A memory cell includes driver transistors constituting a cross coupled type flipflop, access transistors driven in response to a signal potential on a word line, and bipolar transistors for connecting the memory cell to bit lines. For the bit lines, a read load circuit including diode coupled p channel MOS transistors and cross coupled p channel MOS transistors is provided, which supplies current when activated, and latches the bit line potentials after a prescribed time period. Stable data reading at high speed with low current consumption even under low power supply voltage is ensured, without causing data destruction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and, more specifically, to a structure for reading data from a memory cell of a static semiconductor memory device.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 22 schematically shows a structure of an array portion of a conventional static semiconductor memory device. FIG. 22 shows the structure of the array portion of a static random access memory (SRAM) which is one of the static semiconductor memory devices. In FIG. 22, the SRAM includes a plurality of memory cells M arranged in rows and columns, word lines WL arranged corresponding to respective rows of memory cells and having memory cells of the corresponding rows connected, and a plurality of bit line pairs BL, /BL arranged corresponding to respective columns of the memory cells and having memory cells of the corresponding column connected. FIG. 22 shows, as representatives, one word line WL1, bit line pairs BL1, /BL1 to BLn, /BLn, and memory cells M1 to Mn arranged corresponding to crossing points of these lines.
Each of the memory cells M1 to Mn includes an inverter latch formed by inverters 202 and 203 for storing information at storage nodes SN and /SN, and access transistors 204 and 205 which are rendered conductive in response to a signal potential on word line WL1 for connecting storage nodes SN and /SN to bit lines BL, /BL (BL1, /BL1 to BLn, /BLn), respectively. Access transistors 204 and 205 are formed of n channel MOS transistors (insulated gate type field effect transistors).
SRAM further includes bit line precharge/equalize circuits BEQ1 to BEQn provided corresponding to bit line pairs BLI, /BL1 to BLn, /BLn, respectively, and activated when a bit line equalize instructing signal /EQ is activated, for precharging and equalizing corresponding bit lines BL1, /BL1 to BLn, /BLn to the level of power supply voltage Vcc; column selection gates CSG1 to CSGn receiving a column selection signal Y (Y1 to Yn) from a column decoder, not shown, rendered conductive when the received column selection signal Y designates the corresponding bit line pair, for electrically connecting the corresponding bit line pairs BL1, /BL1 to BLn, /BLn to internal read data bus DB, /DB; and a sense amplifier 215 which is activated at the time of data reading, for amplifying signal potential on the internal read data buses DB, /DB, generating and transmitting to an output buffer circuit, not shown, an internal read data.
Each of the bit line precharge/equalize circuits BEQ1 to BEQn includes a p channel MOS transistor 206 which is rendered conductive when the bit line equalize instructing signal /EQ is activated, to transmit power supply voltage Vcc to the bit line BL (BL1 to BLn), a p channel MOS transistor 207 which is rendered conductive when the bit line equalize instructing signal /EQ is activated, to transmit power supply voltage Vcc to the bit line /BL (/BL1 to /BLn), and a p channel MOS transistor 208 which is rendered conductive when the bit line equalize instructing signal /EQ is activated, to electrically connect bit lines BL and /BL.
Each of the column selection gates CSG1 to CSGn includes an inverter circuit 210 for inverting the column selection signal Y (Y1 to Yn), a transmission gate 211 which is rendered conductive in accordance with the column selection signal Y and an output signal from inverter circuit 210, to connect the corresponding bit line BL (BL1 to BLn) to the internal read data bus DB, and a transmission gate 212 which is rendered conductive in accordance with the column selection signal Y and the output signal from inverter 210, to connect the corresponding bit line /BL (/BL1 to /BLn) to the internal read data bus /DB.
Sense amplifier 215 has a structure of a differential amplifier circuit such as shown, for example, in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-226083. The operation of the SRAM shown in FIG. 22 at the time of data reading will be described with reference to the diagram of signal waveforms of FIG. 23.
In data reading, bit line equalize instructing signal /EQ is driven to the inactive state of H level. In data writing, bit line equalize instructing signal /EQ is set to be and kept inactive for a prescribed time period, so that the bit line fully swings between the levels of the power supply voltage and the ground voltage in accordance with the write data. In data reading, bit line equalize/precharge circuits BEQ1 to BEQn have a function of making smaller the amplitude of the bit line potential and reading data at high speed.
When an address signal is applied, a row decoder and a column decoder, not shown, operate in accordance with the applied address signal, and the word line corresponding to the addressed row and the column selection signal corresponding to the addressed column are driven to the selected state. FIG. 23 shows an example in which word line WL1 is selected. In response to the rise of the potential on word line WL1, access transistors 204 and 205 of memory cells Ml to Mn connected to the word line WL1 are rendered conductive, and respective storage nodes SN and /SN are connected to the corresponding bit lines BL, /BL (BL1, /BL1 to BLn, /BLn). Bit line precharge/equalize circuits BEQ1 to BEQn are activated when the memory cell is not selected, and inactivated when the memory cell is selected. In accordance with the column selection signal Y, the bit lines corresponding to the selected column are connected to the internal read data bus DB, /DB. One of the storage nodes SN and /SN is at the H level and the other is at the L level.
Now, assume that memory cell Ml is selected and storage node SN stores data at the H level. In this state, a current (column current) flows from bit line /BL1 to storage node /SN, and the voltage level of bit line /BL1 lowers. Meanwhile, storage node SN stores the H level data, and the voltage level of bit line BL1 hardly changes. MOS transistor 208 in bit line precharge/equalize circuit BEQ1 prevents the potential difference between bit lines BL1 and /BL1 from becoming too large. The potential difference developed between bit lines BL1 and /BL1 is transmitted to internal read data bus DB and /DB through column selection gate CSG1. Sense amplifier 215 is activated at a prescribed timing, so that it amplifies the potential difference between internal read data bus DB and /DB and generates internal read data.
When reading of the memory cell data is completed, the selected word line WL1 attains to the inactive state of L level, and the column selection signal Y1 falls to the inactive state of L level. Consequently, bit lines BL1 and /BL1 are disconnected from internal read data bus DB and /DB, and bit lines BL1, /BL1 to BLn, /BLn are again precharged to the original level of the power supply voltage Vcc by corresponding bit line precharge/equalize circuits BEQ1 to BEQn.
FIG. 24 shows an example of a specific structure of the memory cells M1 to Mn shown in FIG. 22. In FIG. 24, reference character M generally represents a memory cell. In FIG. 24, memory cell M includes a resistance element 220 having high resistance connected between a power supply node and storage node /SN; a driver transistor 221 consisting of an n channel MOS transistor connected between storage node /SN and the ground node and having a gate connected to the storage node SN; a resistance element 222 having high resistance connected between the power supply node and storage node SN; a driver transistor 223 consisting of an n channel MOS transistor connected between storage node SN and the ground node and having a gate connected to storage node /SN; and access transistor 204 consisting of an n channel MOS transistor for connecting storage node SN to the bit line BL in response to the signal potential on the word line WL; and an access transistor 205 consisting of an n channel MOS transistor for connecting storage node /SN to the bit line /BL in response to the signal potential on word line WL. Resistance element 220 having high resistance and driver transistor 221 correspond to inverter 202 of the memory cell shown in FIG. 22, and resistance element 222 having high resistance and driver transistor 223 correspond to inverter 203 of the memory cell shown in FIG. 22.
When data at the H level is stored in storage node SN, driver transistor 221 is conductive, and storage node /SN is held at the level of the ground voltage. In this state, driver transistor 223 is non-conductive, and storage nodes SN and /SN are held at the H level and L level, respectively.
