A pseudo-plastic aqueous ink for a ball point pen contains at least a pigment, a dispersant, water, a polar solvent and a thickener and further contains 0.05 to 7% by weight of the silicone base surfactant or 0.05 to 5% by weight of a silicone base surfactant and 0.05 to 5% by weight of sodium dialkyl sulfosuccinate based on the whole amount of the ink.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aqueous ink for a ball point pen, more specifically to a pseudo-plastic aqueous ink for a ball point pen providing the advantages of an oil base ink-filled ball point pen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, what have so far been used as inks for a ball point pen are an aqueous ink of low viscosity containing water or a water soluble solvent as a solvent and having a viscosity of 10 centipoise or lower, and an oil base ink containing a lipophilic solvent such as a mineral oil, a polyhydric alcohol, a fatty acid and Cellosolve as a solvent and having a viscosity of 1000 to 20000 centipoise.
An oil base ink-filled ball point pen using an oil base ink for a ball point pen is of a structure in which the ink adhered on a ball at a pen point through an ink reservoir having a small diameter is transferred on a paper surface by rotation of the ball and only the transferred volume of the ink is fed from the ink reservoir to the ball.
An aqueous ink-filled ball point pen using an aqueous ink for a ball point pen is of a structure in which an ink is fed to a ball surface or a paper surface by means of a capillary action of a feed prepared by binding fine fibers.
While the aqueous ink for a ball point pen and the oil base ink for a ball point pen described above each have excellent advantages respectively, they have various problems.
For example, in the aqueous ink for a ball point pen, a capillary action is used as a principle of feeding the ink because of a low viscosity thereof, wherein simple contact of the point portion of the ball point pen with paper allows the capillary action to be exerted on the contact point thereof to feed the ink, and good writing can be done on a paper surface without applying so much writing pressure, so that splitting, starving and blobbing scarcely take place. On the other hand, loading the ink directly into the ink reservoir allows the ink to leak due to vibration, impact and a rise in an external temperature to make the amount of the ink fed to the ball instable. In order to prevent this, the ball point pen requires a complicated structure having a feed prepared by binding fine fibers and has a problem that it is difficult to check the remaining amount of the ink.
On the contrary, since the oil base ink for a ball point pen has a high viscosity, blobbing of the ink from the pen point can be prevented, and the ink can be loaded directly into the ink reservoir having a small diameter. As a result, a ball point pen filled with the oil base ink is characterized by that the structure of the ball point pen can be simplified and the remaining amount of the ink can be checked by using a transparent material for the ink reservoir. On the other hand, since the ink is transferred only on the paper surface contacted with the rotating ball, splitting and starving are liable to take place if the ball rotates unstably. Further, the ink is hard to penetrate into a paper surface and therefore has a problem that blobbing in which stain is caused by the untransferred ink is liable to take place.
In order to solve such problems, an aqueous ink for a ball point pen (hereinafter referred to as a pseudo-plastic aqueous ink) to which a specific viscosity characteristic is given by adding a gelling agent and a water soluble paste to a water soluble ink is provided in recent years.
In an aqueous ink-filled ball point pen using this pseudo-plastic aqueous ink, an ink viscosity is reduced when being used to write since shearing force is applied to the ink by rotation of the ball at the tip point, so that the ball point pen can write as smoothly as conventional aqueous ink-filled ball point pens and make good writing on a paper surface. Further, blobbing of the ink from the pen point can be prevented since the ink has a high viscosity when the ball point pen is not in use. The aqueous ink-filled ball point pen using this pseudo-plastic aqueous ink makes it possible to store the ink directly into the ink reservoir and simplify the structure thereof. In addition thereto, the remaining amount of the ink can be checked by using a transparent material for the ink reservoir.
Thus, the use of a pseudo-plastic aqueous ink for a ball point pen provides a writing tool having both characteristics of an aqueous ink-filled ball point pen and an oil base ink-filled ball point pen. However, an actual preparation of a pseudo-plastic aqueous ink for a ball point pen on a trial basis shows that it is very difficult to maintain the intended quality of the ball point pen without controlling the viscosity of the ink according to the tip used. For example, if the pseudo-plastic aqueous ink having a quality which is suited to a tip for a ball having a small diameter is used for a tip for a ball having a large diameter, produced are problems that a clearance between the ball and the holder changes and blobbing and splitting are caused due to a reduction in shearing force exerted to the ink in writing and that the drying property of the drawn lines is reduced because of the excess flow amount of the ink.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the problems described above, and an object thereof is to provide a pseudo-plastic aqueous ink for a ball point pen which can meet tips under any condition for ball diameters, materials, dimensions and the like and which always provides a smooth writing and a stable flow amount without causing blobbing and splitting and is high in stability on standing and a drying property of the drawn lines.

Pseudo-plastic aqueous ink for ball point pen


An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that rotates in a predetermined direction so as to carry a toner image, a charging member that charges the image carrier by a discharge operation, a toner holding member that is disposed to be in contact with the image carrier so as to hold toner in a portion being in contact with the image carrier and that removes a discharge product generated on the image carrier, and a holding amount adjusting unit that adjusts a toner holding amount of the toner holding member. The holding amount adjusting unit includes an estimation unit that estimates a current toner holding amount of the toner holding member, and a correction unit that corrects the toner holding amount of the toner holding member on a basis of an estimation result obtained from the estimation unit.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a printer or a copying machine.
2. Related Art
In a conventional image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method or an electrostatic recording method, it is general that an image carrier is electrically charged by using a discharge charging member, such as a corotron or a conductive roller to which a bias is applied.
In the discharge charging method, it is not avoidable that discharge products generated by the discharge are attached on an image carrier, such as a photoconductor. If a large amount of discharge products are attached on the image carrier, the electrical characteristic of a surface layer (for example, a photoconductor layer) of the image carrier corresponding to portions, in which the discharge products are attached, is changed under high humidity environment because the discharge products have hygroscopic properties. As a result, there is a possibility that a phenomenon, in which an image becomes white, will occur. In particular, in a condition in which an image forming apparatus is placed under the high humidity environment for a long time, the hygroscopic properties of the discharge products increase even more, and accordingly, the phenomenon in which an image becomes white occurs more frequently.
Here, in order to remove the discharge products, for example, a brush-shaped cleaning member having a high front end force may be used. In this case, however, a photoconductor layer on the image carrier is abraded by the brush and abraded remainder is reattached onto the image carrier, and as a result, an external additive of toner is attached with the reattached remainder as a core. Accordingly, a raindrops shaped filming phenomenon (hereinafter, referred to as a raindrops shaped filming according to the necessity) is apt to occur and the image carrier is apt to be easily scratched because the front end force of the brush is strong. In addition, in order to remove the discharge products by using a blade-shaped cleaning member, it is possible to remove the discharge products by optimizing a parameter of the blade, however, the contact pressure becomes large, which causes a problem in that the blade is bent or makes a noise due to the rubbing and further the image carrier is abraded or the blade itself is abraded (teeth of a blade edge is broken or locally abraded). As a result, the lifetime of the image forming apparatus is shortened.

Image forming apparatus with a holding amount adjusting unit


A polarizer, a Faraday rotator and an analyzer are fixed by fused glass applied on an outer periphery of the polarizer to be contacted with the Faraday rotator and on an outer periphery of the analyzer to be contacted with the Faraday rotator. No adhesive exists between contact planes of the polarizer and the Faraday rotator and those of the Faraday rotator and the analyzer.

One type of a conventional optical isolator comprises a polarizer, a 45 degree - Faraday rotator, and an analyzer which are fixed by applying optic adhesive between the polarizer and the Faraday rotator and between the Faraday rotator and the analyzer, and a magnet which is fixed to an outer periphery of the Faraday rotator by use of adhesive.
In operation, incident light is supplied to the polarizer of the optical isolator, so that a polarization component of the incident light coinciding with a polarization plane of the polarizer is passed through the polarizer to be supplied to the Faraday rotator, from which a light having a polarization rotated by 45 degrees is supplied. The light having the polarization rotated by 45 degrees is passed through the analyzer, so that output light is supplied from the analyzer of the optical isolator. On the contrary, return light propagating in the direction opposite to that of the incident light is stopped by the polarizer, after it is passed through the analyzer and the Faraday rotator. The detailed structure and operation will be explained later.
According to the conventional optical isolator, however, there is a disadvantage in that anti-humidity property is not so high, because the polarizer, the Faraday rotator and the analyzer are fixed on optical planes by the optic adhesive. Thus the conventional optical isolator does not operate satisfactorily under high temperature and high humidity.

Optical isolator and method for fabricating the same


Provided are an electrode aligned state inspection system and method of imaging a stacking process of an electrode plate, inspecting a position of the electrode plate, and determining whether or not a product is defective. When a misalignment occurs during the stacking process of a cathode plate, an anode plate, and a separator, an operator immediately recognizes the occurrence of the misalignment, and therefore, it is possible to improve a quality reliability of the electrode assembly. In addition, since it is determined whether or not the product is defective during a production process of the electrode assembly, an amount of waste may be reduced. The video data obtained by the imaging of the production process of the electrode assembly is automatically stored, and therefore, the data may be used as data that may be checked later when the quality is checked and the defective product is produced.

