An inert gas fire fighting system is designed to extinguish fire by discharging inert gas fire extinguisher stored in a gaseous state in a fire extinguisher storage vessel into an object fire fighting section while maintaining the concentration of the inert gas fire extinguisher in the object fire fighting section at no less than the fire extinguishing concentration. A vessel valve of the fire extinguisher storage vessel is a pressure control valve which controls the gas pressure P of the inert gas fire extinguisher on the discharge side to no more than the reference gas pressure P0 determined by a gas pressure P1 of a constant-pressure gas source. This makes it possible to increase the charging pressure of the inert gas fire extinguisher without increasing the pressure resistance grade of the secondary side equipment units of the fire fighting system.

The present invention relates to a gas fire fighting system for extinguishing fire by discharging inert gas fire extinguisher stored in a gaseous state in fire extinguisher storage vessels into the object fire fighting section, and maintaining the concentration of the fire extinguisher in the object fire fighting section at no less than a fire extinguishing concentration.
Conventionally, equipment using inert gas such as carbon dioxide, halogenated gas, etc. as fire extinguisher has been put in to practical use as a gas fire fighting system for extinguishing fire by discharging the gas fire extinguisher into an object fire fighting section and maintaining the concentration of the fire extinguisher in the object fire fighting section at no less than a fire extinguishing concentration.
When inert gas such as carbon dioxide, halogenated gas, etc. are used as fire extinguishers, the fire fighting system is designed in such a way as to liquefy the fire extinguishers under pressure and store them in fire extinguishing equipment in a charged state in a fire extinguisher storage vessel composed of a high-pressure gas vessel. In case of a fire, the carbon dioxide or halogenated gas is sent from the fire extinguisher storage vessel to an injection head through piping by opening a vessel valve of the fire extinguisher storage vessel by using an appropriate electrical means or pneumatic means and discharging it from the injection head into the object fire fighting section. At that time, the inert gas, such as carbon dioxide, halogenated gas, etc. is sent in a liquid state up to the injection head and, the moment when it is discharged from the injection head into the object fire fighting section, it is vaporized and gets into a gaseous state so as to fill the object fire fighting section and extinguish the fire.
The gas fire fighting system using inert gas such as carbon dioxide, halogenated gas, etc. is widely used not only in oil facilities and with electric equipment, but also in other general facilities, because of advantages such that it can rapidly extinguish fire, hardly stains the inside of the object fire fighting section with the fire extinguisher, does not spoil electric insulation, demonstrates powerful fire extinguishing effects even against an object of fire fighting of complicated structure, as the fire extinguisher penetrates through gaps, maintains a certain level of fire extinguishing capacity over a long period of time with no change of fire extinguisher, etc.
However, in recent years, problems regarding ozone layer depletion have arisen on a worldwide scale, and the production of fire extinguishers containing halogenated hydrocarbon components, such as halogenated gas, etc., was discontinued in January, 1994, making such fire extinguishers practically unusable. As a result, carbon dioxide has become the only fire extinguisher currently in use for gas fire fighting systems, except for special fire fighting systems using expensive rare gases such as argon, etc.
On the other hand, this fire fighting system using carbon dioxide is also known to have the following problems:
(1) The design concentration of carbon dioxide in the object fire fighting section at the time of fire fighting is approximately 35%. At this concentration, there is a possibility of producing a serious state claiming human life due to the toxicity (anesthetization) of carbon dioxide in case there is someone in the object fire fighting section.
(2) In case of a fire, the carbon dioxide is sent to the injection head in a liquid state and turns into a gas by evaporation the moment when it is discharged into the object fire fighting section. At that time, carbon dioxide absorbs heat of evaporation from the surrounding air, making the saturated vapor pressure of the room air drop, causing dew condensation of water content in the air and producing static electricity. As a result, the room air becomes hazy and presents a risk of serious secondary disasters by not only creating obstacles to evacuation and relief of people and fire fighting, but also causing defective insulation or trouble with electric equipment due to dew condensation or static electricity.
(3) Because carbon dioxide has a density much higher than that of air, the carbon dioxide discharged into the object fire fighting section is liable to not only stagnate in the lower part in the object fire fighting section and deteriorate in its fire extinguishing effects, but also disperse to the outside through openings at the bottom of the object fire fighting section.
(4) In view of the fact that problems of the greenhouse effect on the earth are being discussed on a worldwide scale, there is a possibility that the use of carbon dioxide may also be restricted in the future, in the same way as halogenated gas.
By the way, the assignee of the present invention previously proposed a fire fighting system using as fire extinguisher nitrogen gas or a mixed gas (hereinafter simply referred to as "mixed gas") prepared by mixing at least one kind of perfluoroalkane (perfluorobutane (C.sub.4 F.sub.10)), hydrogenofluoroalkane (trifluoromethane (CHF.sub.3), heptafluoropropane (C.sub.3 HF.sub.7), pentafluoroethane (C.sub.2 HF.sub.5), or hydrogenefluorohalogenoalkane (iodotrifluoromethane (CF.sub.3 I) (hereinafter generically referred to as "fluoric compounds") in nitrogen gas at a proportion no higher than 10 vol. %, to solve a lot of problems inherent in the gas fire fighting systems (Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 08-141102 and 08-243186).
However, it has been found that the following problems exist even in the case where nitrogen gas or mixed gas are used as fire extinguisher of gas fire fighting systems:
(1) Nitrogen gas or mixed gas used as fire extinguisher of gas fire fighting systems are stored in a state of pressurized gas, and therefore require a number of fire extinguisher vessels necessary for fire extinction of an object fire fighting section of a volume several times larger as carbon dioxide or halogenated gas, which are in a liquefied state due to pressurization, and thus require a large installation space for the fire extinguisher vessels.
(2) To reduce the number of fire extinguisher vessels to be installed, it is necessary to increase the charging pressure of the inert gas fire extinguisher to be charged in the fire extinguisher vessels. However, if the charging pressure of the inert gas fire extinguisher is increased, the high gas pressure of the inert gas fire extinguisher comes to be applied also to the secondary side equipment of the fire fighting system, such as a selecting valve, main piping, a branch pipe, an injection head, etc. This makes it necessary to increase the pressure resistance grade of those secondary side equipment units, thus leading to a sharp increase in equipment costs, and also making the application to existing facilities impossible.

Inert gas fire fighting system and pressure control valve for inert gas fire fighting system


A probe cover (20) is provided including a tubular body extending from a proximal end (24) to a distal end (26). The proximal end defines an opening configured for receipt of a distal end of a thermometer. The distal end of the tubular body is substantially enclosed by a film (36). The distal end includes at least one end rib (38) disposed about an inner circumference thereof. At least one end rib is configured to engage the distal end of the thermometer such that the distal end of the thermometer is spaced apart from the film. The body may extend in a tapered configuration from the proximal end to the distal end. The end rib can include a transverse portion disposed along a surface of the film. The end rib may include a longitudinal portion extending along the body. The longitudinal portion may extend proximally along the body and the transverse portion may project along a surface of the film such that the longitudinal portion and the transverse portion cooperate to receive the distal end of the thermometer. The body may define at least one longitudinal rib projecting from an inner surface thereof. The body may define at least one protuberance projecting from an inner and/or an outer surface thereof. The longitudinal rib and/or the protuberances can be configured to facilitate nesting of a second probe cover.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of biomedical thermometers, and more particularly, to a probe cover for a tympanic thermometer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Medical thermometers are typically employed to facilitate the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, body ailments, etc. for humans and other animals, as is known. Doctors, nurses, parents, care providers, etc. utilize thermometers to measure a subject's body temperature for detecting a fever, monitoring the subject's body temperature, etc. An accurate reading of a subject's body temperature is required for effective use and should be taken from the internal or core temperature of a subject's body. Several thermometer devices are known for measuring a subject's body temperature, such as, for example, glass, electronic, ear (tympanic).
Glass thermometers, however, are very slow in making measurements, typically requiring several minutes to determine body temperature. This can result in discomfort to the subject, and may be very troublesome when taking the temperature of a small child or an invalid. Further, glass thermometers are susceptible to error and are typically accurate only to within a degree.
Electronic thermometers minimize measurement time and improve accuracy over glass thermometers. Electronic thermometers, however, still require approximately thirty (30) seconds before an accurate reading can be taken and may cause discomfort in placement as the thermometer device must be inserted into the subject's mouth, rectum or axilla.
Tympanic thermometers are generally considered by the medical community to be superior for taking a subject's temperature. Tympanic thermometers provide rapid and accurate readings of core temperature, overcoming the disadvantages associated with other types of thermometers. Tympanic thermometers measure temperature by sensing infrared emissions from the tympanic membrane (eardrum) in the external ear canal. The temperature of the tympanic membrane accurately represents the body's core temperature. Further, measuring temperature in this manner only requires a few seconds.
In operation, a tympanic thermometer is prepared for use and a probe cover is mounted onto a sensing probe extending from a distal portion of the thermometer. The probe covers are hygienic to provide a sanitary barrier and are disposable after use. A practitioner or other care provider inserts a portion of the probe having the probe cover mounted thereon within a subject's outer ear canal to sense the infrared emissions from the tympanic membrane. The infrared light emitted from the tympanic membrane passes through a window of the probe cover and is directed to the sensing probe by a waveguide. The window is typically a transparent portion of the probe cover and has a wavelength in the far infrared range.
The practitioner presses a button or similar device to cause the thermometer to take a temperature measurement. The microelectronics process electrical signals provided by the heat sensor to determine eardrum temperature and render a temperature measurement in a few seconds or less. The probe is removed from the ear canal and the probe cover discarded.
Known tympanic thermometers typically include a probe containing a heat sensor such as a thermopile, a pyroelectric heat sensor, etc. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,179,785, 6,186,959, and 5,820,264. These types of heat sensors are particularly sensitive to the eardrum's radiant heat energy.
The accuracy with which the sensing probe senses the infrared radiation emitted by the eardrum directly corresponds with the overall accuracy, repeatability and usability of the tympanic thermometer. The sensing probe must be sensitive to the low level of infrared energy emitted by an eardrum while providing a high degree of accuracy, repeatability and thermal noise immunity.
Current tympanic thermometers employ probe covers that may adversely affect accuracy of a temperature reading. The probe cover window of the probe cover typically engages the probe. Consequently, the distal end of the probe can become disadvantageously heated by the tympanic membrane. This may cause the sensing probe to detect radiation emitted from the heated distal end of the probe or other undesirable thermal noise readings that can lead to inaccurate temperature measurement. Further, current probe cover designs suffer from other drawbacks, such as poor retention characteristics with the probe and subject discomfort when inserted in the ear canal.
Therefore, it would be desirable to overcome the disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art with a probe cover for a tympanic thermometer that minimizes heat transfer to the probe and enhances comfort to the subject. It would be highly desirable if the probe cover was designed for multiple stacking to facilitate storage. It is contemplated that the probe cover is easily and efficiently fabricated.