When resistance elements 220 and 222 are formed, for example, of polysilicon resistance, it is possible to form these resistance elements 220 and 222 having high resistance above driver transistors 221 and 223, and therefore it becomes possible to reduce an area occupied by the memory cells. The resistance value of these resistance elements having high resistance is sufficiently higher than ON resistance (channel resistance) of access transistors 204 and 205 as well as driver transistors 221 and 223. In order to surely hold the data stored in storage nodes SN and /SN when the word line WL is set to the selected state and access transistors 204 and 205 are rendered conductive, it is necessary that transfer factor .beta.a (ratio of channel width Wa to channel length La) of access transistors 204 and 205 is set as large as at least three times the transfer factor .beta.b of driver transistors 221 and 223. The necessity of making different the transfer factor .beta. of access transistors and driver transistors will be described in the following.
FIG. 25A shows an inverter I, and FIG. 25B shows input/output transfer characteristics of inverter I. Inverter I inverts an input signal IN to produce an output signal OUT. The larger the gain of inverter I, the steeper the change in the curve representing input/output transfer characteristic shown in FIG. 25B. The gain of inverter I is determined by current drivability of the MOS transistors constituting the inverter.
FIG. 26A shows a structure of an inverter latch. The inverter latch is used in the SRAM cell shown in FIGS. 22 and 24. More specifically, inverter 202 inverts the signal potential on storage node SN for transmission to storage node /SN, while inverter 203 inverts the signal potential on storage node /SN for transmission it to storage node SN.
In FIG. 26B, curve A1 represents input/output transfer characteristic of inverter 202, while a curve A2 represents input/output transfer characteristic of inverter 203. When inverters 202 and 203 have the same input/output transfer characteristic, curve A2 is obtained by folding curve A1 along the dotted line shown in FIG. 26B. Crossing points S1 and S2 of curves Al and A2 are stable points of this inverter latch. A voltage corresponding to one of the states at stable points S1 and S2 appears at storage nodes SN and /SN.
For stable operation of the inverter latch, the curves shown in FIG. 26B must have two stable points S1 and S2. A point PM is a meta stable point. Even when nodes SN and /SN in the initial state are at potentials corresponding to a state near point PM, a certain noise shifts the latch state to stable point S1 or S2. In order to implement such a state that the inverter latch formed of inverters 202 and 203 stably operate as a flipflop to hold stably the potentials of storage nodes SN and /SN, a portion surrounded by curves A1 and A2 (defined as a static noise margin SNM) must be large. If this portion were small, curves A1 and A2 would be close to each other, and any point in such close portion would function as a false stable point, possibly causing a signal potential of at an arbitrary stable point to appear at storage nodes SN and /SN.
FIG. 27A shows a standby state (word line non-selected state) of a static memory cell. In FIG. 27A, access transistors 204 and 205 are non-conductive. In this state, storage nodes SN and /SN are connected to power supply nodes via high resistance elements 222 and 220. Resistance element 220 and driver transistor 221 constitute inverter 202, and resistance element 222 and driver transistor 223 constitute inverter 203. In the inverter employing the high resistance elements, the output node is rapidly discharged when the driver transistor is rendered conductive (current supplying capability of high resistance element is extremely small). Therefore, in this case, input/output transfer characteristic of the inverter latch has extremely steep transition portion allowing stable holding of data, as shown in FIG. 27B.
FIG. 28A shows a state of the static memory cell when the word line is in the selected state. In this state, access transistors 204 and 205 are rendered conductive, and storage nodes SN and /SN are connected to the corresponding bit lines BL and /BL, respectively. A current flows from the corresponding bit line to that one of the storage nodes SN and /SN which holds the potential of L level. This state is equivalent to a structure in which a load of low impedance is connected in parallel to the high resistance element, and therefore, equivalent to a structure in which high resistance elements 220 and 222 are not present. Therefore, in this state, inverters 202 and 203 must be treated as NMOS enhancement type load inverters using access transistors 204 and 205 as loads. In this case, a current is supplied from the NMOS enhancement type load transistor, the change at the transition portion of the input/output transfer characteristic is more moderate and the gain is lower, as compared with the case where high resistance element is used. Accordingly, the area surrounded by the curves A1 and A2 becomes smaller and, the static noise margin becomes smaller, as shown in FIG. 28B.
Assume that access transistors 204 and 205 and driver transistors 221 and 223 have the same current drivability. In this state, the amount of current discharged by the driver transistor which is conductive (for example, transistor 223) is the same as the amount of current supplied by the access transistor (for example, transistor 204), the input/output transfer characteristic of inverters 202 and 203 is extremely moderate, and curves A1 and A2 nearly attain such a state that only one stable point is present, as shown in FIG. 28C. More specifically, when the access transistor and the driver transistor have the same current drivability, the access transistor and the driver transistor holding data of L level come to have the same conductance when the word line is selected. Therefore, the potential of the storage node holding the L level data rises, the other driver transistor holding the H level data is rendered conductive, and the potential of the storage node storing the H level data is lowered.
Stable points S1 and S2 are operation points of the flipflop constituted by the inverters, and the flipflop is held in either one of these states. Accordingly, when input/output transfer characteristic changes as shown in FIG. 28C, bistable point disappears (only a monostable point is present), and the data held in storage nodes SN and /SN are destroyed when the word line is selected. Therefore, in order to ensure two stable points in the input/output transfer characteristic of the inverter latch, it is necessary to prevent the potentials of storage nodes SN and /SN from shifting to the intermediate potential level. In other words, it is necessary to make smaller the ratio between conductances of access transistor and driver transistor. Namely, it is necessary to set current drivability (conductance) of the driver transistor larger than the current drivability (conductance) of the access transistor.
The current drivability (conductance) of the MOS transistor is in proportion to the ratio (transfer factor) .beta. of channel width W to channel length L. The ratio (cell ratio) R of current drivability is set to a value between 3 to 4, as already described. Consequently, input/output transfer characteristics of the inverter is made relatively steep, so that two stable points are ensured and destruction of stored data at the time of data reading can be prevented.
In order to set transfer factor .beta. of driver transistors 221 and 223 larger than that of access transistors 204 and 205, it is necessary to set channel widths of driver transistors 221 and 223 wider than those of access transistors 204 and 205. If channel length only is reduced, the short-channel effect occurs, so that the threshold voltage lowers and current consumption increases. Therefore, in order to hold data stably in the data read operation, driver transistors 221 and 223, must have sizes (ratios of channel width to channel length) larger than those of the access transistors. Accordingly, memory cell size (area of occupation) cannot be made small, which hinders higher integration.
Meanwhile, operational power supply voltage is made lower and lower to realize higher speed of operation and lower current consumption. In an MOS transistor, the higher the gate voltage, the larger drain current can be supplied. This is understood from the fact that drain current in the saturation region of the MOS transistor is represented by the following equation EQU Ids=.beta.(Vgs-Vth).sup.2
where Vgs represents gate-to-source voltage, and Vth represents a threshold voltage. Therefore, when the power supply voltage becomes lower, the gate-to-source voltage Vgs is reduced, and the amount of driven current decreases. As a result, transition of the input/output transfer characteristic of the inverter becomes slower, resulting in such input/output transfer characteristic as shown in FIG. 28C, possibly causing destruction of the stored data at the time of data reading.
Specially in this memory cell, current is always supplied through the resistance elements, and in order to reduce current consumption as much as possible, the threshold voltage of driver transistors 221 and 223 is made higher than that of the access transistor. Therefore, when the power supply voltage is made lower, difference between current drivability of conductive driver transistors 221 and 223 and current drivability of conductive access transistors 204 and 205 becomes smaller. Therefore, the change in the transition portion of curves A1 and A2 becomes extremely moderate as shown in FIG. 28D, resulting in a state in which there is not a stable point but only a quasi stable point. Accordingly, the stored data is destroyed when the word line is selected, and data cannot be read. Stable data holding is not ensured.
Further, column current flows from the bit line precharge/equalize circuit BEQ to the memory cell at the time of data reading, resulting in considerable current consumption.

