Composite fibers are woven into helical fabric strips. These helical fabric strips wind upon one another as a helix to form a cylinder. When the helical strips are impregnated with resin, heated to the thermoset temperature of the resin, and compressed and cured, a cylindrical composite body results having the individual fibers of the body only arrayed radially or circumferentially. This structure can then be provided with sample tube apertures, usually after curing the cylindrical structure. Dependent upon the rate of differential advance of the weft threads, the woven cloth helically stacks to a cylinder of variable diameter--usually about a cylindrical central aperture in the cylinder.

Centrifuge rotors have typically been constructed from metal forgings. Metals are known to be isotropic in their strength of material properties. Their resistance in tension, compression, shear, and bending is for the most part uniform in all differing directions of possible stress. Taking the case of titanium, the resistance is roughly uniform--about 250,000 pounds per square inch.
Centrifuge rotors built of resin reinforced composite fibers are known. Composite fibers are anisotropic in their strength of material properties. Taking the case of titanium, composite fibers have much greater tensile strength (up to five times or 1,250,000 psi) and are much lighter (about one-third the weight of titanium). The resistance of composite fibers in compression, shear, and bending is another matter. The fibers have virtually no resistance to these forces--especially when the forces are applied length-wise of an individual fiber.
The building of composite rotors--especially centrifuge rotors--is known. In the most common prior art constructions, resin impregnated fiber tape and/or fabric is cut in discrete discs. The discrete discs are stacked one upon another, with the discs disposed normal to the spin axis of the ultimately constructed rotor. Typically, as each discrete disc is stacked, the angularity of the fiber of the discrete disc is varied with respect to the angularity of the fiber in the disc on to which it is stacked. This stacking process with varied angular alignment continues until a cylindrical rotor body is fabricated.
In another composite rotor construction technique, fibers have been compression molded. Specifically, fibers are placed with a mold in so-called sheet molding compound, having a mixture of fiber and resin. The sheet molding compound has randomly disposed fibers all confined within a plane. The fibers are then compressed and cured. Although the fibers undertake some migration during the compression molding, the fibers remain largely with their horizontal disposition.
In both of these techniques, the fibers are not optimally aligned so that their superior isotropic properties in tension can be utilized. A brief discussion of the dynamic forces extant upon a spinning centrifuge rotor can emphasize this point.
Taking the case of a spinning centrifuge rotor, the rotor resists the centrifugal forces radially and circumferential. In radial resistance, the rotor uses the continuity of material across the spin axis. In circumferential resistance, the material of the rotor acts in hoop tension around the circumference of the rotor.
Going back to the two known constructions of composite centrifuge rotors, it will be seen that many of the fibers are placed in dispositions other than radial or circumferential. In the use of composite discs, it will be understood that most fibers of the disc will not have a radial alignment. Further, none of the fibers of the discs will have circumferential alignment.
Nevertheless, the resulting rotors are remarkably strong in resisting centrifugal stress imposed parallel to the planes of the disc layers. The varied angular alignment of fibers in the discrete discs making up the rotor imparts to the disc a resistance which I term as "quasi-isotropic" resistance. The resin impregnated fiber of each layer which happens to be optimally disposed (usually radially disposed for resistance to centrifugal stresses) imparts to the fibers of adjacent layers resistance to centrifugally generated stress. Thus, the fibers when fastened with resin in effect reinforce each other through the resin, even though the fibers being reinforced are not optimally aligned (either radially or circumferentially) to resist the stress.


A method and system for processing of media items includes a separator system feeding a series of media items onto a transport system that is controlled such that adjacent media items destined for the same sortation bin are transported along a transport path as a group of media items to the same sortation bin and such that adjacent media items destined for different sortation bins are separated for separate transport along the transport path to the different sortation bins.

Paper handling systems frequently include folding subsystems, inserter subsystems and sorting subsystems in combination with other subsystems such as postage meters, and stackers, although each of these subsystems can be separate stand-alone systems.
Posts and private carriers frequently provide discounts to mailers who presort mail. The discounts vary from country to country and are often dependent on the level of presort. The more specifically the mail has been sorted in relation to delivery by the Post or carrier, the greater the discount. In the United States, mail sorting equipment reduces the costs of sorting mail, which may be from $45 per 1,000 pieces when manually sorted, to $3 per 1,000 pieces when automatically machine sorted. Furthermore, when mailers presort mail before presentation to the United States Postal Service (USPS), the postal discounts from the full postal charge for first class mail presently provided to the mailer by the USPS can be as high as 9.5 cents per mail piece. This discount may translate into savings for the mailer of as much as $3,800 per hour in postage alone if a sorter is processing 40,000 mail pieces per hour. The actual savings to the mailer may be greater since the capital cost of the equipment can be more than covered by the labor savings since such equipment can be operated with as few as two operators rather than the more than 60 which may be required to achieve such a rate manually.
These mail sortations implemented by the mailer, by the Posts or the private carriers often utilize a multiple pass radix sort algorithm. The United States National Institute of Standards and Technology defines a radix sort as a multiple pass distribution sort algorithm that distributes each item to a bucket according to part of the item's key beginning with the least significant part of the key. After each pass, items are collected from the buckets, keeping the items in order, then redistributed according to the next most significant part of the key. In a mailing system radix type sortation, the key can be the delivery address delivery code such as a ZIP code and the bucket can be the destination sortation bin. Use of a radix sort allows mail pieces to be sorted into delivery point sequence (carrier walk sequence) and eliminates the need for the delivery person to sort the mail before delivery. However, in implementing multipass sortations of this type, to achieve a delivery point sequence requires that the ordering of mail from prior sortations be maintained when the mail pieces from each of the sortation bins are combined for the next sortation pass.
There is great interest on the part of Posts, private carriers and mailers in improving the efficiency of the sortation process since it reduces the need to purchase additional equipment, to allocate space for the significant footprint associated with each machine, to merge multiple mail streams and to utilize additional equipment operators. Prior efforts to increase the sortation processing speed have involved advancing and separating mail in a sorter at ever increasing speed so that one piece is separated at a time from the stack at higher speed, transported to the sortation station at higher speed and moved or diverted into the sortation bins at higher speed. Such speed increases carry a high cost for implementation, narrow the range of mail that can be processed, and increase the damage to mail when jams occur.
Paper handling and mechanical considerations make improvements in sortation throughput difficult to achieve and technical improvements are typically very incremental. Typical throughput for mail piece sortation equipment has presently peaked at roughly between 30,000 and 40,000 pieces per hour, depending on the length of the mail pieces and their uniformity with peak transport speeds of about 180 inches per second (ips). Moreover, depending upon the particular equipment, at higher transport speeds, mail piece diverter gates may not reliably divert the mail pieces, the tracking logic may not reliably differentiate the mail pieces, the printers may not reliably and correctly print barcodes on the mail pieces, and the scanners may not reliably read the barcodes on mail pieces.
Typically, mail pieces are transported in sortation and other equipment along a path parallel to the mail piece long axis. The transport of the mail piece can be with the mail piece oriented on its edge or with the mail piece oriented on its side. The long mail piece axis transport helps to achieve good control of the mail piece while also allowing a gap in the belting or transport mechanism to permit viewing of the mail piece for scanning by an optical character reader (OCR) or a barcode reader (BCR). While manufacturers have experimented with transporting the mail pieces in a path perpendicular to their long axis to increase throughput, the variable lengths of mail pieces, the need to precisely position the printed information such as a USPS POSTNET barcode, and the difficulty of diverting and stacking mail complicate this approach.
In general, sortation throughput has been achieved through incremental increases in mail transport belt speed, although at higher speeds there may be a need for a greater gap for a given diverter response time and faster diverter gates. Improvements are thus incremental and also expensive. Prior USPS solutions have utilized several approaches in existing systems to over come these problems. USPS accepts presorted trays of mail arranged by 5-digit destination (ZIP) code. This allows a single handling operation (at each decision point before the destination post office) for each tray containing hundreds of mail pieces rather than requiring that each mail piece be sorted and processed individually. Another USPS approach, such as the prototype Delivery Barcode Sorter (DBCS), employed multiple feeders feeding mail into one transport to allow manually and automatically processed mail to be merged. This approach does not increase automated mail transport throughput but rather allows full production speeds to continue while mail is being processed manually. The merging of two mail streams into a single sortation helps keep the machine running continuously since manually processed mail is very slowly produced. In yet another approach, the USPS flats sorting machine (FSM) model 775 systems with 4 feed stations at one end were modified (renamed FSM 881) to place 2 feed stations at each end of the machine. This allowed mail to be introduced at one end into transport carriers that had become empty because the mail had been out sorted at an earlier point in the transport. None of these solutions, however, are able to increase the transport capacity beyond a single envelope at a time passing down the transport path; they merely attempt to speed up existing processes and attempt to ensure that there is no unused capacity in the transport path.

