A beverage dispenser for ejecting a beverage into a receptacle, including a housing including a taking-in/out space, nozzles provided in the beverage dispenser for ejecting the beverage, obstacle detection module for detecting an obstacle around the nozzle, alarm generator for issuing an alarm when the detection module detects the obstacle, and a nozzle cover for covering the plurality of nozzles and the obstacle detection module to partially close the taking-in/out space. The alarm may not be issued from the alarm means when the beverage is ejected or a switch may be provided for causing the alarm generator inoperative. Thereby, those around the dispenser are informed of the fact that an operator has had unauthorized access to the nozzle in the beverage dispenser.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser, for ejecting a beverage from a nozzle under a user's control, and to an alarm device for the beverage dispenser.
2. Description of the Related Art
A beverage dispenser installed in a restaurant or the like ejects desired beverage stored in the dispenser into a receptacle such as a cup by operating a button or a lever provided on a front surface of the dispenser. Recently, beverage bars have been installed in particular restaurants and beverage dispensers are installed in such beverage bars. In the beverage bars, not only employees but also customers are allowed to operate the beverage dispenser to eject a desired amount of a desired beverage into the receptacle.
In this regard, when a general customer operates the beverage dispenser, there is a risk in that a finger tip of a customer unskilled in the operation may touch the nozzle of the beverage dispenser. In such a case, not only the next user of the beverage dispenser feels discomfort but also various bacteria may enter the interior of the beverage dispenser to cause the beverage dispenser itself to become unsanitary.
To avoid such a problem, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-54697, a beverage dispenser is proposed wherein, once the operator places a receptacle at a predetermined position, a conveyor device transfers the receptacle to another position at which the receptacle is inaccessible to the operator and, after the beverage is fed to the receptacle at the latter position, the receptacle is returned back to the original position. Further, in this Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-54697, as a door capable of being closed after the receptacle has been transferred to the inaccessible position is provided, it is possible to prevent an operator's finger tip from touching the nozzle or others.
However, in view of the recent world situation, the possibility is not negligible in that a man of evil intention may set a toxic material or something unusual in the nozzle of the beverage dispenser. In the beverage dispenser disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-54697, it could be thought that such a man of evil intention intentionally breaks part of the door, through which he has access from outside of the beverage dispenser to the nozzle within the interior of the beverage dispenser. In such a case, it might be supposed that if the distance between the position at which the receptacle is placed and the inaccessible position is longer than a length of a human arm, it is possible to prevent the man of evil intention from having access to the nozzle. Even in such a case, the man of evil intention may have access to the nozzle if an long tool is used. Once the man of evil intention has access to the nozzle of the beverage dispenser and set the toxic material or something unusual, other users or a person in charge of the beverage dispenser cannot recognize the fact until a problem has occurred.
Also, as the beverage dispenser disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-54697 must transfer the receptacle between the position at which the cup is initially placed and the inaccessible position, a size of the beverage dispenser becomes large as a whole, as well as conveyor means is separately required, and the beverage dispenser is complicated in structure to increase the manufacturing cost thereof.
Accordingly, the present inventors have diligently studied to overcome the above-mentioned problems in the prior art and obtained the conclusion that it is possible to solve the problems by issuing an alarm when an obstacle approaches the nozzle. Based on this conclusion, the present invention has been completed by providing a beverage dispenser satisfying the above function.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage dispenser capable of informing those around the dispenser of the access by an operator, and particularly a man of evil intention, to a nozzle in the interior of the beverage dispenser.

Beverage dispenser and alarm device for beverage dispenser


A system for determining a height of a sensor includes a first triangle, a second triangle, a first rectangle, and a second rectangle. The sensor is positioned in a first plane and has a lapping surface. The first triangle, the second triangle, the first rectangle, and the second rectangle are each positioned in the first plane. A first point of the first triangle is positioned below the lapping surface of the sensor and a second point and a third point of the first triangle are positioned above the lapping surface of the sensor. A first point and a second point of the second triangle are positioned below the lapping surface of the sensor and a third point of the second triangle is positioned above the lapping surface of the sensor. A first portion of the first rectangle is positioned above the lapping surface of the sensor and a second portion is positioned below the lapping surface of the sensor. The second rectangle is positioned below the lapping surface of the sensor. A second plane in which the lapping surface of the sensor is located intersects the first triangle, the second triangle, the first rectangle, and the second rectangle. The height of the sensor is calculated through use of a pre-processing height of the sensor, a pre-processing width of the first and the second triangles, and a post-processing width of the first and the second triangles.

The present invention relates generally to the fabrication of magnetoresistive sensors or transducers for data storage applications, and more particularly to a non-destructive analysis of magnetoresistive sensor dimensions as viewed from an air bearing surface to ensure that a desired magnetoresistive sensor height has been achieved.
Conventional lap monitors for inductive thin film heads are typically used to lap a bar of inductive heads to a final height. These conventional monitors typically utilize pole metalizations and polymers to form an analog-digital system for end point lap detection. The metalizations are common to the thin film inductive head write structures. However, with sliders having a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor design positioned on the surface of the slider to read information from a disc, the situation is much more complicated since the head is a combined MR read, inductive thin film write device. For proper MR reading, it is essential to control the end point lap detection of the slider surface bearing the MR sensor by using features common to the MR sensor. The end point lap detection determines the final height of both the slider rail and the MR sensor. Since inductive thin film lap monitors utilize resistors having features common to inductive thin film writers, end point lap detection control of the slider and its MR sensor is degraded if writer base lap monitor resistors are used.
Sliders having MR sensors are used in magnetic storage systems to detect magnetically encoded information from a storage medium, i.e. to read information from a disc. A time dependent magnetic field from the magnetic storage medium or disc directly modulates the resistivity of the MR sensor. In particular, changing magnetic fields originating from the magnetic storage medium rotate the magnetization of the MR sensor and thereby change the resistance of the sensor. This phenomenon is called the MR effect. The change in resistance of the MR sensor can be detected either by passing a sense current through the MR sensor and measuring the voltage across the MR sensor, or by passing a voltage across the MR sensor and measuring the current through the MR sensor. The resulting signal can be used to recover information from the magnetic storage medium.
During the fabrication of magnetic heads for use in magnetic data storage applications, an array of sensors and auxiliary circuits are fabricated on a common substrate in a deposition of metallic and non-metallic layers. In most fabrications, there is an auxiliary circuit for each sensor. Patterning the array of sensors and auxiliary circuits is accomplished using photolithography in combination with etching and lift-off processes. The finished array or wafer is then optically and electrically inspected and subsequently cut into small arrays, rows or bars. Next, individual bars of sensors and auxiliary circuit are machined at a surface which will eventually become the air bearing surface of the sensor until the auxiliary circuit indicates that a desired MR sensor height has been obtained.
During machining of a particular row of sensors and auxiliary circuits, the air bearing surface moves from a beginning position to a final position, while reducing the height of the sensors. The primary function of the auxiliary circuits is to stop the machining process once the auxiliary circuit indicates that the desired sensor height has been achieved. After a particular row of sensors is machined, the row can be cut or diced into individual sliders. During this process, the auxiliary circuits can be destroyed if desired. U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,805 entitled "Method of Lapping MR Sensors" discloses one type of an auxiliary circuit for estimating the proper sensor height. This patent discloses an auxiliary circuit which utilizes a reference resistor, a target resistor and a variable resistor. The resistors are formed from MR material.
There are numerous difficulties associated with conventional MR auxiliary circuit designs. One common problem with these circuits is that they do not precisely account for errors introduced by the existence of mask or contact edge movement during wafer processing steps. The edge movement phenomena caused by wafer processing results in the magnetoresistive resistors of the auxiliary circuit being reduced or expanded in size as surfaces or edges of these elements move by an undetermined quantity. Thus, the actual lengths and heights of these elements will frequently be different then the intended length and heights (i.e., the mask lengths and heights). The dimension changes in the sensor and in the resistors of the auxiliary circuit introduce errors in the machining process. For example, if the resistance of a reference resistor in an auxiliary circuit is dimensionally changed by edge movement, comparison of its resistance to the resistance of a target or variable resistor of the sensor will result in the machining process being halted at the wrong time which would produce a row of sensors having an undesired height.
A second common problem associated with conventional MR auxiliary circuit designs is due to the lapping of an entire bar of sensors at one time. If the row of sensors is not coplanar with the lapping or machining device, each particular sensor of the row of sensors will be machined or lapped to a different sensor height. Thus, the entire row of sensors could have an improper height, and thus would not correspond to necessary tolerances.
Thus, there is a need for an additional system which can be utilized to verify whether a proper sensor height has been obtained once the MR sensor and auxiliary circuit have been lapped. However, it is important that the measurement is preformed without destroying the sensor.

