element is preferably spring biased to a closed position.
The apparatus according to the invention preferably further comprises a vacuum source hookup disposed at a campground, and comprising one of a plurality of vacuum source hookups at the campground. The vacuum source hookup is connected to a vacuum tank at the campground, or such other structure such as disclosed in said copending application Ser. No. 08/996,876. Preferably the vacuum tank is mounted substantially below ground, and is connected to a vacuum pump.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a simple yet effective method and apparatus for converting a conventional recreation vehicle non-vacuum toilet system to a vacuum system at a campground or the like, so as to eliminate the necessity of manually emptying the holding tank, or adding significant amounts of deodorant chemical, while at the campground or the like. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.

Vacuum adaptor for recreation vehicle toilet system with sliding cassette holding tank


A method of fabricated a wafer level package is described. In one embodiment, the method includes fabricating at least one active device on a semiconductor wafer that has not been singulated, with the active device having a plurality of bonding pads exposed at an upper surface of the wafer. Prior to singulating the semiconductor wafer, a plurality of corresponding stud bumps on the plurality of bonding pads with a wire bonding tool are formed. Thereafter, a molding encapsulation layer is applied over the semiconductor wafer leaving an upper portion of each of the plurality of stud bumps exposed.

The present invention relates to generally to integrated circuit packaging technology. More specifically, embodiments of the invention pertain to the use of wire bonding techniques to form stud bumps for wafer-level packages.
Integrated circuits are typically packaged before being used in electronic systems. Integrated circuit (IC) packages protect the integrated circuits from the surrounding environment and provide electrical connections to other components of the electronic systems. In a conventional packaging arrangement, a wafer containing integrated circuits is first singulated into individual chips and then packaged for testing and delivery. This normally includes transporting the wafer (or singulated chips) from a semiconductor manufacturing facility where front-end processes are performed to a separate packaging facility where back-end process are performed to assemble and package the IC.
In contrast, in a wafer-level packaging approach. IC packaging is formed at the wafer level on the wafer prior to singulation. The packages can be manufactured at chip size and at reduced cost compared to standard IC packages. Typical wafer level packages use solder bumps to form electrical connections between the packaged semiconductor die and external devices. Under bump metallurgy (UMB) is formed underneath the solder bumps to minimize metallurgical reactions with the solder and improve the connection.
While a number of commercially successful wafer-level packaging processes have been developed, improved waver level packages are desirable.

Wafer level package using stud bump coated with solder


A method for manufacturing a crystal comprising at least two elements wherein the proportion of at least one of the elements varies in the direction of the thickness. A CVD process is used. The proportion of the gas components from which is formed the deposition is varied with time. The invention applies to the manufacturing of Si.sub.x Ge.sub.1-x crystals.

The invention relates to crystallogenesis and more particularly to the manufacturing of crystals comprising a plurality of elements wherein the proportion of at least one of the elements is continuously variable, whereby the lattice parameter value of those crystals presents a gradient. Such crystals will be simply called hereinafter gradient crystals.
Gradient crystals are for example usable as monochromators for small wavelength radiations such as neutrons or X-rays.
The idea of using gradient crystals as radiation monochromators appears for example in German patent application 1816542 filed on Dec. 23, 1968 in the name of Institut Max von Laue-Paul Langevin, Grenoble. In this application, the advantage of crystals such as Si.sub.x Ge.sub.1-x (x designating a value comprised between 0 and 1) is emphasized.
Accordingly, for more than twenty years, the advantage of manufacturing gradient crystals has been sensed. However, it has not been possible to industrially manufacture such crystals which are real single crystals, are large enough, and have a composition variation range sufficient for providing a satisfactory lattice gradient. Indeed, one aims to obtain crystals having a size greater than some millimeters, for example a length in the gradient direction of about 10 mm.
Two types of crystal growth processes are known: the processes starting from a liquid phase and the processes starting from gazeous phase. Those two crystal growth families have been known for a long time. Generally, the processes using a liquid phase are used for obtaining large size crystals while the gaseous phase processes, such as the gaseous epitaxies are used for manufacturing thin layer crystals, for example in the field of microelectronics.
During those last twenty years, the approach for manufacturing gradient crystals was based on the liquid phase processes and more particularly on pulling processes wherein, during the pulling, the composition of the liquid phase is continuously varied. Those processes have not given satisfactory results. In particular, for manufacturing gradient crystals of the type Si.sub.x Ge.sub.1-x, those processes have provided single crystals only if the composition variation of germanium with respect to silicium was not higher than some percentage units.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a general process for manufacturing gradient single crystals which results in a relatively rapid manufacturing while providing a large composition range and a substantial thickness.