A method for siphoning product from a bulk bag while maintaining the bag upright at all times during siphoning which includes the steps of providing a bulk bag containing the dry bulk product; providing a support frame for supporting the bag upright through the lifting loops of the bulk bag; siphoning the product from the bulk bag through a vacuum line inserted in the bulk within the bag; and providing a pressurized cylinder attached to the frame which supports the bag upright through the lifting loops for imparting sufficient force upward on the lifting loops of the bulk bag so as to support the bag upright and lift the bag as the product is siphoned from the bag, yet while allowing the product remaining in the bag to move to a central portion of the bag, so that the siphoning nozzle makes contact with the product within the bag at all times during siphoning.

1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus of the present invention relates to fabric bulk bags. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and a system for enabling a fabric bulk bag to be emptied of bulk material through vacuuming of the bulk material from the bag while maintaining the bag in an upright position during the method, and by assuring that the bulk within the bag is contained substantially within the central location of the bag at all times during emptying of the bag.
2. General Background of the Invention
Bulk bags are for the most part bags constructed of a polypropylene material which would normally be of the type having four side walls, a bottom wall, a top wall and means such as loops for lifting the bag with a forklift after the bag has been loaded with bulk. Often times the bulk bag of this type includes an internal polyethylene liner which may or may not be secured to the bag via gluing or the like, so that certain types of dry bulk material which may be contained within the bag are, for the most part, free from contamination within the polyethylene liner.
One type of bulk bag which is utilized for transporting dry bulk material and may or may not include a polyethylene liner, would not necessarily include a down spout or discharge spout for allowing the dry bulk material to flow from the bag. Certain types of bags have no discharge spout, but simply are constructed so that the dry bulk material within the bag can be vacuumed or siphoned out of the bag with a nozzle being inserted through the polyethylene liner at the top of the bag, and the nozzle siphoning the dry bulk material out of the bag as the bag is resting on a platform or the like. One drawback to this particular method, in the present state of the art, is that, because of the nature of a siphoning system, the siphon would tend to siphon the bulk material which is directly surrounding the siphoning nozzle within the bag. For example, if the nozzle happens to be in an area of the bag adjacent to one of the side walls, then the bulk material which would be siphoned from the bag would naturally be that material next to the side wall, unless the nozzle is periodically moved throughout the bag. What may occur in this situation is the fact that once bulk material is siphoned from one wall of the bag, the bulk material on the opposite wall may cause the bag to become unbalanced and to literally fall over due to the unequal distribution of the bulk material within the bag. This, of course, is undesirable since if the bag would tilt over, the bulk material within the bag may spill out through the hole in the polyethylene liner and become contaminated or the nozzle may punch a hole in the polyethylene liner within the bag which would then cause a contamination of perhaps all of the bulk material within the bag. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and a system for assuring that as the bulk is emptied, through vacuuming from the top of the bag, the bag is maintained upright at the same time that the nozzle is within the bulk material at all times so as to allow flow of bulk from the bag in a quick and efficient manner.
Applicant is submitting herewith the prior art statement regarding patents which have been reviewed which may be pertinent to the subject matter of this invention.

Method and system for stabilizing bulk bags during emptying


The decorator's graining tool (1) is formed from a flat blank (8), which can be wrapped around and secured to itself so as to form the tool in the form of a tubular body having a plurality of teeth (2) at one end and an arcuate convex face (3) at the other end, the convex face forming the outer surface of the tubular body and having a plurality of spaced ridge formations thereon (4). The ridge formations (4) may comprise either a series of undulating ridges (5) and furrows (6), or, alternatively, smooth ridges and furrows in which the formations (4) are concentric about an intermediate point (7) of the convex face (3).

The present invention relates to a blank for a decorator's tool and, in particular, to blank for a tool for applying an imitation woodgrain finish to a surface.
It is known to create imitation woodgrains on a surface using specialised tools to create the grain finish. Normally, at least two tools are required in order to achieve the desired effect. Existing tools consist of combs having teeth or the like which are used to establish a continuous streaked or grained appearance on a painted substrate, and a separate tool having a convex surface, with a series of concentric ridge formations on the convex surface, which can be used to selectively expose parts of the surface, so as to produce a simulated natural woodgrain appearance on the surface. Using separate tools to create the woodgrain finish suffers from a number of drawbacks. In particular, it is necessary to frequently interchange the tools, which is time consuming and often leads to an inconsistent finish. Frequently, the tools are purchased as a set, and subsequently, if one is misplaced, it is necessary to replace both tools, by purchasing a complete set. In addition, packaging of two separate tools in a box or the like requires extra packaging space and packaging material, which adds to the total cost of the product.


In liquid-developing image formation, a ghost image caused by the contact between a photosensitive member and an absorbing roller to collect a surplus liquid developer is prevented by preventing occurrence of a speed difference (relative speed) between a photosensitive member and a porous member (an absorbing roller) and by keeping an optimum pressing force from a porous member to a visible image on a photosensitive member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus using a liquid developer including a carrier liquid with toner particles dispersed in solvent.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic recording apparatus using a liquid developer has been revalued in recent years. An electrophotographic recording apparatus has advantages not realized by a dry-type electrophotographic recording apparatus, for example, high picture quality equal to offset printing by using very fine submicron toner particles, low copy cost with sufficient image density due to small amount of toner particles, and energy-saving by fixing toner particles to a recording paper sheet at a relatively low temperature.
As a transfer system of an electrophotographic recording apparatus using a liquid developer, a type using a shearing force is proposed by Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-347520. This system increases the transferability by giving a shearing force to a visible image.
It is necessary for giving a visible image a sufficient shearing force to increase a condensing force of toner particles by eliminating a surplus carrier liquid remained in and close to a visible image formed on a photosensitive member.
As a known method of eliminating the surplus carrier liquid, there is a roller absorbing method which absorbs a carrier liquid by forming a nip by making contact between a porous member formed on the outside of a roller contact and a photosensitive member.
The roller absorbing method has an advantage of increasing and maintaining the absorbing force of a porous member by providing a means for pulling in a surplus carrier liquid absorbed by the porous member. This method can be enhanced in the speed compared with the other methods of eliminating a surplus carrier liquid. Further, the method does not stain the inside of an apparatus, and saves energy. A surplus carrier liquid can be collected as a liquid, which makes it very suitable for recycling the solvent. Clogging of the porous member can be prevented by providing a cleaning roller for cleaning the porous member, and the carrier liquid elimination performance can be held stably for a long period.
However, the roller absorbing method has such problems as a speed difference (relative speed) between the porous member and photosensitive member, and a transfer of a visible image on the photosensitive member to the roller by an excessive pressing force, causing a disturbance in a visible image. A disturbance in a visible image (hereinafter called a ghost image) is also caused due to the visible image adhering to the absorbing roller being transferred again to the photosensitive member.
Many proposals have been made for the roller absorbing method. In particular, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No.7-225516 proposed to contact a porous absorbing roller covered with a porous layer with electrical conductivity and elasticity to a breathable porous sleeve with electric conductivity and rigidity, so as to form an even nip in substantially the total width of a photosensitive member, and rotate the roller as a follower of the sleeve.
This method has an advantage that a speed difference (relative speed) is not generated between the porous absorbing roller and photosensitive member. Further, to keep the nip constant, a tracking roller is provided at both ends of the porous absorbing roller, to contact the photosensitive member and keep the distance constant.
However, even in the method disclosed in the Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 7-225516, a pressing force in the nip is increased to obtain a nip capable of transmitting a driving force to the porous absorbing roller without generating a relative speed (speed difference) between the porous member and photosensitive member. Further, the nip is evenly formed in substantially the total width of the photosensitive member including the part to form a visible image, giving a large pressing force also to a visible image. This raises a problem that a ghost image (a visible image adhered to the porous absorbing roller is transferred again to the photosensitive member) is not prevented.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Image forming apparatus and absorbing roller with optimum pressing force


A device for automatic collection, intermediate storage and emptying of blood from slaughter animals, comprising an endless track (2), a number of containers (3) movable along the track and a filling station (4) and an emptying and washing station (5) which are arranged along the track. The containers are loosely arranged in relation to each other and to the track (2). As a result, the weighing (6) of a filled container can be carried out effectively immediately after the filling operation. Moreover, containers can temporarily be switched out from the normal path of progression along the track into and from a resting station.