In recent years, in accordance with the technology development of mobile devices and commercialization of electric vehicles, a demand for a secondary battery has rapidly increased. Among the secondary batteries, many studies on a lithium secondary battery having a high energy density and high discharge voltage have been conducted, and the lithium secondary battery has been widely used.
A secondary battery may be classified depending on a structure of an electrode assembly including a cathode plate, an anode plate, and a separator. Typically, the electrode assembly is classified into a jelly-roll electrode assembly having a structure in which a cathode plate and an anode plate having long sheet shapes are wound with a separator interposed therebetween, and a stack type electrode assembly having a structure in which a plurality of cathode plates and anode plates which are cut into a specific size unit are sequentially stacked with separators interposed therebetween.
In the stack type electrode assembly, the plurality of cathode plates and anode plates need to be sequentially stacked and the cathode plates and the anode plates need to be stacked without a misalignment so as to prevent occurrence of a short-circuit in the electrode assembly.
As an example of a method of determining whether or not a stack type electrode assembly is defective, an appearance inspection or a charge capacity inspection after the electrode assembly is completed may be used to determine a defect, but a misalignment of the electrode plates is not inspected by the method described above.
As a related art in order to solve the problems described above, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1699809 (Battery inspection apparatus, Jan. 19, 2017) discloses an apparatus for inspecting a misalignment of stacked electrode plates.
The related art described above relates to an apparatus for inspecting the misalignment of stacked electrode plates by using a radiation beam after a stack type electrode assembly is completed. The apparatus may inspect the misalignment of the stacked electrode plates, but since the inspection of the misalignment is performed after the electrode assembly is completed, the completed electrode assembly is discarded even when only one electrode plate is misaligned.

Electrode plate aligned state inspection system and method


Example embodiments are described for a method and system for direct current (DC) bias control in downhole optical intensity modulators. After receiving an optical signal from a downhole intensity modulator, a harmonic distortion analysis is performed on the optical signal to determine whether a power spectrum of the optical signal deviates by a preselected amount from an expected power spectrum. The expected power spectrum occurs when a bias point is positioned at a quadrature point of a sinusoid associated with the optical signal. A DC bias voltage of the intensity modulator is subsequently adjusted in response to the harmonic distortion analysis.

In telemetry systems, optical intensity modulators are often used to encode data onto an optical signal. In some examples, Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulators can be used to modulate the optical signal by splitting the incoming optical signal into one or more waveguide arms of the MZ modulator using conducting electrodes. Voltage applied to each waveguide arm causes the optical signal in each arm to be phase modulated, with the electric field generated by the applied voltages inducing a change in the refractive index of each waveguide arm. Different refractive indexes result in different propagation speeds of the optical signal through each branch, thereby causing a phase change in the optical signal propagating through each branch. The phase modulation is then converted to intensity modulation by interferometrically combining the two optical signals having different phase modulations.
The overall transfer characteristic of the MZ modulator is approximately sinusoidal, with the most linear modulation being achieved in and around the quadrature point (also known as the "quadrature"), namely the point where there is a 90° phase relationship between light traveling through the waveguides of the MZ modulator. The bias point (also known as the operating point) of the MZ modulator is typically set at the quadrature. However, due to the nature of the interferometric principles on which the MZ modulator are based, fiber optics telemetry systems using MZ modulators have a direct current (DC) bias that tends to drift, for example over time or with changes in temperature. Downhole optical modulators can be exposed to harsh downhole environments for extended time durations, where temperatures can experience rapid increases and decreases. Drift in the DC bias can affect the linearity, and other properties such as the rise and fall times, of transmitted optical signal waveforms and lead to data errors or other transmission issues.

Bias control for downhole optical intensity modulators


Primers have been isolated that are diagnostic for the detection of the infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necorsis virus (IHHNV). The primers are based on a new portion of the IHHNV genome and may be used in primer directed amplification or nucleic acid hybridization assay methods.

Commercial shrimp farms suffer extensive losses due to the effects of a number of common pathogens. Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV) is one of the most serious viral pathogens of farmed penaeid shrimp. It is widely distributed in many countries and has a large range of hosts. For example, IHHNV causes mass mortality among the Western blue shrimp (Penaeus stylirostris) and severe deformation in the Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei). IHHNV is a small, single stranded DNA-containing parvovirus, the complete genome of which has been sequenced (Bonami et al., J. Gen. Virology 71 (Pt 11):657-2664 (1990); GenBank AF218266).
IHHNV is extremely detrimental to the shrimp farming industry, being responsible for catastrophic epidemics worldwide. Detection of IHHNV in hatchery broodstock and in post-larvae allows infected shrimp to be eliminated before entry into a commercial production system. Consequently, a variety of methods have been developed for the detection of IHHNV in shrimp, including nucleic acid-based methods and immunological methods (Lightner et al., Aquaculture 164(1):201-220 (1998)). Nucleic acid amplification methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and isothermal amplification are of particular interest because they are simple, rapid, and sensitive. PCR methods for the detection of IHHNV, which are based on amplifying different diagnostic regions of the genome, have been described (see for example Nunan et al., Mar. Biotechnol. 2(4):319-328 (2000); Yue et al., J. AOAC International 89(1):240-244 (2006); Tang et al. Dis. Aquat. Org. 44(2):79-85 (2001); Hu et al., CN 1410549; and Dhar et al. J. Clin. Microbiol. 39(8):2835-2845 (2001)). Additionally, a loop mediated isothermal method for the detection of IHHNV is described by Sun et al. (J. Virol. Methods 131(1):41-46 (2006)).
All of the above methods are useful for the detection of IHHNV; however, they generally suffer from a lack of specificity, sensitivity, or are complex and time consuming. Additionally, because of the high gene mutation rate in the virus, tests directed to different regions of the genome would be useful. Therefore, there is a need for a highly sensitive assay for IHHNV that is rapid, accurate and easily used in the field. The stated problem is addressed herein by the discovery of primers based on new portions of the IHHNV genome. The primers identified herein can be used in primer directed amplification or nucleic acid hybridization assay methods for the detection of IHHNV without the problems associated with previous methodologies.

Sequences diagnostic for shrimp pathogens


The invention provides an apparatus (2) for installing bolts into a mine entry, said apparatus including: a frame (8) having a forward end (20), a rearward end and lateral sides; at least one bolting rig (140, 142, 144, 146) operatively mounted to said forward end of said frame; at least one roof support member attached to said forward end of said frame (8) separate from said bolting rig (140, 142, 144, 146) for selectively supporting said mine entry as bolts are installed therein; and an operator station (990) on said frame for supporting an operator thereon during operation of said at least one roof support member.

