A perpendicular write head includes a beveled main pole having corners defining a track width and having a planarized surface and encapsulated on either side thereof and below by an alumina layer, the alumina layer having a polished surface and extending above the main pole on either side thereof as steps.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of perpendicular magnetic recording (or write) heads and more particularly, to a main pole within the write head being made with a polyimide mask with improved removal thereof to form the main pole and planarized main pole onto which trailing shield is formed to increase head performance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the recording density of magnetic hard drives (or disc drives) increases, a physical limitation is experienced using longitudinal recording systems partly due to thermal relaxation known as super-paramagnetism. That is, the density requirements for meeting today's storage needs are simply not attainable with longitudinal recording systems. To provide further insight into this problem, it is anticipated that longitudinal recording systems will lose popularity as storage capacities in excess of about 150 Gigabytes-per-square-inches become a requirement. These and other factors have lead to the development and expected launch of perpendicular recording heads or write heads. Perpendicular recording is promising in pushing the recording density beyond the limit of longitudinal recording.
Accordingly, perpendicular recording potentially supports much higher linear density than longitudinal recording due to lower demagnetizing fields in recorded bits.
A magnetic recording head for perpendicular writing generally includes two portions, a writer portion for writing or programming magnetically-encoded information on a magnetic media or disc and a reader portion for reading or retrieving the stored information from the media.
The writer of the magnetic recording head for perpendicular recording typically includes a main pole and a return pole which are magnetically separated from each other at an air bearing surface (ABS) of the writer by a nonmagnetic gap layer, and which are magnetically connected to each other at a back gap closure (yoke). This structure is a single-pole write head because while a main pole and return pole are referred thereto, the return pole is not physically a pole, rather, it serves to close the loop with the main pole and the soft under layer of the media to form a magnetic flux circuit.
Positioned at least partially between the main and return poles are one or more layers of conductive coils encapsulated by insulation layers. The ABS is the surface of the magnetic head immediately adjacent to the perpendicular medium.
To write data to the magnetic medium, an electrical current is caused to flow through the conductive coil, thereby inducing a magnetic field across the gap between the main and return poles. By reversing the polarity of the current through the coil, the polarity of the data written to the magnetic media is also reversed.
The main and return poles are generally made of a soft magnetic material. The main pole generates magnetic field in the media during recording when the write current is applied to the coil. A magnetic moment of the main pole should be oriented along an easy axis parallel to the ABS when the main pole is in a quiescent state, namely without a write current field from the write coil.
With the advent of perpendicular recording heads, density has been greatly increased, as discussed hereinabove, which has lead to a greater need for accurate recording of data onto the desired track. That is, writing to adjacent tracks is highly undesirable because it causes corruption of data on adjacent tracks.
Perpendicular write heads generally have a trailing shield, side shields, a top pole and a bottom return pole. The main pole is generally shaped in a manner causing a tip or an extension thereof that is narrower than the remaining portion thereof to form a top pole. The side shields act to shield the top pole so as to reduce adverse affects on adjacent tracks during the writing of magnetic transitions (data) at a location on a given track.
In the recording head, namely the slider, the main and return poles are separated by the gap layer, causing writing of data onto tracks. The main pole is generally beveled in shape in an effort to reduce adjacent track writing.
There are problems associated with the formation of the main pole and particularly the top pole in perpendicular heads. Two such problems are now presented. First, to form the main pole, an N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) soluble polyimide is used but then removed to form the pole. The polyimide layer is milled prior to its removal and the milling process adds difficulty to the removal of the polyimide layer, as fences or sidewalls remain behind and in the event such fences fall, voids are caused, which adversely affect head performance. Second, the main pole, which includes a top pole, as previously discussed, need be planarized or leveled, at its surface, so as to properly form a trailing shield thereupon.
Thus, in light of the foregoing, there is a need for a perpendicular recording head having a main pole (or write pole) developed in such a way so as to planarize the same for trailing shield formation thereupon and to improve polyimide layer removal during formation of the main pole to improve performance of the head.

Method to planarize perpendicular write poles using a combination of CMP and reactive ion milling

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A solid electrolytic capacitor using a conductive polymer compound as a solid electrolyte includes an anode body, a dielectric oxide coating formed on a surface of the anode body, a sulfone group-containing silanol derivative layer formed on at least a portion of the dielectric oxide coating by a coupling reaction, and a conductive polymer compound layer formed at least on the sulfone group-containing silanol derivative layer. With this, a solid electrolytic capacitor having a low ESR and a high capacitance and a method of manufacturing the solid electrolytic capacitor can be provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid electrolytic capacitor including a conductive polymer compound as a solid electrolyte and a method of manufacturing the solid electrolytic capacitor.
2. Description of the Background Art
In connection with size and weight reductions of electric equipment in recent years, a small capacitor of a large capacity for high frequencies has come to be required. As such a capacitor, a solid electrolytic capacitor using a conductive polymer compound to form a solid electrolyte layer has been proposed.
The solid electrolytic capacitor has a problem of a decrease in adhesion between a dielectric oxide coating, which is an inorganic material layer formed by oxidation of a surface of an anode body formed with a sintered body of a valve metal such as tantalum, niobium, titanium, or aluminum, and a solid electrolyte layer which is an organic material layer (a conductive polymer compound layer) formed on the dielectric oxide coating, which results in an increased leaked current, an increased ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) and decreased reliability.
Therefore, when the conductive polymer compound layer is formed on the dielectric oxide coating, a partial conductive polymer compound layer covering a portion of the dielectric oxide coating is generally formed beforehand by chemical oxidative polymerization, and then a full-scale conductive polymer compound layer covering a whole surface of the dielectric oxide coating is formed by electrolytic oxidative polymerization. The adhesion between the dielectric oxide coating and the conductive polymer compound layer, however, is insufficient even when the conductive polymer compound layer is formed as such.
To solve the problem, a method for increasing the adhesion between the dielectric oxide coating and the conductive polymer compound layer has been proposed, which includes steps of forming the dielectric oxide coating on the surface of the anode body, treating a surface thereof with a silane coupling agent, and then forming on the surface the conductive polymer compound layer as a solid electrolyte layer to let the silane coupling agent be interposed between the dielectric oxide coating and the conductive polymer compound layer (for example, see Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 02-074021, 04-073924 and 08-293436).
Though the adhesion between the dielectric oxide coating and the conductive polymer compound layer is increased with existence of the silane coupling agent, current collection by the conductive polymer compound layer is inhibited because the silane coupling agent itself is an insulator, and therefore the ESR is increased and a capacitance is decreased.

Solid electrolytic capacitor method of manufacturing the same


A hair follicle implant device includes a needle holding assembly configured to hold a plurality of needles and a needle guide slidably coupled thereto and configured to provide a skin stop surface while guiding the plurality needles. A plurality of pistons is configured to slide within a respective one of the plurality of needles. A piston base is slidably coupled to the needle holding assembly and is configured to hold the pistons to slide within the plurality of needles when actuated during implantation. A spring, carried between the needle holding assembly and the piston base, is configured to bias the piston base in a retracted position, wherein the spring is offset from a central axis of the piston base. The needle holder holds the plurality of needles in the staggered arrangement offset from the central axis of the piston base.

Hair follicle transplantation is a known surgical technique. A variety of restorative approaches have been used to deal with problems of baldness due to hair loss including using hair pieces, topical application, oral medication, scalp reduction, scalp flaps and hair transplantation. However, the goal continues to be to provide affordable long lasting or permanent solutions without side effect for natural looks with minimal maintenance.
Follicular hair transplantation is now widely accepted as the best restorative procedure. Clinical studies have revealed that when longer lasting hair from back and side of scalp are transplanted over the area of baldness, hair continues to stay viable and grow.
A typical hair transplantation procedure includes three steps wherein the first step involves the harvesting of hair roots from the permanent zone, the second step involving their separation and the third step in which the individual roots are planted in the desired area.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,801 to Shiau discloses an instrument for carrying out hair transplants. The patent discloses a device for implanting hair-containing grafts, including a guiding tube for receiving a single graft and a pushing stick inserted through one end of the guiding tube. The guiding tube is formed of a rolled plastic sheet such that the longitudinal edges overlap each other, and one end of the tube forms an inclined surface which is adapted to be inserted into a slit hole formed in the scalp of a patient. Only one graft is provided in the tube at a time and the graft is forced into the incision (slit hole) via the pushing stick. Downward movement of the pushing stick enlarges the incision due to slight outward expansion of the guiding tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,683 to Shiao is directed to a mini-graft hair implanting device for implanting multiple clumps of hair follicles at one time includes a barrel, a plunger and a depth control unit. The barrel is formed as a hollow cylinder with an open top and a bottom wall that has a cluster of hollow needles which are attached thereto so as to extend downwardly therefrom. Each of the hollow needles is adapted to receive a clump of hair follicles therein and has two open ends, a distal one of which is tapered so as to form a pointed tip. The plunger extends slidably into the barrel and has a bottom end that is formed with a set of downwardly extending first push rods and at least one downwardly extending second push rod. The first push rods are aligned with and extend into the hollow needles. The depth control unit is attached to and extends downwardly from the bottom wall of the barrel. The depth control unit includes at least one tube which is shorter than the hollow needles and which has two open ends, a distal one of which is blunt. Each second push rod is aligned with and extends into a corresponding tube.
The reduction of the hair implant surgery cycle time is a goal of the medical community that may include benefits to surgeons such as reduced total surgery cycle, increasing the number of surgeries that may be performed in a day and reduced fatigue to the surgeon. Patients would also benefit with less sedation time, improved safety and lower risk of complications.
There is a need to provide the same coverage and density as current state of the art implanters, while reducing surgeon's workload and reducing the surgery time cycle.
This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.

