To increase the sturdiness and precision of a double-edged milling cutter having a single cutting tip, the cutting tip is inserted in a recess of a milling cutter body, with the recess being constituted by two spaced-apart opposite sidewalls. One sidewall is designed as a rigid sidewall. By way of a cavity extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the milling cutter body, the thickness of the other sidewall is locally reduced across the entire width thereof, so that it is "elastic". The cutting tip is fixed between the two sidewalls by means of a mounting screw.

The invention relates to a double-edged milling cutter which is formed by a milling cutter body and a single cutting tip (insert).
Such a milling cutter is part of the group of milling cutters which are mostly provided with a receiving shank, with the cutting tip being received in a transverse recess of the milling cutter body such that it projects with its sides from two diametrically opposed sides of the body as well as in axial direction. The two projecting sides constitute the cutting edges. The cutting tip can have various forms, in particular it may have cutting edges that are almost parallel to the axis of the milling cutter, or in case of more widespread cutters it may have a partly spherical shape.
The present specification, for reasons of simplification, relates only to milling cutters of the partly circular type, with the milling cutter with such a cutting tip being referred to also as "spherical" in practical application, with this including however also cutting tips of other shapes. In general, such milling cutters are capable of milling also with axial feed and thus are referred to as "drilling milling cutters"; they find application also when milling free shapes (copy milling).
FIG. 6 of the drawings schematically shows a type of milling cutter according to the prior art. FIG. 6 shows a milling cutter body 10 and a double-edged cutting tip 11. Formed in the milling cutter body is a recess 12 having two mutually opposed sidewalls 13 and 14 for receiving the cutting tip 11 provided with a bore 15 for receiving a mounting screw 16.
One wall 13 of recess 12 has a through-bore 13' for the head of the mounting screw 16, whereas the other wall 14 is provided with a threaded bore 14' in which mounted screw 16 is threadedly received. The cutting tip 11 in turn has an axial back 11' abutting a bottom wall 12' of the recess 12 for the cutting tip.
The back 11' of the cutting tip and the floor 12' of the recess in some cases are provided with designs of different nature, having the purpose of centering the cutting tip with respect to the axis of the milling cutter. However, in most cases such centering is obtained by a perfect cylindrical alignment between the mounting screw 13 and the bore 15 of the cutting tip, as can be seen from FIG. 6.
For the preparation of the milling cutter, the cutting tip is introduced into the recess; the screw is inserted into the bore within the first wall, then through the bore in the cutting tip itself and then it is threadedly engaged with the threaded bore of the other wall. By tightening of the screw up to a stop, the two parallel walls of the recess are urged together in the manner of pliers and they thus lock the cutting tip. The system according to the prior art as described hereinbefore has found extensive distribution, however the use thereof has revealed some insufficiencies.
One insufficiency resides in the fact that, upon clamping of the cutting tip, part of the force developed by the screw 16 by the torque (moment) applied to the screw is consumed for bending the walls 13 and 14 of recess 12. The consequence is that the force effectively available for retaining the cutting tip frequently is insufficient for ensuring mounting in the manner required for the cutting tip so that the latter does not become instable during use.
Another insufficiency results from the fact that walls 13 and 14 of the recess, which theoretically should be symmetrical, hardly are so in reality, which is due to manufacturing tolerances, non-homogeneity of the material, different configurations (one wall contains the through-bore and the recess for the screw head, the other wall contains the threaded bore), so that the walls have different bending strengths, due to which the amount of bending of the two walls is not uniform, whereby the possibility is lost of performing milling with axial feed.
An additional insufficiency results from the fact that the resistance moment acting on the milling cutter, and thus on the cutting tip, during use thereof may be a cause to the effect that the walls of the recess receiving the cutting tip are spread apart, so that the cutting tip becomes instable, with the result that the milling cutter cannot be used any more in case of such spreading.
The present invention seeks to solve the above explained problems and to provide a milling cutter with increased strength and reliability, i.a. a milling cutter which displays higher precision and increased performance during use.

Doubleedged milling cutter provided with a single cutting tip and having increased strength and precision


An oil mist separator includes at least one filter device for separating off liquid suspended particles from a carrier gas. The filter device includes a housing having at least one inlet opening for introducing the carrier gas and at least one outlet opening for discharging the filtered carrier gas. Arranged in the housing is at least one filter insert through which the carrier gas can flow along a flow direction. There is also provided at least one guide device by which the flow path can be deflected. The at least one filter device can be arranged releasably in the oil mist separator, and a seal is provided preferably between a first fixing surface of the oil mist separator and a second fixing surface, to be fixed thereto, of the filter device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an oil mist separator for separating off liquid suspended particles from a carrier gas, in particular, a crankcase ventilation gas of an internal combustion engine, including a housing having at least one inlet opening for introduction of the carrier gas and at least one outlet opening for discharge of the filtered carrier gas, wherein arranged in the housing is at least one filter insert through which the carrier gas can flow along a flow direction.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known that in operation of an internal combustion engine so-called blow-by gases are produced, which are to be discharged from a crankcase of the internal combustion engine to avoid an increase in the pressure in the crankcase and to prevent unwanted escape of blow-by gas and oil contained therein. In the closed crankcase ventilation system, that crankcase venting gas or the carrier gas which includes oil and which results from the blow-by gases in the crankcase is recycled to an air inlet of the internal combustion engine, wherein the pressure in the crankcase is usually kept within predetermined component limit values. The carrier gas however contains fine oil droplets and solid particles of an order of magnitude of between about 0.1 μm and 10 μm.
To avoid negative effects of that oil which is contained in the carrier gas on components in the air inlet of the internal combustion engine, it is already known for the oil and the solid particles to be separated off from the carrier gas. For that purpose, inter alia, filter devices are used, which include filter inserts comprising a wire mesh or knitted wire mesh, through which the carrier gas can flow. By virtue of the underlying separation mechanisms and the structure-governed design configuration of such a wire mesh or knitted wire mesh, however, such filter devices achieve only a limited degree of separation when small drop or particle sizes are involved (in particular, in the particle size range of <1 μm). Therefore, it is possible to use, connected downstream of the filter device, a fine filter (for example, a coalescer filter) which can filter out smaller oil droplets than the separating filter.
Oil mist separators are known, for example, from CN 201198776 (Y), JP 2010-248934 (A), and JP 2001-200713 A.


An embodiment of the invention is a scalable I/O interface signaling technology for improved communication between semiconductor devices. In one embodiment, a system contains a first semiconductor device that includes a first characterization mechanism, a control logic coupled to the first characterization mechanism, a voltage generating mechanism coupled to the control logic and a transmit buffer. The control logic adjusts at least a first voltage generated by the voltage generating mechanism based on at least a value determined by the first characterization mechanism. The first voltage is coupled to the transmit buffer to define at least a transmit voltage signal level. In an alternate embodiment, the first voltage is coupled to a receive buffer in a second semiconductor device to define at least a receive voltage signal level.

As critical dimensions in semiconductor devices are reduced, the maximum voltage (e.g., power supply voltages) used by such devices are also scaled. For example, a maximum power supply voltage, Vdd, used by semiconductor device scales with gate-oxide thickness. The scaling of termination voltages, voltage swings and/or a common mode voltage used in signaling between semiconductor devices or ICs, however, often lags behind the changes in the power supply voltages. As a consequence, it is increasingly difficult to communicate between two semiconductor devices having different manufacturing process generations using the same signaling technology, with a fixed termination voltage, voltage swing and/or common mode voltage.
In the case of a semiconductor memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), communicating between semiconductor devices having different signaling levels poses challenges in the design of an input-output (I/O) interface in a controller. For example, the I/O device signaling levels may be higher than those in the core of the memory device. In addition, in a bi-modal design, such as when the controller needs to communicate with both 1.2V (XDR) and 1.8V (DDR2) DRAM, circuits in the I/O interface must be able to handle signals at both of these voltages with different voltage swing and common mode requirements.
To overcome these limitations, there is a need for an improved I/O interface signaling technology for use in communication between semiconductor devices.
Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

Scalable I/O signaling topology using source-calibrated reference voltages


A rotary slot milling cutter has a plurality of cutting portions, each cutting portion having an insert pocket and a cutting insert removably mounted therein. The cutting insert includes a top face and a bottom face which has two spaced-apart abutments, with a ceiling formed therebetween. The insert pocket has a generally axially disposed pocket base provided with two support surfaces and a radially extending rib disposed therebetween, the rib having a roof and two banks. When the cutting insert is mounted in the insert pocket, the abutment platforms abut the support surfaces, and a gap exists between the roof of the rib and the ceiling, and between each side-slope and adjacent banks.

