A cutting chain (100) moving in a cutting direction (120) is disclosed in the present invention. The cutting chain (100) includes a cutting link (106), which further includes a cutting portion (120), a depth gauge (118) and a space (122) between the cutting portion (120) and the depth gauge (118). The cutting chain (100) further includes a bumper drive link (104) which is pivotally connected to the cutting link (106) and immediately precedes the cutting link (106) in the cutting direction (124). The bumper drive link (104) further includes a tail (204) and a body (202). The tail (204) of the bumper drive link (104) further includes a bent portion (206) and a straight portion (208). Further, the bent portion (206) is oriented in a substantially perpendicular direction relative to a plane (P) of the body (202) of the bumper drive link (104). Moreover, the bent portion (206) of the tail (204) extends into the space (122) between the cutting portion (120) and the depth gauge (118) of the cutting link (106).

Chainsaws are well known in the art, which typically include a cutting chain that rides over a guide bar, a drive sprocket and a nose sprocket, the sprockets being located at two ends of the guide bar. The drive sprocket is driven by a drive shaft whereas the nose sprocket rotates idly. The cutting chain has multiple drive links that have tangs for engaging with the drive sprocket, thereby imparting a motion to the cutting chain. The tangs also extend into a peripheral channel of the guide bar, thereby securing the cutting chain in place during the motion. The drive links also include one or more rivet holes for connection with other components of the cutting chain, such as, cutting links and tie straps. A cutting link may include a cutting portion and an integrally formed depth gauge such that, during operation, the depth gauge leads the cutting portion and controls a depth of cut into a wood portion.
However, while traversing over the nose sprocket the depth gauges may not properly work to control the depth of cut, thereby resulting in a kickback. This is not desirable as it may lead to personal injuries, damage to the chainsaw and improper cutting. In the prior art, modifications in the shape of the drive link for kickback reduction and an improved cutting performance are disclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,637,192 issued on Dec. 29, 2009 and assigned to Blount, Inc. titled "Saw chain drive link with tail", discloses a drive link having an extended portion at a tail of the drive link. The extended portion at the tail extends into a space in the gullet region of the cutting link. However, this type of design may not affect the cutting characteristics as the depth gauge setting remains unchanged. Also, there are chances that chips and other debris might get stuck in between the cutting link and the extended portion of the drive link.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need for a design which would control the cutting characteristics reducing the kickback effects along with reduced need for maintenance.


An apparatus and method for terminating crosswires on a tension focus mask. The apparatus includes a busbar support rail aligned with a busbar attached by a set of spacers and busbar support clips, a termination assembly and a set of termination spring clips. The method includes aligning the busbar support rail with the busbar, attaching busbar support clips to the busbar, affixing spacers to a side of the busbar and then placing a termination strip along the side of the spacer. After all the elements have been aligned, crosswires are drawn across the top of the busbar and attached to the termination strip. An electrical adhesive is applied over the busbar top and allowed to cure. After the electrical adhesive cures, the crosswires between the busbar and the termination strip are cut so as to provide electrical isolation.

The invention generally relates to the application of crosswires to a tension focus mask for use in color picture tubes and, more particularly, a method and apparatus of terminating a crosswire to a busbar while maintaining tension on the focus mask.
A color picture tube includes an electron gun for forming and directing three electron beams to a screen of the tube. The screen is located on the inner surface of the faceplate of the tube and is made up of an array of elements of three different color-emitting phosphors. An aperture mask, which may be either a shadow mask or a tension mask, is interposed between the electron gun and the screen to permit each electron beam to strike only the phosphor elements associated with that beam. A shadow mask is a thin sheet of metal, such as steel, that is contoured to somewhat parallel the inner surface of the tube faceplate. A shadow mask may be either domed or tensioned. A type of tension mask, called a tension focus mask, comprises two sets of conductive elements that are perpendicular to each other and separated by an insulator. Two different voltages are applied to the two sets of elements to create quadropole focusing lenses in each of the mask opening, which form a focus mask. The mask openings are defined by the rectangular space between adjacent vertical lines and adjacent horizontal lines. Generally, in a tension focus mask, a vertical set of conductive lines or strands is under tension and a set of horizontal conductive elements sometimes known as crosswires overlies the strands.
In cathode ray tubes containing tension focus masks, the spatial integrity of the strands and crosswires is critical. The crosswires and strands must not move from their respective positions during tube operation or during the fabrication process of the mask assemblies, the matrix or the screening processes. Any such motion of the crosswires could impact the mask strands causing electron beams to misregister or phosphor to matrix misregister. It is therefore desirable that the mask structural elements, especially those used to terminate the crosswires, must be rigid.
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for attaching crosswires to a busbar in a tension focus mask. The apparatus includes a set of elements aligned next to each other and held together by a set of clips. The aligned elements include a busbar support rail that is placed adjacent to a glass busbar. The glass busbar is held against the busbar support rail by busbar clips. A spacer assembly is then added, and a termination strip is put against the spacer assembly. A set of termination strip clips hold the termination strip against the spacer and help to keep all of the elements together. After the elements are aligned and held together by the clips, crosswires from a tension mask are laid across the top of the busbar past the spacer assembly and onto the termination strip. The wires are affixed to the termination strip using a fast-curing adhesive or weld after which a non-structural electrical adhesive is laid across the top of the busbar adhering the crosswires to the top of the busbar. The assembly is then placed in an oven where the non-structural electrical adhesive dries or cures. After the oven cycle, the assembly is removed and allowed to cool after which the crosswires that attach to the termination strip are then removed to provide electrical isolation.

Apparatus and method for terminating crosswires on a tension focus mask


A hydrogen storage material having improved hydrogen absorbtion and desorption kinetics is provided by adding graphite to a complex hydride such as a metal-doped alanate, i.e., NaAlH4. The incorporation of graphite into the complex hydride significantly enhances the rate of hydrogen absorbtion and desorption and lowers the desorption temperature needed to release stored hydrogen.

Complex hydrides such as sodium aluminum hydrides (i.e., NaAlH4), like many other alanates of alkaline metals, are promising materials for hydrogen storage because of their relatively large capacity for storage of useful hydrogen. For example, NaAlH4 has a hydrogen storage capacity of 5.6 wt %. The main problem of these complex hydride materials, however, is their slow hydrogenation and dehydrogenation kinetics. In pure sodium alanates, dehydrogenation temperatures take place well above 200° C. despite the fact that the reactions as set forth below are thermodynamically favorable:3NaAlH4→Na3AlH6+2Al+3H2  (1)Na3AlH6→3NaH+Al+3/2H2  (2)
The strong catalyst behavior of Ti on NaAlH4 was first noticed using solution chemistry techniques, whereby nonaqueous solutions of NaAlH4 and either TiCl3 or Ti(OBun)4 catalyst precursors were decomposed to solid Ti-doped NaAlH4. This work was referenced in the publication by B. Bodanovic, and M. Schwickardi, J. Alloys Comp. 253 (1997) 1, and which is incorporated herein by reference.
The existence of some synergistic interaction between Ti and other metal catalysts such as Fe and Ni when doped in alanates is also known. Such interactions have been reported in the publications of B. Bogdanovic, R. A. Brand, A. Marjanovic, M. Schwickardi, and J. Tölle, J. Alloys Comp. 302 (2000) 36; R. A. Zidan, S. Takara, A. G. Hee C. M. Jensen, J Alloys Comp. 285 (1999) 119; and, C. M. Jensen, R. Zidan, N. Mariels, A. Hee, C. Hagen, Inter. J. Hydrogen Energy 24 (1999) 461; the above publications being incorporated herein by reference.
The Zidan et al publication referenced above also sets forth that a further lowering of the dehydrogenation temperature depends largely on the doping and homogenization procedures and also noted the important catalytic role of Zr. Today, there is general agreement that one of the main dynamic mechanisms controlling the adsorption/absorption and desorption of H2 is a diffusional one and thus the kinetic behavior of both processes depends largely on the characteristic particle size of the samples. Because of this, high intensity ball milling has become the most important if not the only procedure for preparing and doping alanates.
Another negative aspect of alanates is the strong deleterious effect that repeated cycles of hydrogen adsorption and desorption has on both kinetic performance and hydrogen capacity in these materials. The Bogdanovic et al. publication (J. Alloy Compd. 350 (2003) 246 and incorporated herein by reference) suggested that the latter resulted from an incomplete reaction between phases of Na3AlH6 and Al, which become isolated by regenerated NaAlH4 that is formed. The data in Bogdanovic et al convincingly demonstrated that adding small but proper amounts of Al metal to the alanates prior to ball milling solves the problem.
The development of catalyzed alanates having better performance kinetics has not progressed and is largely attributable to the limited techniques, such as ball milling, which are available. This lack of advancement in the field suggests the necessity for different approaches. One such approach is the utilization of graphites as additives to alanates.
By mechanisms that are not yet fully understood, it has recently been discovered that graphitic structures, such as fullerenes, diverse graphites and even carbon nanotubes, play, under certain conditions, an important role in improving the kinetics of dehydrogenation and reversibility of certain complex metal hydrides. As defined herein a "complex metal hydride" refers to AlH3-based hydrides such as NaAlH4 which readily liberate hydrogen at moderate temperatures on the order of about 100° C. to about 150° C. and which yields a dehydrogenated form of hydride which cannot easily be regenerated with hydrogen gas or which requires extreme conditions in order to rehydrate. Accordingly, complex metal hydrides should not be confused with metal, intermetallics, or alloyed hydrides such as but not limited to MgH2, LaNi5H6, or FeTiH1.2 respectively.
A series of studies have shown that Mg2Ni experiences marked desorption and capacity improvements when mixed and milled together with graphitic carbon. See the publications of S. Ruggeri, L. Roué, G. Liang, et al., J. Alloy Compd. 343 (2002) 170; C. Iwakura, H. Inoue, S. G. Zhang, et al., J. Alloy Compd. 293-295 (1999) 653; and S. Bouaricha, J. P. Dodelet, D. Guay, et al., J. Alloy Compd. 325 (2001) 245, which publications are incorporated herein by reference. Zaluska et al. has investigated the role of carbon on alanates and demonstrated that carbon improves the dehydrogenation and hydrogenation kinetics of sodium analates as seen in the publication A. Zaluska, L. Zaluski, and J. O. Ström-Olsen, J. Alloy Compd. 298 (2000) 125 which is incorporated herein by reference. However, results of this work indicate that graphite does not improve the kinetics. In addition, no study has yet investigated the effects of carbon, including graphite, activated carbon, or even carbon nanotubes, upon samples of Ti-doped NaAlH4 or other catalyst dopant.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,680,042, assigned to Hydro-Quebec, discusses the use of graphite along with various liquid hydrocarbons which are beneficial for overcoming an oxide coating on the surface of a hydrogen storage material. In the case of magnesium metal, the presence of graphite reduces the time required to prepare a hydride when the hydride is subjected to intense mechanical grinding under hydrogen pressure and at high temperatures. The reference does not report any improvements in desorption kinetics for materials prepared with graphite nor does the reference discuss the use of titanium doped NaAlH4 materials.
Accordingly, there remains room for improvement and variation within the art.