High capacity hair follicle implant instrument including staggered needles and associated methods


The present invention provides methods and devices for calibrating an optical wavefront system. The calibration devices of the present invention can include a body which has a proximal portion and a distal portion. A pupil can be positioned on the proximal portion of the body to aperture light. A target can be positioned on the distal portion of the body so as to reflect light back through the pupil and into the wavefront system. If the device has a lens assembly or a phase plate, the reflected light can pick up known aberrations or defocus characteristics from the lens assembly before it enters the calibration device. The known wavefront characteristic can be compared to the wavefront measurement obtained by the wavefront system to aid in calibrating the wavefront system.

The present invention relates generally to a calibration device and calibration method. In particular, the present invention relates to devices and methods for calibrating an optical wavefront system that measures optical aberrations in a patient's eye.
Laser eye surgical systems typically employ a system that can track and measure the optical characteristics of the patient's eye. One promising eye measurement system uses wavefront technology that allows the surgeon to measure and treat low order and high order aberrations in and on the patient's eye. A wavefront measurement of the eye creates a high order aberration map that permits assessment of aberrations throughout the optical pathway of the eye, e.g., both internal aberrations and aberrations on the corneal surface. The aberration information can then be used to compute a custom ablation pattern so that the surgical laser system can correct the aberrations of the patient's eye.
One exemplary wavefront technology system is the VISX WaveScan™ System, which uses Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensors that can quantify aberrations throughout the entire optical system, including first and second-order sphero-cylindrical errors, coma, and third through sixth order aberrations related to coma, astigmatism, and spherical aberrations. The aberrations can be displayed to the surgeon in the form of an AcuityMap™ and/or an aberration map, for example.
However, in order to accurately map the aberrations in the patient's eye, it is required that the wavefront system be properly calibrated. If the eye measurement systems are not properly calibrated, the information derived from the wavefront will not provide the correct aberration pattern and an incorrect ablation pattern may thereafter be chosen.
Consequently, what are needed are devices and methods which can calibrate eye measurement systems, such as a wavefront system.

Method and device for calibrating an optical wavefront system


Disclosure relates to a self stirring, automatic device to overlie a cooking vessel, during conventional or microwave oven cooking. The device hereof includes a protective housing containing a wound, coiled spring, rotary mechanism. Aditionally, there is provided an adjustable system for mounting the protective housing to a variety of different sized cooking vessels, and an adjustable stirring mechanism.

The present invention is directed to a self stirring, coiled spring powered, removably mounted device for application to a cooking vessel, while the contents thereof are stirred as it is heated. Such device is applicable to stove top cooking, as well as microwave cooking.
Careful manual mixing during cooking and/or heating of foods, such as soups, sauces, custards, pasta, etc. may be inadequate for a number of reasons, such as inattention due to other related cooking tasks, or attention to children. As a result, most people have seen the inside surfaces of cooking vessels contaminated, as after tiresomely long periods of required stirring, by part of the contents adhering inside and becoming difficult to remove, perhaps even charred from inadequate stirring and/or overheating.
Mechanically aided stirrers can reduce the effort, and often also the time needed to mix ingredients for cooked food products. However, such a mixing aid can induce a cook to increase heating temperature in an attempt, often misguided, to reduce the cooking time, or may lead to a period of inattention and consequent overexposure. Hence, sticking or burning of some of the contents on the side or bottom of the cooking vessel may result and prove difficult to remove, with extended clean up time, or may even contribute an undesirable flavor to the contents thereof.
In a search to find a means to assist the homemaker, the prior art reveals a number of attempts to find a solution. These attempts are described and illustrated in the following:
a) U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,517, to Jump et al., discloses a microwavable stirring device including a non-adjustable cover member containing a stirrer power assembly to be received onto a mixing bowl, for example.
b) U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,158, to Tarlow, discloses a stove top stirring device, which is mounted internally of the cooking container, where such device may incorporate a built-in alarm for indicating when the internal temperature of the vessel exceeds the boiling point of water so that water can be added. In this manner, the vessel can be automatically and continually stirred while steaming or simmering without danger of burning or overcooking.
c) U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,153, to Caldwell et al., discloses a mixing lid with a pouring device for containers used on stirring devices. The lid, among other features, includes an integral one piece slidable closure for a pouring spout having a first rearward opened pouring position, and a second forward closed sealed position.
d) U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,279, to Spitzer Sr., discloses stir-wipe apparatus in the form of a rotatable stirrer means fitting removably in a cooking vessel, which in combination with a non-manual drive means stirs the contents slowly and wipes the sidewall and bottom of the vessel. The drive means is conveniently an electric motor located on the lid for the cooking vessel, or in a handle of the lid or the vessel itself
None of the foregoing prior art devices meet the needs of the homemaker, particularly the versatility of conventional and microwave cooking, where manual stirring of cooking foods is not convenient. The manner by which this is achieved in the present invention will become more apparent in the following description, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


The invention relates to a multi-layer 3D foil package and to a method for manufacturing such a multi-layer 3D foil package. The 3D foil package has a foil substrate stack having at least two foil planes, wherein a first electrically insulating foil substrate is arranged in a first foil plane, and wherein a second electrically insulating foil substrate is arranged in a second foil plane, wherein the first foil substrate has a first main surface region on which at least one functional electronic component is arranged, wherein the second foil substrate has a cavity having at least one opening in the second main surface region, wherein the foil substrates within the foil substrate stack are arranged one above the other such that the functional electronic component arranged on the first foil substrate is arranged within the cavity provided in the second foil substrate.

The invention relates to a multi-layer 3D foil package, i.e. a three-dimensional package, or housing, for electronic devices, semiconductor devices and the like. The inventive 3D foil package serves for setting up three-dimensional electronic systems and, in particular, three-dimensional integrated circuits. The 3D foil package comprises a foil stack having several foil substrates arranged vertically one above the other. This 3D foil package thus serves for three-dimensional system integration and consequently differs from the conventional planar technology. Additionally, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing such a 3D foil package.
In three-dimensional or 3D system integration, individual electronic components are not only arranged horizontally along the direction of extension of the substrate on the same, as is done in planar technology. Rather, in 3D system integration, the electronic components are additionally also arranged vertically one above the other. This means that the electronic components are distributed over several planes.
Three-dimensional integration consequently means the vertical connection (both mechanically and electrically) of devices. The advantages of a three-dimensional integrated electronic system are, among other things, the higher achievable package densities and switching speeds (caused by shorter conduction paths) when compared to two-dimensional systems (planar technology).
A plurality of different 3D integration techniques are known. These are frequently based on utilizing conductive contactings (TSVs—through silicon vias) leading through a wafer substrate perpendicularly. The substrate can be the semiconductor wafer (including the IC elements) itself or an additional interposer wafer made of silicon or glass. In the case of silicon substrates, the conductive via has to be electrically insulated from the surrounding substrate. The technology of manufacturing these vias on wafer substrates is complicated and can only be performed in special semiconductor plants. In the case of glass interposers, insulation is no longer required. However, what remains is the complicated process sequence. Additionally, the very thin glass interposer wafers are highly prone to breaking.
Another disadvantage of the wafer-to-wafer integration techniques is the loss in yield in the 3D stack, since generally all the chip elements on a wafer are contacted, i.e. also those which are not electrically functional.
Chip-to-wafer integration is an alternative, in which already tested ICs are preselected. Substrates in a chip-to-wafer configuration comprise large a topography. This entails the disadvantage that complicated planarization is entailed in each plane.
Another class of 3D integration techniques is based on stacking IC elements one above the other, which are set up and contacted on standard printed circuit board (PCB) material. The relatively high thickness of the printed circuit board planes is problematic in this case, which results in great a package height when stacking and also makes heat dissipation from within the 3D stack difficult.
Single-bed technologies are also known, in which chip elements are embedded within the printed circuit board material. Such PCB modules can basically also be assembled to form a 3D stack, however the disadvantages of great a structural height and poor heat dissipation remain.
Consequently, it would be desirable to provide a 3D stack or three-dimensional package allowing high an integration density while at the same time comprising a very flat structure, which can be produced at low complexity and, consequently, low cost.

FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.


Natural cresylic acid is processed to remove neutral oil impurities by countercurrent liquid/liquid extraction using a heavy phase solvent of a mixture of glycerol and another polyhydric alcohol, preferably triethylene glycol. The light phase solvent is a light paraffinic or cycloparaffinic hydrocarbon.

Feedstocks containing natural cresylic acid, a mixture of phenol, cresols, ethylphenols, xylenols and C.sub.9 phenols, are obtained via petroleum processing or coal processing. All such feedstocks contain neutral oil and tar bases. Neutral oil as used throughout this text is a class of organic compounds which is regarded as being comprised of impurities, and is indigenous to natural cresylic acid feedstocks. Any individual substance in neutral oil is a compound which is neither acidic, as are phenols, nor basic, such as the tar bases (pyridine and its homologues often in mixture with aniline and its homologues), but is by nature neutral in its reactions.
Spent caustic from petroleum refining is obtained by way of extraction of refinery distillates with sodium hydroxide. It contains significant amounts of cresylic acid and neutral oil impurities. According to the prior art, this spent caustic is processed by first removing sulfur compounds and then neutral oil compounds and tar bases are removed via steam distilling from the caustic solution. The cresylic acid is then "sprung" by reaction of the caustic cresylate with an acid. Finally, the sprung phenolic oil is dried by distillation to remove the water and then it is distilled to separate the cresylic acid from pitch which is a high boiling residue material. Such a process provides a raw cresylic acid mixture suitable for the present invention provided the steaming step for removal of neutral oil and tar bases is either eliminated or reduced in severity. Such a feedstock would also be suitable if dephenolized by distillation to remove phenol.
Coal processing technologies, such as coking, gasification or other coal devolatilization or beneficiation processes all yield at least two condensate streams, coal tar oil, and phenolic-rich condensate water.
These result from cooling of gaseous devolatilization products from coal. Coal tar oil may be used as a feedstock from which to obtain a distillate fraction containing cresylic acid. Coal tar oil may be distilled to separate water and light ends (the latter is often an aromatic naphtha), and also a carbolic oil distillate, also known as tar oil distillate, which contains cresylic acid. This material contains large amounts of neutral oil, often in the range of 50% to 70%, and relatively small amounts of tar bases (frequently in the 3% to 6% range). This feedstock may be processed to remove the impurities by any of a number of prior art techniques. This feedstock is a candidate material for the present invention, or this material could be dephenolized and then used as a feedstock. Once purified, including final tar base removal, the cresylic acid may be sold as such, or distilled into various products, such as cresols, or xylenols, or mixtures of these with other phenols.
Phenolic-rich condensate water (gas liquor) is most often extracted with a solvent such as an ether, ester, ketone, or a light aromatic to extract the phenols contained therein. After removal of the solvent, this mixture of phenols is often called crude phenol. Such crude phenol may be distilled to separate the cresylic acid fraction, which is the monohydric phenol fraction, from pitch. The pitch often contains dihydric phenols. The cresylic acid fraction can then be dried by distillation to remove the water and light ends which distill along with the water. The dried and depitched material (raw cresylic acid) thus obtained is far less neutral oil-rich than the tar oil distillate described above. This raw cresylic acid typically contains about 1.5% to 5% neutral oil, and 1.5% to 4% tar bases. This material can also be processed by any of a number of prior art techniques, to achieve purification, to prepare it for either sale, or fractionation and then sale. It is also a candidate material for the present invention either as such, or dephenolized.
The tar oil distillate feedstocks have in the past been purified by way of any of three types of process technologies. These categories are (1) causticizing, usually with sodium hydroxide, and steam distilling the neutral oil and tar bases, followed by springing the wet phenolic oil, (2) any of various single solvent approaches to the task of extraction of cresylic acid from neutral oil, and (3) any of numerous dual solvent technologies, using a two phase immiscible pair of solvents, one to dissolve the phenols, and another to dissolve the neutral oil, followed by solvent recovery systems for separation of the solvents from the product phenols, and from the neutral oil. Additionally, the Phenoraffin process is suitably classified as a dual solvent system, but it is a hybrid in the sense that it employs sodium ion in the form of sodium cresylate as one of the solvents, and in the sense that some of the neutral oil is removed in a distillation step to recover toluene.
The first of the above three categories is the oldest of the cresylic acid processing methods. After causticizing the feedstock (not needed in the case of spent caustic which is already causticized), the caustic phase is decanted away from any insoluble neutral oil. In the case of spent caustic, there is no floating neutral oil since the spent caustic is decanted at the refinery and, in the case of crude phenol extract from gas liquor or the like, there is not enough neutral oil present to form a neutral oil phase. The next step consists of steam distilling the neutrals and tar bases dissolved in the caustic cresylate. Following this, an acid is used to spring the wet phenolic oil. The wet sprung cresylic acid is next dried by distilling away the water. When required, the cresylic acid may be distilled to separate it from materials which are pitch-like, or a small amount of sulfuric acid may be added and this mixture distilled, to separate the cresylic acid from traces of tar bases not thoroughly steamed out, as well as from pitch-like materials.
This prior technology, particularly if sodium hydroxide must be purchased or regenerated, is costly, and also quite bulky and energy intensive. If caustic is not regenerated from process byproduct sodium carbonate (obtained via carbon dioxide springing of the wet phenolic oil) by way of quicklime, then the sodium-containing waste stream must be transported and sold.
The single solvent extraction methods employ a polar solvent to extract the phenols from tar oil distillates of various kinds. These methods employed aqueous solutions of a number of solvents, such as glycols, ethanolamine, ammonia, acetic acid, ethylamine, sodium salicylate, methanol, or even hot water. Distillation was typically used to separate the solvent from the extract for recycle. All of these methods provided cresylic acid containing too much neutral oil to be salable in today's market.
Because of the purity vs. yield problem with the single solvent approaches, dual solvent systems were developed, utilizing fractional, side feed, countercurrent extraction as opposed to ordinary countercurrent extraction. These processes utilized a polar solvent to dissolve the cresylic acid and a non-polar solvent to dissolve the neutral oil. The side feed fractional aspect of these methods permitted a number of liquid/liquid equilibrium stages to be used in the process to separate one component of a feedstock from another. This granted the ability to exercise control over both purity (the number of stages employed in the direction of removal of the heavy solvent), and recovery (yield of cresylic acid by way of the number of stages in the direction of removal of the light solvent). Included among the polar solvents used have been aqueous solutions of methanol, ammonia, acetamide, acetic acid, ethanol, glycols, monoethylamine and sodium salts of sulfonic acids. Non-aqueous polar solvents have included glycols of various kinds, and glycerol. Light, non-polar solvents have included hexane, heptane, octane, petroleum ether, diesel, and various non-aromatic naphthas. Distillation was generally used to separate the solvents from the extract and the raffinate to ready them for recycle and to isolate the phenolic product and neutral oil streams.
The best known of the dual solvent fractional extraction methods is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,666,796 which uses aqueous methanol and hexane. The literature available from the 1950's regarding this process shows that neutral oil contents of about 0.2% or even 0.1%, are possible. It must be said, though, that the analytical methods used at that time are far from adequate to reveal all of the neutral oil actually present in a cresylic acid material.