The present invention relates to a device for automatic collection, intermediate storage and emptying of blood from slaughter animals, this device having an endless track, a number of containers movable along the track, a filling station and an emptying and washing station which are arranged along the track.
In slaughter-houses, slaughter animals which have been anaesthetised or put to death are conveyed successively in a hanging or lying state in a slaughtering line. A so-called sticker sticks a hollow knife into the animal's neck for withdrawal of blood. The blood is conducted to a vessel connected to the knife, e.g. in a sticking carrousel, as described in assignees International Patent Application PCT/SE89/00284. When the withdrawal of blood is completed, the blood is conducted from the vessel in the sticking carrousel to a larger intermediate vessel in an intermediate storage device. In the intermediate vessel, blood from a limited number of animals, usually 30-40 animals, is stored intermediately. Alternatively, the blood can be conducted from the sticking knife directly to the intermediate vessel.
Each slaughter animal is provided with a batch code which corresponds to a code on each intermediate vessel. Blood from a certain animal can thus be traced to a certain intermediate vessel. Alternatively other batch-distinguishing identifying systems can be used.
After the sticking operation, the slaughter animal is conveyed to a veterinary inspection station in which the veterinary inspects the animal. When an intermediate vessel has been moved to the emptying station, and if all animals belonging to this vessel have been accepted, the blood is poured into a larger tank for accepted blood which is to be used for production of various blood products. The blood of an animal belonging to the vessel and rejected by the veterinary is poured into a tank for rejected blood.
A known automatic intermediate storage device comprises a carrousel frame with fixedly mounted intermediate vessels. The carrousel frame comprises a hub having radial arms, each supporting an intermediate vessel. The filling station and the emptying station are positioned at different locations adjacent the circuit of the vessel. There are other types of automatic devices, but they are all based on the principle of interconnected vessels in an endless, circular or oval track.
Several problems are connected with the prior art devices. First, the contents of a vessel cannot practically be weighed until the blood has been poured into a container separated from the carrousel. This is done after emptying, i.e. a relatively long time after the sticking operation. A direct feed-back to the sticker regarding the effectiveness of the blood withdrawal cannot be established. Although it would be possible to mount a weighing cell on each radial arm of the frame, this is not an economically realistic alternative. Secondly, there may be some doubt whether the blood in a vessel which is to be emptied is acceptable. If the veterinary inspecting the animal feels hesitant about this, he will discard the body from the slaughtering line so as to be able to conduct a more thorough inspection later on. If he does not find time for such a thorough inspection before the corresponding intermediate vessel is to be emptied, he is forced to reject the blood even if it appears later that the animal's body is accepted. Thirdly, the device takes up a large space. Fourthly, the device cannot be extended by including further vessels.

Device for automatic collection, intermediate storage and emptying of blood from slaughter animals


An interconnection apparatus and a method of forming an interconnection apparatus. Contact structures are attached to or formed on a first substrate. The first substrate is attached to a second substrate, which is larger than the first substrate. Multiple such first substrates may be attached to the second substrate in order to create an array of contact structures. Each contact structure may be elongate and resilient and may comprise a core that is over coated with a material that imparts desired structural properties to the contact structure.

Techniques of making pressure connections with composite interconnection elements (resilient contact structures) have been discussed in commonly-owned, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/450,255 filed 26 May 95 ("PARENT CASE").
As discussed in commonly-owned, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/554,902 filed 9 Nov. 1995, individual semiconductor (integrated circuit) devices (dies) are typically produced by creating several identical devices on a semiconductor wafer, using known techniques of photolithography, deposition, and the like. Generally, these processes are intended to create a plurality of fully-functional integrated circuit devices, prior to singulating (severing) the individual dies from the semiconductor wafer. In practice, however, certain physical defects in the wafer itself and certain defects in the processing of the wafer inevitably lead to some of the dies being "good" (fully-functional) and some of the dies being "bad" (non-functional).
It is generally desirable to be able to identify which of the plurality of dies on a wafer are good dies prior to their packaging, and preferably prior to their being singulated from the wafer. To this end, a wafer "tester" or "prober" may advantageously be employed to make a plurality of discrete pressure connections to a like plurality of discrete connection pads (bond pads) on the dies. In this manner, the semiconductor dies can be tested and exercised, prior to singulating the dies from the wafer.
A conventional component of a wafer tester is a "probe card" to which a plurality of probe elements are connected—tips of the probe elements effecting the pressure connections to the respective bond pads of the semiconductor dies.
Certain difficulties are inherent in any technique for probing semiconductor dies. For example, modern integrated circuits include many thousands of transistor elements requiring many hundreds of bond pads disposed in close proximity to one another (e.g., 5 mils center-to-center). Moreover, the layout of the bond pads need not be limited to single rows of bond pads disposed close to the peripheral edges of the die (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,583).
To effect reliable pressure connections between the probe elements and the semiconductor die one must be concerned with several parameters including, but not limited to: alignment, probe force, overdrive, contact force, balanced contact force, scrub, contact resistance, and planarization. A general discussion of these parameters may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,622, entitled HIGH DENSITY PROBE CARD, incorporated by reference herein, which discloses a high density epoxy ring probe card including a unitary printed circuit board having a central opening adapted to receive a preformed epoxy ring array of probe elements.
Generally, prior art probe card assemblies include a plurality of tungsten needles (probe elements) extending as cantilevers from a surface of a probe card. The tungsten needles may be mounted in any suitable manner to the probe card, such as by the intermediary of an epoxy ring, as discussed hereinabove. Generally, in any case, the needles are wired to terminals of the probe card through the intermediary of a separate and distinct wire connecting the needles to the terminals of the probe card.
Probe cards are typically formed as circular rings, with hundreds of probe elements (needles) extending from an inner periphery of the ring (and wired to terminals of the probe card). Circuit modules, and conductive traces (lines) of preferably equal length, are associated with each of the probe elements. This ring-shape layout makes it difficult, and in some cases impossible, to probe a plurality of unsingulated semiconductor dies (multiple sites) on a wafer, especially when the bond pads of each semiconductor die are arranged in other than two linear arrays along two opposite edges of the semiconductor die.
Wafer testers may alternately employ a probe membrane having a central contact bump (probe element) area, as is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,574, entitled LARGE SCALE PROTRUSION MEMBRANE FOR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES UNDER TEST WITH VERY HIGH PIN COUNTS, incorporated by reference herein. As noted in this patent, "A test system typically comprises a test controller for executing and controlling a series of test programs, a wafer dispensing system for mechanically handling and positioning wafers in preparation for testing and a probe card for maintaining an accurate mechanical contact with the device-under-test (DUT)." (column 1, lines 41-46).
Additional references, incorporated by reference herein, as indicative of the state of the art in testing semiconductor devices, include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,442,282 (TESTING AND EXERCISING INDIVIDUAL UNSINGULATED) DIES ON A WAFER); 5,382,898 (HIGH DENSITY PROBE CARD FOR TESTING ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS); 5,378,982 TEST PROBE FOR PANEL HAVING AN OVERLYING PROTECTIVE MEMBER ADJACENT PANEL CONTACTS); 5,339,027 (RIGID-FLEX CIRCUITS WITH RAISED FEATURES AS IC TEST PROBES); 5,180,977 (MEMBRANE PROBE CONTACT BUMP COMPLIANCY SYSTEM); 5,066,907 (PROBE SYSTEM FOR DEVICE AND CIRCUIT TESTING); 4,757,256 (HIGH DENSITY PROBE CARD); 4,161,692 (PROBE DEVICE FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT WAFERS); and 3,990,689 (ADJUSTABLE HOLDER ASSEMBLY FOR POSITIONING A VACUUM CHUCK).
Generally, interconnections between electronic components can be classified into the two broad categories of "relatively permanent" and "readily demountable".
An example of a "relatively permanent" connection is a solder joint. Once two components are soldered to one another, a process of unsoldering must be used to separate the components. A wire bond is another example of a "relatively permanent" connection.
An example of a "readily demountable" connection is rigid pins of one electronic component being received by resilient socket elements of another electronic component. The socket elements exert a contact force (pressure) on the pins in an amount sufficient to ensure a reliable electrical connection therebetween.
Interconnection elements intended to make pressure contact with terminals of an electronic component are referred to herein as "springs" or "spring elements". Generally, a certain minimum contact force is desired to effect reliable pressure contact to electronic components (e.g., to terminals on electronic components). For example, a contact (load) force of approximately 15 grams (including as little as 2 grams or less and as much as 150 grams or more, per contact) may be desired to ensure that a reliable electrical connection is made to a terminal of an electronic component which may be contaminated with films on its surface, or which has corrosion or oxidation products on its surface. The minimum contact force required of each spring demands either that the yield strength of the spring material or that the size of the spring element are increased. As a general proposition, the higher the yield strength of a material, the more difficult it will be to work with (e.g., punch, bend, etc.). And the desire to make springs smaller essentially rules out making them larger in cross-section.
Probe elements (other than contact bumps of membrane probes) are a class of spring elements of particular relevance to the present invention. Prior art probe elements are commonly fabricated from tungsten, a relatively hard (high yield strength) material. When it is desired to mount such relatively hard materials to terminals of an electronic component, relatively "hostile" (e.g., high temperature) processes such as brazing are required. Such "hostile" processes are generally not desirable (and often not feasible) in the context of certain relatively "fragile" electronic components such as semiconductor devices. In contrast thereto, wire bonding is an example of a relatively "friendly" processes which is much less potentially damaging to fragile electronic components than brazing. Soldering is another example of a relatively "friendly" process. However, both solder and gold are relatively soft (low yield strength) materials which will not function well as spring elements.
A subtle problem associated with interconnection elements, including spring contacts, is that, often, the terminals of an electronic component are not perfectly coplanar. Interconnection elements lacking in some mechanism incorporated therewith for accommodating these "tolerances" (gross non-planarities) will be hard pressed to make consistent contact pressure contact with the terminals of the electronic component.
The following U.S. patents, incorporated by reference herein, are cited as being of general interest vis-a-vis making connections, particularly pressure connections, to electronic components: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,386,344 (FLEX CIRCUIT CARD ELASTOMERIC CABLE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY); 5,336,380 (SPRING BIASED TAPERED CONTACT ELEMENTS FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS AND INTEGRATED CIRCUIT PACKAGES) 5,317,479 (PLATED COMPLIANT LEAD); 5,086,337 (CONNECTING STRUCTURE OF ELECTRONIC PART AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING THE STRUCTURE); 5,067,007 (SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING LEADS FOR MOUNTING TO A SURFACE OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD); 4,989,069 (SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGE HAVING LEADS THAT BREAK-AWAY FROM SUPPORTS); 4,893,172 (CONNECTING STRUCTURE FOR ELECTRONIC PART AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME) 4,793,814 (ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BOARD INTERCONNECT) 4,777,564 (LEADFORM FOR USE WITH SURFACE MOUNTED COMPONENTS); 4,764,848 (SURFACE MOUNTED ARRAY STRAIN RELIEF DEVICE); 4,667,219 (SEMICONDUCTOR CHIP INTERFACE); 4,642,889 (COMPLIANT INTERCONNECTION AND METHOD THEREFOR); 4,330,165 (PRESS-CONTACT TYPE INTERCONNECTORS); 4,295,700 (INTERCONNECTORS); 4,067,104 (METHOD OF FABRICATING AN ARRAY OF FLEXIBLE METALLIC INTERCONNECTS FOR COUPLING MICROELECTRONICS COMPONENTS); 3,795,037 (ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICES); 3,616,532 (MULTILAYER PRINTED, CIRCUIT ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECTION DEVICE); and 3,509,270 (INTERCONNECTION FOR PRINTED CIRCUITS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME).
In the aforementioned PARENT CASE, techniques are disclosed for fabricating composite interconnection elements (resilient contact structures, spring elements) directly upon electronic components. In cases where a large number of such spring elements are required, failure to yield (successfully manufacture) but one of the great many spring elements may result in an entire component being defective (unusable or, at best, requiring extensive rework).
Moreover, in instances wherein it is desired to fabricate a great many spring contacts over a large surface area, for example to provide for full semiconductor wafer testing in one pass, it is difficult to find an appropriate (e.g., matched coefficient of thermal expansion) substrate to which the great many spring contacts can successfully be mounted.