Static memory device allowing correct data reading


A system for detecting an analyte gas in an environment includes a first gas sensor, a first contaminant sensor separate and spaced from the first gas sensor, and electronic circuitry in electrical connection with the first gas sensor to determine if the analyte gas is present based on a response of the first gas sensor. The electronic circuitry is further in electrical connection with the first contaminant sensor to measure a response of the first contaminant sensor over time. The measured response of the first contaminant sensor varies with an amount of one or more contaminants to which the system has been exposed in the environment over time.

The following information is provided to assist the reader in understanding technologies disclosed below and the environment in which such technologies may typically be used. The terms used herein are not intended to be limited to any particular narrow interpretation unless clearly stated otherwise in this document. References set forth herein may facilitate understanding of the technologies or the background thereof. The disclosure of all references cited herein are incorporated by reference.
Catalytic or combustible (flammable) gas sensors have been in use for many years to, for example, prevent accidents caused by the explosion of combustible or flammable gases. In general, combustible gas sensors operate by catalytic oxidation of combustible gases.
The operation of a catalytic combustible gas sensor proceeds through electrical detection of the heat of reaction of a combustible gas on the oxidation catalyst, usually through a resistance change. The oxidation catalysts typically operate in a temperature above 300° C. to catalyze combustion of an analyte (for example, in the range of 350 to 600° C. temperature range for methane detection). Therefore, the sensor must sufficiently heat the sensing element through resistive heating. In a number of combustible gas sensors, the heating and detecting element are one and the same and composed of a platinum alloy because of its large temperature coefficient of resistance and associated large signal in target/analyte gas. The heating element may, for example, be a helical coil of fine wire or a planar meander formed into a hotplate or other similar physical form. The catalyst being heated often is an active metal catalyst dispersed upon a refractory catalyst substrate or support structure. Usually, the active metal is one or more noble metals such as palladium, platinum, rhodium, silver, and the like and the support structure is a refractory metal oxide including, for example, one or more oxides of aluminum, zirconium, titanium, silicon, cerium, tin, lanthanum and the like. The support structure may or may not have high surface area (for example, greater than or equal to 75 m2/g). Precursors for the support structure and the catalytic metal may, for example, be adhered to the heating element in one step or separate steps using, for example, thick film or ceramic slurry techniques. A catalytic metal salt precursor may, for example, be heated to decompose it to the desired dispersed active metal, metal alloy, and/or metal oxide.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a number of conventional combustible gas sensors such as illustrated sensor 10 typically include an element such as a platinum heating element wire or coil 20 encased in a refractory (for example, alumina) bead 30, which is impregnated with a catalyst (for example, palladium or platinum) to form an active or sensing element, which is sometimes referred to as a pelement 40, pellistor, detector or sensing element. A detailed discussion of pelements and catalytic combustible gas sensors which include such pelements is found in Mosely, P. T. and Tofield, B. C., ed., Solid State Gas Sensors, Adams Hilger Press, Bristol, England (1987). Combustible gas sensors are also discussed generally in Firth, J. G. et al., Combustion and Flame 21, 303 (1973) and in Cullis, C. F., and Firth, J. G., Eds., Detection and Measurement of Hazardous Gases, Heinemann, Exeter, 29 (1981).
Bead 30 will react to phenomena other than catalytic oxidation that can change its output (i.e., anything that changes the energy balance on the bead) and thereby create errors in the measurement of combustible gas concentration. Among these phenomena are changes in ambient temperature, humidity, and pressure.
To minimize the impact of secondary effects on sensor output, the rate of oxidation of the combustible gas may, for example, be measured in terms of the variation in resistance of sensing element or pelement 40 relative to a reference resistance embodied in an inactive, compensating element or pelement 50. The two resistances may, for example, be part of a measurement circuit such as a Wheatstone bridge circuit as illustrated in FIG. 1C. The output or the voltage developed across the bridge circuit when a combustible gas is present provides a measure of the concentration of the combustible gas. The characteristics of compensating pelement 50 are typically matched as closely as possible with active or sensing pelement 40. In a number of systems, compensating pelement 50 may, however, either carry no catalyst or carry an inactivated or poisoned catalyst. In general, changes in properties of compensating elements caused by changing ambient conditions are used to adjust or compensate for similar changes in the sensing element.
Catalytic combustible gas sensors are typically used for long periods of time over which deterioration of the sensing element or the like and malfunction of circuits may occur. A foreign material or contaminant such as an inhibiting material or a poisoning material (that is, a material which inhibits or poisons the catalyst of the sensing element) may, for example, be introduced to the sensing element. Contaminants are deposited upon the surface of an element from the environment. If the element is heated to a certain temperature, many such materials react (for example, oxidize—either partially or completely) upon the surface of the element. Such reaction may result in a species that is more strongly bound to the surface. An inhibiting, contaminant material typically will "burn off" over time, but a poisoning, contaminant material permanently destroys catalytic activity of a sensing element. Inhibiting materials and poisoning materials are sometimes referred to herein collectively as "contaminants" or "contaminant material." Often, it is difficult to determine such an abnormal operational state or status of a combustible gas sensor without knowingly applying a test gas to the combustible gas sensor. In many cases, a detectible concentration of a combustible gas analyte in the ambient environment is a rare occurrence. Testing of the operational status of a combustible gas sensor typically includes the application of a test gas (for example, a gas including a known concentration of the analyte or a simulant thereof to which the combustible gas sensor is similarly responsive) to the sensor. Periodic testing using a combustible gas may, however, be difficult, time consuming and expensive.
Problems associated with contamination and/or degradation of the catalyst structures in combustible gas sensors are well known. Sulfur-containing compounds (inhibitors) have been known to target and inhibit the catalyst structures. Filtering techniques are generally used to prevent their passage into the structure. If they do enter the structure, they are bound until a sufficient level of heat is applied to promote their release or decomposition. Volatile silicon/organosilicon compounds (poisons) are also known to cause significant issues with catalytic structures as they are permanently retained, and eventually result in the total inactivity of the catalyst. Further, high levels of hydrocarbons can also deposit incomplete and/or secondary byproducts such as carbon within the structure. Lead compounds, organophosphates and halogenated hydrocarbons are also known to poison/inhibit catalysts used in combustible gas sensors.
Manufacturers may add a layer of inhibitor/poison (contaminant) absorbing material outside of the supported catalyst of a sensing element as well as a compensating element. However, exposure to a sufficient amount of inhibitor/poison can still render the catalyst inactive. Moreover, increasing the mass of the sensing/compensating element increases the power requirements of the sensor, which may be undesirable, particularly in the case of a portable or other combustible gas sensor in which battery power is used.
An inhibited or poisoned sensing element may go undetected by, for example, high sensitivity bridge and other circuits used in combustible gas sensors. Users have long reported cases where their catalytic sensors are reading zero (that is, the bridge circuitry is balanced), yet the sensors show little response to gas challenges. A notable example of this effect occurs when an organosilicon vapor such as hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) is introduced to the sensor. The HMDS will indiscriminately diffuse into the sensor housing and surroundings, adsorb onto the surface of the detector and/or compensator, and oxidize into a layer of silica (silicon dioxide or SiO2) or SixCyOz species. Since both elements are typically operated at similar temperatures, silicone deposition occurs at an equal rate, keeping the bridge in balance. Unfortunately, this renders the elements permanently inactive. Indeed, some manufacturers use this poisoning process to manufacture compensating elements or compensators for combustible gas sensors.
A number of methods and systems have been developed in an attempt to sense inhibition/poisoning (contamination) of a catalytic sensing element with limited success. In general, such methods monitor for a change in properties of the catalytic structure of the gas sensing element over time. It remains desirable to develop diagnostic systems and methods for catalytic sensors and structures to detect inhibition/poisoning.

Gas sensor with separate contaminant detection element


Print data is generated for being printed by an ink-jet printing apparatus, which has a first mode for high-speed printing and a second mode for high-quality printing, for performing multiple-pass printing by an ink-jet printhead provided with orifices for discharging ink droplets of large volume and orifices for discharging ink droplets of small volume. When the print data is generated, a user is allowed to select whether specified image data should be printed in the first or second mode. When image data is converted to print data in accordance with the mode selected, the number of ink droplets of the small volume, which are used to print an area of high density or high saturation in regard to a prescribed color in the first mode, is set to be less than the number of ink droplets of the small volume used in printing this area in the second mode.

Printers for printing desired information such as text and images on a sheet-like print medium such as paper or film are in wide use as information printing devices in word processors, personal computers and facsimile machines, etc.
A variety of printing methods used in printers are known in the art. In recent years, however, the ink-jet printing method has become the focus of attention because this method allows contactless printing on print media such as paper, readily lends itself to color printing and is extremely quiet. In terms of the structure thereof, serial printing is in wide use generally owing to low cost and compactness. In serial printing, the apparatus is equipped with a mounted printhead that discharged ink in accordance with desired print information and printing is carried out while the printhead is scanned back and forth in a direction that intersects the direction in which the print medium is fed.
Generally, in a color ink-jet printer, images are often expressed using the three colors of cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y) or these three colors and the color black (K). Recently, in order to provide even better image quality, there have been proposed a system (a variable-dot ink system), in which amount of ink discharged is varied in such a manner that dots formed by the same ink will differ in size, and a system (color ink system), in which a plurality of inks of the same color system but of different densities are used for the purpose of raising tonality.
A method of discharging ink droplets of different volumes from the same nozzle has been proposed as a method of obtaining different volumes of discharged ink (e.g., see the specification of Japanese Patent No. 3058493). According to this method, it is known to provide two or more types of heaters of different sizes in a case where the ink droplets are discharged utilizing thermal energy, or to control voltage, which is applied to a piezoelectric element, in several stages in a case where the ink droplets are discharged by compressing an ink chamber using the piezoelectric element.
However, in a case where ink droplets of different sizes are discharged from the same nozzle, it is difficult to reduce the size of the nozzle and to control the discharge of ink stably.
It is believed that the above problems can be solved if a nozzle row for discharging large ink droplets and a nozzle row for discharging small ink droplets are provided. In this apparatus, stable control of ink discharge can be achieved because each nozzle only discharges ink droplets of one size.
Furthermore, in an apparatus having a plurality of nozzle rows that thus discharge inks of different volumes, an advantage is that the quality of the printed image is improved.
More specifically, owing to advances made in raising nozzle density and improving definition, minute manufacturing error occurs on a per-nozzle basis in the manufacturing process of the printhead and this causes variations in amount of ink discharged and in discharge direction on a pre-nozzle basis. Stripes and unevenness appear in images printed by such a printhead and a decline in image quality results.
However, in an arrangement equipped with a plurality of nozzle rows that discharge ink droplets of different volumes, the same pixel (dot) can be printed using different nozzle rows in a single scan. This means that even if multiple-pass printing is not carried out, one pixel is printed by a plurality of ink droplets discharged from different nozzles, and therefore the effects of differences in individual nozzles are mitigated, thereby reducing stripes and unevenness and improving image quality.
For the above reasons, ink-jet printers that carry out high-quality printing are believed to be advantageous in terms of the structure having a plurality of nozzle rows that discharge ink droplets of different volumes.
However, adopting an arrangement having a plurality of nozzle rows for discharging ink droplets of different volumes leads to a unique problem, which will now be described.
FIG. 2 is a diagram in which an ink-jet printhead unit is seen from a printed surface, the unit having two nozzle rows per color for discharging ink droplets of different volumes. In the example illustrated, one printhead is provided with one nozzle row. Starting from the left side in FIG. 2, printheads are disposed in the following order: a printhead 11C for discharging cyan (C) ink droplets of large volume, a printhead 11sc for discharging cyan (sc) ink droplets of small volume, a printhead 11M for discharging magenta (M) ink droplets of large volume, a printhead 11sm for discharging magenta (sm) ink droplets of small volume, a printhead 11Y for discharging yellow (Y) ink droplets of large volume, and a printhead 11sy for discharging yellow.(sy) ink droplets of small volume.
Each printhead has 128 nozzles at a pitch of 600 dpi. The printheads 11C, 11M, 11Y discharge ink droplets of approximately 5 ng as ink droplets of large volume (dots of large size), and the printheads 11sc, 11sm, 11sy discharge ink droplets of approximately 2 ng as ink droplets of small volume (dots of small size).
As will be understood from the drawings, a printhead that discharges large dots and a printhead that discharges small dots of the same color are arranged next to each other. The reason for this is that when two printheads using the same color ink are arranged next to each other, an advantage gained is that a common ink tank can be employed for these two printheads, thereby making it possible to simplify the passageway from the ink tank to the printhead.
FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating printing in progress as seen from the side. Here only the cyan printheads are shown in order to simplify the description. A printhead unit 5 is provided with the printhead 11C that discharges large dots Cd and the printhead 11sc that discharges small dots scd. The ink droplets are discharged toward printing paper 7 in accordance with an image signal while a carriage is being moved in the direction of the arrow.
Since the ink droplets are discharged while the carriage is moving, the discharged ink droplets have a velocity component in the traveling direction of the carriage. As a consequence, the ink droplets are subjected to the effects of air currents and this has an effect upon ink impact position. In particular, the small dots scd also are affected by turbulence produced by the large dots Cd discharged from the neighboring printhead 11C. This makes it difficult to control the impact position. As a result, a disturbance is produced in the impact position of the small dots, this disturbance in impact position appears as stripes and unevenness in the printed image and causes a decline in the quality of the printed image. The larger the number of large dots discharged, the more pronounced this phenomenon becomes.

