A vibration fan includes a base, an electromagnetic actuator and a blade. The electromagnetic actuator is disposed on the base, and includes a movable magnetic component and a fixed magnetic component. The movable magnetic component reciprocates relative to the fixed magnetic component. The blade is connected to the movable magnetic component.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a fan. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a vibration fan.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to enable easy carrying of portable devices, portable devices are being developed having configurations that are increasingly lighter and thinner. Because the physical size of portable devices is getting smaller, the demands for heat dissipation are increasing. Therefore, heat dissipation technology is an important field.
A portable device generally employs a centrifugal fan to dissipate heat. A blade of the centrifugal fan rotates in a flow channel, and consequently generates air flow and also directs the air flow towards a ventilation orifice, thereby dissipating heat to the external environment by heat convection.
However, although the centrifugal fan can effectively generate and direct air flow to dissipate heat, the rotating blade generates an annoying noise. Further, minimizing the size of the centrifugal fan is not easy because a bearing and a rotating blade are necessary elements therein, and therefore, the centrifugal fan may impede miniaturization of the portable device. Still further, if the height of the bearing of the centrifugal fan is reduced in an effort to minimize the size of the centrifugal fan, the strength of the bearing may be decreased, and hence, the bearing may be damaged easily, thereby reducing the life of the centrifugal fan.
Some manufacturers utilize piezoelectric fans to dissipate heat, such as the piezoelectric fan disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0150753 and entitled "Oscillating Diaphragm Fan Having Coupled Subunits and a Housing Having an Oscillating Diaphragm Fan of this Type." Typically, a piezoelectric fan has to provide a high voltage to deform the piezoelectric material, so as to agitate air and generate air flow. If the piezoelectric fan is installed in a portable device, a considerable amount of power may be consumed, resulting in draining of the battery in a short time. Therefore, the piezoelectric fan is not suitable for use in a portable device.

Vibration fan with movable magnetic component


A toner contained in a hopper is fed to an electrostatic conveyance member by a supply roller. With an actuator of the electrostatic conveyance member functioning, the toner is conveyed while being electrically charged at the same time, and is then supplied to a development roller. A thin layer of toner is formed on the development roller under the effect of an electric field. Since the toner is formed and charged without a mechanical layer thickness controlling member such as a doctor blade, mechanical stress acting on the toner is reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for image forming, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for image forming capable of effectively reducing mechanical stresses to developers during a transportation for a development to reproduce a superior quality image.
2. Description of the Related Art
A development device using a dry developer containing at least a toner is known in the field of an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic technique, such as a copying apparatus, a facsimile machine, or a printer. In a known development device, a toner agitated in the development unit is deposited on the surface of a developer carrying member such as a development roller or a development sleeve, is formed in a uniform thin layer by a thin layer forming member such as a thin layer forming blade, and is conveyed to a development zone facing a photoconductive body as a latent image carrying member to develop a toner image from the latent image on the photoconductive body. Subsequent to development, the toner not transferred to the photoconductive body is returned into the development unit, agitated, charged and conveyed to the development zone again.
A development unit, disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-148937, includes a development supply roller 120, as a developer carrying member, for supplying a toner to a development sleeve 110 as a developer carrying member, and a developer limiting roller 130 as a thin layer forming member (as shown in FIG. 2). In this arrangement, the developer is allowed to pass through between the development sleeve 110 and the limiting roller 130 to form the toner on the development sleeve 110 into a thin layer.
However, the toner in the development unit is subject to a large mechanical stress when the toner is formed into a thin layer by the thin layer forming member such as a thin layer forming blade or the developer limiting roller. Typically, an external additive is attached to the periphery of a matrix resin of toner to impart flowability to the toner. Under the presence of mechanical stress, the external additive is buried into the matrix resin. This reduces the flowability of the toner, thereby causing the toner to aggregate. The aggregated toner reduces the amount charge thereof, thereby leading to scumming, and toner supply failure. The toner tends to age rapidly, and maintaining image quality becomes difficult.

Method and apparatus for image forming capable of reducing mechanical stresses to developers during transportation for development


A connector is provided for electrically connecting a coaxial cable having a conductive inner wire surrounded by a conductive outer jacket and an insulator therebetween to a two-wire circuit. The connector comprises a conductive bottom contact member having a first passageway dimensioned to fit only the inner wire and the insulator therethrough and to block the conductive outer jacket. A conductive top contact member has a second passageway for the inner wire and the insulator and a clamping member for securing the inner wire to the top contact member. An insulating member for electrically separates the bottom contact member from the top contact member. A pendant-style light fixture using the coaxial connector is also disclosed.

Currently in the lighting industry, many lighting manufacturers produce low voltage pendant-style electrical fixtures. These pendant-style electrical fixtures are produced for lighting highlighting artwork, collections or architectural details, and can also provide general or task illumination for an entire room or a portion of a room.
Each conventional low voltage pendant-style fixture is suspended from a ceiling mounted fixture or supportive structure via a coaxial cable secured to a coaxial connector. In turn, the coaxial connector is fastened to a mating member of the ceiling mounted fixture to provide support and electric current to the pendant-style fixture. The coaxial cable is the current carrying element of the low voltage pendant-style fixture.
Generally, a conventional low voltage pendant-style fixture is configured to provide a cable adjustment feature to enable a modification of the length of the coaxial cable in order to hang the respective fixture at a suitable height or distance from ceiling mounted fixture or supportive structure. Typically, the cable length adjustment is performed by detaching the cable from the coaxial connector, trimming the cable to a predetermined length, and reconnecting the cable to the coaxial connector for mating to the ceiling mounted fixture. However, due to the structural composition of the coaxial cable which typically includes a braided outer jacket or sheath and a insulated inner wire, an installer or user may find the coaxial cable length adjustment to be a tedious and imprecise process.
Furthermore, during a reconnection of the coaxial cable to the coaxial connector, strands of the braided outer member may become frayed and come into contact with other current carrying elements of the connector, thereby potentially resulting in either a short circuit or an open electrical connection. When proper electrical contact is not achieved, the coaxial cable and connector contact points need to be visibly checked or the electrical fitting between coaxial cable and connector needs to be disassembled. Unfortunately, in typical coaxial connectors, contact points are not readily visible.
Moreover, conventional coaxial connectors utilize a screw to achieve a secure mechanical attachment to the coaxial cable which typically damages the outer braided member of the cable, thereby requiring a trimming or shortening of the cable prior to reattaching to the coaxial connector. This trimming of the cable may prevent the user or installer from hanging the light fixture at the desired or suitable height, and may lead to the purchase of another cable. Thus, this cable trimming engenders loss of time and materials.
Therefore, a need exists for a coaxial connector that overcomes the problems noted above and others previously experienced when operating as an electrical contact and mechanical support for a pendant-style fixture. These and other needs will become apparent to those of skill in the art after readying the present specification.

Coaxial connector and method for connecting cable to same


A wafer sorting system utilizing optical character recognition and optical "gate sensors" to determine the orientation of the wafers for prealigning. It is envisioned that the machine will be installed in conjunction with a computer controller and multiple cassette stations. A first end of a transfer arm of a robot is equipped with an end effector to transfer individual wafers. The end effector of the transfer arm is extendable and retractable to select and remove the desired wafer from its cassette, and to transfer it to the prealigner or a target cassette in its proper orientation. The end effector includes a vacuum pickup and a sensor that enables detection of presence or absence of wafers in the cassette, and any misaligned wafers in the cassette. Further gate sensors are mounted on the prealigner to accomplish the orientation function prior to the wafer being placed on the prealigner chuck. Multiple perimeter points are used to determine the position of the center of the wafer. The optical character recognition capability of the system then allows the individual wafers to be identified and to be sorted as desired.

In the manufacture of integrated circuits, various processes are required to be performed on the silicon wafer that is the substrate of the chips. During manufacture, the wafer is processed from a circular substrate of silicon to a finished wafer containing multiple chips. Wafers are transported in carriers, termed boats or cassettes, to the various operations that are to be performed on the wafer.
Additionally, wafers within a given cassette sometimes need to be sorted as individual wafers as opposed to transporting the entire cassette of wafers. This requirement depends upon which operation is to be next performed on the wafer, or on what the disposition of a given wafer might be.
Any handling of the wafer gives rise to an increased possibility of damage, either by mishandling or by contamination. These factors reduce the yield of the manufacturing process, thereby increasing the cost of production of chips. In a business as competitive as the chip industry, any increase in production cost is highly undesirable.
Therefore, there have been many efforts in the industry to address the problems inherent in handling and sorting wafers. The current state of the art for sorting individual wafers is to use a prealigner to determine the orientation of the wafer, and to then properly position the wafer. Prealigners currently available generally assume that the wafer will be placed on a chuck in a non-centered position. The wafer is spun to determine its eccentricity, and then repositioned in a centered orientation. This method of operation is not only fairly complex, but also requires a two-stage positioning operation. An example of this type of operation is U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,354, issued Aug. 24, 1993 to Volovich for "Semiconductor Object PreAligning Apparatus".
Another method of prealignment is to map the position of the wafer in its non-centered orientation, then use that map to drive an independent positioning means to position the wafer. This allows the user to position the wafer without loading it into the prealigner twice, but does require the independent positioning means. This greatly complicates the positioning operation. This method is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,222, issued May 3, 1994, to Bacchi et al, for "Noncentering Specimen Prealigner".