DE 43 30 668 A1 (WO 95/07162) discloses a U-shaped, or a bridge-shaped, indexable cutting insert for mounting in an end-mill designed for milling thin slots. The cutting insert has a plate-shaped or approximately plate-shaped fixation element disposed between two edge zones of larger cross-section which carry the cutting edges. The end-mill carries a plurality of the cutting inserts, arranged alternately on both sides of its disk-shaped tool body. When mounted, the fixation element abuts a groove in the face of the tool body. Precise finish of the fixation element is essential for providing a tool with an accurate width of cut. This necessitates grinding of the fixation element. Since the support (or fixation) surface of the cutting insert disclosed in DE 43 30 668 A1 is disposed between the two thicker end-zones, an additional, dedicated grinding phase must be executed to polish the fixation element, which is a time-consuming and expensive process.
The cutting insert is clamped to the tool body by means of a clamping screw. To provide secure engagement of the clamping screw in the tool body, a protrusion is formed in the tool body, and a corresponding recess is formed in the fixation element of the cutting insert, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in the above-cited reference. As the fixation element is already the thinnest element in the cutting insert, forming recess therein weakens the cutting insert and complicates manufacturing of the cutting inserts and the tool body.

Rotary slot milling cutter and cutting insert therefor


A child vehicle seat includes a seat portion and a headrest assembly. The headrest assembly defines at least one belt aperture. The headrest assembly is movable in relation to the seat portion between an upper position and a lower position. The child vehicle seat further includes a harness system including (i) at least one shoulder belt portion extending through the at least one belt aperture defined in the headrest assembly, and (ii) a crotch belt assembly that is movable in relation to the seat portion between an extended position and a retracted position. Movement of the headrest assembly in relation to the seat portion from the upper position to the lower position causes the crotch belt assembly to move from the extended position to the retracted position.

This invention relates to the field of child seats for motor vehicles.
Child seats for motor vehicles are widely used by operators of motor vehicles to protect children from harm in the event of an accident. Child seats generally include a plastic shell with a cushioned seat formed over the shell. A harness is provided on the seat to restrain the child and retain the child in the seat in the event of an accident. Harness systems typically include a shoulder harness with belts designed to extend over the shoulders of the child and a buckle harness with a crotch belt designed to extend between the legs of the child. The belts included with the harness system can typically be adjusted in length to accommodate children of different sizes.
A continuing challenge for users of conventional child vehicle seats and restraint systems is properly positioning the harness upon the child. In particular, the shoulder belts included with the shoulder harness should extend from the back of the seat within a specified range of the child's shoulder. In addition, the crotch belt of the buckle harness should extend from the bottom of the seat within a specified range of the child's crotch. Furthermore, the buckle of the buckle harness should be properly positioned within a specific range near the midsection of the child. Users of child seats are often required to make various adjustments to the harness such that all belts and buckles are properly situated for the child that will be using the seat. Therefore, a need exists for a child seat where the shoulder harness and buckle harness are easily and/or automatically adjusted, depending upon the size of the child. Furthermore, a need exists for a child seat where the position of the belts with respect to the seat may be changed depending upon the size of the child. Preferably, this would include automatically changing the position of the shoulder belt with respect to the back of the seat and automatically changing position of the crotch belt with respect to the seat bottom, depending upon the size of the child.
Another challenge for users of conventional child seat designs is the relative complexity of the headrest and shoulder harness adjustment for the seat. The headrest and shoulder harness positions should typically be adjusted as the child grows. However, the adjustment mechanisms for the headrest and/or shoulder harness can be awkward and difficult to manipulate on many seats. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a headrest mechanism for a child seat that is easy to adjust. It would also be desirable to provide a harness system that is automatically adjusted when the headrest is adjusted, thereby relieving users of the need to readjust the harness after moving the headrest.

Child vehicle seat having an adjustable harness system


Some embodiments of the invention provide a program for recovering access to a service associated with an account. The program provides a login credential to log into the account to receive the associated service. Next, the program receives an access continuation parameter (ACP) after logging into the account. The program then accesses the service and receives a rejection of a subsequent access to the service. The program then provides the ACP in lieu of the login credential to continue to receive the service.

Today, most users of computing devices have multiple accounts that require the user to provide one or more credentials to gain access to them. Because of this, it is quite common for one person to have multiple passwords for multiple different accounts. With the increasing number of passwords, users typically forget the passwords that they use for their different accounts. Also, with the proliferation of devices that can be associated with one account, a user often has to supply passwords on multiple devices associated with an account whenever the user changes his account password.
To date, there has not been many solutions that provide a simple, but yet robust account-recovery scheme that allows a user to quickly regain access to an account, while providing strong account protection. Ideally, the account recovery scheme should not disrupt service access on multiple devices of the user when the user modifies the account password.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Account access recovery system, method and apparatus


A tensioning device for attraction mechanism including a receiving and mounting housing, a roller carrier pivotably connected to the mounting housing, a bearing which radially supports the roller carrier relative to the mounting housing, a spring between the roller carrier and the mounting housing for applying a tensioning force, and a damping device. The damping device includes a damping bush which, by friction, dampens any movement between the roller carrier and the mounting housing in such a way that damping is greater in the direction of an increasing tension force than in the direction of decreasing tension force. A flat band spring applies the friction force to the damping bush. The flat band spring is secured, at a first end, to the receiving and mounting housing in a rotationally fast way, and at a second end to the damping bush in a rotationally fast way.

The invention relates to a tensioning device for traction means, such as a belt tensioning device, having a receiving and mounting housing, a roller carrier pivotably connected to the receiving and mounting housing, a bearing which radially and axially supports the roller carrier relative to the receiving and mounting housing, a spring for applying the tensioning force, and a damping device. The spring is arranged between the roller carrier and the receiving and mounting housing and the damping device comprises a damping bush. By friction, the damping device dampens any movements between the roller carrier and the receiving and mounting housing in such a way that the damping effect is greater in the direction of an increasing tensioning force than in the direction of a decreasing tensioning force.
In motor vehicles, the vehicle engine drives various auxiliary units such as a generator, a water pump for vehicle engines with fluid cooling, a pump for servo-power for motor vehicles with steering assistance and a compressor for an air-conditioning system. Such auxiliary units are driven by a main belt pulley positioned on the crankshaft of the vehicle engine and by an infinite driving belt which, on the one hand, moves via the main belt pulley and, on the other hand, moves via auxiliary belt pulleys arranged on the driveshafts of the auxiliary units. The functional efficiency of the auxiliary units and the service life of the driving belt greatly depend on the setting and maintaining of a certain belt tension of the driving belt. To improve the functional efficiency of the auxiliary units and to prolong the service life of the driving belt, it is general practice to use a spring-loaded belt tensioning device which, as a rule, comprises a damping device, so that any slip and vibrations can be compensated for or reduced.
It is mentioned above that the invention relates to a tensioning device for traction means. Above, details are given of a special tensioning device for traction means, i.e. a belt tensioning device. Below, the tensioning device for traction means, which is dealt with by the invention, will always be referred to and described as a belt tensioning device. This does not alter the fact that the described tensioning device for traction means can also be used for other applications, i.e. not only as a belt tensioning device.
The initially described basic design of belt tensioning devices, i.e. comprising a receiving and mounting housing, having a roller carrier which is pivotably connected to the receiving and mounting housing, bearings which radially and axially support the roller carrier relative to the receiving and mounting housing, a spring which applies the tensioning force and is arranged between the roller carrier and the receiving and tensioning housing, as well as a damping device, is generally known and to that extent, reference is made to the German publication documents 37 28 158; 41 24 636; 41 34 354; 43 36 467; 43 45 150; 44 27 683; 195 40 706 and 196 03 558, to the German patent specifications 43 00 178 and 43 25 424, to the European publication documents 0 294 919 and 0 858 563 as well as to the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,698,049 and 4,472,162. Substantial differences, in particular, refer to the damping device.
In the case of the belt tensioning devices known from the German publication documents 195 40 706 and 196 03 558 and from the European publication document 0 858 563, the function of the bearing and that of the damping device are combined in one assembly. The assembly is a cone-type friction bearing which is applied by a spring force and which, on the one hand, radially and axially supports the roller carrier relative to the receiving and mounting housing and, on the other hand, by way of friction, dampens the movements between the roller carrier and the receiving and mounting housing. The disadvantage of the prior art belt tensioning devices is that, on the one hand, due to the unavoidable wear of the cone-type friction bearing, the roller carrier moves axially relative to the receiving and mounting housing and, on the other hand, the damping effect in the direction of load application, i.e. in the direction of an increasing tensioning force, is identical to the damping effect in the direction of load relief, i.e. in the direction of a decreasing tensioning force.
In the belt tensioning device known from the European publication document 0 294 919, it has been possible to avoid the two above-mentioned disadvantages which are inherent in the belt tensioning devices known from the German publication documents 195 40 706 and 196 03 558 and from the European publication document 0 294 919. As the belt tensioning device known from the European publication document 0 294 919 does not comprise a cone-type friction bearing, the disadvantage relating to such a cone-type friction bearing, i.e. that the roller carrier moves axially relative to the receiving and mounting housing, has been avoided. In the belt tensioning device known from the European publication document 0 294 919, the damping device is designed in such a way that the damping effect in the direction of the increasing tensioning force is greater than in the direction of the decreasing tensioning force.
As far as details are concerned, the damping device used in the belt tensioning device according to the European publication document 0 294 919 comprises a damping bush and a band which is positioned around the damping bush, whose first end is rigidly connected to the receiving and mounting housing and whose other end is subjected to a spring force. The spring force for tensioning the band is applied either by an additional helical spring on the receiving and mounting housing or by the spring primarily serving for applying the tensioning force. In the embodiment shown, it is a coil spring in the form of a leg spring. The first variant is disadvantageous in that there is a need for considerable additional means, in particular, the additionally required helical spring. The second variant is disadvantageous in that the design of the spring which serves to apply the tensioning force also determines the damping characteristics of the belt tensioning device. The degree of freedom desirable for the damping characteristics is thus missing.


