The disclosure provides purified and isolated SVPH1–8 polypeptides, nucleic acids encoding such polypeptides, processes for production of recombinant forms of such polypeptides, antibodies generated against such polypeptide, and fragmented peptides derived from these polypeptide. In addition, the disclosure provides uses of such polypeptides, fragmented peptides, antibodies and nucleic acids as well as kits containing the foregoing.

The discovery and identification of proteins is at the forefront of modern molecular biology and biochemistry. The identification of the primary structure, or sequence, of a sample protein is the culmination of an arduous process of experimentation. In order to identify an unknown sample protein, the investigator can rely upon comparison of the unknown sample protein to known peptides using a variety of techniques known to those skilled in the art. For instance, proteins are routinely analyzed using techniques such as electrophoresis, sedimentation, chromatography, and mass spectrometry.
Comparison of an unknown protein sample to polypeptides of known molecular weight allows a determination of the apparent molecular weight of the unknown protein sample (T. D. Brock and M. T. Madigan, Biology of Microorganisms 76–77 (Prentice Hall, 6d ed. 1991)). Protein molecular weight standards are commercially available to assist in the estimation of molecular weights of unknown protein samples (New England Biolabs Inc. Catalog:130–131, 1995; J. L. Hartley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,758). However, the molecular weight standards may not correspond closely enough in size to the unknown sample protein to allow an accurate estimation of apparent molecular weight.
The difficulty in estimation of molecular weight is compounded in the case of proteins that are subjected to fragmentation by chemical or enzymatic means (A. L. Lehninger, Biochemistry 106–108 (Worth Books, 2d ed. 1981)). Chemical fragmentation can be achieved by incubation of a protein with a chemical, such as cyanogen bromide, which leads to cleavage of the peptide bond on the carboxyl side of methionine residues (E. Gross, Methods in Enz. 11:238–255, 1967). Enzymatic fragmentation of a protein can be achieved by incubation of a protein with a protease that cleaves at multiple amino acid residues (D. W. Cleveland et al., J. Biol. Chem. 252:1102–1106, 1977). Enzymatic fragmentation of a protein can also be achieved by incubation of a protein with a protease, such as Achromobacter protease I (F. Sakiyama and A. Nakata, U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,599; T. Masaki et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 660:44–50, 1981; T. Masaki et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 660:51–55, 1981), which leads to cleavage of the peptide bond on the carboxyl side of lysine residues. The molecular weights of the fragmented peptides can cover a large range of molecular weights and the peptides can be numerous. Variations in the degree of fragmentation can also be accomplished (D. W. Cleveland et al., J. Biol. Chem. 252:1102–1106, 1977).
The unique nature of the composition of a protein with regard to its specific amino acid constituents results in a unique positioning of cleavage sites within the protein. Specific fragmentation of a protein by chemical or enzymatic cleavage results in a unique "peptide fingerprint" (D. W. Cleveland et al., J. Biol. Chem. 252:1102–1106, 1977; M. Brown et al., J. Gen. Virol. 50:309–316, 1980). Consequently, cleavage at specific sites results in reproducible fragmentation of a given protein into peptides of precise molecular weights. Furthermore, these peptides possess unique charge characteristics that determine the isoelectric pH of the peptide. These unique characteristics can be exploited using a variety of electrophoretic and other techniques (T. D. Brock and M. T. Madigan, Biology of Microorganisms 76–77 (Prentice Hall, 6d ed. 1991)).
When a peptide fingerprint of an unknown protein is obtained, this can be compared to a database of known proteins to assist in the identification of the unknown protein (W. J. Henzel et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:5011–5015, 1993; B. Thiede et al., Electrophoresis 1996, 17:588–599, 1996). A variety of computer software programs are accessible via the Internet to the skilled artisan for the facilitation of such comparisons, such as Multildent (Internet site: [www.]expasy.ch/sprot/multiident.html), PeptideSearch (Internet site: [www.]mann.embl-heiedelberg.de . . . deSearch/FR_PeptideSearchForm.html), and ProFound (Internet site: [www.]chait-sgi.rockefeller.edu/cgi-bin/prot-id-frag.html). These programs allow the user to specify the cleavage agent and the molecular weights of the fragmented peptides within a designated tolerance. The programs compare these molecular weights to protein databases to assist in the elucidation of the identity of the sample protein. Accurate information concerning the number of fragmented peptides and the precise molecular weight of those peptides is required for accurate identification. Therefore, increasing the accuracy in the determination of the number of fragmented peptides and the precise molecular weight of those peptides should result in enhanced success in the identification of unknown proteins.
Fragmentation of proteins is further employed for the production of fragments for amino acid composition analysis and protein sequencing (P. Matsudiara, J. Biol. Chem. 262:10035–10038, 1987; C. Eckerskorn et al., Electrophoresis 1988, 9:830–838, 1988), particularly the production of fragments from proteins with a "blocked" N-terminus. In addition, fragmentation of proteins can be used in the preparation of peptides for mass spectrometry (W. J. Henzel et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:5011–5015, 1993; B. Thiede et al., Electrophoresis 1996, 17:588–599, 1996), for immunization, for affinity selection (R. A. Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,412), for determination of modification sites (e.g. phosphorylation), for generation of active biological compounds (T. D. Brock and M. T. Madigan, Biology of Microorganisms 300–301 (Prentice Hall, 6d ed. 1991)), and for differentiation of homologous proteins (M. Brown et al., J. Gen. Virol. 50:309–316, 1980).
In view of the continuing interest in protein research and the elucidation of protein structure and properties, there exists a need in the art for polypeptides suitable for use in peptide fragmentation studies and in molecular weight measurements.

Nucleic acids encoding human adamalysin SVPH1-8


An oven is described that can more evenly heat the semiconductor wafer, even though the wafer may warp during heating. The oven may provide relatively uniform heating even though the type and location of warping may be unpredictable for any given wafer. The oven may have a heating surface divided into a plurality of heating zones that may each independently provide a given amount of heat to the wafer. The amount of heat provided by each zone may be determined using signals from sensors that sense the warping of the wafer.

Semiconductor lithography wafers are typically placed in an oven module for baking, usually after lithographical exposure. Although important to the manufacturing process, such post-exposure baking can cause problems if the wafer is not uniformly heated. During baking, the wafer will often warp in an unpredictable manner. Such warping leads to non-uniform heating, since some portions of the wafer may be closer to the heating element than other portions of the wafer. Non-uniform heating of the wafer can cause problems with the final product, such as the creation of non-uniform circuitry features.


A wind turbine pitch control system is disclosed that provides a pulsed torque to the blade pitch actuator if continuous torque fails to adjust the blade pitch angle to a commanded pitch angle. This invention provides a cost-effective way to increase peak torque capability for existing wind turbines that have problems, under certain operating conditions, moving blades per the control command.

Recently, wind turbines have received increased attention as an environmentally safe and relatively inexpensive alternative energy source. With this growing interest, considerable efforts have been made to develop wind turbines that are reliable and efficient.
Generally, a wind turbine includes a plurality of blades coupled to a rotor through a hub. The rotor is mounted within a housing or nacelle, which is positioned on top of a tubular tower or base. Utility grade wind turbines (i.e. wind turbines designed to provide electrical power to a utility grid) can have large rotors (e.g., thirty or more meters in diameter). Blades on these rotors transform wind energy into a rotational torque or force that drives the rotor of one or more generators, rotationally coupled to the rotor.
During operation of at least some known wind turbines, rotor speed is controlled to prevent the wind turbine rotor from rotating at or above a predetermined speed that may damage components of the wind turbine. For example, at least some known wind turbines control rotor speed and/or power by pitching the rotor blades using a pitch drive system that changes an angle of the rotor blades, thereby changing the aerodynamic torque of the rotor. Since their introduction, wind turbines have continuously increased in physical size and electrical power output. However, as rotor diameter and therefore rotor blade lengths increase, loading on the blades and rotor system increases, and friction within the pitch drive system may also increase, both of which may increase the torque required by the pitch drive motor to pitch the rotor blades.
Wind turbines can experience operational conditions where the capability of the pitch system is such that the blade(s) cannot follow the commanded pitch angle. Variable pitch control is required in order to limit maximum power output and alleviate wind loads on the turbine. Due to variation in the pitch system components and operating environment factors including electrical system limitations, pitch bearing mechanical limitations, blade mechanical limitations, and wind conditions and loads, faults due to blade positions too far from command points can occur, which can lead to turbine unavailability during relatively high wind (high power) conditions.
Prior methods of addressing the difficulty in moving wind turbine blades during blade angle operations include increasing the continuous or maximum power and current capability of the pitch system, increasing gearbox ratio between the pitch motor and blade bearing, replacing hardware such as bearings, and modification of turbine controls.
However, a cost-effective way is needed to increase the peak torque capability for existing and new turbines that may have problems under certain operating conditions in moving blades per the control command. In practice, this peak torque capability may only be needed a small fraction of operating time.
Thus, an objective of the present disclosure is to provide a cost effective method to increase peak torque capability for existing wind turbines that have problems, under certain operation conditions, moving blades according to a control command.