The present invention relates to the improvements in mining apparatus and more particularly to improvements in roof bolting equipment.
Perhaps the single most important consideration and challenge facing miners and mining engineers since the inception of underground mining involves the need to prevent the collapsing of the overhead ceilings or roofs and side walls (xe2x80x9cribsxe2x80x9d) of mines to prevent injury to personnel and catastrophic damage to mining equipment.
Roof bolting and rib bolting are those processes which secure the ribs, side walls and roofs of mines to other stable strata. These processes are relatively slow and are the main causes for preventing mines from advancing at a faster rate.
A currently acceptable method for supporting the roof of a mine entry involves drilling holes at predetermined intervals into the ceiling and ribs and installing elongated retaining bolts in the holes. Such bolts are commonly used in connection with retaining plates and support members. Such apparatus serves to secure together thin strata or bands of rock located adjacent the ribs and roofs and prevent lateral shifting of the strata, as well as, in some instances, to anchor the strata to more massive overlying rock. The installation of retaining bolts into the roof of a mine additionally requires the use of temporary roof support cylinders to support the roof as the bolt holes are being drilled. The reader will appreciate that during the initial engagement between the temporary cylinders and the unsupported section of roof, the condition exists for causing portions of the unsupported roof to fall. Thus, it is desirable for the operation personnel to be as far away from such apparatus as practical during its initial installation.
Over the years, a variety of different types of apparatuses have been developed for installing retaining bolts into the roof and ribs of a mine. An early roof bolting drill is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,273 to Pond. That device comprises an electrical powered drill assembly that is adapted to be manually pulled throughout the mine. Such device offers little protection from roof falls and falling debris during bolt installation.
In an effort to increase the speed of roof bolting, one prior art track mounted roof bolting apparatus was developed, known as the REMB (rapid entry mobile bolter) and was discussed and published in World Mining Equipment April 1997 issue (published by Independent Editorial and Technical Services of the UK). The REMB provides four vertically oriented roof bolting rigs on a forward moveable and raiseable carriage and work platform which is connected to a platform mounted above a track vehicle and which remains stationary relative to the track vehicle. The roof bolting work platform is connected to the stationary platform by a passageway and a series of steps. The bolting carriage and the work platform are attached to the track vehicle by a complex parallel linkage arrangement to the front of the vehicle, so as to keep the rigs at a 90xc2x0 degree angle at all times to the tracks as carriage, work platform and the rigs move up or down. The machine also includes a rib bolt rig behind each operator, which are mounted on the lower stationary platform. The bolting rigs are in a forward position relative to the two operators.
While the REMB has improved the speed of mining, it is not fast enough for many mining applications. One reason for this is the fact that the rib bolters are positioned on the platform which is stationary relative to track vehicle, and this platform is a separate platform from the platform where the operator will control and operate the four roof bolters. This causes several difficulties. The first is that there is a risk of injury for the operators to move up and down steps on platforms, particularly when the steps and the platforms may have water falling thereon making surfaces slippery, even if expanded metal mesh is provided.
The second difficulty relates to the fact that the operators have a bolting down-time as they move from the roof bolting platform to the rib bolting platform.
The REMB also inherently requires the double handling of the consumables as the operator must move a supply of the consumables to the roof bolting platform from the storage area on the REMB, to an area accessible by the operator on the roof bolting platform. This will entail the regular walking up and down of steps to and from the roof bolting platform.
Other prior art roof bolting apparatus mount bolting rigs onto swingable booms. Such equipment however generally form crush points which are hazardous to operators.
A continuous mining machine normally includes a rotatable cutting drum that is mounted on the front end of the mining machine. As the mining machine is advanced into the seam, the cutting drum dislodges or xe2x80x9cwinsxe2x80x9d the coal from the seam. In most continuous mining machines of this type, the won material is conveyed rearwardly of the cutting drum by a longitudinally extending conveyor that may discharge into self-propelled shuttle cars or other mobile conveying apparatuses to transport the won material from the mine face. The mining machine continuously advances into the seam and, as the material is won therefrom, an xe2x80x9centryxe2x80x9d is formed in the underground seam.
While some continuous mining equipment such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,507, published and issued on Apr. 7 1987, have multiple roof bolting rigs mounted thereon, they invariably have a series of roof bolters and rib bolters mounted thereon to provide the full range of roof bolting facilities. However, such equipment can have the same disadvantages as the REMB has due to similar construction features. The continuous miners may have some four operators working to maintain the speed of roof bolting, but the use of two additional operators is a very costly solution to the speed requirements.
Other retaining bolt installation apparatuses are adapted to be affixed to a continuous mining machine for travel therewith U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,058 to Zitko and U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,914 to LaBegue disclose such devices which can be operated by personnel located on the mining machine. While such apparatus do not require the mining machine to be removed from the entry while bolts are being installed, the mining process is, nonetheless, typically interrupted during the bolting process.
In the cut and flit method of mining, a continuous miner first proceeds down one road, it must then reverse out and turn down a second road and cut that road while a specialised roof bolter bolts in the first mentioned road. The bolter and the continuous miner are continually swapping their roadway positions as the mine face moves forward. The speed of moving forward however is generally limited to the speed of inserting bolts into the ribs and roof of the mine.
The present invention provides an apparatus for installing bolts into a mine entry, said apparatus including: a frame having a forward end, a rearward end and lateral sides; at least one bolting rig operatively mounted to said forward end of said frame; at least one roof support member attached to said forward end of said frame separate from said bolting rig for selectively supporting said mine entry as bolts are installed therein; and an operator station on said frame for supporting an operator thereon during operation of said at least one roof support member.
Preferably the apparatus further includes: a pair of drive units on opposite sides of the frame for carrying and moving the frame; a pivot assembly connecting the rearward end of the frame to each of the drive units, the pivot assembly defining a pivot axis which is generally horizontal, the frame being pivotable relative to said drives about said pivot axis; the at least one bolting rig adapted to be raised and lowered by pivoting the frame relative to the drive units about the pivot axis.
The apparatus can further include in a line across it, at least one central bolting rig and at least two side bolting rigs on opposite sides of the central bolting rig, the side bolting rigs being rotatable from a generally vertical orientation through a range of intermediate orientations to a generally horizontal outwardly facing orientation which allows for both roof and rib bolting by the side bolting rigs.
Preferably the side bolting rigs are mounted on opposed laterally extendible frames, which have at least one laterally extendible telescoping cylinder for moving each said side bolting rig.
The can be included a pair of side by side central bolting rigs each of which is independently rotatable between inclined and vertical positions.
The apparatus can also include at least one removable storage container supported on said frame and at least one deck extension platform pivotally attached to at least one said lateral side of said frame and being pivotable from a first position wherein each said deck extension protrudes laterally from said corresponding lateral side and is generally coplanar therewith and a second generally upright position. The deck extension platform can be pivoted between said first position and said second position by at least one hydraulic cylinder.
The frame can have a push blade operably attached to the forward end thereof.
The bolting rig is able to rotate through a range of angles from approximately 10xc2x0 in an inward direction from vertical, through angles from the vertical to the horizontal, to approximately 20xc2x0 below the horizontal, so that the included angle in the range is approximately 120xc2x0.
An operator station can be included on said frame for supporting an operator thereon during operation of the apparatus, said operator station being located at a position remote from said at least one bolting rig to define a work area therebetween, and a planar deck member attached to said frame and covering said work area for supporting an operator thereon, with the operator station being at least 1.5 meters away from said at least one support member.
There is preferably provided a cable reel operably attached to said frame for selectively storing and paying out power cable attached between said apparatus and a power source.
At least one bolting rig can be pivotable between a generally vertical position and a generally horizontal position and wherein said bolting rig can install bolts into a rock face in either of those two positions and in any selected intermediate position therebetween.
The frame preferably carries, at its forward end, an upstanding bolting rig support wall, a guide frame being mounted to said support wall, said bolting rig being movably supported on said guide frame and adapted to be selectively moved laterally along said guide frame parallel to said support wall.
The roof support member can include a dual acting hydraulic cylinder arranged to engage the roof and floor of said entry and extend therebetween to support said entry and retain said frame in position during operation of the bolting rig.
Each bolting rig can have a control station associated therewith and is independently operable by means of said control station.

Roof support arrangement for mining apparatus and roof bolting equipment


Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for cuts of sacrificial metal lines in a back end of line structure. Sacrificial Mx+1 lines are formed above metal Mx lines. A line cut lithography stack is deposited and patterned over the sacrificial Mx+1 lines and a cut cavity is formed. The cut cavity is filled with dielectric material. A selective etch process removes the sacrificial Mx+1 lines, preserving the dielectric that fills in the cut cavity. Precut metal lines are then formed by depositing metal where the sacrificial Mx+1 lines were removed. Thus embodiments of the present invention provide precut metal lines, and do not require metal cutting. By avoiding the need for metal cutting, the risks associated with metal cutting are avoided.

As the fabrication techniques for semiconductor devices has progressed, manufacturers have been placing an increasingly larger number of devices on a chip by increasing the integration density of semiconductor devices. Accordingly, a critical dimension (CD) in a design rule is gradually reduced in order to increase the circuit density.
In order to increase the circuit density, it is necessary to reduce the sizes of elements inside the semiconductor devices and reduce the lengths and widths of interconnections which couple the elements together. Moreover, the resistances of interconnections must be small so that electric signals can be transferred with minimal loss within the semiconductor devices through interconnections having narrow widths.
In a typical integrated circuit, there may be many metallization layers and interconnecting via layers formed in a back end of line (BEOL) interconnect structure. The BEOL interconnect structure connects various devices (e.g. transistors, capacitors, etc.) to form functional circuits. During fabrication, it is necessary to form cuts and connections of metal lines to create the desired connectivity to implement a given design. As critical dimensions continue to shrink, this can be challenging. It is therefore desirable to have improvements to address the aforementioned challenges.


A method and system for scheduling delivery and delivery of products to buyers. A Mobile Pickup Station (MPS) server is placed within a computer network and receives product shipping instructions from buyers or third party sellers. The MPS server determines optimal pickup points using buyer commuting information and buyer delivery requests. A MPS, carrying a buyer's products, is dispatched to an optimal pickup point chosen by the buyer. A MPS may be used to both deliver and receive products. In an alternative embodiment, a MPS server finds stores with buyer desired products along the buyer's commuting route.