System and method for grouping mail pieces in a sorter


When a retainer is mounted on or in a retainer mounting portion and is positioned at an inserting position, a pipe is inserted into the retainer mounting portion. An annular engaging projection of the pipe advances in the connector housing while spreading leg portions of the retainer outwardly. When the annular engaging projection reaches a connecting position, the retainer is automatically moved to an engaging position and snap-engages with the annular engaging projection.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quick connector, for example, to be adapted for connection of gasoline fuel piping for a motor vehicle, more specifically, a quick connector having a connection verifying function for verifying that a pipe is correctly fitted in and connected to the quick connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a fluid piping such as gasoline fuel piping wherein a connector or a quick connector is used for connecting a pipe and a mating member, for example, the pipe includes an inserting end portion on an inserting end thereof wherein an annular engaging projection is formed on an outer peripheral surface, while the connector is provided with retainer means. The inserting end portion of the pipe is relatively inserted into the connector so that the annular engaging projection snap-engages with the retainer means to provide locking relation between the pipe and the connector, and thereby the connector is connected to the pipe. The connector or the quick connector used in this manner has a tubular connector housing including a tube connecting portion on one axial end and a retainer mounting portion on the other axial end thereof, and a retainer mounted on or in the retainer mounting portion of the connector housing. When the inserting end portion of the pipe is inserted into an opening or aperture of an axial edge of the connector or the connector housing, the annular engaging projection of the pipe advances in the connector while deforming the retainer, and the annular engaging projection, for example, passes through the retainer or reaches an engaging portion such as an engaging slit formed in the retainer, namely, the annular engaging projection reaches a connecting position, the retainer returns, for example, to its original shape before deformed due to its spring-back force, and is brought into snap-engagement (lock engagement) with the annular engaging projection.
Hence, in case of this type of a quick connector, an operator has to connect the pipe and the quick connector with a great deal of attention. Otherwise, there is a possibility that the inserting end portion of the pipe is not fully inserted into the retainer mounting portion of the connector housing, namely, so-called incorrect connection, wherein, for example, the annular engagement projection does not pass through the retainer or does not reach an engaging portion of the retainer, is made between the quick connector and the pipe. However, in case of a piping system subject to operation while the pipe is incorrectly connected to the quick connector, the inserting end portion of the pipe is retracted to a position of sealing member that provides a seal between the connector housing and the pipe, namely is moved to the other axial end during operation, and sealing property by the sealing member between the connector housing and the pipe is insufficient or becomes lowered, and, as a result, an internal fluid might leak out.
Then, connection verifying means for a pipe and a quick connector is demanded in order to verify fit-in relation between the pipe and the quick connector. One of known type of such connection verifying means for a pipe and a connector is a checker that is configured to be fitted to or mounted on or in the connector housing before the pipe is inserted in a connector housing. The checker can be removed from the connector housing only when the pipe is correctly fitted in or connected to the connector housing. However, such connection verifying means allows an operator to verify correct connection between the pipe and the connector only once. So, another connection verifying means of double-lock type is used that allows the operator to verify complete connection each time the pipe is connected to the connector housing, that is, to verify correct connection even when the pipe that is once disconnect from the connector is reinserted in the connector housing (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). Here, a retainer is configured to be fitted or mounted in the connector housing after the pipe is inserted in the connector housing. And, when the pipe is incorrectly fitted in the connector housing, the annular engaging projection becomes an obstacle to mount the retainer on the connector housing.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A 2002-276878
And, in such connection verifying means, the retainer is mounted on the connector housing every time the pipe that is once disconnected from the connector housing is connected to the connector again, and therefore it is always possible to detect incorrect connection between the pipe and the connector. Further, since the retainer itself has connection verifying function, it is advantageous that the connector can be provided at lower cost compared to the case where the connection verifying device is configured separately from the retainer.
However, in this case, the connector is not configured as a quick connector. Namely, for connection of the pipe and the connector housing, an operator is required to perform two annoying operations, i.e., insertion of the pipe into the connector housing and mounting of the retainer on the connector housing. This complicates connecting work for the pipe and the connector. And, there could be a fear that connection of the pipe is finished without performing later subsequent process such as mounting of the retainer. So, it is difficult to achieve high reliability with piping arrangement with the connector as disclosed in the Patent Document 1.
Under the circumstances described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a quick connector that is inexpensive and allows an operator to easily construct secure piping arrangement.


This invention provides a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof. The semiconductor device comprises a substrate; a bitline, suspended on the substrate; a bottom electrode, wrapped around the bitline; a resistive layer, wrapped around the bottom electrode; a top electrode, wrapped around the resistive layer; and a wordline electrode, disposed around the top electrode and connected to the top electrode.

As technology advances, there is a significant challenge for existing memory in terms of durability, program/erase (P/E) voltage, speed, reliability, variability, and non-volatile data density. RRAM (Resistive Random Access Memory) is widely used due to its excellent scalability, speed, durability, reliability and data retention capabilities. However, the existing RRAM has problems such as poor uniformity of the resistance state distribution and small storage capacity
Based on the above, it is necessary to provide a semiconductor device structure that can improve the above problem.

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

SiEn (QingDao) Integrated Circuits Co., Ltd.


Systems, methods and computer program products for high availability enhancements of virtual security module servers. Exemplary embodiments include a command processing method, including receiving a command from a virtual machine monitor in an I/O controller of a recipient virtual security appliance, determining a load of a crypto engine of the recipient virtual security appliance to assign a master/slave flag, the crypto engine having a master virtual trusted platform module and a slave trusted platform module, assigning a master/slave flag to the command to identify a command type, determining the command type in the I/O controller, receiving output from the crypto engine and returning the output to the virtual machine monitor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to server security, and particularly to systems, methods and computer program products for high availability enhancements of virtual security module servers.
2. Description of Background
Virtual Security Appliances are a new concept to construct high assurance data centers, especially for x86 based Virtualization Infrastructures. In general, Hypervisors, that is, virtualization platforms that allow multiple operating systems to run on a host computer at the same time, are not well protected in x86 architecture.
Trusted Computing Group (TCG) has defined Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to enable hardware-based roots of trust for PC platforms. But this concept is now expanding to Server and Mobile platforms. TPM is fundamentally unique for each platform and operation system. However Virtual TPM (vTPM) has been proposed to Support Virtualized Operating Systems running on Virtual Machine Monitor.

International Business Machines Corporation


An agrochemical formulation and its method of manufacture comprising an agrochemical active and a dispersant polymer comprising a copolymer of benzylmethacrylate, acrylic acid and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to compositions used in agrochemical formulations, and, more particularly, to dispersants used in those compositions.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,677,399 and 6,767,865 describe the use of styrene based polymers in water dispersable granules and suspension concentrates.
EP 116470 describes the use of benzylmethacrylate copolymers with methacrylic acid in ink jet applications.