Hydrogen storage material and process using graphite additive with metal-doped complex hydrides


A foldable table may include a table top and legs that are movable between an extended position and a collapsed position. The table top may include a first section and a second section that are connected by a hinge assembly. A locking member may be sized and configured to lock the hinge assembly in a fixed position. Advantageously, moving the legs between the extended and collapsed positions may cause the locking mechanism to move between the locked and unlocked positions. Thus, when the legs are in the extended position and the locking mechanism is in the locked position, the table top may be secured in the unfolded position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to furniture and, in particular, to tables that are capable of being folded and unfolded.
2. Description of Related Art
Many types of tables are well known and used for a variety of different purposes. For example, conventional tables may include legs that are pivotally attached to a table top and the legs may be movable between a use position in which the legs extend outwardly from the table top and a storage position in which the legs are folded against an underneath portion of the table top. Conventional tables with relatively large table tops and folding legs are often referred to as "banquet tables" and these types of tables are frequently used in assembly halls, banquet halls, convention centers, hotels, schools, churches and other locations where large groups of people meet. When the tables are no longer needed, the table legs can be moved into the storage position and the tables may be moved or stored.
The table top for many conventional banquet tables may retain its relatively large size and shape. For example, many known banquet tables have a length between six and ten feet and a width between three and four feet. As a result, many conventional banquet tables require a large storage area even when the legs are in the collapsed position. This large storage area may be especially problematic for larger facilities such as hotels, schools and churches because a considerable number of these tables may have to be stored. Thus, a significant amount of storage space may be required. In addition, smaller facilities such as restaurants, offices and homes may use one or more conventional banquet tables. These smaller facilities may use the tables less frequently, such as during special occasions and events. Conventional banquet tables, even when the legs are folded, are often too bulky and awkward to be conveniently stored at such smaller facilities. As a result, it is often necessary for both larger and smaller facilities to rent and/or borrow banquet tables when needed. Disadvantageously, renting and/or borrowing banquet tables can be inconvenient, time consuming and costly.
Conventional banquet tables are often difficult to move or transport from one location to another. For example, because of the length of many conventional banquet tables, it may be problematic for a single person to move the table. In addition, the extended length may preclude many banquet tables from being transported in the trunk or back seat of a typical passenger car. Accordingly, conventional banquet tables may have to be transported by a truck, trailer or oversized vehicle such as a sports utility vehicle. These and other factors may make conventional banquet tables time consuming and expensive to move.
It is also known to construct tables that are capable of being folded in half. In particular, many conventional fold-in-half tables include a table top with two sections pivotally connected by hinges. The sections usually have the same size and shape, and the hinges are typically located at the center of the table top. The sections of the table top may be moved between an unfolded or use position in which the sections of the table top are generally aligned in the same plane and a folded or collapsed position in which the sections are positioned generally adjacent to each other for storage.
Disadvantageously, many conventional fold-in-half tables are unable to support a significant amount of weight. For example, the connection between the sections of the table top for many known fold-in-half tables is relatively weak, which may allow a portion of the table top to undesirably sag or slump. Additionally, the connection between the sections may be relatively frail and may break if a significant load or force is applied to the table top. In order to construct a stronger table, it is known to make the table top sections out of stronger and thicker materials. This may increase the weight of the table top, which may make the table more difficult to manufacture, ship, carry and move.
An additional shortcoming of many conventional fold-in-half tables is the tables may be relatively difficult and time consuming to use. For example, multiple steps may be required to set up and take down conventional fold-in-half tables. In particular, a conventional folding table may have to be unfolded, first and second leg assemblies moved from collapsed to extended positions, a first locking ring moved into a locked position to secure the first leg assembly in a locked position, a second locking ring moved into a locked position to secure the second leg assembly in a locked position, and then a sliding bolt may be used to lock the table top in the use or unfolded position. Thus, numerous steps may be required before the table can be used. In addition, many of the same steps may be required to fold or store the table. For instance, the sliding bolt may have to be manually unlocked and the locking rings moved from the locked to the unlocked positions. The first and second leg assemblies may then be moved from the extended to the collapsed positions and the table top may be folded into the collapsed position. Therefore, a number of steps may be required each time the table is desired to be used, moved and/or stored.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A spool valve is movably provided in a valve sliding space of a valve casing. The spool valve has a through-hole formed in the inside thereof, and a communication port formed in the spool valve is operatively communicated with a fluid port for controlling an opening area of the fluid port by moving within the valve sliding space. Multiple circular oil grooves are formed at an outer peripheral surface of the spool valve, into which high pressure fluid is supplied so that the spool valve can be smoothly moved in the valve sliding space.