This invention relates generally to the field of shipping and more specifically to the delivery of goods purchased from a distant location.
Conventionally, products that are ordered by consumers, whether are ordered on the Internet or by other means, are delivered primarily in two ways. In the first way, the buyer/consumer travels to the seller's store and picks up products ordered there. The second way, the seller ships the products to the buyer via common carriers and buyer receives products at the address designated. Both ways are inefficient. The first method costs the buyer the time and energy expended traveling to the seller's store to pickup products ordered. The second method on the other hand, costs the buyer shipping and handling charges and usually takes a considerable amount of delivery time for the products to be shipped.
The following patents generally indicate the level and depth of prior art shipping systems.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,739, Cupps et al. disclose a system and method for providing an online ordering machine that manages the distribution of home delivered products over a distributed computer system. The patentee discloses that "The online ordering machine provides the customers with product information form various vendors whose delivery range is within the customer's location or with product information from vendors having a take out service within a specified range from the customer's location."
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,375 Hall et al, disclose methods and systems for processing an order form a mobile customer and with the use of a method of global tracking a determination is made as to the completion of the order at a certain location at a certain time for the customer's arrival at that location.
Neither invention discloses a method and system that allows the seller to conveniently place a pickup station, which is mobile in nature and is easy to relocate, to a place close to the user's daily commute route and thereby provides maximum convenience for the buyer/user to pickup products ordered.
A conventional delivery system can be inefficient. Besides the problems conventional delivery system faced as previously discussed, the delivery of products to a buyer's address, normally made during daytime, can be troublesome. The buyer may not be present at the buyer's address to receive the products and the products may either be left unattended at the buyer's address or the buyer has to pick the product's up later at a common carrier's office. Even when a delivery is made to an office location where presumably someone will be at the address to receive the products, problems may exist. This is because the common carrier comes and goes following its delivery route and those buyers at the end of the delivery route may waste a significant amount of time waiting for the products to arrive. This waste of time may be crucial and can't be remedied unless a buyer pays a higher price for a faster delivery.
As we move into the Internet era, more and more people shop on the Internet. But lots of people are turned away from Internet purchasing because the long delivery time and expensive delivery charges involved.
An improved delivery system providing a more efficient way of delivery is, therefore, needed. The present invention meets such need.

Method and apparatus for mobile pickup stations


A pyrimidine nucleoside derivative and pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof specified by the presence of ethyl group or isopropyl group at 5-position of the pyrimidine ring and the presence of a (substituted) phenylthio or a (substituted) benzyl group at 6-position of the pyrimidine ring is provided. The pyrimidine nucleoside derivative and pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof show a markedly higher anti-retroviral activity than conventional analogous compounds and have a relatively low toxicity against the host cells, and therefore, are useful as an active ingredient of antiviral agent.

The present invention relates to a novel pyrimidine nucleoside derivative and an antiviral agent containing the derivative as active ingredient.
Infectious diseases caused by human acquired immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is a type of retrovirus, have recently become a serious social problem. A compound of 3'-deoxy-3'-azidothymidine is known as a nucleoside compound used in the clinical treatment for diseases caused by HIV-infection. However, this compound has side-effects since it also exhibits considerable strong toxicity in the host cells.
Although some 2',3'-dideoxyribonucleosides are known as nucleoside compounds exhibiting an anti-retroviral activity, it is still necessary to develop a substance possessing a higher activity and lower toxicity to the host cell (Hiroaki Mitsuya, Bodily Defence, Vol. 4, pp. 213-223 (1987)).
On the other hand, various acyclonucleoside compounds have been synthesized since Acyclovir (acycloguanosine) was developed as an antiviral substance effective against herpes virus (C. K. Chu and S. J. Culter, J. Heterocyclic Chem., 23, p. 289 (1986)). However, no compound having a sufficient activity especially against retroviruses has yet been discovered.
Consequently, with the aim of providing an antiviral agent, especially an agent which has an effective antiviral activity against retroviruses, the present inventors have synthesized a wide variety of novel 6-substituted acyclopyrimidine nucleoside compounds and their anti-retroviral activities have been investigated. As the results, the present inventors have found that such an object can be attained by a specific 6-substituted acyclopyrimidine nucleoside derivative (WO 89/09213).
As 6-substituted acyclopyrimidine nucleosides, 6-fluorine substituted derivatives and 6-alkylamino substituted derivatives (DD-A-232492) and 6-methyl substituted derivatives (C.A. 107, 129717w (1987)) are known, however, the antiviral activity of these compounds has not been described.
The present inventors have conducted intensive studies on the screening of compounds having antiviral activities, especially a compound having an anti-retroviral activity, and found that among the 6-substituted acyclopyrimidine nucleoside derivatives generically disclosed but not specifically disclosed in WO 89/09213, those pyrimidine nucleoside derivatives having ethyl group or isopropyl group at the 5-position of the pyrimidine ring and having (substituted) phenylthio group or (substituted) benzyl group showed markedly excellent anti-retroviral activities. The present invention has been accomplished based on this finding.

Pyrimidine nucleoside derivative and antiviral agent containing the derivative as active ingredient


Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: receiving, at a first input line card of the network device, a message, the message including a destination address; transmitting the message, by the first input line card, to the second input line card based on the determination that the second input line card is configured with routing information related to the destination address; determining, by the second input line card and based on the routing information related to the destination address, that the message should be forwarded via a first output line card of the network device to another network device; transmitting the message, by the second input line card, to the first output line card based on the determination that the message should be forwarded; and transmitting the message, by the first output line card, to another network device.

The Internet has evolved from a medium to interconnect machines into a medium to connect machines with content such as videos and photos. While the Internet developed on top of various mechanics, such as routing information via IP address, future architectures may employ alternative mechanisms in view of the current state of the Internet. One common principle among many proposals is that these future architectures may be centered on the content provided, rather than the machines themselves.
Content-centric networking is a more recent paradigm where content is requested by name, rather than location. This paradigm may employ name-based routing, wherein a router may move traffic to a destination server based on the "content name." As such, Internet routers may be provided with explicit information as to the content being moved.
One result of name-based routing is that, while IP addresses are constrained in the number of variations and are clustered geographically, content names may take on virtually any value and may point to a server located anywhere, regardless of the locations of servers hosting content with similar names. As such, the number of entries in a name-based routing table may be orders of magnitude larger than an IPv4 or IPv6 routing table. This presents new challenges in efficiently storing the table and quickly forwarding traffic using the table.


A work flow management system, a work flow management apparatus and a management method capable of managing the work flow through a plurality of devices are provided. The work flow management system includes a work flow management apparatus, and the desired job history information included in the job history information having the performance information of the job executed by the device in accordance with the work flow information is acquired from the device based on the job ID specifying the job. Even with the work flow through a plurality of devices, therefore, the job history information can be acquired thereby to manage the work flow.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a work flow management system, a work flow management apparatus and method for managing the work flow.
2. Description of the Related Art
The work flow technique is the one whereby the job flow, i.e. the work flow is controlled by a computer system to proceed with the job. In the facsimile device, for example, a facsimile communication unit in the facsimile device receives a facsimile letter, a network communication unit in the facsimile device receives an electronic mail and other information, or a series of various other processes are executed in response to instructions issued from an operating unit in the facsimile device. The series of the processes thus executed can be considered as the work flow.
As for a management apparatus for managing the work flow as above, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-345954 proposes a technique in which a work flow management apparatus, which is independent and not connected with other devices, permits the information on the processes described above to be acquired from the work flow information. Specifically, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-345954 discloses a technique to store a history of the work flow configured of a plurality of processes and a history of each process, and access a history of an individual process from the work flow history and the histories of the processes before and after the individual process. The technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-345954 facilitates to manage the history of each process individually which is executed in the independent apparatus not connected with other devices.
In the conventional techniques for history management of the various processes in the work flow including the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-345954, the history of a process is managed only by the device that has executed the process. In the case where a plurality of devices are connected by LAN, etc. and the work flow is configured of a plurality of processes executed through a plurality of devices in the LAN, therefore, the completion of the work flow cannot be confirmed and the history of the work flow, i.e. how the work flow is executed through which device, or the like cannot be acquired. Further, it is impossible to acquire the detailed information on each job in the work flow.

Work flow management system, work flow management apparatus and method

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


An expandable stent suitable for implantation in a lumen is covered with a biological material. In one embodiment, biological fibers are interwoven to form a stent covering. The fibers are disposed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stent so that when the stent is expanded, the angle increases. In another embodiment, a strip of pericardium is helically wound around a supporting stent while the stent is in a compressed state. When the stent is expanded, the strip unwinds, but maintains full coverage of the stent. Interlocking edges may be formed on the strip of pericardium to maintain full coverage of the stent.

In an attempt to prevent restenosis, metallic vascular stents have been permanently implanted in coronary or peripheral vasculature. These stents are typically delivered intraluminally by a catheter and expanded in place to support a diseased portion of an artery.
One shortcoming of these conventional stents is that even after stent implantation, restenosis can still occur. Another shortcoming is that during the implantation of the stent, the stent may cause particles to discharge from the artery wall through the open cell. These dislodged particles can embolize in the bloodstream, and may cause catastrophic effects.
In an attempt to reduce these problems, coverings have been proposed for stents. These coverings have been made from artificial materials, such as PTFE. As of yet, however, coverings made from artificial materials have not proven successful. This may be because of the poor biocompatibility of such materials.
There is also some experience using biological tissue such as bovine pericardium to build a covering for a stent that is more biocompatible than coverings made from artificial materials. Preliminary results with bovine pericardium have been encouraging from the point of view of biocompatibility.
The current method, however, of creating a covering using biological tissue is simplistic. A rectangular piece of pericardium is harvested from a bovine source. The pericardium is then, after being prepared so that it is suitable for implantation, rolled into a cylinder. The abutting edges of the pericardium are sewn together to create a covering. This covering is then placed over a stent.
There is an inherent disadvantage in this cut and sew approach to creating a covering. Biological tissue has a very small expansion range. Therefore, the diameter of the cut and sewn cylinder of tissue is limited to a very small range. This limits the stent to a very small range of expansion diameters, limiting the utility of the stent. This also limits the difference in diameter between the stent as delivered and the stent at its expanded state, increasing significantly the profile of the delivery system required for a given supported diameter.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for covering a stent


A battery discharge device according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a sensor configured to sense a parameter of a high voltage source, a controller in communication with the sensor and a discharge circuit that discharges energy stored on the high voltage source in response to a command signal from the controller. The discharge circuit includes a plurality of resistors connected in parallel to one another.