Method for manufacturing a crystal with a lattice parameter gradient

Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble


A process for preparing syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymers comprising contacting at least one polymerizable vinyl aromatic monomer under polymerization conditions with a catalyst comprising a compound corresponding to the formula: EQU L.sub.m MX.sub.n.sup.+ RA.sup.-,. wherein:. L is a delocalized .PI.-bonding group containing up to 50 nonhydrogen atoms; PA1 m is 0 or 1; PA1 M is a metal of Group 4 of the Periodic Table; PA1 X each occurrence is an inert, anionic ligand containing up to 20 nonhydrogen atoms; PA1 n is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and the sum of m and n is one less than the valence of M; and PA1 RA.sup.- is .sup.- RB(C.sub.6 F.sub.5).sub.3, where R is hydride, hydrocarbyl, silyl, a combination thereof or a substituted derivative thereof having up to 20 nonhydrogen atoms. Also included is a process for preparing the catalyst.

The present invention relates to a process for polymerizing vinyl aromatic monomers, such as styrene, to produce polymers having a high degree of syndiotacticity, and in particular to a process for preparing polymers of vinyl aromatic monomers having a high degree of syndiotacticity using an alkylalumoxane-free catalyst. More particularly still, this invention relates to such a process using catalyst compositions obtained by abstraction of a leaving group from inert Group 4 metal compounds with a borane. The resulting polymers may be usefully employed in the preparation of solid objects and articles such as a moldings, films, sheets and foamed objects by molding, casting or the like process.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,353 there is disclosed a process for the preparation of polymers of vinyl aromatic monomers having a stereoregular structure of high syndiotacticity by the use of certain coordination catalysts. Particularly disclosed were the reaction products of a titanium compound and an organoaluminum compound, especially polymethylaluminoxane. The process disclosed in this patent requires the use of large amounts of the polymethylaluminoxane which is very expensive and difficult to make due to its very complex structure. Also, this process requires an expensive polymer purification system to remove remaining catalyst components due to the use of large amounts of the polymethylaluminoxane.
In EP 277,004 there are disclosed certain bis(cyclopentadienyl) metal compounds formed by reacting a bis(cyclopentadienyl) metal complex with salts of Bronsted acids containing a non-coordinating compatible anion. The reference discloses the fact that such complexes are usefully employed as catalysts in the polymerization of olefins.
In J. Am. Ch. Soc. 113, 3623-3625 (1991) there is disclosed a process for preparation of "cation like" zirconocene polymerization complexes by alkyl abstraction using tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane. The complexes were stated to have activity roughly comparable to typical zirconocene/alumoxane complexes.

Process using borane derived catalysts for preparation of syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymers


