A ribbed tapered swage pin includes a head structure at a distal end which has a decreasing taper in the direction of the distal end and one or more ribs or lands positioned around the outer perimeter which, when helically driven, gradually plastically deform the swage boss of one part to form a swage joint with the hole of another part. A swaging tool with which such a swage pin may be used would, therefore, include a rotary actuator and a screw feed for driving the swage pin with a helical rotation and thrust to move through and thereby cold work the swage boss to form the swage joint.

A hard-disk drive (HDD) is a non-volatile storage device that is housed in a protective enclosure and stores digitally encoded data on one or more circular disks having magnetic surfaces. When an HDD is in operation, each magnetic-recording disk is rapidly rotated by a spindle system. Data is read from and written to a magnetic-recording disk using a read-write head that is positioned over a specific location of a disk by an actuator. A read-write head uses a magnetic field to read data from and write data to the surface of a magnetic-recording disk. A write head makes use of the electricity flowing through a coil, which produces a magnetic field. Electrical pulses are sent to the write head, with different patterns of positive and negative currents. The current in the coil of the write head induces a magnetic field across the gap between the head and the magnetic disk, which in turn magnetizes a small area on the recording medium.
In the context of HDD manufacturing, the suspension baseplate of a head-gimbal assembly (HGA) is typically swaged to a corresponding actuator arm of a head stack assembly (HSA). However, existing ball swage processes may undesirably deform the suspension baseplate beyond the actuator arm, thereby affecting the HGA baseplate height and the HGA gramload and the HGA-Slider Pitch Static Angle (PSA).
Any approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.

Swage pin having ribbed taper for helical swage process


According to one embodiment of the present invention a method of creating a composite with an object having a central axis is provided which comprises wrapping a first fabric layer around the object in one of a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction around the central axis of the object. A second fabric layer is wrapped over the first fabric layer. The second fabric layer is wrapped around the object in the other of the clockwise or the counterclockwise direction around the central axis. The object is placed in a mold and resin is injected into the mold to form the composite.

One technique utilized in the fabricating composites is resin transfer molding (RTM). RTM generally involves placing fiber or preform reinforcements between mold pieces and then injecting resin or mold between the mold pieces. Both the mold and resin may be heated as needed, depending on the particular application. After the resin or mold has cured, the mold may be opened to retrieve the generated composite, which comprises a combination of the fiber reinforcements and mold.

Method and apparatus for preform consistency


A technique for accommodating electronic components on a multilayer signal routing device is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for accommodating electronic components on a multilayer signal routing device. Such a method comprises determining a component space that is required to accommodate a plurality of electronic components on a surface of a multilayer signal routing device, and then forming at least one signal routing channel on at least the surface of the multilayer signal routing device, wherein the at least one signal routing channel has a channel space that is equal to or greater than the component space.