System for predicting accurate MR sensor height


An energy management system for a motor-assisted user-propelled vehicle comprising a motor capable of assisting in propelling the vehicle and a rechargeable power supply for supplying energy to the motor. The system comprises: a user input for providing a desired value for each of at least one control parameter related to the user; a sensor for each control parameter for obtaining an actual value of the control parameter; a value comparator for receiving the desired value and the actual value of each control parameter and comparing them to generate a comparison signal for each control parameter; a command generator for generating a motor command using at least one comparison signal; and a motor controller for operating the motor, using the motor command, either to assist in propelling the vehicle, or act to recharge the power supply, in a way to bring the actual value closer to the desired value.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to motor-assisted user-propelled vehicles such as an electric motor assisted bicycle. More specifically, the invention concerns an energy management system that controls the positive or negative motor output of the vehicle.
2. Background Art
Cycling is a very popular sport and has the main advantage of being an environmentally friendly mode of transportation and a very good way to maintain one's physical shape. The use of an electric motor to assist a man in propelling a bicycle is well known and has been introduced in the North-American market several years ago.
In going up a steep hill, the consumption of energy of the cyclist is increased dramatically since the energy required to fight against the gravity is increased. Increased energy consumption is also observed in the presence of an opposing wind. With the use of a power-assisted bicycle, a user can overcome such difficulties by commanding an electric motor to assist him in pedaling. Of course, using an electric motor means using a battery to supply power. Since batteries are generally quite heavy for their size and their energy storage capacity, one of the main challenges in the field of power-assisted cycling is to reduce the battery weight, while maintaining or increasing its energy storage capacity.
Aside from battery innovations, one attempt to overcome the weight/capacity problem has been to use an electric motor which can also work as a generator. When functioning in generator mode, the electric motor offers pedaling resistance to the user, converts the cyclist's energy to electric energy and uses the electric energy to recharge the battery. By recharging the battery while going down a hill, and using some power to go up, some of the energy is reused and the total energy consumption is lowered, which makes the battery last longer.
In order to determine the motor assistance or resistance, most prior art electric bicycles rely on a user activator. Similarly to how one changes the gears, the user increases or decreases the assistance or resistance level of the electric motor to suit his needs. The main problem with a fixed assistance level is that the user is not required to supply effort in order to propel the bicycle, and the bicycle may be considered to be a motor vehicle like a scooter.
To overcome this problem, some systems provide an assisted propulsion proportional to the user effort. The user effort is measured by a strain gauge disposed on the rear wheel shaft of the bicycle. A command box is used to process the user effort data and to command the motor to output power proportionally to the user effort. For example, the setting for motor output could be 25, 50, 100 or 200% of the user effort, the desired percentage being inputted by the user. In this application, the bicycle is never the only power source for propelling the bicycle.
One disadvantage of using a strain gauge to measure the user effort is its ineffectiveness when installed on the front wheel of a bicycle. Since some types of bicycle models do not allow the electric motor to be installed on the front wheel, these systems can only be installed on traditional bicycle models.
The act of changing the assistance level, in the first case, or proportion in the latter case, is disturbing to a user. For example, if one needs to change both the gears of his bicycle and the motor assistance or resistance in a hill, he may have already slowed down by the time these two operations have been executed.
The motor-assisted user-propelled vehicles are very limited in the quantity and type of parameters that may be set for the motor output to adjust to. The use of an automatic throttle control to a desired speed, a fixed output control, and fixed output ratio offer limited control possibilities.

Energy management system for motor-assisted user-propelled vehicles

Systemes D'Energie et Propulsion EPS Inc.


This invention relates to a method of producing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) by catalytic decomposition of gaseous carbon-containing compounds over a transition metal-based catalyst. The catalyst comprises A-B and a support, wherein A is selected from the group VIII transition metal elements and B is selected from the Group VIB transition metal elements. An additional aspect of this invention includes a method of preparing hydrogen gas.

The discovery of carbon nanotubes [1] triggered a worldwide research effort devoted to determining their structure [2-6], calculating and measuring their physical properties [7-15], and to improving methods of production [16-33]. Carbon nanotubes have many extraordinary physical and chemical properties. For example, the Young's modulus of multi-wall carbon nanotubes has been calculated to be up to 1.4 times that of a graphite whisker, about 1 Tpa [34]; values derived from thermal vibration experiments performed on several multi-wall carbon nanotubes in a transmission electron microscope are in the 0.4–3.7 Tpa range [35]. Moreover, their flexibility is remarkable [36] and the bending may be fully reversible up to a critical angle value as large as 110° [37].
Carbon nanotubes have many applications. For example, they can be used as supports for metal catalysts, as in the case of a ruthenium cluster (range 3–7 nm) which can be deposited on nanotube surfaces [38]. As tubular structures, they have unusual capillary properties [39]. Mechanically, nanotubes are significantly stiffer than currently commercially available carbon fibres [40], and can therefore be used to strengthen composite materials or atomic force microscope tips. Theoretical calculations of their electronic structure indicate that due to their mesoscopic structure, nanotubes may exhibit quantum effects arising from their small diameter [41]. Of high technological interest is the encapsulation of metallic particles which display physical properties such as ferromagnetism or superconductivity [42]. Filled with metals or semiconductors, nanotubes may well provide components for nanoscale electrical or electronic devices such as amplifiers, switches or electrical-mechanical converters. Carbon nanotubes have also been shown to have hydrogen storage capabilities.
Three technologies have been applied in the synthesis of carbon nanotubes. They are carbon-arc discharge, laser-ablation and catalytic decomposition processes.
In the carbon arc-discharge method, carbon-nanotubes are grown between carbon electrodes in an inert gas atmosphere [1,16]. Catalytic species such as iron or cobalt can be used during the arc-discharge to improve both the productivity and the length of tubes. However, by this process, carbon-nanotubes are obtained as a mixture with several other carbon forms, including amorphous carbon and carbon particles. Thus, purification has to be carried out and the yield of nanotubes is no more than 2% [43].
Recently discovered, laser-ablation is a new method to prepare carbon nanotubes with high yield and purity. Usually, nanosecond pulses from a Nd:YAG laser were used to ablate a target of graphite-metal composite in a inert gas atmosphere maintained at 1473K [44-47]. The presence of a transition metal or a metal alloy, together with a carbon species, is essential to form carbon nanotubes. However, with the expensive laser generator, single-walled carbon nanotubes are the main target of this method.
The above two methods were designed mainly for carbon nanotubes synthesis on a laboratory scale and were used primarily for theoretical investigation. They do not seem suitable for the large-scale production of carbon nanotubes.
The third way to make carbon nanotubes is catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons or other organic molecules (e.g. 2-methyl-1,2-naphthyl ketone) in the presence of supported transition metal catalysts [48-51], and this method is technically based on the route developed for the production of vapour-grown carbon fibres [52]. Ivanov et al. [51], Li et al. [53] and Mukhopadhyay et al. [54] reported the production of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with 3–8 nm inner, 5–25 nm outer diameters, and up to 60–100 μm in length with remarkable efficiency at low temperature. Colomer et al. [55] have shown different methods to remove the catalyst particles and the amorphous carbon from the nanotubes samples produced by catalytic method. Since it is straightforward to scale up both the preparation and the purification method, this route seems to be the most promising one for large scale industrial applications.
During the past decade, significant progress made in fuel cell technologies has prompted the exploration of replacing traditional central large power plants with so-called distributed power generators and a membrane fuel cell [56]. The latter technology generates electricity at locations where it is to be used, and therefore eliminates the loss of electricity due to transmission. In addition, the fuel cell process does not emit any environmental pollutants such as NOx, SOx and other hydrocarbons. As a result, such a process becomes attractive for the automobile industry as well, since vehicles can then be propelled by electricity produced from an on-board fuel cell rather than by an internal combustion engine [57,58].
The current proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells utilize hydrogen gas as the energy source and require the elimination of carbon monoxide (ideally below 20 ppm) from the hydrogen stream to prevent poisoning of the electrocatalysts. Hydrogen gas is typically produced through steam reforming of methanol in vehicles [57-59] and through steam reforming, partial oxidation or autothermal reforming of natural gas for stationary uses [60,61]. In all these cases, however, carbon monoxide is a co-product, which has to be converted into carbon dioxide in subsequent steps.
An alternative route is directly cracking the hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen and carbon. In this case, formation of carbon oxides is avoided and the need for downstream reactions such as water-gas shift and selective oxidation is eliminated. This approach has not been extensively studied, except for hydrogen production via the catalytic cracking of methane [62]. Recently, Muradov[63] studied the use of iron oxide as a catalyst for the cracking of methane and reported that equilibrium conversions were achieved at temperature above 1073K. The iron oxide also appeared to maintain its activity for several hours, in contrast to a Pt/Al2O3 catalyst which deactivated within minutes under similar conditions. Furthermore, Ishihara et al. [64,65] reported that methane cracking takes place at low temperatures over a 10% Ni/SiO2 catalyst, which does not deactivate even after approximately 200 carbon per nickel atoms have been deposited on it.