In a common rail fuel injection system conventionally known as a fuel injection system for a diesel engine, a high pressure fuel is accumulated in a common rail, and the high pressure fuel accumulated in the common rail is injected into combustion chambers of respective cylinders of the engine, through multiple injectors provided at the respective cylinders of the engine, at a predetermined timing. The high pressure fuel is supplied into the common rail from a fuel supply pump through a high pressure fuel pipe, wherein the fuel supply pump pressurizes fuel fed into a pressurizing chamber through an electromagnetic valve, because it is necessary to always accumulate in the common rail the high pressure fuel corresponding to a fuel injection pressure.
A fuel discharge amount discharged from the fuel supply pump is controlled by adjusting an opening area of a fuel suction passage communicating the feed pump with the pressurizing chamber through a suction valve, wherein fuel suction amount of the fuel flowing from the feed pump into the pressurizing chamber is adjusted by a pump driving current to a solenoid coil of the electromagnetic valve. An electromagnetic valve for the above purpose is proposed (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-106740), in which an electromagnetic type suction fuel amount adjusting valve comprises; a spool valve having a function of a valve body for adjusting an opening area of fluid passage by moving in a valve sliding space and having a function of an armature for forming a magnetic circuit; and a valve casing having a function of a cylinder for movably accommodating the spool valve and having a function of a stator for forming the magnetic circuit.
In the electromagnetic type suction fuel amount adjusting valve disclosed in the above Japanese Patent publication, however, a centering of the spool valve in the valve sliding space of the valve casing can not be easily achieved due to a difference in a magnetic force, which is caused by a deviation of a clearance formed between an outer peripheral surface of a sliding portion of the spool valve and an inner surface of the valve sliding space of the valve casing. Then, the outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion of the spool valve is pressed against the inner surface of the valve sliding space of the valve casing, and thereby a lubricating performance is deteriorated between the outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion of the spool valve and the inner surface of the valve sliding space of the valve casing. As a result, the sliding portion of the spool valve may be stuck to the inner surface of the valve sliding space, and it may cause a problem of a decrease of durability. In the above method, in which the spool valve is moved relative to the fluid port of the valve casing to adjust the fuel flow amount, since the spool valve is slowly moved to control the opening area of the fluid passage of the fluid port, a sliding speed of the spool valve with respect to the fluid port of the valve casing is extremely low, it would become difficult to form an oil film between the outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion of the spool valve and the inner surface of the valve sliding space of the valve casing. The lubricating performance is thereby further deteriorated.
Accordingly, the sliding portion of the spool valve can not be smoothly moved with respect to the fluid port of the valve casing, when the pump driving current is applied to the solenoid coil of the electromagnetic type fuel suction amount adjusting valve and the armature of the spool valve is attracted toward an attracting portion of the stator of the valve casing. For example, an adjusting performance for fuel flow amount is deteriorated, as a result that response of the electromagnetic valve is deteriorated with respect to a pedal stroke of an acceleration pedal operated by a vehicle driver. Accordingly, a fuel suction amount of the fuel flowing from the feed pump into the pressurizing chamber may not quickly reach at a target amount, a time period during which the fuel amount discharged from the fuel supply pump reaches at a target amount would become longer, and a fuel pressure in the common rail can not quickly reach at a target fuel pressure as the vehicle driver desired. As a consequence, a delay of increasing an engine rotational speed may occur due to a delay of increase in the fuel injection amount, with respect to a change of the pedal stroke of the acceleration pedal operated by the vehicle driver. As above, a problem has occurred, in which an engine performance, such as an acceleration response and so on, is decreased.
In another prior art flow control valve for a common rail fuel injection system, for example, as discloses in Japanese (PCT) Patent Publication No. 2005-530568, the flow control valve adjusts an opening area of a fuel suction passage communicating a low pressure pump (a feed pump) with a high pressure pump (a supply pump), by controlling a magnetomotive force at a solenoid coil and thereby a relative position of a spool valve to a valve casing.
In the flow control valve disclosed in the above Japanese (PCT) Patent Publication, however, a lower side of an outer surface of the spool valve is always kept in contact with the valve casing due to gravity, and a partial wear may be caused because the spool valve is moved to slide in the valve casing with such a condition. Furthermore, a gap between the spool valve and the valve casing becomes smaller at a surrounding area of the contact portion between the spool valve and the valve casing, and thereby a larger magnetomotive force of the solenoid coil is applied to increase the contacting force, so that the partial wear is facilitated.
According to microscopic observation, streaked vestiges of wear are formed in the spool valve and the valve casing in a sliding direction of the spool valve, due to the wear. A contacting area is further increased between the spool valve and the valve casing, and frictional force is increased. This frictional force breaks a balance between the spring force and the magnetomotive force of the solenoid coil, to thereby cause a bad operation (a bad sliding movement) of the spool valve, to deteriorate controllability of fuel pressure in the common rail, and to cause a variation of fuel injection amount. Furthermore, it may increase harmful exhaust gas, deteriorate drivability, increase engine noise, and so on.
The electromagnetic valve disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-106740, as described above, comprises the valve casing having the valve sliding space straightly extending in the axial direction, and the cylindrical spool valve movable in the valve sliding space of the valve casing in the axial direction to control a communication condition between an outlet port and a communication port. A through-hole penetrates through an inside of the spool valve. A spring space is formed, to accommodate a spring, in the valve casing at one side of the spool valve in the axial direction for biasing the spool valve in its valve closing direction. The spring space is communicated with an inlet port of the valve casing through the through-hole.
In the above electromagnetic fuel suction amount control valve, however, fuel is supplied into the through-hole of the spool valve from the inlet port of the valve casing, and the fuel supplied into the outlet port of the valve casing through a flow amount adjusting groove. And the fuel in the spring space mostly stays in the spring space. When a foreign material flowing into the electromagnetic fuel suction amount control valve together with the fuel, or wear-out powder generated by sliding movement between a sliding surface of the spool valve and a sliding surface of the valve casing flows into the spring space, they stay in the spring space. Therefore, it may cause a problem that the foreign material or the wear-out powder may not easily flow out from the spring space.
A flow amount control portion is formed to control fuel flow amount by changing the opening area of the flow passage of the outlet port, when the spool valve is moved in its axial direction within the valve sliding space of the valve casing. For that purpose, a minimum gap, which is necessary in order that the spool valve is moved in its axial direction within the valve sliding space of the valve casing, is formed between the sliding surface of the spool valve and the sliding surface of the valve casing. Then, the foreign materials or the wear-out powder staying in the spring space may flow into the gap along with the axial movement of the spool valve, to break into the gap between the sliding surface of the spool valve and the sliding surface of the valve casing. A sliding resistance of the spool valve with respect to the sliding surface of the valve casing may be increased. As a result, a sliding performance of the spool valve is deteriorated and may cause a problem of a bad sliding movement of the spool valve. In the case that such bad sliding movement has occurred, a control characteristic of a pump discharge amount is deteriorated with respect to a value of a pump driving current to the solenoid coil of the flow control valve, and finally it may cause a problem of a decrease of an engine output.


An array substrate and a display including the array substrate, the array substrate includes a substrate (1); a pixel structural layer formed on the substrate (1); and a wiregrid layer (6) located between the substrate (1) and the pixel structural layer. The wiregrid layer (6) includes a plurality of light blocking bars (4) arranged in parallel. With the wiregrid layer (6) formed of light blocking bars (4), an occurrence of light leak due to a stress generated by the substrate (1) can be avoided.

FIG. 1 illustrates an array substrate of ADvanced Super Dimension Switch (ADS) mode. The array substrate comprises a substrate 1, a pixel structural layer (only a common electrode 3 at the bottom is shown) and a lower polarizer 5 located beneath the substrate.
During it is used, since the substrate 1 will generate a stress, the lower polarizer 5 will deform to generate a phase difference which may result in an occurrence of light leak.


A timepiece component for a timepiece movement and notably a pivot arbor of a regulating member of a mechanical timepiece movement, made of an alloy containing by weight: between 25% and 55% of palladium, between 25% and 55% of silver, between 10% and 30% of copper, between 0.5% and 5% of zinc, gold and platinum with a total percentage of these two elements comprised between 15% and 25%, between 0% and 1% of one or more elements chosen from among boron and nickel, between 0% and 3% of one or more elements chosen from among rhenium and ruthenium, no more than 0.1% of one or more elements chosen from among iridium, osmium and rhodium, and no more than 0.2% of other impurities, the respective quantities of the components being such that, added together, they do not exceed 100%.

