An orifice formation system is provided. The system includes a manufacturing machine configured to form an orifice in a workpiece, a computed tomography x-ray machine configured to generate data based on geometry of the workpiece, and a computer in communication with the manufacturing machine and the computed tomography x-ray machine. The computer is configured to control the manufacturing machine based on the data generated by the computed tomography x-ray machine. A method of controlling formation of an orifice in a workpiece is also provided. The method includes acquiring computed tomography data about the workpiece, determining geometry of the workpiece based on the computed tomography data, and forming an orifice in the workpiece based on the determined geometry of the workpiece.

Machine components are often manufactured based on the physical and/or functional characteristics that define their desired operation. High quality, precise manufacturing is used to ensure that components will operate as expected and within acceptable tolerances. To verify that components are manufactured according to their specified criteria, manufacturers often perform quality control inspections during and/or following a manufacturing process.
For example, fuel injectors must be manufactured with predetermined dimensions in order to be compatible with a host machine. Further, fuel injectors must be manufactured so that they inject precise amounts of fuel in a manner required for efficient operation of the machine. Therefore, fuel injectors having high-tolerance, small-diameter fuel injector orifices are often manufactured in large quantities. In the manufacture of these fuel injectors, various metrology devices and methods have been used to confirm the geometry of orifices formed in the nozzles of the fuel injectors. Some of these devices include, for example, gage wires, optical measuring microscopes, coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), and Werth machines. Functional measurement has also been used, such as by spraying fuel through the nozzle orifices in a test environment to determine the accuracy and precision of the drilled orifices. Although many of these devices and methods may provide somewhat accurate results, they require human intensive operations, involve little or no automation, and cannot provide consistently repeatable precision.
Recently, attempts have been made to automate the quality-control inspection of various manufactured components by using computed tomography (CT) x-ray imaging. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,073 (the '073 patent), issued to Shih et al. on May 17, 2005, discloses a high-speed x-ray inspection apparatus and method. The system of the '073 patent includes three CT x-ray sources and an x-ray detector configured to obtain two-dimensional images of a manufactured component. The images are compared to one or more calibration images of the component, whereby components exceeding a certain threshold are designated as "defective." Because the system only obtains a limited number of 2-D images, processing time is reduced and automated quality control of the component is expedited.
Although the '073 patent discloses the automated CT x-ray quality control of manufactured components, its usefulness may be limited. Specifically, the number of images provided by the system of the '073 patent may be insufficient to generate a high-resolution image that accurately represents the component. Further, the obtained 2-D images are only compared to the calibration images to determine if a threshold level of accuracy is obtained, without any feedback being provided to the manufacturing process. Therefore, the system may be unable to improve the quality of the manufacturing process itself and the resulting tolerances of the manufactured components.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the shortcomings set forth above.


A substantially tetramer free hemoglobin solution and a method for producing a substantially tetramer free hemoglobin solution. The method includes polymerizing a solution of hemoglobin, treating the polymerized hemoglobin solution to partially degrade the polymer to tetramer and removing tetramer from the hemoglobin solution.

There is a consistent need for ready blood products for an ever-increasing surgical and trauma load, and to supplement blood bank shortages. Oxygen carrying solutions, such as hemoglobin-derived solutions can be used in place of whole blood or red blood cells for patients having a need for augmented oxygen carrying capacity. Because they are not dependent upon donor availability, such solutions can be made readily available in an emergency situation or during a blood bank shortage. Also, due to risk of infection of blood borne pathogens as a result of a blood transfusion, a patient may prefer a hemoglobin-derived solution for transfusion in place of whole blood or red blood cells. In particular, such solutions may include, but are not limited to, oxygen carriers, blood substitutes, and hemoglobin-derived compositions such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,498,141, 6,133,425, 5,464,814, 5,438,041, 5,217,648, 5,194,590, 5,061,688, and 4,826,811, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Stroma-free hemoglobin is known in the art to have oxygen transport and reversible oxygen (or ligand) binding capacities. However, hemoglobin solutions, while capable of carrying sufficient quantities of oxygen to support life, have presented challenges because of several undesirable side effects such as a decrease in kidney performance. These effects were thought to be due to the presence of unwanted contaminants such as bacterial endotoxin or fragments of red cell membranes (stroma) that is not removed from solution. While contaminants such as these can indeed produce renal alterations, hemoglobin solutions essentially free of such contaminants still produce substantial renal dysfunction. The cause for the renal dysfunction can be ascribed to, among other things, physiologically unacceptable amounts of unpolymerized hemoglobin tetramer.
Essentially tetramer free hemoglobin solutions can be used to replenish essentially all of a human patient's blood volume without causing vasoconstriction, renal toxicity, hemoglobinuria or other problems associated with intravenous administration of synthetic or semisynthetic oxygen carriers and blood substitutes. While these solutions provide superior efficacy, the shelf life of the product is limited since the hemoglobin polymer is known to slowly degrade to tetrameric units over time. Accordingly, what is needed is a method for maintaining the solution as a substantially tetramer free solution for an extended period to increase the shelf life of the solution.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Polymerized hemoglobin solutions having reduced amounts of tetramer and method for preparing


The present invention relates to a peroxide curable rubber compound containing at least one elastomeric polymer comprising repeating units derived from at least one C4 to C7 isomonoolefin monomer, at least one C4 to C14 multiolefin monomer, at least one p- or m-alkylstyrene monomer and at least one co-agent.

Butyl rubber is known for its excellent insulating and gas barrier properties. Generally, commercial butyl polymer is prepared in a low temperature cationic polymerization process using Lewis acid-type catalysts, of which a typical example is aluminum trichloride. The process used most extensively employs methyl chloride as the diluent for the reaction mixture and the polymerization is conducted at temperatures on the order of less than −90° C., resulting in production of a polymer in a slurry of the diluent. Alternatively, it is possible to produce the polymer in a diluent which acts as a solvent for the polymer (e.g., hydrocarbons such as pentanes, hexanes, heptanes and the like). The product polymer may be recovered using conventional techniques in the rubber manufacturing industry.
In many of its applications, butyl rubber is used in the form of cured compounds. Vulcanizing systems usually utilized for butyl rubber include sulfur, quinoids, resins, sulfur donors and low-sulfur high performance vulcanization accelerators.
Peroxide curable butyl rubber compounds offer several advantages over conventional, sulfur-curing systems. Typically, these compounds display extremely fast cure rates and the resulting cured articles tend to possess excellent heat resistance. In addition, peroxide-curable formulations are considered to be "clean" in that they do not contain any extractable inorganic impurities (e.g. sulfur). The clean rubber articles can therefore be used, for example, in condenser caps, biomedical devices, pharmaceutical devices (stoppers in medicine-containing vials, plungers in syringes) and possibly in seals for fuel cells.
It is well accepted that polyisobutylene and butyl rubber decomposes under the action of organic peroxides. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,265 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,505 teach us that copolymers of a C4 to C7 isomonoolefin with up to 10 wt. % isoprene or up to 20 wt. % para-alkylstyrene undergo a molecular weight decrease when subjected to high shear mixing. This effect is enhanced in the presence of free radical initiators.
One approach to obtaining a peroxide-curable butyl-based formulation lies in the use of conventional butyl rubber in conjunction with a vinyl aromatic compound like divinylbenzne (DVB) and an organic peroxide (see JP-A-107738/1994). In place of DVB, an electron-withdrawing group-containing a polyfunctional monomer (ethylene dimethacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, N,N′-m-phenylene dimaleimide) can also be used (see JP-A-172547/1994).
The disadvantage of these methods is that the resulting compound is contaminated with the low molecular weight reagents added to induce crosslinking, which did not fully react with the rubber in the solid state. Also, the action of peroxide on the regular butyl rubber may lead to formation of some low molecular weight compounds from the degraded rubber. The final articles based on such compounds may display an undesirable characteristic of leaching out the said low molecular species and accelerated aging.
A commercially available terpolymer based on IB, IP, and DVB, Bayer XL-10000, is curable with peroxides alone. While said commercial pre-crosslinked polymers exhibit excellent properties in many applications, they have a gel content of at least 50 wt. % which sometimes makes the even dispersion of fillers and curatives normally used during vulcanization difficult. This increases the likelihood of under- and over-cured areas within the rubbery article, rendering its physical properties inferior and unpredictable. Also, the Mooney viscosity of this rubber is high, usually 60–70 units (1′+8′@125° C.) which may cause significant processing difficulties, during mixing and sheeting stages.
Co-Pending Canadian Application CA-2,316,741 discloses terpolymers of isobutylene, isoprene and DVB prepared in the presence of a chain-transfer agent, such as diisobutylene, which are substantially gel-free and have an improved processability. Co-Pending Canadian Application CA-2,386,628 discloses peroxide curing and high purity applications for said terpolymers of isobutylene, isoprene and DVB prepared in the presence of a chain-transfer agent, such as diisobutylene. However, the presence of free DVB can present serious safety concerns. For these reasons, it would be desirable to have an isobutylene based polymer which is peroxide curable, completely soluble (i.e. gel free) and does not contain any DVB in its composition.
White et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,682) teach a process for obtaining a polymer composition comprising polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, copolymers of propylene with up to 10 mole % ethylene, polyisobutylene, copolymers of a C4 to C7 isomonoolefin with up to 10 wt % isoprene, copolymers of a C4 to C7 isomonoolefin with up to 20 wt % of para-alkylstyrene and mixtures thereof, said polymeric material having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 5,000 up to 5,000,000, and characterized as having a bimodal molecular weight distribution containing a lower molecular weight species and a higher molecular weight species, said higher molecular weight species comprising at least about 1.0 weight percent of said polymeric material. The polymer was mixed with a polyunsaturated crosslinking agent (and, optionally, a free radical initiator) and subjected to high shearing mixing conditions in the presence of organic peroxide. This patent is silent about an isoolefin-multiolefin-PAS (PAS=para-alkylstyrene) terpolymer and any filled compounds of modified polymers or the cure state of such compounds.
The present invention describes the preparation of butyl-based, peroxide-curable compounds which employ the use of an isoolefin-multiolefin-PAS terpolymer in conjunction with a peroxide initiator and co-agent. The present invention clearly demonstrates that there is an advantage associated with using a material which contains both a multiolefin and PAS in the polymer backbone.