Carbon nanotubes fabrication and hydrogen production


Oral compositions containing a water-insoluble noncationic bactericide showing improved stability with time and improved rheologic properties, and exerting excellent effects of eliminating dental plaque, preventing halitosis and eliminating tooth-staining substances.. Addition of porous calcium carbonate to the oral compositions makes it possible to prevent the decrease in the bactericidal activity of water-insoluble noncationic bactericides such as triclosan and improve the stability thereof while exerting excellent effects of eliminating dental plaque, preventing halitosis and eliminating tooth-staining substances. Furthermore, addition of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose to the oral compositions makes it possible to improve rheologic properties and stability with time.

It has been pointed out that dental plaque adsorbed onto teeth is an important factor causing gingivitis. To eliminate the dental plaque, it has been a practice to physically cleaning the oral cavity by brushing, etc. However, it takes a long time to clean the oral cavity by brushing and the dental plaque-controlling effect thus achieved is still insufficient.
Under these circumstances, studies have been made to develop oral compositions such as dentifrices containing bactericides so as to achieve supplemental effects of eliminating the dental plaque. In particular, it is known that cationic bactericides are efficacious in preventing the formation of dental plaque. However, cationic bactericides can be hardly processed into preparations due to the poor compatibility with other components in compositions. To overcome this problem, it has been recently proposed to add water-insoluble noncationic bactericides (triclosan, etc.), which are highly compatible with other components in compositions, to oral compositions.
When compositions containing such water-insoluble noncationic bactericides are packed in containers made of synthetic resins, however, the stability of these bactericides is lowered with the passage of time and the bactericidal effects are deteriorated due to the adsorption of the bactericides onto the inner wall of the containers, etc.
To solve this problem, JP-A-20288820, JP-A-6-92830 and JP-A-6-279248 propose to prevent the adsorption of nonionic bactericides onto containers by improving the containers, for example, with the use of specific polymers as the innermost layer of the containers (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application").
On the other hand, JP-A-8-198623 discloses that porous calcium carbonate having excellent properties of absorbing oil and water has been developed and are usable as a food additive. However, it has never been proposed so far to use this porous calcium carbonate in oral compositions for stabilizing bactericides, eliminating dental plaque, perverting halitosis, etc.


An optical fiber connecting device has a pair of holding elements which are formed on an actuating member and are capable of undergoing elastic deformation as a sheath holding mechanism for securing, to a body, the sheath portions S of the optical fibers F having uncoated fiber elements C to be held by the fiber-element securing member. The holding elements form a pair of passages for guiding the optical fibers F on the body. The holding elements undergo the elastic deformation accompanying the motion, on the body, of the actuating member for closing the fiber-element securing member, and push and hold the sheath portions S of the optical fibers F in the corresponding passages by utilizing their own elastic restoring forces. Each holding element includes a pressing part formed at a free end separated away from a fixed end part, and an engaging part positioned between the fixed end part and the pressing part.

In the technology for connecting optical fibers, there has been known, in the name of "mechanical splice", an optical fiber connecting device capable of permanently connecting together the uncoated fiber elements of optical fibers from which the sheaths are removed in a manner that their end surfaces are abut together in concentric without relying upon the melt-adhesion or adhesion. The optical fiber connecting device of this type, usually, is equipped with a fiber-element securing member having opposing holding surfaces that can be opened and closed to firmly hold the uncoated fiber elements of the optical fibers, at least either one of the opposing holding surfaces having a linear guide groove (e.g., a V-groove having a V-shape in cross section) for holding the uncoated fiber element of the optical fiber at a predetermined position. In carrying out the connection operation, the uncoated fiber elements of the pair of optical fibers are inserted in the guide grooves in the opposing holding surfaces of the fiber-element securing member that is opened in a condition where their ends are abut together (or an abutment condition). In this state, a pressure is exerted on the fiber-element securing member from the outer side, whereby the uncoated fiber elements of the two optical fibers are firmly secured in the opposing holding surfaces with the application of a required pressure so as to be permanently connected together in concentric in the guide grooves.
There has been known an optical fiber connecting device of this type comprising a body with cavity, a fiber-element securing member held in the cavity of the body in a manner that it can be opened and closed, and an actuating member mounted in the cavity of the body in a manner that it can be moved to open and close the fiber-element securing member (see, for example, Patent Document 1 (JP Pat. No. 2713309)). In the body are formed a pair of passages which are in concentric and aligned with each other, and being opened in the outer surfaces thereof and communicated with the cavity. The uncoated fiber elements of the pair of optical fibers are introduced in the corresponding passages and are guided into the fiber-element securing member. In conducting the connection operation, the actuating member is completely pushed into the cavity of the body to apply pressure to the fiber-element securing member which is opening at a position where the uncoated fiber elements of the pair of optical fibers are abut together at their ends and to move the fiber-element securing member to the closed position. Accordingly, the fiber-element securing member strongly secures the uncoated fiber elements of the two optical fibers in an abutment condition with the application of a required pressure and, thus, the pair of optical fibers are permanently connected together in a concentric manner.
With the optical fiber connection device disclosed in the Patent Document 1, the optical fibers that are to be connected are uncovered at their ends during the fiber connection operation over the regions longer than the lengths that are to be held by the fiber-element securing member. Therefore, the pair of optical fibers securely connected together through the optical fiber connecting device have their uncoated fiber element portions and the neighboring sheath portions that are received in their corresponding passages without being substantially locked, If the tensile action or twisting action is exerted on the optical fibers, the tensile stress or the twisting stress is concentrated on the uncoated fiber element portions that are arranged in the passages of the body without being locked, and the uncoated fiber elements may be damaged or broken, which may cause an optical loss. In order to avoid the stress from concentrating on the uncoated fiber elements, therefore, an optical fiber connecting device has been proposed comprising a sheath holding mechanism capable of securing the sheath portions of the optical fibers onto the body on the outer side of the fiber-element securing member (see, for example, Patent Document 2 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,477)).
In the optical fiber connecting device disclosed in the Patent Document 2, a pair of slots are formed in the body separately from the cavity so as to be communicated with a pair of passages in the body, and clip members having a U-shape in cross section are mounted in the slots in a manner to be displaced. Each clip member has a pair of arms facing each other maintaining a predetermined gap, and the sheath portion of the optical fiber arranged in the passage is received between these arms with the application of pressure. When the optical fibers are to be inserted in the passages of the body, the clip members are placed at positions where their both arms will not interfere with the sheaths of the optical fibers. After the uncoated fiber elements of the pair of optical fibers are held by the fiber-element securing member, the slip members are completely pushed into the corresponding slots in the body, whereby the sheath portions of the optical fibers in the passages are inserted into between the two arms of the clip members while being compressed, and the sheath portions are secured to the body. The sheath holding mechanism in the optical fiber connection device has also been disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-240836 (see also U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/522,003), which is a prior application filed by the present applicant.