The making of electrical connections between electronic components has long been accomplished using printed circuit boards (PCBs). The first such circuit boards had only a single routing layer on a top surface thereof for routing electrical signals between electronic components mounted thereon. These single routing layer circuit boards have severe limitations with regard to the number of electrical signals that can be routed between electronic components mounted on the same circuit board. That is, the number of electrical signals that can be routed between electronic components mounted on a single routing layer circuit board is limited by the amount of area on the single routing layer.
The area limitations associated with single routing layer circuit boards led to the development of multilayer PCBs. Such multilayer PCBs may be either single or double-sided and may have multiple routing layers on the surface of and buried within the multilayer PCBs. Thus, such multilayer PCBs have allowed a large increase in the number of electrical signals that may be routed between electronic components mounted on the same circuit board.
The use of multilayer PCBs has been particularly beneficial when using electronic components having high-density packages. That is, electronic components having high-density packages generally require multiple layers of a multilayer PCB to make electrical connections with other electronic components mounted on the same circuit board. In fact, the density of electronic component packages typically dictates the number of layers that must be provided by the multilayer PCB upon which the electronic components are mounted. While the number of layers that may be provided by a multilayer PCB is theoretically unlimited, reliability and other problems occur when the number of layers in a multilayer PCB exceeds a reasonable number, particularly when trying to route high-speed electrical signals between electronic components. For example, when making electrical connections between different layers in multilayer PCBs, a combination of electrically conductive traces and electrically conductive vias are generally used. While electrically conductive vias allow direct vertical electrical connections to be made between different layers within a multilayer PCB, there are intrinsic parasitics associated with these electrically conductive vias that can adversely affect the performance of signals propagating therethrough. That is, these electrically conductive vias have intrinsic parasitic resistance, capacitance, and inductance, which can adversely affect signals propagating along each electrically conductive via. In addition, these intrinsic parasitics can also have an adverse effect on the manufacturability of a PCB and thus the cost thereof. Because of their adverse affect on signal performance, these intrinsic parasitics can also limit the bandwidth of signals propagating along each electrically conductive via. These adverse affects only increase as the number of layers in a multilayer PCB increase.
To alleviate at least some of the above-mentioned adverse effects, it is often helpful to have resistive, capacitive, and/or inductive components electrically connected in series and/or parallel with an electrically conductive via, which is also electrically connected to a signal driver contact of an electronic component. However, this if often difficult to achieve since the signal driver contact may be located within the interior of a contact array of the electronic component, and thus there is no place to mount the resistive, capacitive, and/or inductive components. Even if the signal driver contact is located along the periphery of a contact array of the electronic component, there may still be no place to mount the resistive, capacitive, and/or inductive components since electronic components are now being placed ever closer together on the surfaces of PCB's and other types of multilayer signal routing devices.
One proposed solution to the problem of mounting resistive, capacitive, and/or inductive components since electronic components near a signal driver contact of an electronic component is to bury or embed the resistive, capacitive, and/or inductive components within a PCB or other type of multilayer signal routing device. However, the cost and maturity of suitable technologies for this proposed solution make it impractical.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a technique for mounting resistive, capacitive, and/or inductive components on a multilayer signal routing device near a signal driver contact of an electronic component that overcomes the above-described inadequacies and shortcomings.

Technique for accommodating electronic components on a multiplayer signal routing device


A method of manufacturing a scratch resistant, touch sensor comprising: (1) applying a non-polymer protective coating solution to a touch sensor; and (2) forming a cross-linked polymer structure by curing the protective coating solution.

Touch screen technology has become an important component of many modern electronics, such as tablet computers and cellular phones. Typically, touch screen technology incorporates the use of resistive or capacitive sensor layers which make up part of the display. Screens for devices which utilize such technology are often prone to damage due to the increased level of direct contact by the user with the screen. Such damage typically includes both scratching and breakage of the screen itself depending on the materials used and the use thereof. As a result, resistive and capacitive touch sensors usually include translucent electrical insulating covers placed on top of the display structure in order to protect and isolate the touch sensor panel from environmental conditions, abrasion, oxygen, and harmful chemical agents.
Resistive and capacitive touch screen technologies require materials that are both transparent and conductive to be functional. Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) is currently the most widely used metal oxide for touch screen sensor applications because it is optically transparent and is has fair conductive properties. ITO is commonly employed to make transparent conductive coatings for liquid crystal displays, flat panel displays, touch panels, solar panels and aircraft windshields. In resistive touch screens, when a user touches the screen with a finger or a stylus, the ITO film is pushed into contact with the ITO glass producing a voltage signal allowing a processor to compute the coordinates of the touch event and process the appropriate response to the touch point. Although the use of ITO is a well-known and accepted technology, it is not ideal. The main issues with ITO are the limited supply and the rising cost of indium, in addition to its fragility, lack of flexibility and low conductivity compared to other metals.
As previously stated, it is typical to employ glass or polyester layers as protective covers in touch screen panels. Polyester films, while flexible, can only provide a minimal level of hardness. Specifically, such films provide a surface harness ranging from about 2H to 4H. As a result, polyester films are susceptible to scratches. On the other hand, glass covers, which are able to produce pencil hardness readings above 7H, do provide very good scratch protection. However, such glass covers do not provide a high level of flexibility and are therefore susceptible to breaking upon impact with a hard surface.