A chemical amplified positive photoresist composition including a resin having the repeating unit of Formula I and a photoacid generator. The resin ranges, in polystyrene-reduced molecular weight, from about 2,000 to 1,000,000. In Formula I, k and l each represent a mole ratio satisfying the condition of k+l=l. R.sub.1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group. R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are independently either a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group or an alkoxy group. R.sub.4 is an acetate group, a t-butoxycarbonyl group, a benzyl group, a trialkylsilyl group or an alkyl group. The photoacid generator which generates an acid by radiation. ##STR1##

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a positive photoresist resin useful for semiconductor devices and to a chemical amplified positive photoresist composition comprising the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that positive photoresist compositions consist, in general, of two or three components. The two-component system photoresist composition comprises a polymeric resin which can be chemically changed by the reaction with acid and a compound which can generate acids when being exposed to light (hereinafter referred to as "photoacid generator") while the three-component system comprises a resin which can be dissolved in aqueous alkali solutions (hereinafter referred to as "alkali soluble resin"), a dissolution inhibitor and a photoacid generator.
As for the resin of the two-component system photoresist composition, it is selected from phenolic resins containing a poly(4-t-butoxycarbonyloxystyrene) chain protected by t-butoxycarbonyl groups and acrylic resins containing a poly(t-butylmethacrylate) protected by t-butyl groups. The phenolic resins require a strong acid to remove the protecting group from themselves. Thus, unless a baking process is executed immediately after an exposing process, a base present in the air causes neutralization in the exposed region, resulting in development into a T-type pattern. Meanwhile, the t-butyl group-protected acrylic resins are superior in adhesiveness but poor in etch resistance.
As an alternate for the photoresist resin was developed poly(t-butyl-4-vinylbenzoate). A significant disadvantage of this resin is that the resonance between the phenyl ring and the carbonyl group allows the resin to show a large absorption peak at around 248 nm, which belongs to a light source useful for microlithography. In order to overcome the disadvantage, study has recently been focused on copolymeric resins. For example, copolymers of para-hydroxystyrene and para-t-butoxycarboxystyrene, copolymers of para-hydroxystyrene and para-tetrahydropyranyloxystyrene, and copolymers of para-hydroxystyrene and t-butylacrylate are found to be reduced in absorption at around 248 nm. However, the photoresist compositions resulting from these resins still show a problem in that desired patterns cannot be obtained if the compositions are subjected to a baking process with the lapse of time after exposure to light.

Positive photoresist resin and chemical amplified positive photoresist composition containing the same


An ergonomic handle that includes a male portion and a female portion. The male portion nest in the female portion to form a single, preferably rigid, form. The stiffness of the handle spreads the load of the case more evenly across all the fingers thereby helping to reduce fatigue.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ergonomic handle and more particularly, to an ergonomic handle that includes a male side and a female side that nest together to form a single rigid form.
2. Description of the Prior Art
People carry many types of carrying cases or bags in today's busy society. Such bags often include computer carrying cases, briefcases, luggage, etc. In today's hectic business world, people often have to travel, whether it be a short distance or a long distance, and require many different things in order to do their work or function at meetings or even give presentations. Since people use these bags to carry all types of materials, including computers, the bags or cases that people carry can become quite heavy. Thus, it is desirable to provide ergonomically appropriate features with today's carrying cases, bags, luggage, etc.


The present invention provides methods for treating acute kidney injury through introduction of one or more drag reducing polymers, oligomers, and/or monomers, as well as compositions that include therapeutic amounts of one or more of these drag reducing polymers, oligomers, and/or monomers. These compositions may also include additional components that enhance at least one of the stability, effectiveness, or administerability of the polymers, oligomers, and/or monomers—such as buffers, anti-oxidants, and enzyme inhibitors.

Drag-reducing polymers were discovered by B. A. Toms in 1949.1 They are successfully used to increase the speed and reduce the noise of ships, submarines, and torpedoes; to reduce the pumping costs of liquids; to reduce energy losses in two-phase flow; and to increase the throw of sprinkler systems and firefighting equipment.
Drag-reducing polymers (DRP) are long (MW>106), soluble, linear polymers, with axial elasticity. Polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polyacrylamide are prototypical examples. Addition of 2 to 100 ppm of these polymers will reduce the pressure drop of fluid flowing in a pipe by up to 70% and decrease the drag on a ship's hull by up to 80%.2
The mechanism(s) of action of DRP are still not understood completely. It has become clear that the axial elasticity of the molecules are vital to their function.3 The molecules appear to act as shock absorbers, damping out turbulent eddies. It has also been shown that DRP inhibit the shedding of laminar boundary layer flow into the turbulent flow near surfaces. At the low concentrations where DRP are typically used, they have no effect on the fluid viscosity. Furthermore, the drag-reducing effects of DRP are seen in turbulent flow, but not in laminar flow.
Since blood flow is laminar throughout the body, scientists were surprised to find measurable effects of DRP when added to blood. Subsequent work indicates that DRP reduce flow disturbances at bifurcations such as branches in capillary networks and reduce the thickness of the cell free layer near vessel walls.4-6
Reports of beneficial effects of DRP in animals started appearing during the 1970's. Mostardi, et al. showed that polyacrylamide reduced the frequency of flow separation from the aortic wall below a stenosis by 60%.7 In 1987, Coleman et al. published that polyacrylamide increased cardiac output more than two-fold and reduced peripheral resistance by half.8 Two years later, they showed that polyethylene oxide increased aortic blood flow, reduced heart rate, increased ventricular and arterial blood pressure, and reduced peripheral resistance.9 The next year, Ertepinar, et al. showed that chronic infusion of polyacrylamide into guinea pigs significantly reduced the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.10
Marina Kameneva kept interest in DRP alive over the subsequent decades. She began working in the field in Russia during the 1980's and brought her interest to the US during the 1990's. In 2004, she published work showing that a high MW PEO and an extract from aloe vera each protects rats from hemorrhagic shock, while rats receiving low MW PEO or saline showed poor tissue perfusion and 80-85% mortality rates. Two years later, she demonstrated that high MW PEO dramatically increased perfusion in dog hearts following stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery.12 In 2007, she published data showing that the DRP from aloe vera protected rats from a severe AMI, while 50% of the control animals died.13
Acute Renal Failure
Acute renal failure (ARF) is the sudden loss of the kidney's ability to filter wastes without losing electrolytes. Most often, ARF (also termed acute kidney injury or AKI) is caused by reduced blood flow to the kidneys (prerenal ARF), though about 20% of the cases are due to infections or toxins affecting the kidneys directly (intrinsic ARF), and about 10% are due to blockages downstream of the kidneys (postrenal obstruction).
The incidence of community acquired ARF is only about 100 cases per million population with a mortality rate of 7%.14 The published incidence of ARF ranges from 1 to 13% of all hospital admissions (34×106/year in the US) and 20 to 30% of all ICU admissions (4.4×106/year in the US).15 Most cases of ARF are acquired in the hospital as a result of complications from other illnesses or interventions. The most common causes are sepsis, hypovolemia, surgery, imaging contrast agents, chemotherapy drugs, NSAIDS, and some antibiotics.
There has been only one study of the incidence of ARF at the national level. Using the 2001 National Hospital Discharge Survey Liangos, et al, found that 1.9% of all hospital discharges showed a code for ARF, which corresponds to a U.S. incidence of 646,000. The mortality rate was 21.3%. The authors validated the study by examining all the 13,237 patients discharged from St. Elizabeth's (Boston) during 2001. 2.6% of the patients were coded for ARF, but lab values showed that 12% of the patients had experienced ARF. Thus, ARF is coded on only about 20% of occurrences (presumably the most serious cases).16
The treatment of ARF is to give fluids to reverse hypovolemia and flush toxins while waiting for the kidneys to recover. In some instances, the patients retain too much water or their electrolyte balance suffers to such an extent that they require dialysis. The most common causes of death in ARF patients are heart failure, sepsis, and respiratory failure. Patients who recover from ARF show increased odds of death and chronic kidney disease over the following 5 and 10 years. Dozens of new treatments and drugs that showed promise in animals have been tested clinically in ARF patients, but none have demonstrated benefits in randomized clinical trials. Some of the treatments tested include diuretics to increase urine flow, dopamine and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) to increase blood flow to the kidneys, many cytoprotective agents to preserve tubule epithelial cells such as free radical scavengers, heat shock proteins, hemeoxygenase, xanthine oxidase inhibitors, prostaglandins, and calcium channel blockers and, recently, several growth factors to speed the recovery of the proximal tubules.5
No one has recognized that the properties of DRP would make them useful in patients suffering renal failure. Two groups looked at the effects of DRP on kidneys 20 years ago and found they are effective as diuretics. In 1987, Smyth, et al. published that a polyacrylamide DRP in rats increased urine and sodium excretion without altering potassium excretion or creatinine clearance.17 Three years later, they published results using both a PEO and a polyacrylamide in rats showing that each DRP increased diuresis and natriuresis without altering creatinine clearance or potassium excretion.18 In 1987, Sumpio, et al. tested polyacrylamide buffer solutions containing 10 and 20% RBC's in perfused kidneys. They found a strong interaction between the effects of hematocrit and the DRP on kidney function. For example, the GFR was reduced by the DRP at 10% Hct but increased at 20% Hct.19 Presumably, interest waned in DRP as an injectable diuretic with the advent of many orally active diuretics. It is important to note that diuresis is contraindicated in patients experiencing ARF. No other work using DRP in the renal field has been published since.
Thus, I was surprised to find such a dramatic benefit of DRP in the treatment of ARF. ARF has been a serious health problem which has not seen any new, successful treatments since dialysis was introduced in the 1970's. It is unfortunate that no one has thought to study DRP as a treatment for ARF until now.