Dispersants for agricultural applications


PEPZYMES.TM., chemically synthesized cyclic peptides, modeled on the active sites of naturally-occurring enzymes represented by chymotrypsin, trypsin, lysozyme, ribonuclease, urokinase, tissue plasminogen activator and their analogs are disclosed. The conformational constraints imposed on the peptide residues cause the amino acids of the peptide to assume a three-dimensional spatial relationship relative to the substrate that is essentially equivalent to that of the corresponding active site amino acids of the natural enzyme in its catalytically active state. The new cyclic peptides catalyze the same reaction as the native enzyme being modeled, but have amino acid sequences that are substantially shorter than the naturally-occurring enzymes, and do not occur in the same linear relationship in the naturally-occurring enzymes. Methods of producing PEPZYMES.TM. are described.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to chemically synthesized catalysts which are capable of catalyzing chemical reactions heretofore only efficiently catalyzed using naturally-occurring molecules. In particular, the invention pertains to catalytic compositions of matter and to catalyst chemical structures, to methods of producing the kinds of catalysts described, and to chemical reactions in which the catalytic compositions can be applied.
B. Description of the Related Art
For almost a century, catalytic macromolecules have occupied center-stage in life sciences and medicine because they catalyze many of the important chemical processes carried out in living organisms. In fact, one of the principal achievements of the modern pharmaceutical industry is the production of large quantities of such molecules for use in health care. More recently, the application of these catalysts in non-biological chemical processes has received the increasing interest of industrial chemists.
Entire enzyme molecules have been synthesized as a result of major advances in the knowledge of protein structure and solid-phase peptide chemistry. Some of these whole molecules retained the catalytic nature of the naturally-occurring enzyme. However, the molecules upon which the synthetic molecules were modeled were relatively small and the yields of the correct structures were extremely low due to the inherent limitations of solid-phase peptide synthesis. These failures made it evident that synthesizing whole enzymes merely to achieve the catalytic capability of the naturally occurring molecule was not a viable approach for the construction of commercial quantities of catalysts. Neither is this approach at all useful for larger enzymes which may comprise several hundreds of amino acid residues in their chains. Clearly, it would be highly desirable if it were possible to obtain the desired chemical activity without synthesizing the entire enzyme structure.
A short peptide was previously designed by the Applicant using surface-simulation synthesis to mimic the substrate-binding site of trypsin. This peptide was shown to possess the expected binding activities of the native enzyme with substrates and inhibitors (Atassi, M. Z., "Surface-Simulation Synthesis of the Substrate-Binding Site of an Enzyme," Biochem. J. Vol. 226, pp. 477-485 1985!). However, although the synthetically produced peptide had the ability to bind to substrates and competitive inhibitors, it exhibited no significant catalytic activity.
Artificial linear peptide was synthesized consisting of 34 residues the selection of which was based upon secondary structure prediction rules. A dimer of this peptide showed limited nuclease activity (Gutte, B., et al., Nature 281: 650-655 (1979). More recently and representative of this type of approach to synthetic catalyst design, an attempt was made to synthesize a portion of an enzyme molecule which would have a desired chemical activity. K. W. Hahn et al., "Design and Synthesis of a Peptide Having Chymotrypsin-Like Esterase Activity," Science, Vol. 248, pp. 1544-1547 (1990), describe the construction of a catalytic molecule in which four helical peptides were assembled in a bundle which contained at its amino ends, serine, histidine and aspartic acid in a spatial arrangement similar to that present in chymotrypsin (.alpha.CT). This assembled-helical design molecule contained 73 residues representing a major portion of and derived from the whole enzyme and was capable of binding to ester substrates of .alpha.CT. The assembled-helical design molecule was limited to hydrolyzing an acetyltyrosine ethyl ester for about 100 turnovers and was limited to a rate of catalysis which was only about 0.02% that of the native .alpha.CT. Importantly, the sequences in the marginally catalytic synthetic structure derived from the whole enzyme were substantially the same as the equivalent sequences found in the native enzyme.
Quite different approaches to attaining the chemical advantages of enzymes without having to rely on the native molecule have involved a unique use of immunological molecules. Monoclonal antibodies with catalytic activity have been prepared by using transition-state intermediates of the substrate as the immunizing antigen. Again, these molecules demonstrate binding of substrate but possesses only marginal activity.
However, no synthetic catalytic structure representing significantly less than, but designed to structurally imitate, an enzyme has functioned like a true enzyme. Specifically, no chemically synthesized, low molecular weight catalyst comprising a peptide has been produced which is capable of converting a substrate to a product in a specific manner at pre-selected bonds, at a useful rate of catalysis and for a useful period of time.

Cyclic peptide catalysts modeled on enzyme active sites


Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide methods of forming an IC structure with a pair of metal fins. An IC structure with a pair of metal fins can include two unitary metal fins positioned on a substrate and each including an elongated wire positioned on the substrate and a via positioned directly on a portion of the elongated wire, the elongated wire and the via of each unitary metal fin defining an inverted T-shape, wherein each unitary metal fin includes the elongated wire with a pair of opposing sidewalls substantially coplanar with a pair of opposing sidewalls of the via, and wherein the each unitary metal fin includes a single crystallographic orientation. An insulating layer can be positioned directly laterally between the two unitary metal fins.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to integrated circuits (ICs) incorporating semiconductor materials, and more specifically, to IC structures which includes a pair of metal fins and methods of forming the same. Each metal fin can be a unitary structure which functions as both a metal wire and a via during operation, and processes of forming the pair of metal fins can reduce a lateral separation distance between metal wires and vias in an IC.
Related Art
Each IC can be made up of billions of interconnected devices, such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, and diodes, located on one or more chips of semiconductor substrate material. The quality and viability of a product including an IC can be at least partially dependent on the techniques used for fabricating the IC and the structure of various components therein. Fabrication of an IC can include two phases: front-end-of-line processes (FEOL) and back-end-of-line processes (BEOL). FEOL generally includes fabrication processes performed on a wafer up to and including the formation of a first "metal level," i.e., a metal wire for connecting several semiconductor devices together. BEOL generally includes fabrication processes following the formation of the first metal level, including the formation of all subsequent metal levels. Each metal level can include metal wires therein, which can be connected to other metal levels through vertically-oriented conducting wires known as vias. In conventional BEOL processing, a layer of vias is formed to connected devices in an IC structure to a layer of metal wires formed on top of the vias, with a successive layer of vias formed thereon, followed by another layer of meal wires, etc. To provide greater scaling and sophistication of the fabricated device, the number of metal levels can be varied to suit a particular application, e.g., by providing four to six metal levels, or as many as, in a further example, sixteen or more metal levels. Among other physical characteristics, the specific methodologies used during BEOL can define a resulting "pitch" of components in the IC.
Pitch is a quantity which measures the periodic distance of two features. A value of pitch specifies a sum of the width of a feature (e.g., a transistor gate) and the space on one side of the feature separating that feature from a neighboring feature. Depending on the photolithographic process being used, factors such as optics and wavelengths of light or radiation restrict how small the pitch can be before features can no longer be reliably printed to a wafer or mask. As such, the pitch limits the smallest size of any features that can be created on a wafer. Various changes and improvements to IC fabrication, over time, have accommodated progressive reductions in pitch to provide greater component densities and greater operational sophistication in an IC product.

Formation of IC structure with pair of unitary metal fins


A dot matrix printer and motor having hammers forming in part a hammerbank and a counterbalance mechanically linked to the hammerbank with a link to the position of the motor. The motor includes coils positively driven and then negatively driven after current in the coils has at least partially decayed. The current in the coils is allowed to decay further after negatively driving the coil. The motor coils are connected to an H bridge having transistors which can be formed in a full H bridge or half bridge. A controller switches the transistors to cause negative and positive flow through the H bridge for positive current flow from a reference level to an upper reference level, and a decay of current within the coils to an intermediate reference. The coils are then driven with a negative current from the intermediate reference level to a second intermediate reference level afterwhich the current within the coils decays to a lower or initial reference level.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention lies within the printer and motor art. More particularly, it lies within the art of dot matrix printing wherein numerous dots are printed on a print media such as a sheet of paper to provide for an alpha numeric representation thereon. It also resides in the field of motor controls for brushless D.C. motors, D.C. brush motors and D.C. stepping motors. It specifically can relate to the field wherein line printers are driven by motors for movement across a print media in order to impress a number of dots thereon as the printer moves reciprocally across the print media. It also includes motor drives and controls for the various motors used with or analogous to the foregoing mentioned motors.
2. Prior Art and Improvements Thereover
The prior art with regard to dot matrix printers encompasses multiple printers of various configurations. Such configurations use various wheels and hammers of various types to impress a dot on a print media. One particular type of printer which is known in the art is a line printer.
Line printers generally have a series of hammers. The series of hammers are implaced on a hammerbank which reciprocally moves across a print media. The print media is advanced across the hammers and is printed thereon by an inked ribbon.
Such hammers are supported on a hammerbank. The hammers are often held in place by a permanent magnet until released or fired. The release or firing takes place by the permanent magnetism holding the print hammers being overcome.
In the past, it has been known to place a drive motor at a location to drive the hammerbank reciprocally by a crank or a connector. The crank or connector moves the hammerbank in a reciprocal manner in a sufficiently rapid manner so as to provide high speed printing.
A problem of the prior art is that the motor was not always consistently driven to provide for smooth and effective printing movement. The motors were driven in a buck mode, or a push pull mode, which was not always desirable.
A drawback of the prior art with regard to motor drives for both printers and various motors is that they were driven in either a buck drive mode or a push pull mode.
The buck drive had a low ripple current which improved efficiency. However, it could not decrease output current on demand. This made it very difficult for use with linear controls in order to cause the motor to function in a manner where demands were made of the type in printers and certain other motor uses.
The push pull motor drives create and decrease current on demand. Nevertheless, they suffer from high ripple current hence there is less efficiency. The push pull convertor drives the motor positively until a reference is reached. The bridge driving the motor is then reversed and the current is driven negatively until the next cycle beings. The deceleration or reduction of current in a push pull design is linear and controlled. However, it has extremely high ripple currents and it also dumps excess motor energy back to the supply. This requires extra circuits in the power system to dissipate the stored energy in the motor.
It is an object of this invention to provide a balanced buck drive. This fundamentally operates like two convertors complimenting each other.
The object is to provide this balanced buck so that the first part of the cycle drives until a positive reference is reached. Thereafter, as driven through the second part of the cycle and decreasing the current with back emf, the system continues through a third intermediate cycle and a fourth cycle making an improved balanced buck.
The balanced buck drive provides an object of this invention by maintaining a current comparable to the buck style drive. However, it is responsive to requests for more or less current within each switching cycle.
A further object to the invention is that the balanced buck drive of this motor control dissipates excess motor energy in the motor windings and not in the power system or control circuits.
Another object is that the balanced buck drive provides for more consistent printing by having smoother motor operation and a limitation of ripple currents that affect motor operation and attendant print quality.
The balanced buck drive of this invention enhances the drive of a printer motor, as well as motors in general such as brushless D.C. motors of the printer of this invention, D.C. brush motors, and D.C. stepping motors.
The objects of this invention are not only to drive the printer of this invention but also to broadly apply the applicable principles and invention hereof to other types of motors.
Another object of this invention which is significant is that the motor, counterbalance and hammerbank are keyed or linked for operation after being placed in a closed loop relationship. This effectively allows an electrically locked position between the motor and the hammerbank. This is effectuated by means of a single sensor that merely senses the position of the rotor of the motor that is in turn keyed to the position of the hammerbank.
For these reasons, the invention is a substantial step over the prior art and enhances line printer functions as well as smoothness of operation, speed of operation, and provides longevity and finer printing for a line printer than had previously been capable in the art. It also provides enhanced control of brushless D.C. motors, D.C. brush motors and D.C. stepper motors in general.