A packet relaying apparatus is structured to comprise a network relaying function for selecting one or more networks allowed to relay an received packet based on the transmission source network identifier corresponding to the received packet, a domain relaying function for selecting one or more routing domains corresponding to one or more networks, a routing information management function for collating the transmission destination address of the packet with each routing domain information of one or more routing domains to select the next hop router address for transmitting the packet to the next packet relaying apparatus, and a packet relaying function for transmitting the packet to the transmission destination address.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packet relaying apparatus and a packet relaying method for providing communication services and more particularly to a packet relaying apparatus and a packet relaying method for relaying of packets among virtual private networks and routing domains.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the rapid spread of the Internet, a user (for example, a company or university or the like) can realize communications with each dispersed branch or campus without the use of any virtual path/virtual channel by means of ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) and/or FR (Frame Rely). In this communication, a VPN is sometimes formed. Thereafter, VPN will sometimes be called a virtual private network.
A certain user individually assigns IP addresses for operations only within the network of the user. When private IP addresses are used within such a user network, it is impossible to transmit the packets having the private IP addresses directly to the Internet which has global IP addresses.
This is because private IP addresses and global IP address would overlap on the Internet and thereby it would probably disable normal communication through the Internet.
Therefore, on the occasion of providing communications among respective sites of the private network of such a user, a system will be required in which capsulation (tunneling) with an IP packet having the global IP address, for example, is conducted for the transfer of the IP packet to the Internet in the case of connection to the Internet from the private network within this user. The capsulated packet is received and simultaneously decapsulated in the Internet network connection router of the site in the receiving side and the routing is executed to the destination host within the site at the receiving side.
In this case, a user is requested to install an apparatus for tunneling (capsulation in the transmitting side and decapsulation in the receiving side) the IP packet having the private IP address with the global IP address. Namely, introduction of a new apparatus is necessary.
Moreover, since the processes of capsulation and decapsulation are newly required, there is a possibility for deterioration of performance. In the following explanation, a relaying apparatus will be described as a router in some cases.
Moreover, when a user connects each site to the Internet, the routing control and setting of logical interfaces or the like are more complicated in the router of each site with an increase in the number of combinations of the settings among respective sites. In this case, there arises a problem that much cost will be required for introduction/maintenance and management of the network apparatuses and training of persons in charge of network management.
Therefore, in the case where a user introduces a VPN ("Virtual Private Network") for providing communications with each site via the Internet, a user can receive provisioned VPN services without any modification of an existing network by entrusting (outsourcing) introduction/maintenance and management of the VPN to a provider (including a carrier in the present invention).
In this VPN service, the tunneling starting/ending functions are realized with a router of the provider. When a certain user has a plurality of sites, the router of the provider comprises a routing control function for each user to determine which network of the destination user site to which the IP packet, received from the user site of the transmission source, should be transmitted through the encapsulation.
This function is provided with a router in the provider through the outsourcing. When the VPN service is available by the provider as explained above, the edge router of the provider transfers the IP packet with the intrinsic routing control function of the user network in separation from the routing control function of the Internet network.
Therefore, for the provider setting of the VPN service provided with the provider is very complicated because independent management of the routing control function is required for each site network of each user.
In some cases, a user can structure the VPN through the Internet but here explanation will be made under the precondition that the provider structures VPN to provide the VPN service to users. From the point of view of the owner of a network, the network in which a plurality of sites are placed under the management of the same owner is called the "Intranet" and which is operated for example by a company as the owner.
The network in which a plurality of sites are not placed in the same owner is called the "Extranet" and is operated, for example, by different independent companies. Moreover, the network can also be sorted from the viewpoint that with which routing domain the intranet and extranet are structured.
Namely, when one network is formed of a single routing domain, this network is called single-domain, while when the network is formed of a plurality of routing domains, this network is called multi-domain. As explained above, an example of the network structure through a combination of the single-domain/multi-domain, intranet/extranet is illustrated in FIG. 1. Like reference codes designate like or equivalent elements throughout the figures.
However, in general, it is a rare case in the Intranet that a plurality of routing domains exist within the network under the management of only one main constitution for management. Therefore, the word "intranet" in this specification suggests the intranet of single-domain.
Moreover, in the extranet, it is often thought that different relaying rule (policy) is used in the respective network placed under the management of a plurality of owners. Therefore, the wording "extranet" used in the following explanation suggests the extranet of multi-domain.
Next, FIG. 2 illustrates how a router accommodating a VPN of a single-domain and a multi-domain structure of FIG. 1 structures the relaying table. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a structure of the relaying table of the router accommodating the intranet VPN of the single-domain structure connected via the provider. In this figure, a packet receiving unit 113 refers to a domain identification table 109 to identify a transmission source routing domain of the received packet. In case the packet is a routing packet which includes routing information, it is transmitted to an intranet domain routing information processing unit 101.
For example, when the received packet is the routing packet, having routing information, from the routing domain #11 not illustrated, an intranet domain routing information management unit 102 (left side in the figure) receives this routing packet and writes this packet to the intranet domain relaying table 104 (right side in the figure) corresponding to the VPN#11 provided corresponding to each VPN. Namely, in the FIG. 2 a packet from the routing domain #11 can be relayed only to the routing domain #11.
On the other hand, the intranet domain routing information management unit 102 (right side in the figure) corresponding to the routing domain #12 not illustrated, writes the packet data to the intranet domain relaying table 104 (left and right sides in the figure) of VPN#11 and VPN#12. Namely, the packet from the routing domain #12 can be relayed to both routing domain #11 and routing domain #12. Processes for connection and disconnection between the routing domain #11 and routing domain #12 have been conducted in cooperation with the intranet domain relaying table 104 corresponding to the intranet domain routing information management unit 102.
Here, the packet including the IP address of the transmission destination is transmitted to the packet transmitting unit 112 together with the output interface information of the packet transmitting unit 112. The packet transmitting unit 112 selects the designated output interface to transmit the packet. If the transmission destination IP address does not exist in the intranet domain relaying table 104 corresponding to VPN(s), such packet is destroyed.
Each intranet domain relaying table 104 is structured to include the transmission destination IP address, IP address mask information, output interface information and next hop router IP address or the like.
Moreover, the routing domain information in the intranet domain routing information processing unit 101 is included in the routing packet and is periodically transmitted to the packet transmitting unit 112 and the packet transmitting unit 112 distributes the routing packet to the adjacent router.