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV's), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV's), battery electric vehicles (BEV's), fuel cell vehicles and other known electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles in that they are powered by one or more electric machines (i.e., electric motors and/or generators) instead of or in addition to an internal combustion engine. High voltage current for powering these types of electric machine(s) is typically supplied by a traction battery system having one or more battery cells that store energy.
One or more battery cells of the traction battery system may become damaged during an abnormality event, such as a vehicle collision. It may be desirable to recycle the damaged battery cells after such an event. However, the energy stored within the battery cells may need dissipating to render the cells inert (i.e., a zero voltage state) prior to their removal from the electrified vehicle.

Battery discharge device with self-adjusting resistance


Provided herein are compounds of formula (IA) and (III) useful for the treatment of HBV infection in a subject in need thereof, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods of inhibiting, suppressing, or preventing HBV infection in the subject.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant global health problem, affecting over 5% of the world population (over 350 million people worldwide and 1.25 million individuals in the U.S.).
Despite the availability of a prophylactic HBV vaccine, the burden of chronic HBV infection continues to be a significant unmet worldwide medical problem, due to suboptimal treatment options and sustained rates of new infections in most parts of the developing world. Current treatments do not provide a cure and are limited to only two classes of agents (interferon alpha and nucleoside analogues/inhibitors of the viral polymerase); drug resistance, low efficacy, and tolerability issues limit their impact. The low cure rates of HBV are attributed at least in part to the fact that complete suppression of virus production is difficult to achieve with a single antiviral agent. However, persistent suppression of HBV DNA slows liver disease progression and helps to prevent hepatocellular carcinoma. Current therapy goals for HBV-infected patients are directed to reducing serum HBV DNA to low or undetectable levels, and to ultimately reducing or preventing the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
The HBV capsid protein plays essential functions during the viral life cycle. HBV capsid/core proteins form metastable viral particles or protein shells that protect the viral genome during intercellular passage, and also play a central role in viral replication processes, including genome encapsidation, genome replication, and virion morphogenesis and egress. Capsid structures also respond to environmental cues to allow un-coating after viral entry. Consistently, the appropriate timing of capsid assembly and dis-assembly, the appropriate capsid stability and the function of core protein have been found to be critical for viral infectivity.
There is a need in the art for therapeutic agents that can increase the suppression of virus production and that can treat, ameliorate, or prevent HBV infection. Administration of such therapeutic agents to an HBV infected patient, either as monotherapy or in combination with other HBV treatments or ancillary treatments, will lead to significantly reduced virus burden, improved prognosis, diminished progression of the disease and enhanced seroconversion rates.

Oxadiazepinone derivatives and methods of treating hepatitis B infections


A strain relaxed buffer layer is fabricated by melting an underlying layer beneath a strained semiconductor layer, which allows the strained semiconductor layer to elastically relax. Upon recrystallization of the underlying layer, crystalline defects are trapped in the underlying layer. Semiconductor layers having different melting points, such as silicon germanium layers having different atomic percentages of germanium, are formed on a semiconductor substrate. An annealing process causes melting of only the silicon germanium layer that has the higher germanium content and therefore the lower melting point. The silicon germanium layer having the lower germanium content is elastically relaxed upon melting of the adjoining silicon germanium layer and can be used as a substrate for growing strained semiconductor layers such as channel layers of field-effect transistors.

The present disclosure relates generally to the electrical, electronic and computer arts and, more particularly, to strain relaxed buffers suitable for growing channel regions of nFET and pFET devices and the fabrication of such buffers.
Various semiconductor devices benefit from the use of strain-relaxed buffer layers such as those comprising fully relaxed silicon germanium (SiGe). Strain-relaxed buffers (SRBs) can act as virtual substrates on which to grow semiconductor layers having lattice constants different from those of the original substrates, for example silicon (001). The SRBs can support strained or relaxed layers. The SRBs should be relaxed to help avoid the generation of crystal imperfections such as threading dislocations in the layer(s) grown thereon. Such defects are known to have deleterious effects on the properties of electronic and optoelectronic devices. The crystalline quality of a relaxed SiGe layer can be improved by, for example, growing compositionally graded buffer layers with a thickness of up to several micrometers. As the surface roughness of buffer layers obtained using such a technique may not be optimal, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) may be necessary. Another technique used for fabricating a relaxed Si1-xGex buffer having reduced levels of threading dislocations includes epitaxially depositing a pseudomorphic or nearly pseudomorphic Si1-xGex layer on the surface of a silicon substrate, ion implanting atoms of a light element into the substrate, and annealing the substrate at a temperature above 650° C. Existing techniques for reducing threading dislocation (TD) density rely on plastic relaxation, which by definition works based on dislocation generation to relax the lattice mismatched crystals.
Exemplary devices that may be formed using strain-relaxed silicon germanium layers include fin-type field-effect transistors (FinFETs), metal oxide field effect transistors (MOSFETs), and strained silicon-based complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices. Some devices require silicon layers under tensile strain to enhance electron mobility. Other devices or elements thereof require semiconductor layers under compressive strain. The amount of strain on a silicon or silicon germanium layer grown epitaxially on a relaxed Si1-xGex layer can be engineered by providing an atomic percentage of germanium within a selected range.
Strain relaxed buffer layers allow dual channel materials to be provided on the same substrate employed to fabricate integrated circuits including, for example, FinFET devices. Defect density at the surface of the buffer layers is, however, a challenge to the successful fabrication of such devices. A defect density of about 105 cm−2 can be obtained using state-of-the-art processes as described above.

International Business Machines Corporation


A heat exchanger includes a plurality of flat tubes. The flat tubes have a pair of tube sheets facing each other and joined together. The tube sheets have a flat part, a recess part, and a cylindrical tank. The tube sheet is one of a first tube sheet and a second tube sheet. The first tube sheet has a first type of tank. The second tube sheet has the first type of tank and a second type of tank. Identifiers are provided at each end of the second tube sheet. The identifiers distinguishing the second tube sheet from the first tube sheet when viewed from externally of the stacked flat tubes. A mark provided at one of the identifiers of the second tube sheet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger with a plurality of tube sheets stacked in layers.
2. Description of Related Art
A known heat exchanger has a plurality of flat tubes stacked in layers. In such a heat exchanger, each flat tube has a coolant passage extending in a longitudinal direction and a cylindrical tank protruding in the stacking direction from each side of each longitudinal end of the coolant passage. The tanks of the stacked flat tubes are joined to form a header tank.
Each flat tube consists of two tube sheets that are arranged face to face and are joined together. Each tube sheet has a flat part, a recess part that is depressed from the flat part to form the coolant passage of the flat tube when joined with a counterpart tube sheet, and a cylindrical tank that protrudes from each longitudinal end of the recess part to serve as the tank of the flat tube.
The heat exchanger must form therein a route for passing a coolant. For this, a modified tube sheet is arranged at a predetermined location in the heat exchanger. The modified tube sheet has a modified tank that is different from a normal tank provided for a normal tube sheet. The modified tank has a partition to close an opening of the tank, or a throttle to reduce the opening of the tank. Such a modified tube sheet with a modified tank has the same or similar external shape as the normal tube sheet. It is difficult, therefore, to identify, from an external view of the heat exchanger, the modified tube sheets from among the stacked tube sheets of the heat exchanger. To solve the problem, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei-9-152294 discloses a heat exchanger that puts a mark such as a rib or a notch on a modified tube sheet. This heat exchanger allows a person to identify, from an external view of the heat exchanger, the modified tube sheet in the heat exchanger.