Printer and motor having a balanced buck drive


An imaging device includes: an imaging unit that generates image data; a first communication unit; a first communication control unit that transmits the image data to an external communication device and receives recording information for causing the imaging device to record a subject image included in the image data from the communication device; and a specification information generation unit that generates specification information for specifying the subject image based on the recording information and records the specification information in a recording unit. The recording information includes subject image information. The specification information generation unit records the specification information including the subject image information in the recording unit.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an imaging device for imaging a subject, an imaging system including the imaging device, an imaging method to be performed by the imaging device, and a computer-readable recording medium.
2. Related Art
In recent years, there is known a technique of causing an imaging device such as a digital camera or a digital video camera to display, on a display unit, a live view image corresponding to image date generated by imaging, and to sequentially transmit the image data to an external communication device such as a mobile phone by using communication technology (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-14119).
The technique is a technique for a user of a communication device to issue an operation instruction (an operation instruction for changing the field of view with the aim of imaging a specific subject, and the like) to a user of an imaging device by using communication technology.
Specifically, according to the technique, the communication device sequentially receives pieces of image data transmitted from the imaging device, and sequentially displays live view images corresponding to the pieces of image data on the display unit. The user of the communication device checks the live view image displayed on the display unit of the communication device, and performs a predetermined operation on the communication device when he/she wants to shoot a specific subject after changing the field of view to be imaged by the imaging device, for example. An operation instruction is transmitted from the communication device to the imaging device by the operation mentioned above. After receiving the operation instruction, the imaging device displays, on the display unit, information according to the operation instruction (for example, an arrow indicating the direction of change of the field of view or the like). Then, the user of the imaging device checks the information displayed on the display unit of the imaging device, and determines whether or not to perform a shooting operation according to the information.

Imaging device, imaging system, imaging method, and computer-readable recording medium


A safety fringe is formed around the edge of paper products in order to reduce the likelihood of people receiving cuts. A softened and weakened fringe is formed by pressing a hard-surfaced mechanical member against a narrow strip near the edge of the paper. Many commonly-available machine parts are suitable for this purpose. A safety fringe can be formed at the mill or at any other stage in the processing or handling of paper.

Many of us are all too familiar with having cut our finger on the sharp edge of paper or a paper product, such as cardboard, corrugated paperboard, a sheet of writing paper, etc. For example, as one might run one's finger underneath a sealed envelope to open it, the sharp edges on the flap, as it is being torn open, sometimes tears into the finger, causing a painful, sometimes bleeding cut that is prone to infection. Some grades of paper are so sharp along the edge, that many persons accidentally cut themselves when routinely handling the paper in normal use. This is often the case, with containers and packaging, when persons pack and seal, open and unpack paper-based materials.
There are other materials, similar to paper, where cuts occur when persons contact the material. While what follows applies primarily to paper products, the invention is suitable with other similar material.
The outer layer of human skin is made up of dead cells that are immersed in a matrix of fibrous secretions. A "cut" occurs when the outer layer is torn or slit and the structures below, live cells, lymph, blood vessels, etc., are reached. A cut can occur when an edge of a paper product contacts skin, if the edge is thin enough or sharp enough, relative to skin structure, and if the material behind the edge is stiff enough so sufficient stress can be developed.
These conditions follow from some common observations: while tissue paper is thin, it does not provide enough support for its edge to cut skin; a sheet of writing paper, which might otherwise be able to cause a cut, is unlikely to do so when the paper is crumpled and its edge lacks regularity and stiffness; a cut is more likely to occur when the edge of a sheet of paper slides across, rather than when the same sheet only presses up against the skin; soft paper, particularly paper having short fiber lengths, usually does not have sufficient structural rigidity to tear through skin; stiffer papers with long fiber contents have greater rigidity and are more apt to penetrate the skin.
Two terms commonly used to describe paper are (basis) weight and stiffness. The weight of a paper is its weight in pounds per 1000 square feet (of face area). The specific weight of a sample of the paper would be given as the ratio of basis weight to its thickness. Typical weights are listed below:
______________________________________ type weight, lbs in .times. in - sheets/ream ______________________________________ mimeograph paper 21 17 .times. 22 - 400 newsprint 32 24 .times. 36 - 500 machine finish book 48 17 .times. 22 - 500 supercalendered book 50 25 .times. 38 - 500 coated book 70 25 .times. 38 - 500 ______________________________________
The stiffness of paper is directly proportional to the product of Young's modulus (E) and the cross sectional moment of inertia (I), and is inversely proportional to basis weight. Paper is a plastic material and E must be defined within a limited range of applied stress and taking the water content of the sample into account.
Corrugated paperboard products are made up of a plurality of layers of paper. A person handling an edge of any of these layers may be cut. Standard corrugated paperboard consists of various combinations of flat sheets and serpentine (fluted) sheets, of various height and number of flutes/foot, glued together in alternating layers. Corrugated materials in common use are described as follows:
______________________________________ number of flat number of type sheets serpentine sheets ______________________________________ single face 1 1 double face 2 1 double wall 3 2 triple wall 4 3 ______________________________________
The sizes of double face corrugated boards that are in common use are as follows:
______________________________________ size flutes/foot height without faces take-up factor* ______________________________________ A 36 3/16" 1.58 B 51 3/32" 1.38 C 39-42 9/64" 1.5 E 96 3/64" 1.3 ______________________________________ *take-up factor is the ratio of the length of paper used in the fluted layer to the given length of board
Two general means by which paper and paper products are cut:
1) by drawing a sharp blade across and through the paper, and, PA1 2) by pressing a sharp die against the paper until penetration results in separation.
In either of these cases, the edge of the cutting tool may be straight or serrated (wave). Die-cutting is a considerably more expensive means that is used to obtain parts of complex shape, as well as to obtain dimensional accuracy. One of the things accomplished when paper products are cut with a wave die is that the user is less apt to receive a skin cut when handling the product. Serrated edges are irregular and increase the amount of material which skin might contact, thereby reducing stress. While this method of cutting paper reduces the problem addressed by the present invention, people still receive cuts from the serrated edge of die-cut paper, and die-cutting is not practical for many products where cuts frequently occur.
Additional information about paper can be obtained from the AMERICAN PAPER INSTITUTE, 1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 210, Washington, D.C. 20036. A standard reference is the HANDBOOK OF PULP AND PAPER TECHNOLOGY, edited by Kenneth W. Britt, VAN NOSTRAND REINHOLD, 1970.


Apparatus (OTDR) for accurately locating and measuring the optical parameters and characteristics of fiberoptic cables which reduces the adverse effects of coherence noise without effecting the stability and repeatability of the acquired locating and measuring information.