Provided herein are primers comprising a nucleotide sequence complementary to a portion of a RhD gene. Also provided herein are methods of determining a RhD zygosity in a subject. Also provided are methods of detecting a weak D allele in a subject. Further provided are kits for determining an RhD zygosity.

Human blood is classified by antigenic compatibility according to two main systems: the ABO system and Rhesus (Rh) system. The Rh system consists of several closely related proteins encoded by two tandemly duplicated genes on human chromosome 1. Clinically, the most important Rh antigen is called Rhesus D (RhD) antigen. Humans who have this antigen on their red blood cells are termed RhD positive (RhD+), whereas those that do not carry the antigen are termed RhD negative (RhD−). As the Rh blood types are inherited characteristics, a fetus may inherit a blood type from its father that differs from that of its mother. Clinically this is not a problem if the mother is RhD+, but if the mother is RhD− and the fetus inherits the dominant RhD allele from the father, complications during pregnancy may arise.

Primers and methods for determining RhD zygosity


The subject disclosure concerns Bacillus thuringiensis strains which can be used to control lepidopteran pests. The strains were previously known to control coleopteran pests. The discovery of lepidopteran activity was totally unexpected.. These B.t. strains can be formulated using standard lepidopteran formulation procedures. Means of administration are also standard.. The genes encoding lepidopteran-active toxins can be isolated from the B.t. isolates and used to transform other microbes for use to control lepidopteran pests.

The most widely used microbial pesticides are derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. This bacterial agent is used to control a wide range of leaf-eating caterpillars, beetles and mosquitos. Bacillus thuringiensis produces a proteinaceous paraspore or crystal which is toxic upon ingestion by a susceptible insect host. For example, B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki HD-1 produces a crystal called a delta endotoxin which is toxic to the larvae of a number of lepidopteran insects. The cloning and expression of this B.t. crystal protein gene in Escherichia coli has been described in the published literature (Schnepf, H. E. and Whitely, H. R. [1981] Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78:2893-2897). U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,885 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,036 both disclose the expression of B.t. crystal protein in E. coli. U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,331 discloses B. thuringiensis strain san diego (B.t. sd.) which can be used to control coleopteran pests in various environments. U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,217 discloses Bacillus thuringiensis isolates active against the alfalfa weevil. One of the isolates disclosed is B. thuringiensis PS86A1 (NRRL B-18400).

Process for controlling lepidopteran pests


A semiconductor device production method which includes steps of: preparing a wafer on which multiple integrated circuits are formed on a principal face; forming a rewiring which is electrically connected to the integrated circuits via a pad electrode; and dicing the wafer after forming an electrode terminal on the rewiring, including steps of: forming a first resin layer by sealing at least the rewiring and the electrode terminal formed on the principal face of the wafer with a first resin; processing a first dicing from a back face of the wafer to the principal face of the wafer or halfway to the first resin layer when the first resin layer is formed; forming a second resin layer by sealing a cut line outlined upon the first dicing and the back face of the wafer continuously with a first resin; and processing a second dicing while leaving the second resin layer which covers a side face outlined upon the first dicing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonconductor production method in which packaging is processed at a wafer level and dicing is processed at the final phase, and a semiconductor device.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-074902, filed Mar. 16, 2005, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-145610, filed May 18, 2005, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in accordance with, for example, the requirements for both an increasing number of functions and an increase in performance of devices such as mobile terminals, semiconductor devices applied to these devices are required to be small and thin, and to process faster. A semiconductor device known as a so called WL-CSP (Wafer Level Chip Size Package) is getting attention because it is appropriate for such requirements. The WL-CSP is produced in a manner such that forming of rewiring, forming of electrode terminals and resin molding (packaging) in order to protect mainly an IC (Integrated Circuit) formed on the principal surface of the wafer from heat, light, physical shocks and so on, are processed at a wafer level, and at the final phase, dicing is processed. Because of such a production process, it is possible to make the site of the semiconductor device after packaging almost as small as an IC chip and it is believed that it is possible to design in even smaller sizes.
However, conventional WL-CSPs (semiconductor devices) are divided into each semiconductor device by cutting (dicing) the wafer at the final phase, therefore, the cut surface of the side face of substrates is exposed even though a principal surface of the substrates of the semiconductor devices (diced wafer) is resin molded. There is a problem in that the exposed side face is easily damaged due to physical shocks during the production steps. Moreover moisture can infiltrate between principal surface of the substrate and a resin layer, and the rewiring and electrode terminals may be oxidized and corroded in some cases.
Due to such a problem, there are semiconductor devices which are produced in a manner such that not only the principal face of the substrates but also the side face of the substrates or the side face and back of the substrates are resin-molded. Such semiconductor devices in which external faces are resin-molded, are reinforced to avoid damage to the substrates, moreover, there is a benefit in that a repairing process of a damaged area can be omitted because, for example, the defective area generated on the substrates upon dicing due to chipping can be covered.
Generally, a processing of a semiconductor device A shown in FIG. 11 in which a side face 1a and a back face 1b of a substrate 1 are covered with resin layers 2 and 3, is shown in FIG. 12. First the wafer 1 is prepared on which multiple ICs 4 are formed on a principal face 1c, a rewiring 6 which is connected electrically to the ICs 4 via a pad electrode 5 is formed, and a metal post 7 which is made from copper and is columnar is formed on the rewiring 6.
As shown in FIG. 13, after fixing a resin plate 9 (a second resin layer 3) on which a dicing tape 8 made from an elastic material is attached, on the back face 1b of the wafer 1, a first dicing is processed from the principal face 1c of the substrate 1 in an orthogonal direction to the principal face 1c. In this first dicing, a dicing depth T1 is adapted to be halfway along a thickness direction of the dicing tape 8. A cut line 10 formed in the first dicing and the principal face 1c of the wafer 1 are sealed with a resin. This first resin is a first resin layer 2 which is molded to be as thick as embedding a metal post 7 that is formed on the principal face 1c of the wafer 1.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 14, a surface 2a of the first resin layer 2 is polished to expose an upper face 7a of the columnar metal post 7, and a bump 11 which is a bump electrode and is an entrance for electricity and signals is attached to this exposed upper face 7a. An approximately central area in a width direction of the cut line 10 which is outlined in the first dicing and in which the first resin is filled is diced again (a second dicing) from the surface 2a of the first resin layer. In this process, the second dicing is processed in a manner such that the first in layer 2 is left to cover a side face 1a cut face) of the substrate 1 (diced wafer) which is outlined in the first dicing. A dicing depth T2 of the second dicing is approximately as deep as making a slight cut line from the surface 2a of the first resin layer 2. The semiconductor device A is diced in accordance with such process.
Finally, production of the semiconductor device A shown in FIG. 11 is completed after removing the dicing tape 8. This semiconductor device A has excellent shock resistance due to that not only the principal face 1a, but also the side face, 1a and the back side 1b are covered with the first resin layer 2 and resin plate 9 (the second resin layer 3).
However, in the above described production method, there is a problem such that spread particles due to dicing adhere to the rewiring or the metal post because the rewiring or the metal post is exposed upon the first dicing. If particles adhere to the rewiring or the metal post then there can be problems such that short circuits may occur, and the rewiring and the like are oxidized and corroded due to infiltration of moisture from a boundary between the substrate and the first resin layer because of the lower adhesiveness of the first resin layer.
On the other hand, in the above production method of the semiconductor device, the wafer is maintained by the dicing tape which is adhered upon the first dicing. This dicing tape is an elastic body, therefore, the cut line may be curved easily because the wafer slides upon dicing, and therefore, there is a problem in that the precision of size of the semiconductor device may be lowered after dicing.
There is a solution to this problem in that by attaching, for example, a metal plate instead of the dicing tape, the wafer is maintained harder and dicing is processed. However, such a method of attaching a metal plate has a problem in that production costs are increased since it requires time or extra processing steps to attach the metal plate and to detach the semiconductor device.
Moreover, in the above described production method of the semiconductor device, the resin layer which covers the side face of the substrate is the first resin layer which is molded continuously with the principal face of the substrate. In recent years, in accordance with requirements for tinner semiconductor devices, a production step of polishing the back side of the substrate in order to make the semiconductor device as thin as possible has been performed. In such a production step, for example, a discal polishing member is spun while moving it towards the back side of the substrate, therefore, at edges of the first resin layer covering the side face of the substrate a force in the direction of removal of the first resin layer may be caused. Due to such a phenomena, there are some cases in which the first resin layer covering the side face is removed because of polishing. Moreover, there is a problem such that removal occurs at the principal face in accordance with removal at the side face because the first resin layer of the side face is molded continuously with the first resin layer of the principal face. In this case, another problem is caused in which the IC or the rewiring formed on the principal face of the substrate are damaged when the resin layer of the principal face is removed.
Regarding the above described problems, the present invention aims to provide a production method of a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device which can be harder without causing electrical short or removal of a resin layer.
Moreover, in the above described production method for the semiconductor device, the first resin layer and the second resin layer that cover the side face and the back face of the substrate, are fixed at the side face and at the back face respectively, therefore, there is a problem such that peeling can easily occur because of, for example, vibration upon dicing.
The first resin layer covers both the side face and the principal face of the substrate, therefore, when the first resin layer covering the side of the side face is peeled, it causes peeling of the first resin layer on the principal surface, therefore, there is a problem in that the IC, the rewiring and the like formed on the principal surface become damaged.
Regarding the above described problems, the present invention aims to provide a production method for a semiconductor device tat does not cause peeling of the resin layer and achieves a reliably strong substrate (a diced wafer) and a semiconductor device.