Contact carriers (tiles) for populating larger substrates with spring contacts


Techniques described herein can optimize usage of computing resources in a data system. Dynamic throttling can be performed locally on a computing resource in the foreground and autoscaling can be performed in a centralized fashion in the background. Dynamic throttling can lower the load without overshooting while minimizing oscillation and reducing the throttle quickly. Autoscaling may involve scaling in or out the number of computing resources in a cluster as well as scaling up or down the type of computing resources to handle different types of situations.

As the world becomes more data driven, database systems and other data systems are storing more and more data. For a business to use this data, different operations or queries are typically run on this large amount of data. Some operations, for example those including large table scans or executing multiple queries, can take a substantial amount of time to execute on a large amount of data. The time to execute such operations can be proportional to the number of computing resources used for execution, so time can be shortened using more computing resources.
To this end, some data systems can provide a pool of computing resources, and those resources can be assigned to execute different operations. However, in such systems, the assigned computing resources typically work in conjunction, for example in a cluster group. Hence, their assignments are fixed and static. That is, a computing resource can remain assigned to an operation, which no longer needs that computing resource. The assignments of those computing resources cannot be easily modified in response to demand changes. Hence, the computing resources are not utilized to their full capacity.
Some systems can impose fixed per-instance, per-account, and per-user limits on the number of queries entering a single computing resource to limit unexpected or periodic workloads and protect the cluster. However, these limits can be unreliable: some workloads that have a low query cardinality can fall below static limits but can still cause load issues depending on their compilation patterns.


A lock core structure including a housing, a lock core, at least two latch elements and plural lock piece sets. Each lock piece set includes a division plate and a first lock piece and the second lock piece are embedded in two sliding tracks on the division plate, and an elastic element is mounted between the first lock piece and the second lock piece for interlocking the first and the second lock pieces. Through the interlocked structure between the first lock piece and the second lock piece, it will be harder for the thief to break the lock core.

Generally, according to the lock core, the common lock can be classified as pin tumbler lock and plate lock. The pin tumbler lock utilizes various sizes of ball-typed or pillar-typed bolts in the lock core, and each indentation on the key will correspond and match to each different bolts, so that the lock can be opened. In the plate lock, each lock piece set has an indentation, and the indentations are interlocked and simultaneously rejected against one latch element so as to lock the lock core. The examples of conventional pin tumbler lock are R.O.C Patent Application No. 094219454 "Anti-theft lock core structure" and R.O.C Patent Application NO. 094216537 "Anti-theft lock core assembly structure"; and the examples of plate lock are R.O.C Patent Application No. 095206477 "Lock core assembly for door lock" and R.O.C Patent Application No. 094145435 "Anti-theft lock core". However, in the conventional pin tumbler lock or plate lock, there is only one barrier for each bolt or lock piece, and there is no interlocking in each set of bolts or lock pieces, so that the thief can easily open the door by respectively breaking each barrier. Therefore, the conventional lock core structure still needs to be improved and enhanced.


A method includes subsequent to a client associating with a first access node and the client being communicatively coupled with a first controller through the first access node: storing information on one or more of: active broadcast sessions for the client or active multicast sessions for the client. The method further includes subsequent to the client associating with a second access node and the client being communicatively coupled with a second controller through the second access node: the second controller establishing one or more of: the active broadcast sessions for the client or the active multicast sessions for the client using the information.

The present invention relates to wireless systems, and in particular, to the problem of synchronizing multicast data streams to mobile clients in the wireless environment.
Modern wireless systems operating under IEEE 802.11 standards are called upon to support a wide range of clients operating over a wide range of data rates, using different modulation types, and different protocols.
The users of these networks see, or desire to see a set of services, available on demand, wherever they are. They expect these services to operate reliably, and continue to operate as they move, for example, from one area to another in an office environment, or from one building or floor to another in a corporate campus.
Broadcast/multicast (BCMC) traffic in an 802.11 wireless network belongs to a single broadcast domain, such as one or more wireless access nodes connected to a controller. This BCMC traffic cannot be leaked or shared across multiple different domains. This BCMC traffic is usually managed according through the well known Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) as defined for example in RFC 1112 (IGMP V1), RFC 2236 (IGMP V2) and RFC 3376 (IGMP V3), each incorporated herein by reference.
When a mobile client crosses a Layer 3 (L3) boundary, for example moving from an area covered by one controller and its wireless access nodes to an area covered by a different controller and its wireless access nodes, existing protocols allow the wireless client to retain its IP address.
But the BCMC traffic to and from the client is restricted to a single broadcast domain. When the mobile client crosses a L3 boundary, these BCMC sessions are dropped until the client rejoins these BCMC sessions.
What is needed is a way to maintain multicast membership and sessions as wireless clients move across boundaries.

Synchronization of mobile client multicast

HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.