Method and apparatus for prealigning wafers in a wafer sorting system


A lens apparatus and image pickup apparatus thereof. The lens apparatus includes a first fixed lens-barrel with fixed-side first guide grooves and fixed-side second guide grooves, a first movable lens-barrel arranged at the outside of the fixed lens-barrel, movable-side first guide grooves, a second movable lens-barrel arranged at the inside of the fixed lens barrel, and movable-side guide grooves. Three first rolling element units are provided between the fixed-side guide grooves and the movable-side first guide grooves, and three second rolling element units are provided between the fixed-side second guide grooves and the movable-side second guide grooves. The first movable lens-barrels and the second movable lens-barrels are supported to the one-group lens and the two-group lens in such a manner that they can be independently moved in the optical axis directions of the first and second lenses.

Cited Patent Reference 1, for example, has described an example of this kind of lens apparatus according to the related art. Specifically, the Cited Patent Reference 1 has described a linear actuator, an optical device and a lens-barrel for driving an image pickup lens in an image pickup apparatus such as a camera and a video camera. The lens-barrel described in this Cited Patent Reference 1 is characterized in that this lens-barrel uses a linear actuator in which a moving lens group movable in the optical axis direction, a lens holding means for holding the moving lens group and which can be freely slid along a guide in the optical axis direction, a drive means for driving this lens holding means and a position detecting means are provided at the four corners of the lens-barrel around the moving lens group in the optical axis directions.
According to the lens-barrel having the above-mentioned arrangement described in the Cited Patent Reference 1, there can be expected such effects in which while a bad influence exerted upon magnetism from a magnetic circuit can be decreased to the minimum, the lens-barrel can be reduced in size in the width direction by effectively using vacant spaces of the four corners of the lens-barrel and the lens-barrel can be made compact in size.
Cited Patent Reference 2, for example, has described other example of a lens apparatus according to the related art. Specifically, the Cited Patent Reference 2 has described a lens-barrel for use with a still camera and a video camera. The lens-barrel described in the Cited Patent Reference 2 is characterized in that it includes a movable lens-barrel with a lens held thereon movable in the optical axis direction and which includes a plurality of guide grooves parallel to the optical axis, a fixed lens-barrel having a plurality of second guide grooves opposing to the first guide grooves and which are parallel to the optical axis and a plurality of hard balls sandwiched between the opposing first and second guide grooves.
According to the lens-barrel having the above-mentioned arrangement described in the Cited Patent Reference 2, there can be expected such effects in which the hard balls are sandwiched between the guide grooves parallel to the optical axis so that the movable lens-barrel can be moved forward and backward very smoothly.
Cited Patent Reference 3 has described a further example of a lens apparatus according to the related art. Specifically, the Cited Patent Reference 3 has described a lens-barrel apparatus and a drive apparatus for driving a driven body which can be applied to a lens system of a video camera and the like. The lens-barrel apparatus described in the Cited Patent Reference 3 is characterized in that it includes a lens-barrel, a lens located within the lens-barrel, a holding means for holding the lens, the holding means including a coil, a yoke located within the lens-barrel in response to the circumference of the holding means, a magnet located within the yoke to move the holding means within the lens-barrel, the magnet constructing a linear actuator together with the coil when the coil is energized and a guide means for driving the linear actuator to guide the holding means of the lens along the lens-barrel, the guide means located at the position inside the radius direction as compared with the yoke, the magnet and the coil.
According to the lens-barrel apparatus having the above-mentioned arrangement described in the Cited Patent Reference 3, there can be achieved the effects in which the guide means such as a guide shaft need not be located at the outside of the lens-barrel apparatus so that the outer shape of the lens-barrel apparatus can be simplified.
[Cited Patent Reference 1]: Japanese Published Patent Application No. 11-150972
[Cited Patent Reference 2]: Japanese Published Patent Application No. 8-29656
[Cited Patent Reference 3]: Japanese Published Patent Application No. 8-15593
However, in the related-art lens apparatus using the linear actuator as the driving means, as shown in the Cited Patent Reference 1, it has been customary for most of the lens apparatus to hold the lens hold frame by using the guide shaft. For this reason, it has been customary that the coil of the driving means is fixed to the place of one portion distant from the center of the optical axis of the movable lens holding frame with a constant distance. Also, it has been customary that the permanent magnet and the yoke of the driving means are located so as to pass through the coil or they are located distant from the coil with a constant distance, that is, the permanent and the yoke are of the so-called coil moving system.
On the other hand, although there is a magnet moving system for moving the permanent magnet and the yoke while the coil is being fixed, the place in which the magnet moving system is located is the same as that in which the coil moving system is located. In such case, it is unavoidable that a part of the lens-barrel is projected or that the outer shape of the lens-barrel becomes angular. As a consequence, a part of the lens-barrel is unavoidably increased in thickness and hence it has been difficult to make the lens-barrel become cylinder with a small diameter, thereby making it difficult to miniaturize the whole of the image pickup apparatus. Further, since most of the lens-barrel uses a ring-like coil having a rectangular shape as a coil and the effective portion of the ring-like coil as the magnetic circuit is only one side of the rectangular, it is inevitable that a magnetic loss becomes large from a standpoint of circuit efficiency of the magnetic circuit.
Also, while some related-art lens apparatus had a ring-like coil located at the outer peripheral side of the lens, such related-art lens apparatus had a structure in which a yoke is formed of a different member, the yoke being inserted into the lens-barrel. As a result, the lens-barrel was increased in thickness, the whole of the apparatus was increased in size unavoidably and driving efficiency was not satisfactory.
On the other hand, a related-art collapsible type lens apparatus will be considered. It has been customary for a collapsible type lens apparatus that a lens holding frame with a cam pin restricted by a linearly movable lens-barrel rotates a cam ring with a cam groove to allow the cam pin to trace the cam groove, thereby the linearly movable lens-barrel to be collapsed. In this case, since frictional resistance generated when the linearly movable lens-barrel is slidably moved is extremely large, it has been customary that the collapsible type lens apparatus can be collapsed by using a DC motor which generates large torque, reduction torque increased by a gear arrangement or by manual operations. Accordingly, it has been difficult to collapse the collapsible type lens apparatus by a linear motor. Furthermore, when the collapsible type lens apparatus is provided with the gear arrangement or motors are separately mounted on the collapsible type lens apparatus, it is unavoidable that the outer shape of the lens-barrel of the lens is increased in thickness. As a result, the whole of the collapsible type lens apparatus might not be miniaturized and decreased in diameter as one wants it to be.
The problems which the present invention will solve and with which the related-art lens apparatus encountered will be described below. In the lens apparatus according to the related art, it has been difficult to miniaturize the lens-barrel of the lens while a plurality of lens holding frames is being made movable. In order to reliably move the movable lens-barrel forward and backward, it is necessary to increase an output from a drive mechanism. To this end, it is unavoidable that the whole of the lens apparatus becomes large in size. In particular, when movable lens-barrels are provided at the inside and the outside of a fixed lens-barrel so that a plurality of movable lens-barrels can be moved forward and backward, the lens apparatus is increased in length in the optical axis direction or it is increased in length in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction. Therefore, it was difficult to miniaturize the whole of the lens apparatus.

Lens apparatus and image pickup apparatus


A method and apparatus for treating gas for delivery into a body cavity, body space or body surface of an animal. The apparatus comprises a housing defining a chamber having an entry port and an exit port. One or more agents are released into the gas stream that flows through the chamber so that the gas stream carries the agent to the animal. Also shown, for use with, or without, the chamber, is an agent chamber adapted to be coupled to at least one structure defining at least one fluid flow path extending at least a portion of the distance between an insufflation device and the body cavity, body space or body surface.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to treating gases delivered into body cavities, spaces or body surfaces of an animal. More specifically, it relates to a device for, and method of, treating gases with one or more agents to be carried by the gas stream to an animal.
2. Related Art
The delivery of gas into the body of a patient is well known for many purposes. Gas is delivered into a body cavity, such as the abdomen, to distend a compliant surface or create pressure for a specific purpose. Distention of the abdomen using gas creates a pneumoperitoneum that achieves a space in which one can examine, repair, remove and surgically manipulate. The space created by gas insufflation is a basic component of laparoscopic surgery. Within the space of the body created by the gas flow and pressure, tissue surfaces and organs can be visualized safely and instruments placed that are used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Examples of such uses include, but are not limited to, coagulation, incision, grasping, clamping, suturing, stapling, moving, retracting and morcelizing. The quality of the gas stream can be modified and conditioned by filtering, heating and hydrating. U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,474 and the aforementioned U.S. patent application disclose methods for conditioning gas in this matter.
There is room for further improvement and advancement. During a procedure that instills gas to a body cavity, body space or body surface, the addition of pharmacologically active or inert materials (organic or inorganic) can enhance tissue healing, reduce infection, reduce adhesion formation, modify the immunologic response, treat neoplasm, treat specific disease processes, reduce pain and assist in diagnosis. It is desirable to provide an apparatus and method suitable for treating gas in such a manner.