With the increasingly widespread use of fiberoptic cables as wideband data links, it has become increasingly important to have instruments which are able to accurately locate and measure the optical characteristics and parameters of such cables. Among these characteristics and parameters are characteristics such as attenuation, cutoff, and polarization, and parameters such as the length of the fiber, the location of the end of the fiber, and the numbers, magnitudes and locations of lossy features such as couplings, splices, and defects, among others. Instruments which are designed to perform such measurements are referred to as Optical Time Domain Reflectometers or, more commonly, OTDRs. An example of one type of OTDR is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,249 (Beckmann et al). Examples of commercially available ones of such OTDRs are sold under the model designations TD-1000 and TD-3486 OTDRs by the Laser Precision Division of GN Nettest of Utica, N.Y.
The precision and accuracy of OTDR measurements can be affected by various noise sources. Some of these are purely electronic in nature and others are directly related to the production, transmission, reflection and detection of the optical signal. Among the most important types of noise that affect transmission through fiberoptic cables are background or "white" noise and coherence/polarization noise. Background noise is essentially random in character. This type of noise exists in all systems that include electronic circuitry and affects all pulses, without regard to the temporal duration or spectral width thereof. Because optical signals transmitted along fiberoptic cables decrease in amplitude with distance, they tend to become difficult to distinguish from this noise. OTDRs cope with this type of noise by basing final results on the average of the results of many individual measurements. This is because averaging is a process that tends to cancel out the randomly varying components of a signal such as background noise.
Coherence/polarization noise, on the other hand, is not random in character. It is caused by microscopic features in the optic fiber, such as impurities and variations in dopant concentration. Since such features are localized at fixed points along the fiber, they tend to have repeatable effects. The magnitude of this noise is not particularly troublesome for relatively long duration pulses, such as those with a temporal width significantly greater than the coherence time of the source. This is because such noise tends to become "washed out" over the course of a pulse. For relatively short duration pulses, such as those with a temporal width less than the coherence time, on the other hand, the effect is unable to "wash out" over the course of a pulse. Moreover, because the effect is coherent rather than random, it is less subject to being removed by averaging. Prior to the present invention, attempts to reduce the magnitude of coherence/polarization effects have made use of one of two approaches. One of these involves the use of hardware and software implemented filtering applied on a post sampling basis, i.e., on filters applied to signals after they have been both transmitted and received. A second of these approaches involves using lasers with larger than usual cavities, although this approach is effective in some but not all cases.
For the sake of brevity, the phrase "coherence/polarization noise" will hereinafter be abbreviated to "coherence noise".
Attempts to deal with coherence noise by means of the post processing of the received signal have not been entirely successful. This is because the filtering process used in this post processing often has the effect of filtering out weak but significant events. As a result, the filtering process can prevent the detection of the very features that the measurement is performed to detect and, what is worse, prevent such detection on an intermittent and unpredictable basis. It has recently become evident that the degree of this unpredictability can vary from laser to laser within or between manufacturing batches thereof, as well as from fiber to fiber.
In view of the foregoing it will be seen that, prior to the present invention, there has existed a need for a method and apparatus for reducing the effect of coherence noise in OTDRs, and for doing so in a manner that does not effect the stability and repeatability of measurements made with ODTRs.

Method and apparatus for retroreflectively reducing coherence/polarization noise in reflectometers


A hospital cart structure is arranged to include a flexible support container suspended from the support frame structure of the cart, with the support container mounted within a rigid container loop, and the container loop having a lid member hingedly mounted to the loop in biased communication with the container hoop.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to container structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved hospital cart and lid apparatus arranged to maintain a lid closing relative to a suspended container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various refuse containers are utilized throughout the prior art as exemplified in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,450,976; 4,558,779; 4,342,402and 4,923,202.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for a cart structure arranged in cooperation with a suspended container to include a lid arranged in communication with the container opening to prevent inadvertent access to the container and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


An infrared-sensitive planographic printing plate precursor including: a support; a recording layer capable of forming an image through infrared irradiation provided on or above one surface of the support, the recording layer containing a resin, which is water-insoluble and alkali-soluble, and an infrared absorbent; and an organic polymer layer provided on or above the other surface of the support, wherein when the organic polymer layer is formed, a solvent is used, and the total amount of solvent remaining in the organic polymer layer is 10 mg per gram of the organic polymer or less is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an infrared-sensitive planographic printing plate precursor. More particularly, the present invention relates to an infrared-sensitive planographic printing plate precursor with improved prevention of damage to the photosensitive layer when the infrared-sensitive planographic printing plate precursors are stacked.
2. Description of the Related Art
Laser technology has made remarkable progress in recent years. In particular, high-power and compact solid lasers, semiconductor lasers and the like, having an emission wavelength within the near infrared and infrared regions are now readily available. In a planographic printing field, such lasers are advantageously used as light sources for exposing planographic printing precursors so as to produce printing plates directly according to digital data from a computer or the like.
A recording layer of such a positive planographic printing plate precursor for direct plate-making using infrared laser includes as essential components an alkali-soluble resin and an infrared absorbent which absorbs light and generates heat. In unexposed portions (i.e., an image area), the infrared absorbent acts as a dissolution inhibitor, which interacts with the alkali-soluble resin to substantially lower the solubility of the alkali-soluble resin. On the other hand, in exposed portions (i.e., a non-image area), the interaction of the infrared absorbent and the alkali-soluble resin becomes weak due to the heat generated, and the infrared absorbent dissolves in the alkaline developer to form an image. Such a positive planographic printing plate precursor, however, has problems in that the mechanical strength of the recording layer is insufficient. During manufacture, transportation and handling of the printing plate precursor, if the printing surface contacts other components heavily, defects in the printing surface can be generated, and missing portions can appear in the developed image area.
To reduce such problems, planographic printing plate precursors are usually packaged with interleaving sheets interposed between adjacent printing plate precursors. The interleaf sheets, however, have problems of cost and removal. Accordingly, "interleaf sheet-less" is desirable. Recently, as Computer-to-plate (CTP) systems become common, more and more exposure devices are provided with printing plate autoloaders. Such autoloaders, however, have the problem that the interleaf sheets need to be removed in advance from the stack through a bothersome manual operation, and that, even in an autoloader equipped with a device for automatically removing interleaf sheets, the printing plate precursors sometimes become scratched when removing the interleaf sheets. To avoid these problems, demand for planographic printing plate precursors stacked without interleaf sheets is increasing.
A known technique towards packaging without interleaf sheets is to provide supports with a back surface designed to reduce mechanical damage to photosensitive layers caused by contact between the photosensitive layers and the back surface of the supports.
For example, a recording material for offset printing which includes a radiation-sensitive layer and an organic polymer-containing backcoat layer is known. The recording material is provided with a backcoat consisting of an organic polymer having a glass transition temperature of not lower than 35° C., with a pigment such as silica gel contained therein (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2002-46363). The patent document describes that, with this configuration, planographic printing plate precursors can be stacked with no interleaf sheets interposed. However, inorganic pigments such as silica gel are very hard and if contained in the backcoat layer, the pigments can easily cause scratching of photosensitive layers during transportation of the printing plate precursors in a stacked state without interleaf sheets.
Another proposed technique is to provide a matte surface by electrostatic spraying onto a surface on the opposite side to that of a photosensitive layer on a support (see JP-A No. 2003-63162). The patent document describes that, with this configuration, planographic printing plate precursors can be stacked with no interleaf sheets interposed. However, if the printing plate precursors are stacked without interleaf sheets and stored, the adhesion of adjacent printing plate precursors can occur, especially under conditions of high-humidity such as in the summer.
Further, a photosensitive planographic printing plate precursor with a coating layer provided at a surface on the opposite side to that of a photosensitive layer on a support is proposed. The coating layer has a glass transition temperature of 60° C. or above and is formed by at least one resin selected from a group consisting of saturated copolyester resin, phenoxy resin, polyvinylacetal resin and vinylidene chloride copolymer resin (see JP-A No. 2005-62456).
Also, a photosensitive planographic printing plate precursor with a rough-surfaced organic polymer layer provided at a surface on the opposite side to that of a photosensitive layer on a support is also proposed (see, for example, JP-A No. 2002-254843).
These backcoat layers of organic polymer, however, can easily cause scratching of a photosensitive layer if no interleaf sheets are used and the photosensitive layer and the back surface are pressed against each other in an autoloader for automatically feeding printing plate precursors for laser exposure. Further, as mentioned above, a planographic printing plate precursor which has a recording layer including an alkali-soluble resin and an infrared absorbent and a backcoat layer of organic polymer has the following problems. That is, during manufacture after coating and drying printing plate precursors are cut and stacked and when the stacked printing plate precursors get load applied when on an autoloader, the relatively low strength surfaces of recording layers can adhere to the surfaces of backcoat layers due to solvent contained in the backcoat layer, and the recording layers sometimes peel off as a result of this adhesion.

Infrared-sensitive planographic printing plate precursor


An air conditioning system has a controller and a receiver located between an indoor and outdoor units. The receiver serves as an auxiliary reservoir for refrigerant. The controller generates signals to adjust the amount of refrigerant to be stored in this reservoir as a way of adjusting the amount of refrigerant flowing in the system during various modes of operation. By increasing or decreasing the amount of refrigerant in the receiver, the controller may achieve or maintain a desired level of performance and/or efficiency.