The earlier methods of neutral oil analysis were based on causticizing a sample of cresylic acid and steam distilling the neutral oil and tar bases from the sample. Following this, the tar bases were titrated, and finally the volume of neutral oil present in the distillate was measured and multiplied by a specific gravity factor to arrive at a weight percent neutral oil. This method is now out-dated. It is not capable of revealing very much of the ketone content (especially the cyclopentenone homologues), or the content of nitriles (much of the ketone content is destroyed by the action of boiling caustic, as well as most of the benzonitrile), nor will it reveal the most polar among the neutral oil substances that are inclined to dissolve in the steam distillate water phase. The modern technique employs a number of methods, each designed to reveal a particular class of neutral oil substances or an individual substance, to arrive at an accurate total neutral content for a sample.
The cresylic acid product of the subject invention, derived from tar oil distillate, does not reveal any neutral oil at all by the old method of measuring the volume of oil in a steam distillate even though the water phase can exhibit a slight haziness. Thus, by the older methods, this product would be said to have nil, or zero neutral oil content, not enough to form a detectable amount of oil to measure an oil volume. Using a tar oil distillate as a feedstock to the subject invention, it has been found that the neutral oil contents of products of various dual solvent methods of prior art, as determined by modern methods of analysis, are roughly an order of magnitude greater than the results reported from steam distillation of a causticized sample using the old measuring techniques. It is very difficult to even force the prior art process to the point where cresylic acid products have less than 1% neutral oil content as analyzed using modern analytical methods.
One of the problems of prior art methods which employed aqueous, light boiling solvents is that after removal by distillation of the solvent such as methanol, the bottoms product is two phases, wet cresylic acid product and water. Decanting the water from the wet cresylic acid is troublesome at best. The water phase coalesces and separates from wet cresylic acid with difficulty. Once the water is coalesced, and the wet cresylic acid is decanted away from it, the residual dissolved water must be distilled from the cresylic acid and this is quite energy intensive. Thus, there has been an incentive to use dry solvents to avoid these problems.
Several investigations have been done, using triethylene glycol as the extractant, and alternately, using glycerol as the extractant. A paper describing such studies appears in the Journal of Applied Chemistry, June, 1952, p.314. Ternary solubility diagrams were provided for the systems phenol, triethylene glycol and hydrocarbon (a coal tar hydrocarbon distillate fraction), and also for phenol, glycerol and hydrocarbon, at three temperatures. Additionally, the effect of several amounts of added water to the systems was defined in solubility diagrams. Results showed that the effect of water added to the triethylene glycol system was favorable, indicating that limited addition of water to triethylene glycol provided an improved product, containing less neutral oil. The effect of water upon glycerol was unfavorable, though, as the glycerol phase in the presence of added water tended to dissolve more of the neutral oil hydrocarbon than if the glycerol were anhydrous.
Another paper, published in March of 1953, also in the Journal of Applied Chemistry reports a similar study excepting that the system studied was cresylic acid, triethylene glycol or glycerol, and a hydrocarbon distillate derived from coal. The solubility of the mixed phenols in the glycerol was quite low, so much so that a large number of stages would be required to achieve good recovery from the raffinate. Also, the neutral oil solubility in the glycerol phase was greater. Thus, the separation was not as desirable as in the above mentioned system using phenol, rather than mixed phenols. In other words, the phenolics were not adequately soluble in the glycerol and the neutral oils were more soluble than in the earlier study. It was concluded that glycerol was not recommended for the extraction of mixed phenols. For triethylene glycol, the solubility of the phenolics was good using triethylene glycol containing 37% water. It was reported that it would be possible to obtain a product containing 0.1% neutral oil, but the actual content would probably be determined to be much higher using modern analytical methods.
In the development of the present invention, studies of anhydrous triethylene glycol have shown that even using modern high efficiency fractional countercurrent extraction equipment such as the Karr column having approximately seven to eight equilibrium stages, it was not possible to achieve a total neutral oil content in cresylic acid products less than the 1% to 2% range, as analyzed using modern analytical techniques. The studies with tar oil distillate feedstock have shown that the well known wet methanol/hexane system, using modern extraction equipment and analytical methods, also provides cresylic acid containing neutral oil in the 1% to 2% range, at best.
If one were to use aqueous triethylene glycol, it would be mandatory to distill all of the water to separate it from the product cresylic acid since, unlike wet methanol, the glycol has a boiling point greater than that of the cresylic acid. After methanol has been removed by distillation, it is possible to decant water from cresylic acid since a sizable fraction of the water then forms a separate phase. No comparable process option exists with triethylene glycol. Distillation of water is very energy intensive and therefore quite uneconomic on a commercial basis.
The work mentioned above appearing in the Journal of Applied Chemistry eventuated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,790,834 and British Patent 730,473. As in the published papers, the preferred heavy extraction solvent employed was either an aqueous solution of triethylene glycol, or alternately glycerol which was said to be less desirable for extraction of mixed phenols for reason of high solvent ratio and increased number of extraction stages required to extract the phenolics. Other polyhydric alcohol solvents were also discussed.
The literature of Cumming and Morton indicated that they found glycerol to be inadequately capable of extracting mixed phenols (cresylic acid) and this is supported by tests leading up to the present invention. In terms of polarity and degree to which hydrogen bonding occurs, only water exceeds glycerol, in data tables listing solvents which are industrially available.
Bench scale studies with glycerol revealed that this solvent is very nearly incapable of extracting cresylic acid from tar oil distillate; so little of the cresylic acid would partition into glycerol that the glycerol remained very nearly colorless. As noted above, triethylene glycol, in an anhydrous state, performed quite well in terms of its ability to extract the cresylic acid from an aromatic neutral oil matrix, so well, in fact, that it was insufficiently capable of rejecting the most difficult of the various neutral oil substances such as the ketones, the naphthalenes and the nitrites. Triethylene glycol can be used in an anhydrous state, and this is a very desirable aspect of its use, but the purity of the products achieved with it is at least an order or magnitude, if not twice an order, worse than desired.
Upon first investigating triethylene glycol (dry) with a Karr column, using tar oil distillate, it was discovered that nitrites, similar to the performance of the wet methanol, were poorly removed, and the content of naphthalene and its homologues was found to be significantly worse than when using aqueous methanol. The ketones were a little more readily removed. The tar oil distillate used for all of these studies contained about 60% neutral oil.
The studies of the aqueous methanol/hexane approach to neutral oil removal, using a Karr column, or alternatively a mixer settler arrangement, revealed that this solvent system is fairly effective at separating naphthalene and its homologues from cresylic acid (products from tar oil distillate can be obtained at less than 100 ppm naphthalenes), but quite poor in separation of ketones (products range from 1% to 3.5%) and nitriles (products at best contain about 1000 ppm total nitrites).
To simultaneously obtain high product recovery and high product purity has not been possible via any of the liquid/liquid countercurrent fractional extraction techniques of prior art that have been studied using identical feedstocks.