Method and apparatus for delivering an agent to the abdomen


A desired node is selected from a tree structure or list and then a number of levels from that node are displayed in a map. For edge nodes, the number of undisplayed links from that node is displayed. When another node is selected on the map, the number of levels is recalculated based on that node or the existing nodes remain and the desired level is additionally displayed from the selected node. Multiple nodes can be selected from the list, which may result in separated islands which join when an common node is displayed in each island. Filters can be applied to limit the number of nodes. The filtering may either remove nodes from the display or provide an indication of the number of undisplayed nodes meeting the filter and any displayed nodes meeting the filter. The technique can be used on most linked networks.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to graphical displays of linked items, and more particularly to maps of linked network devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Map or topological displays provide better way to represent connected data because they provide easy to understand flat, visual views of data and provide high level overview and details when needed. However, for large networks, it is often not feasible to display all elements to a user in a single view. The connectivity between the nodes is simply too big for the user to grasp the information at a glance. Current solutions offer an entire map view, with tiering or condensing occurring at certain locations or levels, or provide overview map and a current view port which shows a small portion of the overall map. However, these solutions are not scalable and not straight forward for tracking connectivity between nodes. In some cases strategies to filter and/or navigate the map display and the connectivity have been used, but that still hampers tracking connectivity and the like. Therefore a method and system to allow large connected networks to be explored interactively is needed.


The resonance frequency and/or damping of a high-frequency oscillator which contains a variable impedance (such as a capacitor in a moisture detector for coffee or tobacco) is ascertained by generating first signals which denote the envelope curves of oscillations during intervals between successive excitations of the oscillator. Pairs of second signals denoting predetermined portions of envelope curves are transmitted to a dividing circuit, and the quotients of such pairs of second signals are indicative of the damping. Resonance frequency is ascertained by counting the number of oscillations per interval. Oscillations of the oscillator can be rectified prior to the generation of first signals.

The invention relates to a method of ascertaining variable characteristic values of high-frequency oscillators. The invention also relates to an apparatus for ascertaining such characteristic values (particularly the damping and/or the resonance frequency) of high-frequency self-oscillating (free-running) oscillators.
Oscillators which embody or are combined with measuring impedances (such as capacitors and/or inductance coils) are used extensively in many fields, for example, in the field of measuring the moisture content of coffee, tobacco, paper and the like. It is also known to vary the damping (and possibly also the resonance frequency) by influencing the impedances so that a determination of changes of damping and/or resonance frequency can result in a determination of changes of moisture content or other parameters of commodities which influence the impedance of the oscillator. Reference may be had, for example, to U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,948,850 and 3,979,581 which disclose high-frequency oscillators with measuring capacitors and wherein the capacitors are influenced by one or more commodities, such as tobacco, coffee, paper, fabric, plastics and/or others, particularly for determination of the moisture content of such commodities. A continuous electric signal is generated as the commodities advance past the capacitor, and such signal is indicative of damping of the capacitor. This signal, together with a signal which corresponds to resonance frequency of the oscillator, can be used for the generation of a signal denoting the moisture content of conveyed commodities. Reference may also be had to U.S. Pat. No. 3,412,856.

Method of and apparatus for ascertaining a characteristic value of a high-frequency oscillator


In a memory circuit, memory cells are arranged in a matrix by “row line-and column line” (may also denoted as “word line and bit line”). The invention provides a memory circuit and related method capable for independently pre-charging the column lines or bit lines selectively during data accessing according to results of column pre-decoding to decrease the pre-charging power consumption. After pre-charging, the objective memory cell is enabled to change or not to change the corresponding electric level of the connected column line according to the stored data, and a sense amplifier detects the stored data by measuring the electric level of the column line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a memory circuit and related method for integrating pre-decoding and selective pre-charging, especially to a memory circuit and related method for independently pre-charging or not pre-charging various column lines (or bit lines) selectively according to results of performing column pre-decoding during data accessing to decrease the pre-charging power consumption.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the present society, various documents and data can be stored in forms of electrical signals to be transmitted, managed, and stored. Various types of memory (or memory circuits) capable of performing data accessing have become necessary for various electronic devices or information devices. Moreover, read-only memory circuits can be utilized in several fields since the read-only memory circuits can store data in a non-volatile manner. For example, read-only memory circuits are set in digital signal processing circuits (or chips) or in signal encoding/modulation chips disposed inside the cell phones to store codes or other necessary parameters and vectors. Along with the broad usage of the read-only memory circuits, further development of read-only memory circuits has become a research topic for those in the field.
As known by those skilled in the art, a plurality of memory cells are disposed inside a memory circuit to respectively store one bit of data. The memory cells can be arranged in matrix by "row line and column line" (may also be replaced as "word line and bit line"). A given bit line is selectively and electrically connected to a sense amplifier of the memory circuit, so that the electrical signal of the connected bit line can be transmitted to the sense amplifier through the bit line. Electronic signals of other bit lines which are not electrically connected to the sense amplifier can't be transmitted to the sense amplifier. Then one memory cell of a given word line is enabled, so that the memory cell at the intersection of the given word line and the given bit line can transmit the stored data to the sense amplifier, and the data of the memory cell can thus be accessed.
More concretely, in a read-only memory circuit, memory cells with different stored data respectively have different electronic conductivity (such as currents) to the connected bit lines. While performing the aforementioned data accessing, after enabling the objective memory cell by the given word line, the connected bit line of the objective memory cell is conducted, so that the electronic level (such as voltage level) of the bit line is changed or not changed according to the stored data of the memory cell. Moreover, the voltage level is transmitted to the sense amplifier by the electronic connection between the given bit line and the sense amplifier, so that the sense amplifier determines the stored data of the objective memory cell according to the voltage level. Equally, the stored data of the memory cell is transmitted to the connected bit line after the memory cell is enabled.
For the above accessing method, the bit line should be pre-charged to a default voltage level before enabling the objective memory cell. After enabling the objective memory cell, if the objective memory cell has a high conductivity, the voltage level of the corresponding bit line can be pulled down from the default voltage level to a lower voltage level. Then the sense amplifier determines that digital bit "0" is stored in the memory cell. Otherwise, if the voltage level of the corresponding bit line is maintained in the range of the default voltage level, the sense amplifier determines that the conductivity of the memory cell is significantly low, and the digital bit "1" is stored in the memory.
In other words, pre-charging the bit line (or the column line) is necessarily for data accessing in the memory circuit, especially for read-only memory circuits. However, in the conventional read-only memory circuit, all the bit lines (or column lines) in the matrix of the memory cells are pre-charged while accessing. Even if only one memory cell on single bit line is accessed, all the bit lines have to be pre-charged to the default voltage level. As a result, more power is consumed to pre-charge when accessing data in the conventional read-only memory circuit. Therefore, it is not beneficial for low power operation.

Memory circuit and related method for integrating pre-decoding and selective pre-charging