The invention relates to a high voltage insulator of ceramic material, which includes a longitudinal shank having molded sheds and to whose ends of the shank metal caps are shrink-fitted. The ends of the longitudinal shank are enlarged so that the diameter of the enlarged ends is at least 1.05 times the diameter of the longitudinal shank. The cylindrical surface, and the end face of the enlarged ends of the longitudinal shank are machined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to high-voltage insulators made from ceramic materials having a shank and ends where the ends are at least 1.05 times as thick as the shank. Caps are shrink-fit around the ends of the insulators to provide a tight seal.
2. Description of Related Art
High voltage insulators of ceramic materials are mainly used in outdoor switching stations and outdoor lines. They comprise an elongated insulation body which is equipped with shields for the formation of a leakage path which is matched, to the atmospheric conditions. The shields are moulded on the insulator shank whose thickness is determined by the mechanical requirements. At the ends of the insulation body or the insulator shank there are located metal caps via which the force transmission from the insulator shank to components leading further takes place. High voltage insulators are usually configured so as to have rotational symmetry, if the asymmetry of the caps, for example, as a result of individual links is ignored; the insulator caps concentrically surround the ends of the insulator shank. The mechanical loadability is determined not only by the shank diameter of the insulator, but also by the configuration of the shank ends, the manner in which the metal caps are fixed to the shank and the configuration and the material of the metal caps and also the type of mechanical stresses, which can, in principle, be tensile forces, compressive forces, flexurel forces and torsional forces or combinations of these forces. The constructions of the metal caps therefore depend on the type of stress prevailing in the particular case.
In the case of the known high voltage insulators, solid or hollow, the metal caps are slipped onto the insulator end to be reinforced and the gap between the insulator shank and the metal cap is filled with a setting filler material, such as various types of cement, lead or casting resin. The ends of the insulator body are here configured differently. Thus, the ends of tensile-stressed series path stabilizers (suspended insulators) have a conical configuration and are glazed and are frequently fixed in the metal cap by means of cast lead. In the case of post insulators subjected to flexural and/or torsional stresses, the insulation bodies are usually provided with cylindrical ends. The ends can here be made rough in various ways, e.g. fluted, spread with grit or corrugated. Portland cement is mainly used as filler material. The flexural strength of post insulators is strongly dependent on the ratio of filler depth to insulator shank diameter. Metal caps for suspended and post insulators usually comprise galvanized cast iron, because in the case of these insulators no great accuracy is required for the external dimensions. Where high demands are placed on the accuracy of the external dimensions of the insulators, the metal caps usually comprise aluminum alloys which have to be very accurately machined and require no additional corrosion protection after machining. To achieve the necessary precision of the insulator dimensions during cementing of the caps, efforts have to be made to relieve stresses in the positioning of the caps.
DE-A-36 43 651 discloses the shrink-fitting of the metal caps onto the ends of spherical-headed ceramic insulators. According to this method, the components are heated together, joined and cooled together, so that the ceramic workpiece is not damaged. This type of joining technique is very complicated for insulators, since hollow insulators in particular can have dimensions in the meter range. The invention is to provide a solution here.

High voltage insulator of ceramic material having shrink-fit cap and method of making


The invention relates to a power tool having a change-speed gear device comprising a plurality of gears (1, 2) for adjusting on demand power stages of a drive, wherein an overload protection can be coupled to the gears (1, 2). According to the invention, the device comprises at least one gear (3) in which the overload protection function can be forcibly deactivated. The invention also relates to an overload protection.

The present invention relates to a power tool with an overload protection device.
Power tools according to the related art are usually equipped with a protection mechanism that is integrated in the electronics. As soon as a certain power stage is exceeded when working with the power tool, the machine is automatically shut off via its overload protection function ("torque function"). A desired torque is set as the default by electronic elements. Mechanically-acting release couplings are used, e.g., to limit torque. Electronic torque limitation enables the device to be shut off immediately and with virtually no backlash. This function is active, in principle, in many power tools. This has the disadvantage, however, that maximum power is not available with power tools of this type, because the device is shut off automatically before maximum power is reached. With other power tools, the overload protection function may be switched on and off manually, e.g., using a switch or an actuator wheel, with this function being active in all gears. This has the disadvantage, however, that the operator may overheat the motor when the device is operated in second gear (with the overload protection function activated), without his having first switched to first gear (in which overheating possibly may not occur). The speed is reduced via the electronics, which automatically reduce the speed when torque is high in maximum-load operation. Since the device is not shut off automatically, the operator is not forced to switch to first gear.


An installation is proposed for charging a shaft furnace comprising a rotating and pivoting distribution chute. The chute is supported in a removable manner by two lateral side plates of a "U"-shaped stirrup piece. When a first ring securely fastened to a dome performs a relative movement with respect to a second ring, the dome, via an arm causes the stirrup piece to pivot about its horizontal axis which transmits this pivoting to the chute. The end of the arm pivots, to this end, in a runner block sliding in a groove of the dome.

The present invention relates to an installation for charging a shaft furnace, comprising a rotating and pivoting distribution chute suspended from the top of the furnace, means for driving the chute, consisting of first and second rolling rings which are designed to cause the chute to rotate about the vertical axis of the furnace and to modify its angle of tilt relative to this axis by pivoting about its horizontal axis of suspension, means for actuating, independently of each other, the two rolling rings, a central hopper equipped with a lower sealing valve, two horizontal crosspieces extending parallel on either side of the chute, inside the second ring of which the crosspieces are securely fastened, the chute being supported in a removable manner by two lateral side plates each comprising a support journal each housed in a bearing of each of the said crosspieces.
A charging installation of this type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,806, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This known installation has, inter alia, the advantage of permitting the removal of its chute via its drive mechanism and of being easily fitted onto existing blast furnaces in order to replace a conventional bell-type charging installation.

Installation for charging a shaft furnace


Apparatus and method insuring that data objects used to maintain state information for shared data at a local central processing complex (CPC) are coherent with respect to state information maintained at a structured external storage facility (SES) over a link is valid. An error detector is attached to the CPC side of the link for detecting errors on the link, and, when an error is detected, setting a error state pending (ESP) latch to indicate that the link has failed and that the shared data in the local data object may be invalid because a message invalidating the data may not have been received by the CPC. In data processing operations, the ESP latch is interrogated by a central processor in the CPC to determine the health of the message path to the SES facility. A local cache vector reflecting the validity of the shared data in the local cache may then be interrogated to determine if the shared data in the local cache is valid. If a healthy path has continuously existed and the vector indicates that the local cache data is valid, the integrity of the data can be relied on.

The present invention relates to a network of central processing complexes (CPCs) connected by message paths to a structured external storage (SES) facility, each CPC having data objects used to maintain state information for shared data in the structured external storage facility, and more particularly relates to a mechanism in each CPC for verifying that a healthy path exists between the structured external storage facility and the CPC.
Commands executed by a structured external storage facility on behalf of one system image are designed to initiate signals to another system image in the same or a different CPC. The generated signals include cross-invalidates (XIs) and list-state transition notifications (LNs). Failure to successfully deliver a cross-invalidate signal has the potential to cause a data integrity exposure if the target system image erroneously considers data in a locally cached buffer to be current with respect to the version registered in the SES facility. Failure to deliver a list-state transition notification can result in a system hang if the initiative for interrogating the SES facility as a result of an empty to non-empty list state transitions is lost. Failure to successfully deliver and execute either type of signal can introduce sympathy sickness across all systems sharing the external storage facility if commands issued by these sharing system images are not allowed to execute successfully in order to avoid the aforementioned data integrity or system hang scenarios.