Pulsed torque control of wind turbine pitch systems


The invention discloses a transporting wheel structure of storage and luggage container. Particularly, the transporting wheel structure is applied at a lower portion of a container for facilitating movements of the container. Rollers of the transporting wheel structure can be pushed out for use or completely hidden when tucked in, and are prevented from staining clothes with dirt thereon when the container is lifted. The invention is characterized that, using relationships between inclined surfaces of triangular push members and vertical push members, the rollers can be pushed out for use or completely hidden when tucked in, thereby providing a pleasant-looking and functional structure.

(a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a transporting wheel structure of storage or luggage container, and more particularly, to a transporting wheel structure disposed at a lower portion of a storage or luggage container so as to facilitate movements of the container. The transporting wheel structure of storage or luggage container comprises a plastic housing, triangular push members, vertical push members, steel wire rollers, steel wires, springs, inner casings, outer covers, lower casings, roller covers and rollers; and is capable or pushing the rollers outward for use or completely hiding and tucking in the rollers, so that clothes are not stained by dirt on the rollers when the container is lifted.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
When traveling abroad, one is obligated to carry toiletries and daily essentials apart from clothing, and a lady is even additionally loaded with cosmetics. To accommodate such numerous objects, a storage or luggage container is generally required for that not all objects can be placed into a hand-carried bag or a common handbag.
However, when a storage or luggage container is placed with so many objects, an overall weight is significantly increased. More specifically, the storage or luggage container becomes rather too awkward for a lady to carry. Thus, a storage or luggage container is provided with wheels at a lower portion thereof and a pull handle at an upper portion thereof, such that counteraction of the storage or luggage container and the ground is reduced using contact between the wheels below and the ground to easily move the container by pulling the pull handle. Furthermore, a storage or luggage container having tuck-in transporting wheels shown in FIG. 1 is also available. A principle of leverage is utilized, in that when a pull handle b is withdrawn and stretched, an interlocking mechanism is controlled and extended using a joined internal interlocking shaft a to project the transporting wheels from a surface of a container body c. It is to be noted that spaces for accommodating the transporting wheels a are connected with the surface of the container body c, and a general appearance is undesirably affected. In addition, the prior invention lacks protective effects over the transporting wheels a, and clothes are often stained by dirt on the wheels when the container is lifted. When the prior invention is not in use, the transporting wheels a are exposed at the surface of the container body c, and an appearance of the storage and luggage container is rather uncoordinated and unappealing. Above all, when the storage and luggage container is being stored, the transporting wheels a at a lower portion thereof are prone to slide to cause storage inconveniences. It is vital that the aforesaid shortcomings be advanced.

Transporting wheel structure of storage or luggage container


Disclosed is an automobile roof structure, which comprises a pair of right and left roof side rails 1, a transparent roof panel 4 attached to cover a space between the roof side rails 1, a sun shade 5 disposed slidably along a bottom surface of the transparent roof panel 4, and a shade support member 6 for supporting the sun shade 5 in a slidingly movable manner. Each of the roof side rails 1 includes a rail outer panel 7 and a rail inner panel 8 formed, respectively, with roof flanges 14, 15 which are oriented to protrude in a laterally inward direction of an automobile body and joined together. The roof flanges 14, 15, a lateral peripheral portion of the transparent roof panel 4, and the shade support member 6, are disposed within a given positioning zone where they overlap each other in top plan view. The opposite lateral peripheral portion of the transparent roof panel 4 is fixed onto an upper surface of the roof flange 14 of the rail outer panel 7, and the shade support member 6 is fixed to a wall of the rail inner panel 8 at a position outward of the automobile body relative to the roof flange 14 of the rail outer panel 7.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automobile roof structure which includes a pair of right and left roof side rails, a transparent roof panel attached to cover a space between the roof side rails, a sun shade disposed slidably along a bottom surface of the transparent roof panel, and a shade support member for supporting the sun shade in a slidingly movable manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, there has been known a panoramic roof structure intended to increase a light-transmittable area in a roof portion of an automobile body by extending a glass roof panel continuous with a front windshield attached at the front of a passenger compartment, to the vicinity of a center pillar located at each of opposite lateral sides of the automobile body, as disclosed in EP Publication No. 1405744 A1 (Patent Publication 1), or by attaching a roof panel made of a transparent glass material or a transparent plastic material, to cover the entire roof portion of the automobile body, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-104240 (Patent Publication 2).
While the roof structure designed to attach a transparent roof panel to a roof portion of an automobile body, as disclosed in the Patent Publications 1 and 2, has an advantage of being able to increase a light-transmittable area of the roof portion in a frontward/rearward or longitudinal direction of the automobile body so as to effectively provide enhanced open feeling in an passenger compartment, it involves technical difficulty in stably supporting the transparent roof panel by the automobile body. Moreover, the roof structure is required to have a sun shade designed to be slidably attached below the transparent roof panel so as to selectably shield light from the roof portion, for example, when sunshine is too strong.
For example, in the automobile roof structure disclosed in the Patent Publication 2, a frame-shaped inner shell has a lateral frame region consisting of an upper frame member and a lower frame member. The upper frame member having a hollow-chamber-defining portion therein is adhesively fixed onto an upper surface of a roof side rail extending longitudinally along a lateral edge of the automobile body, and a lateral peripheral portion of the glass roof panel is fixed onto the upper frame member. The lower frame member is formed to cover a space between an inward edge of the upper frame member and a lower edge of the roof side rail. The inward edge of the upper frame member is formed to protrude inward of the automobile body relative to the roof side rail. A guide rail is incorporated in the inward edge of the upper frame member, and a sun shade (shade or sunblind) is supported by the guide rail in a slidingly movable manner. As needed, the sun shade can be pulled out of a take-up reel disposed on the rear side of the roof portion to cover a bottom surface of the transparent roof panel so as to shield sunlight.
In the above roof structure where the lateral peripheral portion of the glass roof panel is fixed onto the lateral frame region which consists of the upper frame member having the inward edge protruding inward of the automobile body relative to the roof side rail and the lower frame member formed to cover the space between the inward edge of the upper frame member and the lower edge of the roof side rail, an light-transmittable area of the roof portion is inevitably narrowed in a width or lateral direction of the automobile body, due to the lateral frame regions existing between opposite lateral peripheral portions of the glass roof panel or between opposite side door openings, and an open feeling in the passenger compartment will be undesirably spoiled.


A CMOS transistor and a method of manufacturing the CMOS transistor are disclosed. An NMOS transistor is formed on a first region of a semiconductor substrate. A PMOS transistor is formed on a second region of a semiconductor substrate. The NMOS transistor includes a first gate conductive layer. The PMOS transistor includes a second gate conductive layer. The first gate conductive layer includes a metal having a nitrogen concentration increasing in a direction from a lower portion toward an upper portion. In addition, the metal has a work function of about 4.0 eV to about 4.3 eV. The third gate conductive layer includes a metal having a nitrogen concentration increasing in a direction from a lower portion toward an upper portion. In addition, the metal has a work function of about 4.7 eV to about 5.0 eV.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistor and a method of manufacturing the CMOS transistor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a CMOS transistor employing metal having a desired work function for a gate pattern of the CMOS transistor and a method of manufacturing the CMOS transistor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a gate insulating layer of a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistor is required not only to maintain a thin equivalent oxide thickness (EOT), but also to sufficiently reduce a leakage current generated between a gate conductive layer and a channel region. Accordingly, a material having a high dielectric constant has been used for the gate insulating layer of the CMOS transistor.
However, when a gate conductive layer including polysilicon is formed on the gate insulating layer including the material having a high dielectric constant, a Fermi-level pining phenomenon is frequently generated. As a result, a behavior of impurities is impeded by the above phenomenon and, thus, a flat band voltage represented by a proportional function of a threshold voltage is not efficiently controlled.
However, research results concerning a formation of the gate conductive layer using a metal to sufficiently reduce the Fermi-level pining phenomenon have been reported recently. The gate conductive layer including the metal sufficiently prevents an increase in the EOT due to a poly-depletion effect frequently generated at the gate conductive layer formed from polysilicon.
Accordingly, the gate pattern of the CMOS transistor has a structure including the gate insulating layer and the gate conductive layer. The gate insulating layer includes the material having the high dielectric constant. The gate conductive layer includes the metal. Here, the metal used for the gate conductive layer includes a metal for adjusting a work function and another metal used for an upper electrical line.
In addition, the CMOS transistor includes an n-typed metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistor and a p-typed metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) transistor. Here, a work function of the metal used for the NMOS transistor and a work function of another metal used for the PMOS transistor need to be different from each other.
Accordingly, the metal having the work function of about 4.0 eV to about 4.3 eV is used for a gate pattern in the NMOS transistor. The metal having the work function of about 4.7 eV to about 5.0 eV is used for a gate pattern in the PMOS transistor. This is because when the metal having the work function of about 4.0 eV to about 4.3 eV is used for a gate pattern in the NMOS transistor, the threshold voltage is effectively controlled. Similarly, this is because when the metal having the work function of about 4.7 eV to about 5.0 eV is used for a gate pattern in the PMOS transistor, the threshold voltage is effectively controlled.
To form each source/drain of the NMOS transistor and the PMOS transistor, impurities are implanted at a surface of a semiconductor substrate. A thermal treatment is then performed to activate behavior of the impurities. Here, the thermal treatment is performed at a high temperature of about 1,000° C.
However, when the thermal treatment is performed, the work function of the metal used for the gate conductive layer in the CMOS transistor is frequently changed. All of the metal having the work function of about 4.0 eV to about 4.3 eV in the NMOS transistor and the metal having the work function of about 4.7 eV to about 5.0 eV in the PMOS transistor are changed into a state having a work function of about 4.5 eV after the thermal treatment is performed. This is because the metal adjusting the work function that is used for the gate conductive layers of the NMOS transistor and the PMOS transistor is easily reacted with the metal used for the electrical line during the thermal treatment.
When the work function of the metal used for the gate conductive layer is changed to an undesired value, it becomes difficult to control the threshold voltage. In addition, the thermal treatment for activating the behavior of the impurities may not be omitted in manufacturing process of the CMOS transistor. Thus, there are limits to use the metal having an adequate work function for the gate conductive layer of the CMOS transistor.

Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor including multiple gate conductive layers and method of manufacturing the same


An improved process for the production of 2,3,5-trimethylhydroquinone by rearrangement of 4-oxoisophorone (ketoisophorone, 3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1,4-dione) to yield a trimethylhydroquinone diester and the subsequent saponification thereof. Trimethylhydroquinone is in turn an important starting material for the production of vitamin E.

It is already known (DE 26 46 172 C2) to rearrange ketoisophorone in the gas phase with a zeolite to yield the trimethylhydroquinone. However, the yields of this reaction are only low (50% at 30% conversion) and are thus unsatisfactory for an economic process. In another process (Y. A. Joe, Y. M. Goo, Y. Y. Lee, Bull. Korean Chem. Soc. 1991, 12, 253), the rearrangement is performed in a 5% solution in acetic anhydride by the addition of five equivalents of concentrated sulfuric acid. Trimethylhydroquinone esters are obtained in this process at a yield of only 31%, such that this process is also uneconomic. According to a third method (DE-OS 2 149 159), ketoisophorone may be reacted in acetic anhydride in the presence of a protonic acid to yield trimethylhydroquinone diacetate, which is subsequently saponified to yield 2,3,5-trimethylhydroquinone. Disadvantages of this process include the use of
large quantities of acetic anhydride (5-10 mol./mol. of ketoisophorone), PA1 large quantities of the catalytic acid (up to 150 mol. %) PA1 together with only moderate yields of at most 66%. PA1 Yields from the process according to the invention are up to approx. 25% higher than in the cited literature and are between 85 and 95%. PA1 The required quantities of catalyst are 0.1 to 50%, in comparison with up to 150% in the literature. PA1 Only >2 to 4 mol. of a carboxylic anhydride are required per mol. of ketoisophorone, in comparison with 5 to 10 mol. in the literature.

Process for the production of trimethylhydroquinone diesters and of trimethylhydroquinone


A four valve, double overhead camshaft open chamber diesel engine (10) has a combustion chamber (44) formed in part by a piston (18). The piston has an upper surface with recessed lobes (20) and (22). Each recessed lobe functions has a valve pocket for the intake and exhaust valves (32) and (42). A multihole fuel injector (70) has a discharge orifice (72, 74) angled toward the center of each lobe to spray separate fuel plumes into the respective recessed lobes (20, 22).