A multi chip package includes a protective layer having an upper surface that surrounds a first chip and a second chip, which are mounted over a first substrate, to expose an upper surface of the first chip and an upper surface of the second chip, a heat spreader disposed over the upper surfaces, and a thermal interface material disposed at an interface between the heat spreader and the upper surfaces.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a package technology, and more particularly, to a multi chip package including a heat spreader, and a method for manufacturing the same.
A semiconductor device may include various electronic circuit elements and may be used to construct electronic appliances. Various electronic devices, such as a computer, a mobile appliance, or a data storage device, may utilize a memory semiconductor chip or a chip package.
In order to realize electronic products, such as smart phones, that are lightweight and small in size, a package of the semiconductor device within the electronic product should likewise be small in size. Multi chip package technology of collecting semiconductor chips having different functions into one package, which realizes high capacity and multi-functional operations within a single package product, provides such a desired form factor. For example, System In Package (SIP) technology enables the arrangement of a plurality of chips having different functions on a substrate, which efficiently packages the chips into a package that is small in size. However, the plurality of semiconductor chips performs high speed operations in a small area, which requires an efficient spreading of heat.

Multi chip package and method for manufacturing the same


A PCV heater including a plug and a heat sink coupled to the plug. The plug and the heat sink define a gas flow path having a first end and a second end. The second end of the gas flow path defines a discharge port and the heat sink is proximate to the discharge port. The heater also includes a heating element coupled to the plug and electrically connectable to a power source. The heating element thermally engages the heat sink to communicate heat from the heating element to the heat sink when the heating element is electrically connected to the power source. A method for manufacturing the PCV heater includes the steps of placing a heat sink into a mold cavity, coupling a heating element to the heat sink, electrically connecting a first lead wire and a second lead wire to the heating element, and providing a high temperature plastic to the mold cavity to overmold the heat sink and the heating element.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an electric heater for an internal combustion engine and, more particularly, to an electric heater for a positive crankcase ventilation system of an internal combustion engine.
2. Discussion
Positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) draws and feeds gases from the engine crankcase into the engine induction system such as at the intake manifold. Crankcase gases oftentimes include a fairly high percentage of unwanted constituents, such as hydrocarbons, resulting from blowby during engine operation. These unwanted constituents may be burned off after recirculation through the PCV system. A PCV valve normally positioned proximate to the crankcase regulates the flow through the PCV system into the intake manifold in relation to the engine load.
During cold weather operation of the engine, condensation problems can result in the area where the PCV system discharges gases into the intake manifold. More particularly, ambient air drawn into and through the air intake system during operation of the engine mixes with the PCV gases that have been warmed through combustion. Condensation occurs as the PCV gases cool in the mixing zone. If the ambient temperatures are sufficiently cold, the condensed liquid may freeze causing plugging of the PCV system and over-pressures in the crankcase that ultimately may prevent proper engine operation.
Previous PCV heaters have failed to adequately address these freeze-up concerns. More particularly, a presently used PCV heater includes a stamped steel fitting having a steel cup integral with a steel tube. The steel cup is configured to be coupled to an appropriately sized opening in the intake manifold and the steel tube is connectable to a conduit that conveys the ventilated gases from the PCV valve to the fitting. In this device, the tube is heated by a resistance element that is wound about the base of the tube. The resistance element is generally turned twice about the tube and crossed over itself in close proximity to a previous turn. The conductive nature of the cup and tube as well as the proximity of the wires create an undesirably large frequency of shorting.
In heaters having a wrapped resistance wire as the heating element, design concerns specifically related to space constraints, heating capacity, power usage, and short circuiting must be balanced. In general, it would be desirable to optimize the number of wire turns to control the heating capacity of the unit. However, space constraints limit the number of turns that may be used without incurring an unacceptably high frequency or probability of shorting. A smaller diameter wire could be used to decrease the number of turns and improve on shorting. However, when smaller diameter wires are used, the total length of wire is shortened and the operating temperature within the wire is increased leading to a decrease in robustness and service life.
In addition to the above-described operational concerns, the previous heater is difficult to manufacture. More particularly, manufacture requires termination of the resistance wire to lead wires communicating with a power source, manually wrapping wires about the tube, over-potting the wrapped wires with a heat transfer epoxy, allowing the potting epoxy to cure for 30 to 45 minutes, covering the helically wound resistance element with a silicon epoxy to limit electrical conductivity and heat transfer away from the tube, and oven curing the silicon epoxy for 60 minutes. Oftentimes shorting concerns require dipping of the resistance wires in a soft cure heat transfer epoxy prior to wrapping. The epoxy is then cured for approximately thirty (30) to forty-five (45) minutes. This labor intensive and time consuming procedure increases manufacturing costs and limits the capacity of manufacture.
In view of the above, a need exists for an improved PCV heater. Improved PCV heaters would advantageously address each of the above concerns including a reduced frequency of shorting, more simplified and inexpensive manufacturing procedures, concentrate the heat in the area of freeze-up, thermally isolate the heat sink of the heater from the engine, and generate a given amount of heat with better efficiency thereby lowering required wattages and saving energy.

PCV heater and method for manufacturing same


A fastener system for binding paper is disclosed comprising a base having spaced first and second ends. A first prong extends from the first end. A second prong extends from the second end. A first member having a first opening receives the first prong, and a second member having a second opening receives the second prong. The first and second members are releasably securable to form a top lock. A method of securing a stack of papers is also disclosed.

Various devices for binding sheets of paper are known in the art. Some designs include a pair of prongs that are inserted through spaced holes along an edge of a sheet of paper. A stack of papers may be inserted onto the prongs. A portion of each prong extends beyond the stack of papers, and is bent over the stack of paper. Some designs include a top piece, wherein the prongs are bent over the top piece. Other deigns include a ratchet mechanism that binds the edges of the paper. Unfortunately, pages bound by such prior art devices often become loose or fall out, particularly if pages are repeatedly removed and/or inserted.

Fastener system and method for binding papers


Spheroidal polyester polymer particles, as well as preforms and stretch blow molded bottles made from the spheroidal particles, are provided which have:                A) an It.V. of at least 0.72 dL/g, and either        B) at least two melting peaks (on a DSC first heating scan), wherein one of said at least two melting peaks is a low peak melting point having a peak temperature within a range of 140° C. to 220° C. and having a melting endotherm area of at least the absolute value of 1 J/g, or        C) a low degree of crystallinity within a range of at least 20% and a maximum degree of crystallinity Tcmax defined by the equation:Tcmax=50%−CA−OHwhere CA is the total mole % of all carboxylic acid residues other than terephthalic acid residues, based on 100 mole % of carboxylic acid residues in the polyester polymer, and OH is the total mole % of hydroxyl functional compound residues other than ethylene glycol residues, based on 100 mole % of the hydroxyl functional compounds residues; or both B) and C); and optionally but preferably        D) 10 ppm or less of residual acetaldehyde.

Conventional polyester polymer particles and pellets are typically cylindrically shaped, are solid state polymerized, and have high degrees of crystallinity. As a result, conventional pellets do not usually agglomerate in the dryers which feed an injection molding machine or an extruder. While some sticking occurs at drying temperatures (150° C. to 185° C.), the problem does not usually result in sufficient agglomeration to completely block a flow of pellets from the dryer.
We have found it advantageous to provide a polyester polymer particle which has a unique morphology and which avoids the need for solid state polymerization. This morphology includes one or more of the following features: low melt point, low degree of crystallinity, and high It.V. produced without solid state polymerization. We have discovered that these particles, if made in a conventional shape, may in some cases stick sufficiently in the dryer that mechanical agitation is required to dislodge them. We have seen that cylindrical solid stated pellets were free flowing in dryer hoppers, while in some cases cylindrical non-solid stated pellets with the unique morphology agglomerated in the pellet dryers.
This investigation would have led one to conclude that the free flowing behavior of the pellets is attributable to their morphology, and not their geometry. Our investigation continued to determine the cause for the sticking problem of these pellets. It would be desirable to provide a polyester polymer particle which minimizes agglomeration in the dryer and which has one or more of the stated characteristics.