Semiconductor device production method and semiconductor device


This fifth wheel coupler release apparatus for adding to a fifth wheel hitch. The fifth wheel coupler provides a manner of releasing the coupling mechanism of a fifth wheel from a more accessible position and in a manner that can overcome any resistance through a lever arm type assembly.

The present invention relates to an improvement in the mechanism employed to release fifth wheel coupling devices. More specifically, to an arm and lever mechanism employed with fifth wheel coupling devices which allows an operator to quickly and safely disengage a kingpin of a trailer from the coupler device thereby providing for the separation of a tractor from a trailer and allowing it to be either operated independently or connected to another trailer.
The use of fifth wheels as coupling devices in joining a trailer to a towing vehicle in an articulating manner is very common today. The uses of the fifth wheel in this application ranges from the connection of a recreational trailer to the bed of a pickup truck to the connection of large semi trailers to tractors, a configuration commonly referred to as an over the road truck.
In the case of the latter application, the fifth wheel is commonly made up of a relatively large circular plate-like apparatus that is pivotally mounted to the frame of a tractor in a position that is roughly over the drive wheels. The surface of the fifth wheel is additionally equipped with an open slot that bisects its rearward half. It is this slot in the fifth wheel that provides for the connection of the semi trailer to the tractor.
This connection is facilitated by the use of a kingpin that extends downward from the forward lower surface of the trailer from roughly the center of an additional generally circular plate. The kingpin is a cylindrical apparatus which has the primary function of engaging the fifth wheel. This is accomplished by maneuvering the tractor so that the kingpin passes into the open slot of the fifth wheel. In this procedure, as the kingpin enters the central portion of the fifth wheel, it is engaged by a spring loaded locking jaw apparatus. The kingpin plate then engages the fifth wheel plate in a slidable manner. Additionally, a layer of grease is commonly positioned between the kingpin and fifth wheel plates to ensure their proper operation during use.
This locking apparatus effectively holds the kingpin (and therefore the semi trailer) in the desired location relative to the tractor while allowing the semi trailer to pivot in relation to the tractor. The pivotal nature of the connection afforded by the use of the fifth wheel allows the tractor/trailer configuration to articulate during operation. This ability of the tractor/trailer combination as it allows them to negotiate streets and roads that an unarticulated vehicle of equal length and capacity could not.
The release of the above described connection is accomplished through the use of a drop handle that protrudes from one side of the fifth wheel. The drop handle is connected to the locking jaws and, when engaged, operates to open the lock jaws thereby releasing the kingpin. Once this has been accomplished, the tractor is then free to move off and engage a different semi trailer.
While this system has been employed for a long time with relatively good success, it does suffer from inadequacies most of which result from the design of the release mechanism, the drop handle. The first of these is a direct result of the location of the drop handle on the side of the fifth wheel. The problem of this is one of accessibility. That is to say, because of its location, it can be difficult for the operator of the tractor to reach in commonly over the drive tires and under the trailer and disengage the fifth wheel by the use of the drop handle. This can be difficult in normal circumstances and only becomes more so in adverse weather conditions such as wind, rain, and snow.
Another problem associated with the drop handle is some circumstances can result in the interference with its release function. Typically, the circumstances leading to this are age and wear of the operational components increasing the effort needed to release the lock jaws, dirt and grit also causing the operator to use more force to operate it, and snow and ice jamming the mechanisms or making it difficult to grasp and operate the drop handle. All of the above described deficiencies of the coupling apparatus of the commonly used fifth wheel also present safety concerns as difficulties in the operation and location of the drop handle can lead to accidents resulting in damage or operator injury.
Therefore, it can be seen that it would be desirable to provide a means of releasing the coupling apparatus of a fifth wheel that is easily accessible to the operator and which can be operated in a safe and effective manner either during the day or at night and in all weather conditions.


A support for an image recording medium includes base paper, a polymer coating layer formed on both top and wire side surfaces, and a coating layer containing a pigment and an adhesive agent which is formed under the polymer coating layer on one or both side surfaces. The support has a water absorbence less than 20 mg in terms of cross section water absorption quantity given by the following expression: Cross section water absorption quantity (mg)=A−B where A is the mass of a 10×1.5 cm support after wiping off attached water after five minute immersion in a water bath at 20° C. and B is the mass of the paper base support before immersion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a support suitable for an image recording medium which has a surface and trimmed edges superior in water resisting property and which is capable of providing high gloss and high quality images thereon and an image recording medium made from the support.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, a support for an image recording medium used in electrophotographic recording, heat sensitive recording, ink-jet recording, sublimation transfer recording, silver halide photographic recording, thermal development recording, etc. comprises, for example, a base paper, artificial or synthetic, a synthetic resin paper, a coated paper, a laminated paper, etc. The recent development of technology enables the image recording medium used in electrophotographic recording or ink-jet recording to provide prints of equivalent image quality with silver salt photographic prints readily.
In the case where an image recording medium is used as printing paper for posters or leaflets intended for an outdoor display or a display in water related surroundings, the image recording medium is required to have water resisting property. It is also required for the image recording medium to be resistant to water in order to prevent irreplaceable prints from casual or accidental water damages during a long-term storage. For good water resistant, it is essential for the image recording medium to have not only an enhanced water resisting surface for image formation but also enhanced water resisting cut edges.
There have been proposed in, for example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 7-70984, 8-269897 and 11-81190 water resistant image recording media that are made from a support comprising base paper with high water resistant polymer coating layers on a top side (a side for image formation) and a wire side surface thereof or a support comprising base paper with a coating layer containing a water resisting additive or a water repellent additive on a top side surface.
Such the image recording media are not originally aimed at improvement of water resisting properties and, therefore, have only poor water resistance especially at cut edges and are not suitable for high quality prints.