Integrity of data objects used to maintain state information for shared data at a local complex

International Business Machines Corporation


In view of the fact that the ink viscosity is high when atmospheric temperature is low whereas the same is low when the atmospheric temperature is high, two types of driving signals are selectively applied to an actuator depending on the temperature so that ink droplets are ejected at a constant speed regardless of change in atmospheric temperature. Alternatively, when the temperature is below a predetermined value, ink droplets are ejected while heating the ink filling an ink channel. When the ink temperature is increased above the predetermined value, heating of the ink is halted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving method for an ink ejection device. More particularly, the invention relates to a driving method for an ink ejection device capable of ejecting ink droplets regardless of change in environmental temperature.
2. Description of Related Art
Non-impact type printing devices have recently taken the place of conventional impact type printing devices and are holding an ever-growing share of the market. Of these non-impact type printing devices, ink-ejecting type printing devices have the simplest operation principle, but are still capable of effectively and easily performing multi-gradation and color printing. Of these devices, a drop-on-demand type for ejecting only ink droplets required used for printing has rapidly gained popularity because of its excellent ejection efficiency and low running cost.
Two representative drop-on-demand printers types are the Kyser type, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,398, and the thermal ejecting type, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,129. These types of drop-on-demand printers have disadvantages. The Kyser type is difficult to design in a compact size. The thermal ejecting type requires heat-resistant ink because the ink is heated to a high temperature when ejected.
A shear mode type printer, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,568, has been proposed to simultaneously solve the above disadvantages.
As shown schematically in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the shear mode type of ink ejection device 600 comprises a bottom wall 601, a ceiling wall 602, and elongated shear mode actuator walls 603 sandwiched therebetween. Each actuator wall 603 includes a lower wall 607 adhesively attached to the bottom wall 601 and an upper wall 605 adhesively attached to the ceiling wall 602. The upper and lower walls 605, 607 are polarized in the directions indicated by arrows 609, 611 respectively. Alternating pairs of actuator walls 603 forms in alternation ink channels 613 therebetween or spaces 615, which are narrower than the ink channels 613.
A nozzle plate 617 is fixedly secured to one end of the actuator walls 603. The nozzle plate 617 is formed with nozzles 618 at positions corresponding to the ink channels 613. Electrodes 619 and 621 are provided on both side surface of each actuator wall 603. Each of the electrodes 619, 621 is covered by an insulating layer (not shown) to insulate it from the ink. The electrodes 621 confront spaces 615 and are connected to a ground 623. The electrodes 619 are provided in the ink channels 613 and are connected to an actuator driving circuit 625, such as a silicon chip. A manifold member 628 having a sealing plate 627 is fixedly secured to the other ends of the actuator walls 603. The ink channels 613 are in fluid communication with a common ink chamber 626 defined by the manifold member 628. The sealing plate 627 prevents ink from the common ink chamber 626 from entering the spaces 615.
Next, a method for manufacturing the ink ejection device 600 will be described. First, a piezoelectric ceramic layer polarized in the direction 611 is adhered to the bottom wall 601, and a piezoelectric ceramic layer polarized in a direction 609 is adhered to the ceiling wall 602. Incidentally the piezoelectric ceramic layers are formed to thicknesses required to produce the proper heights of the lower walls 607 and the upper walls 605. Next, parallel grooves are cut into the piezoelectric ceramic layers using a diamond cutting disc to form the lower walls 607 and the upper walls 605. The electrodes 619 and 621 are then formed on the side surfaces of the lower walls 607 using vacuum-deposition techniques. The insulating layer is formed onto the electrodes 619 and 621. Likewise, the electrodes 619 and 621 are provided on the side surfaces of the upper walls 605 and the electrodes 619 and 621 are covered by the insulating layer.
The vertices of the upper walls 605 and the lower walls 607 are adhered to one another to form the actuator walls 603, and consequently the ink channels 613 and the spaces 615. Next, the nozzle plate 617 formed with the nozzles 618 at positions corresponding to the ink channels 613 is attached to the ends of the actuator walls 603. The manifold member 628 is adhered to the other ends of actuator walls 603 so that the sealing plate 627 seals the spaces 615 to prevent ink from entering the spaces 615. The circuit 625 and the ground 623 are connected also to the other end of the actuator walls 603.
To eject droplets, a voltage from the actuator driving circuit 625 is applied to the electrodes 619, 921 of each ink channel 613. Pairs of the actuator walls 603 deform outward by the piezoelectric shear effect so that the volume of each ink channel 613 increases. In the example shown in FIG. 2, when a voltage V is applied to the electrodes 621c of the ink channel 613c, an electric field is generated in the actuator wall 603e in the direction indicated by arrows 631, 629 and an electric field is generated in the actuator wall 603f in the directions indicated by arrows 632, 630. Because the electric field directions 629 to 632 are at right angles to the polarization direction 609, 611, the actuator walls 603e, 603f deform outward to increase the volume of the ink channel 613c by the piezoelectric shear effect, resulting in a decrease in the pressure in the ink chamber 613c, including near the nozzle 618c. The negative pressure is maintained for a duration of time T corresponding to a duration of time required for a pressure wave to propagate once across the length of the ink channel 613c. During the time duration T, ink is supplied from the manifold 626.
The duration of time T can be calculated by the following formula: EQU T=L/a
wherein L is the length of the ink channel 613; and
a is the speed of sound through the ink filling channel 613.
Theories on pressure wave propagation teach that at the moment the duration of time L/a elapses after the rising edge of voltage, the pressure in the ink channel 613 inverts to a positive pressure. The voltage applied to the electrode 619c of the ink channel 613c is returned to 0V in synchronization with this inversion so that the actuator walls 603e, 603f revert to their initial shape shown in FIG. 1.
The pressure generated when the actuator walls 603e, 603f return to their initial shape is added to the inverted positive pressure so that a relatively high pressure is generated in the ink channel 613c. This relatively high pressure ejects an ink droplet 26 from the nozzle 618c.
As shown in FIG. 3, the viscosity of ink used in this type of ink ejection device varies greatly depending on the atmospheric temperature. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the ink has a viscosity of about 6 mPa.s at 25.degree. C. and about 6 mPa.s at 10.degree. C. Because the viscosity of ink varies with temperature in this manner, the speed of the ink droplet is slower at low temperatures than at high temperatures. Therefore, the printing position of ejected droplets on the printing medium cannot be precisely controlled, resulting in poor quality of printed images.
In an attempt to minimize variation in the speed of ejected ink droplets caused by changes in atmospheric temperature, the driving voltage of the ink ejection device has been changed in accordance with changes in atmospheric temperature. However, this driving method requires a complicated driving circuit because different voltage levels must be generated using a combination of two or more power sources. The configuration of the driving circuitry is thus costly.

Driving method for ink ejection device and capable of ejecting ink droplets regardless of change in temperature


An airbag to be inflated by gas for a vehicle includes a base member for the airbag, an opening and closing vent provided in the base member, and a discharging gas control member for restraining gas from discharging from the opening and closing vent. The discharging gas control member closes or slightly opens the opening and closing vent when an occupant does not contact a front surface of the airbag facing the occupant when the airbag is inflated. The discharging gas control member opens or widely opens the opening and closing vent so as to allow the gas to be discharged from the opening and closing vent when the occupant contacts the front surface of the airbag, and the front surface is pushed in a direction opposite to the occupant.

The present invention relates to an airbag including an opening and closing vent and a discharging gas control member configured to restrain gas from discharging from the opening and closing vent. More specifically, the present invention relates to an airbag configured in such a manner that the opening and closing vent is closed until an occupant comes into contact with a surface facing the occupant of the inflated airbag, and that the vent is opened when the occupant comes into contact with the surface of the inflated airbag and the surface of the airbag is pressed in a direction opposite to an inflating direction of the airbag. The present invention also relates to an airbag apparatus having the airbag.
In the present invention, the term AF05 type occupant dummy is an occupant dummy for a vehicle collision experiment which corresponds a 5 percentile small size adult woman specified in United State regulations, and the term AM50 type occupant dummy is an occupant dummy for a vehicle collision experiment which corresponds a 50 percentile adult man which has a larger size than the 5 percentile small size adult woman.
It is widely known to providing a vent on an airbag and allowing gas to be discharged from the interior of an airbag out of the airbag via the vent when the vehicle occupant or the like comes into contact with the inflated airbag to receive the vehicle occupant or the like softly.
In the US publication US 2006/0151979A1 (Patent Document 1), a configuration in which the vent is opened and closed according to the position of the occupant when the airbag is inflated is shown.
In Patent Document 1, a vent is provided on a side surface of an airbag, and a vent flap is attached so as to cover the vent from the inside of the airbag. This vent flap is joined at one end thereof to a portion in the vicinity of the vent by stitching or the like and is not joined to the airbag at the other end. A strap is provided at the other end side of the vent flap. The distal end side of the strap is connected to a surface facing the occupant of the airbag when inflated. A middle portion of the strap is inserted into a loop provided on an inner surface of the airbag.
When the airbag is started to be inflated, the vent flap is drawn out of the airbag via the vent, whereby the vent is opened.
In a state in which the occupant is positioned at a normal seated position, that is, so-called an in-position, the airbag is inflated to an inflation-completed shape before the occupant comes into contact with a front surface facing the occupant. At this time, the entire part of the vent flap is pulled by the strap and is pulled inwardly of the airbag, and the vent flap is pushed against the vent by a gas pressure in the airbag, thereby closing the vent. Accordingly, discharging of the gas from the vent is restrained.
In a state in which the occupant is positioned forward of the normal seated position, that is, so called an out-of-position, the occupant comes into contact with the surface facing the occupant of the airbag before the airbag is inflated to the inflation-completed state. Therefore, the vent flap is not pulled inwardly of the airbag by the strap, and the vent is kept in the opened state. Accordingly, the gas is discharged from the airbag via the vent, and the airbag loses its reaction force.
Even in a state of the in-position in which the occupant is positioned in the normal seated position, the vent is preferably opened to allow the gas to be discharged from the airbag after the airbag has received the occupant. In this case, the vent is preferably opened in an early stage after the occupant has come into contact with the airbag.
The occupant fastened with a seat belt and seated on a seat is constrained at a lumbar part from moving forward by a lap belt upon collision of the vehicle, so that an upper half body rotates downward relative to the lumbar part. Therefore, the head portion of the occupant comes into contact with the surface facing the occupant of the airbag in an earlier stage than other portions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an airbag in which an opening and closing vent is opened soon after an occupant restrained by the seat belt and seated on a seat comes into contact with a surface facing the occupant of the inflated airbag upon collision of the vehicle, and an airbag apparatus having the same.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.