The manufacture of a timepiece component comprising at least one part taking the form of a turned piece, such as a timepiece pivot arbor, consists in performing chip removal machining operations, such as profile turning, on a hardenable steel bar to define various active surfaces (bearing surface, shoulder, pivots, etc.) and then subjecting the profile-turned arbor to heat treatments including at least one hardening operation to improve the hardness of said component and one or more tempering operations to improve its tenacity. In the case of pivot arbors, the heat treatment operations can be followed by an operation of rolling the pivots of the arbors, which consists in polishing the pivots to the required dimensions. Both the hardness and roughness of the pivots are further improved during the rolling operation. It will be noted that this rolling operation is very difficult or even impossible to achieve with most materials of low hardness, i.e. less than 600 HV.
The pivot arbors, for example the balance staffs, conventionally used in mechanical timepiece movements are made of steel grades for profile turning which are generally martensitic carbon steels containing lead and manganese sulphides to improve their machinability. A known steel of this type, named 20AP, is typically used for these applications.
This type of material has the advantage of being easy to machine, in particular of being suitable for profile turning and, after hardening and tempering, has superior mechanical properties which are very advantageous for making timepiece pivot arbors. These steels have, in particular, high wear resistance and hardness after heat treatment. Typically, the hardness of arbor pivots made of 20AP steel can reach a hardness of more than 700 HV after heat treatment and rolling.
Although providing satisfactory mechanical properties for the horological applications described above, this type of material has the drawback of being magnetic and capable of interfering with the working of a watch after being subjected to a magnetic field, particularly when the material is used to make a balance staff cooperating with a balance spring made of ferromagnetic material. This phenomenon is well known to those skilled in the art. It will also be noted that these martensitic steels are also sensitive to corrosion.
Attempts have been made to try to overcome these drawbacks with austenitic stainless steels, which have the peculiarity of being non-magnetic, i.e. paramagnetic, or diamagnetic or antiferromagnetic. However, these austenitic steels have a crystallographic structure, which means that they cannot be hardened or achieve levels of hardness and thus of wear resistance compatible with the requirements necessary for making timepiece pivot arbors. One means of increasing the hardness of these steels is cold-working, however this hardening operation cannot achieve hardnesses of more than 500 HV. Consequently, for parts requiring high resistance to wear due to friction and requiring pivots which have little or no risk of deformation, the use of this type of steel remains limited.
There is also known from CH Patent Application 714594 pivot arbors made of alloys based on palladium, silver and copper, possibly alloyed with up to 2% of one or more elements chosen from among rhenium, ruthenium, gold or platinum. However, such alloys are sensitive to corrosion, tarnishing and consequently have limited wear resistance.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a timepiece component, notably a timepiece pivot arbor and more particularly a pivot arbor of a regulating member of a timepiece movement which both limits sensitivity to magnetic fields and can achieve improved hardness compatible with the wear and shock resistance requirements of the watchmaking industry.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a non-magnetic timepiece component having improved corrosion resistance.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a non-magnetic timepiece component which can be manufactured simply and economically.
To this end, the invention relates to a timepiece component for a timepiece movement including at least one part machined by chip removal, and notably to a pivot arbor of a regulating member of a mechanical timepiece movement made from an alloy containing (or consisting of) by weight:    between 25% and 55% of palladium,    between 25% and 55% of silver,    between 10% and 30% of copper,    between 0.5% and 5% of zinc, gold and platinum with a total percentage of these two elements comprised between 5% and 25%,    between 0% and 1% of one or more elements chosen from among boron and nickel,    between 0% and 3% of one or more elements chosen from among rhenium and ruthenium,    no more than 0.1% of one or more elements chosen from among iridium, osmium and rhodium, and    no more than 0.2% of other impurities, the respective quantities of the components being such that, together, they add up to 100%.
Such a timepiece component makes it possible to combine advantages such as low sensitivity to magnetic fields, hardness, and good corrosion resistance, while still maintaining good general tenacity. Moreover, the use of a non-magnetic alloy as defined above is advantageous given that the latter has good machinability. Furthermore, owing to the selected proportion of rhenium, ruthenium, gold and/or platinum, the component is given self-lubricating properties which are particularly advantageous for the production of timepiece arbors. Indeed, the sum of these elements, which is greater than or equal to 15% by weight, makes it possible to improve resistance to oxidation, which results in improved wear resistance of the part of the component in friction with another component, particularly dry friction. In particular, better wear resistance is observed of the pivots of the timepiece arbor typically in friction with the ruby in a bearing.
Advantageously, the alloy contains by weight:    between 30% and 40% of palladium,    between 25% and 35% of silver,    between 10% and 18% of copper,    between 0.5% and 1.5% of zinc, gold and platinum with a total percentage of these two elements comprised between 16% and 24%, and more preferably between 8 and 12% of gold and 8 and 12% of platinum with a total percentage of rhenium and ruthenium comprised between 0 and 6% by weight.
According to a preferred embodiment, the alloy of the invention contains by weight 35% of palladium, 30% of silver, 14% of copper, 10% of gold, 10% of platinum and 1% of zinc.
It is possible to improve the hardness of at least the part machined by chip removal.
According to a first variant, at least the part machined by chip removal is heat treated by a precipitation type treatment, i.e. a treatment allowing the controlled release of components to form precipitated aggregates (structural hardening), such a treatment makes it possible to achieve hardnesses on the order of 290 HV.
According to another variant, at least the part machined by chip removal undergoes a mechanical rolling treatment followed by a structural hardening heat treatment; such a treatment makes it possible to achieve hardnesses on the order of 370 HV.
According to yet another variant, at least the part machined by chip removal includes a hardening layer deposited on an outer surface of said part.
Finally, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing a timepiece component for a timepiece movement comprising at least one part machined by chip removal and, in particular, to a pivot arbor of a regulating member of a mechanical timepiece movement, the method comprising the following steps:
a) taking an element machinable by chip removal, said element being made of a non-magnetic alloy containing by weight: between 25% and 55% of palladium, between 25% and 55% of silver, between 10% and 30% of copper, between 0.5% and 5% of zinc, gold and platinum with a total percentage of these two elements comprised between 15% and 25%, between 0% and 1% of one or more elements chosen from among boron and nickel, between 0% and 3% of one or more elements chosen from among rhenium and ruthenium, at most 0.1% of one or more elements chosen from among iridium, osmium and rhodium, and at most 0.2% of other impurities, the respective quantities of the components being such that, together, they add up to 100%
b) chip removal machining said timepiece component to form at least the part of said timepiece component that is machined by chip removal and made of said non-magnetic alloy.
To improve the hardness of at least the part machined by chip removal, the method of the invention may include, according to a variant, a step e) of depositing a hardening layer on at least an outer surface of said part machined by chip removal.
Alternatively, and as mentioned above, the method of the invention can include a structural hardening treatment step of the chip removal machinable element, typically an element in the form of a bar, or a structural hardening treatment of the timepiece component produced by the machining process.
According to yet another alternative, the method of the invention can include a step of mechanical cold-working of the chip removal machinable element, typically an element in the form of a bar, followed by a step of structural hardening of this machinable element or a structural hardening of the timepiece component produced by the machining of the cold-worked machinable element.


A proton conductor gas sensor whose durability at high temperature is enhanced by using gel not converted to sol even at high temperature in a water reservoir. Fine particles of silica are gelled by adding water thereto and agitating the mixture under shear force. The thus obtained gel (34) is placed in a water reservoir of proton conductor gas sensor (2) and fed through steam introduction port (30) to MEA (10).

Document 1Unexamined Japanese patent 2000-146908 (U.S. Pat.No. 6200443)Document 2U.S. Pat. No. 5650,054Document 3U.S. Pat. No. 4820,386Document 4Unexamined Japanese patent 2002-350393
Documents 1 through 3 disclose structures of proton conductor gas sensors having water reservoirs. In document 1, a sensing electrode and a counter electrode are provided on both sides of a proton conductive membrane to form a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), and the MEA is sandwiched with hydrophobic and porous electro-conductive carbon sheets. The upper and lower carbon sheets are interposed by a pair of metal plates having openings, and they are fixed in a metal can with a water reservoir. Water vapor from the water reservoir moves through the opening of the lower metal plate and, via the hydrophobic carbon sheet, reaches the counter electrode. The ambient atmosphere diffuses through the opening of the upper metal plate to the sensing electrode. Thus, necessary electrode reactions take place at both the sensing electrode and the counter electrode, and the electromotive force, the current value, etc. enable the detection of a gas in the ambient atmosphere.
If liquid water, however, is contained in the water reservoir, for example, with a sudden rise in the water reservoir temperature, the air in the water reservoir swells to extrude water. A countermeasure against this is to gelate water as taught in document 3. If a water absorbing polymer such as polyacrylic one is used for the reservoir, it may contaminate the MEA because it contains metal ions such as Na+. Hence the present inventors considered using a natural polymer as a gelling agent but found that such a gel is solated at elevated temperature to affect the sensor output. Accordingly, a gel having a low content of metal ions and not being solated at elevated temperature is required. Moreover, to extend the service life of the water reservoir, a gelling agent that can hold a large amount of water is desirable.
In document 2 a lower part of a metal can is used as a water reservoir, a washer is arranged above the lower part of the metal can, an MEA is placed on the washer, and a cap is arranged on the upper side of the MEA. As a result, the metal can is connected to the counter electrode, and the cap is connected to the sensing electrode.