The invention is directed to (1) a method for increasing the color fastness of dyed textiles subject to exposure by atmospheric gases by treating said textiles with a fade-inhibiting amount of a composition comprising at least one polyalkylene imine and (2) the dyed textiles so treated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the inhibition of the fading of dyed textiles exposed to atmospheric gases.
2. Description of Related Art
A large number of synthetic polymers have been invented, many of which are useful as fibers that can be woven, knitted, and the like, into cloth. For convenience, such cloth and the fibers, filaments, or yarns used for making it will be referred to by the term "textiles." See Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, Springfield, Mass., U.S.A., 1996, page 1220.
These textiles, in turn, are dyed by a wide variety of types of dyes, depending upon the physical characteristics of the particular textile and the end-uses to which it is directed. One type of dye, termed "disperse," was first developed in the early 1920's for the dyeing of cellulose acetate. These dyes are substantially insoluble in water but, in finely divided form, can be dispersed in aqueous medium and then allowed to dissolve in the fiber itself. Since their original discovery, disperse dyes have been used with a number of other textiles, including acrylic, modacrylic, cellulose triacetate, nylon, polyester, poylurethane, and polyolefin.
Disperse dyes are primarily low molecular weight anthraquinone, azo, and diphenylamine derivatives. They have a significant shortcoming in that, in the presence of certain atmospheric gases such as oxides of nitrogen, primarily nitrogen dioxide, their colorfastness, especially in the blue and grey regions of the spectrum, is poor. It is found that these colors tend, upon exposure to such gases, to change to hues of purple, pink, and red, a process known as "gas fading."
One known means for decreasing the susceptibility to gas fading lies in decreasing the basicity of the dye. Unfortunately, such methods have the drawback that the substituents that are used to do this impart inferior dyeing properties.
Alternatively, suitable inhibitors can be used to prevent fading. Early compounds were frequently of a slightly yellow color and often imparted undesirable shades to the dyed textile. In recent times, substantially colorless inhibitors, such as diphenylacetamidine, have been devised, and this problem has thus diminished.
Attempts to inhibit the yellowing or fading of polyurethanes by nitrogen oxide gas have used: long chain fatty acids, such as stearic acid or behenic acid (Japanese Patent Publication No. 22626/69); higher alcohols, such as n-decyl alcohol or stearyl alcohol (Japanese Patent Publication No. 31804/69); sulfur-containing higher fatty acid esters, such as lauryl thioethyl alcohol, dilauryl thiodipropionate, or distearyl thiodipropionate (Japanese Patent Publication No. 25909/69); long chain fatty acid amides, such as stearamide or palmitamide (Japanese Patent Publication No. 27874/69; ureas, such as, phenylurea or phenylthiourea (Japanese Patent Publication No. 19190/67); adipic acid dihydrazide and 2,4-bis-hydrazino-6-dimethylamino-s-triazine (Japanese Patent Publication No. 25828/68); hydrazides, such as adipic acid-bis-N,N-dimethyl hydrazide (Japanese Patent Publication No. 27348/65); semicarbazides, such as 1,1-dimethylstearyl-semicarbazide (Japanese Patent Publication No. 16793/66); phosphite esters, such as tridecyl phosphite or trilauryl thiophosphite, either alone or in combination with 2,4,6-tris-ethyleneimino-s-triazine or 2-phenyl-4,6-diamino-s-triazine (Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 9828/69, 29672/68, and 28625/68); hydroxphenyl compounds, such as 1,3,5-trimethyl-2,4,6-tris-(3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)benzene (Japanese Patent Publication No. 16856/68); and polymeric compounds, such as poly(di-isopropylaminoethyl methacrylate) or poly(diethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2905/71).
In order to inhibit the fading or discoloration of cellulose acetates, there have been used primary, secondary, or tertiary amines, hydroxylamines, such as triethanolamine; heterocyclic compounds, such as phenyl morpholine, 1,4-dibenzyl morpholine, or N,N'-diphenyl piperazine; and compounds such as thiourea, melamine, N-acetyl melamine, N-phenyl melamine, 2,4-bis-anilino-6-amino-s-triazine, or triphenylmelamine.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,246,511 discloses the production of condensation or polymerization products by reacting alkyleneimines, polymeric alkyleneimines, and mixtures thereof with non-metal sulfides, such as carbon disulfide, thiophosgene, and sulfur chloride, and then introducing the polymerizates into spinning or casting solutions in a finely divided state.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,912,296 discloses that the fastness properties of dyeings with substantive dyestuffs can be improved to a considerable degree by aftertreating the dyeings with complex metal compounds of biguanides of polyalkylene imines, preferably of polyethylene imine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,544,363 discloses textile cellulosic materials dyed or printed with sulfur dyestuffs and having improved wet fastness properties, wherein the materials contain from 0.1 percent to 5.0 percent by weight, based on the dry weight of the material, of a bis- or poly-.alpha., .beta.-halohydrin compound containing at least one basic nitrogen atom.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,464 discloses that when about 0.3 percent to about 5 percent of polytertiary amines formed from the reaction of polyethylene imine with alkylene oxides are coated on nylon fiber, or are added to the dyebath, improved dyefastness is achieved compared to an untreated dyed nylon fiber when this fiber is exposed to ozone.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,988,292 discloses gas fade inhibitors for polyurethanes and cellulose acetates comprising triazine derivatives of a given formula and including, inter alia, 2,4-bis-allylamino-6-cyclohexylamino-s-triazine, 2(p-chloroanilino)4,6-bis-asym-dimethylhydrazino-s-triazine,2-dibenzylamin o-4,6-bis-asym-dimethylhydrazino-s-triazine, 2,4-bis-allylamino-6-benzylthio-s-triazine, 2-diallylamino-6-benzylamino-6-methylthio-s-triazine, 2,4-bis-isopropylamino-6-(o-cresoxy)-s-triazine, and 2,6-bis-methylthio-4-cyclohexylamino-s-triazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,223 teaches that the fastness of direct dyes on cellulose substrates can be improved by aftertreatment with the reaction product of a quaternary polyalkylene polyamine with an N-methylol resin precursor, and heat curing in the presence of a catalyst. It is said that the unfixed portion of reactive dyes substantive to cellulose may also be given improved wet and light fastness by this treatment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,606 teaches that the wet fastness of direct or reactive dyeings on cellulosic substrates can be improved by aftertreatment with a precondensate or mixture of
(a) the product of reacting a polyalkylenepolyamine in free base or salt form with an epichlorohydrin or a precursor thereof, and PA1 (b) an N-methylol derivative of a urea, melamine, guanamine, triazinone, urone, carbamate or acid amide, in the presence of PA1 (c) a catalyst for the cross-linking of N-methylol compounds of the type (b) above, followed by a heat-curing step.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,413 teaches that improvements in the fastness properties of substrates dyed with reactive dyestuffs can be achieved by a dyeing aftertreatment with an agent that is the reaction product of polyethylene imine and a bifunctional alkylating agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,101 teaches that dyeings on hydroxy group- or nitrogen-containing fibers can be improved by aftertreatment, simultaneously or sequentially, with (a) a polymeric reaction product of an amine with cyanamide, dicyandiamide, guanidine or bisguanidine and (b) a quaternary polyalkylene polyamine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,918 discloses polymeric compounds obtained by the reaction of epihalo-hydrin with a polyalkylene polyamine that are said to be useful as textile treatment agents. As pretreatment agents they improve the color yield of the subsequent dyeing, and as aftertreatment agents they improve fastness properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,064 discloses fiber materials that are modified with a polyalkylene imine polymer and a crosslinking agent, preferably glyoxal, and optionally dyed with water-soluble, anionic dyes, preferably reactive dyes. The dyeing process with the so modified fiber materials can be carried out low-salt or completely without salt and also alkali-free or with minimal amounts of alkali.


A protective liner (10) for a vehicle interior that comprises seat and floorboard portions (12, 14) that are preferably releasably connected by hook and loop fastening means (34A, 34B). The floorboard portion (14) of the subject liner (10) preferably further comprises laterally extending wing sections (26) adapted to provide protective coverage adjacent to the door threshold and the transmission or driveline tunnel of a vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an OEM or aftermarket product useful for protecting the interior of vehicles such as automobiles and trucks from soiling, and more particularly, to a protective liner adapted to protect the seat and floorboards of a vehicle from soiling or contamination by mud, sand, grease, grass, pet hair and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of removable floor mats in motor vehicles for protecting carpeting from soiling or contamination is well known. Such floor mats typically lie in the vehicle floorboards and can be easily removed for cleaning, in the case of heavy duty reusable floor mats, or disposal, in the case of disposable mats made of relatively lightweight products such as paper. One disadvantage of conventional floor mats is that they usually do not provide coverage in the threshold area between the doorway and floorboard, or along the side of the transmission tunnel. Both of these areas are likely to be contacted by the feet of the driver or passenger during ingress, egress or operation of the vehicle, causing contamination or soiling of the underlying carpet. Another disadvantage of conventional floor mats is that sand, gravel, or other loose particulate matter that is deposited on the mats during use is likely to slide off the mat and into the vehicle floorboard when the mat is removed from the vehicle for cleaning. Still another disadvantage of some conventional floor mats is that they are made of relatively high quality materials comparable to the underlying carpet, and are accordingly as difficult to clean as the underlying carpeting in the vehicle if they become soiled or otherwise contaminated by grass, pet hair, etc.
The use of seat covers for protecting the seating areas of vehicles from soiling or other contamination is also well known. Some conventional seat covers are disposable, being lightweight and adapted to temporarily protect seating surfaces from soiling such as, for example, when a vehicle is being serviced or repaired. Such seat covers are typically made of paper or plastic film, and simply lie across the seating surface, perhaps also extending upwards to cover at least part of the seat back. Other conventional seat covers are more permanent in nature, being designed to fit over and around the entire seat, and requiring more complicated installation procedures.
Even when the conventional, commercially available floor mats and seat covers are used in combination, however, users have experienced certain significant disadvantages. One disadvantage is the lack of coverage along the sides of the floorboard areas as discussed above. Another disadvantage is the uncovered area between the vehicle floorboard and the seating surface, where sand and the like can fall onto the floorboard and where grease or the like can be rubbed onto the front of the seat bottom from the legs of the occupant. This is especially likely if, for example, the occupant has been at the beach and is entering the vehicle with sand and/or suntan oil or lotion on his or her skin.
A protective liner is therefore needed for a vehicle interior that provides continuous protection for the seat and floorboard areas.