Packet relaying apparatus and relaying method with next relaying address collation


A positioner used to fasten a pair of structural members together includes side walls, lateral flanges extending from the side walls, and an interior web interconnecting the side walls. Each side wall is interconnected at vertices to one of the lateral flanges and to the interior web, and the interior web includes web sections interconnected at a vertex to each other. Each vertex interconnecting one of the side walls with the interior web terminates at a void extending between adjacent portions of the one of the side walls and the interior web, and the vertex interconnecting the web sections is displaced from the lateral flange surfaces so as to avoid contact with a positioner supporting surface. A support frame and a fastening process utilizing such a positioner are also discussed. The positioner is particularly suitable for use in constructing photovoltaic panel supports.

1. Field of the Invention
A positioner, a support frame, and a fastening process according to this invention are particularly suitable for use in constructing photovoltaic panel supports.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,260,918 to Liebendorfer discloses a system for removably and adjustably mounting photovoltaic modules on an object using rails with multiple tracks.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0319277 to Suarez et al. discloses a modular structural framing system including variously configured brackets and clamps.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,362 to Liebendorfer, U.S. Pat. No. 7,600,349, also to Liebendorfer, and U.S. Patent Application Publication 2009/0232616 to Sekreta et al. may also be of interest.
The disclosures of the Liebendorfer ('918) patent and the Suarez et al. ('277) publication are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties as non-essential subject matter.


The present invention discloses a method for thermally transferring an ink pattern to a recording medium, comprising the steps of preparing an ink sheet provided with a hot-melt and/or hot-sublimable ink layer and a transparent material sheet provided with a transparent hot-melt material layer, thermally producing an ink pattern on the transparent material layer of the transparent material sheet by heating the ink sheet with thermal head, and thermally transferring the ink pattern to the recording medium together with the transparent hot-melt material layer. And an another method comprising the steps of preparing an ink sheet having a transparent hot-melt material frame layer and a hot-melt and/or hot-sublimable ink frame layer, thermally transferring the transparent hot-melt material frame layer onto a surface of a platen roller, thermally producing an ink pattern on the transparent hot-melt material frame layer on the platen roller by heating the hot-melt and/or hot-sublimable ink frame layer with a thermal head, and thermally transferring the ink pattern together with the transparent hot-melt material frame layer onto a recording medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements of a thermal transferring printing method, and it particularly relates to a thermal transferring printing method suitable to a recording medium of which a surface has unevenness to print thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, a thermal transferring printing apparatus is used to print an ink pattern such as a picture or letters on a recording medium by thermally transferring hot-melt or hot-sublimable ink coated on an ink sheet to the recording medium by heating the ink sheet with a thermal head. However, it poses a problem that a recording medium having surface unevenness (rough surface) can not be employed in the apparatus because of degradation of printing quality due to an insufficient contact of the ink with the recessed portions of the unevenness of the recording medium.
As countermeasure of the insufficient contact, a hot-melt ink having high fluidity or a dot plate formed in accordance with the printing contents is employed as well as applying a large contact force with the thermal head. However, an acceptable result is not obtained yet.
In order to eliminate the above problem, there is proposed a thermal transferring printing method in "Japan Hardcopy '92", as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a general construction and an operation of a thermal transfer printer in a prior art.
Referring to FIG. 1, after thermally transferring an ink pattern 101 onto a surface of a soft platen roller 103 from an ink sheet 100 with a thermal head 102, the ink pattern 101 on the platen roller 103 is printed by pressing the platen roller 103 onto a surface of a recording medium 104 having an uneven surface to be printed.
In the above method, however, when using high fluidity ink, there are problems that the ink is liable to flow out from the printed ink pattern on the recording medium when the recording medium has a smooth surface in particular, and it is difficult to superpose many colors of ink on the recording medium at the same time. In addition, a printing of a picture having gradation is also difficult.