A rain gauge and methods of tilt time calibration and flow rate calibration. The rain gauge comprises a pair of buckets separated by a darn rotatably attached to a base. A threaded balance weight is used to calibrate the rain gauge to equalize the tilt times of the buckets. A pendulum weight turns on a threaded stud attached to a frame is used to calibrate the rain gauge for different flow rates of water reflecting rainfall intensities from 2 in/hr to 12 in/hr. The buckets' outflow is directed into graduated cylinders, which may also be used during calibration. A pair of uprights support a funnel platform having a funnel platform aperture. The funnel platform aperture is sized to precisely hold a funnel in position relative to the bucket assembly, thereby permitting different buckets to be used without having to re-calibrate the rain gauge. A cover having at least one cover aperture is provided which permits visually checking the operation of the rain gauge without having to remove the cover.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rain gauges, and in particular to a precise rain gauge and methods of calibration.
2. Background of the Invention
Rain gauges are instruments used to measure the amount of rain that falls in a certain place or region during a given period of time. This measurement function is important, because the resultant data may be used to determine the amount of extra irrigation required by crops, to forecast rainfall trends to help plan what specific types of crops to plant, as well as to aid in designing storm-water handling systems and flood control, etc.
3. Existing Designs
A simple rain gauge may comprise a funnel whose output flows into a graduated cylinder with markings calibrated to yield a reading of how many inches of rain have fallen. A more sophisticated design which provides greater accuracy is the tipping buckets design. A tipping bucket rain gauge incorporates a pair of tipping buckets adjacent to each other. The buckets are separated by a dam. In operation, the output of a funnel fills the first bucket. When the first bucket is filled to a pre-determined amount of water--typically 8.238 milliliters (ml) which is equivalent to 0.01 inch (in) of rain--the bucket pair tips, and the second bucket commences to receive the funnel output. The tip is sensed by a hull switch, and recorded by a counter. Total inches rainfall over a period of time equals the number of tips multiplied by 0.01 in.
It is important that the time required to tip the first bucket be as close as possible to the time required to tip the second bucket, given the same rainfall rate. Any variation between tip times of the two buckets contributes to gauge inaccuracy, because water will fall into one bucket longer than into the other. This contributes to a small error with each tip, which can cause an appreciable cumulative error over time. Within the current state of the art, presently available rain gauges are capable of tip time calibration which brings the tip times of the buckets to with 3 seconds (secs) of each other. This time difference contributes to an appreciable cumulative rainfall measurement error over time.
Another problem associated with current tipping bucket rain gauge designs is the inability to accurately calibrate them for different rain intensities. Most commercially available designs are delivered with a set flow rate calibration, typically in the 2-6 inches/hour (in/hr) area. The only method disclosed by the manufacturers to change this calibration is to replace the buckets with different sized buckets.
If the rain were to increase in intensity, for example to 12 in/hr, the momentum of the heavy rainfall imparted to the bucket into which the rainfall were falling would cause pre-mature tipping, resulting under-measurement of the actual rainfall. The instructions for use of currently available rain gauges requires replacement of the buckets with larger ones to accommodate heavier rainfalls flow rates. No method of calibration is currently taught which permits flow rate calibration of a rain gauge without replacing the buckets.
A further problem associated with presently available rain gauges is the lack of a firm funnel mount above the buckets. This deficiency renders funnel replacement cumbersome and difficult, because the rain gauge must be re-calibrated with every funnel replacement, because the replacement funnel output is frequently in a deferent position compared to its predecessor.
Finally, currently available rain gauges incorporate opaque covers which render the inner workings invisible. This visual obstruction makes visual monitoring of the rain gauge operation impossible without removing the entire cover.

Precise rain gauge and methods of calibration


An document image that is the source of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) output is displayed so that a user can select a region of the displayed document image. When the region is selected, text of the OCR output corresponding to the selected region is submitted as an input to a search engine.

The volume of documents in computer databases is rapidly expanding. In spite of this expansion, paper documents are still in wide use. As a result, it is generally useful to be able to convert the paper documents into a form that a computer may use to store or otherwise process the documents. A typical technique for this conversion process is to create a "document image," which is typically a bitmap representation of the paper document. This bitmap representation is in digital form. In particular, a bitmap representation is a matrix of digital values wherein each value represents black-and-white, grey scale, or color pixels arranged to form an image of the document. A computer converts the digital values into pixels that are displayed for a user on a display unit, such as a computer monitor. The combined effect of the pixels is to create a document image which is read by the user from the computer monitor.
Although a document image is an appropriate form for representing most, if not all, of the information on a paper document, e.g., words and pictures, this form is not generally appropriate for a computer to perform textual operations. An example of a textual operation is searching for documents that match certain terms or keywords of a query input by a user. A representation for a document which is more conducive for computer-implemented textual operations is a text code. In a text code, each letter of the document is encoded as an entity in a standard encoding format, e.g. ASCII. Since each letter is separately encoded, a search engine, for example, can efficiently examine the textual content of a document and determine whether the document matches a query.
The problem with a text code is that it does not represent non-alphabetic and non-numeric images, such as pictures, in the document. Generally, when a document is converted into a form for use with a computer, it is desirable that both text operations and image display can be performed on the document. Accordingly, some computer systems maintain both a document image and document text for each document stored in the system. The document text is used for textual operations, such as searching a database of document texts for search terms, but the corresponding document image of a matching document is displayed to the user, so that graphical information contained in the matching document is presented to the user as well as the textual information.
A disadvantage of conventional computer systems is apparent when a user wishes to submit a query for a search, using terms or keywords found in the matched document. In these computer systems, the user has to type in the terms or display the document text for selecting the new search terms, at a considerable cost in time and effort. More importantly, these systems do not lend themselves to automated search systems having queries generated from the text of the matched document.

Apparatus and methodology for submitting search queries


An address detection transition circuit provides an address transition detection pulse in response to either a high-to-low or a low-to-high external address input logic transition. The address transition detection circuit includes an address input buffer that responds to the external address input by providing first and second complimentary signals at first and second address input buffer output nodes, respectively. A first delay chain connected between the first address input buffer output node and the buffer output node responds to a high-to-low external address input logic transition by providing a logic high signal at the buffer output node. Similarly, a second delay chain connected between the second address input buffer output node and the buffer output node responds to a low-to-high external address input logic transition by providing a logic high signal at the buffer output node. A pull-down device responds to a logic high signal at the buffer output node by generating a logic low address transition detection pulse at the address transition detection node. A feedback controlled network connected to the address transition detection node controls the pulse width of the address transition detection pulse.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to memory circuits and, in particular, to a circuit capable of extremely high speed detection of an external address transition and generation of an address transition detection pulse while minimizing capacitive loading on the address buffer elements.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
High speed memory circuits require the generation of a pulse upon detection of an external address transition. The address transition detection (ADT) pulse is utilized for deselecting and selecting memory cells, equalizing critical nodes within the memory, initiating data sensing in the memory storage elements and ultimately providing extremely fast access to the addressed data. Thus, the access time of a memory chip is a direct function of the delay between the occurrence of an address transition and the generation of the address transition detection pulse.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional address buffer and address transition detection (ATD) circuit that utilizes a pair of delay chains to feed a NOR gate network. The NOR gate network provides an output which, after propagation through a final delay stage, serves as an address transition detection pulse ATD0 for a memory array.
As further shown in FIG. 1, the address transition detection pulse ATD0 is provided to an n-channel pull-down transistor the drain of which is connected to a common address transition detection node for all address buffers in the array. A p-channel pull-up device returns the common node to logic high at the end of the address transition detection pulse.

High-speed address transition detection circuit


Managing the loading of third-party tools on a website is described. Configuration is received for loading the third-party tools. An intermediary server receives a request for a page that is hosted at an origin server. The intermediary server retrieves the page and modifies the page including automatically including a third-party tool manager to the retrieved page. The third-party tool manager includes a set of one or more client-side scripts that, when executed by the client network application, collects and transmits information to the intermediary server for loading the third-party tools. The intermediary server loads the third-party tools based on the received information and the configuration. The intermediary server causes event data to be transmitted to third-party tool servers that correspond with the third-party tools.

Websites commonly include third-party tools such as analytics tools, conversion pixels, chat widgets, maps, etc. Tag managers exist that are used to load and manage such third-party tools. A tag manager may include a dashboard that allows a user to configure which tools load and when. An example configuration may be that a first tool loads on pages starting with "/support" and a second tool loads on pages starting with "/store". This configuration is put in a script file (e.g., JavaScript) that is loaded by browsers when visiting that website.
This script file includes all tools and rules and evaluates each rule to determine which tool to execute when. Typically, the script tags of these tools are appended to the DOM of the page which causes the browser to fetch and execute the scripts. Many scripts of third-party tools in turn call one or more other scripts. These scripts commonly collect information and transmit that information to an endpoint on a third-party server.
It is common for websites to have multiple third-party tools running. These tools each query for the information they want and send their collected information to the third-party server. The website can experience a slowdown when many of these tools are running. Further, since most third-party tools ask for remote JavaScript resources, it is difficult for a website operator to keep track of what is being included on their website, and many of these tools call other third-party resources, or redirect HTTP requests to other endpoints. Running third-party scripts exposes a security risk if one of those third-party scripts contains malicious code.