The present invention relates to a process for producing a negative-working photosensitive lithographic printing form, in which a negative-working photosensitive mixture which is dissolved in a solvent mixture and which contains a negative-working photosensitive compound and a polymeric binder which is insoluble in water but soluble in aqueous alkaline solution is applied to a base and the layer obtained is subsequently dried, which process comprises using a mixture of more than 2% by weight of at least one monoether of diethylene glycol with one or more organic solvent(s) having a boiling point below 200.degree. C. as the solvent mixture.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a negative-working photosensitive lithographic printing form, in which a negative-working photosensitive mixture which is dissolved in a solvent mixture and which contains a negative-working photosensitive compound and a polymeric binder which is insoluble in water but soluble in aqueous alkaline solution is applied to a base and the layer obtained is subsequently dried.
In the production of lithographic printing forms, the photosensitive mixtures are continuously applied to a base. The coated base is then dried to produce a thin film having uniform thickness. The solvent or solvent mixture should therefore dry on uniformly after coating and exhibit a good surface finish (surface cosmetic), i.e. suppress the occurrence of "fish eyes" precipitates and "clouds". In addition, the solvent or solvent mixture must be capable of evaporating without forming a large residue.
The requirements imposed on a suitable solvent or solvent mixture are limited not only to the immediate period of time which relates to the drying of the mixture, but also to the properties of the solution before application to the base. In this connection, it should be specified in the first place that all the layer constituents are soluble ideally in the necessary concentration. In addition, the solvent or solvent mixture must guarantee a solution stability over a certain period of time-preferably over a few days - without decompositions, precipitates and condensation reactions occurring. In addition, inexpensive availability and as low a toxicity as possible are required.
DE-A 2,034,655 (=US-A 3,790,385) proposes a solvent mixture for a negative-working photosensitive copying material which, according to the examples described therein, is composed of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran and butyl acetate. That is to say, all of the solvents in the mixture have boiling points below 140.degree. C. It emerged, however, that negative-working photosensitive mixtures which contain such solvent mixtures are less durable, i.e. that precipitates and decompositions appear after only hours. In addition, it is found that the coating and drying properties are only partly advantageous.
DE-A 3,627,585 describes a process for producing presensitized lithographic printing forms based on negative-working photosensitive mixtures in which the photosensitive diazonium resin and the high-molecular-weight binder which is soluble in aqueous alkali can be dissolved in a plurality of different solvents with various boiling points. Mixtures of these solvents are also described.
In particular, mixtures of solvents are described in EP-A 0,184,804 and 0,152,819 (=US-A 4,631,245) (2-methoxyethanol with tetrahydrofuran) and EP-A 0,031,481 (butyl acetate, 2-methoxyethanol and tetrahydrofuran).
DE-A 3,807,406 (=GB-A 2,204,707) discloses a solvent mixture for negative-working photosensitive lithographic plates which comprises 1-methoxy-2-propanol, methyl lactate and methyl ethyl ketone. Up to 2% of a higher-boiling solvent can be added to these low-boiling solvents. With the solvent mixtures described, however, it was not possible to obtain homogeneous solutions. Some of the solids remain behind undissolved.
Seen as a whole, according to the prior art, only very dilute solutions of the layer constituents can be produced, with the result that very large amounts of solvent are required to dissolve all the layer constituents. Layers produced with a solvent mixture also exhibit, on the one hand, layer precipitates, layer defects and cloudy appearance during the drying process. This is associated with a short shelf life of the photosensitive solutions. Frequently, crystallization of layer constituents also occurs, even with a slight reduction in temperature.

Process for producing a negative-working lithographic printing form utilizing solvent mixture of mono-(C.sub.1 -C.sub.4) alkyl ether of diethylene glycol and a solvent having boiling point between 50.degree. and 150.degree. C.


Disclosed herein is an electrical connector. The electrical connector includes an upper pad, a lower pad, a fastener, and a spring. The upper pad includes a first upper groove, a second upper groove, and an upper hole. The upper hole extends through the upper pad between the first upper groove and the second upper groove. The lower pad includes a first lower groove, a second lower groove, and an elongated hole. The elongated hole extends through the lower pad between the first lower groove and the second lower grove. The fastener extends through the upper hole and the elongated hole. The spring is between the fastener and the lower pad. The spring is configured to bias the upper pad and the lower pad towards each other. The lower pad is configured to be pivotable around the fastener, and relative to the upper pad, at the elongated hole.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector and, more particularly, to a spring loaded parallel pad clamp.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
Power line clamp connectors for making a connection to an overhead power distribution lines are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,166 discloses a conventional hot line clamp having a threaded eye bolt for adjusting a clamping member. One drawback to the conventional configurations is that complex maneuvering of a utility lineman's hot stick is required to manipulate the eyebolt for clamp installation. As maintenance and installation operations become increasingly difficult, the added time required for these operations can increase operating costs for the utility company.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved power line clamp which allows for facilitated installation.


An image display device (1) of the present invention is an image display device having a function of rotating a display image, the image display device including: a size comparison section (17) for making a comparison (i) between a vertical length of an outer edge of a display region in which the display image is displayed and a vertical length of the display image and (ii) between a horizontal length of the outer edge of the display region in which the display image is displayed and a horizontal length of the display image; and a center-point-of-rotation determination section (18) for determining a center point of rotation of the display image in accordance with a result of the comparison made by the size comparison section (17). This makes it possible to provide a display device (i) which minimizes, regardless of how a display frame and a display image are related in position and size to each other, a portion of the display image which portion is to be hidden when the display image has been rotated and (ii) which can be easily employed in a rotation process.

Generally, a display device that displays an image and/or a figure has a function of rotating a display image so that a user can easily see the display image. In such a display device, a given point is determined as a center point of rotation, and a display image is rotated on the point.
For example, Publicly-known Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 184526/1989 (Tokukaihei 1-184526; published on Jul. 24, 1989) discloses an arrangement in which a point at the upper left or lower right of a display screen is set as a center point of rotation, i.e., an arrangement in which a center point of rotation is fixed.
Further, Publicly-known Document 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 109940/1999 (Tokukaihei 11-109940; published on Apr. 23, 1999) discloses an arrangement in which a user designates a center point of rotation by using a pointing device.
However, in the arrangement disclosed in Publicly-known Document 1, a display image is rotated on the center point of rotation fixed at the upper left of lower right of the display screen. Therefore, depending on how the display image is related to a display frame, the display image may greatly protrude from the display frame. That is, the rotation may cause a large portion of the display image to be hidden.
Further, the arrangement disclosed in Publicly-known Document 2 presupposes the use of a pointing device. Therefore, an apparatus having no pointing device requires a large amount of labor in designating a central location of rotation, and therefore is inconvenient to use. Further, since the user is required to specify a center point of rotation, the user bears a great burden. That is, this makes it difficult for the user to carry out a rotation process.

Image display device, image display method, image display program, and computer-readable storage medium


A compressed font file including compressed data is received. The compressed data is decompressed to generate decompressed data. An attempt to validate the decompressed data is made. Within the decompressed data, a predetermined pattern of invalid data corresponding to an element of a font file is detected. The font file is reconstructed by replacing at least some of the invalid data with the element.

Existing systems provide limited compression of font files. In existing systems, font files may be compressed using a compression algorithm prior to transmission. At the receiver, the compressed font files may be decompressed. However, such existing systems create a delay in font load time, while the font files are being decompressed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method of compressing data in font files