Neutral oil removal from natural cresylic acid mixtures


Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to securing a wireless network environment from eavesdropping and other unauthorized activities. One implementation prevents or disrupts meaningful access to information contained in WLAN RF signals that escape from a given physical space during operation of the wireless network. One implementation utilizes overlay RF signals transmitted on one or more operating channels of the WLAN to overpower or mask the internal RF signals escaping from a defined security line or perimeter. One implementation monitors the RF energy escaping to dynamically adjust the power of the overlay signal as required. Implementations of the invention can secure the outer perimeter of an office within a building, or even the outer perimeter of an entire building.

The market adoption of wireless LAN (WLAN) technology has exploded, as users from a wide range of backgrounds and vertical industries brought this technology into their homes, offices, and increasingly into the public air space. This inflection point highlighted not only the limitations of earlier-generation systems, but the changing role WLAN technology now plays in people's work and lifestyles, across the globe. Indeed, WLANs are rapidly changing from convenience networks to business-critical networks. Increasingly users are depending on WLANs to improve the timeliness and productivity of their communications and applications, and in doing so, require greater visibility, security, management, and performance from their network.
As enterprises and other entities increasingly rely on wireless networks, security of wireless network environments becomes a critical component to ensure the integrity of the enterprise's network environment against unauthorized access. Indeed, wireless networks pose security risks not encountered in wired computer network, since any wireless client in the coverage area of an access point can potentially gain access to the network, or simply monitor the airwaves for wireless packets, without a physical connection. In an 802.11 wireless network, prior art security mechanisms are implemented in a variety of manners. For example, the 802.11 protocol provides for shared-key authentication according to which a wireless client must possess a shared secret key in order to establish a wireless connection with an access point. In addition, as with wired networks, the wireless network infrastructure can operate in connection with application level security mechanisms, such as a RADIUS, VPN, or other authentication server, to control access to network resources.
Wireless local area networks (WLAN) use high-frequency radio waves rather than wires to communicate between nodes. The distance over which radio frequency (RF) waves emanating from wireless corporate local networks can travel is primarily a function of the wireless network system capabilities and configuration (mostly, transmit power and receiver design), and the properties of the wireless signal propagation path. In an indoor environment, RF signal interactions with typical building objects—including walls, metal shelves, cubes, and even people—can affect the distance over which RF energy propagates, and thus what range and coverage a particular wireless network system achieves. Wireless LAN systems use RF signals, because radio waves have a desirable ability to penetrate most indoor walls and obstacles. The range for typical WLAN systems varies from under 100 meters indoors to more than 300 meters outdoors. However, the ability to penetrate walls and other obstacles is problematic for security sensitive networks, since the RF signals carrying wireless frames or packets are detectable outside the physical boundaries of an enterprise's physical infrastructure. Indeed, the RF signals associated with a given WLAN system may extend into the street, parking lots, adjacent floors of an office building, and even into other locally situated buildings.
Enterprises are becoming more aware of the security risks posed by WLAN systems. Ironically, now at the point where most Ethernet wall sockets are fairly secure points of entry to a corporate network, enterprises are breaking that security by making portions of the network accessible to anyone within listening range of the broadcasting radios. Indeed, there are a variety of publicly available tools that allow eavesdroppers to listen to the wireless network traffic of WLANs. For example, an eavesdropper armed with a laptop computer, a wireless network adapter and, optionally, a directional antenna, can often simply position himself outside an enterprise's building and detect wireless data packets by monitoring RF energy leaking from the building. Available software tools allow eavesdroppers to gain access to a variety of information from the captured data packets. For example, software tools allow the eavesdropper to obtain SSIDs in beacon frames, MAC addresses, channel assignments, and WEP encryption status. Data frames may also be recovered as well.
To address these concerns, enterprises currently rely on data encryption and other techniques to protect the data. Conceptually, at a higher level than the RF signal, the data (information content) carried on the RF signal is usually the point at which actual intellectual property is obtainable and security is now paramount. This level is usually the point at which data protection begins via data encryption. Data encryption does not 100% absolutely protect the data nor the security problem of unintended listening, only hinders. Readily available encryption methods of private key encryption, public key encryption, wireless encryption protocol (WEP), Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), are always at risk of having authentication information or other data allowing access being stolen, shared, or unintentionally released. In any event, if the encrypted data frames and packets are available to eavesdroppers, the question of access to that data is simply an issue of knowledge of the encryption technique, the encryption keys, and/or time to break the encryption scheme. For example, existing software tools either compute WEP encryption keys and/or decrypt data packets after a sufficient number of packets have been captured. Even with newly developed encryption protocols, it may only be a matter of time, computing power, or illicit access to encryption keys, before these encryption protocols are broken.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to confine WLAN RF signals potentially carrying sensitive or otherwise confidential data within a desired boundary, such as the perimeter of a physical space or building. However, shaping or focusing the signals from the radios employed in the WLAN could be extremely expensive and may actually adversely effect WLAN performance by narrowing the radio coverage area within the desired perimeter. In addition, while the use of materials within the outer walls of a physical space, for example, to confine WLAN RF signals may be possible, it is also quite expensive and may not be entirely effective.
In light of the foregoing, a need in the art exists for securing the perimeter of WLAN deployments in a manner that prevents meaningful access, or capture of, wireless packets or frames by unauthorized systems outside of the security perimeter. Embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill this need.

Wireless network perimeter security system using overlaying radio frequency signals


A photo sensor has a first silicon chip and a second silicon chip mounted on the first silicon chip. Photodiodes are formed in an upper surface portion of the second silicon chip to transform light into electric signals, and circuit elements such as a transistor are formed in an upper surface portion of the first silicon chip to form a signal processing circuit, which manipulates the electric signals from the photodiodes. A metallic thin film is provided on the lower surface of the second silicon chip to cover the circuit element as a shielding film.

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Applications No. 11-121166 filed on Apr. 28, 1999, and No. 2000-42896 filed on Feb. 21, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to photo sensors, and particularly to vehicle photo sensors, which are suitable for an auto-light sensor for automatically turning on or off a headlight, a sunlight sensor for detecting a quantity of solar radiation to control a vehicle air conditioner, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a vehicle photo sensor is required to include a sensing element (photodiode) and a signal processing circuit, which are integrated in one chip, to achieve size reduction, functional improvement, and low cost thereof. This kind of photo sensor is disclosed in JP-A-10-173158. The photo sensor has a shielding film for covering a transistor, and determines a distance between a shielding film edge portion and a transistor edge portion to securely prevent faulty operation of the transistor caused by strong light (sunlight).
In the photo sensor, however, the shielding film must be formed at a wide region to prevent the faulty operation of the transistor, resulting in large chip size. When the photo sensor is used as an auto-light sensor, the photo sensor is required to have sufficient sensitivity to detect very weak sunlight in the evening with low illuminance, especially immediately before sunset. Because of this, an area of a photodiode for sensing sunlight needs to be increased so that a detection signal is increased. This results in further increased chip size. In the conventional sensor, because the photodiode is formed in the same substrate as that for circuit elements for constituting the signal processing circuit, the substrate cost and processing cost are high. Further, because the photodiode is disposed at the central portion of the substrate, the layout of the circuit elements is limited by the photodiode.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a photo sensor with a reduced size at low cost, while preventing faulty operation of a circuit thereof.
According to the present invention, a photo sensor has a first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip mounted on the first semiconductor chip. A photoelectric transformation element for transforming a quantity of light incident thereon into a signal is provided in a surface portion of the second semiconductor chip, and a circuit element for manipulating the signal is provided in a surface portion of the first semiconductor chip under the second semiconductor chip. Further, a shielding film is disposed between the first and second semiconductor chips.
The shielding film prevents light from entering the circuit element to prevent faulty operation of the circuit element. Further, because the photoelectric transformation element and the circuit element are provided in the separate semiconductor chips, each size of the chips and the area of the shielding film are decreased and the manufacturing cost is reduced. The layout of the circuit element is not limited by the photoelectric transformation element.

Photo sensor with signal processing circuit


A method and apparatus for alternately providing and releasing suction to a plurality of pool drains or if desired alternately providing suction and liquid under pressure to pool drains to prevent one from becoming stuck to the drains. This includes introducing a valve arrangement between the drains and the suction pump which is continuously operated to control the flow between the drains and the pump.

In the typical whirlpool or hot tub, the water is normally pulled out of the hot tub or whirlpool through a drain system at the base of the tub into the inlet of a suction pump and then drained or recirculated back to the tub or pool through jets located around the interior wall of the pool or tub. The jet action or pulsing effect provides a relaxing environment to the individuals sitting in the relatively hot water. It is well known that whirlpools containing turbulent hot circulating water has a therapeutic effect on the occupants.
In conventional hot tubs and whirlpools currently in use, drains are subject to constant suction by the pumps to provide the recirculating effect and the turbulence in the pool to bring about the desired therapeutic effect. Since it is possible that an individual sitting in the pool may be in the immediate proximity of a drain, there are concerns that one may not be readily able to remove oneself therefrom. There are two reasons for this. One is the possibility that the forces holding the individual on the drain due to the pump suction are often of a sufficient strength to prevent one from lifting themselves from the drain and exiting from the pool or tub. Even the smallest pump is capable of developing very high suction levels. The second possibility is the whirlpool or undertow effect that produces fluid flow patterns that capture and retain a bather. This concern is particularly great when large horsepower pumps are used that create high flow rates in the neighborhood of the pool drains. Unfortunately, there is often no ready way to turn off the pump to eliminate the suction or high flow effect which could hold one on or in the neighborhood of the drain and cause injury or possibly result in someone drowning. The industry has suggested methods for eliminating the development of high suction levels through the use of multiple interconnected drains. These low-tech solutions recognize that disembowelment occurs very rapidly when bathers sit on non-interconnected drains and effectively stop all flow. The industry has also proposed pressure detection devices that shut off the pump at preset critical suction levels. These high-tech solutions raise questions of reliability, calibration, stability, and maintenance capability by foreseeable pool operators. To deal with the whirlpool or undertow problem, the industry has suggested limitations on the drain flow rate. Unfortunately, high capacity large horsepower systems for the larger pools cannot usually adopt low flow rates at the drains without compromising, for example, the aggressive nature of recirculating jets used for therapeutic treatment in hot tubs. This high drain flow rate problem which gives rise to the whirlpool or undertow effect has not been addressed by the industry.