1. Field
One or more embodiments herein relate to an air conditioner.
2. Background
The amount of refrigerant required by an air conditioner tends to vary based on external air conditions, indoor load conditions, and/or operational mode. Attempts have been made to control the amount of refrigerant during these conditions or modes. However, they have proven to be inaccurate, inefficient, or both.

Air conditioner and control method thereof


A protective camera enclosure (3) for a monitoring camera (1) comprises a cover portion (5) which is selectively moveable, in response to a detected tampering threat, from a retracted configuration exposing the camera (1) to an extended configuration covering and physically protecting the camera (1).

Surveillance cameras are currently used in many different applications, for monitoring environments both indoors and outdoors. Cameras may e.g. be used for monitoring areas where there is a high risk of unwelcome activities such as burglary or vandalism. In such situations there is also a risk that the camera itself may be exposed to sabotage or tampering actions aimed to stop the camera from monitoring the area. Some examples of such actions are spraying paint on the camera lens, covering the camera view by a cloth or kicking or hitting the camera. When the view of a camera is obstructed or the camera is damaged, the images that are produced by the camera, if any, are obviously of limited use for surveillance purposes, and, thus, the unwelcome activities may go on unnoticed by an operator receiving images from the camera. Maintenance personnel will also need to visit the camera to remove the obstruction, repair the camera or even replace it.
Several solutions to resolve the tampering issue have been suggested, such as mounting the camera in a hard to reach spot e.g. in a high ceiling. However, there is still room for improvement in this area.
US 2011/0103786 A1 discloses a privacy ensuring camera enclosure which is configured to dynamically change from the camera enclosing configuration to the surveillance configuration in response to a heightened threat level.
DE 202 19 004 U1 discloses a camera device for a motor vehicle or for a trailer connected to a motor vehicle. The camera device is placed in a housing with a cover piece for the camera lens. The cover piece is movable from a first position covering the lens to a second position not covering the lens. The housing with the cover piece protects the camera lens from rain and damage.


A laundry system has a plurality of laundry machines networked together and a remotely located host computer for collecting operation data and audit data from the laundry machines and to program the laundry machines with operation parameters. A bridging controller is provided to bridge the host computer with the network of laundry machines, and communicates with the host computer through a wired or wireless network connection. The host computer may command the bridging controller to collect data from the laundry machines and may send programming data to the laundry machines through the bridging controller.

A commercial laundry system may have many laundry machines of various types, such as washers, extractors, dryers, and tumblers, etc. At any given time, the machines may be in different states of their operation cycles, and have various levels of usage. Monitoring the operations of the machines and auditing the usage and revenue collection of the machines can be an extremely time consuming and laborious task if it is to be performed by persons, and it is difficult to ensure that the information collected is sufficiently current. Moreover, the laundry machines may from time to time have to be reprogrammed with different operation parameters. Entering the parameters into each machine manually can be a very time consuming task that is prone to errors.
Computerized networking effectively solves these problems and enables a large number of laundry machines to be constantly monitored and audited, and reprogrammed when necessary, with minimal intervention from an operator. In one existing framework for networked commercial laundry systems, a plurality of laundry machines are connected together via a simple wired network, such as a RS-485 network. A host computer is also connected to the network of laundry machines to collect status and audit information from the laundry machines and to program the machines with selected operation parameters. To that end, each laundry machine has a microprocessor-based machine control circuit that is programmed to receive and transmit data packets through the network and to process commands received from the host computer. To communicate with the laundry machines over the network, the host computer, which may be a personal computer ("PC"), is equipped with a network interface card that handles the network communications over the network that connects the laundry machines together.
One problem with this existing framework for laundry systems is that the host computer has to be located in close proximity of the laundry machines, since it has to be connected to the wired network of the laundry machines. This often requires putting the host computer at the site of the laundry machines. This presents various potential problems, such as tampering, theft, and vandalism of the host computer. The restricted location of the host computer may also make it more difficult to retrieve data collected by the host computer and to service the computer in the field.

Controller for bridging a host computer and networked laundry machines


The present invention concerns new associative thickening agents belonging to the category of HEURs (Hydrophobically modified Ethylene oxide URethane). These products contain an original associative monomer with a base of alkyl cyclohexanol alkoxylates. Their thickening power is equal to or greater than that procured by HEUR associative thickening agents of the prior art containing grafted alkyl phenols. An efficient substitute product is therefore available, which is free of alkyl phenols, matching current market demand.

Water-based paint formulations containing mineral fillers consist of an aqueous phase, one or more polymers in emulsion in the liquid phase called binders, fillers and/or pigments, a dispersing agent and admixtures as diverse as surfactants, coalescence agents, biocides, anti-foaming agents and, finally, at least one thickening agent.
The latter enables the rheology of the water-soluble formulations into which it is introduced, and notably water-soluble paints, to be controlled, both at the manufacturing stage, and during transport or storage, or at the time of application. The wide variety of practical constraints in each of these stages relates to a multiplicity of different rheological properties.
Nevertheless, it is possible to summarise the requirement of the skilled man in the art in obtaining an effect of the thickening of the water-based formulation, both for reasons of stability over time, and for a possible application of the paint to a vertical surface, lack of spattering during use, etc. For this reason additives have been designated which contribute to this regulation of the rheological properties under the term "thickening agents".
Among these products, thickening agents known as "associative" thickening agents are distinguished, which are hydrosoluble polymers having insoluble hydrophobic groups. Such macromolecules have an associating character: when introduced into water, the hydrophobic groups tend to assemble in the form of micellar aggregates. These aggregates are linked together by the hydrophilic parts of the polymers: a three-dimensional network is then formed which causes the viscosity of the medium to be increased.
The functional mechanism and the characteristics of the associative thickening agents are now well known and described, for example in the documents "Rheology modifiers for water-borne paints" (Surface Coatings Australia, 1985, pp. 6-10) and "Rheological modifiers for water-based paints: the most flexible tools for your formulations" (Eurocoat 97, UATCM, vol. 1, pp 423-442).
Among these associative thickening agents the class of associative thickening agents of the HEUR type (Hydrophobically modified Ethylene oxide URethane) is distinguished. They designate copolymers resulting from the synthesis between a compound of the polyalkylene glycol type, a polyisocyanate, and a monomer or condensate designated "associative", of the alkyl, aryl or aryalkyl type consisting of a hydrophobic terminal group.
These structures are well known to develop high viscosities, with a medium to low shearing gradient (J. of Applied Polymer Science, vol. 58, p 209-230, 1995; Polymeric Mat. Sci. and Engineering, vol. 59, p 1033, 1988; Polymeric Mat. Sci. and Engineering, vol. 61, p 533, 1989; Polymeric Paint Colour Journal, vol. 176, no. 4169, p 459, June 1986), which is equal respectively to the Stormer™ (KU) and Brookfield™ (mPa·s) viscosity measurements.
At the same time, document EP 1 566 393 describes a thickening agent of the HEUR type one of the essential characteristics of which is the presence of n-butyl-1-octanol, while its hydrophobic groups are based on fatty alcohols having 8 to 18 carbon atoms.
Document EP 1 013 264 describes a polyurethane thickening agent for cosmetic formulations, having an associative monomer functionalised by a hydrophobic group which may be linear or branched, but is preferentially linear, and having 12 to 24 carbon atoms.
Document WO 94/06840 proposes an associative thickening agent of the HEUR type, characterised by a certain density of hydrophobic groups, where the said groups are linear alkyl chains having 8 to 22 carbon atoms.
Document EP 1 584 331 proposes a hydrophobic terminal group having 6 to 34 carbon atoms for the associative monomer. To increase specifically the Brookfield™ viscosity.
Document EP 0 639 595 proposes linear hydrophobic groups having 4 to 36 carbon atoms.
Document WO 02/102868 also makes reference to linear structures for the associative monomer.
Independently of the particular rheological profiles provided by the variations described above, the HEURs with the most pronounced thickening power still remain molecules having alkyl phenols grafted on to their associative monomer. One of the representative products of this technology is Acrysol™ SCT-275, developed by the company DOW™.
And alkyl phenols are currently widely suspected of being carcinogenic, and dangerous for reproduction; although still tolerated in the paints industry they nonetheless remain in the firing line of the legislative institutions, notably the European ones.
There is therefore a genuine requirement to develop a HEUR-type associative thickening agent, which is free of alkyl phenols, but which has an equivalent or even improved thickening power. The inventors have discovered, in a completely surprising manner, that the use of certain structures in place of the associative monomer led to such a result.