Most modern highly refined four cycle diesel engines today, in the displacement range from 10 to 16 liters, run at about 2000 rpm with average piston speeds of about 2000 feet per minute. Most of the engines are used for over-the-highway longdistance hauling (class 8 trucks) with power outputs up to 400 to 450 BHP. At least in the United States, the engines utilize four-valve-per-cylinder designs. Some of these engines are also used for industrial, marine and construction equipment. Other than some much larger military industrial, generating and marine engines which have used four valves per cylinders practically since the end of World War II, these newer American engines are the only four-valve-per-cylinder large diesels in the world today, and are produced in relatively small numbers by only about five U.S. companies. In the rest of the industrial world (Europe and Japan) as well as in the U.S. for all other applications (class 7 and smaller trucks, agricultural, marine, industrial, buses, etc.) the bulk of production is based in old two valve technology. The situation is mostly due to the multiplicity of manufacturers (dozens) and the myriad of uses (as many as three to four thousand different models being available), as well as the very high costs of development, tooling and manufacturing new designs for such stratified markets.
In spite of these very real difficulties, great progress has been accomplished over the last 25 years, with the advent of the above-mentioned four valve engines, more modern combustion systems, turbochargers and lately, greatly improved electronically-controlled fuel injection systems. These newer engines deliver very high specific outputs and operate with better fuel consumption, lower visible and gaseous emissions and lower noise than their predecessors. These engines have increased reliability and durability as well as reduced oil consumption and extended periods between oil changes.
About 25 to 30 years ago, "swirl" (circular motion of the air charge rotating about the cylinder axis) was introduced, resulting in marked combustion improvements due to increased combustion speed. For the two valve engines of the time it was initially achieved by the use of valve "shrouds" (circular sections of metal welded to the underhead of the intake valves, with such valves prevented from rotation to insure the constant movement of air in the desired direction). Later, the intake ports were developed into a helical shape to achieve the rotational air motion of the air exiting the intake valves, said rotation continuing into the cylinder during the intake stroke as well as the exhaust stroke and well through the combustion and expansion portions of the cycle. All of the above two valve engines were of overhead valve construction design, with actuation by a single in-block camshaft through pushrods and rocker arms, with the valves in-line (the valve axis in a plane parallel to the crankshaft).
At about this time, some of the above-mentioned engines were converted to operate with four valves. The conversion consisted of new cylinder heads with two intake and two exhaust valves, still operated by pushrod and rocker arms but now with both intakes (and both exhausts) in planes transversal to the crankshaft ("across" valves), but with a new member in the form of a "T" bridge, mounted in a post between each pair of valves to allow the single rocker arm to operate both valves at the same time. Although with four valves the geometric air-flow capacity of the engine increased by 30 to 40%, such numbers never materialized for, first, with the "across" valves, the intake valves had to reach all the way across the cylinder head with a very sinuous port and second, because the port further downstream also had helical features to enhance swirl. These two less-than-streamlined approaches significantly reduced the potential increases in air flow, with the final numbers being roughly half of the possible 30 to 40%. The same situation existed with the exhaust ports, except that their aerodynamic characteristics were better for there was no need to induce any air motion with helical features. And so, the final improvements in air flow and swirl were well received and continue essentially unchanged to this day.
The smaller valve size used in four valves design should have resulted in significantly smaller valve stems, springs and retainers. However, no decrease in weight occurred because the "T" bridge itself adds more weight than what is saved on both valves served by each bridge. The dynamic weight of the valve train continues to be as high as it was with the former two valve cylinder heads, and the valve springs are essentially, as stiff, therefore; no improvements were realized on valve train friction and power consumption. With four valves, however, the valve seat bridges, all four of them (as compared to a single bridge for two valve heads) are shorter, stronger and better cooled and, being located roughly halfway from the head center toward the peripheral wall of the bore, are also mechanically less prone to flexing than the single bridge of two valve heads, which, being located nearly on the center of the bore can tend to flex more, contributing to increased valve wear and possible cracking of said bridge. Besides, with two valve heads, for air flow reasons, there is great pressure to make the valves as big as possible, sometimes to the detriment of the bridges or the valves themselves. With four valve technology, and all the increases in air flow provided by larger valve flow areas, the design can be a little more focused towards optimum bridge size, strength and cooling.
Four valve designs also provide for optimum location and position for the fuel injector, nested between all four valves substantially in the center of the head along a vertical axis which is substantially the same or very close to the cylinder axis. The injectors for four valve engines provide a symmetrical injection pattern and a piston bowl concentric to the cylinder diameter, both of which are directionally correct for good mixing and reduced wall-wetting. With the offset, angled injector used with two valve engines, it is very difficult to obtain an even, symmetrical pattern because of complications relating to the hole drillings at the nozzle. While the injector hole geometry may be difficult, it is not impossible to achieve an acceptable compromise even with these compromises for two valve engines. However, it is impossible to center the bowl and the cylinder diameter, resulting in more plume impingement and wall wetting on the bowl walls on the side closer to the injector holes. For these and other reasons, most internationally marketed two valve engines favor a smaller-diameter, deeper bowl than the shallow, large diameter bowl.
Four valve head engines with the smaller valve head sizes, also allow more design flexibility on valve lift, timing and opening duration. It is a general rule that at lifts above 25% of valve head size at least for intake valves, the valve opening area ceases to be the main flow-controlling factor and the port throat area becomes the restrictive flow controller. Although in some cases this rule of nature can be bent, it cannot be broken, for, depending on the streamlining and aerodynamics of the ports sometimes it is possible to use lifts higher than 25% of diameter for intake valves, at least with turbocharged engines. But 25% is a good base for discussion, and it indicates that the smaller valve sizes of four valve heads can also have reduced physical lifts while still providing, both valves combined, greater air flow than a single larger valve with higher lift.
Due to valve train dynamics, a two valve head system, running at the same frequency (i.e. same engine rpm) as a four 15 valve head, requires, at the same forces and accelerations, more time to reach their maximum lift, in other words, more degrees of crankshaft rotation. This mechanical requirement, plus the fact that, in most cases, two valve engines at high speed must make-up through extended valve duration the air flow that they lack from lifted area, generally result in valve opening durations which are longer than is required with the four valve constructions. In reality then, the intake valve opens much earlier than piston TDC (top dead center) and closes well past BDC (bottom dead center), and the exhaust opens earlier in the expansion stroke, well before BDC and closes late in the following intake stroke, well past TDC. The "overlap" around TDC during the scavenging portion of the cycle, when the intake valve opens early and the exhaust closes late is necessary to provide sufficient real time in the gas-exchange process to allow complete evacuation of the spent exhaust gases through the exhaust system as well as to allow the column of intake air, which also has inertia, to start moving early into the cylinder so that maximum valve lift occurs shortly after the point of maximum piston speed to allow the valve to close as soon as thermodynamically and mechanically acceptable after BDC.
Concurrently, and for the same mechanical force and acceleration requirements which force the extended durations of the exhaust period, on most two valve designs the exhaust valve opens earlier than thermodynamically advisable, wasting energy to the exhaust and raising the exhaust temperature (and also the valve temperature) and imposing very large forces on the valve train trying to open the valve against still high cylinder pressures.
By simple geometry, it is easy to see that the late intake closing, well past BDC, results in a reduced effective compression ratio, in some cases much lower than the nominal design ratio. Assuming that, at high speed, through turbocharging, for example, air is still or has just ended entering the combustion chamber due to turbo discharge pressure or the inertia of the air column, as the speed is decreased to the lower ranges, because of lower inertia of the air column and/or lower boost pressure, the intake valve closes later than the point at which air has ceased to enter the cylinder, and the piston is already far past BDC and moving rapidly into the compression stroke, in this case pushing part of the air charge already admitted back into the intake manifold. This condition not only wastes energy twice in admitting then "spitting-back" that part of the air charge, but also reduces the potential volumetric efficiency, which, coupled to the reduced effective compression ratio, results in lower compression pressure and temperature near TDC at the point of injection. The lowered compression temperature results in noisy and inefficient combustion, with high gaseous emissions (particularly NO.sub.x, due to the early combustion and the richer air/fuel ratio), smoke, and particulates.
The longer fuel chemical delay time, the extra fuel injected during such delay, the rapid raise of pressure and temperature of so much fuel essentially igniting all at once, the increased wall wetting during slower speeds provides combustion complications. Couple these conditions to a cold start situation, with the engine cranking at 100 to 150 rpm, and the reasons why some engines start so poorly become very clear: lack of air, low pressure and temperature both from low trapped volumetric efficiency and low effective compression ratio, energy wasted in pumping the air in and "spitting" it back. Four valve designs with lower lift and shorter durations, with valve events closer to TDC and BDC go a long ways towards correcting these inherent problems of two valve designs.
During the last ten years, continued combustion research and improvements in fuel injection systems (higher pressures and electronic timing control, in some cases both beginning and ending of injection), have produced further positive results. Smaller nozzle holes, higher fuel pressures and longer injection duration have been, essentially, shifting the responsibility of mixing the air and fuel from the air motion and energy (swirl) to fuel energy. The smaller injector holes produce less fuel penetration and impingement of the fuel plume against the piston walls (wall wetting), producing a finer mist and keeping the fuel droplets airborne, making it easier to mix with the fuel. Better injection system controls, which have resulted in sharp and clean ends-of-injection tail ends (a notorious cause of visible and gaseous emissions and increased fuel consumption), have allowed an extension of the useful injection period into what formerly was the tail-end of injection. This extended injection duration, the improved mist and shorter fuel plume, the reduced wall-wetting and reduced tail ends have actually lessened the dependency on "swirl" air motion, and by reducing it thus, the air flow has increased. The net results have all been positive to power output, emissions, fuel consumption and noise.
For optimum operating conditions, as well as for maintaining the high compression ratios required (mostly for cold startability) the pistons must come very close to the cylinder head and with extended valve overlap periods, valve cut-outs or pockets must be machined on top of the piston to avoid the valves and pistons from hitting each other. The situation is less critical with four valves, for the pocket depth is less, but then four cut-outs exist rather than two. These cut-outs not only interfere with the air swirl, diminishing it, but during combustion are not really part of the bowl, but "inactive" volumes, particularly as applied to engines using deep bowls and effectively hamper the combustion process, especially during cold start for the air mass favors the colder sections of the chamber, density being an inverse function of temperature. Since the valve pockets or cut-outs are relatively shallow and offer high surface to volume ratios, the air temperature thereabouts is lower than inside the bowl, which negatively affects the density ratios, placing too much air in the inactive areas and not enough in the bowl where it is supposed to be to meet the incoming fuel. Swirl, no matter how good and well-matched it may be to the engine requirements while running full-load at rated speed, is totally inexistent at starting speeds and makes no contribution to mixing or combustion. Finally, and especially during the last decade, great improvements have been made on very modern sparkignition automotive engines featuring four valves for optimum air flow and direct-acting double-overhead camshafts set on a narrow valve included angle (V.I.A.). The engines offer an extremely light and mechanically stiff valve train, with low spring forces and low power consumption, with short valve durations and more judicious valve timing points near TDC and BDC, with each camshaft operating its own bank of intake or exhaust valves for a true cross flow design and with a central source of ignition. And with such engines developing the honest 40% improvement in power offered by their corresponding increases in valve air flow area, while improving effective compression ratios, combustion smoothness and noise and greatly reducing gaseous emissions as well as improving startability.
What is technically needed by future advanced diesel engines are engines featuring the modern trends of smaller sparkignition automotive engines: namely, four valves with no porting compromises for maximum air flow, direct acting, stiff yet lightweight valve trains with low power consumption and improved dynamics to allow the lighter valves to operate faster but with reduced durations for a higher ratio of effective to nominal compression ratios, with a narrow V.I.A. to allow better air flow but mostly to permit the installation of bulkier but more modern fuel injection systems substantially in the center of the head. A piston incorporating special combustion chamber requiring no swirl and combining the necessary valve pockets into active areas of the combustion chamber, such as to allow the maximum possible amount of air to participate in the active combustion process for improved combustion and startability under all conditions, for lower emissions, noise and improved fuel consumption. What is also needed is to provide all of the above-mentioned design benefits and coupling them to a novel injector-hole diffuser approach which provides a wider, less penetrating plume even with increased fuel injection pressures for yet additional benefits in misting, fuel droplet size, mixing and burning with more airborne fuel.

Open chamber diesel engine having a piston with recesses therein


Under the present invention, a configurable dictionary is provided. The configurable dictionary includes a set of objects that identify: (1) attribute conditions of the computer system to be checked; (2) associated locations within the computer system for checking the attribute conditions; and (3) actions to be taken based on results of the checks for the computer system. The health of the computer system is checked by processing the set of objects in the configurable dictionary. Specifically, the attribute conditions identified in the configurable dictionary are checked at their associated locations, and any necessary action are implemented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a system, method and program product for checking a health of a computer system. Specifically, the present invention utilizes a configurable dictionary to check the conditions of various attributes of a computer system, and to implement any necessary actions.
2. Background Art
As the use of computer technology becomes more prevalent, proper "health" maintenance thereof is essential. Specifically, many of today's business entities utilize computer systems to carry out their everyday functions. However, such computer systems are often compromised for various reasons such as the failure of backup software to execute, anti-virus programs being disabled, unauthorized drive shares being granted, etc. In many of these cases, the losses could be minimized by performing periodic checks of certain attributes within the computer systems. For example, checking the computer systems to verify the existence of certain files, registry entries, values in INI files, sequences of text in files, etc. could lead to early detection of potential problems. Unfortunately, such checks typically require a litany of disparate efforts that rely on the memory of an administrator and/or the coordination of numerous programs. For example, some of these attributes might have to be manually checked by an administrator, while others might be checked by various diagnostic programs. This problem is compounded by the fact that different attributes might have to be checked for different computer systems. This is especially problematic in a network environment where many different computer systems could operate.
Heretofore, many attempts have been made at providing computer system monitoring. None of these attempts, however, have utilized a "configurable" data structure that specifically identifies the attributes to be checked, and how/where to check them. To this extent, none of the previous attempts identify appropriate actions to be implemented based on the results of the checks. Using a configurable data structure would allow "health" checking to be both automated and customized for each computer system in operation. Moreover, it would allow the health checking efforts to be streamlined into one cohesive process.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need for a system, method and program product for checking a health of a computer system. Specifically a need exists for the health of the computer system to be checked based on a configurable dictionary that identifies: (1) attribute conditions of the computer system to be checked; (2) associated locations within the computer system for checking the attribute conditions; and (3) actions to be taken based on results of the checks.