Loading and managing third-party tools on a website


Various implementations described herein are directed to a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, may cause the computer to receive a location, a date, a wind direction, a water temperature, a species, or combinations thereof. The computer may use the location, date, wind direction, water temperature, species, or combinations thereof to retrieve fishing data. The computer may analyze the retrieved fishing data to determine one or more suggested fishing locations.

This section is intended to provide background information to facilitate a better understanding of various technologies described herein. As the section's title implies, this is a discussion of related art. That such art is related in no way implies that it is prior art. The related art may or may not be prior art. It should therefore be understood that the statements in this section are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Before and during a fishing trip, finding a good a location to fish may be a time consuming process for a fisherman. When determining where to fish, fisherman may consider a number of factors, such as past performance and present conditions. Fisherman often keep detailed logs of fishing performance and consult these logs when determining a location to fish. This process is time consuming, and may not effectively consider all of the available data.


There are disclosed processes and systems relating to protocol stacks. The protocol stack may be run entirely in a single memory space. There may be a communal memory region available to certain layers of the protocol stack. The layers of the protocol stack may form condensed versions of data and headers, and data units may be formed by hardware within the device when needed. After transmission, data units may be immediately deleted but recreated if needed for retransmission.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protocol stacks.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a packet switched network, a message to be sent is divided into packets of fixed or variable length. The packets are then sent individually over the network through multiple switches or nodes and then reassembled at a final destination before being delivered to a target device or end user. To ensure proper transmission and re-assembly of the packets at the receiving end, various control data, such as sequence and verification information, is typically appended to each packet in the form of a packet header. At the receiving end, the packets are then reassembled and the message is passed to the end user in a format compatible with the user's equipment.
Most packet switched networks operate according to a set of established protocol layers, collectively defining a protocol stack. The protocol stack is a plurality of interfaced layers. These layers may be defined according to the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) model, having seven layers (from top to bottom): application, presentation, session, transport, network, data-link and physical. All but the physical layer are typically software, though the network and data-link layer may be firmware and/or hardware. Each layer of the protocol stack exists to perform a specific function, such as addressing, routing, framing and physical transmission of packets. When a packet is to be transmitted over a network from a source system to a destination system, the packet will pass in a logically downward direction through layers of the protocol stack on the source system, and in a logically upward direction through corresponding layers of the protocol stack on the destination system. Each layer passes the packet to the adjacent layer, either up or down the protocol stack depending on whether the packet has been received or is being transmitted.
Each layer of the protocol stack in the transmitting process may add a respective header to the packet, which provides information to the corresponding layer in a receiving process. Thus, as a packet passes down through the protocol stack on a transmitting system, the packet may gain an additional header at each layer. At the bottom of the stack, the transmitting process may then frame the packet and physically transmit it over the network toward its destination. When the packet reaches its destination, the packet will then pass up through the protocol stack of the destination system. Each layer of the protocol stack in the destination system may obtain useful information from its associated header and will strip its header from the packet before passing the packet up to the next layer for processing. At the top of the protocol stack, the application layer typically receives a byte stream from the layer below it, not individual packets. The byte stream may consist of data that consists of a partial packet or data that covers more than one packet. This is very convenient for the application but may impair performance.
The layers at the top of a protocol stack are typically designed to provide end-to-end communication between source and destination machines on the network. For instance, the top layers may provide packet sequence information and encryption. Lower layers of the stack, on the other hand, often provide information to facilitate communication between immediately adjacent machines in the network. For instance, the lower layers in the protocol stack may provide network address information, for use in routing packets through the network.
A variety of standards are known for use in packet switched networks. One of these, the TCP/IP suite, is typically used to manage transmission of packets throughout the Internet and other IP networks. The TCP/IP protocol stack has four layers, generally corresponding to but differing somewhat from the OSI model.
The TCP/IP application layer corresponds to a combination of the application, presentation and session layers of the OSI model. The TCP/IP application layer includes application programs that carry out the functionality of a network device and interface with a user.
The TCP/IP transport layer corresponds to the transport layer of the OSI model. The TCP/IP transport layer allows source and destination machines to carry on a conversation with each other and includes a connection-oriented Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) layer, but may alternatively be a connectionless User Datagram Protocol (UDP) layer. The transport is TCP or UDP, respectively. With UDP, the application layer is aware of individual packets.
The TCP/IP network layer corresponds to the network layer of the OSI model. The TCP/IP network layer provides addressing information to facilitate independent routing of packets within or between networks and also includes other control layers, such as an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) layer and an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) layer.
The TCP/IP link layer corresponds to a combination of the data-link and physical layers of the OSI model. The TCP/IP link layer includes network interface card drivers to connect the machine to the physical network, such as an Ethernet network.
In general, the machines that implement the protocol stack in a packet switched network (including, without limitation, source machines, destination machines, packet switches and routers) are computers. Each of these computers includes one or more processors, memories, and input/output ports, and is managed by an operating system.
The computer memory may include a user space and a kernel space. The kernel space is an area of memory which is strictly reserved for running the kernel, device drivers and any kernel extensions. Though some portions of the kernel space may be swapped (paged) out to the disk, some portions are typically never swappable. The user space is a memory area used by all applications and this memory can typically be swapped out at any time depending upon the current system requirements. The user space and the kernel space are distinct. An application usually cannot access the kernel space directly, and similarly kernel code cannot access the user space without checking whether the page is present in memory or swapped out. Applications may, however, use the kernel to access system resources and hardware through system calls, and are therefore thought of as running above, or on top of, the kernel.
Typically, when an incoming packet enters a computer or other hardware device running a protocol stack, the destination of the packet may be some specific code within the kernel, or it may be an application running in the application layer. In any event, the packet will typically be processed by multiple layers of the protocol stack finally arriving at its destination. Similarly, an outgoing packet will typically be processed by multiple layers of the protocol stack before being transmitted onto the network.
In a typical network-capable computer, part of the protocol stack is implemented in kernel space and part is implemented in user space. In the TCP/IP suite, the link, network and transport layers run in kernel space, and the application layer runs in user space. While a packet is being processed in kernel space, pointers to the packet are passed amongst the layers and typically the packet is not recopied for each layer.
When data (e.g., a byte stream) passes between the application layer and the transport layer of the TCP/IP protocol stack, the data moves between user space and kernel space. Since user space and kernel space are separate areas of memory, however, the process of moving data includes copying the data to the destination area and then deleting the original. Thus, in practice, once an incoming packet reaches the top of the kernel protocol stack, its payload is copied to user space to be processed by the application layer of the stack, and the packet is then deleted from kernel space. Similarly, once an outgoing payload has been processed by the application layer in user space, it is copied to kernel space to be processed by the remainder of the protocol stack, and it is then deleted from user space.


A cord is impregnated with a rodent repellent such as an N,N-dialkyl-sulfenyl dithiocarbamate. The impregnated cord can be positioned along an elongated member, such as a buried electric cable, to protect the elongated member from damage by rodents. Preferably, the cord is wrapped around the elongated member to form a coil along the length of the elongated member.

The invention relates to the protection of rodent-damageable members, such as buried electric cables, against attack by rodents.
An electric cable comprises at least one conductor and an outer covering of insulative material, typically a plastic. The insulative material is subject to attack by rodents such as gophers. Applying a rodent repellent directly to the insulative material for its protection has not been feasible, since the rodent repellent tends to compromise the mechanical integrity of the insulative material by causing cracks and deterioration. It is also difficult to uniformly apply the rodent repellent to the insulative covering of the electric cable.


A process for determining the precise initial volume of the mold cavity of an injection molding machine in which a first and second section engage into seated alignment thereby forming a mold cavity. Vent valves, controlling communication between the interior and exterior of the mold cavity, are closed thereby sealing the mold cavity. An injection means begins injecting a test substance into the mold cavity. The test substance continues filling the mold cavity until the detection of a predetermined threshold level. A measuring means performs the step of measuring the amount of the test substance in the mold cavity, thereby providing sufficient information for calculating the precise initial volume of the mold cavity of the injection molding machine. The apparatus used to perform the method described herein comprises an injection molding machine with a mold cavity configured with vent valves capable of sealing the interior of the mold cavity from the exterior. A processing unit operatively connects to the injection molding machine, and a computer-readable control program code executing on the processing unit works the methods described herein to which the present invention relates.