Support for image recording medium and image recording medium made from the support


The purpose of the subject invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a mixture of amplified double-stranded nucleic acids comprising unknown sequence including the complete 5′ end sequence.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention pertains to a unique method of manufacturing a mixture of amplified double-stranded nucleic acids comprising unknown sequence.
2. Discussion of the Background
The 5′ End of Nucleic Acid Strand and the Methods to Capture it
The precise determination of the sequence around each 5′ end of nucleic acids is of a special interest in biology. In the case of ribonucleic acid (RNA), this sequence reveals a corresponding location in the chromosomes, the gene promoter, which is a crucial component of the gene regulation mechanism. Therefore, many efforts have been made to isolate 5′ ends of RNA molecules. However, it is difficult to be certain that the observed 5′ end corresponds to a molecule really existing in vivo and is not the product of the truncation of a longer RNA molecule during the experiment.
Several approaches have taken advantage of the fact that the 5′ ends of the complex fraction of the total RNA content of living cells—comprising the messenger RNAs (mRNAs)—can be distinguished by the presence of a specific modification, called the cap, which consists of a guanosine 5′ triphosphate modified by one or more methylations. In experimental conditions, RNA molecules bearing the cap can be considered intact in their 5′ end, and methods aimed to capture the 5′ ends ensure that only these molecules participate to the final product. For instance, in the Cap-Trapper method, the diol group of the cap is used to bind 5′-intact RNA molecules on beads and to exclude complementary deoxyribonucleic acids (cDNAs) of truncated RNA molecules [Caminci 2001 the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.]. In the oligo-capping method, a 5′ oligonucleotide is attached to the RNA molecules in three reactions using phosphatase, pyrophosphatase and ligase [Maruyama 1994, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.]. In the CAPswitch method, the propensity of the reverse transcriptase (RTase) to add extra cytidine nucleotides to the first-strand cDNAs templated from capped molecules is exploited to distinguish them from the uncapped RNAs [Chenchik 1999, U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,272, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.].
The CAPswitch Method
Chenchick et al invented the CAPswitch method, "for the synthesis and cloning of full-length cDNA, or cDNA fragments, that correspond to the complete sequence of 5′-ends of mRNA molecules". Pivotal in this method is the use of a template switching (TS) oligonucleotide that serves as a new template to extend the first-strand cDNAs after they reach the cap of their mRNA template. The mechanism of CAPswitch was not clearly understood at the when this method was patented. The optimal sequence at the 3′ end of the TS oligonucleotide was determined by Chenchick et al by using TS oligonucleotide finishing with random nucleotides and analyzing the sequence of the resulting full-length cDNAs. It was then refined by a mutagenesis analysis. They hypothesized that the TS oligonucleotide would hybridize to the cap structure of the mRNA (see the CAPswitch patent's abstract and figures), or to extra 3′ cytidine residues on the first-strand cDNA added by a terminal transferase activity of the RTase. The role of the CAP was unclear, as it was stated that it was not a necessary requirement for strand template-switching, but was making the reaction more effective for full-length
In fact, It has been demonstrated that the mechanism for first-strand cDNA extension depends on the molecular nature of the cap, because it is used by the RTase as a template for a short extension of the full-length cDNA: cytosines are added for 7-methylguanosine caps [Hirzmann 1993, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.], but in the case of adenosine caps (very frequent intermediate steps in enzymatic reactions), the extra nucleotides added are thymidines [Ohtake 2004, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.]. A residual terminal transferase activity is detected for cap-less RNA molecules and as a 5% background for capped molecules. This explains why only cDNAs that reached the 5′ end of a RNA molecule can switch template.
The patent of Chenchick et al is written broadly and covers usage of total RNA or polyA-tailed RNA, the use of oligodT or random RT primers, the specific amplification of one gene or the amplification of a whole library.
However, eight years after it was issued, there is no academic or commercial evidence that the patented method can be used to amplify a library of complete 5′ ends of capped RNA (with and without polyA tails) using random RT primers on total RNA at nanogram scale. In the example number 1 of the patent, a library is made using random primers, but together with polyadenylated RNA. In example 2, a library is made from 100 nanograms of total RNA, but using oligodT RT primers. In example number 3 polyadenylated RNA is reverse-transcribed with a double stranded oligodT primer. In example number 4, total RNA is reverse-transcribed by oligodT primers, and the subsequent steps include a enzymatic cleavage in which the 5′ completeness is lost. The patent does contain an example of usage of CAPswitch with total RNA and random RT primers. However, it is in the context of the "5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends" method, which is gene-specific: the products of the RT are not amplified as a library.
Consequently, simultaneous practical usage of random RT primers and total RNA for preparing a library of complete 5′ ends is absent in the patent or in the later literature, and thus the RT products having the complete 5′ ends are not amplified as a library.
Suppressive PCR
Suppressive PCR is known as a method used for the preparation of libraries of target nucleic acids in a complex nucleic acid mixture and used to selectively control the size of PCR products which can be amplified in a reaction.
Suppressive PCR was invented by Chenchik et al, who were issued the U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,340 in 1996 ([Chenchik 1996, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.]). In this method, some DNA molecules are prevented from being amplified during a PCR by adding complementary adapters to their 5′ and 3′ ends. The complementarity between the adapters exceeds the complementarity between adapters and PCR primers. During the annealing step of the reaction, intramolecular folding will be favored compared to hybridization with PCR primers, and the folded templates will not be extended. Due to the exponential nature of the PCR, when a significant number of molecules skip amplification at every cycle, their contribution to the final product becomes neglectable.
The strategies of suppressive PCR can be classified in two categories. In the first, the PCR is made with a pair of different forward and reverse primers, and each adapter have complementarity to one of them. Therefore, the templates flanked by the same adapter will be suppressed, whereas templates that match both PCR primers will be amplified.
In the second category, the PCR is made with a single primer. In this case, the molecules that will be amplified are the ones for which the intramolecular folding is the less probable: the longer molecules. This approach is usually employed to suppress primer dimers and counterbalance the tendency of the PCR to favour the shortest amplicons [Brownie 1997, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.].
To summarize, there are two possible strategies of suppressive PCR with distinct advantages: the first strategy described above results in a sequence-based selection while the latter strategy gives rise to a size-based selection, trying to overcome the bias towards short-sized templates that commonly affects PCR.
However, it is unfortunately difficult to get all the benefits of the suppressive PCR method at the same time: to normalize the size of the amplicons and eliminate primer dimers, the templates should have the suppressive sequences in 5′ and 3′, but when the method is used to eliminate other artifacts, the desired templates should be amplified with distinct forward and reverse PCR primers.
The reason why it was very difficult to combine total RNA, CAPswitch and random priming for the preparation of libraries of complete 5′ ends from nanograms of template is the artifacts created during the RT. Since only low quantities of template are used, the second-strand cDNA synthesis should be coupled with an amplification step, typically PCR, in which the artifacts will outcompete the 5′-complete cDNAs. Artifacts can be created in the following situations:                TS oligonucleotides can compete with RT primers for binding the RNA molecules, especially at the cool temperatures used for annealing the random RT primers. (See FIG. 48A)        RT primers can invade the DNA-RNA duplex when the RTase pauses (this enzyme is not very processive), and terminate the reaction by premature template-switching. (See FIG. 48B)        As 25% of the random RT primers finish by a guanine, they can compete with the TS oligonucleotides for binding the extra cytosines added in 5′ of the first strand cDNA by the RT. (See FIG. 48C)        TS oligonucleotides can hybridise with the random RT primers, and the RTase can extend these complexes. (See FIG. 48D)        Random RT primers hybridize each other can and be extended as well. (See FIG. 48D)
At first the inventors thought to use suppressive PCR to avoid the amplification of the primers dimers, by giving them a sequence tail designed according to Chenchick et al's method and using single universal PCR primer.

Method of manufacturing a mixture of amplified double-stranded nucleic acids comprising unknown sequence

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a mixture of amplified double-stranded nucleic acids comprising: (a) preparing a single-stranded nucleic acid comprising a single-stranded adapter 1, a single-stranded nucleic acid fragment and a single-stranded adapter 2, and (b) conducting PCR with said single-stranded nucleic acid prepared in step (a), a primer 1, and a primer 2 to amplify double-stranded nucleic acids.


There is provided a method for managing an investment portfolio. The method includes determining a feasible loss in notional value of a contract sub-portfolio of the investment portfolio, and determining a composition between the contract sub-portfolio and an asset sub-portfolio of the investment portfolio such that a value of the investment portfolio on a second date that is subsequent to a first date is no less than a highest marked-to-market value for the investment portfolio that occurred on or between the first date and the second date.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an investment portfolio and, more particularly, to protecting a future value of an investment portfolio.
2. Description of the Related Art
Principal protected mutual funds offer investors a guarantee of principal, adjusted for fund dividends and distributions, on a set future date (maturity) while providing exposure to, i.e., participation in, higher risk and higher expected return asset classes such as equities. These appealing properties have led to considerable interest on the part of investors who have invested billions of dollars in such mutual funds in recent years. The usefulness and attractiveness of these principal protected mutual funds is limited by two factors:
(1) These funds are closed to new contributions (i.e., investor share purchases) during their protected (or guarantee) periods, unlike most mutual funds, which are open to contributions (i.e., continuously offered) as well as redemptions on an ongoing basis.(2) These funds protect initial principal for those mutual fund shares that are held to maturity, but interim gains generated on such principal are not protected.
There is a need for an investment portfolio that is not constrained by these factors.