Associative non-ionic thickening agents containing alkyl cyclohexanol alkoxylates, their uses and formulations containing them


A magnetic sensor which includes a circuit substrate, a ferromagnetic resistant element (MR element) mounted on the substrate in such a manner that a magnet-sensitive plane of the MR element directs perpendicular to the substrate plane of the substrate, and an electro-magnetic wave shielding casing for covering the MR element having a positioning portion in which the MR element is fitted to obtain an accurate position thereof.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic sensor for detecting change in magnetic flux crossing a magnet-sensing plane caused by rotating a magnet.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing one conventional magnetic sensor. The conventional magnetic sensor is provided with a resin frame 1 of the sensor, a rotating shaft 2 mounted rotatably in the frame 1, an arm 3 fixed to one end of the rotating shaft 2, a magnet 4 secured onto the other end of the rotating shaft 2 by an adhesion 5, and a ferromagnetic resistive element hereinafter merely referred as MR element) 6. The MR element may be formed of a glass substrate, a magnet-sensitive plane 6a constituted by a magnetic resistive pattern of NiFe as the ferromagnetic resistive material and formed on the glass substrate, so that the MR element is molded by an insulating resin to form a rectangular solid having a terminal 6b at a side thereof for input/output signal.
The magnetic sensor is further provided with a ceramic substrate 7 performing as a circuit substrate on which a pattern of electric wiring is formed and various kinds of electronic devices are mounted although they are not shown in the figure. The MR element 6 is mounted on the substrate 7 in such a manner that the magnet-sensitive plane 6a is parallel to the surface of the substrate, and the terminal 6b is soldered to the electric wiring pattern. In this state, the ceramic substrate 7 is accommodated and held in the resin frame 1 in such a manner that the surface of the substrate 7 is perpendicular to the magnet 4, that is, the magnet-sensitive plane 6a is perpendicular to the magnet 4.
The substrate 7 on which the MR element 6 is mounted is housed in a copper casing 8 acting as an electromagnetic shielding casing. The MR element 6 is connected to an input/output terminal 9 through a penetrating capacitor 10 for taking an output signal of the MR element 6.
The operation of the conventional magnetic sensor will now be described hereinbelow.
When the arm 3 rotates in association with the opening/closing condition of a throttle valve (not shown) disposed in an intake conduit performing as an air-flow path of a vehicle, for example, the rotation of the arm 3 is transmitted to the magnet 4 through the rotating shaft 2, that is, the magnet 4 rotates in association with the arm 3.
By the rotation of the magnet 4, the magnetic flux generated from the magnet 4 and crossing the magnet-sensitive plane 6 varies and, as a result, the resistance value of the magnetic resistive pattern of the MR element 6 varies in accordance with the variation of the magnetic flux crossing the magnet-sensitive plane 6a. The MR element 6 outputs the voltage corresponding to the rotational angle of the magnet 4.
The output voltage of the MR element 6 is amplified and then output through the input/output terminal 9 to the outside devices (not shown), and the opening/closing condition of the throttle valve is thus detected.
As described above, the conventional magnetic sensor may be employed as, for example, a position sensor mounted on a vehicle.
Since the detecting operation of the MR element 6 is based on the variation of the magnetic flux crossing the magnet-sensitive plane 6a as disclosed above, the positional relationship of the magnet 4 and the magnet-sensitive plane 6a strictly influences the characteristics of the magnetic sensitivity of the MR element 6. According to the conventional magnetic sensor, it is necessary to use an extra accurate positioning device for positioning the MR element 6 with respect to the ceramic substrate 7 and then the terminal 6b of the MR element 6 is soldered to the wiring pattern formed on the substrate 7 and, further, the ceramic substrate 7 is accurately housed in the resin frame 1 with reference to an outer diameter of the substrate 7 to keep a positional accuracy of the magnet 4 and the magnet-sensitive plane 6a.
FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view showing another type of conventional magnetic sensor, FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view cut out along the line III--III of FIG. 2, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are plane and side views schematically showing essential portions of FIG. 2.
The conventional magnetic sensor shown in FIGS. 2-5 is provided with a resin frame 101 of the sensor, a magnet 102 rotatably mounted in the frame 101, and a ferromagnetic resistive element (hereinafter merely referred as MR element) 103. The MR element 103 may be formed of a glass substrate a magnet-sensitive plane 103a constituted by a magnetic resistive pattern of NiFe as the ferromagnetic resistive material and formed on the glass substrate, so that the MR element is molded by an insulating resin to form a rectangular solid having a terminal 103b at a side thereof for input/output signal.
The magnetic sensor is further provided with a ceramic substrate 104 performing as a circuit substrate. The MR element 103 is mounted on the substrate 104 in such a manner that the magnet-sensitive plane 103a is parallel to the plane of the substrate. In this state, the ceramic substrate 104 is accommodated and held in the resin frame 101 in such a manner that the plane of the substrate 104 is perpendicular to the magnet 102, that is, the magnet-sensitive plane 103a is perpendicular to the magnet 102. Although it is not shown in the figures, a pattern of electric wiring is formed on and various kinds of electronic devices are mounted on the ceramic substrate 104.
The operation of the conventional magnetic sensor will now be described hereinbelow.
When the magnet 102 rotates in the direction A shown in FIG. 4 in association with the opening/closing condition of a throttle valve (not shown) disposed in an intake conduit performing as an air-flow path of a vehicle, for example, the magnetic flux generated from the magnet 102 and crossing the magnet-sensitive plane 103a varies and as a result, the resistance value of the magnetic resistive pattern of the MR element 103 varies in accordance with the variation of the magnetic flux crossing the magnet-sensitive plane 103a. The MR element 103 outputs the voltage corresponding to the rotational angle of the magnet 102.
The output voltage of the MR element 103 is amplified and then output through the input/output terminal 106 to the outside devices (not shown), and the opening/closing condition of the throttle valve is thus detected.
As described above, the conventional magnetic sensor may be employed as, for example, a position sensor mounted on a vehicle.
Since the positional relationship of the magnet 102 and the magnet-sensitive plane 103a directing along the arrow B shown in FIG. 4 strictly influences the characteristics of the magnetic sensitivity of the MR element 103, according to the conventional magnetic sensor, it is necessary to use an extra accurate positioning device for positioning the MR element 103 with respect to the ceramic substrate 104 and then the terminal 103b of the MR element 103 is soldered to the wiring pattern formed on the substrate 104 and, further, the ceramic substrate 104 is accurately housed in the resin frame 101 with reference to an outer diameter of the substrate 104 to keep a positional accuracy of the magnet 102 and the magnet-sensitive plane 103a in the direction B shown in FIG. 4.
The conventional magnetic sensors as disclosed above suffer from a problem that the longitudinal length of the sensor is increased since the MR element is mounted onto the ceramic substrate so that the magnet-sensitive plane is parallel to the substrate plane and the magnet is perpendicular to the substrate plane.
Further, since the terminal is soldered to the wiring pattern formed on the ceramic substrate and then the substrate is housed in the resin frame with reference to the outer diameter of the substrate, it is required to shape the outer diameter of the substrate with high accuracy and to keep high positional accuracy of the magnet and the magnet-sensitive plane with a high accurate positioning device.
Further, since the conventional magnetic device is provided with the copper casing covering the ceramic substrate for shielding undesirable electro-magnetic wave from the outside to prevent any error operation of the circuit, the assembling steps increase and the actual manufacturing operation becomes complicated.
Furthermore, since the magnet which is previously magnetized is manually fixed to the other end of the rotating shaft by an adhesion so that the magnetic direction of the magnet is arranged in a predetermined direction according to the conventional magnetic sensor, the distance between the magnet and the MR element may vary due to the rotation of the rotating shaft. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain the coincidence of the center point of the magnet to the center point of rotation of the rotating shaft and, further, it is difficult to obtain the magnetic direction and the positional angle of the arm with high accuracy.

Magnetic sensor having a magnet-sensitive plane of an MR element arranged perpendicular to both a substrate plane and a magnet


An aspiration device for laparoscopic surgery has a tube with a proximal end. A tool access port concentric with the tube permits insertion of a grasping tool for holding a sponge at the distal end of the tube.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surgical instruments for use during laparoscopic surgery. More particularly, the invention is an aspirator instrument for use inside the abdominal cavity for clearing the surgical field of irrigating fluid, blood and other materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The typical laparoscopic surgical procedure begins with the puncture of the patient's abdominal wall and the placement of an access port. Next, the abdominal cavity is partially inflated with gas, forming a pneumoperitoneum. A laparoscope or endoscope is then inserted through the access port to permit viewing of the organs during the surgical procedure. Typically the laparoscope has both an eyepiece and a video monitor so that the surgeon may see the surgical field. Additional access ports may be placed elsewhere on the abdominal wall to permit insertion of surgical instruments into the operating field. Access ports come in a variety of diameters, and 5, 7 and 11 millimeter ports are widely used for surgery within the abdominal cavity.
During laparoscopic surgery it is important to be able to rapidly clear the surgical field of blood, clots surgical debris and irrigating fluid. Failure to maintain a clear surgical field in the presence of bleeding can require that the laparoscopic approach be abandoned in favor of more invasive traditional surgical techniques.
Several instrument for aspiration have been developed. See for example Topel et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,621 which shows an aspiration instrument which includes a concentric piercing instrument. Another aspiration device commonly used during laparoscopic surgery is the Nezhat-Dorsey Suction-Irrigation device. This device includes a long tube for insertion into the body having a number of small apertures located at the distal tip. A pair of trumpet valves are coupled to the lumen of the tube. One trumpet valve admits irrigation fluid, while the other trumpet valve applies suction to the lumen. In use the surgeon can select suction or irrigation by depressing the appropriate trumpet valve. The small distal apertures limit the size of the debris which can be removed with the device. Experience has shown that this prior art device can become easily clogged limiting its usefulness.