A magnetoresistance sensor of this invention is designed to detect a magnetic field on the basis of a change in electric resistance of a magnetoresistance layer, and includes a substrate, the magnetoresistance layer, a magnetization stabilizing layer for stabilizing magnetization of the magnetoresistance layer, and an electrical conductive layer formed on the magnetoresistance layer or the magnetization stabilizing layer. The sensor is characterized in that the magnetoresistance layer and the magnetization stabilizing layer are stacked on each other such that the layers are magnetically coupled to each other at their two end regions with an exchange coupling force higher than that at the remaining region. With this arrangement, there is provided a magnetoresistance sensor having high sensitivity, which can apply a desired bias magnetic field to the MR layer while preventing the bias magnetic field from being disturbed by a magnetic field from a magnetic recording medium or the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetoresistance effect sensor used for a magnetic head and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, information recorded on a magnetic recording medium is read by moving a read magnetic head using a coil relative to the magnetic recording medium and detecting a voltage induced in the coil by electromagnetic induction caused by the relative movement of the coil. It is also known that a magnetoresistance type head is used for an information reading operation [IEEE MAG-7, 150, (1971) ]. This magnetoresistance type head uses the phenomenon that the electric resistance of a ferromagnetic material of a certain type changes in accordance with the strength of an external magnetic field. This type of head is used as a high-sensitivity head for a magnetic recording medium. With the recent tendency to reduce the size of a magnetic recording medium while increasing its capacity, the speed of the read magnetic head relative to the magnetic recording medium is decreased. Therefore, demand for a magnetoresistance type head (to be referred to as an MR head hereinafter) capable of extracting a large output at a low relative speed is high.
MR elements used for MR heads include a single-layer MR element and a multilayer MR element which exhibits a larger magnetoresistance change than the single-layer MR film. The following types of multilayer MR elements are available. The first type of multilayer MR element is designed to exhibit a large magnetoresistance change by using the difference between the different coercive forces of two types of magnetic films which are arranged such that the magnetization of one film is antiparallel to that of the other film [The Journal of the Institute of Applied Magnetics of Japan Vol. 15, No. 5813 (1991)] (non-exchange coupled type).
The second type of multilayer MR element has a multilayer film constituted by two ferromagnetic films sandwiching a nonmagnetic film. In this element, an exchange bias based on an antiferromagnetic film is applied onto one ferromagnetic film of the multilayer film to fix its magnetization, and the magnetization of the other ferromagnetic film is inverted by an external magnetic field. As a result, the directions of magnetization of the two ferromagnetic films sandwiching the nonmagnetic film become parallel or antiparallel to each other, exhibiting a large magnetoresistance change [Phys. Rev. B., Vol. 4580, (1992)]; [J. Appl, Phys., Vol. 69, 4774 (1991)] (spin valve type).
In the third type of multilayer MR film, an antiparallel state of magnetization is obtained by a current magnetic field formed by a sense current, and a large magnetoresistance change occurs due to the difference between the antiparallel state and a parallel state of magnetization obtained by a signal magnetic field [IEEE TRANSACTION ON MAGNETICS Vol. MAG-20, No. 5,863 (1984)] (depth current scheme).
When an MR head is actually used, two types of bias magnetic fields must be applied to the MR element. One bias magnetic field is applied to the MR element in a direction perpendicular to the sense current flowing in the element and is generally called a transverse bias. The transverse bias is a magnetic field used to achieve a state wherein the magnitude of an external signal becomes proportional to that of a detected signal, i.e., a so-called operating point.
The other bias magnetic field is applied to the MR element in a direction parallel to the sense current and is generally called a longitudinal bias. The longitudinal bias serves to suppress Barkhausen noise which is generated due to the multi-domain characteristics of the MR element.
As methods of applying such a longitudinal bias, methods of using a magnetized ferromagnetic film have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,898 discloses a method of applying a longitudinal bias to an MR layer, in which the MR layer is arranged to be adjacent to a magnetized hard film through a thin insulating film. According to this method, by selecting a magnetizing direction, a longitudinal bias or a transverse bias can be selectively applied, or a bias can be applied even in a direction therebetween. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,315 discloses that a uniform longitudinal bias is generated in an MR layer upon exchange coupling between an antiferromagnetic film and a ferromagnetic film. It is also reported in JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS Vol. 52, 2474 (1981) that when an FeMn alloy film is used as an antiferromagnetic film, a longitudinal bias is applied to the MR layer.
On the other hand, it is preferable that a relatively weak longitudinal bias be applied to a central portion of an MR layer, i.e., a so-called active region, as compared with a bias applied to its end portion. This is because an excessive longitudinal bias magnetic field in a signal magnetic field causes a deterioration in sensitivity. Magnetic Recording Research Institute MR86-37 of the Institute of Electronics and Communication Engineers discloses a structure in which a high-coercive-force film as a magnetization stabilizing film is formed on only an end region of an MR layer. In this structure, a magnetized CoPt film is arranged on an end portion of the MR layer of a yoke type MR head to apply a longitudinal bias. In addition, it is reported in IEEE TRANS. MAG-25, 3692 (1989) that even if an FeMn film is formed on only an end portion of an MR layer, a longitudinal bias is applied to the active region of the PG,6 MR layer.
As described above, several methods of applying a longitudinal bias to an MR element have been proposed. However, if these methods are applied to a magnetic head for a hard disk drive, the following problems are posed.
When a magnetization stabilizing film is formed on the entire surface of an MR layer, a strong bias magnetic field is applied to the active region, resulting in a deterioration in sensitivity. In contrast to this, when a magnetization stabilizing film is formed on only an end portion of an MR layer, the following three problems are posed. First, when a magnetization stabilizing film is a high-coercive-force film, as shown in FIG. 1, positive or negative magnetization occurs in an end face 12 crossing the direction of magnetization of a high-coercive-force film 11 patterned on an MR layer 10, and the resulting leakage magnetic field adversely affects the MR layer 10, thus interfering with the stabilization of magnetization of the MR layer. Second, when a magnetization stabilizing film is formed on only an end portion of an MR layer by patterning, a film having a thickness of several tens of nanometers is subjected to ion milling. In patterning, therefore, the MR layer may be damaged. That is, the formation of such a film is difficult as a process. Third, assume that a high-coercive-force film having a thickness of about 20 nm or more is formed on only an end portion of an MR layer. In this case, if an MR layer having a thickness of about 30 nm is formed on the high-coercive-force film, conspicuous stepped portions are formed on the MR layer owing to the influence of the underlying layer. This causes a deterioration in the characteristics of the MR layer. In such a case, therefore, a high-coercive-force film is preferably formed on an MR layer. However, since an NiFe film as an MR layer promotes the c-axis orientation of a Co-based film as a high-coercive-force film, it is difficult to apply a longitudinal bias magnetic field.

Magnetoresistance sensor magnetically coupled with high-coercive force film at two end regions


An authentication method for a telecommunications system comprising a computer network and a telephone network that includes receiving, at an Authentication System across the computer network, data indicative of an authentication request. The request is typically made by a provider in connection with a user (e.g. by a provider to obtain authentication from a user as the result of an authentication trigger detected by a provider system). A telephone call is establishing by the telephone network between the Authentication System and a telephone device with a telephone number associated with the user. A PIN is received from the user at the Authentication System during the telephone call. It is then determined if the received PIN is valid. The authentication request is authenticated if the PIN is determined to be valid.

The proliferation and growth of the internet and the multiplicity of services being provided thereon has created a number of security issues that are detrimental to the growth and development of online services. There is a need to authenticate the identity of both the providers and users of such services, either when users attempt to access such services or when the providers of services need to obtain authentication from a user as the result of actions that have or may have occurred that impact the user. As fraudsters employ more advanced and sophisticated techniques to defraud both the providers of services and their users, the need for improved security has arisen and with it, an increase in the cost of its provision and an increase in the complexity of its use for ordinary users. A plethora of security measures and devices have arisen to tackle these issues.
Fraudsters regularly misrepresent themselves not only as bone fide users to online services but increasingly as bone fide online service and system providers. It is desirable therefore for the authenticity of any service a user may wish to access or when such a service communicates with a user, for the authenticity of the service in question to be confirmed to the user as well as for the identity of the user to be authenticated to said online service or system when the user wishes to access said service or when it may prove advantageous for the service providers system itself to obtain authentication directly from a user in order to obtain confirmation or validation of any transaction involving the user either directly or indirectly on a systematic or ad hoc basis.
Authentication occurs with reference to one or more factors. Authenticating factors can be generally classified into one of three authentication factor categories. These 3 categories are:
Category 1: something the user—i.e. a person wishing to access a service or system who is to be identified, also referred to herein as the authenticatee—known by the authenticator—i.e. the entity providing the service or system—to know (e.g. a PIN (personal identification number) or other password);
Category 2: something the user is known by the authenticator to have (e.g. a hardware device that can be identified, such items collectively referred hereinafter to as "tokens");
Category 3: something the user is known by the authenticator to be (e.g. a biometric characteristic, such as the users fingerprint, retinal image, voice pattern or their DNA).
Authentication is regarded as either weak or strong: authentication of one or even multiple instances of any one factor Category still only constitutes weak authentication whereas strong authentication requires authentication of two or more authenticating factor Categories, this is also referred to as multi-factor authentication. It is generally accepted that strong authentication of a user's identity is essential for secure online or remote interactions between any system and any user.
At present, the primary authentication means employed by online service providers to authenticate the identity of users are the use of passwords, including access codes, security questions answered in whole or in part or the like (i.e. Category 1 Authenticating Factors). Passwords, access codes or security questions, no matter how long or complex or how many there are, provides weak authentication. Technically any remote alpha-numeric entry by a user on any computing device is simple for fraudsters to record, capture, copy and intercept. Complex passwords are difficult to guess, but technically they are in reality no more difficult for skilled fraudsters to obtain than simple or obvious ones but are for the users, difficult to remember. Passwords, if forgotten by the user, typically require the user go through tortuous password recovery processes. As a result, users record their passwords somewhere, which seriously compromises their security.
Most multi-factor Authentication Systems employ Category 2 Factors (e.g. USB connectable tokens) in conjunction with Category 1 Factors (e.g. passwords) to provide strong authentication. The deployment, provision and support of tokens can be costly as they can get lost, stolen and broken and when this occurs, their loss must be reported expeditiously and a replacement provided at added cost and inconvenience to both the provider and user. Loss or theft of such tokens that are used infrequently may go un-reported for considerable periods, compromising the security of any system they provide access to.
Under the known art, Category 2 tokens only provide access to one site so users may have to employ a multiplicity of such tokens that often operate differently, rendering their intermittent use by a user an arduous or even tortuous process.
A closer examination of the way proof of possession of authenticating factors are obtained, exposes a number of flaws and shortcoming in their use. In most instances of multiple factor authentication, each factor is confirmed and applied independently, they are not enmeshed in any way. For example in the case of Chip and PIN the mere possession of the payment card means that only the correct PIN is required to affect payment—a PIN being a Category 1 authenticating factor. Although possession of the payment card technically constitutes a Category 2 authenticating factor, there is no way of determining if the person presenting the card for payment is the bone fide user or indeed whether the card is in fact a clone or copy of the original card.
When authentication occurs online, it occurs entirely via the internet; this is a single communications channel and can therefore be hacked or intercepted anywhere from source to the endpoint. When a user attempts to login to a secured location which utilizes supposed multi-factor authentication, all the authenticating data obtained from the user is passed via the internet to the authenticator through this channel. For example, the user may be sent an SMS message with a numeric code they have to enter. While this code is delivered to the user's phone via the PSTN, it is entered online to be passed through the internet. This means that not only can the SMS be intercepted off-line—SMS messages are susceptible to such interception—authentication is made by entry of the code sent by SMS online, typically at the provider's site. Hence both factors are presented via the same channel—the internet.
Any web site the user is attempting to access may be fake and fraudsters thereby can obtain from the actual user, any passwords, or access codes, sent to the user from the provider by any means, which the fraudster can then enter to the bone fide site to access the users account etc. This is an example of a Man in the Middle (MITM) Attack.
Another example of a MITM Attack is where a fraudster may provide a fake ATM into which the bone fide user presents their ATM card to obtain cash. The fraudster now has physical possession of the user's card. The user is then asked to enter their PIN and in so doing, has now also unwittingly provided the fraudster with the card's PIN. The fraudster now has both possession of the card and it's PIN and the user is quite ignorant of this fact. Fraudsters may contact users directly by SMS, email or telephone and misrepresent themselves as bone fide user service providers and obtain confidential user information thereby: this highlights the need for users to authenticate the identity of service providers to users when they are contacted by them.
All Category 2 Factors—i.e. something the Authenticator knows the Authenticatee has—are susceptible to cloning since mere possession of the token is all that is required for it to act as an authenticating factor. For example, if a user's phone is stolen and the provider system sends a text message with an access code to it, the provider has no way of proving the person in possession of the phone is bone fide.
If a person's identity is authenticated with reference to a fingerprint or PIN by entry onto a device which is also itself acting as a token, unless at that precise instance the token is confirmed as being in the possession of the bone fide user, the token has merely acted as a fingerprint or PIN input device, not as an authenticating Category 2 factor in its own right. In effect, such tokens provide false multi-factor authentication.
For any token to act effectively as a bone fide Category 2 authentication means, it is generally acknowledged that authentication that the token itself is in the actual possession of the bone fide user at the precise moment the token is employed, must be obtained and proof that the token is unique also obtained at that point. Achieving this has proven to be highly problematic.
The use of Category 3 biometric factors is now commonly considered questionable and even highly inadvisable for any form of remote access. It is advisable that the presentation of any biometric factor by a user to be observed by an actual person e.g. retinal scan, finger print, voice pattern or facial recognition. This is because biometric information can easily be copied, replicated or even stolen; hence the mere use of it can put the user in physical jeopardy from a determined fraudster or thief. Where such biometric information is therefore presented by a user remotely, such monitoring is problematic. Furthermore, regardless of the complexity of said biometric data, it has to be encoded into a digital form for transmission to the authenticator and all transmitted digital information can be easily intercepted and copied. A further problem with biometric information pertaining to any user is that it cannot possibly be changed, unlike a password or token, so once it has been copied or compromised, it is effectively invalidated as a secure authentication means. Biometric Authentication Systems are also costly. The combination of their high cost, the potential physical risk of harm they engender, their potential to be easily copied or compromised and the fact that once compromised, the particular biometric concerned is rendered invalid have called Category 3 biometric authentication factors as a viable remote authentication means into serious question.
The cellular phone is potentially a highly robust Category 2 authenticating factor but no viable way to take full advantage of its inherent capabilities has been utilized in the known prior art. Cellular phones have a number of built in security measures that make them resistant to copying or cloning since, for example, the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card would have to be cloned. Furthermore, should a SIM Card be cloned, if two identical SIM Cards are presented onto a subscriber's network, the network operator can be immediately alerted to this and service to that number terminated. This solves the problem of undetectable cloning.
Smartphones, namely cellular phones that have computing capabilities, have been proposed as Category 2 tokens. However, if the phone itself is used as a token, loss or theft of the phone can invalidate any security and any authentication obtained using it in the exact same way as any conventional hardware token such as a credit card. Smartphones are becoming highly sophisticated and valuable and are frequently the target of theft. Making such phones into access tokens would further increase their intrinsic value to thieves so this is not desirable.
Use of cellular phones for authentication purposes under the known art has been achieved principally by utilizing the built in ability of cellular phones to send and receive Short Message System (SMS or "text") messages. However, the SMS system is inherently insecure and wholly inappropriate for strong authentication purposes. It is a simple task to both intercept SMS messages and fraudulently present an SMS message onto subscriber networks.
Smartphones are phones with computing capabilities. This capability has been exploited to enable "software" tokens to be stored on the phone ostensibly enabling them to act as Category 2 factors. The problem is that the token is stored on the phone so mere possession of the phone is proof of ownership of the token. Furthermore, even if the token is encrypted, there is the risk of it being hacked. Making a phone into the token in this manner therefore makes the phone an even more intrinsically valuable object of theft to any thieves or fraudsters, particularly where the phone can act as a payments authentication token.
Providers of services to users may find it advantageous to obtain authentication from users not only when users attempt to access their services online, but also as the result of a multiplicity of possible circumstances or conditions that may concern a user of a service, including and not limited to when users interact directly or indirectly with the provider service or as the result of the user transacting with a third party service that also impacts the provider service. For example a, bank—who in this instance is the service provider—may wish to confirm from the user that a third party request for payment from the users bank account, is a bone fide payment request known to the user.
A means of obtaining strong authentication from users that would not require the production, distribution and support of any form of token or special reader by enterprises for whom such authentication is both desirable and commercially advantageous. Likewise it would be desirable for such a means to be able to be used by service providers to obtain authentication from users on a systematic or an ad hoc basis as determined by the service provider and for the authenticity of the provider to be simultaneously affirmed to the user.