A purge and trap concentrator has a sample processing system that includes a network of fluid passageways and fluid control devices. A flow controller couples to a purge gas inlet provides an electrically adjustable purge gas flow rate as a function of an electrical input. A digital controller provides the system cycle and provides the electrical input. The electrical input varies as a function of the system cycle to increase the rate of flow of purge gas during a bake step relative to the rate of flow of purge gas during a purge step in the system cycle.

A purge and trap concentrator, such as the Tekmar-Dohrmann Velocity XPT Sample Concentrator, receives a liquid sample that typically includes volatile compounds. When the purge and trap concentrator passes a purge gas through the sample, volatile compounds are purged from the liquid as gas or vapor and trapped in a trap. The trapped volatile compounds are then transferred to a gas chromatograph or other chemical analysis instrument for chemical analysis. The purge and trap concentrator can heat the liquid sample to a precisely reproducible temperature to improve extraction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ensure repeatability of the chemical analysis. The analysis cycle time needed to inject a liquid sample, heat it to the correct temperature, purge the volatile sample from the liquid, drain the purge and trap concentrator, and bake and cool the trap to prepare it for the next sample sets a limit on the rate at which the purge and trap concentrator can complete processing of multiple samples. In an environment where samples can be delivered at a high rate, and a high speed gas chromatograph or other gas analyzer can analyze samples at a high rate, the purge and trap concentrator becomes a limiting factor or bottleneck for production speed. There is a need to reduce the analysis cycle time of the purge and trap concentrator to improve productivity in chemical analysis of volatile compounds.

Purge and trap concentrator with electrically adjusted purge flow


A hose-type structure is arranged essentially between the tire and the rim, which structure is connected at the end side with the environment and, by way of a valve, with the interior of the tire. The hose-type structure fills the tire during its rotating movement, and is locally squeezed from the environment side toward the tire interior, in which case the hose-type structure is provided in the area between the tire and the rim flange. A duct is provided in the rim flange or in the tire in the area of its bead chamfer, and at least partially receives the hose-type structure in the form of a hose. The geometry of the duct and of the hose-type structure is selected such that this air-conveying squeezing essentially takes place only as long as the internal tire pressure is below a desired value.

The invention relates to an arrangement for filling air into a pneumatic tire arranged on a rim, rotating together with this rim and comprising a hose-type structure arranged essentially between the tire and the rim, which structure is connected at the end side with the environment and by way of a valve, with the interior of the tire and which, for filling the tire during its rotating movement, is locally squeezed from the environment side toward the tire interior. With respect to the technical background, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,052,456 and 4,922,984.
Normally, the pneumatic tires arranged on wheels of vehicles are filled, depending on the requirements, by way of a valve. An air lead-through provided in the pertaining wheel hub area is also known, which has controllable valves and a rotating air pump mounted in the wheel area, the driving torque of the air pump being generated during the wheel rotation by a mass with a center of gravity arranged in an offset manner. Furthermore, International Patent Document WO 02/051655 A2 discloses a device in the manner of an air pump which is driven by means of the self-movement of the tire bead during the rotating of the tire.
While a simple filling by way of the valve is readily neglected or forgotten, the filling by way of controllable valves requires high expenditures because of the required lines, the sensing of the wheel load and of the pressure as well as the pertaining control. Even the above-mentioned air pump constructions cause high constructional expenditures. In comparison, an arrangement according to the initially mentioned documents is simpler. In this case, a first embodiment illustrated in this document also still requires relatively high expenditures since, in this case, an independent contact pressure device is required by means of which a hose rotating together with the wheel or the tire is locally continuously squeezed, in which case this contact pressure device also should be capable of being positioned differently so that a filling of the tire is carried out only when required. In the case of a second embodiment illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,052,456 and 4,922,984, no such contact pressure device is required. The pneumatic tire itself operates as such. However, according to this second embodiment, air can be pumped into tire only when the latter flat-spots considerably with its tire contact area; that is, now only has a very low internal pressure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simplified and nevertheless effective arrangement for filling a pneumatic tire.
According to the invention, a hose-type structure, which operates as an air pump as a result of locally displaced squeezing, is provided in the area of the so-called rim flange of the rim carrying the tire. When the geometrical design or the arrangement is suitable, it can be ensured in this area in a simple manner that a rotating tire with an internal pressure which is too low in the continuously moving-along contact area, (i.e., the circumferential section in each case representing the tire contact surface), continuously squeezes the hose-type structure such that, through this hose-type structure, as desired, air is conveyed or pumped into the tire interior from an intake section connected with the environment. Because of the tire deformation taking place when the interior tire pressure is too low, this takes place in the tire side wall area adjacent to the rim flange or in the bead chamfer bulge of the tire. In this case, a corresponding tire deformation occurs already when the internal tire pressure is only to a relatively small degree below the normal desired pressure value. If, in contrast, the internal tire pressure is in the range of the desired value or above, normally no correspondingly intensive tire deformation takes place, and—as desired—no additional air is then transported through the hose-type structure into the tire interior.
As far as the constructive design is concerned, the hose-type structure can be arranged in a duct, so that its position can be defined and maintained in a best possible manner. Thus, a duct can be provided in the rim flange, which duct at least partially receives the hose-type structure in the form of a hose. This hose is then squeezed while the wheel or tire rotates because of its contact area in a locally continuous manner by the section of the lateral tire wall close to the rim or by its so-called bead chamfer. As an alternative, a duct can be provided in the tire itself in the area of its bead chamfer, which duct at least partially receives the hose-type structure in the form of a hose. Then the squeezing force of the rotating rim flange is applied to the hose which, in the case of this arrangement, is also essentially pressed against the rim flange only in the respective contact section of the tire. Another embodiment of the present invention operates in a similar manner, in which a hollow duct is shaped in the tire itself in the area of its bead or bead chamfer, which hollow duct forms a hose-type structure and describes a closed cross-section. This hollow duct can be produced during the manufacturing of the tire, for example, by using the "non-permanent mold principle" from the casting practice or by the installation of a wire-shaped preform which can be pulled out after the heating process.
In principle, it is recommended that the geometry of the duct and of the hose-type structure or of the hollow duct forming the latter be selected such, and the additional elements participating in filling air into a tire by a local squeezing of the hose-type structure be designed such that this air-conveying squeezing takes place essentially only as long as the internal tire pressure is below a desired value required for the respective current wheel load. The process described above, in which, while the tire is rotating, the hose-type structure or the hose is locally squeezed having a displacing effect from the environment side toward the tire interior, will then take place only until the internal tire pressure has reached its desired value, after which, with a given load, the radial compression of the tire and thus the strength of the side wall or bead chamfer bulge is reduced to such an extent that the hose (or the hose-type structure) is no longer to the complete internal sealing and thus loses its air sealing capability; that is, can no longer pump or convey any additional air. Thus, when the components have a corresponding design, the overall system can therefore be virtually self-governing, according to the principle of a "high-pressure self-governed compressor".
As mentioned above, by means of the hose-type structure, air can be conveyed from the environment into the tire interior by means of a locally displaced squeezing of the hose-type structure, in which case a suitable valve, particularly a check valve, is provided in the transition area to the tire interior. This check valve may be a flap valve or may be formed by the conventional tire valve. In addition, the hose-type structure may be equipped with a filter, particularly a hydrophobic capillary-pore membrane filter, on the intake side toward the environment. This prevents air contaminations present in the tire area and water from being brought into the tire air or into the hose-type structure, which may cause valve leakiness, clogging, icing and corrosion or chemical attacks there.