Endoscopic aspirator surgical instrument


A resin sealed IC has a plurality of external terminals. A metal thin film made of a Sn—Bi alloy is formed in direct contact with the surface of a base member of each external terminal. A Bi content in the Sn—Bi alloy layer is within a range of 0.5 to 6.0 wt %. Further, the Sn—Bi alloy layer has a single-layer plating structure, and the film thickness is within a range of 10 to 25 MIC.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device in which a lead-free (hereinafter referred to as "Pb-free") metal thin film containing tin (hereinafter referred to as "Sn") as a main component is formed on the surfaces of external terminals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electronic apparatuses which are used in a wide variety of fields are assembled of various electronic devices such as a semiconductor integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as "IC"), a transistor, a capacitor, a resistor and an inductor. To assemble such electronic apparatuses, a circuit board on which a circuit pattern formed by a electrical conducting layer is printed in advance is used, and a plurality of electronic devices are mounted on the circuit board. More specifically, the external terminals of the electronic device are electrically connected and physically attached to a portion of the circuit pattern with a low-melting solder. To secure reliability of connection between the electronic device and the circuit board, in a metal thin film, which is made generally of a Sn—Pb alloy is formed in advance on the surface of the external terminals of the electronic device by a surface treatment method such as electroplating. (Hereinafter, "reliability of connection between the electronic device and the circuit board" is referred to as "bonding reliability".)
However, Pb presents a danger to public health and causes environmental pollution when a used electronic apparatus is discarded. Thus, a use of the Sn—Pb alloy is not desirable from the viewpoint of environmental protection. Under such circumstances, a material comprising a Sn-based alloy containing no Pb, which is the so-called Pb-free Sn-based alloy, is required to be used as the low-melting solder. It is also required that a metal thin film comprising the Pb-free Sn-based alloy is formed on the surface of a lead base material of an electronic device by plating.
When the metal thin film comprising the Pb-free Sn-based alloy is formed on the surface of the base member by plating, it is important that the metal thin film, which does not impair the wettability of the low-melting solder and can secure bonding reliability, is formed regardless of which metal is chosen as an additive metal to be added to Sn. As an example, an electronic device in which a Sn-bismuth (hereinafter referred to as "Sn—Bi") alloy is plated on the surface of a base member as a metal thin film is widely known. As in the case of Pb in the above Sn—Pb alloy, Bi is a metal which forms a low-melting alloy together with Sn and lowers the melting point of the alloy. Applying the Sn—Bi alloy to the metal thin film of external terminals is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2000-174191, 2001-257303, Hei 11-330340, 2001-53211, 2002-151838, 2002-141456 and Hei 11-251503, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,248, U.S. Pat. No. 6,392,293 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,583, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2002/0019077.
When a Sn—Bi alloy is used as the above Pb-free Sn-based alloy and a metal thin film comprising the Sn—Bi alloy is formed on the surface of a base member by plating, the growth of fine metal whiskers is liable to occur on the surface of the external terminal when an electronic device is subjected to an acceleration test such as a temperature cycling test after production of the electronic device, as compared with a case where the metal thin film is formed by use of an Sn—Pb alloy. Further, it is concerned that these whiskers may make short-circuit between the adjacent external terminals. Such short-circuit is more likely to take place in a semiconductor device such as an IC in which a plurality of external terminals are derived from the periphery of a package body at minute intervals. In addition, since the Sn—Bi alloy has poor ductility, bending cracks (hereinafter simply referred to as "cracks") are liable to occur in the Sn—Bi alloy layer when the external terminals are bent upon, e.g., implementation of the electronic device. Therefore, suppression of the occurrences of whiskers growth and cracks formation is significantly important when a metal thin film comprising a Pb-free Sn-based alloy is formed on the surface of a base member of an electronic device by plating.
This discussion for suppressing the occurrences of whiskers growth and cracks formation in a Pb-free metal thin film, formed on the surface of a base member are made in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2000-174191, 2001-257303 and Hei 11-330340.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-174191 discloses a semiconductor device having a lead of which a cross sectional structure is shown in FIG. 12. The lead of the semiconductor device is formed by plating a lower layer 102 which comprises an Sn—Bi alloy having a Bi content of 0.7 wt % (weight %), an intermediate layer 103 which comprises an Sn—Bi alloy having a Bi content of 0.7 to 2.3 wt % and an upper layer 104 which comprises an Sn—Bi alloy having a Bi content of 2.3 wt % on a surface of a base member 101. The three Sn—Bi alloy layers having different Bi contents have such a concentration gradient that the contents of the alloy components increase in a plating film thickness direction.
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-257303 discloses a lead material for electronic devices which has a cross sectional structure as shown in FIG. 13. On a surface of a base member 111 of the lead material for electronic devices, a plating layer 112 which comprises an Sn—Cu alloy having a Cu content of 0.4 to 5 wt % and a film thickness of 1 to 15 micrometers (hereinafter referred to as "MIC") is formed.
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 11-330340 discloses a semiconductor device having a lead of which a cross sectional structure is shown in FIG. 14. The lead of the semiconductor device is formed by plating a lower layer 122 which comprises an Sn—Bi alloy having a Bi content of 0 to 1 wt % and a film thickness of 1 to 14 MIC and an upper layer 123 which comprises an Sn—Bi alloy having a Bi content of 1 to 10 wt % and a film thickness of 1 to 12 MIC on a surface of a base member 121.
It is, however, recognized by present inventor that the above prior arts have the following problems.
The conventional semiconductor devices use the Pb-free Sn-based alloys as the metal thin films to be formed on the surfaces of the base members, and the metal thin films are formed by multilayer plating so as to suppress the occurrences of whiskers growth and cracks formation, so that a plating step becomes complicated and costs of a plating process is driven up.
Further, along with the multilayer plating structures, strict control of the contents of the metals to be added to Sn becomes difficult.
In addition, since the contents of the metals to be added to Sn and the plating film thicknesses are not adjusted to right values in accordance with the kinds of the metals to be added to Sn, it is difficult to sufficiently suppress the occurrences of whiskers growth and cracks formation.
For example, it is known that when the above Sn—Bi alloy is plated as a metal thin film to be formed on the surface of a base member of an external terminal, reliability of connection between the external terminal and a circuit board after the electronic device is mounted on the circuit board by soldering is significantly influenced by the content of Bi in the metal thin film. Therefore, it is an important point for guaranteeing product quality to strictly control the Bi content in the metal thin film. For that purpose, the content of Bi in the metal thin film is estimated with high accuracy in a non-destructive manner by a method such as a fluorescent X-ray analysis.

Electronic device having external terminals with lead-free metal thin film formed on the surface thereof


The present invention provides a signal processing method comprising steps of: S1, obtaining an image signal of an original image; and S2, enhancing the image signal of the original image, so as to obtain an image signal of a final image having a pixel resolution no less than that of the original image, wherein, a pixel resolution of the original image is any one pixel resolution selected from a plurality of different pixel resolutions. The present invention further provides a signal processing system and a display device. By using the signal processing method of the present invention, input and processing of images with high resolution can be realized. Moreover, when the original image has a lower pixel resolution, the image signal of a final image with a higher pixel resolution can be obtained based on the signal processing method of the present invention.

With the increasing demands of users for the display devices, those display devices having high pixel resolution have been developed. For example, some UHD TV (Ultra High Definition Television) has a pixel resolution of up to 8k4k (i.e. 7680×4320).
The pixel resolution of the display device is increased, and the definition of the video/image input to the display device is increased accordingly, therefore a huge video information amount is generated. However, there is no an existing generic system for driving the 8k4k liquid crystal display yet.
Thus a technical problem to be solved in the art is how to process the signal input to the 8k4k liquid crystal display.

Signal processing method, signal processing system and display device