A heat pipe is divided longitudinally by a divider wall into a vapor channel and into a liquid channel. The divider wall is provided, preferably at uniform axial spacings with bulges that form a restriction in the flow cross-sectional area of the vapor channel and an increase in the flow cross-sectional area of the liquid channel. A small diameter through bore is positioned at the peak of each bulge to connect the liquid channel with the vapor channel at this point. The reduced pressure at the restriction in the vapor channel is sufficient to suck gas or vapor bubbles collected under the bulge into the vapor channel, but insufficient to pull liquid into the vapor channel. The cross-sectional flow area of the liquid channel increases steadily toward each bulge, either from a point centrally between two bulges or from a point directly downstream of a bulge toward the next bulge as viewed in the flow direction of the liquid.

Heat pipes are known in the art for transporting heat from one location to be cooled to another location in which the heat is to be dissipated. The need for heat removal exists in many environments extending from electronic circuit boards to cooling a spacecraft. A heat pipe uses a liquid as a heat carrier which is evaporated at the hot end of the heat pipe and the vapor is converted back into a liquid at the cool end of the pipe. Conventionally, ammonia is used as the heat carrier which in its vapor form transports heat from the hot end of the pipe to the cool end of the pipe where the vapor condenses, thereby discharging heat to the environment and the condensate flows back to the hot end of the pipe.
The vapor flow from the hot end to the cooler end is maintained due to the pressure difference between the hot and cool ends. The liquid flow back to the hot end is either a gravitational flow if the heat pipe is positioned vertically or it is a capillary flow if the heat pipe is positioned other than vertically. Different radii of curvature in the boundary surface between the liquid and the vapor at the evaporating hot end, on the one hand, and at the condensating end on the other hand, generate capillary forces which cause the condensate to flow back while the pressure difference between the evaporating and condensating end causes the vapor to flow from the hot to the cool end. The resulting flow velocity depends on the equilibrium that is established between the pressure loss due to frictional forces and the effective capillary forces.
Modern high performance heat pipes are capable of transporting substantial heat quantities over substantial distances even at relatively small temperature differences between the hot and cold end of the heat pipe. For example, one kilowatt can be easily transported over distances from 1 to about 20 m. Higher heat quantities have been transported over shorter distances.
Comparing conventional high performance heat pipes with other conventional heat pipes, the higher performance of the former is achieved in that the transport of the liquid takes place through channels of differing dimensions. In the vaporization zone a multitude of very small channels having geometries for capillary action are used in order to achieve substantial driving capillary forces. In the condensating zone and in the section between the evaporating and condensating zones, the transport takes place through few flow channels and if suitable even in a single channel with a relatively large diameter. Such a large diameter channel may also be referred to as an artery. The just described structure minimizes pressure losses due to frictional forces. As a result, a substantially increased fluid mass flow is achieved even though the capillary forces remain the same. Simultaneously, a substantially increased heat transfer or heat flow is achieved due to the improved mass flow.
In operating such high performance heat pipes, however, a substantial problem is encountered. Such a problem is caused by vapor bubbles of the heat carrier fluid or by gaseous noncondensible foreign matter. Bubbles and noncondensible matter impair the function of a heat pipe substantially or may even interrupt the operation. Such bubbles or foreign matter may have been present inside the heat pipe already at the time of starting the operation and their presence may have been complete accidental. Such impairments may also be caused by an operational overloading of the heat pipe, for example, by superheating the evaporation end of the pipe causing a short duration, temporary drying of the evaporation zone. Resulting bubbles can interrupt the transport of the heat carrier fluid to the hot end of the pipe so that the hot end even dries further, thereby blocking the further function of the heat pipe.
Two conventional heat pipes are described in "Heat Pipe Design Handbook", Volume 1, by B+K Engineering Incorporated, Towson, Maryland, 21204 (U.S.A.), pages 149 and 152. These conventional heat pipes include devices for the removal of bubbles and thus avoiding the blockage of the desired flow by the gas bubbles. In one instance, gas bubbles are avoided by venting bores in the separation wall between the artery and the vapor channel. In the other instance the gas bubbles are avoided by a suction nozzle arranged in the transport area for the vapor. The suction nozzle functions simultaneously as a jet pump for sucking off gas bubbles in the artery through a suction pipe.
The arrangement of venting holes in the wall of the artery has the disadvantage that during the operation of the heat pipe the pressure in the vapor channel is substantially higher than in the artery so that for transferring gas bubbles out of the artery into the vapor channel, the operation of the heat pipe must be interrupted. However, during such interruption the venting bores are blocked by liquid bridges which must first evaporate before the gas bubbles can pass through the venting bores. As a result, such interruptions of the operation of the heat pipe require relatively long time periods before the heat pipe can become operational again.
With regard to the second conventional devices for the removal of bubbles by a suction nozzle or venturi nozzle, there is the disadvantage that, in case there is no gas bubble within the suction range of the suction nozzle, a small quantity of heat carrier fluid is collected from the artery into the suction pipe. If now a gas bubble does appear in front of the suction inlet, it is necessary to first suck in the liquid quantity out of the suction pipe to be able to also remove the gas bubble. The result is a substantial pressure loss in the flow in the suction pipe. As a result, the pressure reduction caused thereby in the suction nozzle is correspondingly substantial. Thus, the nozzle must have a relatively large reduction in the cross-sectional flow area. Such a reduction in turn leads to a substantial impairment of the vapor flow, due to the pressure loss and thus to a substantially reduced effectiveness of the heat pipe.


A method for operating a gasifier includes detecting a corrosive compound between a combustion chamber defined within the gasifier and an inner wall of a pressure vessel that at least partially surrounds the combustion chamber via a corrosion sensor and increasing the temperature of the inner wall of the pressure vessel to a temperature that is greater than a dew point of the corrosive compound via a heater that at least partially surrounds the pressure vessel. The method may also include adjusting a flow of at least one of a fuel, an oxidant and a diluent to the gasifier in response to the detection of the corrosive compound so as to modify the dew point of the corrosive compound.

An Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) is known in the art for converting petroleum coke or coal into synthetic gas which may then be supplied to a gas turbine to generate power. The synthetic gas, a clean burning fuel, may be burned directly in the gas turbine or may be processed further to produce methanol and hydrogen for combustion in the gas turbine.
The IGCC typically includes a gasifier to convert the petroleum coke or coal into the synthetic gas. The petroleum coke or coke is partially combusted with oxygen in a gasifier at a high temperature and pressure to produce the synthetic gas. The gasifier may be constructed of an insulated brick lining surrounded by a pressure resistant steel vessel. The brick lining is typically designed to withstand internal gasifier temperatures of approximately 2,500-3,000° F., while the steel vessel is typically designed to withstand an inner surface temperature of approximately 400-600° F.
The gasification process may produce highly corrosive byproducts, such as ammonium chloride. If the dew point of the inner surface of the steel vessel is less than the dew point of the corrosive byproducts, then the corrosive byproducts may condense on an inside surface of the steel vessel, causing aqueous corrosion on the inside surface of the steel vessel. The aqueous corrosion on the inside surface of the steel vessel is undesirable in that it may result in unplanned outages for maintenance and/or repair and ultimately reduces the useful life of the steel vessel.
Various attempts have been made to control the production and/or effects of the corrosive byproducts. For example, attempts have been made to indirectly monitor the production of the synthetic gas, and thus the production of the corrosive byproducts. Other attempts have involved costly external wind deflectors and variations in the design of the brick insulation. However, an improved method for controlling the gasifier would be useful in reducing corrosion caused by the corrosive byproducts.