It is an object of the present invention to provide a two-core parallel extra-fine coaxial cable having a high shield effect and sufficient flexibility for being wired in a narrows pace. To achieve the object, the invention provides a two-core parallel extra-fine coaxial cable including, two parallel cores having inner conductors whose outer peripheries are coated with insulations, a transversely wound shield provided around outer peripheries of the two cores, a composite tape which includes a plastic tape formed on its one surface with a metal deposition layer and which is wound around an outer periphery of the transversely wound shield such that the metal deposition layer comes on the side of the transversely wound shield, and a jacket for coating an outer periphery of the composite tape.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a two-core parallel extra-fine coaxial cable having two parallel cores including inner conductors whose outer peripheries are coated with insulations, and more particularly, to a two-core parallel extra-fine coaxial cable having high shield effect and flexibility.
2. Prior Art
Generally, in a coaxial cable, in order to enhance the shield effect, a metal volume (shield volume) is increased using a technique in which an outer shield is formed into a braiding shield or double shield. The same is applied to the two-core parallel extra-fine coaxial cable having two parallel cores including inner conductors whose outer peripheries are coated with insulations.
An example of the two-core parallel extra-fine coaxial cable is a cable in which two cores are arranged in parallel, outer peripheries thereof are provided with braiding shield as outer shield, a composite tape formed with a copper deposition layer having a thickness of 0.1 xcexcm or more is wound around the outer periphery of the braiding shield such that the copper deposition layer comes on the side of the braiding shield.
When the cable is wired in a narrow space such as a hinge portion of a notebook personal computer, it is required that the cable has flexibility and a diameter of the cable is fine. Since a notebook personal computer of recent year is used in high frequency region of 10 MH2 or more, a two-core parallel extra-fine coaxial cable using a braiding shield having high shield effect is used as an outer shield is preferably employed.
In the case of the braiding shield, however, the flexibility of the cable is extremely poor because of the metal volume, there is a problem that a finished outer diameter of the cable is slightly thick.
To solve this problem, in the two-core parallel extra-fine coaxial cable, there is a method in which the braiding shield is changed into a transversely wound shield. That is, this is a method in which a plurality of shield strands are wound spirally around outer peripheries of two cores at a predetermined pitch.
However, when the outer shield is only the transversely wound shield, since a continuous slit exists between the shield strands, there is a problem that the shield effect is largely deteriorated.
Further, if the pitch of the transversely wound shield is large, the continuous slit becomes large, the shield effect is deteriorated, and if the transversely wound shield pitch is small, the slit becomes small but there is a problem that the kink is generated in the cable itself by tension of the shield strand when it is produced.
Thereupon, it is an object of the present invention to provide a two-core parallel extra-fine coaxial cable having high shield effect and having such a sufficient flexibility that the cable is wired in a narrow space.
The present invention has been accomplished to achieve the above object, and a first aspect of the invention provides a two-core parallel extra-fine coaxial cable comprising,
two parallel cores having inner conductors whose outer peripheries are coated with insulations,
a transversely wound shield provided around outer peripheries of the two cores,
a composite tape which comprises a plastic tape formed on its one surface with a metal deposition layer and which is wound around an outer periphery of the transversely wound shield such that the metal deposition layer comes on the side of the transversely wound shield, and
a jacket for coating an outer periphery of the composite tape.
According to a second aspect of the invention, in the first aspect, an outer diameter of the inner conductor of the core is about 0.13 mm or less, an outer diameter of the core is 0.45 mm or less, and an outer diameter of the cable when coated with the jacket is 1.0 mm or less.
According to a third aspect of the invention, in the first or second aspect, a transversely winding pitch of the transversely wound shield is set in accordance with the following equation:
10xe2x89xa6(transversely winding pitch)/{(outer diameter of one of said cores)xc3x972+(diameter of a transversely wound strand)}xe2x89xa620.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in any of the first to third aspects, the transversely wound shield is formed by winding 30 to 60 strands comprising any of a soft copper wire, a tinned soft copper wire and a silver plated copper alloy wire around the outer peripheries of the two parallel cores.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in any of the first to fourth aspects, a diameter of each of strands forming the transversely wound shield is about 0.03 mm.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, in any of the first to fifth aspects, the metal deposition layer formed on the composite tape is made of silver or copper, and a thickness of the metal deposition layer is 0.1 xcexcm or more.
According to a seventh aspects of the invention, there is provided a two-core parallel extra-fine coaxial cable comprising,
two parallel cores having inner conductors whose outer peripheries are coated with insulations,
a transversely wound shield provided around outer peripheries of the two cores,
a composite tape which comprises a plastic tape formed on its opposite surfaces with metal deposition layers and which is wound around an outer periphery of the transversely wound shield such that the metal deposition layers come on the side of the transversely wound shield, and
a jacket for coating an outer periphery of the composite tape.
According to an eighth aspects of the invention, in the seventh aspect, an outer diameter of the inner conductor of the core is about 0.13 mm or less, an outer diameter of the core is 0.45 mm or less, and an outer diameter of the cable when coated with the jacket is 1.0 mm or less.
According to a ninth aspect of the invention, in the seven or eighth aspect, a transversly winding pitch of the transversly wound shield is set in accordance with the following equation:
10xe2x89xa6(transversly winding pitch)/{(outer diameter of one of said cores)xc3x972+(diameter of a transversly wound strand)}xe2x89xa620.
According to a tenth aspect of the invention, in any of the seventh to ninth aspects, the transversely wound shield is formed by winding 30 to 60 strands comprising any of a soft copper wire, a tinned soft copper wire and a silver plated copper alloy wire around the outer peripheries of the two parallel cores.
According to an eleventh aspect of the invention, in any of the seventh to tenth aspects, a diameter of each of strands forming the transversely wound shield is about 0.03 mm.
According to a twelfth aspect of the invention, in any of the seventh to eleventh aspects, the metal deposition layer formed on the composite tape is made of silver or copper, and a thickness of the metal deposition layer is 0.1 xcexcm or more.

Two-core parallel extra-fine coaxial cable


A conical pulley assembly with integrated torque sensor. A torque-dependent force is transmitted through a transmitting component to a sensing piston whose position determines the pressure in a sensing chamber. The transmitting member is connected to the movable disk, and is formed in such a way that it transmits the torque-dependent force to the sensing piston in a manner that is dependent on the position of an axially movable disk of the conical pulley.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conical pulley with an integrated torque sensor for use in a belt-driven conical-pulley transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conical pulleys are manufactured in many types by the assignee of the present application. The integrated torque sensor is used to change, as a function of torque, a basic contact pressure with which a conical pulley pair bears against the endless torque-transmitting means that circulates between the conical disk pairs, so that an adjusting pressure for adjusting the transmission ratio of the belt-driven conical-pulley transmission can be reduced. It is advantageous if the torque-dependent pressure can also be modulated depending upon the transmission ratio, because a higher contact pressure force is necessary to transmit the torque reliably in the underdrive range than in the overdrive range. For transmission-ratio-dependent modulation of the torque-dependent contact pressure, it is known to modify the radial position of the rolling elements of the torque sensor as a function of the transmission ratio by having the rolling elements additionally supported on a ramp surface of the axially movable disk. In that way the effective range of the ramp surfaces can be modified as a function of the transmission ratio, whereby a pressure prevailing in the sensing chamber is modulated.
An object of the present invention is to provide a conical pulley with which it is possible to modulate the pressure in the sensing chamber as a function of the transmission ratio of the belt-driven conical-pulley transmission, and without complex and expensive shaping of the ramp surfaces of the torque sensor.

Conical pulley with integrated torque sensor for a belt-driven conical-pulley transmission

LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Betelligungs KG


An abrasion control apparatus allowing a drawer member of an electronic enclosure to be inserted into a receptacle wherein the contacting sides of the drawer member and receptacle are made of aluminized steel. The invention includes a double thick side of the receptacle; the side of the receptacle which comes in contact with the side of the drawer member having a window in which is placed a plastic wear strip. The abrasion control apparatus further includes wear strips in a notched portion of the side of the receptacle and a bottom of the receptacle such that contact is prevented between the drawer and the metal sides of the receptacle as the drawer member is inserted into the receptacle.

In many cases it is desirable to make enclosures for electronic equipment of aluminized steel, which is cold rolled sheet steel with a thin aluminum coating. Aluminized steel is an inexpensive material that has a very good conductive surface, provides good electromagnetic compatibility containment, and has good corrosion resistance. However, the surface of aluminized steel is very soft and is prone to scraping and abrading if the two surfaces are allowed to contact and slide over one another. If the surfaces abrade one another, small particles of aluminum and steel in the form of highly conductive debris would be introduced into the electronics of the enclosure, contaminating the electronics contained within and possibly causing electrical shorts and failures of the electronics.

International Business Machines Corporation


Connection system for connecting an electronic device, in particular for an aircraft, to a test unit. The connection system includes a fixed portion, which is fixable to said test unit, and a movable plate which is capable of receiving the electronic device to be tested and is displaceable linearly with respect to said fixed portion between two positions which correspond respectively to a connection position and a disconnection position of the electronic device, by manually actuated displacement.

Within the context of developing onboard avionics equipment (which meets, in particular, the ARINC 600 standard), it is known to be necessary to systematically conduct functional tests on the equipment during the production process. These functional tests are generally implemented by means of a standard ATEC (or Automatic Test Equipment Complex) test bay. Such bays are very widespread in the field of onboard electronics.
More particularly, the production rates for onboard equipment are increasing greatly as delivery rates for civil and military aircraft increase. This results in maximum operating rates at equipment production lines and, therefore, at the test bays. The testing staff and resources used are thus placed under much pressure. This can all impact on performance, availability and quality.
The direct result of the increase in the electric content of aircraft is the increase in computing power and data-processing requirements. This translates into an increase in the size of electronic devices and in the number of signals to be processed. These signals are carried from the electronic device (computer) to an aircraft system by means of connectors. The connectors used have a very high density of contacts. These contacts (or pins) are very sensitive to poor handling. Thus, it is not uncommon to find damage at these contacts during the production process or even on an aircraft. For these reasons, the number of tests continues to increase.
To conduct a test, the electronic device is connected manually to the test bay, which can cause accidental damage during insertion and removal of the equipment.
Moreover, the conventional connection systems used to this effect are generally adapted to a single computer size, which means that different connection systems have to be provided to be able to test various electronic devices.