Ink-jet printing method, printing system, ink-jet printing apparatus, print data generating method, program and printer driver


A gripping assembly mounted on an impact hammer having a longitudinally extending impact axis, the gripping assembly including a pair of opposed elongate gripping arms, having gripping end portions which may be extended and swung toward each other to grip material in the region of the working end of the impact hammer. When retracted, the gripping arms rest to opposite sides of the impact hammer to permit free operation of the impact hammer.

In mining, excavation, and other fields, it often is necessary to provide means for breaking and maneuvering, or manipulating, hardened materials, such as rock.
One example of an area in which such need exists is in mining applications in which excavated rock is dumped onto a large screening device known as a grizzly. Grizzlies often are recessed below working level to accommodate sidecar or truck dumping of material thereon. The grizzly may become clogged by dumping oversized rock or boulders thereon, by finer material bridging the openings in the grizzly, and by other types of debris that may have been mixed with the mined materials.
In the past, many mine operators have resorted to manual labor to clear material from the grizzlies. For example, workmen move into the grizzly region with sledgehammers, rope slings, etc. to break up oversized rock and to attempt to remove debris therefrom.
In other operations, permanently installed impact hammers are used to break the oversized rock, such that it may move through the pre-selected sized openings in the grizzly. However, they provide no means for grasping and manipulating stone or debris, other than to attempt to break it by use of the impact hammer.
In light of the number of accidents that have occurred in the use of manual labor to clear grizzlies, and the ineffectiveness of jackhammers alone, it has become important to provide some means for breaking hardened materials, such as rocks, and to manipulate or grasp materials in the region of the impact hammer.

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services


A central pontoon semisubmersible floating platform for use in offshore applications has a hull configuration including vertical support columns, a central pontoon structure disposed inboard of the columns at a lower end thereof, and a deck structure supported at an upper end of the columns. The vertical columns and pontoon structure are constructed substantially of flat plate. The vertical columns are adjoined to the outer periphery of the central pontoon and have a transverse cross sectional shape with a major axis oriented radially outward from a center point of the hull, and a central vertical axis disposed a distance outward from the pontoon outer periphery. Risers can be supported on the inboard or outboard side of the pontoon and extended to the deck, and the structure can be anchored by mooring lines extending along the outboard face of the columns extending radially outward and downward from their lower ends.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to ring pontoon semisubmersible floating platforms, and more particularly to a central pontoon semisubmersible floating platform for use in offshore applications, such as for offshore oil and gas drilling and production, which has a hull with radially oriented columns and a central pontoon structure disposed inboard of the columns that simplifies construction, reduces support spans and cantilevers, and provides improved hydrodynamic performance of the platform.
2. Background Art
Semisubmersible vessels typically have a superstructure deck or decks supported by columns that are attached to hulls or pontoons, which have adjustable ballast capability. By adjusting the ballast carried by the pontoons, the pontoons may be positioned at or near the surface of the water or in a submerged location below the surface of the water, while the superstructure deck remains above the surface of the water. While being moved to a location where the vessel is to be used, the pontoons are typically are de-ballasted to permit them to ride at or near the surface of the water, facilitating transport of the vessel. After reaching the desired location, the ballast of the pontoons may be adjusted to cause the pontoons to become submerged below the surface of the water, providing improved stability and reduced motion of the vessel in rough, deep seas.
In conventional ring-pontoon semisubmersible vessels or platforms, the pontoons support the superstructure deck by columns which rise vertically or substantially vertically from the ring pontoon at various locations, as well as braces which may interconnect the pontoons, the pontoons and the columns, the columns and the superstructure, and/or two or more of the columns, to provide a strong and substantially rigid base structure that supports the deck(s) of the superstructure.
The interior of both the columns and the pontoons may be subdivided by bulkheads to strengthen the structure, to provide enclosed spaces for locating and storing various equipment (e.g., anchors, chains, propulsion mechanisms, etc.), possible storage of liquids such fuel and water, and product storage, and to provide a plurality of separate tanks for purposes of ballasting the vessel and storing various fluids and other materials which may be required or desired during drilling or produced by the well.
In a typical ring pontoon semisubmersible vessel or platform, the corner columns are placed such that the vertical centerline of the columns intersect the axial centerline of the pontoon on which the column is located.
Key et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,861 discloses a semi-submersible floating production vessel which has a ring pontoon with three main columns extending upwardly from corners of the pontoon and three secondary, minor columns extending upwardly from centers of the triangle sides. The columns support an open frame deck, on which production modules are positioned. The vessel is adapted for semi-permanent mooring with pre-tensioned mooring lines that are attached to swivel pad eyes secured on the main columns below the water line. Production and export risers are connected to the vessel below the water line. Compressed air ballast system allows selective emptying of ballast compartments located in the ring pontoon and eliminates the need for a conventional pump room.
Huang et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,023 discloses temporary stability modules and a method for marine structures during construction, transportation and installation that permits the structure, including platform, deck and equipment to be constructed in an upright position, towed to an ocean installation site, and installed by ballasting the structure or temporary stability modules and subsequent removal of the modules. The removable temporary stability modules are shown attached to an "extended-base" "tension leg" platform having four rectangular support columns disposed about a central axis of the substructure and horizontal pontoons interconnecting adjacent columns at their lower ends. The substructure also includes leg extensions radiating from the columns and/or the pontoons, which are described more fully in U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,208, discussed below.
Huang et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,208 discloses an "extended-base" "tension leg" substructure, an offshore platform supported on the substructure and a method for supporting an offshore platform on the substructure, where the substructure includes a plurality of support columns disposed about a central axis of the substructure and interconnected by at least one pontoon. Each column comprises an above-water and submerged portion. The substructure also includes a plurality of wings or arms radiating from the columns and/or the pontoons, each wing fixedly or removably securing at least one tendon extending from a wing to an anchor on the seabed. The substructure includes an open, wave transparent central zone for improved access to well-related equipment, conduits or the like and the wings minimize translational movement and rotational flex in the substructure reducing fatigue in the tendons and their connections.
It should be noted that the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,503,023 and 6,447,208 are directed toward "extended-base" "tension leg platforms", which have vertical heave-restrained mooring, wherein the present invention is a semisubmersible structure with lateral spread mooring that is not heave restrained. The outwardly extending wings or extensions of the prior art "extended-base" structures support the tendons some distance outboard of the vertical columns, thus the mooring loads cause restraint against platform vertical and rotational motions. In the present invention, the mooring loads do not provide substantial vertical or rotational restraint, and the vertical columns, which are substantially outboard of the central pontoon, provide improved rotational stability.
Frimm et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,245 discloses a ring pontoon semisubmersible offshore vessel wherein the vertical centerline of each of the corner columns is located inward of both the axial centerline of the forward section of the ring pontoon and the axial centerline of the aft section of the ring pontoon. Additionally, the vertical centerlines of the corner columns may be located inward with respect to the axial centerlines of the starboard and port portions of the ring pontoon. The superstructure deck may be supported by radial braces extending from the ring pontoon to locations on the superstructure deck, which are inward of the ring pontoon. Unlike the present invention, the pontoon structure is not substantially inboard of the columns.
Liden, U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,412 discloses a semi-submersible offshore platform having an operating deck carried by four cylindrical columns supported by a pontoon structure comprising four-sided boxes formed into a square ring. Each pontoon box is subdivided into two compartments by a longitudinal centerline bulkhead, the compartments being further subdivided into tanks by transverse bulkheads. Tanks outside the centerline bulkheads are used for ballast water, and tanks inside the centerline bulkheads are used to store the oil produced. Unlike the present invention, the pontoon structure is not substantially inboard of the columns.
Ludwigson, patent application 20010026733, published Oct. 4, 2001 discloses a semi-submersible vessel adapted to resist heave motion that includes a plurality of support columns with a square-shaped ring-pontoon connected to their lower ends. The axial centerline of the square-shaped ring-pontoon intersects the axial centerline of the lower ends of the support columns, and the support columns are inclined upwardly and inwardly from the ring-pontoon to the deck. Unlike the present invention, the pontoon structure is not substantially inboard of the columns.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a central pontoon semisubmersible floating platform for use in offshore applications, such as for offshore oil and gas drilling and production, which has a hull configuration including vertical support columns, a central pontoon structure disposed inboard of the columns at a lower end thereof, and a deck structure supported at an upper end of the columns. The vertical columns and pontoon structure are constructed substantially of flat plate. The vertical columns are adjoined to the outer periphery of the central pontoon and have a transverse cross sectional shape with a major axis oriented radially outward from a center point of the hull, and a central vertical axis disposed a distance outward from the pontoon outer periphery. Risers can be supported on the inboard or outboard side of the pontoon and extended to the deck, and the structure can be anchored by mooring lines extending along the outboard face of the columns extending radially outward and downward from their lower ends. The central pontoon and outboard column structure simplifies construction, reduces support spans and cantilevers, and provides improved hydrodynamic performance of the platform.