A display portion is divided by scan lines and signal lines into sections where pixels are provided. Contact holes each for connecting common wiring and a common electrode together are not formed for all the pixels, but decimated so as to be arranged in zigzags.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display and a method of manufacturing the same and, in particular, relates to an in-plane switching (IPS) liquid crystal display in which signal lines are partially covered with a common electrode via an interlayer insulating film.
Conventionally, use has been widely made of transmission type liquid crystal displays employing thin film transistors (TFTs) or metal-insulator-metal (MIM) devices as switching elements for driving and controlling pixel electrodes. Particularly, IPS liquid crystal displays have been used as monitors, which can realize wide viewing angles like cathode ray tubes (CRTs).
FIGS. 1 to 3 show structures of a one-pixel portion of an active matrix substrate in a conventional IPS liquid crystal display using TFTs disclosed in WO98/47044 (pp. 8 –18, FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, it will be hereinafter referred to as a conventional reference). Herein, FIG. 1 is a plan view, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line X–X′ in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line Y–Y′ in FIG. 1. In the active matrix substrate of the IPS liquid crystal display, a plurality of pixel electrodes and a common electrode are formed so as to face each other like alternate teeth of opposed combs, and electric fields substantially parallel to the substrate are generated between the electrodes to thereby control orientation of liquid crystal molecules.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the one-pixel portion of the active matrix substrate, a scan line 111 for supplying a scan signal and a signal line 112 for supplying a display signal cross each other at right angles, and common wiring 113 for applying electric potential to a common electrode 122 is arranged in parallel to the scan line 111. On the other hand, the common electrode 122 and a pixel electrode 121 are placed so as to face each other like alternate teeth of opposed combs. In a region defined by crossing between the scan line 111 and the signal line 112, a TFT 114 is provided so as to be connected to the scan line 111, the signal line 112, and the pixel electrode 121.
A gate electrode 123 of the TFT 114 is provided as a part of the scan line 111, a drain electrode 125 is connected to the signal line 112, a source electrode 124 is connected to the pixel electrode 121 via a contact hole 126, and the common wiring 113 is connected to the common electrode 122 via a contact hole 127. Further, the signal line 112 is disposed so as to be partially covered with the common electrode 122.
As shown in FIG. 2, the gate electrode 123, a gate insulating film 131, and an insular semiconductor layer 134 are provided on a transparent insulating substrate 120. Further, the source electrode 124 and the drain electrode 125 are separately provided and cover the semiconductor layer 134 (an amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer 164 and an n+ type amorphous silicon (n+ type a-Si) layer 174), thereby forming the TFT 114. In addition, an interlayer insulating film (a protective film 132 and an organic insulating film 133) is provided so as to cover the TFT 114. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the pixel electrode 121 is connected to the source electrode 124 via the contact hole 126 formed in the organic insulating film 133 while the common electrode 122 is connected to the common wiring 113 via the contact hole 127 formed in the organic insulating film 133 and the gate insulating film 131.
Now, description will be made of a method of the manufacturing the active matrix substrate having the foregoing structure. First, a metal film made of a Cr—Mo alloy is deposited on the transparent insulating substrate 120 made of glass or the like, then patterning is carried out so as to form the gate electrodes 123, the scan lines 111, and the common wiring 113. Subsequently, after the gate insulating film 131, the a-Si layer 164, and the n+ type a-Si layer 174 are sequentially formed, patterning is performed so as to form the semiconductor layers 134. Thereafter, a metal film made of a Cr—Mo alloy is deposited, and the source electrodes 124, the drain electrodes 125 and the signal lines 112 are formed by patterning. Then, using them as masks, the n+ type a-Si layers 174 are removed by etching to thereby form channels.
Subsequently, the protective film 132 made of silicon nitride is deposited and patterned. Then, the photosensitive organic insulating film 133 is applied and patterned, then using it as a mask, the gate insulating film 131 is patterned to form the contact holes 126 and 127. Thereafter, a transparent conductive film made of indium tin oxide (ITO) is deposited so as to cover the organic insulating film 133, and the common electrode 122 and the pixel electrodes 121 are formed by patterning. In this manner, the connection between the common electrode 122 and the common wiring 113 and the connection between the pixel electrodes 121 and the source electrodes 124 are established.
As described above, the organic insulating film 133 having a low dielectric constant is used as a part of the interlayer insulating film. This is because capacitive coupling between the signal line 112 and the common electrode 122 is reduced and crosstalk is suppressed when the common electrode and the signal line are partially overlapped with each other in order to improve the aperture ratio. Further, the flatness of the active matrix substrate is improved to reduce fluctuation of gaps relative to an opposing substrate, thereby improving uniformity of luminance.
When the organic insulating film is not used in the interlayer insulating film, the protective layer 132 made of silicon nitride is alternatively formed thicker. In this case, the contact holes 126 and 127 are formed through one photolithography process.
In the foregoing IPS liquid crystal display in which the signal lines are partially covered with the common electrode via the interlayer insulating film, however, when pinholes are generated in the interlayer insulating film, the signal lines and the common electrode tend to be short-circuited together to cause a longitudinal line defect. This causes a problem in terms of manufacturing yield
According to experiments by the present inventors, it has been confirmed that, in the patterning process of the signal lines 112, patterning failure of the metal film for the signal lines 112 occurs in regions from the signal lines 112 to the contact holes 127 due to foreign matter such as a photoresist so that the signal lines 112 and the common electrode 112 are short-circuited together via the contact holes 127. It has been found that this phenomenon becomes remarkable particularly in high resolution panels with narrow pixel pitches.
Further, when the interlayer insulating film is formed only by the inorganic film such as the silicon nitride film, i.e. without using the organic insulating film, it has been confirmed that if the contact holes 126 and 127 are formed by the use of at least dry etching, plasma is concentrated on foreign matter or defect portions of a photoresist, so that the interlayer insulating film is resultantly etched to have pinholes, and the signal lines 112 and the common electrode 122 are short-circuited together via the pinholes.

Liquid crystal display with superposed contact holes and method of manufacturing the same


Provided is a battery in which collector foil is unlikely to break.

In devices that use a battery as a drive power source, such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric cars, a battery pack that houses large-capacity secondary batteries is used. Lithium-ion secondary batteries that are high in both volumetric energy density and mass energy density are suitable as drive-power-source batteries.
Among the known lithium-ion batteries are a columnar battery, which is made by winding up a stacked product in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are stacked through a separator, and a flat battery, which is a stacked product in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are stacked through a separator.
Among those batteries, the flat battery is suitable as a power-source battery for a power motor and the like, because the capacity can be easily increased per unit battery by increasing the areas of the positive and negative electrodes or by increasing the number of positive and negative electrodes stacked.
Even if the number of positive and negative electrodes that are stacked as battery elements is increased to increase the capacity per unit battery, in order to minimize an increase in the volume of the battery, the distances from a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab, which are taken out from the positive and negative electrodes and are used for conductive connection, to a positive electrode pull-out tab and a negative electrode pull-out tab need to be made shorter. Meanwhile, if the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab are being connected to the positive electrode pull-out tab and the negative electrode pull-out tab by the shortest distances, the curvature of the positive and negative electrode tabs gradually increases as the battery elements are located closer to an outer surface of a stacked body. Therefore, if a large force is applied to the positive and negative electrode tabs, the possibility is high that the positive and negative electrode tabs would break.
As a solution to the above problem, for example, Patent Document 1 is proposed.
Incidentally, in the lithium-ion secondary battery, in order to avoid the deposition of metallic lithium in an end portion of the negative electrode at the time of charging, the negative electrode is made larger than the positive electrode, and, in a portion of the negative electrode that faces a portion to which a positive-electrode active material has been applied, a negative-electrode active material needs to be formed.

Lithium-ion secondary battery and method of producing the same

Abstract: In a lithium-ion secondary battery, as for a distance from a connection section between a positive electrode tab and the positive electrode terminal to a boundary section between applying and non-applying sections of positive-electrode active material in a direction perpendicular to a stacking direction, compared with a reference positive electrode having the boundary section that is located farthest to the connection section by straight-line distance, a layer of a positive electrode that is stacked in such a way as to be farthest from the reference positive electrode has a smaller distance from a boundary of the applying and non-applying sections of the positive-electrode active material to a connection section with the positive electrode tab in a direction perpendicular to a stacking direction.


An ice maker may include an assembly frame, an ice tray, a cam, a splash cover, and a biasing spring. The ice tray may define a cell for receipt of water for freezing and may be rotatably attached to the assembly frame to rotate about an axial direction. The cam may be attached to the ice tray and extend along the axial direction. The splash cover may be slidably attached to the assembly frame in mechanical communication with the cam to move between an elevated position and a lowered position according to a rotational position of the cam. The biasing spring may be disposed on the splash cover and urge the splash cover to the lowered position.

Ice makers, such as those included within refrigerator appliances, can produce a variety of ice types depending upon the particular ice maker used. For example, certain ice maker include an ice tray for receiving liquid water. One or more movable elements may be provided to help eject or remove ice once the liquid water has frozen. Some ice maker include an ejector that can rotate and scrape ice off an internal surface of the ice tray to form ice cubes. Other ice maker are configured to rotate or twist the ice tray such that ice cubes are able to fall out of the ice tray (e.g., as motivated by gravity).
Since a portion of the ice tray must be generally open (e.g., to the surrounding environment) in order to receive liquid water or permit ice cubes to escape, there is a risk for water or stray ice to spill from the ice tray. For example, water may be splashed to the surrounding region (e.g., on the outer portion of the ice tray or the walls of a freezer compartment). Over time, ice may accumulate in unintended regions of a refrigerator appliance and even lead to dame. In certain configurations, water may fall into an ice bucket where previously-formed ice cubes are held. The water may then freeze multiple ice cubes together, creating a frozen mass that is unusable or difficult to remove.
As a result, there is a need for a refrigerator or ice maker that addresses one or more of these issues. In particular, it may be advantageous to provide an ice maker with one or more features for preventing liquid water or stray ice cubes from spilling from an ice tray to an undesired surrounding area.


A template for marking golf balls with identifying indicia includes an elongated, rectangular-shaped main body member which is foldable into a cylinder for encompassing the golf ball, a central body portion having a plurality of apertures in the form of letters, numbers, and other symbols arranged thereon, a first end having a flexible tongue formed from a U-shaped slot, and a second end having a transverse slot. When the main body member is rolled into a cylinder for receiving a golf ball for marking, the tongue is inserted through the slot for maintaining the cylindrical form, whereupon the point of a pen can be successively inserted through the appropriate apertures on the central body portion in order to mark the golf ball with an identifying name, symbol, expression, monogram or moniker.