A simplified hand held stereoscopic imaging system in which stereoscopic recording and three-dimensional playback of objects viewed with the device is provided with a single recording element and a single playback element.

The general field of the present invention is hand-held stereoscopic imaging systems. Specifically, however, the invention relates to a solid state stereoscopic imaging system housed within a traditional hand-held pair of prism binoculars, which system is capable three-dimensional recording and play-back of images utilizing only one imaging sensor and one display, rather than two of each as in the prior art systems.
The use of prisms to produce enlarged images of distant objects dates back centuries, beginning, according to the history books, when Galileo first held up two prisms and gazed through them. Soon, the appropriated juxtaposed prisms were incorporated into elongated telescopes through which the viewer peered using one eye. The image presented was, of course, flat, consisting of only two dimensions. Much later, it was realized that by holding a telescope to each eye, a stereoscopic image was perceived. However, holding up two telescopes at the same time was not particularly easy, and was definitely not very convenient, thus the same technology was incorporated into what was to become the now well-known pair of hand-held binoculars.
The conventional pair of binocular is basically two small refracting telescopes held together by a frame that positions the telescopes, one to each of the viewer""s eyes. Because the binocular incorporates a separate telescope for each eye, it therefore produces a stereoscopic or three-dimensional view that adds xe2x80x9cdepthxe2x80x9d the image as perceived in the viewer""s brain.
Each refracting telescope in the binocular has an optical path defined through an objective lens at the end nearest the object being viewed, a pair of prisms appropriately arranged within the telescope""s tubular body, and an eye piece that is at the end nearest the viewer""s eye. The diameter of the objective lens determines the light-gathering power. The objective lenses (in the two adjacent telescopes) are often spaced farther apart than the eyepieces so as to enhance stereoscopic vision. Functioning as a magnifier, the eyepiece forms a large virtual image that becomes the object for the eye itself and thus forms the final image on the retina. Because of the spacing between the objective lenses, the object is xe2x80x9cviewedxe2x80x9d from a slightly different angle by each lens and therefore collects a slightly different image. Thus, the image projected onto the retina of each eye is also slightly different, and when the viewer""s brain incorporates and melds the two slightly different images received through both eyes, a unified but 3-D or stereoscopic image is perceived by the viewer.
Binoculars are now in ubiquitous usage throughout the world in many, many human endeavors from bird watching to opera-going to star-gazing. Over the years since the binocular was first introduced, many improvements have been made. Until recently, however, these improvements related mainly to refinements in the quality of the binocular""s basic component parts, such as improving the optical components to produce clearer images, increasing magnification, adding image stabilization, making them adjustable, making them more durable, making them smaller, making them more ergonomically balanced, adding low light capability, etc.
Recently, however, binoculars entered the digital age. U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,399 disclosed an improvement to the traditional binoculars by incorporating an image sensor, a first optical system (comprising the traditional lens-prisms-eyepiece arrangement), a second optical system (which digitized the signal and included some limited memory) and a display so that the viewer could choose either to view enlarged images through the first optical system in the traditional way, or to view electronically reproduced images that were previously stored in memory within the second optical system and then replayed on the display. Of particular relevance to the present invention, the device disclosed in the ""399 patent used two cameras, one in each respective optical channel, to capture separately the images received in each channel, and two internal displays, one for each channel, to produce stereoscopic playback of the stored images so that the stored information is perceived during playback by the viewer in three dimensions rather than two.
More recently still, U.S. Pat. No. 5,963,369 discloses another solid-state stereoscopic imaging system incorporated within a pair of hand-held binoculars. The device disclosed a first optical system, a second optical system, and a third optical system. The first optical system allows for magnified stereo viewing of an external object in the traditional sense. The second optical system allows for recording the magnified stereo image(s) viewed through the optics of the first optical system. The third optical system allows for reproduction of the magnified stereo image(s) captured by the second optical system. The hand-held 3-D imaging system disclosed in this patent further includes record and playback modes that are activated by switches connected to electronic processing circuitry located within the frame of the binoculars. Lastly, this patent further teaches the notion of simultaneously viewing pre-stored 3-D images while concurrently viewing the outside world. Like the ""399 patent, the ""369 patent also requires that separate systems be incorporated into each of the two telescopes in order for the captured images to be replayed stereoscopically so that viewer perceives the replayed images in three dimensions rather than two.
While these prior art devices which utilized two image capture and replay systems work well, it is well known in the art that the two systems must be perfectly aligned. Otherwise, even if there is only slight deviation between the two images being replayed, side effects such as eye strain and headaches may result.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simplified system that offers all of the features and functionality of these prior art systems, but which eliminates the need for precise synchronization of the two replayed images thus reducing the threat of eye strain, headache and other detrimental results, and as an additional benefit, also reduces the cost and complexity of the system.
The present invention overcomes the problems associated with the prior art in a hand-held 3-D imaging system of the type previously described in which a pair of hand-held, twin-telescope prism binoculars are fitted with an integrated stereoscopic imaging system that can record and stereoscopically playback one or more images seen through the optics of the binoculars, and in which the stereoscopic record and playback functions are accomplished, through the use of only one imaging sensor and one display, rather than having an imaging sensor and emitter placed in the optical path of each of the two telescopes. This is accomplished by the use of optical switches that are alternated between the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d (transparent) and xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d (opaque) positions at a rate of 30 Hz or higher.
In still another, separate aspect of the present invention, 3-D viewing on a PC monitor or television can be achieved by use of an external stereoscopic eyewear to process left/right video signals, thus delivering a full-color, flicker-free 3-D image to the viewer or audience.
In yet another, separate aspect of the present invention, information can be uploaded into the viewing device. This can be useful for scene interpretation and/or image recognition.
Still another, separate aspect of the present invention, is the addition of stereo sound to any image or sequence of images stored by incorporating internally-mounted microphones within the body of the binoculars.
The device of this invention can be used for outdoor 3-D viewing, recording viewed objects in 3-D, and internal or external playback of objects recorded in 3-D. In addition, pre-stored or remote real-time images can be overlaid while stereoscopically viewing the outside world as well as stereoscopically recorded and played back. Wireless capabilities with Internet connectivity can also be added to the device of this invention.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simplified prism binoculars with an integrated solid-state stereoscopic imaging system with only one optical receiver and transmitter common to both binocular channels. This and further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art in connection with the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment set forth below.

Optically multiplexed hand-held digital binocular system


A binder producible by reaction of aromatic polyesters with polyols and fatty acid esters as well as a process for the production of such a binder are described.. The inventive binder is particularly suitable for the production of polyurethanes and results in floor coverings with especially favorable properties.