A semiconductor laser blood oxygen therapeutic apparatus comprising a host (32); a terminal being an oxygen output terminal, a laser irradiating terminal and an ozone output terminal (48), a laser generator located in a therapeutic terminal (34); the oxygen output terminal includes an oxygen absorbing device (25) and a laser-oxygen two-in-one therapeutic device (27); the laser-oxygen two-in-one therapeutic device (27) is provided with a two-in-one nasal clip (31); the oxygen absorbing device (25) is provided with a detachable atomization pressure decreasing device (24), while the host (32) is provided with a security identifying device which identifies the external atomization pressure decreasing device automatically; and an ozone generating cabin (36) is connected between a relief pressure valve (20) and a humidifying bottle (9).

The present invention relates to a medical instrument, and specifically to a semiconductor laser blood oxygen therapeutic apparatus that is suitable for household.
The method of treatment of diseases by making use of laser irradiation of blood and blood oxygenation to cause biological effects and photochemical reaction is called the "laser blood oxygen therapy". There are the following three representative instruments adopting this method of treatment of diseases.
The first instrument is represented by the laser quantum blood vitro radiation therapeutic apparatus disclosed by the Chinese patent application CN1099300A with an application number 94107164.2, which is used to irradiate a patient's in vitro blood simultaneously with the He—Ne laser and ultraviolet light and oxygenate the blood and then transfuse the irradiated blood into the patient, so as to achieve the purpose of treatment of the patient. This therapeutic apparatus can also play a role in the treatment; however, because there need to be many times of blood drawing or puncture of a needle into the blood vessel during the treatment, which may inevitably result in wounds of the patient's blood vessels and skin, the patient is hard to accept this therapeutic apparatus; meanwhile, because there need to be many times of blood drawing or puncture of a needle into the blood vessel, a cross infection is easy to be caused.
The second instrument is represented by the noninvasive laser irradiation therapeutic apparatus disclosed by the Chinese patent application CN1174089A with an application number 96117068.9, which uses the red laser of 630-670 nm in wavelength to irradiate the patient's oral mucosal blood accompanied by oxygen inhalation for the treatment of a variety of hypoxic ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Although this invention needs no blood, will not damage the patient's blood vessels and skin, needs no sterile room, and is easy for the medical personnel to operate, it is subject to separation of the laser therapeutic apparatus from the oxygen supply device, poor portability, space, location, irradiated sites, single function and the like, and the patient is easy to suffer from nausea and vomiturition in the process of treatment with it, making a part of the patients not easy to accept or keep the treatment. Both of the above two methods, although having very good verified clinical curative effects, have basically been eliminated for being subject to a variety of factors.
The third instrument is represented by the laser oxygen machine disclosed by the Chinese patent application CN1555896A with an application number 200410021690,5, which combines the laser therapeutic apparatus and the oxygen generator into one, avoiding the disadvantages of the first two methods and overcoming the defects of space and single function. However, the laser-oxygen two-in-one therapeutic head of this invention is designed to be a three-way interface device, one end being an oxygen input interface, another end being a laser fiber import interface, the final one being a laser-oxygen two-in-one outlet. Therefore, the airtightness cannot be guaranteed, and the production process is complex, not conducive to the user's tong-term use; the oxygen outlet of this invention is directly arranged on the body of the apparatus, where the environment is rich in oxygen and easy to breed bacteria, and the oxygen output interface on the body of the apparatus is inconvenient to be cleaned, which thus causes bacteria to be inhaled inevitably; the light guide form of an optical fiber is selected for the laser irradiation of this invention, but the optical fiber is easy to be broken and suffers light loss in the daily use, increasing the use cost and instability; the accessories of this invention include the laser-oxygen two-in-one therapeutic head as well as the separate oxygen pipeline and optical fiber needle, which not only increase the user's use cost and maintenance procedures but also make the user have no freedom of choice with this solidified two-in-one therapeutic head, only allowing one person to accept the laser irradiation while inhale oxygen. Besides, a professional doctor is needed to use the optical fiber needle, and in specific circumstances blood irradiation is needed by puncturing the blood vessel to achieve the therapeutic purposes. The drawbacks of this therapy are lossy and prone to infection, not conducive to long-term adherence. This laser blood oxygen machine is not provided like a pure oxygen machine with an atomizing device that can release medicament, because the atomizing device requires the use of high-pressure oxygen to break up the medicament therein and plays the role of decompression; if the oxygen output and atomization output are performed simultaneously on one machine, and if a user, due to misoperation, presses the atomization button but connects the common oxygen output head, there will be the problem of direct output of the high-pressure oxygen to the user's nasal or oral cavity.

Semiconductor laser blood oxygen therapeutic apparatus


A wire-bonding method and a semiconductor package using the same are provided. The semiconductor package includes a carrier; a chip mounted on the carrier; a plurality of first wires and second wires alternatively arranged in a stagger manner, with a wire loop of each second wire being downwardly bent to form a deformed portion so as to provide a height different between the wire loops of each first wire and each second wire, wherein the first and second wires electrically connect the chip to the carrier; and an encapsulant for encapsulating the chip, the first wires, the second wires and a portion of the carrier. The height difference between the wire loops of each first wire and each second wire increases a pitch between adjacent first and second wires thereby preventing the wires from contact and short circuit with each other due to wire sweep during an encapsulation process.

Conventionally for electrical connection established between a chip and an external component in a semiconductor package by using wire-bonding technology, the quality of electrical connection and the distribution density of bonding wires are key factors to determine the reliability and performances of the semiconductor package. Therefore, it has become an important issue in the semiconductor industries to maintain relatively higher reliability of the bonding wires in wire-bonding and other fabrication processes.
A conventional semiconductor package fabricated using the wire-bonding technology is shown in FIG. 7. In the case of having a lead frame 50 as a chip carrier, a semiconductor chip 53 is mounted on a die pad 51 of the lead frame 50. A plurality of bonding wires 54 are bonded to bond pads 55 on an active surface of the chip 53 and to leads 52 of the lead frame 50, such that the chip 53 is electrically connected to the leads 52 via the bonding wires 54. Further, an encapsulant 56 is formed to encapsulate the chip 53 and the bonding wires 54 to completely fabricate the semiconductor package. According to the steps of the fabrication processes, it is realized that to improve the electrical quality of the bonding wires 54, not only the reliability of the wire-bonding process should be enhanced, but also the following encapsulation process plays an important role in determining the electrical quality of the bonding wires 54 so as not to degrade the bonding wires 54 during injection or filling of the encapsulant 56.
FIG. 8 shows the encapsulation process for the above wire-bonded semiconductor package. The lead frame 50 is placed between an upper mold 60 and a lower mold 61, wherein the chip 53 and the plurality of bonding wires 54 on the lead frame 50 are received in an upper mold cavity 62 formed between the upper mold 60 and the lead frame 50. The upper mold cavity 62 is communicative with a lower mold cavity 63 via gaps between the die pad 51 and the leads 52 and between the adjacent leads 52. A resin for fabricating the encapsulant 65 is injected through a gate 64 located at one side of the upper mold 60 or the lower mold 61, allowing the resin to gradually fill the upper mold cavity 62 and the lower mold cavity 63 and encapsulate the chip 53 and the bonding wires 54. However, referring to a top view of FIG. 9A, the plurality of bonding wires 54 around the chip 53 are arranged in various directions, such that a direction of the resin flow (as indicated by the arrows) would be perpendicular to that of some of the bonding wires 54. These wires 54 are thus subject to impact from the resin flow and incurred with wire sweep as shown in FIG. 9B, and the swept wires 54 may come into contact with adjacent wires 54 thereby causing short circuit and degrading the electrical quality. Particularly, the wire sweep more easily occurs for the longer wires having higher wire loops. Further, in order to improve the functionality and performance of semiconductor devices, the technology has been developed to incorporate more bonding wires and reduce a pitch between adjacent wires in the semiconductor devices. This adversely increases the occurrence of short circuit caused by undesirable contact between the adjacent densely-arranged wires.
In order to eliminate the above drawbacks, U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,227 discloses the use of bonding wires having different heights of wire loops as shown in FIG. 10. The wire loops of adjacent wires 75, 76 are made different in height, such that a pitch between the adjacent wires 75, 76 is increased by a height difference H of the wire loops of the wires 75, 76. This is to prevent the adjacent wires 75, 76 from contact with each other in the case of the wires 75, 76 being swept by the resin flow impact, thereby solving the foregoing electrical problem. However, this arrangement makes the largest loop height S of the wire 75 much greater than the original loop height (S-H) and the thickness of a chip 77, such that the overall package thickness would be undesirably increased, which not complies with the requirement of miniaturization in package size and also leads to increase in the fabrication cost on the mold and the encapsulation process.
Alternatively, U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,323 discloses a wire-bonding method using a capillary of a wire bonder to adjust its moving track to form a wire 85 with a predetermined shape of wire loop as shown in FIG. 11, so as to reinforce rigidity of the wire 85 and reduce the chance of wire sweep caused by the resin flow impact. However, this method only alters the loop shape of the wire 85 but not the pitch between the wire 85 and an adjacent wire. As a result, if the resin flow impact is great enough, the wire 85 would still be swept or shifted to come into contact with the adjacent wire thereby leading to short circuit and decreasing the production yield. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,989 similarly discloses a wire-bonding method to control the shape of a wire loop, which however encounters the same drawbacks as U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,323 and is not able to solve the foregoing problems.
Therefore, the problem to be solved here is to provide an improved wire-bonding method and a semiconductor package using this method, which can prevent adjacent bonding wires from contact and short circuit with each other due to resin flow impact, as well as provide advantages such as a miniaturized profile, simple fabrication processes and a high yield for the semiconductor package.