Central pontoon semisubmersible floating platform


A flexible film pouch includes an aperture to access its contents, and a closure means such as a re-sealable spout is applied over the aperture to permit sealed storage of the contents after opening. The closure means is attached to the flexible film pouch by means of a patch that is bonded to the inside of the pouch adjacent to the aperture. The patch is selected to have a mating surface that bonds with the inner surface of the pouch, where such bonding is preferably conducted by ultrasonic welding or adhesive bonding. The patch itself may have a hole that permits access to the contents of the pouch, or the closure means may include a cutting surface that tears a portion of the patch to permit access.

Flexible pouches are an attractive alternative to other forms of consumer packaging, including glass or plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and cartons. Pouches have distinctive practical and economic advantages in that they lie flat when empty, thereby requiring less storage space and reducing handling and shipping costs as well as lower costs of bulk waste. Flexible pouches are typically recyclable without processing and can be produced at costs comparable to rigid containers. The appeal of flexible pouches to consumers over rigid containers includes convenience: they are lightweight and easy to fit into small spaces; have a distinctive tactile appeal; and are more friendly to the environment and thus convey a lifestyle image more consistent with that of many consumers. Flexible film pouches also tend to have greater surface areas for displaying graphics and this creates more space for merchandising which further enhances the product, benefiting both suppliers and consumers alike.
Flexible pouches currently used in the packaging industry are comprised of multi-layers of coextruded materials, conventionally between two and ten layers, and more typically from four to six layers. The layers can be made of polyethylene (PE), ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), metal foil, or polyester (PET), along with a solvent or solvent based adhesive to bind the adjoining layers.
Present art involves pouches that have been designed with a spout welded to the top opening of the pouch body during the process of sealing the pouch closed. Most spouts are made of a high density PE and this material does not readily adhere to other materials of non-similar composition. This makes affixing the spout to the pouch problematic. This is further complicated by difficulties with achieving a leak-proof seal of the spout to the pouch.
In addition to problems with the quality of seal, in some instances the contents of the pouch is filled through the spout opening after it has been attached to the pouch. This methodology is relatively slow, resulting in higher costs of manufacture and packaging. Consequently, spouted pouches can cost more than competing rigid containers requiring them to be priced comparatively higher, and many consumers are unwilling to pay this added cost despite the distinctive design and appeal of the spouted pouch.
Another material which may be used for a spout is polypropylene (PP) but the cost involved in affixing this spout to the body of the pouch is also too high to gain strong consumer interest. As well, the present art for spouts follows a common design, limiting brands owners from achieving differentiation of their products, desired in the overall appearance of their packaging. Moreover, the application of spouts to pouches for other uses aside from beverages, such as liquid foods as well as household products, cosmetics, lotions, and the like are held back by the limited range of spout sizes and lack of suitable and economical means of manufacture. Therefore while demand for pouches with spouts has been growing, spouted pouches have gained limited popularity as a packaging form. The present invention seeks to solve these shortcomings with new opportunities for different spout configurations by employing a different technology to seal the spout to the pouch and apply the spout to the outside of the pouch. These innovations will result in a reliable and low cost method of applying an attractive and practical re-closeable spout to flexible pouches and create new opportunities for spouted pouches to be utilized for a broad range of products, including health and beauty, household, medical, automotive and industrial products as well as low acid beverages, in a range of pouch and spout sizes.

Method for attaching a spout to a flexible film pouch


The architecture of a programmable logic device (“PLD”) is modified in one or more of several respects to facilitate inclusion of high-speed serial interface (“HSSI”) circuitry in the PLD. For example, the HSSI circuitry is preferably located along one side of the device, taking the place of regular peripheral IO circuitry in that area. Certain portions of the core logic circuitry are modified to better interface with the HSSI circuitry.

This invention relates to programmable logic devices ("PLDs"), and more particularly to inclusion of high-speed serial interface circuitry in PLDs.
PLDs are relatively general-purpose devices that are manufactured to meet the various needs of many different potential users. The broader the range of needs that a PLD can satisfy, the larger the potential market for the PLD. A large volume of sales helps to hold down or reduce the unit cost of the PLD. Of course, adding more features to the PLD puts upward pressure on unit cost. So there is a trade-off between giving the PLD too few features to make it widely marketable, and giving it so many features that it becomes too expensive.
An area of recent interest in PLD design is the inclusion of high-speed serial interface ("HSSI") circuitry. Different users may want to use HSSI circuitry in many different ways. For example, there are many different industry-standard protocols for high-speed serial communication ("HSSC"). A user may want to use any of those industry-standard protocols. Or a user may want to use the user's own custom protocol.
Typically what is done in HSSC is to send and/or receive one or more channels or lanes of high-speed serial data. For example, each channel may operate in the gigahertz range (i.e., at a data rate in the range from approaching 1 GHz to several GHz). (Particular frequencies mentioned herein are only illustrative, and the invention is equally applicable to other lower or higher frequencies.) Some users may want to use one or more HSSI transmitter and/or receiver channels individually. Other users may want to use multiple HSSI transmitter and/or receiver channels in parallel (e.g., four channels operating together, eight channels operating together, etc.). "Operating together" typically means that there is some synchronization among the channels thus operating together. A user of channels operating together may want to use multiple instances of such channel groups.
To support such a wide range of possible HSSI use, a substantial amount of HSSI circuitry may need to be included on a PLD. And because of the possible need for synchronization among some or all of the channels of such HSSI circuitry, it may be preferable to provide this circuitry in a concentrated area or location on the PLD. Accommodating such a large amount of HSSI circuitry in a concentrated area may warrant innovative modifications to known PLD architectures.

Integration of high-speed serial interface circuitry into programmable logic device architectures


A method to write information to two geographically separated virtual tape servers, where the method provides a file to a virtual tape controller, writes that file to a first virtual tape server, and queues a copy job for the file in the virtual tape controller. Subsequently, the method provides the file to a second virtual tape server. The method sets a throughput threshold, determines the actual VTC throughput, and determines if the actual VTC throughput exceeds the throughput threshold. The method sets an age threshold and determines if the copy job age is greater than that age threshold. If the actual VTC throughput is greater than the throughput threshold and the copy job age is greater than the age threshold, then the method decreases the first adjustable host bandwidth and/or the second adjustable host bandwidth, otherwise the method restores the bandwidth to a nominal value.

In hierarchical computer storage systems, intensively used and fast storage are paired with arrays of slower and less frequently accessed data devices. One example of high-speed, expensive memory is a direct access storage device file buffer (DASD). Slower storage devices include tape drives and disk drive arrays, which are less expensive than a DASD.
One such hierarchical storage system is a virtual tape storage system. Such a virtual tape storage system may include, for example, one or more virtual tape servers ("VTS") in combination with one or more data storage and retrieval systems, such as the IBM TotalStorage® 3494 Enterprise Tape Library. During operation, the virtual tape storage system is writing data from a host to the numerous data storage devices disposed in the one or more data storage and retrieval systems.
More recently introduced data disaster recovery solutions include "remote dual copy," where data is backed-up not only remotely, but also continuously (either synchronously or asynchronously). In order to communicate duplexed data from one host processor to another host processor, or from one storage controller to another storage controller, or some combination thereof, a substantial amount of control data is required for realizing the process. A high overhead, however, can interfere with a secondary site's ability to keep up with a primary site's processing, thus threatening the ability of the secondary site to be able to recover the primary in the event a disaster occurs.
Disaster recovery protection for the typical data processing system requires that primary data stored on primary DASDs be backed-up at a secondary or remote location. The physical distance separating the primary and secondary locations can be set depending upon the level of risk acceptable to the user, and can vary from several kilometers to thousands of kilometers.
The secondary site must not only be sufficiently remote from the primary site, but must also be able to backup primary data in real time. The secondary site needs to backup primary data in real time as the primary data is updated, with some minimal delay.
What is needed is an apparatus and method to autonomically optimize the rate of transmission of information between geographically separated virtual tape servers.