This invention relates generally to determining the precise initial volume of a mold cavity of an injection molding machine. More specifically, the invention provides a method for filling the mold cavity with a test substance of a known density and compressibility, monitoring the amount of the test substance which enters the mold cavity, and finally calculating the precise initial volume of the mold cavity. Additionally, the invention includes a molding machine with the structural capability of performing the above-mentioned method, and includes automated operation of the molding machine performing the method through the use of a computer program executing on a computer processing unit.
Typically, an injection molding machine consists of an injection assembly and a mold frame. The injection assembly serves to inject a plasticized material into the mold cavity portion of the mold frame. The injection process exerts significant pressure on the mold cavity, with the injection pressure generally increasing over time. Thus, near the end of the injection cycle, when the mold cavity is nearly full, the injection pressure typically reaches its maximum. At this point, the injection pressure tends to force apart the two sections which form the mold cavity which, of course, is undesirable. To prevent this from happening, a piston assembly is included which exerts an opposite force on the mold cavity thereby maintaining the integrity of the mold cavity.
High pressure molding machines utilize piston assemblies designed so that no amount of force exerted by the injection assembly, tending to force the mold cavity apart, can overcome the force exerted by the piston assembly, tending to hold the mold cavity together. Hence the name "high pressure molding". The enormous force required to accomplish this task adds significantly to the cost, size, and weight of the already massive injection molding machines. The excessive pressure causes high pressure molding machines to experience greater wear and tear, and, correspondingly, greater operation and maintenance costs. Additionally, the force required by the high pressure molding machines materially increases the operational danger of the machines. In the past, the amount of material used to fill the mold cavity of a high pressure molding machine, was simple whatever the injection assembly could inject at maximun pressure. In fact, the high pressure molding process starts with more than enough plastic material to fill the mold cavity and simply packs the mold cavity at maximum injection pressure until full. Packing results in many undesirable effects which are well known in the prior art.
Low pressure molding machines, by contrast, utilize significantly lower piston assembly pressures, thus reducing the cost and size of the machines, and the wear and tear on the machines. However, in order to keep the low pressure injection assemblies from forcing the mold sections of the mold cavity apart, low pressure molders must know the precise amount of plastic needed to fill the mold cavity, and not allow more than that amount to enter the mold cavity. Thus, low pressure injection molders do not pack the mold cavity thereby avoiding the higher pressures associated with packing. The injection pressure of a low pressure molding machine still increases over time, just like high pressure molding machines, however, unlike high pressure molding machines, the injection pressure of low pressure molding machines decreases dramatically at the very end of the injection cycle. Accordingly, low pressure molding is dramatically improved by knowing the precise volume of the mold cavity.
While packing the mold cavity represents one of the problems associated with not knowing the precise volume of the mold cavity, short shots represent another problem. Short shots result when not enough plastic material enters the mold cavity. In the case of complex mold cavities, containing irregularly shaped recessed areas, short shots can result in a failure to completely fill the recessed areas. When de-molding the plastic article from the mold cavity, the partially formed recessed areas may break off in the mold cavity from a lack of structural integrity. The residual plastic left in the mold cavity can cause defects in any subsequently molded parts. Additionally, removing the residual plastic from the mold cavity creates time delays and increases setup costs.
The problems associated with low pressure molding, and the techniques for remedying these problems, like the present method, often appear counterintuitive to high pressure molders. High pressure molders will persist in applying high pressure molding techniques, such as packing the mold cavity, to low pressure machines despite instructions to the contrary. This further complicates matters because many users of low pressure injection molding equipment also use high pressure molding machines.
Conventionally, the most common method of determining the initial amount of plastic material to fill the mold cavity of a low pressure molding machine involves a repetitive guessing process. The first guess always leaves a little room in the mold cavity, to avoid packing. Each successive guess increases the amount of plastic until a satisfactory article is molded. This guessing process wastes time and material, varies greatly based on the experience of the molder and the complexity of the molded article, and runs the aforementioned risks associated with short shots.
Accordingly, an exact, repeatable, and automated method for determining the precise initial amount of material needed to fill the mold cavity proves invaluable to low pressure molding, and enables low pressure molders to substantially eliminate the difficulties discussed hereinabove.

Method for determining the precise initial volume of a mold cavity of an injection molding machine


This ion implantation method reduces the observed levels of cross-contamination and reduces the level of variations in surface conductivity related to the provision of multiple ion implantations into a semiconductor wafer. Reduced levels of cross-contamination are obtained by purging the implantation chamber and then evacuating the implantation chamber before beginning an implantation process. This purge and evacuation cycle is believed to be particularly effective in reducing cross-contamination when two implantations are made consecutively into a wafer without removing the wafer from the implantation chamber or when successive wafers are transported into the ion implantation chamber and implantations are made into each successive wafer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the formation of integrated circuit devices and, more particularly, to the formation of integrated circuit devices using ion implantation processes that exhibit reduced levels of cross-contamination.
2. Description of the Related Art
Doping of high density integrated circuit devices is accomplished by ion implantation for a variety of reasons. Among the more important characteristics of ion implantation are the ready availability of masking techniques for controlling the lateral extent of the doped region formed by the implantation, the ability to control implantation dosages and energies, and the relatively high speed of the implantation process. These desirable characteristics make ion implantation a more manufacturable process than other doping techniques in most applications. Ion implantation is commonly used for forming P-type or N-type isolation wells, FET source/drain regions, channel stop implantations, threshold adjust implantations, anti-punchthrough implantations, and other laterally defined doped regions. It is difficult to achieve the desired levels of lateral definition using processes other than ion implantation. Because of its comparatively low cost and flexibility, ion implantation is also utilized when other doping techniques could be used. For example, ion implantation is commonly used in creating doped surface layers on entire wafers that have either a conductivity type different than the rest of the wafer or that have a doping level that is higher than the concentration of the rest of the wafer. Although diffusion could readily be used for this application, ion implantation is generally preferred.
Ion implantation has certain drawbacks for the manufacture of integrated circuit devices, however. Of present concern is the fact that ion implantation can introduce a variety of contaminants into the region being implanted. Highly excited ions are typically present within the ion implanter and the highly excited ions are incident on surfaces within the implanter other than the surface of the workpiece being implanted. Affected surfaces of the implanter include, for example, the shutter that separates the ion beam line from the ion implantation chamber and the clips that hold the workpiece in place during the implantation process. In the past, both the shutter and the workpiece clips have had metal surfaces so that the incident beam of implantation ions would sputter metal atoms from their surfaces that could be deposited onto the surface of the workpiece or even be implanted into the workpiece. Such metallic contamination is undesirable and steps have been taken to eliminate this contamination mechanism, such as coating the shutters and the clips with an inert or non-metallic, non-sputterable material. These efforts have reduced the level of metallic contamination observed in modem ion implantation systems, although this contamination source continues to be of concern.
There are other contamination mechanisms that act in ion implantation processes. Studies have suggested that one of the most important contamination mechanisms in ion implantation is cross-contamination. Cross-contamination occurs in different ways, but a common mechanism is for a first type of dopant ion to be implanted into a first workpiece during a first implantation process. During this first implantation process, dopant ions of the first type are implanted into the ion beam line, into the shutters and other apertures, into the workpiece supports, and other portions of the implantation chamber. In a second, subsequent implantation process utilizing dopant ions of a second type, the second dopant ions are incident on all of the surfaces of the implanter into which the first dopant ions were implanted in the first implantation process. The first dopant ions can be sputtered from the surfaces of the implanter and may be accelerated by collisions with the second dopant ions to an implantation energy. Consequently, a fraction of first type dopant ions may be deposited on the surface of the second workpiece or may be implanted into the second workpiece during the implantation of the second type dopant ions. This contamination process can affect the uniformity of dopants over the surface of a workpiece to a significant extent. For example, the variations in dopant concentrations can be sufficiently large to produce measurable variations in the surface conductivity of the implanted wafer. The levels of reported variations in surface conductivity may be on the order of less than one percent up to as much as ten percent. Another effect of cross-contamination is variation in junction depth. Earlier implanted ions can be sputtered from the surfaces of the implanter and can be implanted into contact regions, isolation wells, or other junctions. If the earlier, contaminant dopant ion is a comparatively light, rapidly diffusing species and the second, intended dopant is a comparatively heavy, slowly diffusing species, an activation anneal could cause the earlier, contaminant dopant to diffuse rapidly through the junction region created by the second dopant ion. The activation anneal causes the more rapidly diffusing (earlier) dopant to extend deeper into the substrate than the junction created by the implantation of the desired second dopants in a manner that may alter the electrical characteristics of the junction and may create a more graded junction than is desired.
These and other effects associated with cross-contamination can significantly harm the performance of the integrated circuit devices manufactured using ion implantation processes. Moreover, the above-described cross-contamination processes are not limited to successive implantations within an implanter. Reports indicate that exposed surfaces within implanters become saturated with implanted ions after only a short period of use. There are accordingly always impurity ions within the exposed surfaces of the implanter which could be sputtered from the exposed surfaces and which could be implanted into a workpiece in a cross-contamination process. Some of the problems associated with cross-contamination might be reduced if only a single dopant impurity were used in a particular piece of implantation equipment. Even if such a solution were practical, however, it may not provide satisfactory results. It would be expected that a single species implanter would exhibit improved performance with respect to junction depth variations. No comparable improvement would be expected for the two-dimensional uniformity of dopant concentration.