Wire-bonding method and semiconductor package using the same

Siliconware Precision Industries Co., Ltd.


A device for collecting debris flowing in an artery downstream from a percutaneous coronary intervention includes a hollow guidewire, a double walled balloon connected to the guidewire, and a filter secured to the balloon and to the guidewire, all of which are inserted into the artery downstream of the intervention. Prior to the intervention, the double walled balloon is inflated to occlude the blood vessel except for the open area of the filter. Any debris flowing downstream from the intervention is caught in the filter. When the intervention is completed, the balloon is deflated causing it to collapse away from the vessel wall, permitting blood flow past itself and trapping any debris caught by the filter between itself and the guidewire. Multiple inflation and deflation cycles may be performed if multiple interventions are required upstream. The entire device can then be removed from the artery.

The practice of performing balloon angioplasty as a means of opening blood vessels, which are partially or substantially blocked by plaque, is well known. The biggest problem or risk factor in connection with such percutaneous intervention is downstream embolization of material that collects in and on unstable plaque. Either spontaneously or during a coronary intervention where the plaque is being treated, this material, which consists of blood clot and cholesterol emboli fragments is often being shed downstream. The end result of this appears to be micro-infarction of the territory served by the artery being treated. This, in turn, leads to a heterogeneity of electrical conduction and the creation of a myocardial substrate that makes the patient prone to ventricular arrhythmias, namely ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. This may explain the small incidence of cardiac death that occurs late after coronary intervention.
As a result of the foregoing, it has been proposed to utilize some form of filter or catcher to collect the particles and debris that tend to break loose. Various approaches have been proposed, such as hanging a basket, a filter or an umbrella on the guidewire, but none seem to work. The reason is that they don""t totally occlude the blood vessel and thus some of the debris gets by. It has been proposed to insert a balloon on a guidewire, which occludes the vessel and then an export catheter is brought down the guidewire, after the intervention and the blood that has collected upstream of the balloon is suctioned out. The problem with this approach is that, while the balloon is inflated, there is no blood flow downstream. The time during which the vessel is occluded is at least about four minutes and this may pose a real risk to the patient. Much longer intervals are likely, if for any reason, the intervention does not go well.
Thus, there is a need for a device and process which can provide a reasonable assurance of catching and removing such debris from blood vessels without significant added risk to the patient.
It occurred to the applicant that what was needed was a double walled balloon having a filter on its downstream end placed downstream of any such intervention. The balloon would conform to the inside dimensions of the artery to block any bypass flow, thereby forcing all of the blood flowing downstream from the intervention through the hollow interior of the double walled balloon to the filter. The debris would be captured on the upstream side of the filter, while permitting an adequate amount of blood to flow downstream through the filter.
Since the double walled balloon must be inflated and deflated, applicant has designed the double walled balloon to be supported on the shaft of a 0.014 nitinol tube. The nitinol tube performs as would a normal solid core guidewire, but the central channel permits inflation and deflation of the balloon with radiographic contrast, and thus facilitates visual positioning under fluoroscopy. When the upstream intervention has been completed the balloon is deflated, thereby trapping the debris inside the two cisterns of the balloon filter. The balloon-filter can then be withdrawn from the artery and the debris examined.
Thus, although the double walled balloon and filter totally occlude the artery except for the filter, there is substantial surface area at the mesh or filter, and one can perform many possible intervention processes upstream, since the filter can catch and trap -any debris resulting from such processes. Additionally, if multiple sequential interventions are performed upstream, the balloon filter may be deflated and reinflated and the debris remains trapped in the cisterns. The deflation cycle facilitates blood flow downstream.


An optical equipment is equipped with a compact and high precision lens position detector which has a lens holder guide member which is made of a conductor and is provided with a detection electrode for detecting the position of the lens holder by a change in an electrical capacitance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical equipment having a lens position detector.
2. Related Background Art
In a prior art lens position detector in a video camera, a light from a light emitting diode is irradiated to a detection pattern formed on a lens barrel (for example, a Gray code pattern formed on a substrate) and a reflected light is detected by a photo-transistor to read the detection pattern to produce position information, or a so-called noncontact frequency generator is used. For example, a rotation speed of a motor is optically detected by providing a pulse disk on the motor in accordance with the principle described above.
However, in the prior art Gray code system, it is necessary to increase the number of bits of the Gray code when high precision and resolution are required in the lens position detection. As a result, the size of the detector increases. Further, there is a limit in reducing the pattern size of the Gray code. The frequency generator system is effective to a DC motor having a reduction gear mechanism (which is used at a high rotation speed) but it is not suitable to a direct lens drive system without a reduction gear mechanism.

Optical equipment having a lens position detector


A laser soldering device for laser soldering an electric circuit of a heating portion of an electronic cigarette, the soldering device including a head having an emitting area where a laser beam is emitted and a feeding device to feed a heating portion of an electronic cigarette along a feed path, where the heating portion faces the head at the emitting area. A movement device is operatively connected to the head to move the head between first and second points of the electric circuit such that the laser beam is perpendicular to the respective surface to be soldered at the first and second points to form first and second connections, respectively. The head generates two distinct pulses of the laser beam at the first and second points.

This invention relates to a method and a device for laser soldering an electric circuit of a heating portion of an electronic cigarette.
More specifically, this invention relates to a laser soldering device used in a machine for making or assembling an electronic cigarette. The invention also relates to a laser soldering method applied in the context of a process for making or assembling an electronic cigarette.
This invention is thus applicable in the sector of electronic cigarette production or assembly.
Electronic cigarettes are known which comprise a heating portion where an electric circuit connected to an energy source, for example a battery, is configured to produce heat by the Joule effect as a result of current flowing through it in order to heat an aromatic substance contained in an aromatic component of the heating portion, thus causing the aromatic substance to evaporate.
To optimize the Joule effect, the electric circuit has two terminals which are placed (or adapted to be placed) in electrical connection with the energy source and a coil wound around the aromatic component.
It is known that laser heads, both traditional and electronic, are used in the production of cigarettes. The laser heads are used to carry out several operations, including laser soldering of the coil to the terminals in a process for making an electronic cigarette.
Since two different solder connections must be made, one at each terminal, a single, fixed laser soldering head is used and the laser beam is deflected between the two solder points by a plurality of mirrors.
This soldering method produces a laser beam which always makes a non-negligible angle with the perpendicular to the surface to be soldered, making it difficult to control the soldering operation and thus negatively affecting the quality of the resulting solder.
These disadvantages are made worse by the reduced transverse dimensions of the coil which is likely to be damaged if struck directly by the laser beam.

Method and device for laser soldering an electric circuit of a heating portion of an electronic cigarette


A shock and vibration isolator that includes a double acting mechanical spring assembly that is mounted to act in parallel with a fluid or liquid spring assembly. The mechanical spring is arranged to provide a first spring rate over a first displacement range and a second spring rate over a further second displacement range. The liquid spring is connected to an accumulator by control circuitry that is under the control of a microprocessor to release stored energy which combines with that of the mechanical spring to rapidly dissipate the input G forces to a level sufficient to protect a substructure.