The present invention pertains to patterns for marking objects, and more particularly pertains to a template for marking golf balls.
Over the last several decades, golf has become one of America's leading sports with sales of golf equipment and paraphernalia rivaling, for example, that of baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. The range of equipment and paraphernalia available to the serious player as well as the recreational aficionado ranges from golf clubs and bags to tees, gloves, spike shoes, and balls. While the recreational player may not want to have his or her equipment and paraphernalia marked for purposes of identification and prestige with a special design or unique monogram, it is common for the serious player to do so.
One piece of equipment which usually has some identifying mark is the golf ball. During a round of golf, players invariably lose golf balls from errant shots into the undergrowth of adjacent fields and woodlands, and also into streams and ponds which may form part of the fairways or be located adjacent to the fairways. The errantly hit golf balls may be found by groundskeepers or other golfers whereupon they are either returned to the clubhouse or pocketed by the finders. If the golf balls are inscribed or marked with the initials of the owner, or with a unique logo or monogram designating the owner, the likelihood of their return is increased.
Moreover, marking or inscribing golf balls with the owner's initials, or with a unique logo or monogram, may be done not only for the utilitarian purpose of identification but for aesthetic and personal reasons. A golfer whose equipment and paraphernalia carry or bear a unique and attractive logo or monogram will stand out in the clubhouse and provide the golfer with a measure of distinctiveness with respect to his or her fellow golfers.
In order to mark or inscribe a golf ball with a unique logo or monogram so that the representation is skillfully and artistically produced, more is required than simply holding the golf ball in one hand and marking or inscribing the golf ball with a pen, stylus, or other writing instrument with the other hand. Inscribing or marking even a single symbol on the golf ball requires patience and skill in that the golf ball must be held motionless in one hand while maintaining the continuous contact of the writing instrument against the hard, dimpled, curved, resistive surface of the golf ball with the other hand. Marking or inscribing the golf ball is made even more difficult if the initials, name, logo or monogram contain a mixture of letters, numbers, symbols, and graphical designs.
A number of devices for marking golf balls have been invented to facilitate the task. The Horne patent (U.S. Pat. No. 1,476,203) discloses a device for marking a golf ball which includes a flexible strip of steel which is wrapped around a golf ball. The strip has a plurality of evenly-spaced openings for receiving the type projecting portion of type blocks. Upper and lower flanges on each type block hold the block to the strip. In order to mark the golf ball, the individual secures the appropriately lettered type blocks to the strip with the type projecting portions facing inwardly toward the golf ball. The strip is then bent into a cylinder and the golf ball is placed within the cylinder so that its surface abuts the lettered surface of the type projecting portions of the type blocks. A pivotable handle which attaches to the opposite ends of the strip is then closed, and this closing action tightens the strip around the ball simultaneously forcing the lettered surface of each type block into the surface of the golf ball. This results in a series of impressions being inscribed into the surface of the golf ball which can take the form of the owner's name, initials, monogram, and telephone number.
While capable of marking a golf ball, the Horne device is cumbersome in that it does not allow the individual to quickly and easily mark a golf ball with various combinations of letters, numbers, and other symbols. In addition, the fact that only nine openings are shown in the strip for receiving type blocks necessarily limits the range of symbols that can be impressed into the outer surface of a golf ball. Therefore, there is a need for a golf ball marking device which is easy to use, quickly positionable about the golf ball, and includes a wide range of symbols for marking golf balls with a variety of words, phrases or logos.


The present invention is directed to a data storage system utilizing a number of data storage devices. Each of the data storage devices stores primary and mirrored copies of data. Furthermore, the data is arranged such that no one data storage device stores both the primary and mirrored copies of the same chunk of data. Data may be striped across the storage devices such that stripes containing primary copies of data chunks are interleaved with stripes containing mirrored copies of data chunks.

The need to store digital files, documents, pictures, images and other data continues to increase rapidly. In connection with the electronic storage of data, systems incorporating more than one storage device have been devised. In general, using a number of storage devices in a coordinated fashion in order to store data can increase the total storage volume of the system. In addition, data can be distributed across the multiple storage devices such that data will not be irretrievably lost if one of the storage devices (or in some cases more than one storage device) fails. An additional advantage that can be achieved by coordinating the operation of a number of individual storage devices is improved data access and/or storage times. Examples of systems that can provide such advantages can be found in the various RAID (redundant array of independent disks) levels that have been developed.
For instance, RAID level 0 implements a striped disk array in which data is broken into blocks or strips that are written to separate disk drives. This has the effect of improving the data access and storage times as compared to, for example, a system in which all of the data blocks are stored on a single disk drive, by spreading the individual input/output (IO) requests across a number of physical devices. Furthermore, RAID level 0 can be implemented with two or more disk drives. However, RAID level 0 is not fault tolerant. That is, a failure of even one storage device within a RAID level 0 array results in the irretrievable loss of data from that array.
RAID level 1 is an example of a fault tolerant RAID scheme. According to RAID level 1, data stored in a primary drive is mirrored on a secondary drive. Accordingly, RAID level 1 requires at least two drives to implement. Furthermore, if more than two drives are desired, additional drives are added in pairs. That is, RAID level 1 requires an even number of disk drives. During normal operation, read operations are made with respect to the primary copy of data on the primary drive, and write operations result in a primary copy of data being written to the primary drive and a mirrored copy being written to the secondary drive. If one disk drive within a RAID level 1 array fails, data stored on that drive can be rebuilt onto a replacement disk drive by copying the data stored on the failed drive's companion drive to the replacement drive. However, RAID level 1 does not provide improved IO performance as compared to storing data on a single disk drive. Furthermore, because the write transaction rate during normal operation is doubled, certain implementations of RAID level 1 can result in decreased performance as compared to storing data on a single disk drive.
Another example of a storage array is RAID level 0+1. In general, RAID level 0+1 comprises paired RAID level 0 arrays. As a result, data can be striped across multiple drives, improving IO performance. By striping copies of the data across additional disk drives, redundancy is provided. The disadvantages of RAID level 0+1 include the minimum requirement of four disk drives and the need to maintain an even number of drives in arrays incorporating more than four disk drives.
In RAID level 1+0 two or more drives are mirrored together, and then the mirrors are striped together. Like RAID levels 1 and 0+1, a RAID level 1+0 configuration provides fault tolerance if one drive from a disk set is lost. However, the IO performance of a RAID 1+0 array is not as good as a striped array without mirroring, such as RAID level 0.
Other RAID levels combine independent data disks with parity, either stored on a dedicated parity disk or distributed among data disks. Examples of such arrangements include RAID levels 3, 4, 5 and 6. Although such arrangements provide for fault tolerance, and can provide somewhat improved IO performance, they all require at least three drives to implement, and require fairly complex controller and parity generation circuitry or software.

Redundant storage array method and apparatus


A method, system and computer program product for reducing the collective power consumption of a plurality of storage devices including a plurality of associated storage volumes is provided. The storage volumes are grouped by a last access time according to a plurality of ranks. The plurality of ranks corresponds to a level of power consumption based on device activity. A volume of the plurality of storage volumes is moved between the plurality of ranks according to an access pattern of the volume.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to computers, and more particularly to a method, system, and computer program product for reducing the collective power consumption of a plurality of storage devices including a plurality of associated storage volumes in a computing environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computers, and accompanying data storage, are commonplace in today's society. Individuals, businesses, organizations, and the like have a need for a certain amount of data storage. Historically, data has been stored on local storage devices, such as tape drives, hard disk drives (HDDs), and removable media such as compact discs (CDs) and digital versatile discs (DVDs). As more of society becomes digital, the need for data storage has generally increased. As the need for data storage and data redundancy has proliferated, storage devices have been implemented in various sites. In some cases, the data storage is maintained in multiple storage servers as part of multiple data storage subsystems.
In the 21st century, applications for HDDs have expanded to include digital video recorders, digital audio players, personal digital assistants, digital cameras and video game consoles. The need for large-scale, reliable storage, independent of a particular device, led to the introduction of configurations such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID) arrays, network attached storage (NAS) systems and storage area network (SAN) systems that provide efficient and reliable access to large volumes of data.

Quad-state power-saving virtual storage controller

International Business Machines Corporation


A patient support apparatus may include a support surface configured to conduct air along a top face of the support surface so that heat and moisture from a patient lying on the support surface are drawn away from the top face of the support surface. An opening may be formed in a side of the support surface. A cavity may extend from the opening into the support surface. An inlet port may be positioned within the cavity and fluidly coupled to the top face. A blower assembly may be configured to position within the cavity. The blower assembly may have an outlet port that couples to the inlet port when the blower assembly is positioned within the cavity. The blower assembly may conduct air through the inlet port to the top face of the support surface.