Authentication method and system for a telecommunications system


A method for manufacturing a shaped panel from a continuous length of an expanded mat. The method includes transporting an expanded mat on a conveyor. The conveyor includes side chains and a plurality of spaced apart slats, which extend transversely between the side chains, on which the expanded mat is supported. The side chains and the plurality of slats define a plurality of openings in the conveyor. A length of the expanded mat is confined and shaped between a male mold and a female mold by moving the male mold and the female mold into mating relationship through one of the plurality of openings in the conveyor.

Technology for making a condensed mat of glass fiber strands is well known in the art and the system is described fairly well in several patents to Modigliani, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,546,230; 2,609,320 and 2,964,439. Each of the patents describes a melting furnace feeding molten glass to spinning orifices which discharge fine glass fibers, which in turn are wrapped circumferentially around a spinning drum. During the deposition of the fibers on the rotating drum, a thermosetting resin is applied to the surface to hold the fibers at their overlapping junctions between layers.
Ordinarily the furnace and spinning orifices move longitudinally along the rotating drum during the assembly process. The translation of the furnace with respect to the drum is relatively slow and the drum is rotating relatively fast to provide a build-up of a plurality of layers of the glass fiber.
After a suitable thickness of fibers has been created, the condensed mat is severed from the drum by a cut across the mat parallel with the axis of the drum. Thereafter, the condensed mat is deposited on a conveyor belt which moves longitudinally at a very slow pace. The severed condensed mat is generally rectangular in shape and the fibers are continuous for the most part and extend completely across the width of the mat in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt.
At the exit end of the conveyor belt, a retarding roller presses the condensed mat against the conveyor belt which is supported by an oppositely rotating support roller. The leading end of the condensed mat beyond the retarding roller is stretched or expanded longitudinally up to 500 or 600 times the original length of the condensed mat. The expanding is a continuing process with the leading end being pulled longitudinally while the confining-retarding roller minimizes the forward movement of the remaining condensed mat.
As the mat is expanded longitudinally, it also fluffs vertically to a consistency somewhat like cotton candy and the transversely extending fibers are pulled longitudinally tending to rotate and reorient the fibers such that they assume a 450.degree. or greater angle with respect to the longitudinal direction as the mat is stretched and necks down to a smaller width.
After the majority of the expanding takes place, the fluffed, expanded mat is rolled to confine it to a thinner mat and it is heated by radiant heaters to partially set the thermosetting resin incorporated during the deposition of the fibers on the drum. Thereafter, the stretched glass fiber mat is wound on a drum where it may be transported to other locations for use in various embodiments such as heat, thermal and sound insulation and filters as an example.
A patent to Simkins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,644,780, defines a similar process which includes stacking a plurality of mats to have a thicker resulting mat for use.
A patent to Copenhefer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,984,286, discloses a glass filament feeding technique which purports to improve the quality of the mat deposited on the drum.
A patent to Schlarb, U.S. Pat. No. 3,072,513, discloses another technique for treating the fibrous mat during its expansion to improve its qualities.
A patent to Beckner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,533, discloses an apparatus and process for controlling the thickness of the expanded mat.
What none of these patents disclose is a way of making a continuous series of glass fiber panels from the expanded mat with the mat having a substantial pattern and transverse relief as molded.

Process and apparatus for expanding and molding fiberglass laminate and the panel formed thereby


A mouse device includes a casing, at least one aspheric light guide plate and a light source. The casing includes an upper cover and a base. The upper cover includes at least one lateral surface. The aspheric light guide plate is installed on the lateral surface of the upper cover. Each aspheric light guide plate includes a light input surface and a light output surface. The light input surface and the light output surface are not in parallel with each other. The light output surface is aligned with the corresponding lateral surface of the casing. The light source is installed on the light input surface of at least one aspheric light guide plate. The light source emits light beams. After the light beams are inputted into the aspheric light guide plate through the light input surface, the light beams are outputted from the light output surface.