In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,526,609 and 5,765,313 to Lee et al. there is disclosed method and apparatus for effecting a real time structural parameter modification (RSPM) for protecting a structure such as a high rise building or the like from the harmful effects of an earthquake or high winds. In this type of system a series of fluid springs are coupled to the structure at key locations by hydraulic switches. When a switch is activated by high external forces the spring engages an element of the structure that is being deflected so as to stiffen the element. Energy is thus stored in the spring and is later released from the system when the spring is disengaged from the structural element. In the RSPM system the element is released when its deflection reaches a zero velocity. The element is again engaged as it deflects in the opposite direction.
A fluid spring unit for protecting a substructural element from the harmful effects of a cyclic event is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,794. The unit is contained within a main structure and includes a housing containing a fluid filled cavity that is separated into two chambers by a piston that is slidably mounted within the cavity. The housing is attached to one of the structures and the piston is connected to the substructure by a piston rod. The fluid spring is placed in fluid flow communication with a pressurized accumulator tank by a control circuit that is under the control of a microprocessor. A sensor monitors the pressure in the spring chamber. At the outset of a cyclic event the fluid in the chamber is permitted to store energy until the chamber pressure reaches a given level whereupon a control valve is opened allowing the high pressure fluid in the spring chamber to pass into the accumulator tank where its energy is dissipated rapidly in the form of heat.
Although these prior art devices work well in isolating structures from the harmful effects of a cyclic event, their response times are relatively slow and the amount of energy that can be absorbed is limited by the amount of space that is available for mounting the system components.


An acquisition portion acquires a rate of a size of a toner image being formed in a predetermined area on a recording material to a size of the predetermined area, in a consecutive print job, a control portion sets a longer conveyance interval between a preceding recording material and a subsequent recording material when the rate of the subsequent recording material exceeds a threshold than when the rate of the subsequent recording material does not exceed the threshold, and the predetermined area on a trailing end side of the recording material with respect to a center of the recording material in a recording material conveying direction is larger than the predetermined area on a leading end side of the recording material with respect to the center of the recording material, or the predetermined area is only on the trailing end side of the recording material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an image heating apparatus used for an image forming apparatus utilizing an electrophotographic system has a heating rotating member and a pressing rotating member that forms a nip along with the heating rotating member, and heats a toner image formed on a recording material while conveying the recording material through the nip.
The image heating apparatus often adopts a configuration in which one of the heating and pressing rotating members is rotationally driven, while the other one of the rotating member is driven as a result of drive of the one of the heating and pressing rotating members. In the image heating apparatus, when a recording material having absorbed moisture is heated while being conveyed through the nip, steam is generated. As is known, when the steam causes condensation on a surface of the heating rotating member or the pressing rotating member, the rotation speed of the driven rotating member decreases or the rotation is stopped, causing a phenomenon in which the recording material slips, that is, what is called a condensation slip.
Thus, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2013-137514 discloses an apparatus that extends a warm-up time in accordance with the temperature of a pressing roller to heat the surface of the pressing roller to hinder condensation.
However, disadvantageously, the extended warm-up time increases a first print out time (FPOT), degrading usability.


The present disclosure relates to a portable storage device that can communicate with different types of host devices. In some embodiments, the portable storage device receives digital media content via a multi-mode device port and exports a derivative of the digital media content (for example, a media stream) via the same multi-mode device port. In some embodiments, the device port has at least one selectively active pin which is active when receiving digital media content and is dormant when exporting a derivative of the digital media content. Alternatively or additionally, the device port includes at least one selectively active pin which is dormant when receiving digital media content and is active when exporting a derivative of the digital media content. In some embodiments, the portable storage device selects a device mode and/or communications protocol in accordance with at least one detected feature of a complementary port and/or a host. Methods for operating the presently disclosed portable external storage device are disclosed herein.

Digital multimedia players (for example, DVD players or personal computers on which a digital media playback application resides) are well known in the art as devices that convert digital data into streaming video or audio (i.e. to generate an analog and/or a digital stream). It is common to operatively couple the digital media player to a 'presentation device' (for example, TV set or speaker) which receives and 'presents' (i.e. by displaying a series of images and/or generating sound waves) the video or audio stream.
With reference to FIG. 1, it is noted that one salient feature of digital multimedia players 100 is that (i) digital media 120 may be received via a first 'port' 110 (for example, a USB port, a port for receiving DVDs, a port coupled to a modem, etc) and (ii) a derivative of the digital media, namely streaming video and/or audio is exported 140 by a second 'port' 130 separate from the input—for example, an S-Video output, an analog video output, an audio output port, etc. The exported media stream is presented by a presentation device 150.
The present disclosure relates to portable storage devices (PSDs) that can receive digital media content (e.g. one or more files) from an external device (i.e. coupled to the PSD either by direct mating for via an external cable or cradle), can 'playback' the digital media content to generate a media stream, and can export this media stream to an external presentation device. In one non-limiting example, the PSD has a form factor similar to USB flash drives (UFDs) such as the Cruzer∃ flash drive from SanDisk Corporation (Milpitas, Calif.).


A staple puller of the type having cam surfaces for pulling a staple from an object has gripping surfaces at the upper ends of the cam surfaces to allow the staple being pulled to be securely gripped after the pulling action of the cam surfaces has ceased. A release slot is provided adjacent the gripping surfaces to receive a previously pulled staple such that it does not interfere with the pulling or gripping of a staple being pulled.

A well known staple remover comprises two pivotally attached parts that have cam surfaces at their respective ends. The device is held in the hand of a user, and the two parts are squeezed together by the user after the tips of the cams have been engaged with the staple. The bight of the staple is moved along the cam surfaces as the parts move toward each other to lift the staple and remove it from an object.
A common problem with this type of staple remover is that the staple is pulled from the object in an uneven manner, which typically results in one leg remaining lodged in the object while the other leg is free. Another, similar problem is that the staple is often broken by the action of the puller, leaving the part remaining in the object separate from the remainder of the staple. The flat parts of the known staple remover adjacent the cam surface do not permit secure gripping of the staple as this would interfere with the removal of subsequent staples.
Various arrangements have been proposed to allow the part of the staple that remains in the object to be grasped by the staple puller in a manner that does not rely on the action of the cam surfaces. One such arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,346 (Almond, Jr.). The staple remover according to this patent includes a block mounted in each of the channel-like parts of the staple remover such that the staple can be grasped between the blocks and pulled out. U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,216 (Krulich) shows a staple remover of the same general type wherein one of the cam surfaces has a notch for receiving the staple and for holding the staple securely by a force applied by the cam surface of the other part.
Arrangements similar to that of Krulich are shown by U.S. Pat. Nos. 858,257 (Breiding), 2,431,922 (Curtiss), and 4,869,464 (Davidson).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,491 (Kirk) teaches a staple puller wherein the cam surfaces are flanked by protrusions that expand the legs of the staple. U.S. Pat. No. 499,637 (Knight) shows yet another type of staple extractor.
The prior art staple pullers having gripping parts do not provide effective means for releasing or ejecting a staple from the gripping parts. It is difficult, therefore, in this type of device to remove a plurality of staples in succession without manually clearing each pulled staple from the device. Moreover, the devices having gripping elements are not easily manufactured, requiring assembly of several parts or complicated stamping of the parts.

Staple puller with means for gripping a staple


A method of manufacturing an article such as vehicle interior trim component including a decoupler layer is disclosed. The method comprises the conveying of materials into an enclosure to form a preform having a shape of the enclosure, heating the preform to a temperature such that adjacent materials may bond to one another upon cooling and forming the heated preform into a predetermined three-dimensional decoupler configuration via a mold. The enclosure has a perforated portion and at least one panel movable relative to the enclosure so as to selectively expose portions of the perforated portion. The density of the preform may be varied as the at least one panel is moved to expose the perforated portion of the enclosure. A system for manufacturing articles such as a vehicle interior trim component including a decoupler layer is also disclosed.

It is generally considered desirable to reduce the level of noise within a vehicle passenger compartment. External noises, such as road noise, engine noise, vibrations, etc., as well as noises emanating from within passenger compartments, may be attenuated through the use of various acoustical materials. Accordingly, sound attenuating materials for vehicles, such as automobiles, are conventionally used in the dashboard, in conjunction with carpeting for floor panels, in the wheel wells, in the trunk compartment, under the hood, and as part of the headliner.
Recently, a lot of emphasis has been placed on the acoustic properties of vehicle trim components, such as carpeting and dash insulators, because of customer requirements for quieter passenger compartments. Carpeting used to cover the floor areas of vehicles, such as automobiles, is conventionally molded into a non-planar three dimensional contoured configuration which conforms to the contours of the vehicle floor so as to fit properly. Dash insulators are mounted to a vehicle firewall which separates the passenger compartment from an engine compartment. Dash insulators are designed to reduce the transmission of noise and heat from the engine compartment into the passenger compartment. Package trays and trunk trim may be used to reduce the noise entering the passenger area of a vehicle.
A foam or fibrous layer of material referred to as a decoupler is typically attached to the backside of vehicle dash insulators and carpeting to assist in the sound attenuation. The decoupler may act as an isolator between adjoining layers. The decoupler and interior trim component are usually supplied for installation into the vehicle separately, but preferably as described herein, should be combined during manufacturing so that a single product may be installed in the vehicle, saving labor and transportation costs. Decouplers may be required to have complex shapes and configurations and, as such, may be time-consuming and expensive to manufacture. Vehicle manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to reduce costs and complexity associated with vehicle manufacturing. Moreover, vehicle manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to reduce noise within passenger compartments while reducing weight of trim components. Accordingly, there is a need for acoustical insulation materials for use within vehicles that exhibit superior sound attenuating properties, while also being lightweight, low in cost and easy to install.