The present disclosure relates to controllers for patient beds and features of bed frames of patient beds that are typically found in healthcare facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to support surfaces having enhanced patient and caregiver interaction such as controlling overall bed functionality and patient therapy.
The present disclosure is also related to a microclimate structure for hospital beds, medical beds, or other types of beds in which the microclimate structures are designed to cool and dry a patient's skin around targeted therapeutic regions. In a care facility, such as a hospital or a nursing home, patients are often placed on patient support apparatuses for an extended period of time. Patients who are positioned on the patient support apparatus often have a risk of developing certain skin conditions, such as bed sores (also known as pressure sores or decubitus ulcers), due to heat and moisture along the interface of the patient with the surface of the bed mattress. In an effort to mitigate or prevent such conditions, some bed mattresses have a built-in microclimate structure. The microclimate structure may conduct air along the interface of a patient with the surface to keep the patient's skin cool and dry. Some microclimate structures require a large volume of air to be supplied to them in order to provide an effective amount of cooling and drying to a patient's skin. Accordingly, some microclimate structures require a pneumatic box that is fluidly coupled to the microclimate structure and positioned within the patient room, thereby occupying space within the patient's room.
Typical powered air surfaces or microclimate structures generally rely on a separate pump and control to provide wound treatment therapy. Accordingly, users must locate an available pump module within the healthcare facility to operate the structure. Also, separate pumps get lost in healthcare facilities, thereby reducing the number of pumps available in the facility and increasing the difficulty of finding an available pump. Often, this results in a delay in providing treatment to the patient and not all patients have access to a microclimate system. Moreover, the hose attachments of typical pumps provide an unreliable connection and can become dirty, thereby requiring cleaning of the hoses and pumps after each use. Failure to clean the hoses and pumps may result in the spread of infection and other diseases.
The present disclosure also relates to monitoring the use of support surfaces of patient support apparatuses and mitigating the use of a support surface that has degraded. Support surfaces wear in response to patient loads being applied to the support surfaces over time. Use of support surfaces beyond their useful lives may degrade the support surfaces and reduce the effectiveness of the support provided by the support surfaces to patients supported thereby. Degradation of the support surfaces may increase the likelihood of skin breakdown and pressure ulcers caused by support surfaces that have reached the end of their useful life. Support surfaces should be replaced once their useful lives have expired to minimize the likelihood of skin breakdown and pressure ulcers. By doing so, the substantial costs associated with treating skin breakdown and damage resulting from patient stays on support surfaces in service beyond their useful lives may be avoided.
Generally, notifying caregivers that a support surface is nearing the end of its life span is important to reduce patient safety hazards. A support surface life is dependent on several factors including how long it is used, the number of cleanings and disinfections it undergoes, ambient conditions, and storage conditions. Additionally, if a first support surface is only used with 100 pound patients for 5,000 hours, and a second support surface is used only with 500 pound patients for 5,000 hours, the performance of first support surface and the performance of the second support surface will be dramatically different over time.
The present disclosure also relates to x-ray sleeves. Generally, x-ray sleeves are installed in toppers. However, many support surfaces do not include a topper and, therefore, cannot accept an x-ray sleeve. Also, many x-ray sleeves only allow access to the x-ray sleeve from one of the sides of the support surface. Accordingly, a caregiver may have difficulty installing an x-ray cassette. Housekeepers may also be required to take the support surface out of service to clean the x-ray sleeve. Another downfall to current x-ray sleeves is that many x-ray sleeves are not fluid resistant. As a result, fluids, such as bodily fluids may contaminate the x-ray cassette or internal surface components.
The present disclosure also relates to determining if a patient has bottomed out on the support surface. Bottoming out occurs when the patient has immersed all the way through the support surface and is no longer supported by the support surface in a therapeutic pressure range that results in high interface pressure. Bottoming out reduces the effectiveness of patient therapy, may be uncomfortable to patients, and/or may injure the patient, for example causing pressure ulcers, bruises, poor circulation, or the like. Bottoming out may occur in a support surface having air bladders, when there is insufficient air in the bladders. Such bottoming out, if detected, may be corrected by inflating the bladders. Bottoming out may also occur when the air bladders have become worn and cannot retain air any longer. In a support surface having foam, bottoming out may occur when the foam becomes worn and the support surface has reached its end of life. Generally, bottoming out is detected by the caregiver performing a "hand check," wherein the caregiver positions his/her hand under the patient. However, hand checks are intrusive and may be uncomfortable to the patient.
The present disclosure also relates to heel suspension in a patient support apparatus. Often, caregivers desire the ability to suspend the heels of a patient to ensure that new or worsening pressure ulcers do not occur on the foot. Typically, the caregiver needs to suspend the heel in a manner that creates an air gap between the support surface and the heel. This is usually accomplished by the use of foam heel wedges that are placed on top of the support surface underneath the patient's calf. These accessories are separate from the bed and are often misplaced. In cases where the accessory cannot be located, the caregiver must use towels and/or pillows to accomplish the same task.
The present disclosure also relates to determining when a mattress cover has been soiled. There is currently no automated method for detecting fluid ingress into a mattress. Generally, hospital personnel perform hand and visual checks of the mattress core on a sometimes-yearly basis to determine if fluid ingress has occurred. In some cases the hospital personnel may be unable to tell that the mattress cover has been compromised, thereby posing a significant risk to the patient for infections.
The present disclosure also relates to therapeutic mattresses. Generally, a patient support apparatus in a healthcare facility includes a foam mattress. However, in situations where the patient may be susceptible to pressure ulcers, the patient may be positioned on a mattress having inflatable air bladders. The air bladders may be inflated or deflated based on the patient's comfort and condition. Typically, the type of patient support apparatus used in determined at the time that the patient is admitted to the healthcare facility. Accordingly, is a patient is admitted to a foam mattress and later develops pressure ulcers, the patient must be moved to mattress having inflatable air bladders. Depending on the patient's condition, moving the patient to another support apparatus may be dangerous and detrimental to the patient's overall health.
The present disclosure also relates to developing air flow paths and a pneumatic system to generate adequate air flow for a microclimate management system on a medical mattress. Air flow may be required to be directed to the specific human body location on a medical mattress system. The air flow may be required to be controlled and any blockage to the intake and exhaust system detected. Control of air flow and detection of blockages may reduce safety concerns with mattress contamination due to fluid ingress.

Patient support surface control, end of life indication, and x-ray cassette sleeve


An object recognizing apparatus can execute accurate object recognition based on dictionaries each created from a predetermined number of patterns, by computing a similarity between a subspace in each dictionary and a subspace created from input images. In this apparatus, images of a to-be-identified object obtained by an image input unit is expressed in the form of an input subspace by an inter-subspace-angle computing unit. The angles between the input subspace and the subspace of each dictionary stored in a dictionary storing unit is computed. An identifying unit identifies a to-be-identified object based on the angles (the degrees of similarity) computed by the inter-subspace-angle computing unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, a method and a computer program product for recognizing and identifying a three-dimensional object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 11-265452, for example, discloses a method for recognizing/identifying a three-dimensional object using images obtained by photographing the object in various directions (hereinafter referred to as "conventional method").
In the conventional method for using a subspace method, a dictionary, in which a three-dimensional object is represented in the form of subspaces, is created based on the vectors extracted from a plurality of images taken from the three-dimensional object in advance. Similarly, a subspace is formed from the vectors extracted from input images taken by a camera. The angle between each subspace in the dictionary (hereinafter referred to as "dictionary subspace") and the subspace of the input images (hereinafter referred to as "input subspace") is measured. If a certain dictionary subspace forms a smallest angle with respect to the input subspace, it is considered to have the highest similarity (=the identified object).
In the actual recognition process, the eigenvalue λi (i=natural number) of the matrix defined using the basis vectors of an input subspace and a dictionary subspace is obtained, and is used to compute the similarity corresponding to the angle θi (i=natural number) between the input subspace and the dictionary subspace. More specifically, the highest eigenvalue λ1 itself, or the ratio r of the highest eigenvalue to the second highest eigenvalue λ2, r=λ2/λ1, is used as a similarity.
However, if the highest eigenvalue λ1 itself, or the ratio r of the highest eigenvalue to the second highest eigenvalue λ2, r=λ2/λ1, is used as a similarity, there is a case where an actual three-dimensional object cannot be discriminated from its picture. This is because if an image of the picture is identical to an image registered in a dictionary, the actual object cannot be discriminated from the picture.
This raises a serious problem, especially when security system based on face recognition is concerned. Security system may easily be compromised if a picture of a person is presented instead of the person.

Three-dimensional object recognizing apparatus, method and computer program product


The present invention concerns a transfer element (1, 9) for an injection molding system comprising a flow lumen for a plasticised plastic material. To provide a transfer element for an injection molding system, which makes it possible to further increase the material throughput of the injection molding system without having to tolerate increased wear of seals and other system components, it is proposed in accordance with the invention that it has a device for degassing of the flow lumen.