Apparatus and method to write information to two geographically separated virtual tape servers

International Business Machines Corporation


A ground structure of a driving motor applied to an eco-friendly vehicle includes a rotation shaft rotatably supported by a bearing, a motor housing enveloping the bearing and the rotation shaft, a ground structure disposed in a direction in which the rotation shaft extends, and a cover having the ground structure installed therein and connected to the motor housing. In particular, the ground structure contacts the rotation shaft through a ground unit, thereby grounding the rotation shaft.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Recently, a pure electric power eco-friendly vehicle such as an electric vehicle, fuel cell vehicle, or the like has attracted attention. Such an electric power eco-friendly vehicle is equipped with an electric motor (hereinafter referred to as a driving motor) as a driving source for obtaining rotational power from electric energy instead of an internal combustion engine and the like.
The driving motor used as a power source for the eco-friendly vehicle includes a housing, a stator fixedly installed inside the housing, and a rotor disposed at a predetermined gap with the stator and rotating around a rotation shaft as a drive shaft. The driving motor used in the eco-friendly vehicle is supplied with three-phase AC power through an inverter. The inverter converts DC power of a battery into three-phase AC through power module switching. At this time, three-phase voltage is not a complete sinusoidal waveform and the sum of the three-phase voltage is not zero. This is called common-mode voltage. Due to the common-mode voltage applied to the coil of the driving motor, axial voltage is generated in the rotation shaft due to the parasitic capacitance inside the driving motor. The axial voltage causes a potential difference between the inner and outer rings of the bearing that supports the rotation shaft and causes electric erosion of the bearing by the discharge mechanism inside the bearing. Such electric erosion has a serious influence on durability of the driving motor, for example, the electric erosion may cause damage to the bearing and the like.
In the conventional art, in order to reduce the axial voltage caused at the rotation shaft of the driving motor, a ground ring (shaft ground ring) that applies an electric current to both the housing and the rotation shaft is installed between the rotation shaft and the housing. However, the ground ring is to electrically provide a ground connection of the rotation shaft that is being rotated and the housing that is fixed. Therefore, friction is generated between the ground ring and the rotation shaft, and the durability of the ground ring is deteriorated due to the generated friction. In addition, a brush applied to the ground ring has a disadvantage in that the brush is low in oil resistance and thus is vulnerable to damage due to automatic transmission fluid (ATF) oil. In addition, there is a disadvantage that the ground ring is expensive.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and is not intended to mean that the present disclosure falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.


The invention relates to a wrapping device to wrap an object, such as a bale, in foil material, including at least one clamping and cutting device to clamp the foil material after wrapping of the object, and to cut the clamped foil material, wherein the clamping and cutting device includes a catch element having a curved guiding element which is guided in a bearing, wherein the catch element is translatable between a catch position to catch the foil material and a clamp position in which the foil material can be clamped in order to facilitate cutting of the foil material.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a wrapping device for wrapping objects in foil material. In particular, the invention relates to a wrapping device for wrapping bales of crop material after a bale has been formed in a baling device. The baling device and wrapping device may be integrated in a single agricultural unit or be provided as two separate agricultural systems.
2. Description of Related Art
An embodiment of a known wrapping device comprises a frame, a wrapping table mounted on the frame and configured to support the object during wrapping, one or more movable roll support devices to support one or more rolls of foil material to be rotated about the object during wrapping, a carrying structure mounted on the frame and configured to carry the one or more roll support devices, and a clamping and cutting device.
The clamping and cutting device is provided to clamp the foil material after wrapping of an object to facilitate the cutting of the foil material, and to cut the clamped foil material, so that the wrapped bale is no longer connected to the rolls of foil material. The clamping and cutting device usually comprises a catch element to catch the foil in order to make the clamping of the foil possible. This catch element may be brought in the trajectory of the foil material during wrapping in order to catch the foil and clamp it at a cutting location. In this cutting location, the foil is cut between the bale and the respective roll of foil material, so that the wrapped bale is no longer connected to the roll of foil material.
The clamped end of the band of foil connected to the roll of foil material is held in the clamping and cutting device after cutting until the wrapping of a new bale is started. When the foil is rotated at least one time about the bale, the clamped end in the clamping and cutting device may be released as the first windings of foil may hold the end of the band of foil.
Such clamping and cutting device must be placed at the end of the wrapping process at least partially in the trajectory to catch the foil, while at the beginning of the process it must be placed outside the trajectory as the one or more roll support devices must be rotated at least once about the bale before the clamped end of the band of foil may be released.
The pending German patent application with application number DE 10 2007 051 491.5, which is hereby incorporated by reference describes an embodiment of a wrapping device to wrap bales of crop material comprising a clamping and cutting device. The clamping and cutting device comprises a catch element which can be rotated between a horizontal rest position and a vertical catch position. In the rest position the catch element is placed outside the trajectory of the rolls of foil material to wrap the bale in foil material. In the catch position, the catch element is brought in a vertical position in the trajectory of the rolls of foil material so that the band of foil can be caught by the catch element.
The catch element supports two clamp elements which are movable with respect to the catch element. When the foil is caught by the catch element the clamp elements are arranged at opposite ends of the catch element. Thereafter, the clamp elements are moved towards each other to bring the foil together and clamp it between the two clamp elements. Then, the catch element is rotated back to the horizontal position while the foil is clamped between the clamp elements. During this rotation the foil may be cut by a cutting element.
A disadvantage of this wrapping device is that the construction is relative complex. Multiple movements, rotations and translations have to be performed to catch and clamp the foil and at least three hydraulic cylinders are required to perform these actions. Furthermore, the time required performing the catching and clamping is relatively long.
It is remarked that DE4404225 and EP 1 502 495, both hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties, disclose alternative embodiments of clamping and cutting devices having similar drawbacks.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Wrapping device and method for wrapping an object


A method of detecting constituents in a sample includes generating a plurality of ions in an ionization region. The method also includes preventing the plurality of ions in the ionization region from flowing into a drift region through inducing a first voltage in a device positioned between the two regions. The method further includes injecting at least a portion of the ions from the ionization region into the drift region. The method also includes regulating the voltage in the device to a second voltage for a first predetermined temporal period, the second voltage less than the first voltage. The method further includes regulating the voltage in the device to the first voltage. The method also includes regulating the voltage in the device to the second voltage for a second predetermined temporal period, the second predetermined temporal period different from the first predetermined temporal period.

The embodiments described herein relate generally to an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) and, more particularly, to an IMS detection system for enhancing detection of materials of interest through enhanced resolution of high-mobility ions and low-mobility ions.
At least some known spectroscopic detection devices include a time-of-flight (TOF) ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) detection system. Such TOF-IMS detection systems are used to detect trace portions of materials of interest, e.g., residues, in the presence of interfering substances in collected samples. In at least some known TOF-IMS detection systems, ions are generated in an ionization region to increase the ion population therein. An ion gate (sometimes referred to as an ion shutter) that includes a conducting grid of interleaved wires, e.g., a Bradbury-Nielson gate, is maintained in a "cut-off" condition that is configured to prevent an ion current to transmit from the ionization region. Energizing the ion gate deflects the ions in the ionization region to the gate wires, thereby collecting the ions and preventing them from flowing through the gate. De-energizing the ion gate allows the ions to flow out from the ionization region into a drift region, where a time-of-flight spectrum is generated. Based on an ions' mass, charge, size, and shape (the ion mobility), the migration time through the drift region is characteristic of different ions, leading to the ability to distinguish different analyte species.
The population of ions generated in the ionization region include low-mobility analytes and high-mobility analytes. The low-mobility analytes traverse the drift region with a lower velocity than the high-mobility analytes due to their relatively larger molecular size than the high-mobility analytes. The low-mobility and high-mobility analytes pulsed into the drift region from the ionization region typically generate spectrum peaks on spectral analysis equipment.
Both the sensitivity associated with the amplitude of the peaks (for low-level detection) and resolving power associated with the width of the peaks (to distinguish between close spectrum peaks) of the instrument are important. The ion gating time is the temporal period that the ion gate is de-energized. The resolving power for any particular analyte increases as the gating time is reduced because the initial peak width decreases. The increased resolving power and the associated narrower peak widths facilitate improved detection resolution. Notably, the sensitivity decreases rapidly below a certain ion gating time, thereby defining a lower limit for the ion gating time for an ion species of given mobility.
Ions of lower mobility and longer drift times have wider spectrum peak widths as a function of diffusion in the axial direction along the drift region as compared to higher mobility ions with shorter drift times. Therefore, for the same gating injection time and same initial ion current in the source region, the peak heights for the lower mobility ion have smaller values as compared to higher mobility ions. The lower mobility ions will exhibit higher spectrum peaks, i.e., increased sensitivity with a longer gating pulse. The higher mobility ions will also have higher spectrum peaks with longer gating pulses, but a significantly lower resolving power will result, thereby decreasing the resolution of the spectrum peaks. Therefore, the optimum ion gating time is different for every analyte mobility peak and the optimum ion gating time should be proportional to the drift time of a particular ion. As such, since known general purpose TOF-IMS systems need to sample ions of many species, often simultaneously, the sensitivity and the resolving power for a range of analytes during the period of a sample, usually 3-10 seconds, are not optimized for each of the analytes. Specifically, resolution of spectral traces of high-mobility analytes is sacrificed for retaining sensitivity for low-mobility analytes.

Ion mobility spectrometer and method of using the same


A stator winding temperature sensor including at least one sensing wire for connecting to a stator. The sensor also includes a body, including a core material comprising a polyimide substrate having an acrylic adhesive surrounding at least a portion of the sensing wire, and a laminate material over the core material. The body has a thickness adapted to protect the sensing wire. The sensor includes a lead wire for connecting to an external monitoring device. The sensing wire is electrically connected to the lead wire at a lead step portion of the sensor. The sensor further includes a tab extending from the lead wire and encompassing the lead step, the tab including a flexible zone where the tab is surrounded by a polyimide and an adhesive but is not surrounded by fiberglass.