An apparatus for recording and reproducing data includes a receiving section for receiving input data; a recording section for recording the input data on a recording medium; a managing section for managing information indicating a position of the input data recorded on the recording medium; a reproducing section for reproducing the data recorded on the recording medium based on the information managed by the managing section during recording of the input data on the recording medium; and a selective output section for selectively outputting at least one of the input data and the data reproduced by the reproducing section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for recording and reproducing video and sound for providing a "time-shift reproduction" function and a "time-shift fast-forward reproduction" function.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the popularization of satellite broadcasting, CATVs and the like has caused a considerable increase in the number of broadcasting channels. As a result, very frequently TV audiences want to watch several TV programs broadcasted in the same time period. Moreover, home-use video apparatuses have also been popularized. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a method for utilizing such apparatuses more efficiently.
FIG. 16 shows an exemplary conventional apparatus for recording and reproducing video and sound, in which a TV set is connected with a video cassette recorder (VCR).
Hereinafter, the respective components shown in FIG. 16 will be described.
Broadcast receiving sections 1 and 2 receive a broadcast. Typically, the broadcast receiving section 1 is a tuner incorporated into a TV set, and the broadcast receiving section 2 is a tuner incorporated into a VCR.
A video/sound recording section 3 converts the video and the sound output from the broadcast receiving section 2 into a recording signal so as to record the recording signal on a magnetic tape. The magnetic tape is driven by a magnetic tape driving section 4.
A video/sound reproducing section 5 converts the recording signal recorded on the magnetic tape, thereby reproducing the video and the sound. The video and the sound reproduced by the video/sound reproducing section 5 are supplied to a selective output section 6.
The selective output section 6 selectively outputs one of the output from the broadcast receiving section 1 and the output from the video/sound reproducing section 5. The selection in the selective output section 6 is manually determined by a user.
A video display section 7 displays the video selected by the selective output section 6. A sound output section 8 outputs the sound selected by the selective output section 6.
However, in order to reproduce a program now being recorded, a conventional apparatus having the above-described configuration is required to suspend the recording operation once, rewind the magnetic tape and then start the reproducing operation. Therefore, such an apparatus has the following problems.
(1) During recording of a program which is now being broadcasted, it is impossible to reproduce the program from the beginning while continuing recording of the program.
(2) In the case where watching and listening of a program now being broadcasted must be suspended, it is impossible to reproduce the program from the point at which watching and listening of the program was suspended while continuing recording of the program.
(3) In the case where watching and listening of a program now being broadcasted must be suspended, it is impossible to fast-forward reproduce the program from the point at which watching and listening of the program was suspended while continuing recording of the program.
In addition, it is impossible for a conventional apparatus to simultaneously record a plurality of programs on one and the same magnetic tape. Therefore, in order to simultaneously record a plurality of programs, it has been necessary to provide the same number of recording and reproducing apparatuses as the number of programs.

Apparatus and method for recording and reproducing data

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Displacement is measured using two overlaid parallel optic gratings as the sensing elements of a sensor head. Optic fibers are employed as the transmission media between the sensor head and a central signal processing unit. The light intensity signals of Moire fringes generated by the overlaid optic gratings are transmitted through optic fibers to the central signal processing unit. By digitally counting the number of Moire fringes, the changes in both direction and magnitude of the displacement are measured. A number of sensor heads employing the overlaid optic gratings as sensing elements are multiplexed through a common optic fiber link to comprise a multipoint sensor system. By similarly modifying the sensor head, this sensor system also measures other physical quantities such as strain, acceleration, and pressure.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of multiplexable optic fiber displacement, strain, acceleration, and pressure sensors and the multipoint sensing systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A sensor basically measures displacement and strain, but also measures other physical quantities such as acceleration and pressure upon minor modification of the sensor head.
The majority of optic fiber sensors developed in the prior art are of an intrinsic type which uses the optic fiber itself to measure a physical quantity by detecting the change in the properties of the light beam passing through the optic fiber. Because the properties of optic fiber are sensitive to many factors such as temperature and localized stress all long the fiber, the practical applications for intrinsic optical fiber sensors are limited to strictly controlled laboratory environments.
What is needed is an optic fiber sensor which is robust and can be used in real-world environments in which temperature and localized stresses occur along the fiber without loss of accuracy or precision of measurement.

Multiplexable optical fiber displacement, strain acceleration and pressure sensors and method of operating the same


A rolled product dispenser with an automatic brake and release, in which a compression spring maintains mounting shaft pressure to hold the product dispenser in a housing, with holding caps wedged into the ends of the roll that rotates coaxially with respect to a peg disc having a stop peg positioned in relation to adjustable grounding pegs by which prescribed contact is maintained with the housing, the stop peg being engaged by a centrifugal flag that rotates with the roll as product is being unwound until a sufficient rotational speed caused the flag to hit the stop peg and stop roll rotation, serving as an automatic brake, following which tearing of the product produces a recoil that releases the flag, the speed at which the centrifugal flag impacts the stop peg being adjustable by changing the position of the stop peg in relation to the mounting shaft axis of rotation.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to dispensers for rolled products, and more particularly, to a braking mechanism for dispensers of rolled products.
2. Related U.S. Application Data
This invention received a design patent, DES. U.S. Pat. No. 343,973 on Feb. 8, 1994.
3. Description of the Prior Art
Various household products, such as toilet paper or paper towels, are supplied in a continuous roll wherein the desired amount of product can be removed for its intended use. The product is coaxially wound around a hollow, cylindrical tube. A horizontally mounted toilet paper dispenser typically includes a stationary housing with two recesses. A dispenser shaft is inserted into the inner hollow core of the toilet paper tube. The shaft ends are then inserted into the recesses, thus supporting the roll in the dispenser. The most common horizontally mounted paper towel disperser includes a stationary housing with two spaced apart end pieces which clamp into the ends of the hollow paper towel tube. The user pulls the lead sheet until a desired amount is obtained. With a sudden tag, the paper is separated from the roll.
Unfortunately, in many paper towel dispensers there is too much friction imposed on the paper towel tube as the stationary end pieces of the dispenser are clamped into the tube ends. This provides such high resistance to rotation of the paper towel tube that the paper is often ripped off the roll prematurely. Therefore, a free hand is needed to help turn the roll in order to get the desired amount of toweling.
Conversely, in most conventional toilet paper dispensers, the shafts have a smaller diameter than the diameter of the inner core of the toilet paper tube. Therefore, the roll rotates freely and rapidly when paper is being unwound. This leads to wasted paper as the sudden tug to tear off the paper, sends the roll spinning. It also results in further frustration and wasted time as the user attempts to rewind the paper back onto the roll, resulting in an unsightly display. This is especially true for those who have very young children who have discovered the fan of unwinding toilet paper and paper towels from their dispensers.
Therefore, users are most often faced with having to brake the action of the roll themselves. They use one hand to pull on the lead sheet, and the other to stop and hold the roll in order to tear the paper off. This is inconvenient when hands are wet or otherwise occupied. It is also difficult when the dispenser is located in an awkward location such as in back, underneath an upper cabinet in the kitchen or when a toilet paper dispenser is mounted on the wall behind you. Again, many young children seem to have a hard time coordinating their hands to do different actions.
As a result of these problems, numerous attempts have been made to design dispensers to restrain undesired spinning. Several of these efforts are disclosed in the following U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,966, Anderson, Nov. 2, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,474, Perez, Aug. 5, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,227. Smith Jr., Dec. 28, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,974, Cooke, Jun. 19, 1984, U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,102, Olson, Dec. 18, 1987; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,563, Zuss, Aug. 21, 1984. They reduce the spin of the roll through the use of: rotation-retardant material placed on various parts of the product roll or dispenser, by weighted frictional pieces placed on the end of a roll, or by counterbalanced lever bars with friction pads, arcuate brake bars or dependent hinges which tangentially rest upon the roll. Many of these techniques are expensive, require dispensers which fail to use conventional dispenser housings found in most homes, or necessitate serrated cutting edges which are not child-safe. They continue to waste paper since a frictional stop takes time and since many of the techniques tend to incessantly engage the roll so tightly that users unintentionally tear the product from the roll prematurely.
Dispensers with actual braking mechanisms can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,385, Bell, Apr. 19, 1988, U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,179, Morano, Apr. 4, 1992 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,956, McTaggart, Dec. 15, 1992. However, they again require a free hand, arm, or elbow to engage the brake while the other hand tears the product from the roll.

Rolled product dispenser with braking mechanism


A system for distributing a small signal differential signal to a circuit element. The system includes: a first converter configured to convert a first small signal differential signal to a first two phase full CMOS differential signal for input into the differential multiplexer; and a programmable driver circuit configured to boost an output current of the programmable driver circuit at selected frequencies and to convert two phase full CMOS differential signal outputs of the differential multiplexer to a second small signal differential signal.

In the design of a clock-distribution network, or "clock tree," for an integrated circuit (IC) such as application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a Programmable Logic Device (PLD) some of the major considerations are skew, jitter, delay, duty cycle distortion and power consumption. Various clock tree geometries such as the balanced tree (e.g., the H clock tree) and grid have been used. The H clock tree, in some cases, can provide low clock skew.
In addition to clock tree geometry, a clock tree may be differential, i.e., provide a differential clock signal using differential circuits, or may be single-ended, i.e., a single clock signal using the conventional Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) circuits. A single-ended clock tree is typically noisy and prone to duty cycle distortion at high frequencies, but has only dynamic power consumption. On the other hand, while a differential clock tree has good noise immunity and low duty cycle distortion, it consumes static power due to a common mode.
Traditionally, a PLD has used a single ended clock tree. A PLD, for example, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) such as the Virtex™-II from Xilinx Inc. of San Jose, Calif., receives a single ended clock or differential signal via the ring of IOBs on the perimeter of the FPGA and transfers this clock signal to configurable logic blocks (CLBs) via the single ended clock tree.
As clock speeds for ICs increase, there is a need for a low noise clock such as a differential clock; however, the single ended clock still has advantages, such as lower static power consumption. Therefore there is a need for a better clock-distribution network for ICs and in particular PLDs that better balances low noise and low power consumption.