A camshaft phaser for an internal combustion engine includes a rotor which is rotationally coupled to a camshaft and a hydraulic positioning system for timing the rotor and camshaft with respect to the crankshaft of an engine. A bypass circuit permits hydraulic fluid, such as engine lubricating oil, to flow through at least a portion of the phaser without affecting timing of the camshaft with respect to the crankshaft. In this manner, the phaser may be warmed up rapidly, without adversely affecting engine operation.

Internal combustion engines, and more precisely, automotive internal combustion engines, are frequently equipped with one or more camshaft phasers. A purpose of camshaft phasers is to control the timing of a cylinder poppet valve actuating camshafts with respect to the engine's crankshaft. Control of cylinder valve timing, whether applied to intake valves only, or exhaust valves only, or both, is desirable to minimize regulated engine exhaust emissions, while promoting greater fuel efficiency and driveability. Known phasers utilize hydraulic fluid, commonly in the form of engine lubricating oil, to assist in positioning the phaser components relative to one another, while simultaneously positioning the engine's camshaft with respect to the crankshaft.
Those skilled in the art understand that engine lubricating oil may become quite viscous at lower ambient temperatures, particularly when a vehicle is parked with the engine off for periods of time at lower ambient temperatures. Unfortunately, some camshaft phasers exhibit slow response characteristics upon initial startup of a cold engine because oil remaining in the phaser at engine shutdown becomes undesirably viscous.
It would be desirable to provide a system and method for allowing a camshaft phaser's actuating fluid, including, where applicable, engine lubricating oil, to circulate through a phaser prior to activation of the phaser during an engine operating event, so as to allow to the phaser, and more importantly, the oil in the phaser, to be warm and hence, properly responsive to the commands of the engine controller.

Camshaft phaser for internal combustion engine


There are provided a recording liquid that produces high-quality images having a very high image density and water resistance without blotting or permeating into recording paper, and excels in discharging properties; and a method for recording images by the use of such a solution. The recording liquid for ink printers according to the present invention contains a colorant, water, and a fine particle of non-photo-curable resin and a fine particle of photo-curable resin. The method for recording images on a recording medium has the step of discharging the droplets of the recording liquid from a recording head, wherein the above recording liquid is used as the recording liquid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording liquid for ink printers and a method for recording images, and in particular relates to a recording liquid for ink printers.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As an output device of low running costs and of easy color printing for information equipment such as computers, ink printer systems are attracting public attention. Such systems include an ink-jet system, which is a method of image recording for recording images on recording media such as paper by discharging droplets of a recording liquid from a head, or an acoustic ink printing system as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-102378 (1994). Heretofore, as a recording liquid for ink-jet printers, an aqueous solution of a dye mainly containing water and a dye has been used. However, such a solution has problems in that when the recording liquid discharged from the nozzle arrives at a recording paper, the solution bleeds on the recording paper and produces dots significantly larger than the droplets of the recording liquid formed when discharged from the nozzle, resulting in the low density of recorded images, and the low image quality. Also, since the water resistance of recorded images is low, images are easily blurred or flowed by water; and since the light resistance of recorded images is low, images are easily discolored by the irradiation of sunlight or the like.
In order to solve these problems of dye aqueous solutions, recording liquids for ink-jet printers that contain film forming resin particles have been disclosed. For example, a recording liquid containing latex as resin particles is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-32663 (1985); a recording liquid that contains a resin having carboxyl groups and nonionic hydrophilic groups dispersed in water is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-239392 (1993); a recording liquid that contains vinyl polymers with a non-cross-linking structure is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-255628 (1993); and a recording liquid that contains polyester particles having ionic groups is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-340835 (1994). Also, a process of compounding fine particles of a resin such as polyester, and a cross-linking agent, and cross-linking the resin on a recording medium is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-47355 (1995); and a process that uses water-soluble dyes and ultraviolet rays is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-305570 (1998). Furthermore, the inventors of the present invention disclosed a recording liquid that contains pigments and fine particles of two or more resins in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 10-88045 (1998) and 10-88056 (1998) and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/925,391 that will be issued soon. (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/925,391 that will be issued soon)
However, any of the recording liquids disclosed in above-mentioned Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-32663 (1985), Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 5-239392 (1993), 5-255628 (1993), and 6-340835 (1994), and Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-47355 (1995) starts to form a film of the fine particles of resins following evaporation of moisture in the recording liquid due to contact with air at the discharging nozzle of the recording head and clogs at the discharging nozzles so that it cannot be discharged from the nozzles stably. Also, the bleeding of the recording liquid due to the capillary action into the fibers of recording paper cannot be completely prevented, and high-quality images cannot be obtained. Furthermore, the permeation of the recording liquid into recording paper cannot be completely prevented, and these recording liquids have limitation in the formation of high-density, high-quality images. Similarly, there is limitation in water resistance. When the above-disclosed recording liquid is diluted by water to prevent clogging at a discharging nozzle, the content of resin particles contained in the same volume of the droplets of the recording liquid, that is, the resin solid content contributing to image formation, decreases, resulting in significant lowering of image density, and high-quality images cannot be obtained. By the use of the above-disclosed conventional recording liquids, an increase in image density to achieve high-quality images by increasing the content of resin particles is incompatible with the prevention of discharging nozzle clogging. Although a process that uses water-soluble ultraviolet-sensitive dyes, and radiates light (ultraviolet rays) onto the dyes to make them insoluble and fix them is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-305570 (1998), the water resistance and light resistance of the images are not satisfactory because of the use of dyes. Furthermore, since light is irradiated onto colorants, i.e. dyes themselves, the color images are easily changed by aging due to natural exposure to sunlight or the like. Although an increase in image density to achieve high-quality images by increasing the content of resin particles (increase in resin solid content) is compatible with the prevention of discharging nozzle clogging by the use of recording liquids disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 10-88045 (1998) and 10-88056 (1998), the stability of discharging must be improved when a large number of sheets are printed using a practically used ink printer.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and provides a recording liquid for ink printers that can obtain water-resistant high-quality images with high image density, and may not bleed on nor permeate into recording paper, and can be discharged continuously and stably almost without nozzle clogging. The present invention also provides a method for recording images by the use of such a recording liquid.