Methods of forming vehicle interior components which include a decoupler layer

International Automotive Components Group North America, Inc.


A bed linen comprises a single, continuous piece of fabric extending substantially completely across lateral dimensions of the bed linen and including elastomeric fibers and non-elastomeric fibers. The single, continuous piece of fabric is configured to stretch to at least 125 percent of an initial length thereof without damage thereto and to substantially return to the initial length thereof after being stretched. A bedding assembly and a method of forming a bedding assembly are also described.

Various problems have been encountered in both the manufacture and use of conventional bed linens, such as conventional sheets (e.g., unfitted, flat sheets; fitted sheets; etc.), pillowcases, duvets, mattress pads, anti-allergy covers, blankets, quilts, etc. For example, conventional bed linens often require seams to fixedly adjoin different pieces of fabric, which can negatively affect the overall texture and softness of the bed linens. In addition, the fabrics of conventional bed linens may lack sufficient elasticity to respond to variations in mattress dimensions and/or to recover from applied distortional forces, resulting in bed linens that are unusable, prone to damage (e.g., ripping, tearing, permanent wrinkling, etc.), uncomfortable, and/or unattractive. Moreover, the fabrics employed by many conventional bed linens may lack sufficient breathability, moisture wicking ability, conformability (e.g., drapability), pilling resistance, stain resistance, colorfastness, and/or laundering durability for sustained, long-term use of the bed linens without sacrifices to efficacy, comfort, and/or attractiveness.

Bed linens, and related bedding assemblies and methods


The surgical nail, here in the form of an intramedullary nail, has a central axis, a longitudinal borehole with a diameter D extending coaxially with the central axis, a casing with an inner surface and a transverse borehole, extending transversely to the central axis with the cross-sectional profile F and the borehole axis. A component, which narrows the cross-sectional profile F, is provided in the longitudinal borehole in the region of the transverse borehole. By these means, the clearance, which is usually present between the medullary nail and the locking screws that have been introduced therein, can be eliminated without risk and an improved holding force as well as an improved guiding effect between the locking screw and the medullary nail can be achieved.

The locking of intramedullary nails is known in the art. The introduction of locking screws or locking bolts (hereinafter referred to collectively as "locking screws") into the transverse bores of a intramedullary nail is carried out either with the aid of an imaging process (X-ray control) or a relatively complicated aiming device. In both cases, a certain aiming inaccuracy is unavoidable because the tip of the screw cannot be aligned exactly coaxially with the central axis of the transverse bore, and instead deviates therefrom by a certain amount. In order to enable the locking screw to enter into and pass through the transverse bore despite this aiming error, the outside diameter of the screw is underdimensioned such that it will be less than the diameter of the transverse bore. If the aiming accuracy remains within the range of this underdimensioning, the locking screw can be guided, despite the aiming error, through the transverse bore without any problem. In any case, as a result of the underdimensioning, the locking screw has a certain play or clearance relative to the transverse bore.
This clearance defines the amount by which the main bone fragments, which are fixed by means of locking screws in the corresponding locking hole, can move relative to the nail, and, because of the rigidity of the nail, move relative to the other main bone fragments fastened with the same nail. While some play or clearance is essential to guarantee the usefulness of the locking for surgeons, in the case of some indications (e.g. in the case of metaphysical fragments) it is clinically undesirable.
Even nails with a full cross section, which may have an internal thread in the locking hole, are not without clearance. The internal thread merely prevents axial movement of the nail on the locking screw.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,645 to HOVER et al. discloses a hollow, metallic intramedullary nail with diametrically opposed openings on the jacket of the transverse bore, described as windows, having one or two plastic inserts through which the locking screw can be introduced. A disadvantage of this known intramedullary nail is that the window-like plastic inserts can be easily pushed in, such that their desired function is lost. Even with a careful manipulation, the two plastic inserts can be pushed out from their "windows," which also leads to a loss of function.


An apparatus for controlling a switch module in a memory is disclosed. A first pulse width adjusting unit receives an input instruction signal and adjusts a pulse width of the input instruction signal to generate an adjusted input instruction signal according to a first pulse width adjustment. A decoder receives an input address signal and the adjusted input instruction signal to generate a control signal utilized for controlling a turn-on period of the switch module. A second pulse width adjusting unit receives the control signal and adjusts a pulse width of the control signal to generate an adjusted control signal according to a second pulse width adjustment. A frequency detector controls the first and second pulse width adjusting units to set the first and second pulse width adjustments according to a frequency of a specific signal in the memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for controlling memory data access, and more particularly, to an apparatus and related method for adjusting a pulse width to generate a control signal for controlling a switch module on a data transmission path in a memory by detecting a frequency of a specific clock signal in the memory.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, when accessing a sum of data, a microprocessor will send an input instruction signal (e.g. a data read instruction signal or a data write instruction signal) to a memory (e.g. a DRAM {Dynamic Random Access Memory}) for informing the memory a data access operation will be performed. It is also necessary for the microprocessor to send an input address signal corresponding to the sum of data to the memory such that the memory can access the sum of data according to the input address signal correctly. Before the sum of data is accessed, a decoder performs a decoding operation upon the input address signal and the input instruction signal simultaneously to output a control signal for controlling a turn-on period of a switch module in the memory so memory data can be accessed through the switch module. For example, data in memory cells within a specific memory bank in the memory can be accessed through the switch module when the switch module is turned on. Additionally, since the input instruction signal or the input address signal is usually inputted into the memory in the form of a voltage signal, the memory needs to use corresponding pins to receive the above-mentioned voltage signals. As mentioned above, the voltage signal has a high voltage level (e.g. five Volts) or a low voltage level (e.g. zero Volts). The memory also needs an operating clock signal (i.e. a memory clock). The operating clock signal is utilized for estimating the voltage level corresponding to the input address signal in order to obtain information of the input address signal for performing a memory data access operation. For example, a voltage level of the voltage signal corresponding to the input address signal can be estimated on a rising edge or a falling edge of the operating clock signal.
In practice, however, because high frequency variations of the above-mentioned voltage signals will become non-ideal while the operating clock signal in the memory operates at a higher frequency, errors may occur when the memory performs instructions for estimating the voltage level of the voltage signal representative of the input address signal. Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a timing diagram controlling a switch module in a prior art memory for data access. A signal CTRL is utilized for controlling the switch module to be turned on or turned off and also for controlling the turn-on period of the switch module. As shown in FIG. 1, a signal CLK represents the operating clock signal in the memory, and a signal ADDR represents the input address signal. A signal COM represents an input instruction signal (e.g. a data read instruction signal or a data write instruction signal), and a data access operation will be performed when a voltage level of the input instruction signal COM arrives at a high voltage level. For example, when the operating clock signal CLK in the memory remains in an ideal frequency range (i.e. it is assumed that, in this frequency range, high frequency variations of the input address signal ADDR are still ideal), it is only necessary for a pulse width PW2 of the input instruction signal COM to be shorter than a pulse width PW1 of the input address signal ADDR. A setup time taken by a rising edge of the input address signal ADDR and a hold time taken by a falling edge of the input address signal ADDR are not considered. Otherwise, when the operating clock signal CLK in the memory arrives at a higher frequency (i.e. it is assumed that, at this frequency, high frequency variations of the input address signal ADDR are not ideal), in order for there to be no errors, the setup time taken by the rising edge of the input address signal ADDR and the hold time taken by the falling edge of the input address signal ADDR have to be considered for preventing the decoder from accessing other addresses. Therefore, it is necessary for the pulse width PW2 of the input instruction signal COM to not only be smaller than the pulse width PW1 of the input address signal ADDR, but also a fixed pulse width is needed to be reserved for the setup/hold time taken by the rising/falling edge of the input address signal ADDR. For example, in FIG. 1, the pulse width PW2 is much shorter than the pulse width PW1. Since the pulse width PW3 of the control signal CTRL is determined by the pulse width PW2 of the input instruction signal COM, however, this method of reserving a fixed pulse width will result in a shorter turn-on period of the switch module when using the control signal CTRL outputted from the decoder to control the switch module. The shorter turn-on period of the switch module will cause a shorter data access time. This shorter data access time will become more serious if the reserved pulse width is longer.

Apparatus and related method for controlling switch module in memory by detecting operating frequency of specific signal in memory


A connector with a grommet includes a housing and a grommet. A panel hooking portion, a flange, and a locking projection are formed on an outside of the housing. The grommet includes a panel contact part that comes into tight contact with an edge of a mounting hole of a panel. A flexible arm is formed on the flange so as to protrude from the flange. The locking projection is provided at a front of the flexible arm. A sensing part configured to sense whether the locking projection is locked to the panel, is provided at a rear of the flexible arm so as to protrude outward than the flange. The sensing part is received in a receiving part formed on the panel contact part. When the locking projection is not locked to the panel, the sensing part and the receiving part tilt.

A connector with a grommet to be attached to a panel of an automobile is disclosed in, for example, JP 2015-222667 A.
The connector with a grommet includes a connector housing (housing) and a grommet configured to cover an outer circumference of the connector housing. When a lock projection (locking projection) of the connector housing is located in a mounting hole of a vehicle body panel (panel), a sensing piece of the connector housing tilts and presses a thin part of the grommet. Accordingly, the thin part of the grommet bulges.