Method for reducing cross-contamination in ion implantation


The printing cost is minimized by reducing the number of parts of a thermal print head used for printers, for such as a facsimile, and the quality of a printed product is improved by preventing the warpage of the thermal print head. A base plate mounting surface of a heat radiation plate (2) is provided with a longitudinally extending mounting surface dividing groove (5). A head base plate (3) having a heating resister (6) for printing and a circuit board (4) having a connector (10) for external connection are fixed on the base plate mounting surface. The two plates (3, 4) are arranged so as to be opposed to each other with the mounting surface dividing groove positioned therebetween. Terminal electrodes (8, 11) provided on groove-side edge portions of the head base plate and circuit board are connected together by a terminal lead (9). An edge portion of at least one of the head base plate and circuit board projects to a position above the mounting surface dividing groove and forms a projecting edge portion, which is held from the upper and lower sides thereof by one end portion (9a, 9b) of the terminal lead.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal print head which is used in printers, facsimile machines, or the like. More specifically, it relates to a thermal print head comprising two substrates which are installed on a heat radiating metal plate. One substrate is a head substrate of heat resistant insulating material, such as a ceramic, having a heating resistor for printing. The other is a circuit substrate of synthetic resin having a connector to external devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a type of thermal print head in which a head substrate and a circuit substrate are installed on the surface of a heat radiating metal plate has been widely used. An example such a of the conventional thermal print head is shown in the Official Gazette of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 2-286261.
In such an apparatus, the head substrate is made of a heat resistant insulating material, and a heating resistor for printing is formed on the surface of the head substrate. For the purpose of supplying electric current to the heating resistor, a common wiring pattern, an individual wiring pattern, and a plurality of circuit drive elements are also provided on the surface of the head substrate. Further, on the surface of the head substrate, various types of terminal electrodes (hereinafter referred to as head side terminals) are formed for connecting with the circuit substrate.
On the other hand, the circuit substrate, which is made of synthetic resin, has a connector to external devices. On the surface of the circuit substrate, a wiring pattern is provided for connecting the connector with the head side terminals.
FIG. 19 in this specification is a cross-sectional view of such a thermal print head. A head substrate 201 and a circuit substrate 203 are arranged side by side on a heat radiating plate 205. Both of the substrates are arranged in such a manner that an end of the circuit substrate 203 overlaps with head side terminals of the head substrate 201. A presser 207 is screwed to the heat radiating plate 205. The circuit substrate 203 is pressed down by the presser 207 through elastic thread 209. Due to the press, the wiring pattern on the side of the circuit substrate 203 is electrically connected with the head side terminals. More specifically, the presser 207 has a function of making continuity between both of the substrates by pressing the circuit substrate. Further, the presser 207 has a function of protecting both of the substrates.
The structure described above has an advantage of being inexpensive because the area of the head substrate can be made small. The structure also has an advantage of being able to service general purposes. In other words, if the circuit substrate is modified, the structure would be applicable to various types of external devices.
However, conventional thermal print heads had the following problems:
(1) In order to electrically connect the head substrate with the circuit substrate, it is required to have a presser and a plurality of set screws and elastic threads for installing the presser in the aforementioned structure. Therefore, a large number of parts and processing steps are required, whereby it has the disadvantages of being expensive and heavy.
(2) In order to secure the electrical connection of the head substrate and the circuit substrate, the clamping strength of the presser on the heat radiating plate must be enhanced. For this reason, the presser has high rigidity and is screwed at several points in a longitudinal direction.
When the temperature rises under such a condition that the head substrate and the circuit substrate are being pressed by a high degree of clamping strength, the head substrate may warp resulting from the differential thermal expansion of the head substrate and the circuit substrate. Also, due to such a high clamping strength, distortion may arise at the heat radiating plate in a longitudinal direction. Further, as the heat radiating plate and the presser are fixed to each other, distortion may arise due to the differential thermal expansion of the heat radiating plate and the presser. For the reasons described above, nonuniformity in printing may arise which may deteriorate printing quality.
(3) The presser is installed on each upper side of the head substrate and the circuit substrate. In order to prevent the contact of the presser and printing paper, the presser is arranged away from the head substrate's heating resistor for printing. For the reasons described above, the height and width (width in a direction of a right angle to a longitudinal direction) of the thermal print head increase, and the thermal print head resultingly becomes larger and heavier.


A method and device for determining the color homogeneity of hair is provided. In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, a method comprises providing a digital image in which hair is depicted and which is parameterized in a color space which is defined by employing a parameter set in which one of the parameters is a hue, defining at least one hair analysis region in the digital image, determining a hue distribution in at least one hair analysis region, and determining at least one color homogeneity value on the basis of the determined hue distribution.

Coloring hair uniformly can represent an important cosmetic objective.
Apart from when it is sought to make a fashion statement, inhomogeneous coloring, for example comprising patches or streaks, can be undesirable.
Furthermore, it may likewise be undesirable if, starting from a potentially homogeneous hair coloring, color inhomogeneities develop over the course of time, for example caused by UV radiation, washing processes or the like.
The color homogeneity can thus represent an important consumer-relevant parameter.
A quantitative measure may be desirable for assessment of color homogeneity, in particular also for a comparison of color homogeneity for differently colored hairstyles and/or for an assessment as to how the color homogeneity of a colored hairstyle develops over the course of time. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and device for determining the color homogeneity of hair. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Method and device for determining the color homogeneity of hair


Packets being transmitted through a communication network are recognized as belonging to various individual flows. A property of each individual flow is measured by adding a value, such as a unity value or a packet length value, to a cumulative sum when each packet in the individual flow is recognized, and subtracting a fixed value from the cumulative sum at unit time intervals. The packets are prioritized according to the cumulative sum. This scheme enables network resources to be used preferentially for individual flows that do not cause congestion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to prioritization methods and apparatus in a packet communication network. The invention is applicable to, for example, node apparatus (such as a router) in a packet switching network using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
2. Description of the Related Art
TCP/IP packet switching networks having IP routers as node apparatus transmit vast amounts of information requiring many different types of quality of service. When much information is transmitted at once, congestion may occur in the network as a whole, or in a particular IP router, which is then forced to drop (discard) packets. If packets caught in the congestion are dropped without regard to their quality-of-service requirements, urgent packets may be lost.
To prevent such loss, packets are conventionally prioritized according to their required quality of service, which is determined from the type of upper-level application for which the packets are being transmitted. The priority is written in, for example, the IP header of each transmitted packet by software in an upper-level layer in which the service requirements and traffic characteristics of different applications are managed.
All packets-belonging to an individual flow thus receive the same priority. The term 'individual flow' as used herein refers to a group of packets transmitted from a transmitting terminal to a receiving terminal, carrying common information, which is divided among the packets. The packets constituting an individual flow are processed and transmitted so as to provide a quality of service consistent with their priority.
Due to the vast amount of communication traffic now carried by communication networks, the number of individual flows present on a typical network at any one time is very large, and there are usually many individual flows having the same priority. If individual flows having the same priority become congested in an IP router, as not infrequently occurs, then despite their equal priority, the IP router may arbitrarily discard packets belonging to one of the individual flows and not discard packets belonging to another one of the individual flows.
In a TCP/IP packet switching network, for example, an individual flow A involving a long sequence of packets containing a large amount of information may cause congestion in an IP router that is also handling a smaller individual flow B with the same priority. In this case, although flow A is the cause of the congestion, the IP router may decide to discard packets in flow B rather than packets in flow A. The result is unfair and inefficient allocation of network resources such as buffer memory space in communication equipment and bandwidth on communication channels interconnecting the communication equipment: despite its tendency to cause congestion, flow A is allowed to use these network resources while flow B is squeezed out.
In order to solve this problem, when congestion occurs in an IP router or other node equipment, or in a network as a whole, there is a need to prioritize individual flows according to their actual traffic characteristics, rather than according to the quality of service assigned to them.

Prioritization method and apparatus measuring individual flow properties