Method for transferring hot-melt ink to a recording medium


A roof mounted support bracket which provides a horizontal surface on which materials can be loaded by fork lift from ground level. The roof mounted support brackets can be attached either to a truss or to the rafters during the early phases of roof construction or can be mounted to a roof surface after sheathing or other roofing materials have been applied. The roof mounted support bracket is adjustable for varying pitches of roof, and can receive a support brace from below the roof.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to roof brackets to support load bearing shelves and platforms, and more particularly relates to a roof bracket which can attach to either a member of a roof truss or the surface of the roof itself.
2. Background
There are a number of types of roof brackets which are noted in the prior art, some of which support scaffolds or load bearing shelves. The load bearing shelves can be adapted to support shingles, bricks, roofing materials, or a person who sits on the shelf and applies roofing material. However, none of these devices provide the option of attaching the roof brackets to a roofing truss, before roofing is applied to the truss. Further, none of the prior art roof bracket devices provide an adaptation whereby the roof bracket and the load bearing shelf on it can be braced from below the roof to provide additional support to the structure. Furthermore, none of the prior art roof bracket devices provide the option of attaching to either the roof truss before any roofing material is applied to it, or the roof surface itself after roofing materials such as plywood and shingles have been applied to it.
During the construction of the roof of a building, some of the steps involved include building the structure of the roof using rafters or trusses, then covering the rafters or trusses with a sheathing such as plywood, covering the plywood sheathing with a waterproof material such as tar paper, covering the tar paper with other roof materials such as rolls of asphalt paper, slate or asphalt shingles, sheet metal, or wooden shakes. During each of these stages of building a roof, heavy and bulky roofing materials must be lifted and placed on the often sloping roof so that they can be used over the surface of the roof. These materials can include 4.times.8 or larger sheets of plywood, rolls of tar paper, boxes of nails, nailing equipment such as power nailers and their air and power cords, five (5) gallon or larger buckets of tar or asphalt, heavy bundles of shingles or sheet metal. These materials can be lifted up one piece at a time, but this is time consuming, expensive, and dangerous, since people can suffer back injuries doing this, or have articles roll or fall off the roof and strike a person below the roof. What is preferable is to lift these articles onto the roof using a fork lift, with the materials on a pallet which can be placed on the roof and left there. This is sometimes not possible because of the slope of the roof. If the materials are left on the pallet supported by a forklift, the forklift and possibly a driver are tied up while it is so utilized.
What is needed is a roof mounted bracket from which can be formed a generally horizontal platform on a sloping roof. If this platform is placed near the edge of the roof, a fork lift from ground level can lift materials onto the roof and deposit them there without risk of injury to the workers from lifting, and reduce the risk of materials rolling off the sloped roof, and without the tieing up of a forklift to hold the materials in place.
Since the first material to be lifted onto the roof is sheathing material such as plywood, it is desirable to have the roof mounted support bracket be able to mount onto the rafters or trusses of a roof in order to except pallets of sheathing material. Once the pallets of sheathing material are deposited on the roof mounted support bracket, the sheathing material can be distributed one sheet at a time over the surface of the roof. When the rafters and trusses of the roof are thus covered with sheathing material, a roof mounted support bracket is needed which can be attached to the sloping roof surface rather than to the sloping edge of the rafter or truss. A preferable device would be a roof mounted support bracket which could first be attached to the sloping rafter or truss edge, and then could be remounted to be attached to the sloping roof surface. Since roofing materials can be quite heavy it is also preferred that braces can be placed below the roof which engage the roof mounted support brackets and help support the load of roofing materials on the load bearing shelf of the roof mounted support bracket.
Accordingly it is the object of the present invention to provide a roof mounted support bracket for attaching to a truss member and for supporting a load bearing shelf. It is another object of the invention to provide a roof mounted support bracket which optionally can attach to either a truss member or to a roof surface.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a roof mounted support bracket which provides for engagement with a brace placed below the roof to help support the weight of material on the support bracket and the load bearing shelf.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description as follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.


An extrusion die is provided with an external deckle assembly, an internal deckle assembly, or both. One embodiment provides an extrusion die having a wedge-actuated external deckle assembly. A seal member of the external deckle assembly moves to a sealed position in response to movement of the wedge in a first direction. Another embodiment provides an extrusion die with an internal deckle assembly having a deckle rod support system. The internal deckle assembly includes a deckle rod and a transversely elongated support engaged with the deckle rod to restrain the deckle rod against bending.

A variety of extrusion dies having internal or external deckle systems are known.
With respect to extrusion dies having external deckles, the assembly and disassembly of a conventional external deckle onto/from the conveyance system is difficult. In addition, the external deckle mechanism used to seal the orifice of the die is ineffective.
With respect to extrusion dies having internal deckles, it is common to use a deckle rod. Existing deckle systems, however, do not provide adequate support for the deckle rod. For example, when the transverse position of a deckle rod is adjusted on a conventional deckle system, the deckle rod may bend (or "flex") due to the lack of adequate support.

Extrusion dies with internal and/or external deckles