System and program product for checking a health of a computer system

International Business Machines Corporation


A light module includes an optical element and a base on which the optical element is mounted. The optical element has an optical portion which has an optical surface; an elastic portion which is provided around the optical portion such that an annular region is formed; and a pair of support portions which is provided such that the optical portion is sandwiched in a first direction along the optical surface and in which an elastic force is applied and a distance therebetween is able to be changed in accordance with elastic deformation of the elastic portion. The base has a main surface, and a mounting region in which an opening communicating with the main surface is provided. The support portions are inserted into the opening in a state where an elastic force of the elastic portion is applied.

Light modules in which an interference optical system is formed on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate by a micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) technology are known (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1). Such light modules have attracted attention because they can supply a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analyzer (FTIR) in which highly accurate optical disposition is realized.
Patent Literature 2 discloses a process of manufacturing an optical system. In this process, first, a template substrate and an optical bench are prepared. An alignment slot is formed in the template substrate through etching. A bond pad is disposed on a main surface of the optical bench. Subsequently, the template substrate is attached to the main surface of the optical bench such that the alignment slot is disposed on the bond pad. Subsequently, an optical element is inserted into the alignment slot while being positionally aligned along a side wall of the alignment slot and is positioned on the bond pad. Then, the optical element is bonded to the optical bench due to a reflow of the bond pad.


A digital integrator (22) reduces circuit area and power consumption by implementing a two-stage integration for a decimator with only one adder (51). In the z-domain, he transfer function of a two-stage integrator can be expressed as H(z)=(1/(1-z.sup.-1)).sup.2. Expanded, the transfer function is expressed as H(z)=(1/(1 -2z.sup.-1 +z.sup.-2)). The inverse z-transform yields the expression y[n]=x[n]+2y[n-1]-y[n-2], which can be implemented with a single adder (51) and two delay portions (52, 55 and 53, 54). In one embodiment, a three-stage integrator (22) can further be implemented within a single adder circuit (91) by time-multiplexing an addition required for the two-stage integration with an addition required for a one-stage integration inside the adder circuit (91).

Sigma-delta data converters have enjoyed popularity because they rely on precise timing rather than precisely-matched components, and are thus easy to manufacture in integrated circuit form. The sigma-delta technique is commonly used for both analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs). A first-order sigma-delta modulator for an ADC subtracts a feedback signal from a received analog input signal to provide an error signal. The error signal is integrated, and the integrated error signal is input to a quantizer. The quantizer resolves the integrated error signal into one of a finite number of states to provide the output of the sigma-delta modulator portion of the ADC. This modulator output is provided to an input of a feedback DAC, the output of which provides the feedback signal. The digital output of the quantizer has a density proportional to the analog level of the signal. However, a decimator is required to construct the digital output code from the output and to attenuate the quantization noise that the sigma-delta modulator enhances in the stopband.
One-bit quantizers are commonly used, making the output of the sigma-delta modulator a single-bit stream. However, multi-bit quantizers are sometimes used. A second-order sigma-delta modulator is also commonly used in place of the first-order modulator. The second-order modulator differs from the first-order modulator by including two integration and feedback correction stages prior to the quantizer.
The decimator must integrate the output of the quantizer to produce a multi-bit digital data stream at a lower clock rate. For example, a single-bit modulator may provide a digital pulse stream at 10 megahertz (MHz), but the ADC may decimate the digital output code by a factor of 128:1 to provide an output sample stream at approximately 80 kilohertz (kHz). A known rule of thumb in sigma-delta ADC design is for the integrator to have one more stage than the order of the modulator. For example, a three-stage integrator is desirable for a second-order modulator to attain good attenuation in the stopband.
Practical problems arise in implementing a sigma-delta ADC in integrated circuit form. In known integrated circuit ADCs the digital integrator, rather than the modulator, consumes the majority of circuit area. This relationship is caused by the way the digital integrator is implemented. Each integrator stage adds a digital input signal to a previous (delayed) sum to provide a current sum. To implement the addition function, known integrator stages include at a minimum a number of full adders equal to the bit length of the output of the particular stage, and may require more depending on the type of adder used. Each full adder requires many logic gates in order to implement the logic equations. By contrast, the delay function requires only one flip-flop per bit, and the modulator itself may be implemented with one DAC and only a small amount of analog circuitry. A reduction in the size of the digital integrator would thus have a large effect on the reduction of the overall size cost of the ADC.

Digital integrator with reduced circuit area and analog-to-digital converter using same


The structure for adjusting a support force of a lumbar pillow includes: a backrest bracket, a lumbar pillow, an elastic support, and an adjustment mechanism; wherein a top of the lumbar pillow is flexibly connected to a front side of the backrest bracket; one end of the elastic support is connected to a back of the lumbar pillow, and the other end of the elastic support is provided with a slider, the slider being provided with an internally threaded hole; the adjustment mechanism includes a lead screw; and in response to the lead screw rotating with respect to the backrest bracket, the slider slides upward and downward along the vertical direction of the backrest bracket to change a support angle of the elastic support for the lumbar pillow, such that a magnitude of the support force of the elastic support to the lumbar pillow is adjusted.

Chairs are commonly used furniture in daily life. People who are accustomed to long-time sitting in the chair easily suffer from fatigue and soreness of back muscles or even lumbar spinal diseases. Therefore, the lumbar of the human body needs to be supported by a lumbar pillow of the chair, so as to reduce a force applied to the lumbar.
At present, the lumbar pillow on the back of the chair is only capable of adjusting positions, for example, upward and downward position adjustment. As such, different magnitudes of support force for the lumbar fail to be provided for different users.

Structure for adjusting support force of lumbar pillow, and chair

COMFORT OFFICE FURNITURE CO., LTD GUANGDONG


A mechanism to permit consolidation of storage subsystem volumes into larger, more easily managed volumes and an operating system device driver which includes a trap mechanism for intercepting calls from a host into logical unit devices that were previously consolidated into a single physical volume. A map converts such calls to a logical unit device into a corresponding offset in the single physical volume. A driver accesses the single physical volume with corresponding offsets to transfer data associated with a particular logical unit device. So, logical unit devices can be consolidated and reconsolidated to single physical volumes and other physical volumes without requiring changes to the operating system or its application software and without requiring application or host downtime.

In computer storage, a logical unit (LUN) is an address for an individual disk drive and by extension, the disk device itself. The term is used in small computer systems interface (SCSI) protocol to differentiate individual disk drives within a common SCSI target device or disk array. LUN is a common term used in storage area networks (SAN) and other enterprise storage fields. LUN's are not usually used to describe individual disk drives, LUN more often refers to a virtual partition or volume of a RAID set.
Conventional enterprise storage subsystems are capable of storing many terabytes of data. Many users define a standard storage subsystem volume size and create many volumes of this size. Typically, the initial size is small, 8 GB, for example. As more storage is allocated the number of these small LUN's grows very quickly. For example, an IBM DS8000 with a capacity of 512 T byte could contain 48,000, 8G byte units. A very large number of storage subsystem volumes results in management complexity. Larger storage subsystem volumes may reduce management complexity to some extent. There is currently no way to resolve this problem, without an off-line conversion of the smaller volumes into larger ones, backup and restore of data from the server, and potential reconfiguration of all software and applications on the server. IBM's SAN Volume Controller (SVC) provides the ability to migrate storage extents (a multiple of blocks) between the "physical" storage subsystem disks it presents to the host operating system.
In SCSI, LUN's are addressed in conjunction with the controller ID of the host bus adapter, the target ID of the storage array, and an optional slice ID. In UNIX operating systems, such ID's are often combined, e.g., to refer to a controller, a target, a disk, and a slice, all in one word. EMC, Sun's Solaris operating system, Hewlett Packard's HP-UX, Hitachi Data Systems, NCR, and Teradata's MP-RAS use LUN slices, while IBM's AIX uses "hdiskN" to refer to a particular partition of a storage device.
Conventional storage volume consolidation processes require application downtime, and backup and restore of data. The prior art methods do not work while the system is on-line. Such prior art methods also require significant changes to the existing software or applications.