Method for managing an investment portfolio


Vinyl addition polymer compositions, methods for forming such compositions, methods for using such compositions to form microelectronic and optoelectronic devices are provided. The vinyl addition polymer encompassed by such compositions has a polymer backbone having two or more distinct types of repeat units derived from norbornene-type monomers independently selected from monomers of Formula I:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to photosensitive polycyclic polymers, compositions thereof, films formed therefrom and processes for the use of such in microelectronic and optoelectronic devices, and more particularly to such polymers, compositions, films and processes where the polymer encompasses repeating units that result from the addition polymerization of functionalized norbornene-type monomers, where such films are characterized by, among other things, low internal stress and high temperature stability.
2. Description of Related Art
The rapid development of the microelectronics and optoelectronics industries has created a great demand for dielectric polymeric materials. At least in part, this demand is driven by these industries' advances toward devices that require such materials to achieve higher functionality and operational speeds than devices made in the past. For example, advanced microelectronic devices such as high density memories and microprocessors generally require several layers of closely spaced electrical interconnects that must be insulated from one another by a dielectric material with the lowest possible dielectric constant to reduce capacitive coupling effects.
While it has been shown that the dielectric constant of silicon dioxide can be reduced (from 3.9) by doping the oxide with fluorine and/or carbon, the reductions obtained are not large and often the resulting films pose reliability problems. Hence the aforementioned demand for dielectric polymeric materials that can provide larger dielectric constant reductions. However, despite the lower dielectric constants such materials offer, finding polymeric materials that are compatible with well established processing methods and that have appropriate mechanical, chemical and thermal properties, for example low internal stress and thermal stability, has been difficult. Despite this difficulty, efforts have continued to find appropriate materials as the potential uses for such polymeric materials has become apparent.
Thus unlike inorganic materials such as doped oxides, it has been found that a polymeric material with an appropriate modulus can enhance the reliability of packaged integrated circuits by acting as an interposer between circuit and package components with large differences in their coefficients of thermal expansion, thus preventing die cracking and the like. In addition to having an appropriate modulus, and particularly important for packaging applications that include thermal cycling such as a lead-free soldering process, it is desirable for such a polymeric material to also have low internal stress and good thermal stability. However, heretofore known polymers can often be difficult to pattern as the etch properties of polymers and the photoresist compositions used for patterning them are very similar. Accordingly, efforts to selectively remove portions of the polymer can be problematic and it has been known to form an interposing material between the polymer and the resist composition where such interposing material can be selectively patterned and such patterned interposer material used for defining a pattern in the underlying polymer material.
The additional steps required to form a hard mask are generally not cost effective and hence alternate methods for patterning low dielectric constant polymer materials that do not require such steps would be advantageous. To this effect, U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,340 discloses a negative-working photodefinable polymer composition comprising a photoinitiator and a polycyclic addition polymer comprising repeating units with pendant hydrolyzable functionalities (e.g., silyl ethers). Upon exposure to a radiation source, the photoinitiator catalyzes the hydrolysis of the hydrolyzable groups to effect selective crosslinking in the polymer backbone to form a pattern. Thus the dielectric material of the '340 patent is in and of itself photodefinable. However, the polymer compositions disclosed in the '340 patent disadvantageously require the presence of moisture for the hydrolysis reaction to proceed. Since the presence of such moisture in the dielectric layer can lead to reliability problems in completed microelectronic devices and packages thereof, the materials of the '340 patent are usefully directed to other applications.
Recently, Japanese Patent No. JP3588498 B2, entitled "EPDXIDIZED CYCLOOLEFIN-BASED RESIN COMPOSITION AND INSULATING MATERIAL USING THE SAME" issued to Nippon Zeon, Ltd. (NZ patent). The patent is directed to providing a thin film excellent in heat resistance, solvent resistance, low water absorption properties, electrical insulating properties, adhesive properties, chemical resistance and the like. To this effect, the patent discloses various polymeric compositions where the polymer employed in the composition encompasses epoxy functional groups that can be crosslinked to provide a stable polymer film having the aforementioned properties. To obtain such a polymer encompassing epoxy groups, the NZ patent teaches first forming a polymer without epoxy functional groups and then subsequently grafting, by a free radical method, such groups to the polymer backbone, that is to say providing epoxy functional groups to one or more of the repeat units that form the polymer backbone. The patent teaches that such grafting requires an appropriate unsaturated epoxy group containing monomer and a free radical initiator, for forming a free radical on the backbone for the unsaturated monomer. While such a grafting reaction can successfully provide a polymer encompassing epoxy functional groups, the grafting will problematically lead to the addition (grafting) of epoxy groups at any of several positions within the repeat units and backbone as determined by the differences in reactivity of the different types of carbons present (the order of reactivity being primary<secondary<tertiary), as well as other factors such as the steric environment about each potential addition site and the number of sites available for addition. Thus some of the polymer's repeat units may have multiple epoxy functional groups grafted thereto, while other repeat units will have none. Furthermore, once an epoxy group containing monomer has been grafted, the functional group itself can offer sites for grafting making the composition of the resulting polymer unpredictable (See, Huang, et. al., "Fundamental Studies of Grafting Reactions in Free Radical Copolymerization" J. Polymer Science, Part A 33, 2533-2549 (1995)). Given this unpredictability, it should be obvious that it would also be problematic to graft more than one type of functional group onto the polymer backbone such that a specific desired result is obtained, or to create a polymer having selected functional groups at predetermined positions on the polymer backbone such that the resulting polymer is tailored to a specific use or application.
As the skilled artisan knows, a photodefinable polymer must have an essentially uniform composition so that an imagewise exposure of the polymer will have essentially the same effect on all portions of the polymer that are exposed. Given the compositional unpredictability of the NZ polymer composition, both among the plurality of polymer chains and within the plurality of repeat units of any one polymer chain, it is believed that the polymers and polymer compositions disclosed by the NZ patent, other than perhaps homopolymers and compositions thereof, are unlikely to be suitable as a photodefinable composition for microelectronic applications. Furthermore, it should also be realized that in addition to being unsuitable as a photodefinable polymer or polymer composition, the NZ polymers will have unpredictable physical and mechanical properties as a result of their unpredictable and hence non-uniform structural composition. Thus where it is beneficial to have a polymer with a low modulus of a specific range of values, the unpredictability of structural composition of the polymer that is formed by such a grafting reaction makes it unlikely that a specific range of modulus values can be obtained at all or if obtained, reproduced. Thus as it is advantageous to have a polymer that can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of an application, the NZ polymer and polymer compositions are at best problematic.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide low dielectric constant polymeric materials having an appropriate modulus for use in the microelectronic and optoelectronic industries. It would further be desirable if such polymeric materials are in and of themselves photodefinable, do not require the presence of moisture to be photodefined and which can be tailored to have specific values physical, mechanical and chemical properties, for example modulus, internal stress and thermal stability. In addition it would be desirable to provide methods to make such photodefinable materials for a variety of appropriate uses, for example to form low dielectric constant films and microelectronic and/or optoelectronic devices that employ such films. It would also be desirable for the methods provided to allow the resulting polymer to be readily tailored to a specific use or application.

Photosensitive compositions based on polycyclic polymers for low stress, high temperature films

Abstract: wherein each of X, m, R1, R2, R3, and R4 is as defined herein and wherein a first type of repeat unit is derived from a glycidyl ether substituted norbornene monomer and a second type of repeat unit is derived from an aralkyl substituted norbornene monomer.