A resistance-based temperature sensor, or resistance temperature detector (RTD), can be used in a number of applications to measure the operating temperature of an environment or system based on a sensed change in resistance in one or more wires incorporated into the sensor. When connected to a stator, such as those used in motors, generators and auxiliary equipment, an RTD can be used to detect temperatures in stator windings, as well as the temperatures of associated air and gas streams.
To connect an RTD to a stator, the RTD is typically installed inside the stator core. This may be accomplished by installing the RTD completely within an opening or slot formed between the stator windings or coils, with only the sensor's associated insulated wires protruding past an edge of the stator core. Typically, this type of RTD includes a thin, rigid body (e.g. a fiberglass body) for housing the sensing portion. Relatively large electrical leads forming the connection to the sensing portion generally do not fit inside the fiberglass body. Accordingly, these arrangements require the formation of a "lead step", which may comprise a deposit of fiberglass material on the lead wire ends where they join the fiberglass body. This lead step makes the RTD installation process and its positioning inside a motor or generator more difficult than other applications, as well as susceptible to damage during motor or generator manufacturing.
Further, RTDs used in stator and other space-constrained applications often exhibit tensile failures during installation and manufacturing, as RTDs are friction fit, for example, within the stator windings. The cause of these failures can be linked to stress on the RTD sensing wire resulting from the installation process, which can include pressure, blows with rubber mallets, and bending of the lead end/lead step area of the RTD at the edge of the stator core.
Accordingly, more robust stator winding temperature sensors are desired.


A system for generating a 3D segmentation of a target volume is provided. The system accesses views of an X-ray scan of a target volume. The system applies a 2D CNN to each view to generate a 2D multi-channel feature vector for each view. The system applies a space carver to generate a 3D channel volume for each channel based on the 2D multi-channel feature vectors. The system then applies a linear combining technique to the 3D channel volumes to generate a 3D multi-label map that represents a 3D segmentation of the target volume.

In many environments, there is a need to identify regions of interest within an image. For example, in an airport, an image generated from a scan of a bag may need to be analyzed to determine whether the bag contains any prohibited objects (i.e., regions of interest). As another example, in a medical environment, an image generated from a scan of a patient may need to be analyzed to determine whether the patient has a tumor. The scanning technology may be computed tomography ("CT"), and the images may be three-dimensional ("3D") images.
Computed Tomography is a technique that noninvasively generates cross-sectional images of the linear attenuation coefficients ("LACs") of materials in an object of interest. CT has been used extensively in medical and security applications such as for generating a scan of a brain or a scan of baggage at an airport. The LAC is a measure of the attenuation of X-rays as the X-rays pass through a certain material and is in units of inverse length (e.g., per centimeter). To generate the LACs, CT employs an X-ray source and an X-ray detector. The X-ray source transmits X-rays through the object with an initial intensity, and the X-ray detector, which is on the opposite side of the object from the source, measures the final intensities of the X-rays that pass through the object and impinge on pixels of a detector. CT collects measurements by positioning the source and detector at various angles relative to the object and collecting the measurements of the final intensity at each angle. The measurements for an angle are referred to as a projection or a view. The measurements of the intensities may be represented as a negative of a logarithm of a ratio of transmission data of a scan of the object to transmission data of a scan without the object (e.g., scan of air). Various techniques may be used to collect measurements at different angles relative to the object. For example, the source and detector may be stationary and the object may be rotated, the object may be stationary and the source and detector may be rotated, and multiple stationary transmitters and detectors may be positioned at different angles. CT algorithms then reconstruct from the collection of measurements a 3D image of the object that specifies the LAC for each volume element ("voxel") within the 3D volume that the object is within. The cross-sectional images may be generated from the 3D image.
A forward model may be used to represent the relationship between the unknown 3D volume (e.g., that includes an object) and the CT measurements as represented by the following equation:Af=g where g represents a vector of the measurements, f represent a vector with an LAC for each voxel, and A represent a forward projection matrix. The forward projection matrix indicates which voxels an X-ray passed through in travelling from the X-ray source to the X-ray detector. The goal of CT is to determine f given A and g.
Conventional CT requires that the number of projections be roughly equal to the number of pixels in a projection. In practice, the number of projections that can be collected may be severely limited for various reasons. For example, some CT protocols require that the X-ray dose delivered to the object (e.g., baggage or patient) be limited. One way to reduce the dose is to limit the number of projections that are collected. As another example, CT systems that are flux-limited may employ long integration times per projection to collect adequate measurements. CT systems may be flux-limited because of dim sources (low current), large source-to-detector distances, small detector pixels, and/or highly attenuating objects. To increase throughput, a flux-limited CT system may have time to generate only a small number of projections. As another example, when the object is in motion (e.g., a beating human heart), a CT system may deliberately collect a limited number of projections to shorten the data acquisition time to reduce the artifacts associated with the object motion. As another example, some CT systems employ multiple source-detector pairs mounted on a stationary gantry (e.g., for scanning carry-on baggage at an airport). The projections of such a CT system are limited by the number of sources.
When the number of projections is limited to one or more orders of magnitude smaller than the number pixels in a projection, a problem arises in that the reconstructed 3D image is generally polluted with streak artifacts. This problem is referred to as the few-view reconstruction problem. The few-view reconstruction problem arises because the number of unknowns (i.e., the number of voxels) is much greater than the number of linear equations represented by the projections and the measurements are noisy.

3D segmentation using space carving and 2D convolutional neural networks

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC


A repair fuse circuit includes an address comparator, and a plurality of I/O bus select bit output units. The address comparator outputs repair signals for selecting a redundant column that will replace a full column of a plurality of redundant columns according to a column address. The plurality of I/O bus select bit output units for outputting signals corresponding to respective bits of I/O bus repair signals for selecting an I/O bus to which the redundant column will be connected according to the repair signals.

The present invention relates to a repair fuse circuit and, more particularly, to a repair fuse circuit for storing Input/Output (I/O) repair information, which can reduce the number of fuses.
In general, in a semiconductor circuit, I/O information, which will be repaired within a redundant block, is controlled using a fuse. As a chip generally operates in x8 and x16, four I/O fuse boxes are required in a repair line. Two fuses for low and high are used in one repair box.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a conventional repair fuse circuit.
A repair fuse circuit 100 includes an inverter 1100, a fuse unit F100, and a plurality of the transfer gates T110 to T140. The inverter 1100 inverts an external repair signal REP and outputs inverted repair signal IREP. The fuse unit F100 includes first to fourth fuse blocks FB110 to FB140. Each of the fuse blocks FB110 to FB140 includes a first fuse Fa connected to an input terminal to which the repair signals REP is input, and a second fuse Fb connected to a ground terminal.
Furthermore, each of the fuse blocks FB110 to FB140 outputs a logic high or a logic low depending on the open/closed state of the first and second fuses Fa, Fb with the repair signals REP. The first to fourth transfer gates T110 to T140 are turned on or off in response to the repair signal REP and the inverted repair signal IREP, and output logic signals, which are output from the first to fourth fuse blocks FB110 to FB140 to external I/O buses I/OBUS<0:3>.
The operation of the conventional redundancy I/O fuse circuit constructed above is as follows. The first or second fuses Fa, Fb within the first to fourth fuse blocks FB 110 to FB 140 is cut (or blown) through a specific test. For example, if I/O<9> is to be repaired, the second fuse Fb of each of the first and fourth fuse blocks FB 110 and FB 140 is cut (or open), and the first fuse Fa of each of the second and third fuse blocks FB 120 and FB 130 is open. Consequently, a logic signal '1001' is output through the I/O bus I/OBUS<0:3>, and a repair multiplexer (not shown) replaces a main data line, corresponding to I/O<9> with a redundancy data line according to the logic signal '1001'.
As in the above, in order to represent I/O repair information, the fuse unit F100 including eight or more fuses is required. The fuse unit F100 is used as many times as the number of repair columns. Further, in order to synchronize logic signal output from the fuse blocks FB110 to FB140 and to transfer them to the respective I/O buses I/OBUS<0:3>; it requires four transfer gates T110 to T140 including one PMOS transistor and one NMOS transistor. When the number of repair columns is 32, 256 fuses, corresponding to fuse number (8)*repair column number (32), are required.

Repair fuse circuit for storing I/O repair information therein


A duct for a turbine engine, such as a gas turbine engine, can be utilized to carry a fluid from one portion of the engine to another. The duct can include a metallic tubular element having one of a varying wall thickness, a varying cross section, or a tight bend. Such a duct can be formed utilizing additive manufacturing or metal deposition on an additively manufactured mandrel.

Turbine engines, and particularly gas or combustion turbine engines, are rotary engines that extract energy from a flow of combusted gases passing through the engine in a series of compressor stages, which include pairs of rotating blades and stationary vanes, through a combustor, and then onto a multitude of turbine stages, also including multiple pairs of rotating blades and stationary vanes.
Duct assemblies are provided about the turbine engine and include conduits for providing the flow of various operating fluids to and from the turbine engine and between stages of the turbine engine. One of the operating fluids is bleed air. In the compressor stages, bleed air is produced and taken from the compressor via feeder ducts. Bleed air from the compressor stages in the gas turbine engine can be utilized in various ways. For example, bleed air can provide pressure for the aircraft cabin, keep critical parts of the aircraft ice-free, or can be used to start remaining engines. Configuration of the feeder duct assembly used to take bleed air from the compressor requires rigidity under dynamic loading, and flexibility under thermal loading.
The complexity and spacing requirements of the turbine engine often require particular ducting paths in order to accommodate other engine components. However, duct assemblies and conduits thereof are limited by manufacturing capabilities and costs, which can lead to increased weight or inefficient duct assemblies.