Polyurethanes formed by polyaddition of polyisocyanates and polyhydroxyl compounds are largely used as reactive one- or two-component systems as adhesives, sealing materials, decoration coatings, protective coatings and floorings. Thereby, they have to meet very different requirements. Of particular importance are the storage stability prior to application, the potlife and processing viscosities during the application and the reactivity, the mechanical and thermal properties as well as the chemical resistance after the application. For coatings and floor coverings the aesthetic properties are often of decisive importance. The surfaces, dependent on the application must have different degrees of gloss, from glossy and satiny to mat. The surfaces must be completely free of deficiencies, thus defects such as pinholes, pigment floating, Bernard cells, rub-out-effects, bad levelling, craters, bubbles and others are not acceptable. It is generally known that achieving all technical requirements on the one hand necessitates an adjustment of all components of a formulation, an the other hand it is largely dependent on the used polyhydroxyl compounds.
In order to achieve the above mentioned requirements, the constituents used in the formulation must be compatible with each other. Besides the exclusively technical requirements imposed on said products also economical aspects are of great importance. The relation between the price and the performance of a product is often decisive for its possible use. For polyurethane pastes the costs of the whole formulation are largely determined by the costs of the polyhydroxyl compounds used. Additionally, the whole environmental impact of the product receives growing attention. In several countries, the legislation intends to reduce the environmental impact of commercial products in order to protect the environment and the raw material resources. For this reason, some governments require environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports to be submitted to the authorities before introducing new products into the market. In this context, minimizing the formation of carbon dioxide during the whole life cycle of a product (from production to waste disposal) is of utmost importance.
This can be achieved e.g. by extensive use of recycled or naturally growing raw materials.
In two component polyurethane formulations (component A: polyol, component B: isocyanate) for coatings (floor coverings, protective coatings, corrosion inhibiting coatings) a large variety of different polyhydroxyl compounds such as e.g. polypropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polyester, polycarbonate etc. are applicable.
It is known that the use of castor oil as polyol component results in materials with good properties (particularly good deficiency free surfaces, long potlife followed by fast curing). Usually castor oil is used together with other polyethylene oxide-based polyols or polypropylene oxide-based polyols
The GDR (former German Democratic Republic) patent No 125 037 describes the production of polyurethane pastes, for instance a mixture of recycled, i.e. alcoholized, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and castor oil. However, the use of castor oil together with aromatic polyester polyols as a physical mixture, as it is for example described in the above mentioned patent, is not suitable for the production of polyurethane coatings and floor coverings, since castor oil is chemically incompatible with the polyester leading to a separation. Thus, poor mechanical properties (low abrasion and scratch resistances) are obtained, particularly, however, poor surface properties (floating of pigments, surface defects) and insufficient storage stability (sedimentation or the fillers). This is due i.a. to the chemical incompatibility of the polyol components. Also, the processability is insufficient for the use as coatings and floor coverings due to the high viscosity of the binders described in the above mentioned patent.
Processes for recycling PET materials for the production of plastics are known for along time already. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,615 of Sherwin-Williams Co. describes the reaction of alcoholysis products of PET with e.g. acids under formation of acid group containing products with different acid group contents. Such products are particularly suitable for the production of aqueous, radically curing acrylic coatings The publication of Eastman Chemicals No N-292 B describes the production of unsaturated polyester resins out of PET. The use of conversion products of polyethylenterephthalate, PET, and polyols (de-polymerized PET) as raw material for the production of PU-compositions (particularly foams) is also known. For example the U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,068, No 4,417,001 and No 4,048,104 describe the production of hard polyurethane foams made out of recycled PET. The use of such binders, however, is not suitable for the formulation of coatings and floor coverings. The use of such aromatic polyols mostly leads to brittle products with poor aesthetic and insufficient processability.
The problem to be solved by the present invention thus was to produce a novel kind or polyhydroxyl compounds having a minimal negative impact on the environment allowing to better meet the sometimes contradictory requirements expected from polyurethane compositions, particularly coatings and floor coverings, than the state-of-the-art compounds do and having a more advantageous environmental impact. Said contradictory requirements include e.g. excellent mechanics, good chemical resistance, short processing times and good storage stabilities. In particular, the goals of the present invention were the production of polyhydroxyl compounds which can be synthesized at least in part out of low-cost, recycled raw material, possibly in combination with naturally regrowing raw materials, and the formulation of floor coverings and coatings enabling
excellent mechanical properties such as high tensile strengths and high modulus in tension at high elongation, good abrasion resistances, high compressive strengths, high scratch resistances PA1 defect-free, aesthetic surfaces PA1 good chemical resistance. PA1 A is oxygen or nitrogen, PA1 X is 1 or 2 and y=0 or 1, whereby for A=N x+y is 2 and whereby for A=0 x is 1 and y is 0, PA1 R.sub.1 is an aromatic polyester segment, particularly the polyester segment of the condensation product of an aromatic diacid and an optionally substituted aliphatic glycol, PA1 R.sub.2 is an optionally OH substituted, aliphatic, cyclic or aromatic C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 hydrocarbon chain or an optionally OH substituted dialkylether, trialkylether or tetraalkylether group or an optionally OH substituted ester or polyester of at least one aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic acid with aliphatic alcohols and/or glycols, PA1 R.sub.3 is a saturated or unsaturated C.sub.11 -C.sub.21 alkylradical substituted by at least one OH group, and PA1 R.sub.4 is hydrogen or hydroxyalkyl PA1 R.sub.3 is CH.sub.3 (CH.sub.2).sub.5 --CHOH--CH.sub.2 --(CH).sub.2 --(CH.sub.2).sub.7 -- PA1 Q is ##STR5## and p is 3.

Kind of polyhydroxyl compounds suitable for the polyurethane synthesis


A pneumatic carrier system is provided for distribution and transport of materials between different locations. The system includes a plurality of carriers for conveyance of materials and a control system for controlling the movement of the carriers in the system. The control system uses information associated with the carriers and the status of areas of the system to detect gridlock conditions which inhibit the movement of carriers. The system also includes bypass locations which are used to resolve detected gridlock conditions.

Pneumatic carrier systems for the distribution and transport of materials may connect a multitude of locations, any of which may be the initial source or ultimate destination of a particular carrier. The pneumatic tubes which connect these locations, or stations, may be arranged in a manner which permits carriers from various source stations to pass through a particular section of a pneumatic tube. When the paths of two of the carriers conflict, a gridlock condition may occur, which does not permit either carrier to proceed. Another form of gridlock occurs when a number of carriers become stalemated and unable to move forward due to the presence of the other carriers in the system.
One method of avoiding gridlock is to reserve all of the sections of tube which are necessary for the path of a particular carrier from its source to its destination until the complete path has been traversed. However, this method of avoiding gridlock is inefficient, as it causes all sections of tube in the path, other than the instant location of the carrier, to be idle until the carrier has completed the entire reserved path. As a result, a large portion of the system may be idle at any one time, resulting in inefficiency.

Gridlock detection and alleviation for pneumatic carrier systems


A computing system employing a multi-GPU graphics processing and display subsystem supporting single-GPU non-parallel (i.e. multi-tasking) and multi-GPU parallel application-division modes of graphics processing operations, in order to execute graphic commands and process graphics data (GCAD) render pixel-composited images containing graphics for display on a display device during the run-time of the multiple graphics-based applications, while managing and conserving electrical power and graphics processing resources. An automatic mode control module (AMCM) analyzes the application profiles assigned to graphics applications running on the computing system, and automatically controls the mode of operation of the multi-GPU graphics processing and display subsystem during the run-time of the multiple graphics-based applications.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of computer graphics rendering, and more particularly, to ways of and means for improving the performance and power and resources management of parallel graphics rendering processes supported on multiple 3D graphics processing unit (GPU) platforms associated with diverse types of computing machinery.
2. Brief Description of the State of Knowledge in the Art
There is a great demand for high performance computer graphics systems in the fields of product design, simulation, virtual-reality, video-gaming, scientific research, and personal computing (PC). A major goal of the computer graphics industry is to realize real-time photo-realistic 3D imagery on PC-based workstations, desktops, laptops, and mobile computing devices, while efficiently using electrical power and graphics processing resources for constantly changing application requirements in any given application environment.
Currently, a number of different computer graphics processing architectures have been developed for PC-based computing systems.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, a typical PC based graphic architecture has an external graphics card (105) comprising a graphics processing unit (GPU) and video memory. As shown, the graphic card is connected to the display (106) on one side, and the CPU (101) through bus (e.g. PCI-Express) (107) and Memory Bridge (103, termed also "chipset", e.g. 975 by Intel), on the other side. As shown in FIG. 1C, the host CPU program/memory space stores the graphics applications, the standard graphics library, and the vendor's GPU drivers.
As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, a prior art PC-based computing system employs a conventional Fusion-type CPU/GPU hybrid architecture, wherein a single GPU implemented on the same die as the CPU is used to support a graphics pipeline that drives an external display device. As shown, the motherboard supports the processor die, memory, a bridge with a display interface for connecting to a display device (106), and a PCI-express bus. As shown, the processor die supports a CPU (1241), a GPU (1242), L2 cache, buffers, an Interconnect (e.g. crossbar switch), a hyper transport mechanism and a memory controller.
As shown in FIG. 1D, the general software architecture of prior art graphic system (200) comprises: the graphics application (201), standard graphics library (202), and vendor's GPU driver (203). This graphic software environment resides in the "program space" of main memory (102) on the host computer system. As shown, the graphic application (201) runs in the program space, building up the 3D scene, typically as a data base of polygons, each polygon being represented as a set of vertices. The vertices and others components of these polygons are transferred to the graphic card(s) for rendering, and displayed as a 2D image, on the display screen.
As shown in FIG. 1E, a typical prior art PC-based computing system employs a conventional graphics architecture employing a North memory bridge with an integrated graphics device (IGD) (103). The IGD supports a single graphics pipeline process, and is operably coupled to a South bridge, via a PCI-express bus, for supporting the input/output ports of the system. As shown, the IGD includes a video engine, a 2D engine, a 3D engine, and a display engine.
Modern high-end GPUs have more transistors, offer at least an order of magnitude more of computational performance than CPUs, and draw more power. GPU is the primary power consumer in computing system, particularly in multiple-GPU parallel systems where the power consumption rises manifold. Therefore it is highly desired, particularly for high-end graphics, to manage power consumption by turning off the power of external GPUs to a low-power state when inactive. Power management reduces overall energy consumption, prolongs battery life for portable graphics systems, reduces cooling requirements, reduces noise, and reduces operating costs for energy and cooling. Lower power consumption also means lower heat dissipation, which increases system stability, and less energy use, which saves money and reduces the impact on the environment.
Thus, there is a great need in the art for a new and improved way of and means for practicing 3D graphics rendering processes in modern multiple-GPU based computer graphics systems, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of such prior art methodologies and apparatus.

Computing system employing a multi-GPU graphics processing and display subsystem supporting single-GPU non-parallel (multi-threading) and multi-GPU application-division parallel modes of graphics processing operation