An electronic cigarette includes a sleeve and a cigarette holder cover received in the sleeve, wherein, the sleeve defines at least one inhaling hole at a side surface of an end of the sleeve near the cigarette holder cover, and the cigarette holder cover comprises a cap and a main body extending from a bottom surface of the cap; the main body defines a first groove at an outer surface thereof, the first groove is aligned with the inhaling hole of the sleeve to cooperatively form a channel configured for flowing of smoke, and the channel is configured to guide smoke in the electronic cigarette to reach the inhaling hole and inhaled by a user at a joint of the first groove and the inhaling hole.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to electric heating products, and particularly, to an electronic cigarette for changing flowing direction of an atomized smoke.
2. Description of Related Art
Because of enhancing of anti-smoking advertising and raising of people health awareness, electronic cigarettes are used more and more widely as a cigarette substitute. An existing electronic cigarette includes a cigarette rod and a cigarette holder. The cigarette rod includes a battery, and the cigarette holder includes an atomizer electrically connected with the cigarette rod and a cup for filling cigarette liquid. When inhaling from the cigarette holder, the cigarette liquid flows to the atomizer, and the atomizer starts to heat the cigarette liquid by a control circuit of the cigarette rod, and the atomized smoke is generated and inhaled through a cover of the cigarette holder.
Generally, the atomized smoke is inhaled through a centre of the cover of the cigarette holder, thereby it is easy to inhale the cigarette liquid, and smoker may feel uncomfortable because of inhaling the excess atomized smoke.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

HUIZHOU KIMREE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. SHENZHEN BRANCH


A deer stand apparatus includes a plurality of spaced U-shaped frameworks arranged in a coextensive relationship relative to one another in a confronting relationship, having an elevated platform selectively securable thereon. The organization includes a shelter having a dome-shaped roof and a generally rectilinear body accessed through a gap within a plurality of adjacent mounting rods secured through the elevated platform. The organization is arranged for ease of disassembly for transport and storage thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to deer stand apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved deer stand apparatus wherein the same is arranged for ease of portability and disassembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Deer stands of various types have been utilized throughout the prior art and exemplified in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,552,247; 4,625,831; and 4,840,252.
The prior art has heretofore failed to provide for an organization having a shelter structure arranged for ease of disassembly and mounting relative to an elevated platform and transported upon a self-supporting framework to elevate the platform in use and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A serial communication device includes: a data transfer unit configured to repeat storing a predetermined unit of data, received by a receiving unit, in a receiving buffer and transfer data to a storage unit when data of a predetermined size is accumulated in the receiving buffer; a counting unit configured to count one of the number of times the predetermined unit of data is stored and an amount of data accumulated; a monitoring unit configured to monitor a count value counted by the counting unit; and a data identifying unit configured to determine that a current interval is a non-communication interval during which a sending source does not send data if the count value remains unchanged for a predetermined time and identify first data, received after the determination of the non-communication interval, as beginning data of a sequence of data including a plurality of pieces of data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a serial communication device, a serial communication system, and a serial communication method that receive data via serial communication from a sending source.
2. Description of Related Art
As a serial communication device, the data transmission/reception device described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-150585 is known. This data transmission/reception device recognizes the boundary between the packets as follows. That is, when unit data is sequentially received via a serial communication line, the reception interval between each two pieces of unit data sometimes exceeds the reference time corresponding to a non-communication interval provided in the boundary between the packets. In such a case, the data transmission/reception device recognizes the reception interval as the boundary between the packets.
For example, in the case when the reception interrupt is generated each time one byte of data is received to notify the data reception, the end of a sequence of data can be detected when the reception interrupt is not received for a predetermine time. However, it is sometimes difficult to detect the end of a sequence of data in this method depending upon the frequency at which the reception interrupt is generated.

Serial communication device, serial communication system, and serial communication method


A liquid container for a liquid ejection apparatus includes: a case having a liquid containing portion in its interior; a supply portion which is formed on a first side wall of the case, and through which a liquid in the liquid containing portion can flow to an exterior; a contact portion, which can contact a part of a slider of the liquid ejection apparatus to move the slider in a direction in which the liquid container is inserted; and an engagement portion, which is configured to engage a lock portion of the slider. The contact portion and the engagement portion are formed on a second side wall of the case, the second side wall intersecting the first side wall.

The present invention relates to an ink cartridge attachment/detachment device that slides an ink cartridge horizontally to load it into the main body of a recording apparatus, and a recording apparatus comprising this attachment/detachment device. The present invention also relates to a liquid ejection apparatus, such as an ink jet recording apparatus, that discharges (ejects) a liquid, such as ink, from a recording head and records on (attaches the liquid to) recording material (an ejected liquid target material), and a liquid cartridge attachment/detachment device provided for the liquid ejection apparatus. The present invention further relates to a liquid container (liquid cartridge) including an ink cartridge.
In this case, such a liquid ejection apparatus includes not only a recording apparatus, such as a printer, a copier or a facsimile machine, that employs an ink jet recording head and that, by ejecting ink, records images on a recording material, but also an apparatus wherein, instead of ink, a liquid consonant with an intended purpose is ejected by a liquid ejection head, which corresponds to the recording head, onto an ejected liquid target material, which corresponds to recording material, and the liquid is attached to the ejected liquid target material, which corresponds to recording material, and the liquid is attached to the ejected liquid target material.
In addition to the recording head, the liquid ejection head can be a color material ejection head used for manufacturing a color filter for a liquid crystal display, an electrode material (conductive paste) ejection head used for forming an electrode for an organic EL display or a plane light-emitting display (FED), a bio-organic ejection head used for bio-chip manufacturing, or a sample ejection head used as a precision pipette.
An explanation will now be given for an ink jet printer as an example ink jet recording apparatus or an example liquid ejection apparatus. A comparatively large pressing force is required to load an ink cartridge into an ink jet printer. When separate ink cartridges are provided for individual colors, a pressing force of about 4.9 to 6.9 N is sufficient. However, for an ink cartridge unit of a single package type wherein ink cartridges for a plurality of colors are integrally formed, since a plurality of needles are provided, a very large pressing, which is plural times as large as 4.9 to 6.9 N, is required. Such a large pressing force can be exerted so long as the ink cartridge is loaded vertically; however, when the ink cartridge is to be slid in a direction other than the vertical direction during the loading process, an unnatural force is also imposed on the ink jet printer. Thus, the application of such a large pressing force is practically impossible.
Disclosed in patent document 1 is an ink cartridge attachment/detachment device that employs the principle of the lever to obtain a large pressing force. According to this device, the rotation of a cartridge attachment/detachment lever is transmitted to a link plate to enable the unlocking of a link lever and the loading of an ink cartridge into a holder. However, this device is one developed for the loading of ink cartridges for individual colors, and does not provide the large pressing force required to cope with an ink cartridge unit of a single package type wherein ink cartridges for a plurality of colors are integrally formed. Further, if a cartridge attachment/detachment lever and a link plate provided for each of the color ink cartridges, the number of parts would be increased, and accordingly, the costs for parts would be higher.
Further, a cartridge that is being loaded, or has been loaded, is always subjected to another force for returning the ink cartridge from a flow path member that is connected to the ink cartridge. Therefore, to maintain the loaded state, the pressing force for loading the ink cartridge must be greater than this other force. Otherwise, a gap would appear between the ink cartridge and the flow path member, and contact points provided for the ink cartridge and the flow path member would be shifted, making it impossible to detect the amount of ink remaining. Furthermore, a positional shifting of the contact points may also occur due to variances in the size tolerances for the parts. However, a configuration that will provide such a large pressing force and maintain a closed contact state is not disclosed in patent document 1.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-11-157094
To resolve these problems, it is one objective of the present invention to provide an ink cartridge attachment/detachment device wherein, even when an ink cartridge unit of a single package type, for which a plurality of color ink cartridges are integrally formed, is employed (i.e. even when an ink cartridge containing different types of ink therein is employed), very little power is required to produce and apply a large pressing force to securely load the ink cartridge, so that, while the ink cartridge can be easily removed, position shifting of the loaded ink cartridge does not occur, and to provide a recording apparatus comprising this attachment/detachment device.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a liquid container that can be easily fixed to a attachment/detachment device even when large pressing force is required for loading.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a liquid container that can be easily removed from a attachment/detachment device even when large pressing force is required for loading.

Ink cartridge attachment/detachment device, recording apparatus, liquid ejection apparatus, and liquid container