Arrangement for filling air into a rotating pneumatic tire

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


A liquid ejecting head includes: a pressure generation chamber that communicates with a nozzle opening; a pressure generation unit that generates a change in a pressure in the pressure generation chamber; a manifold that communicates with a plurality of pressure generation chambers; and a rib that is provided inside the manifold, in which the rib is formed over the manifold in a direction intersecting a liquid flowing inside the manifold, and in which a notch section that divides the flow inside the manifold into two is provided in the rib.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting head ejecting a liquid from nozzle openings and a liquid ejecting apparatus, and, specifically, to an ink jet type recording head ejecting ink as the liquid and an ink jet type recording apparatus.
2. Related Art
As an ink jet type recording head that is a representative example of a liquid ejecting head ejecting liquid droplets, for example, there is an ink jet type recording head that includes nozzle openings and a flow path of a pressure generation chamber communicating with the nozzle openings and the like, in which ink droplets are ejected from the nozzle openings by generating a pressure change in ink inside the pressure generation chamber caused by a pressure generation unit.
In such an ink jet type recording head, components contained in the ink evaporate from the nozzle openings so that the ink is thickened and variation occurs in ejection characteristics of the ink droplets with elapse of time, and then ejection quality of the liquid cannot be maintained to be constant. Furthermore, if the components contained in the ink settle and a difference occurs between components of the ink droplets when continuously ejecting the ink and components of the ink droplets when ejecting the ink at time intervals, variation also occurs in the ejection quality of the liquid.
Thus, an ink jet type recording head is suggested in which ink is supplied to a manifold that is a common liquid chamber communicating commonly with a plurality of pressure generation chambers and the ink is recovered from the manifold, and the ink is circulated by repeating the supply and recovery, thereby thickening of the ink and settling of the components contained in the ink being suppressed (for example, see JP-A-2009-247938 and Japanese Patent No. 3161095).
However, even if the ink inside the manifold is circulated, a temperature difference (temperature gradient) occurs between a temperature of a center of ink flow inside the manifold and a temperature of the ink inside the pressure generation chamber to which the ink is supplied from the manifold, and even if the ink having a desired temperature is circulated inside the manifold, the temperature of the ink inside the pressure generation chamber is lower than that of the ink inside the manifold so that there are problems that the ink cannot be ejected at an optimum temperature and optimum ejection characteristics cannot be obtained.
Furthermore, if a volume of the manifold is reduced, a temperature gradient of the ink between a side of a liquid ejecting surface and a side opposite to the liquid ejecting surface inside the manifold or a temperature gradient of the ink in an arrangement direction of the pressure generation chambers can be reduced, but there are problems that pressure loss is increased, a change in a pressure of the pressure generation unit cannot be absorbed on the side of the manifold, crosstalk occurs, and the like.
Thus, a configuration is disclosed in which a temperature gradient of ink inside a manifold is suppressed by providing a protrusion section within the manifold without remarkably reducing a volume of the manifold (for example, see JP-A-2013-230659).
However, in JP-A-2013-230659, a center of ink flow flowing inside the manifold is moved and the temperature gradient of the ink inside the manifold can be suppressed by providing a protrusion section inside the manifold, but there are problems that air bubbles stagnate in a corner portion and the like formed by the protrusion section and a wall surface of the manifold and the air bubbles enter the pressure generation chamber and the like at an unexpected timing, and there is a concern that defects such as ink ejection failure may occur.
Furthermore, when the air bubbles stagnating inside the manifold grow, there are problems that the air bubbles becomes a buffer to a region facing the air bubbles in the pressure generation chamber communicating with the manifold and affect a pressure fluctuation in the pressure generation chamber, a variation in the pressure fluctuation occurs between the pressure generation chamber communicating with the manifold in the region facing the air bubbles and the pressure generation chamber communicating with the manifold in a region not facing the air bubbles, and there is a concern that a variation occurs in ejection characteristics of ink droplets.
Moreover, such problems also similarly exist in a liquid ejecting head ejecting a liquid other than ink in addition to the ink jet type recording head.

Liquid ejecting head and liquid ejecting apparatus with a rib which divides the flow of the liquid inside the manifold in two


A battery storage mechanism has a plurality of holders for holding batteries. The holders has a plurality of cut sections for assisting a removal of battery. A movable switch plate is installed in the vicinity of the cut sections. The switch plate covers at least one of the cut sections, and uncovers a desired cut section by changing a position where the switch member stops. Each holder has a rib which locks the switch plate when a battery is removed from the holder. When a battery is stored in the holder, the rib comes into contact with the battery and changes the position of the rib to unlock the switch plate. If one of the batteries is removed from battery storage section, the switch plate is locked and prohibits the removal of other batteries. If this battery storage mechanism is used in an electronic device having a memory function, it is possible to prevent data in the memory from being lost by a suspension of power supply.

A small-size electronic device having a memory function, such as a pocket-size computers needs a main battery for operating the device, and a memory backup battery for retaining data in a memory when a supply of power is suspended, for example, during replacement of the main battery.
In such an electronic device, if a user mistakenly removes the memory backup battery from the device together with the main battery when replacing the main battery, data stored in a memory such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) is lost. To prevent such a trouble, the electronic device needs to have a battery storage mechanism which allows replacing the memory backup battery only when the main battery is stored, and allows replacing the main battery only when the memory backup battery is stored.
For example, a pocket-size computer (model number: PA-X1) produced by Sharp has such a battery storage mechanism. The mechanism is explained below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.
This battery storage mechanism has holders 23 and 24 which have a circular cross-section and hold two disk-shaped batteries 21 and 22 when inserted therein. The holders 23 and 24 are disposed adjacent to each other on a chassis 25. The batteries 21 and 22 are held in the holders 23 and 24 by pushing them toward the center of the holders 23 and 24 with pushing means such as a flat spring, not shown.
The chassis 25 has cuts 23a and 24a for assisting the removal of the batteries 21 and 22 from the holders 23 and 24. The cuts 23a and 24a are made on a tangent line touching edges of the holders 23 and 24.
In order to prevent the removal of the battery 21 from the holder 23, a first battery lid 26 is mounted to be movable in a diametrical direction of the holder 23. More specifically, the first battery lid 26 is movable between a removal protect position and a removal permit position. In the removal protect position, part of the holder 23 and the entire cut 23a are covered with the battery lid 26. In the removal permit position, the cut 23a is not covered with the battery lid 26 so that a stick-like jig is inserted into the cut 23a to remove the battery 21 from the holder 23.
In order to prevent the removal of the battery 22 from the holder 24, a second battery lid 27 having a structure similar to that of the first battery lid 26 is mounted to be movable in a diametrical direction of the holder 24.
Since these battery lids 26 and 27 are provided for covering the cuts 23a and 24a, they do not have a function to hold the batteries 21 and 22. In other words, whilst the battery lids 26 and 27 cover part of the batteries 21 and 22 stored in the holder 23 and 24, they are not in contact with the batteries 21 and 22.
A near rectangular switch plate 28 for restricting movements of the first battery lid 26 and second lid 27 is mounted to be movable on the above-mentioned tangent line against the chassis 25. Disposed at the center of the switch plate 28 is a knob 28a which is to be held by the hand when moving the switch plate 28.
The switch plate 28 has a first raised section 28b for preventing a movement of the first lid 26, and a second raised section 28c for preventing a movement of the second lid 27. When the knob 28a is in a position substantially aligned with a first mark 29a indicating the removal protect position (standby position), edges of the first lid 26 and second lid 27 come into contact with the first raised section 28b and second raised section 28c, respectively, to prevent the movements of the first lid 26 and second lid 27.
When the knob 28a is moved to a position substantially aligned with a second mark 29b indicating a position where a removal of the battery 21 is available, the first raised section 28b comes to a position where it is unable to prevent a movement of the first lid 26 and the second raised section 28c comes to a position where it is able to prevent a movement of the second lid 27.
When the knob 28a is moved to a position substantially aligned with a third mark 29c indicating a position where a removal of the battery 22 is available, the second raised section 28c comes to a position where it is unable to prevent a movement of the second lid 27 and the first raised section 28b come to a position where it is able to prevent a movement of the first lid 26.
Mounted on a back surface of the chassis 25 is a substantially U-shaped first rib 30 which controls a movement of the switch plate 28 by detecting whether the battery 21 is stored in the holder 23. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the first rib 30 is pushed toward the front surface of the chassis 25 by a coil spring 30a.
The chassis 25 has a through-hole 25a. A detection end 30b as one of the ends of the first rib 30 passes through-hole 25a and is inserted into the holder 23 from the back surface of the chassis 25.
The chassis 25 also has a through-hole 25b. A lock end 30c as the other end of the first rib 30 passes through the through-hole 25b and comes into contact with the back surface of the switch plate 28.
Moreover, a substantially U-shaped second rib 31 is mounted on the back surface of the chassis 25 like the first rib 30. The second rib 31 controls a movement of the switch plate 28 by detecting whether the battery 22 is stored in the holder 24.
A first lock hole 32 is formed in the back surface of the switch plate 28 so that the lock end 30c of the first rib 30 fits into the first lock hole 32 when the switch plate 28 is moved to a position where the knob 28a is in a position substantially aligned with the second mark 29b.
When the battery 21 is removed form the holder 23 after moving the switch plate 28 to the position where the knob 28a is in the position substantially aligned with the second mark 29b, the first rib 30 which has been pushed down by the battery 21 is moved toward the front surface of the chassis 25 by the coil spring 30a. Therefore, the lock end 30c fits into the first lock hole 32 and prevents a movement of the switch plate 28.
Furthermore, a second lock hole 33 is formed in the back surface of the switch plate 28 so that the lock end 31c of the second rib 31 fits into the second lock hole 33 when the switch plate 28 is moved to a position where the knob 28a is substantially aligned with the third mark 29c. At this time, when the battery 22 is removed from the holder 24, the lock end 31c fits into the second lock hole 33 and prevents a movement of the switch plate 28.
The following description discusses an operation of the battery storage mechanism. When the electronic device is operated normally, the cuts 23a and 24a are covered with the first lid 26 and second led 27. Therefore, the removal of the first and second batteries 26 and 27 becomes unavailable.
At this time, the knob 28a of the switch plate 28 is substantially aligned with the first mark 29a, and the first raised section 28b and second raised section 28c of the switch plate 28 are in the position to prevent the movements of the first lid 26 and second lid 27.
Next, for example, replacing the battery 21 is discussed below. As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the knob 28a is moved to the position where it is substantially aligned with the second mark 29b, i.e., replacement position of the battery 21, the first raised section 28b of the switch plate 28 comes to the position where it is unable to prevent a movement of the first lid 26. At this time, the second raised section 28c of the switch plate 28 comes to a position where it is able to prevent a movement of the second lid 27.
After opening the first lid 26 to expose the cut 23a, for example, a stick-like jig is inserted into the cut 23a to remove the battery 21 from the holder 23. Then, the detection end 30b of the first rib 30 comes out of contact with the battery 21, and the first rib 30 is moved toward the front surface of the chassis 25 by the coil spring 30a.
As a result, the lock end 30c fits into the first lock hole 32 and prevents a movement of the switch plate 28. When a new battery 21 is stored in the holder 23, the detection end 30b is pushed by the battery 21 and the first rib 30 is moved toward the back surface of the chassis 25 against the pushing force of the coil spring 30a. Consequently, the lock end 30c and the first lock hole 32 come out of contact with each other.
Finally, the first lid 26 is moved to cover the cut 23a and the switch plate 28 is moved back to the initial position to complete the replacement of the battery 21. The battery 22 is also replaced in the same manner.
With this structure, however, replacing the battery 21 for example requires a complicated process, i.e., three steps of actions: moving the switch plate 28 to the replacement position; moving the first lid 26; and removing the battery 21. In addition, since the mechanism is complicated, the manufacturing cost is increased and the rate of defective products is hard to be decreased.