The present invention concerns a transfer element, in particular a sprue bush or a machine nozzle, for an injection molding system, having a flow lumen for a plasticised plastic material.
The invention further concerns a hot runner system having a sprue bush and an injection molding machine having a machine nozzle.
A sprue system or runner is the connection from the machine nozzle of an injection molding machine to what is referred to as the ingate. The ingate forms the transition from the sprue runner into the mold portion cavity configuration, referred to as the mold cavity. The state of the art discloses hot runner systems for injection molding machines. Such hot runner systems represent the technologically most developed sprue systems or runners for injection molding molds. Hot runner systems serve to distribute the plastic material which is prepared in the injection molding machine in a molten state from the machine nozzle of the injection molding machine to the individual cavities in the injection molding tool. In that respect the hot runner system is temperature-controlled in such a way that the plastic material is kept in the molten state throughout the entire injection molding cycle in the hot runner system. Therefore hot runner systems are frequently also considered as a prolongation of the machine nozzle.
A certain amount of gas is produced during the processing process, during melting and plasticization of plastic materials, in particular PET materials. Presumably the gas contains predominantly substances which are due to additives added to the initial PET material to specifically alter the properties thereof. In that case the gas is produced in particular upon aggregate conversion of the molten material during plasticization by a machine screw by virtue of shearing, heat and overheating, the gas condensing at cooler locations in the injection molding system in the form of dust. That dust is aggressive to a high degree and is deposited in particular at colder parts of the hot runner system. In that case deposit of the dust, in particular in the plunger housings of the needle valves which seal off the hot runner system in relation to the injection molding tool, leads to severe wear of the plunger seals. Therefore many needle valve systems for hot runner systems have vent openings by way of which the dust can escape from the hot runner system before it is deposited in the region of moving parts, for example at the plunger housings of the needle valves, and there gives rise to increased wear.
The amount of dust in the injection molding system increases with the material throughput through the system, that is to say the plasticised amount of plastic material per unit of time. Modern injection molding systems are designed for an increasingly higher level of material throughput which is required in particular by virtue of the increase in the number of mold cavities or molding spaces in the injection molding tools and due to a reduction in the cycle times. Wear in particular in the plunger housings of the valves of the hot runner plate also increases therewith as the increased amount of dust can no longer adequately escape from the system through the vent bores in the plunger housings of the valves.

Decompression sprue bush and decompression machine nozzle


A micro-strip transmission line may include a plurality of conductors, wherein each conductor has a compensating portion and a remaining portion. The compensating portion can compensate for far-end crosstalk in the remaining portion. In one example, the compensating portion has a longitudinal section and a plurality of alternating stubs extending from lateral surfaces of the longitudinal section.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to micro-strip transmission lines. In particular, embodiments are related to the use of stubs to compensate for crosstalk in micro-strip transmission lines.
2. Discussion
Far-end crosstalk can accumulate on micro-strip transmission lines, and particularly in single-ended signaling arrangements. While certain approaches to eliminating crosstalk may be available, there still remains considerable room for improvement.

Micro-strip crosstalk compensation using stubs


A lung gas exchange device includes a front housing, at least one strap configured to affix the front housing to an anterior neck of a user, a vibration device positioned within the front housing, a wear plate configured to transfer vibration from the vibration device to the anterior neck of the user, a power source configured to provide power to the vibration device, a power control mechanism configured to allow a user to turn on and off the vibration device; and a central processing unit board connected to the power control mechanism, the power source, and the vibration device.

Chronic respiratory diseases, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), affect at least twelve million people in the United States. Chronic respiratory diseases are characterized by obstruction to airflow that interferes with normal breathing. Patients with severe chronic respiratory disease are disabled by the inability of their diseased lungs to efficiently perform gas exchange. Of those affected, over half report that symptoms impair their ability to perform activities of daily living.
COPD is a disease state where gas exchange, including both oxygen absorption and carbon-dioxide elimination, is reduced. COPD typically worsens over time, further reducing the ability of a patient's lungs to exchange gas. As a patient's disease worsens, it limits their ability to function in daily life. Once a patient's lung function drops below 30%, his or her quality of life can significantly decline, making it difficult to even walk down the street or carry things without running out of breath. Eventually, a patient will be unable to even get up and move around. At around 15% lung function, patients have extreme increased work in breathing and the disease quickly becomes non-survivable.
COPD is the third most common cause of death in the United States and the cause of a substantial economic burden on individuals and society. As explained in "The Clinical and Economic Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the USA," by Anthony J Guarascio, Shaunta M. Ray, Christopher K. Finch, and Timothy H. Self (published online Jun. 17, 2013), the cost of COPD in the USA was projected to be approximately $50 billion in 2010, which included $20 billion in indirect costs and $30 billion in direct health care expenditures.
It is believed that in patients with COPD, carbon dioxide aggregates form in poorly stirred alveoli. These aggregates are believed to form from weak dipole-dipole interactions between carbon dioxide molecules. Such aggregates, particularly if left undisturbed by mechanical forces, could form progressively deepening confluent layers resting on the inner surface of the alveolus, increasingly widening the diffusion barrier. Vibration of the alveoli and the gas being exchanged is known to improve gas exchange in the lung. Known devices for improving gas exchange by vibration, however, are inconvenient to use, expensive, and do not effectively vibrate both the alveoli and the gas being exchanged.
For example, a high-frequency chest wall oscillation device, such as a ThAIRaphy Vest, has been used to oscillate the chest to help gas exchange. The device is a pneumatic vest that can be placed around a patient's chest to rapidly oscillate pressure to help vibrate the alveoli to increase gas exchange. But while the pneumatic vest vibrates the alveoli, it does not significantly vibrate the gas being exchanged. Further, the tissue surrounding the chest, such as muscle and fat, dampens the oscillation, thus limiting the amount that the oscillation results in vibration of the alveoli. In addition to being uncomfortable, the pneumatic vest requires an air compressor to pneumatically drive the vest and is thus inconvenient for patients due to its lack of portability. Because of the requirement of an air compressor to drive the vest, they are typically used in hospital or clinical settings.
As an alternative, oral high-frequency oscillation devices have been developed to oscillate the air column and thus the air within the lungs. To give patients the benefit of the oscillating air column, such devices typically also require a ventilator attached to a mask that fits over the patient's face or a tube inserted in a patients throat to provide a sealed air system. Such devices are thus uncomfortable for patients and inconvenient because a patient cannot eat, drink, or effectively talk while using the ventilator. Additionally, such devices are inconvenient because they require a compressed air source and a motor to produce oscillations that can be superimposed on top of a patient's normal breathing. Further, the effectiveness of such devices is limited because they only vibrate the gas being exchanged and do not directly vibrate the alveoli.
Known respiratory assisting devices have low portability and are invasive, uncomfortable, and expensive. Additionally, no known respiratory assisting device effectively vibrates both the alveoli and the gas being exchanged. There is a need for an improved device that facilitates lung gas exchange.
Embodiments of a lung gas exchange device are described herein by way of example. Those skilled in the art recognize that lung gas exchange devices according to the present invention are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described herein. It should be understood that the drawings and description are not intended to be limited to the particular form disclosed. Rather, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments. Any headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used herein, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to) rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes" mean including, but not limited to.


Displacement washing of slurry body is provided in a centrifuge filter (peeler centrifuge) by introducing wash liquid along the inner surface of the drum while the drum is rotating. The wash liquid moves through the filter into the slurry body in a broad front to displace the mother liquor of the slurry body toward the axis of rotation of the drum. The mother liquor is removed by an overflow pipe or dip tube to a point outside the centrifuge filter for disposal.

A standard drum centrifuge has a housing in which a foraminous drum is rotated at high speed about its axis. In starch manufacture, a suspension is fed to the interior of the drum so that it is thrown centrifugally against the wall thereof. At first the suspension forms an annular body in the drum having an inner surface centered on the axis, then this annular body stratifies and the liquid phase passes through the drum while the solid phase stays behind on the inner surface of the drum as a filter cake. The inner layer of liquid passes radially outward, under the influence of centrifugal force, through the layer of solids until the cake is substantially dry. As a rule, the drum is filled and refilled in a number of cycles until the filter cake builds up to a desired depth. This cake is then rinsed or washed by introducing wash liquid into contact with the internal surface of the cake so that the wash liquid passes radially outward through the cake under continued centrifugation until the cake is once more substantially dry. In some cases, a hot gas can be passed through it to further dry it, and finally it is physically stripped out of the drum and the cycle is restarted.
The co-current washing procedure described above has the disadvantage that, due to the well-compacted cake condition produced, the wash liquid moves through the cake very slowly, thus prolonging the time consumed in the wash process. It is also true that channeling of the wash may occur in the cake as a result of cake cracking; this leading to low washing efficiency by virtue of poor distribution of wash liquid in the cake. Further, this form of washing tends to increase compaction of both fine and large particles in the cake.
In the case of starch washing, this means that the fine protein (gluten) particles are retained in the cake with the larger starch particles, whereas it would be desirable to separate these particles and remove the gluten to obtain purified starch.
It is clear that there are problems in washing cake or slurry bodies produced by centrifugation which require attention and demand improvement.
The centrifuge filter (peeler centrifuge) is the subject of prior U.S. patents including U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,271, issued Nov. 19, 1991, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,084, issued Feb. 25, 1992 which disclose various aspects of this technology.

Process of displacement washing in a centrifuge filter