A stenciling device for applying a multi-color design on a cylindrical object includes a registration assembly for synchronizing the rotational speed of the object to be stenciled with a silk screen assembly. The registration assembly includes a cable assembly that is interconnected between the silk screen assembly and a rotation member that is adjustable to increase or decrease the size of its circumference so that it conforms to the size of the object to be stenciled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to automatic stenciling apparatus and more specifically to such apparatus for stenciling multi-color designs on cylindrical objects having a registration apparatus adapted for use with a laterally moving silk screen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic stenciling apparatus are known in the art for rotatably supporting a bottle, mug or other cylindrical object against the surface of a silk screen having a prepared design to cause the bottle to rotate in registration with the design. In the process of stenciling cylindrical or nearly cylindrical objects, the frictional driving engagement between the object and the silk screen causes rotation of the object and produces a satisfactory image. However, such means of maintaining registration between the object and the screen does not prove satisfactory for multi-colored stencils for which a precise registration between the screen and the object is required.
To provide more precise registration between the object and the screen, it is known in the art to provide a positive driving connection between the screen frame and the mount supporting the object such that the translation of the screen rotates the object in synchronism, thereby preventing relative slippage between the surface being stenciled and the screen. Examples of prior art mechanisms having such a positive driving connection are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,090,300; 3,260,194 and 4,111,118. One of the more currently used type of systems is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,194 and includes a pinion gear attached to one end of a rotatable shaft and a device for holding the object to be printed attached to the other end. Meshed with the pinion gear is a rack, mounted horizontally with a linear bearing at each end. Vertical rods attached to the back of a screen assembly engage these linear bearings allowing the rack to move laterally in synchronization with the screen, while remaining meshed with the pinion when the item holder is lowered from the screen for loading and unloading. As the screen and rack move laterally, the rack transfers the horizontal linear motion of the screen to rotational motion of the object being printed, allowing the image in the flat horizontally mounted screen to be transferred to the curved surface of the item.
Critical factors involved in registering multi-color printing include closely matching the rotation rate of the item with the linear rate of the screen, a 1:1 ratio between their surfaces being ideal and critical, and a smooth, accurate rotational motion with no slop or back-lash to introduce left and right variation into the relative location of the imprint colors.
The current rack and pinion systems require an extensive inventory of expensive and in many cases custom made pinion gears to accommodate items of differing diameters. The minimum increment of adjustment is one gear tooth, typically 1/10th of an inch. Multicolor printing requires registration tolerances as low as 1/100th of an inch, so the rack and pinion gear system is generally not accurate enough to product high-quality multi-color imprints, especially on coffee mugs and plastic bottles.
In new rack-and-pinion gear systems, a certain amount of clearance or space must be provided between the mating gear teeth to facilitate smooth operation, or binding and rumble or rough operation will result. As rack and pinion gears wear, the clearance or back-lash increases, and there is no method of adjusting or compensating for this wear (other than to replace both the pinion and rack gears), so these systems tend to develop inaccuracies as they are used. These factors along with the high cost of maintaining an inventory of many different sized gears, are addressed by the present invention.
Although the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,194 provides an assembly that improves the registration between the movement of the screen and the article, it is not adapted to provide the precise registration necessary for the stenciling of multi-color designs on articles or to avoid the back-lash that is inherent in a rack and pinion system.

Stenciling device with registration apparatus


A nonvolatile memory device is provided. A counter counts an amount of data to be program-inhibited among data to be written to memory cells to provide a first count value. The counter also counts an amount of program-inhibited data among data written to the memory cells to provide a second count value. Control logic controls a program operation by comparing the first count value with the second count value.

The present disclosure relates to semiconductor memory devices, and, more particularly, to nonvolatile memory devices.
Semiconductor memory devices are memory devices that can store data and read stored data when necessary. Semiconductor memory devices are typically classified into volatile memory devices and nonvolatile memory devices.
Volatile memory devices lose their stored data when a power supply is interrupted. Volatile memory devices include static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM). Nonvolatile memory devices retain their stored data even when a power supply is interrupted. Nonvolatile memory devices include read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically eraseable programmable random access memory (EEPROM), flash memory devices, phase-change random access memory (PRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) and ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM). Flash memory devices may be classified into a NOR-type and a NAND-type.

Nonvolatile memory device, methods of programming the nonvolatile memory device and memory system including the same


An optical head reader includes a laser light source; a polarization beam splitter for dividing first and second linearly polarized beams having first and second polarization directions which are perpendicular to each other; an optical transmission system for transmitting the first and second beams along first and second optical paths which are parallel to each other; a quarter wavelength plate for converting the first and second beams into first and second circularly polarized beams having polarization planes rotated in first and second directions opposite to each other; and a pair of first and second objective lenses provided having first and second focal lengths which are different from each other, so that one of the first and second circularly polarized beams is focused on an optical disk surface. The first and second circularly polarized beams are reflected by the optical disk surface and subsequently transmitted through the first and second objective lenses to the quarter wavelength plate, whereby the first and second circularly polarized beams are converted into third and fourth linearly polarized beams having the second and first polarization directions. The third and fourth beams are transmitted through the optical transmission system to the polarization beam splitter, whereby the third and fourth beams are transmitted along a common optical path to a single optical detecting system.

The present invention relates to an optical head device, and more particularly to an optical head device operable with optical disks of various sizes, such as compact disks of diverse thicknesses.
Generally, optical disk devices have used an optical head having a transparent substrate, through which a laser beam is transmitted to form a micro-spot on a micron-order surface of a storage medium, wherein the transparent substrate protects the micron-order surface of the storage medium. The transparent substrate is a transparent parallel plane plate through which a converging beam is transmitted, for which reason a wave-front aberration depending upon a thickness of the parallel plane substrate appears on the transmitting beam. If the wave-front aberration is large, then a convergence spot is enlarged beyond a diffraction limit whereby it is difficult to obtain desired recording/replaying properties. In order to settle those problems, it is required to form a micro-spot as small as possible in the light of the diffraction limit on the storage medium surface to compensate such wave-front aberration.
The regulation of the thickness of the optical disk is variable, depending on the use. If the thickness of the optical disk is varied, then the amount of compensation to the wave-front aberration is also varied, for which reason the conventional optical head is operable with recording/replaying optical disk mediums having a certain thickness and being designed under a certain regulation. Namely, the conventional optical head is not operable with the various optical disk mediums designed in accordance with the various regulations.
In order to settle the above problem, an optical head device was proposed, which is capable of switching twin lenses in accordance with the various optical disks wherein the twin lenses are mounted on an actuator. This optical head device is disclosed in the "TECHNICAL REPORT OF THE INSTITUTE OF ELECTRONICS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERS", MR95-25, August 1995.
FIG. 1 is illustrative of a mechanical structure of the actuator provided in the above conventional optical head device having twin lenses. The actuator is provided with a movable plate 10 on which a first objective lens 7 and a second objective lens 8 are mounted. The movable plate 10 is provided to rotate around an axis 21 in a predetermined angle range. The first and second objective lenses 7 and 8 are spaced from the axis 21 around which the movable plate 10 rotates so that the first and second objective lenses 7 and 8 are switched by the rotation of the movable plate 10. Either a reflective mirror or a reflective prism is provided on a base of the actuator so that the reflective mirror or the reflective prism is fixed in position under one of the first and second objective lenses 7 and 8. An incident beam 20 is reflected by the reflective mirror or the reflective prism. The movable plate 10 has a side edge on which a pole piece 22 is formed. A magnet 24 is slightly distanced from the pole piece to provide a magnetic force to the pole piece 22 whereby the movable plate 10 is forced to rotate around the axis 21. A tracking coil 23 is provided on the magnet 24 so that a large current is applied on the tracking coil 23 to rotate the movable plate 10 for switching the first and second objective lenses 7 and 8. Bistable points exist in the magnetic field between the magnet 24 and the pole piece 22 so that the movable plate 10 is stable in the bistable points of the magnetic field wherein the first and second objective lenses 7 and 8 are positioned over the reflective mirror or the reflective prism. The tracking is made around the axis 21, in the light of which the movable plate 10 is made to rotate at a larger angle than in the tracking process, so as to switch the first and second objective lenses 7 and 8. The first and second lenses 7 and 8 are adjusted to the different two optical disks having different thicknesses so that the above optical head is operable with two different optical disks having different thicknesses by switching the first and second objective lenses adjusted to these two different optical disks.
For the above conventional optical head, the slidable and rotable actuator which is allowed to rotate at a relatively large angle is usable. Notwithstanding, a wire-supporting actuator or a plate spring supporting actuator are not available due to those small movable ranges even those actuators have widely been used.
In the above circumstances, it had been required to develop a novel twin lens optical head device operable with two different optical disks having different thicknesses but not limiting the type of the actuator or allowing various types of the actuator.
It has been also required to develop a novel twin lens optical head device operable with two different optical disks having different thicknesses and capable of recording/replaying operations with a considerably reduced optical loss.

Optical head device for reading two optical disks