On-line volume coalesce operation to enable on-line storage subsystem volume consolidation


A cover apparatus according to the present invention protects a protected portion including at least an opening portion of a recording medium storage chamber and a connector portion. The cover apparatus includes first and second covers. The first cover is movable between an open position where it closes the protected portion and an open position where it opens the protected portion. The second cover is located inward of the first cover, and is movable between a closed position where it closes the opening portion of the recording medium storage chamber and an open position where it opens the opening portion of the recording medium storage chamber. Also, in accordance with opening of the first cover, the second cover moves to the open position where it opens the opening portion of the recording medium storage chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover apparatus in a portable apparatus such as a digital camera. To be more specific, it relates to a cover apparatus for protecting a to-be-protected portion including at least an opening portion of a recording medium storage chamber and an electric member, and also a digital camera information apparatus provided with the cover apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a data recording medium for recording image data or voice data applied to a portable apparatus such as a digital camera is structured to be manually inserted/removed into/from a recording medium storage chamber provided in a apparatus housing. Then, it should be noted that if an automatic ejecting mechanism or the like for the data recoding medium is provide in the apparatus housing, the size of the apparatus housing is inevitably increased, and the consumption of a battery is also increased.
As stated above, in a apparatus having a structure in which insertion/removable of a data recording medium is manually carried out, there is a risk that the user may mistakenly eject the data recording medium from the apparatus to the outside. If the data recording medium is ejected to the outside of the apparatus during access, there is a risk that data being written in the recording medium may be broken, and in addition the recording medium itself may be broken as the case may be.
In order to avoid such a situation, in the portable apparatus such as the digital camera, an opening portion or the like of the recording medium storage chamber is closed by a protection cover, a lock mechanism or the like. Thereby, unnecessary ejecting of the data recording medium is inhibited.
For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-203921 discloses a digital camera wherein an opening portion of a recording medium storage chamber is covered by an openable cover, and a sensor (memory card cover switch) for detecting opening/closing of the cover is provided. In the digital camera, when opening of the cover is detected, a writing/reading operation (access) is inhibited, and when the cover is opened during access, an operation being presently performed is forcibly ended by control, thereby protecting the data recording medium.
The portable apparatus such as the digital camera has some portions which are preferably to be shielded from the outside, apart from the time of using the apparatus, in addition to the opening portion of the recording medium storage chamber. For example, since a DC jack for supplying of power and a connector (USB (registered trademark), NTSC) for data inputting/outputting, etc. have conducive members, there is a risk that they may be damaged at an early stage by dirt, raindrops or the like, if they are exposed to the outside at all times.
In order to avoid occurrence of the above situation, if a cover for protecting the connector portion or the like is provided in addition to the cover for closing the opening portion of the recording medium storage chamber, there is a possibility that the size of a compact portable apparatus such as the digital camera, which is indispensably required to be compact, may be increased.
Such a problem is solved by a technique disclosed in, e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-131745, which discloses an electron camera structured to simultaneously protect an opening portion of the recording medium storage chamber and a connector portion, etc. arranged close to the opening portion by covering both these portions with a single cover. This digital camera is desirable in order that increasing of the size of the apparatus be prevented. However, unnecessary ejecting of the data recording medium cannot be inhibited in the case where the apparatus is used while the cover is open, in order that the apparatus be used while a cable for connection of an external apparatus is connected to the connector portion, etc.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-165714 discloses a camera wherein a card lock lever for inhibiting insertion/removal of a card is provided in a card cover in order to prevent the recording medium from being mistakenly ejected. In addition, the camera includes means for moving the card lock lever to a lock position in interlock with closing of the card cover.
Furthermore, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-256748 discloses a double-cover structure of a stereo set in which a switch is provided adjacent to a recording medium storage chamber. In the double-cover structure, an inside cover (small cover) is provided at an opening portion of the recording medium storage chamber, an outside cover (large cover) is provided outward of the inside cover, and the inside cover is pushed and closed by the outside cover, when the outside cover is closed.
In an apparatus in which a card lock lever for inhibiting insertion/removal of a card is provided in a card cover as disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-165714, an inside protection member for preventing a recording medium from being mistakenly ejected is provided independent of an outside protection member provided to cover an entire portion to be protected. The same is true of an apparatus in which an inside cover (small cover) is provided at an opening portion of a recording medium storage chamber, and an outside cover (large cover) is provided outward of the inside cover, thereby achieving a double-cover structure, as disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-256748.
In the above structure, the size of a portable apparatus such as a digital camera is not increased, and the inside protection member can prevent from the data recording medium from being mistakenly ejected, regardless of whether the outside protection member is opened or closed.


The invention relates to a container closure application system comprising a feeder mechanism for advancing a closure blank to a container and a compartment for bringing the closure blank in register with an opening of the container, wherein succeeding closure blanks are provided as a web. The invention furthermore relates to a method for applying closures to a container by means of such system, a web of closure blanks or membranes, and a method for preparing such a web.

Traditionally, fresh dairy products like cheese, Ice-cream, yoghurt, salads in particular tuna salad, vegetable mayonnaise, fish salads or the like, are prepared and filled into suitable containers, which are afterwards provided with a closure or lid, all performed more or less manually. Demands for better food safety and hygiene standards have more recently led food suppliers to move away form this traditional way toward a more automated system.
One known dairy product machine automatically fills the fresh dairy product into suitable containers, which are subsequently fitted with individual, pre-shaped closures fed from a stack of loose closure blanks. Other known diary product machines close the containers by interconnected closures that may be separated after the closures have been applied. To reduce the risk of contamination of the fresh dairy product during packaging, the whole dairy product machine may be encapsulated in a housing having a controlled atmosphere.

Container closure application system and method


The present invention provides modular frame assembly including a plurality of connecting pieces. The connecting pieces can include a first plurality of coupling connectors, a second plurality of tee connectors, a third plurality of corner connectors, and a fourth plurality of elongate members. Each of the plurality of connecting pieces is adapted to receive at least two elongate members such that a rectangular structure can be constructed from the plurality of connecting pieces.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,560,914 by the present inventor discloses a modular system for installing shelving between vertical wall studs, such in a shed or an unfinished garage. In locations without exposed vertical studs, there exists a need to provide a frame assembly that can be attached to a wall so that the patented system can be used.


A valve regulated lead-acid battery includes a positive electrode plate, a retainer mat and a negative electrode plate housed in a container and holding an electrolyte solution respectively. The electrolyte solution contains colloidal silica and lithium ions.

A valve regulated lead-acid battery can be used in any posture since an electrolyte solution is gelated or is held by a porous body such as a retainer mat, and therefore the amount of a free electrolyte solution can be reduced. Further, it is unnecessary to resupply water since oxygen gas generated at a positive electrode during charge can be absorbed and reduced to water at a negative electrode, and therefore water in the electrolyte solution is hardly lost. On the other hand, in the valve regulated lead-acid battery, since the amount of the electrolyte solution is small, the concentration of sulfate ions in the electrolyte solution tends to decrease by discharge. When the concentration of sulfate ions in the electrolyte solution is decreased, the solubility of lead and lead sulfate in the electrode plate becomes high and lead and lead sulfate tend to be eluted in the electrolyte solution in the form of Pb2+. When the lead-acid battery is charged after overdischarge, Pb2+ eluted in the retainer mat is reduced to a dendritic metal lead, and therefore a short circuit may occur between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. This kind of short circuit is referred to as a penetration short circuit.
The present inventor et al. have proposed to add a silica sol to an electrolyte solution in order to prevent the penetration short circuit in a valve regulated lead-acid battery (Patent Document 1 JP-A-2008-204638). However, even though a silica sol is added singly, the effect of suppressing a short circuit after the valve regulated lead-acid battery is left in an overdischarge state is not sufficient (Table 1), and charge acceptance after the valve regulated lead-acid battery is left in an overdischarge state is not sufficient. Thus, it is necessary to further reduce the short circuit after the valve, regulated lead-acid battery is left in an overdischarge state, and to improve the charge acceptance after the valve regulated lead-acid battery is left in an overdischarge state.
In addition, Patent Document 2 (JP-A-2008-243487) discloses that the utilization factor of a positive electrode is improved when a liquid type lead-acid battery contains lithium ions. However, JP-A-2008-243487 does not describe a relation between the lithium ions and the penetration short circuit or charge acceptance after the lead-acid battery is left in an overdischarge state.


An electrical cabinet for an uninterruptibe power supply (UPS) system includes universal slots that can receive power modules, battery packs, or chargers. The back plane of the slot has connector terminals for battery packs and power modules. The cabinet can be easily reconfigured as desired by changing the number of power modules chargers or battery packs installed. Circuitry is provided that indicates the capacity and operational readiness of the cabinet. This circuitry monitors the battery packs in each slot, and isolates any detected fault to a particular pack.