Differential clocking scheme in an integrated circuit having digital multiplexers


An apparatus for removing unnecessary matter formed on an edge portion of a substrate without damaging a middle area of a top face of the substrate is provided. The substrate is supported on a stage which is in contact only with a bottom face of the substrate. An activated gas supply device is located opposed to the stage and includes a ring-shaped electrode and a cover electrode surrounding the ring-shaped electrode. The cover electrode includes a gas outlet formed therethrough. Activated species and excited molecules formed from an atmospheric plasma are blown against the edge portion of the substrate through the gas outlet. The activated species and excited molecules and unnecessary matter removed form the edge portion of the substrate through reaction with the activated species and excited molecules, is exhausted along a side face of the edge portion of the substrate and away from the middle area through an exhausting device. A carrier gas supply may be also provided to blow a carrier gas against the middle area of the substrate. The carrier gas is then conducted from the middle area to the edge portion of the substrate so that the carrier gas prevents the activated gas from moving around to the middle area of the substrate.

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method of removing unnecessary matter on an edge portion of a substrate or other workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer or a liquid crystal display device. Particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method suitable for removing the thick raised part of coating on a substrate about its edge portion (i.e., the portion at the outer perimeter of the substrate) when the coating has been applied through, for example, a conventional spin coating process. The present invention also relates to a spin coating process which includes using a method of removing the thick raised unnecessary matter at the edge portion of the substrate.
According to methods well known in the prior art, an insulation or mask layer may be formed on a substrate by spin coating a liquid glass material (SOG: Spin On Glass), organic resist, polyimide or the like on a substrate or other workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer or liquid crystal display device. Further, a thin film may also be formed on the substrate of a liquid crystal panel through a spin coating process. In the spin coating process, the substrate is rotated about an axis orthogonal to the surface to be coated and the coating material is applied on the surface at a point near the axis of rotation. The coating is spread out over the middle area of the substrate into a substantially uniform thickness from the centrifugal force driving it away from the point near the axis of rotation and towards the perimeter edge portion.
However, these prior art spin coating processes have the disadvantage that the coating formed on the edge portion of the substrate tends to have a greater thickness than the coating at the middle area thereof, and thus forms a thick raised part containing unnecessary matter on the edge portion of the substrate or other workpiece.
If a coated semiconductor wafer or liquid crystal panel formed from the spin coating process is then utilized as a workpiece for some other operation device, for example, if the substrate is conveyed by a conveyor or housed in a transportation cassette, or placed on a stage in an ion-implantation device or dry-etching device, the raised part on the edge portion of the substrate may easily be fractured and create dust. Such dust may deposit on the substrate causing contamination or may cause contamination of the operation device. This raises the problem of the yield being greatly reduced for the semiconductor production.
In order to remove this unnecessary raised part of coating about the edge portion of the substrate which typically forms during the spin coating process, it has been previously proposed that after the spin coating step is performed, a series of photolithographic steps be carried out. These photolithographic steps include a resist coating step, an edge exposing step, a developing and baking step, a wet-etching step and a resist removing step. Since these photolithographic steps may require a prolonged time (e.g., on the order of one to three hours), the efficiency of production of finished semiconductor wafers or liquid crystal panels is undesirably reduced.
Depending on the product to be formed, the resist removing step can occur simultaneously with the other mask forming and etching steps which may already be used in the procedure of manufacturing the semiconductor wafer or liquid crystal display panel. Since the raised part of the coating still exists on the edge portion of the substrate prior to the mask forming and etching steps, however, the reduction of yield due to creation of dust which contaminates the finished product can not be avoided.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 5-82478 discloses a method and apparatus for etching the end faces of a semiconductor wafer by using atmospheric plasma The method described therein includes grasping the middle area of the semiconductor wafer between upper and lower disc-like holders in a circumferential reaction chamber and exposing the semiconductor wafer only at its edge portion thereof to an atmospheric plasma treatment. The outermost peripheries of the upper and lower disc-like holders carry an O-ring packing at their circumference which not only may grasp the semiconductor wafer, but also may form an air-tight seal separating the middle area of the semiconductor wafer from the raised edge portion of the semiconductor wafer.
The technique described therein requires bringing the O-rings into firm contact with the middle area of the semiconductor wafer. However, often in the middle area of the semiconductor wafer, active elements and electronic components are formed. Thus, these surface structures, such as the active elements and electronic components, may be damaged by the pressure exerted by the O-rings. Additionally, dust may yet continue to be deposited on the middle area of the semiconductor wafer, thus degrading the efficiency of production.

Apparatus and method of removing unnecessary matter and coating process using such method


A bifunctional air-electrode for use in electrochemical energy cells discharges a satisfactory current on the first discharge cycle and operates for a relatively large number of charge-discharge cycles without gas forming between the electrolyte side of the air electrode and the electrolyte. The active layer of the electrode includes an oxygen reduction catalyst having a first oxygen evolution potential and an oxygen evolution catalyst having a second oxygen evolution potential less than the first oxygen evolution potential, the oxygen reduction catalyst being present in a greater concentration proximate the electrolyte side than proximate the air side and the oxygen evolution catalyst being present in a greater concentration proximate the air side than proximate the electrolyte side.

Metal-air cells are well-known and provide a relatively light-weight power supply. Metal-air cells utilize oxygen from ambient air as a reactant in an electrochemical reaction. Metal-air cells include an air permeable electrode as the cathode and a metallic anode surrounded by an aqueous electrolyte and function through the reduction of oxygen from the ambient air which reacts with the metal to generate an electric current. For example, in a zinc-air cell, the anode contains zinc, and during operation, oxygen from the ambient air is converted at the cathode to hydroxide, zinc is oxidized at the anode by the hydroxide, and water and electrons are released to provide electrical energy.
Cells that are useful for only a single discharge cycle are called primary cells, and cells that are rechargeable and useful for multiple discharge cycles are called secondary cells. An electrically rechargeable metal-air cell is recharged by applying voltage between the anode and cathode of the cell and reversing the electrochemical reaction. During recharging, the cell discharges oxygen to the atmosphere through the air permeable cathode.
Early rechargeable metal-air cells included three electrodes, namely, an anode, a unifunctional cathode, and a counter-electrode. The unifunctional cathode was used only during discharge and was incapable of recharging the cells. The counter-electrode was required to recharge the cell. The use of a counter-electrode increased the dead-weight of the cell and reduced the energy density of the cell. To overcome this problem, bifunctional air electrodes were developed for use in metal-air cells. Bifunctional electrodes function in both the discharge mode and the recharge mode of the cell and eliminate the need for the third electrode. However, early bifunctional electrodes did not last long because the recharge reaction deteriorated the discharge system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,848 to Lui et al discloses a bifunctional metal-air electrode comprising carbon particles, a bonding/non-wetting agent, and two types of catalyst, one for oxygen reduction during discharge and one for oxygen evolution during recharge. In that patent, the oxygen reduction catalysts include silver, platinum, platinum-ruthinium, nickel spinel, nickel perovskites, and iron, nickel, or cobalt macrocyclics. The oxygen evolution catalysts include tungsten compounds such as CoWO.sub.4, WC, WS.sub.2, and WC containing fused cobalt. The oxygen reduction catalysts require a relatively high voltage to evolve oxygen. The oxygen evolution catalysts require a lower voltage to evolve oxygen. Thus, during recharging, the oxygen evolution catalysts function at the lower voltage to produce oxygen and recharge the cell and exclude the oxygen reduction catalysts from participating in the recharging reaction. Because the recharging is performed at the lower voltage, the cell deteriorates more slowly and is useful for more cycles than a cell that recharges at higher voltages.
One problem with conventional bifunctional electrodes is that such electrodes may evolve gas at the electrolyte side of the air cathode during discharge and form gas pockets between the air cathode and the electrolyte. In a nonflowing electrolyte system, the gas pockets interrupt the chemical reaction between the electrolyte and the air cathode and cause the cell to prematurely fail. Therefore, there is a need for a bifunctional air electrode that does not prematurely fail due to the production of gas between the electrolyte and the electrode. In addition, it is desired that such an electrode provide sufficient power production on the first discharge cycle and operate for a large number of discharge/recharge cycles.


A method and system for resolving handover in the presence of coverage area identifier conflict is disclosed. In a market area in which an LTE RAN and CDMA RAN operate, a base station receives a PCI that indicates a particular one of the LTE coverage areas detected by a mobile terminal. The base station determines that at least two of the LTE coverage areas have the particular PCI. Thereafter, the base station determines which one of the LTE coverage areas is the particular LTE coverage area that was indicated by the particular PCI based at least in part on a particular PN offset that indicates a particular CDMA coverage area of the CDMA RAN. The base station then arranges for handover to the particular LTE coverage area.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
From time to time, a wireless service provider may build-out a new radio access network (RAN). A new RAN may allow the wireless service provider to provide wireless service in a new market area. Or, the new RAN may allow the wireless service provider to take advantage of a new radio access technology in a market area with an established RAN. For example, a wireless service provider may build out an LTE (Long-Term Evolution) RAN alongside an established CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) RAN to take advantage of LTE technology.
Build-out of a RAN may involve installation of base stations at various cell sites within a market area. Each base station may be configured to radiate and thereby define one or more coverage areas in which to serve mobile terminals according to a radio access technology. Further, each base station may be coupled with network infrastructure that provides connectivity with one or more transport networks, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and/or the Internet for instance. With this arrangement, a mobile terminal within coverage of the RAN may engage in air interface communication with a base station and may thereby communicate via the base station with various remote network entities or with other mobile terminals served by the base station or by other base stations.
As each new base station is added to the RAN, an identifier is assigned to each coverage area provided by the RAN to differentiate the respective coverage area from other coverage areas within the RAN. In operation, a base station may provide the assigned identifiers of its coverage areas to nearby mobile terminals and base stations within range of air-interface communication by broadcasting its assigned identifiers over an air-interface. Upon receiving a broadcasted identifier, nearby mobile terminals may reference the broadcasted identifier in an attachment or handover request. Other operations are possible as well.
Typically, each radio access technology has an identifier of a different type. For example, CDMA has one type of identifier known as a pseudo-noise (PN) offset while LTE has a different type of identifier known as a Physical Cell ID (PCI). Moreover, each type generally has a limited number of unique identifiers available. For example, there are 512 unique PN offsets to identify assign to coverage areas in a CDMA RAN. In practice, it is common to re-use identifiers within the RAN because of the limited number of unique identifiers available.
Operations such as attachment and handover may be disrupted by an issue known as identifier conflict. Identifier conflict may occur when two or more coverage areas are assigned the same identifier. Assigning the same identifier to coverage areas creates ambiguity among the coverage areas that may cause confusion within the RAN. For example, when a mobile terminal requests handover to a target coverage area that is involved in an identifier conflict, the identifier of the target coverage area represents two or more possible target coverage areas. Since the two or more possible target coverage areas have the same identifier, a base station receiving the handover request may not be able determine which of the two or more possible target coverage areas is the target coverage area and may thereby be unable to successfully resolve the handover.
In practice, assigning identifiers to coverage areas in a manner that geographically isolates coverage areas having the same identifier from one another avoids identifier conflict. However, due to human and computer error in assigning identifiers, identifier conflict remains a recurring problem. Generally, wireless service providers attempt to minimize the occurrence of these issues because an identifier conflict may cause a user to experience dropped calls and other disadvantages.