A mouse is used to control a cursor on a computer screen in order to operate the computer. Since 1968, the United States has produced the world's first mouse. After then, the mouse is applied to paper processing operations, video games, industrial drawings, drawing design or media production. Consequently, the mouse has become an indispensable part of the computer system. In the early stage, the mouse device uses a trackball to detect the displacement of the mouse. With increasing development of science and technology, an optical module or a laser module is used to detect the displacement of the mouse device in order to enhance the working efficiency. Moreover, for increasing the functionality and convenience of the mouse device, the earliest wired single-button mouse device is gradually evolved into the modern wireless multi-button roller mouse device. For complying with different industrial needs or personal preferences, various electronic manufacturers have begun to create a variety of mouse device devices with different shapes in order to meet the operation requirements of different users.
Recently, with the prevalence of e-sports games, manufacturers have developed a lot of gaming mice that are specifically used in e-sports games. As known, the gaming mouse should have high sensitivity and high accuracy. In addition, the gaming mouse should be specially designed to have the ergonomic appearance and have the trendy and dazzling appearance. In order to provide the aesthetically-pleasing appearance of the gaming mouse, the general gaming mouse is usually equipped with optical elements on the housing. Due to the cooperation of the optical elements and corresponding light-emitting elements, the gaming mouse produces gorgeous and eye-catching visual effects. However, the conventional gaming mouse with optical effects still has some drawbacks. For example, the conventional gaming mouse only exhibits a slender-strip optical effect on the housing, exhibits a fixed luminous pattern on the housing, or only emits light beams from the bottom of the housing. In addition, the optical elements installed on the gaming mouse are produced by an injection molding process, so that the optical elements have 3D structural surfaces. Generally, this optical element has large volume and thickness. That is, the conventional gaming mouse is unable to meet the slimness requirements, and the manufacturing cost is high.
Therefore, there is a need of providing an improved mouse device in order to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional technology.


A portable hair dryer (12) comprising a tubular housing (14) having an air inlet end (16) and an air outlet nozzle end (18). A foldable hollow pistol-type handle (20) is pivotally connected at pivot pin (22) to the tubular housing (14) adjacent the air inlet end (16). The handle (20) can pivot from an inoperative position parallel to the tubular housing (14) to an operative position perpendicular to the tubular housing (14). An electrically actuated air pump assembly (24) is in the tubular housing (14) to draw air in through the air inlet end (16) and out through the air outlet nozzle end (18). An electrical resistance heating element (26) is disposed within the tubular housing (14) between the air pump assembly (24) and the air outlet nozzle end (18), to heat the air passing through the tubular housing (14). A circuit (28) electrically connects the air pump assembly (24) and the heating element (26) with a source of electrical power through the handle (20). A handle positioning switch (30) is in the circuit (28) between the tubular housing (14) and the handle (20). When the handle (20) pivots from the inoperative position to the operative position, the handle positioning switch (30) will electrically close the circuit (28).

1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to portable heated air blower devices and power supply sources, and more specifically it relates to a portable hair dryer. The portable hair dryer has a power cord with a male adapter plug that plugs into a cigarette lighter receptacle in a dashboard in a motor vehicle, so that electricity from the battery can operate it. The handle can fold up against the cylindrical housing, so that it can conveniently fit into a carry case.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous portable heated blower devices and power supply sources have been provided in prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,967,133 to Bokern; 4,366,368 to Stephens, III; 4,555,232 to Raccah et al. and 4,939,345 to Farina et al. all are illustrative of such prior art. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.

Portable hair dryer for use in a vehicle with handle switch responsive to pivoting and vehicle battery voltage indicator


A holographic planar concentrator (HPC) for collecting and concentrating optical radiation is provided. The holographic planar concentrator comprises a planar highly transparent plate and at least one multiplexed holographic optical film mounted on a surface thereof. The multiplexed holographic optical film has recorded therein a plurality of diffractive structures having one or more regions which are angularly and spectrally multiplexed. Two or more of the regions may be configured to provide spatial multiplexing. The HPC is fabricated by: (a) recording the plurality of diffractive structures in the multiplexed holographic optical film employing angular, spectral, and, optionally, spatial multiplexing techniques; and (b) mounting the multiplexed holographic optical film on one surface of the highly transparent plate. The recording of the plurality of diffractive structures is tailored to the intended orientation of the holographic planar concentrator to solar energy. The HPC is mounted in the intended orientation for collecting solar energy and at least one solar energy-collecting device is mounted along at least one edge of the holographic planar concentrator. Examples of suitable solar energy-collecting devices include photovoltaic cells and fiber optic lightguides for transmitting collected light into an interior of a building for illumination purposes and for transmitting collected solar radiation into a hot water tank for heating. The HPC permits efficient collection of solar energy without expensive requirements, while minimizing energy losses.

Luminescent solar concentrators are known in the art and act to trap and collect light from luminescent centers dispersed in a planar sheet. Luminescent concentrators utilize the total internal reflection in the wave-guide to trap a portion of the light emitted from the luminescent centers. The luminescent centers reradiate longer wavelength light in a 360 degree solid angle and so are inefficient in directing light to one edge of the plate or to a small region of the edge.
One example of a solar concentrator known in the art utilizes a hologram and a prism or plate; see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,224, issued to Afian et al. However, this solar concentrator needs to be aligned to the sun and does not provide for any passive solar tracking ability.
Also known in the art is a light gathering device comprising a hologram and a total reflection surface for a collecting monochromatic light at a single angle of incidence; see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,985, issued to Ando et al. However, Ando et al employ a single angle of incidence and a single wavelength, and thus require a tracking mechanism and cannot utilized the entire solar spectrum.
Yet another concentrator known in the prior art is an electromagnetic wave concentrator; see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,264, issued to Tremblay. The electromagnetic wave concentrator utilizes a multidielectric guiding plate to concentrate electromagnetic energy. This invention has the disadvantage of multiple reflection losses in the guiding plate and high absorption losses in some of the more cost effective embodiments. Also this invention posses difficult optical fabrication problems and hence is more expensive to fabricate.
There remains a need for a solar concentrator that decreases energy is losses in the concentration of solar radiation and that utilizes a substantial portion of the solar spectrum while reducing or eliminating tracking requirements.

Device for concentrating optical radiation


Apparatuses, compositions and methods for removing cells which interfere with regenerative processes. The apparatuses, compositions and methods selectively kill partially functional and/or non-functional cells versus functional cells while protecting functional proliferative cells to the extent that, upon removal of the killed cells by disintegration or scavenging, functional cells replace the partially- or non-functional cells.

Tissue and organ regeneration research has focused on the need to stimulate regeneration by activating stem cells by soluble factors or treat partially- or non-functional cells to improve their function, e.g. by breaking damage-related crosslinks. Such research has overlooked the need to remove inhibitory effects.
Aging results from a combination of factors, but regeneration can overcome aging effects, if and to the extent that regenerative stem cells are functional. The stem cells, which replace cells, re-grow structures and renew the tissues of the body after normal wear-and-tear, give rise to replacement cells, and even structures, like hair follicles. In fact, if all stem cells in the body were destroyed, death would follow in a matter of days.
However, in a variety of diseases, malfunctions (such as male pattern baldness) and tissue injuries, cell types are not observed to be replaced when damaged or nonfunctional. Stem cell transplant therapy is proposed for such conditions, although it is not always successful.
The art has been left with the question as to why, then, does the body succumb to injury and aging when it has a mechanism for regeneration.

Methods, compositions and apparatuses for facilitating regeneration


An evacuable, reclosable bag including a receptacle having an interior volume and a mouth; a closure operable to open and close the mouth; a one-way valve penetrating a wall of the receptacle; and a filter attached to the same receptacle wall. The filter is arranged so that any air flowing from the interior volume outward through the one-way valve must flow through the filter before flowing through the valve. The filter may be a mesh or fabric (woven or nonwoven) having openings sized to prevent the passage of particulate matter placed inside the bag.

Collapsible, evacuable storage containers typically include a flexible, airtight bag, an opening through which an article or matter is inserted inside the bag, a zipper for closing the opening and hermetically sealing the bag, and a fixture (e.g., a one-way valve assembly) through which excess air is evacuated from the bag. A user places an article or matter into the bag through the opening, seals the opening, and then evacuates air from the interior volume of the bag through the fixture. With the bag thus evacuated, a compressible article or compressible matter contained therein may be significantly compressed so that it is easier to transport and requires substantially less storage space.
Collapsible, evacuable storage containers are beneficial for reasons in addition to those associated with compression of the stored article or matter. For example, removal of the air from the storage container inhibits the growth of destructive organisms, such as moths, silverfish, and bacteria, which require oxygen to survive and propagate. Moreover, such containers, being impervious to moisture, inhibit the growth of mildew.
Not only large, compressible items such as clothing may be stored in a collapsible, evacuable storage container. For example, it may be desirable to store bulk items made of small particles, such as powders or granulated resins, in an evacuated container. One situation that commonly occurs is that a particular bulk item is shipped in a large, rigid container such as a drum. Bulk items may be moisture sensitive and are sealed against moisture during shipment. But many times a user does not need to use the entire contents of the large container, and so once exposed to air the remaining bulk contents quickly become unusable and are thus wasted.
Alternatively, vacuum bags can be used to compress and store manufacturing waste, such as a combination of polymeric particles and water. The air inside the bag and most of the water can be extracted through a one-way valve to effectively reduce the waste volume during shipment to a disposal site. In one case, the valve mechanism comprises a flexible flap that contacts a lip area. Since small particles tend to travel with the airflow generated by the vacuum, some of the polymeric particles can lodge around the lip area of the valve mechanism, thus preventing the vacuum flap from sealing completely, thereby causing air leakage into the evacuated bag.
There is a need for a vacuum storage bag that has means for preventing small particles contained within the bag from entering and interfering with proper operation of the valve mechanism.

Evacuable bag having filter for reducing particulate contamination of vacuum valve