Increasingly, businesses, hospitals, utilities, and even consumers are relying on electronic and computerized equipment to conduct their daily activities. Indeed, as we progress through the new economy in the information age, the amount of reliance and the required sophistication of the electonic equipment used will only increase. Unfortunately, such increased use and sophistication of the electronic equipment brings an increased demand for reliable, quality electric power without which operations may be disrupted and critical data lost.
Despite the advances in the sophistication and availability of electronic and computerized equipment, the availability and reliability of high quality electric power and the quantities demanded by the growing economy has not kept pace. Indeed, while many utilities believe that rolling brown-outs provide an adequate solution to their inability to supply the electric power required by their customers, the impact that such brown-outs has on a business' productivity and profitability is, quite simply, unacceptable.
In addition to the utilities' inability to reliably supply the amount of electric power required, the quality of the power that is supplied often is so poor so as to affect the operation of the modern sophisticated electronic and computer equipment. Voltage sags and spikes are relatively common on the utility power lines, particularly during periods of factory shift changes in industrialized areas. Other power quality problems may be introduced by natural causes such as lightning induced voltage spikes, voltage droops caused by accidental contact with power distribution equipment by animals, tree limbs, etc. Oftentimes, these power quality perturbations have a more detrimental effect on the electronic and computerized equipment than complete power losses because the operating characteristics of the components of such equipment varies. That is, some portions of the electronic equipment may cease operating before other portions shut down, possibly resulting in erroneous operation, corrupted data, etc.
To overcome these and other problems resulting from the lack of the quantity and quality of electric power required by the modern electronic and computerized equipment, uninterruptible power supply systems have been developed. These systems typically allow the main utility power to supply the connected load during periods of availability of high quality utility generated electric power. However, during periods of utility power loss or substandard quality, these systems will stop utilizing the utility power input and switch to an alternate source of electric power to generate the required output for the connected loads. Most often, this alternate source of electric power is from a number of electric storage batteries. Even in systems that may utilize a motor-driven electric power generator, batteries are still typically utilized to bridge the gap between the loss of utility power and the availability of the motor-driven generator, which typically requires a finite period of time after it is started before it is capable of powering the connected loads. Because the applications vary greatly in their type, size and configuration, powering requirements, signal requirements and the like, it will be readily appreciated to those skilled in the art that one size fits all does not apply and the one size and form of an uninterruptible supply systems can not meet the requirements of all applications. Indeed, it is often the case that each application requires a significantly different configuration of an UPS system.
The two basic components used in UPS systems include battery packs and power modules. It is also desirable in certain applications to use battery chargers in the UPS systems. Battery packs have positive and negative terminals which can be connected together in parallel or series to provide the desired combined DC voltage and amperage. Power modules are much different than battery packs and can serve the purpose of signal conditioning and converting DC electrical power into AC electrical power. Because power modules are typical controlled through electronic control signals, power modules must have several inputs and several outputs. As such, power modules use much more complex terminal connectors than battery packs with several input pins and several output pins.
The electric power storage batteries used in typical uninterruptible power supply systems are constructed from a number of individual battery cells that are coupled in series to generate the output voltage required for the system. Since each of the individual battery cells are required to generate the proper output voltage, proper operation of each of the battery cells is paramount to the system's ability to properly supply quality output power to the connected loads to prevent the problems discussed above. The existence of an undetected failed cell may result in a system crash during periods of utility power outage when the batteries are called upon to supply the connected load. Alternatively, the duration or quality of the output power supplied by the system for the batteries may be greatly reduced, which is also unacceptable from a user standpoint.
To avoid the continued existence of a failed battery cell, some form of battery health monitoring for the UPS system is required. Once such monitoring system is described in a paper presented at the 13th International Telecommunications Energy Conference held in Kyoto, Japan, on Nov. 5–8, 1991 entitled Middle Point Voltage Comparison as a Simple and Practical but Effective Way to Ensure Battery Systems Capacity to Perform, written by Arto Glad, Pekka Waltari, and Teuvo Suntio. The monitoring system proposed by this paper uses a voltage signal UWD used to represent the "middle point" voltage as determined to be the voltage deviation between a fixed reference voltage and the "middle point" voltage of the battery string. Unfortunately, this paper concludes that the battery string must be discharged before "the real anomalies" can be detected. Specifically, this paper states that the absolute health of the batteries can be revealed only by discharging about 70–80% or more of the batteries' capacity. Likewise, in another paper presented at the 18th International Telecommunications Energy Conference on Oct. 6–10, 1996, in Boston, Mass., entitled "A Systems Approach to Telecom Battery Monitoring and Control Using the Rectifier Power Plant" written by Kevin E. White, also requires that the battery be discharged significantly before the health of the battery may be determined. Indeed, this later paper indicates that the float voltage provides no hint of a weak battery, and requires that all battery testing be performed under load.
While the systems proposed in the above-identified papers may well provide adequate monitoring of the health of the batteries, the requirement of discharging 70–80% of the batteries' capacity merely to determine the health of the batteries carries with it significant risks that jeopardize the uninterruptible power supply system's ability to supply the connected load in the event of any utility power failure occurring during or within a period of several hours after the monitoring has occurred, depending on the ability of the system to recharge the batteries to their full capacity after having been discharged 70–80%. Further, the complexity of the circuitry required to disable or limit the utility power line input adds significantly to the cost and complexity of such a monitoring system, while reducing the overall system reliability; a combination which is particularly troublesome for a system that is meant to increase the reliable operation of electronic and computer equipment.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a monitoring system that is able to ensure the health and operability of the batteries utilized in an uninterruptible power supply system without requiring that these batteries be discharged during the monitoring operation.

System for detecting defective battery packs


An antenna made by winding a coil on the periphery of a rod-like core made of a magnetic material is housed inside a pillar having a relatively small width and disposed in a manner such that its axis line is nearly orthogonal to the vertical axis line of the pillar. With this arrangement, a predetermined communication range is secured as the electromagnetic waves radiated from the antenna are barely absorbed by the vehicle body and radiated to inside the cabin as well as to the outside. Accordingly, an inexpensive antenna device and a communications system using it are provided which enable communication with a portable device inside and outside a vehicle cabin using a single antenna.

In recent years, locking and unlocking of vehicle doors at a distance by means of a portable device carried by drivers are generally practiced in addition to locking and unlocking vehicle doors directly with a key. Along with this trend, an antenna device and a communications system using the antenna device for enabling secure communication with a portable device are being demanded.
Japanese Translation of PCT Publication No. 2001-520337 discloses a configuration of an antenna device in a conventional communications system in which an antenna is disposed in the vicinity of the opening/closing section, for example, inside a doorknob.
Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, a description will be given on this conventional antenna device and a communications system using it.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional antenna device. As shown in FIG. 5, antenna 5 of the conventional antenna device is disposed inside knob 2 made of resin provided on door 1 which is made of a metallic chassis such as a steel plate. And, knob 2 is provided in a manner such that its right end is swingable relative to door 1. Also, antenna 5 is formed by winding a coil on the periphery of a rod-like core of a magnetic material. Antenna 5 is housed in a hollow space inside knob 2 in a manner such that its axis line is parallel to door 1.
FIG. 6 is a diagram to show an example of a conventional antenna device configuration and a communications system that uses the antenna device. FIG. 6 also shows an example of directivity characteristics of a conventional antenna device. As shown in FIG. 6, antenna 5 is connected to control circuit 4 provided on a vehicle. The communications system is so configured that control circuit 4 communicates with a portable device (not shown) carried by a driver through antenna 5.
In the above configuration, when a driver carrying a portable device approaches the vehicle and enters the region of communication range D, control circuit 4 communicates with the portable device through antenna 5. On identifying the driver, control circuit 4 drives a locking mechanism (not drawn) such as a solenoid and door 1 is unlocked.
Also, when the driver leaves the vehicle to outside of the region of communication range D, control circuit 4 becomes unable to communicate with the portable device. The system is so configured that, in such a case, conversely to what is described above, control circuit 4 drives the locking mechanism and locks door 1.
In such a conventional communications system, antenna 5 is housed inside knob 2 on the front right and left sides of a vehicle in a manner such that its axis line is parallel to door 1. As a result, antenna 5 radiates electromagnetic waves as shown by an example of antenna directivity characteristics of FIG. 6. Accordingly, the communication range of a conventional communications system is as represented by communication range D due to the electromagnetic waves radiated outwardly of vehicle 6.
That is, as the inner metallic door 1 is overwhelmingly large compared with small antenna 5 disposed with its axis line parallel to door 1, the inward magnetic field of antenna 5 makes a magnetic path via door 1 and the inwardly radiated electromagnetic waves are absorbed by door 1. Accordingly, the electromagnetic waves are radiated from antenna 5 only outwardly to communication range D.
For the reason described above, when a driver is in the vehicle cabin, communication with a portable device carried by the driver is not possible with antenna 5 alone that is housed inside knob 2. Accordingly, in a conventional communications system, another antenna (not drawn) connected to control circuit 4 is usually provided in the cabin to enable communication with a portable device.
Also, as antenna 5 is close to metallic door 1 and radiated electromagnetic waves are absorbed by door 1, radiation efficiency of antenna 5 is low, requiring an antenna current of the order of 1.0 A in order to secure outward communication range of about 1 m in radius, thus resulting in a relatively large consumption of electric power.
As has been described, with the above conventional antenna device and a communications system using the antenna device, a separate antenna was necessary in order to communicate with a portable device in the vehicle cabin. Accordingly, the configuration of the antenna device suffers a problem of a complicated structure and expensive cost.

Antenna device and communications system using the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A telescopic roller conveyor is provided, the telescopic roller conveyor comprises an inner profile (1) and an outer profile (2). The inner profile (1) is adapted to slide inside the outer profile (2) such that a telescopic functionality is achieved. The inner (1) and outer (2) profiles each have a first side (3) comprising: at least one first recess (8) adapted to partly contain at least one roller organ (6) and at least one second recess (4) adapted to receive an axle (5) connected to the roller organ (6). The axle (5) is adapted to lock the inner (1) and outer (2) profiles to each other in the length axis of the profiles (1;2) when the axle (5) is placed in the recess (4). A telescopic roller conveyor frame is also provided.