Resolving handover in presence of coverage area identifier conflict


A handle in a motor vehicle has a grip element that can be manually swivelled about a grip element axis from a home position. The handle may be moved back into the home position by spring tension. An attenuation device has an element which can rotate around the grip element axis on which a braking factor is exerted by a viscous material when moving back into the home position.

This invention relates to a handle in a motor vehicle with a grip element that can be manually swivelled away from a home position and then swivelled back into the home position by spring tension. The handle has an attenuation device with an element that rotates around the axis of the grip element. A braking force or factor is provided by a viscous material.
The attenuation device ensures that the grip element is moved back into the home position with braking in such a way that a disturbing noise is avoided when the home position is reached.


There are provided benzimidazolone compounds that provide a plurality of hues from a single structural formula, and are useful as pigments that offer superior dispersibility in binder resins, as well as benzimidazolone compounds that are useful as pigments, and show minimal flocculation when pigments of two or more different hues are blended together to produced a desired hue.

In conventional paints containing dispersed pigments, depending on the nature of the pigment, poor dispersion stability can lead to pigment flocculation, or separation between the pigment and the binder resin (hereafter referred to as "Varnish separation"). One known method for resolving these problems involves the addition of a pigment dispersing agent to the paint. However, although pigment dispersing agents improve the dispersibility of the pigment, they tend to lower the weather resistance and heat resistance of the paint film, and if the pigment dispersing agent is colored, then achieving the desired paint hue can also be difficult.
Furthermore, in the case of a paint with an intermediate color, such as a paint with an intermediate color between red and yellow, pigments of different structural formulas, such as a red colored diketopyrrolopyrrole based pigment, quinacridone based pigment, or diaminoanthraquinone based pigment, and a yellow colored azo based pigment, isoindoline based pigment, or isoindolinone based pigment must be blended together.
Paints containing a plurality of pigments with different structural formulas tend to be more prone to pigment flocculation and varnish separation than paints that contain only one pigment. In order to prevent such pigment flocculation, a pigment dispersing agent must be added to the paint. The most suitable pigment dispersing agent will often differ for pigments with different structural formulas, meaning that in an intermediate colored paint containing a plurality of pigments with different structural formulas, a plurality of pigment dispersing agents are used. However, the most suitable pigment dispersing agent for one pigment may adversely affect the dispersibility of another pigment within the paint, thereby causing flocculation and a deterioration in the dispersion stability. Accordingly, in those cases where a plurality of pigment dispersing agents are combined, considerable care must be taken with the actual combination used.
Methods of generating an intermediate colored paint that involve the blending of pigments with similar structural formulas but a plurality of different hues also exist. Examples of pigments with similar structural formulas but a plurality of different hues include the benzimidazolone based compounds represented by a formula (2) (hereafter referred to as the "compound (2)") and a formula (3) (hereafter referred to as the "compound (3)") shown below (see W. Herbst and K. Hunger, "Industrial Organic Pigments, second completely revised edition" VCH Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, 1997, pp. 345 to 370).

These benzimidazolone based compounds are known to form a red to brown colored pigment when the molecular structure includes a naphthalene ring (the compound (2) shown above is red), and a yellow to orange colored pigment when the molecular structure does nor contain a naphthalene ring (the compound (3) shown above is yellow).
However, even in a paint prepared by blending the structurally similar compounds (2) and (3), the pigments still tend to flocculate, making it difficult to achieve the desired hue.

Abstract: A benzimidazolone compound represented by a general formula (1) shown below.

Abstract: (wherein, R1, R2, R3 and R4 each represent, independently, a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, or an alkoxy group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and R5 and R6 each represent, independently, an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms).


A portable terminal communicates with a plurality of base stations by use of an OFDM signal. The portable terminal includes a communication unit sending and receiving the OFDM signal to and from the base stations, a switching timing detector, and an OFDM signal controller. The switching timing detector detects switching timing at which handover and a normal state are switched therebetween. The OFDM signal controller changes a guard time length of the OFDM signal upon detecting the timing by the switching timing detector.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal that communicates with base stations by use of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal, a communication system including the portable terminal, and a communication method.
2) Description of the Related Art
In a conventional OFDM communication system, the OFDM signal includes a guard time of a predetermined length to suppress the deterioration of the OFDM signal that is caused by the influence of delayed waves. It is also known in the conventional art to determine the length of the guard time based on the delay time by a multipath propagation (For example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-374223).
In the OFDM communication between a portable terminal and a base station, a handover occurs as the portable terminal moves. It is known that OFDM signals sent from two base stations become degraded due to a difference in timing between the OFDM signals, during handover.
In the conventional OFDM signal communication system, however, no countermeasure has been developed or introduced against transient deterioration of the OFDM signals during handover. There is another problem of the conventional art that changing the length of the guard time with a change in the propagation environment requires stringent specifications for synchronization of timing for sending signals to the base station. Further, a communication system involving a spread spectrum modulation has a problem that channel throughput decreases when the length of the guard time is changed.

Portable terminal, communication system, and communication method


A cleansing apparatus comprising: a table 3 for supporting a semiconductor substrate 30 horizontally; a high frequency solution injector 20 capable of injecting a solution to the upper surface 30a and the side surface 30c of the semiconductor substrate 30 supported by the table 3 with the application of vibration at high frequency; a cover 2 capable of tightly enclosing the semiconductor substrate 30 supported by the table 3; and pressure reducing means 18 for reducing the pressure in a space, in which the semiconductor substrate 30 is enclosed with the cover 2. The semiconductor substrate can be cleansed efficiently at a low cost and kept in clean state after the cleansing until it is dried.

As an apparatus for cleansing semiconductor substrates one by one, there has been conventionally an apparatus for cleansing a semiconductor substrate by injecting a cleansing solution with application of vibration at high frequency from above the semiconductor substrate while stopping or turning the semiconductor substrate (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 156,314/1999). Thereafter, the semiconductor substrate is drained by centrifugal force while being turned, and then, is dried. Otherwise, after the semiconductor substrate is drained to such an extent as not to allow the solution to drip down on a floor during transportation, the semiconductor substrate is transported from a cleansing chamber to a drying chamber, and then, the drying chamber is tightly closed and reduced in pressure, followed by a drying treatment.
However, the drying only by draining is insufficient. Furthermore, when the semiconductor substrate is transported to the drying chamber after the draining, the semiconductor substrate may be half dried during the transportation, or only minute droplets may remain at the surface of the semiconductor substrate. If the semiconductor substrate is exposed to the atmosphere in this state, an oxide film may be formed at or a floating contamination may adhere to the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Such an oxide film or a contamination may become an inhibiting factor in an etching process thereafter, thereby degrading the characteristics of a semiconductor device.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a cleansing apparatus capable of efficiently cleansing a semiconductor substrate at a low cost and drying the semiconductor substrate after the cleansing treatment while keeping the cleanness.

Semiconductor substrate cleansing apparatus


Tilters 2, are made of an electrotiltable material comprising an electroshearable material having a unidirectional gradient of responsivity, such as piezoelectric ceramic. Responsive to an activating electrical signal, tilters 2, tilt surfaces 26, with large side strain and negligible side stress. Forcible tilt provides forceful positioning of objects such as rollers, optical elements, and fluids. Tilting combined with a normal force of traction 16, forcefully moves a roller 12. Rollers pass tilting power to objects 14, in tractive contact such as a motor shaft 14. Alternating activation sense and tilting gradient 10 giving zero tilt at support surfaces 7, provide rigidity with negligible stress. Other embodiments use tilt to position optical elements, vary the flow resistance of fluid in a duct, and bunch charged particles. The actuator's tiltable surface 26 has an optical or acoustic element 52 attached for changing the angle at which radiation interacts with the element. A variant having tilt position sensors constitutes an accurate angular accelerometer.

Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,132, Piezoelectric Mirror and Grating, issued 5 Apr., 1988, described are optical positioning devices comprising piezoelectric body segments with surface portions that rotate by mechanical shear in response to an applied electric potential. Piezoelectric segments of this device shear uniformly because piezoelectric segments are uniformly polarized. Whole body rotation requires support of shear body segments by an extension of an electrode, usually the central electrode. Such support is appropriate for the relatively small forces imposed by the self-weight of each piezoelectric segment and of the optical element portion attached thereto, but is not appropriate for the relatively large forces pertinent to industrial actuators and motors.
Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,030, Piezoelectric Actuator, issued 22 May, 1990, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,621 issued 27 Aug., 1991, described are shear piezoelectric devices that forcefully actuate in a direction parallel to the direction in which one shear face translates relative to an opposite shear face. Surface portions of piezoelectric shear body segments that rotate in the act of shearing are not used other than to provide the mechanical compliance needed for shear deformation. The shear modulus of most ferroelectric ceramic piezoelectric materials is lower than all other moduli.
Referring to Applicant's pending patent Biaxial Transducer, Ser. No. 07/726,441 filed 2 Jul., 1991, described are methods of providing relative strain with negligible stress in the plane between bonded or integrally manufactured bodies, for example, the junction between a shear piezoelectric member and a thickness-mode piezoelectric member. The disclosure teaches methods of varying the piezoelectric shear responsivity radially from an axis and linearly with distance from the axis. Also taught are methods of achieving radially varying responsivity within a piezoelectric shear segment using heat gradients, radiation gradients, material properties gradients, and electrodes having nonhomogeneous electrical properties.
Referring to Applicant's pending Ser. No. 07/708,643, Twisting Actuator (Twister), filed May 31, 1991, described therein are means of providing rotation of a broad surface of an electrodeformable body about an axis parallel to the broad surface by the use, among others, of a radial gradient of responsivity, that is clearly distinct from the linear responsivity gradient of the present invention. Also taught in Applicant's pending 07/803,804 filed Dec. 9, 1991, a Division of 07/708,643, is the use of position sensors to measure a composite of coacting angular and linear accelerations acting on the broad surface, this measurement being clearly distinguished from the measurement of angular acceleration alone by the present invention.
Referring to Applicant's pending patent DC Traveling Wave Motor, Ser. No. 07/492,152 filed Mar. 13, 1990, will issue Feb. 11, 1992 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,852, described is a direct current traveling wave motor using face shear waves of a piezoelectric lining of the stator. Waves are generated by the enhancement of electric field intensity due to the presence of rollers in rolling contact with the piezoelectric lining. The slope of a shear wave is highest in the region of the highest field intensity. Rollers therefore roll "downhill" on the locally sheared lining faces, and by traction through radial compression affect shaft rotation. Large traveling waves require thick piezoelectric material, and concomitant high activation potentials. Novelties of the present invention will be shown to concentrate lower potentials by means of electrodes, thereby achieving relatively high electric field intensities which elicit correspondingly larger mechanical wave amplitudes.


A coated optical fiber is produced by the steps of cooling through a cooling assembly an optical fiber obtained by drawing, heating and spinning an optical fiber base material and thereafter coating the optical fiber with a resin wherein a gas mixture including an He gas and possible ambient air is sucked out of the cooling assembly and purified to collect the He gas to be a recovery gas of He which is to be recycled to the cooling assembly together with a pure He gas, but the gas mixture sucked out of the cooling assembly is compressed and stored until the gas mixture reaches a predetermined pressure or more and then purified when it reaches the predetermined pressure while the compressed gas mixture is returned to an upstream side of a compressor which serves to compress the gas mixture so that the flow quantity of gas suction varies in accordance with the flow of He gas supplied to the cooling assembly whereby the gas mixture from the cooling assembly is prevented from lowering an He gas concentration of the gas mixture.

This invention relates to an appatauus and a method for producing a coated optical fiber by obtaining an optical fiber by drawing, heating and spinning optical fiber base material and thereafter coating the optical fiber with a resin and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for producing a coated optical fiber adapted to cool the optical fiber before it is coated with the resin while cooling the optical fiber is so controlled that it is stably cooled down even though the line speed or drawing speed of the optical fiber varies.
The line speed or drawing speed of the optical fiber is required to increase in order to improve a productivity of the coated optical fiber and lower the production cost when it is produced. As the line speed of the optical fiber increases, the optical fiber is introduced into a coating device before it is cooled down to a predetermined temperature in the cooling assembly. Since a thickness of a resin coat around the optical fiber depends on the temperature of the optical fiber introduced into the coating device, the higher temperature of the optical fiber causes the optical fiber to have the resin coat of less than predetermined thickness. Thus, as the line speed of the optical fiber increases, a cooling capacity of the cooling assembly should be improved.
In general, an He gas of high cooling efficiency has been used as cooling medium to be supplied to the cooling assembly. The He gas is retrieved out of the cooling assembly and then exhausted to the atmosphere. Thus, the production cost will be disadvantageously higher because the consumption volume of the He gas increases as the line speed of the optical fiber increases.
In order to avoid such a drawback, there has been proposed an apparatus for producing a coated optical fiber of cooling gas circulation system wherein an He gas sucked out of a cooling assembly is purified and collected to be a recovery gas and recycled to the cooling assembly (see Japanese Laying-Open No. 240,129/1992 or 4-240,129, for example).
As shown in FIG. 7, this apparatus for producing the coated optical fiber comprises a drawing furnace in which an optical fiber base material 1 is drawn while being heated and spun to obtain an optical fiber 3, a cooling assembly 4 through which an He gas flows to cool the thus obtained optical fiber 3, a resin coating device 5 to form a resin coat around the optical fiber cooled down to the predetermined temperature, a curing means 6 to cure the resin coat around the optical fiber 3 and a winding means 9 to wind the coated optical fiber 7 introduced out of the curing means 6 through a guide roll 8.
The He gas is supplied through a gas inlet 4b provided in the cooling assembly 4 at its lower side and sucked out of a gas outlet 4a provided in the cooling assembly 4 at its upper side. The He gas is mixed with an ambient air possibly sucked into a fiber inlet 4c through which the optical fiber 3 is introduced into and also into a fiber outlet 4d through which the optical fiber 3 is taken out of the cooling assembly 4. The thus obtained gas mixture including the He gas and the possible ambient air is sucked out of the gas outlet 4b by a compressor described later.
A gas purifying and circulating means 10 is connected between the gas outlet 4a and the gas inlet 4b of the cooling assembly 4. The gas purifying and circulating means 10 comprises a gas purifier 12 to receive the gas mixture retrieved out of the gas outlet 4a of the cooling assembly 4 through a compressor 11 and separate the air out of the gas mixture to collect the He gas as a recovery gas of He and a gas mixer 14 to mix the recovery gas of He supplied from the gas purifier 12 with a pure He gas to form a supply gas. The gas mixer 14 is connected to the gas inlet 4b of the cooling assembly 4 so that the supply gas is supplied to the cooling assembly 4.
However, since the coated optical fiber production apparatus having such a gas purifying and circulating means 10 is provided with the compressor 11 for retrieving or sucking the gas mixture out. of the cooling assembly 4, if the line speed of the optical fiber 3 is relatively lower and therefore the flow of He gas supplied to the cooling assembly 4 is lower than a flow of the gas mixture sucked by the compressor 11, a purification efficiency of He gas is lowered for the reasons described hereinjustbelow.
The compressor 11 generally has a constant flow quantity of suction of gas. Therefore, as the drawing speed (line speed) of the optical fiber 3 is relatively lower and therefore the flow quantity of He gas supplied thereto is relatively lower, the cooling assembly 4 tends to have a negative pressure applied thereto because a flow quantity of the cooling gas through the cooling assembly 4 is less than the flow quantity of suction of gas by the compressor 11. This causes the He gas in the cooling assembly 4 to be sucked out of the gas outlet 4a of the cooling assembly 4 by the compressor 11 while possibly accompanied by an ambient air drawn through the fiber inlet 4c and the fiber outlet 4d in the cooling assembly 4. Accordingly,the He gas concentration of the gas mixture sucked out of the gas outlet 4a will be lowered so as to lower the cooling capacity and therefore the quantity of consumption of He gas will increase. Furthermore, the lowered He gas concentration of the gas mixture causes the purification efficiency (separation efficiency) of the gas purifier 12 to be disadvantageously lowered.
Therefore, the flow quantity of the gas mixture sucked by the compressor 11 is required to be adjusted to the line speed of the optical fiber 3, but since the adjustment of the flow quantity of suction cannot be accomplished unless the compressor changed, it will be understood that the flow quantity of suction cannot be practically adjusted.
In addition thereto, as aforementioned, the thickness of the resin coat around the optical fiber 3 is affected by the temperature of the optical fiber 3 passing through the cooling assembly 4 and sucked out of the fiber outlet 4d therein and the temperature of the optical fiber 3 is affected by the He gas concentration and a flow rate of a cooling gas supplied to the cooling assembly 4. Thus, unless the He gas concentration and the flow rate of the recovery gas of He obtained by being separated and purified from the gas mixture by the gas purifier 12 are measured, the flow rate of the recovery gas of He and the flow rate of the pure He gas supplied from a pure He gas supply 15 cannot be effectively controlled. As a result, the coat diameter of the resin coat around the optical fiber largely varies.

Apparatus for cooling an optical fiber to be resin coated