Battery storage mechanism for electronic device


An impeller retention apparatus is provided. The impeller retention apparatus includes a bearing element, a rotatable gear shaft rotatably supported within an outer body by the bearing element, an impeller disposed about and coupled to the rotatable gear shaft to rotate with the rotatable gear shaft, a preload spacer and a flexible coupling. The preload spacer is disposed along the rotatable gear shaft between the impeller and the bearing element and includes a forward preload spacer end abutting an aft end of the bearing element, an aft preload spacer end abutting a forward face of the impeller and an elastic element that biases the impeller away from the bearing element in an axial direction along the rotatable gear shaft. The flexible coupling is coupled to the rotatable gear shaft such that the outer body and the flexible coupling cooperatively define an annulus from which the impeller receives an airflow.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to an impeller retention apparatus of an aircraft and, more particularly, to an impeller retention apparatus of an aircraft that includes a preload spacer.
An aircraft, such as a helicopter, includes an airframe formed to define a cabin, a main rotor and a tail rotor, which are supportively disposed at upper and tail portions of the airframe, respectively. An engine drives rotation of the main and tail rotors via a transmission system including a shaft that extends through the tail portion. In such aircraft, retention of a shaft driven impeller that is typically utilized to move air through a heat exchanger has traditionally been achieved with a threaded locknut. In many cases, the impeller would either use internal splines or a keyway as an interface with the driving shaft and be held in place with the threaded locknut.
These types of retention schemes for the impeller can give rise to a sharp corner or thread radii on the outer diameter of the shaft. These sharp corners or thread radii produce stress concentrations which ultimately can be an origin for a shaft fracture. In addition, locknuts can loosen and result in loss of preloading.


An engine control unit configuration security system receives a request with a serial number associated with an engine control unit and a requested engine control unit change. The system determines that the requested engine control unit change is approved and in response generates a code including a serial number associated with the engine control unit and an instruction that causes the engine control unit to implement the requested engine control unit change.

Modern engines of all types are complex machines that require precise calibrations of many parameters to operate at optimal performance and efficiency. Therefore, many manufacturers of engines set such calibrations at manufacture and associate "types" with the calibrations and with the engine control unit that controls the engine. These types can then be used to ensure that only calibrations that have the same type as the engine control unit or a type compatible with the engine control unit may be implemented on the unit. Manufacturers of engines may not allow end users to adjust calibrations at all, instead requiring that any changes be performed or approved in advance by the manufacturer to ensure the engine remains properly calibrated and within operating specifications.

Engine control unit configuration security


A method for the real-time metatagging and captioning of an event. The method for the real-time metatagging and captioning of an event may include embedding metatag information in a caption file provided by a captioner. The embedded metatag information may allow a user to access additional information via the text of the captioned event. The metatag information may be embedded using a captioning device that creates both the text code and embeds the metatag code.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to metatagging, and more particularly to real-time metatagging of an audio steam, a video stream and/or a captioned event.
2. Background Discussion
Many events, television programs, movies, live performances, courtroom activities, and so on, are transcribed, captioned or have associated text corresponding to the event. These captions and/or text may be produced and/or added to the event as it is ongoing or during a replay of the event. The caption and/or text may also be used later, either separately, played back, as a transcript or concurrently with associated video, to review the event. Captions and/or text are often useful, for example, when hearing-impaired individuals watch or participate in the event by an individual watching the event at a low or zero volume, or to clarify audio of the event. "Captions," as used herein, generally refer to a transcription or summation of an event or audio associated with the event, such as the words spoken during the event. In one example, "text" may be a caption.
Captions may be shown on various displays such as televisions, computing device (including handheld and portable computing devices), personal digital assistants ("PDAs"), mobile devices and so on. Although a user may have access to captions and/or text associated with video streams, as well as audio streams relating to or containing audio associated with an event, the user may desire additional information regarding the event or to review the text of specific portions of the event as the event continues to take place. The user may view the captioning text on the aforementioned displays, but may desire access to additional information regarding the event. Generally, the additional information may take a variety of forms, including personal information for individuals in the event, statistics associated with the event, participants therein, entities associated therewith, prior similar events, and so on. However, the user may not have real-time access to information associated with the event. Users may look up such information via the Internet, but this generally requires the user split his focus or concentration by either using a separate device for such research or momentarily ignoring the event to otherwise access the information through another function of the same device (for example, opening a second application on a computer).
Thus, a method of real-time metatagging of at least audio streams, video streams and/or events is desirable. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved method for the real-time metatagging of audio streams, video streams and/or captioned events.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device includes an image capturing unit configured to obtain a plurality of images upon receiving one or more user inputs, a processor configured to process one or more of the plurality of images, and a display configured to display the one or more of the plurality of images, where the processor is further configured to select at least one image from the plurality of images, based on a facial expression of one or more objects recognized on the one or more of the plurality of images and a clarity of at least a portion of the one or more of the plurality of images.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electronic device, and more particularly, to an electronic device for taking a picture.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the availability of a wide variety of digital cameras, recently, a camera has been recognized by people as an electronic device for general use. To the extent that different mobile devices (i.e., a digital camera, a portable phone, or a smart phone) have at least a built-in camera, frequency of use of the mobile device camera by people has progressively increased.
Accordingly, it is essentially realized that contemporary mobile devices are capable of carrying out video communication and data communication as well as voice communication. It is, especially, realized that the mobile devices employ at least a digital camera module so as to perform a function of a digital camera.
The digital camera module employed in the mobile device only has basic functions necessary for photographing, storing and transmitting. In order to satisfy different requirements of users, however, technological developments for improving a quality and functions of the mobile devices continue.
Recently, the mobile devices have been improved so that they possess the performance capabilities, quality and functions equal to or more effective than those of general digital cameras. Particularly, the mobile devices have various functions for editing photographed images as well as setting photographing states and photographing environments, so as to satisfy the requirements of the user.

Apparatus and method for continuously taking a picture