Roller conveyors are used in many different applications for, by means of gravity, moving objects from one position to another. In e.g. material racks, roller conveyors are used to transport packaging from the loading station to the consumption station.
When new products are introduced and will start production or when production volumes change, there is a need to rebuild the material facade at a production line and at warehouses where production items are stored. I.e., the material racks and other material handling systems along the production line or in the warehouse must be adjusted to store new types of packaging and to handle new buffer level (number of packages).
Product changes and volume changes occur with more frequent interval, and today's roller conveyors, which e.g. is s part of a material rack, are not flexible enough to quickly, easily and cost effectively adapt to the new conditions. Adjustment means the possibility to adjust the roller conveyor's length and the ability to easily replace the wheels of the roller conveyor in order for the roller conveyor to handle new types of packaging.
Today's roller conveyors consist of a steel profile in which a number of wheels with axles are fixed directly to the steel profile. The roller conveyors are sold and delivered in predefined standard lengths. This means that the roller conveyors must be cut to the right length at the end user to fit the desired application. When the user wants to rebuild e.g. a material rack, for example by making it deeper, it means that the roller conveyors must be extended and then new roller conveyors with the correct length must be purchased.
If the user would like to reduce the depth, the roller conveyors must be cut to the correct length, which often results in waste of the roller conveyors that are difficult to reuse.
When the wheels of the roller conveyor need to be replaced, e.g. switching from plastic wheels to steel wheels, wheel for wheel in the steel profile must be replaced, which takes a very long time, at the same time as it interrupts the production. This results in that the wheels are never changed, and in practice the user instead purchases a completely new roller conveyor where the new type of rollers are assembled from the beginning. This also results in waste of roller conveyors which are difficult to reuse in other applications.


A diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna. The unique use of diagonal line ridges placed in the corners of the aperture of the diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna. The sides of the diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna are made of any number of materials including dielectric material or metallic material. The operating frequency range of one embodiment of the present invention is approximately 100 MHz to 18 GHz in one embodiment. The present invention is scaleable to allow operation at even higher and lower frequencies. This ability of the present invention to adapt to a number of frequency ranges allows application for a wide variety of electromagnetic testing applications. The use of the diagonal line ridges allows for a broadband horn antenna that is significantly more manageable that conventional broadband horn antennas, while offering operation at common frequency ranges. Moreover, the unique use of the diagonal line ridges provides for operation at the lower ends of the frequency spectrum without requiring the radical increase in size that conventional broadband horn antenna approaches require. The present invention allows for use of any number of tuning bars to focus the frequencies emitted from a diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna into a common direction. The use of the present invention is operable to perform electromagnetic testing of any number of devices including wireless communication devices, wireless appliances, satellite communication devices, and other devices.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to antennas; and, more particularly, it relates to a diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna.
2. Related Art
Conventional broadband horn antennas used in electromagnetic test systems are commonly limited in operating frequency ranges of approximately 500 MHz to 18 GHz. Generally speaking, linear dimensions of a conventional antenna vary inversely with the operating frequency range. To try to operate at much lower frequency ranges, a conventional approach has been to increase the overall size of a horn antenna. This has proven to be very difficult in terms of implementation. For example, the size constraints of a horn antenna, for proper use in a test system, are considerable. In addition, as the size of a horn antenna increases, thereby allowing a lower operating frequency range, the weight of the horn antenna also increases. This also encumbers the ease with which the horn antenna is used in various electromagnetic test systems. The size, weight, and bulkiness of existing horn antennas are all considerations that limit their ease of implementation for use in test systems. Moreover, there is no easy way in which these conventional horn antennas can be mounted within existing shielded test chambers as part of the shielded enclosure. Additional manufactured fixtures or positioners must be made in order to integrate the horn antenna into the test chamber. Sometimes, these additional fixtures to the horn antenna may compromise the overall performance of the test system by the presence of additional unwanted signals introduced by them.
There are primarily two approaches known in the art of manufacturing broadband horn antennas under the conventional approach. FIGS. 1A-1D show prior art implementations of broadband horn antennas. FIG. 1A is a system diagram illustrating a conventional embodiment of a square broadband horn antenna 100A, and FIG. 1B is another perspective of the square broadband horn antenna 100B of the FIG. 1A. Line ridges 110 are aligned along the side wall segments of the square broadband horn antenna 100A. The sides of the square broadband horn antenna 100A (and the square broadband horn antenna 100B) are commonly metallic sides 120 as known in the art of electromagnetic testing. Connectors 130 are provided to energize the square broadband horn antenna 100A (and the square broadband horn antenna 100B). To allow operating lower operational frequency ranges, the size of the aperture of the size of the square broadband horn antenna 100A (and the square broadband horn antenna 100B) must be increased accordingly.
As mentioned above, the sizes of most conventional broadband horn antennas generally limits their lower end of the operating frequency ranges to approximately 500 MHz given the considerations of having a size that allows practical emplacement, removal, and modification of test facilities to accommodate them. While the conventional designs of broadband horn antennas is theoretically scalable to accommodate lower frequency operating ranges, the actual scaling of broadband horn antennas to larger sizes that allow for this type of operation presents other impediments that simply make such large broadband horn antenna designs. For example, the large and bulky size significantly encumbers movement of the broadband horn antenna to such a degree that their use in a test facility where interchange of test devices, the absorbers used in the test facility, and the broadband horn antennas themselves, can be commonplace. Moreover, the weight of such large and bulky broadband horn antennas additionally encumbers their use for lower operating frequency ranges.
FIG. 1C is a system diagram illustrating a conventional embodiment of a circle broadband horn antenna 100C, and FIG. 1D is another perspective of the circle broadband horn antenna 100C of the FIG. 1C. Line ridges 140 are aligned along the interior of the circle broadband horn antenna 100C. The sides of the circle broadband horn antenna 100C (and the circle broadband horn antenna 100D) are commonly metallic sides 150 as known in the art of electromagnetic testing. Connectors 160 are provided to energize the circle broadband horn antenna 100C (and the circle broadband horn antenna 100D). To allow operating lower operational frequency ranges, the size of the aperture of the size of the circle broadband horn antenna 100C (and the circle broadband horn antenna 100D) must be increased accordingly, as mentioned above in square embodiments of conventional broadband horn antennas. The many deficiencies of the square embodiments are equally applicable with respect to the circle embodiments of broadband horn antennas. In addition, the manufacturing complexity of the circular broadband horns results in much higher cost of this particular broadband horn antenna that is designed to operate at lower operating frequencies. As a result, the available commercial product of this type of horn is limited to operating frequencies above 2 GHz. The lower frequency ranges simply cannot be met using this design.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional systems will become apparent to one of skill in the art through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.
Various aspects of the present invention can be found in a diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna. The diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna includes, among other things, a square cavity having a number of corners, a diagonal line ridge located at one of 5 the corners, and a number of electrical connectors, mounted on the diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna, that receive a signal that is used to energize the diagonal line ridge to generate electromagnetic illumination.
In certain embodiments of the invention, more than one diagonal line ridge is employed. The diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna also includes a tuning bar, mounted on the square cavity, that is operable to improve matching conditions of frequencies emanating from the diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna in a common direction. More than one tuning bar is used in some embodiments of the inventions. The square cavity is made of any number of materials including a dielectric material and a metallic material. One, some, or all of the electrical connectors is a radio frequency connector. The diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna also includes an integrated, shielded mounting flange located at an end of the diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna. The diagonal line ridge has any number of shapes including a smooth shape. The diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna is operable for installation on a shield line of a shielded anechoic test chamber among other types of test chambers types.
Other aspects of the present invention can be found in a diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna. The diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna includes, among other things, an aperture having a corner, and a diagonal line ridge that is positioned at the corner.
In certain embodiments of the invention, the aperture further also includes three additional corners and three additional diagonal line ridges. Each of the three additional diagonal line ridges is positioned at one of the three additional comers. The diagonal line ridge is of any number of types of shapes including a tapered ridge shape. The diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna also includes a cavity and a tuning bar. The tuning bar is mounted on the cavity and is operable to improve matching conditions for frequencies emanating from the diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna in a common direction. More than one tuning bar is used in some embodiments of the inventions. The diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna also includes at least two input feeds, on the mounting flange, that are operable to permit simultaneous measurements for dual polarizations emanating from the diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna. The diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna also includes a cavity that is made of any number of materials including a dielectric material and a metallic material. The diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna is operable for installation on a shield line of a shielded anechoic test chamber among other types of test chambers types.
Other aspects of the present invention can be found in a diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna. The diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna includes a square cavity, a mounting flange coupled to the square cavity, and two input feeds, on the mounting flange, that are operable to permit simultaneous measurements for dual polarizations emanating from the diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna.
In certain embodiments of the invention, the diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna is operable to generate electromagnetic illumination having a frequency range of approximately 100 MHz to approximately 18 GHz. The square cavity includes a number of corners and a number of diagonal line ridges. Each of the diagonal line ridges is positioned at one of the comers. The square cavity is made of any number of materials including a dielectric material. The diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna also includes a tuning bar, mounted on the square cavity, that is operable to improve a matching condition for frequencies emanating from the diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna in a common direction. More than one tuning bar is used in some embodiments of the inventions. The diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna is operable for installation on a shield line of a shielded anechoic test chamber among other test chamber types.
Other aspects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Diagonal dual-polarized broadband horn antenna