Recording liquid for ink printers and method for recording images


The mold clamping unit comprises a column mounted in a transfer means and moving in forward and backward direction; a mold clamping piston in which clamping operation and clamping-releasing operation are performed; plurality of column teeth disposed on a surface of the column along an axial direction of the column; center bore provided in a central of the mold clamping piston; clamping tooth seating groove with a plurality of clamping teeth inside the mold clamping piston contacting the center bore; rotating plate with plurality of clamping tooth guide grooves separated from the clamping teeth in the axial direction of the column; and a teeth rod positioned in each of the clamping tooth guide groove, wherein each teeth rod is connected to each clamping teeth during the rotation of the rotating plate, for moving each clamping tooth in a central or radial direction of the rotating plate and clamping of the clamping tooth and the column can proceed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mold clamping unit, and more specially, to a mold clamping unit in which the amount of an operating oil required in mold clamping operations is minimized, processing facility and space efficiency are maximized when manufacture and stable mold opening and closing operations are guaranteed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Injection molding apparatuses largely include an injection unit and a mold clamping unit. The mold clamping unit basically controls an operation of opening and closing a mold, that is, a mold opening operation and a mold closing operation. A melting material is injected into the mold from the injection unit when the mold closing operations of the mold clamping unit are completed. In this case, the melting material with a high pressure is generally injected into the mold. Thus, the mold should be strongly clamped so that the mold cannot be opened by the high-pressure melting material.
One of the most conventional mold clamping units are a direct pressure type clamping means. However, the clamping means is not suitable for a high-speed and accurate operation.


A node configuration information management method and a wireless network system whereby node configuration information about a wireless bus comprising a hub station and a plurality of nodes is managed by the hub station in a centralized manner so that the hub station can share the latest node configuration information with all of the nodes. According to the node configuration information management method, when the node information in the wireless bus 11 is modified, a node notifies the hub station of the modification via a modification notifying packet. Further, 1) Each node and the hub station store the node configuration information about each node in a node configuration information table, and the hub station has a counter for managing the updating of the node configuration information table as a whole and transmits a count in each frame; 2) The hub station, upon reception of the node configuration modification notification from the node, updates its own node configuration information table, and broadcasts update information to all of the nodes; 3) The node receives the modification information and updates its own node configuration information table, while receiving the count transmitted in each frame, determining if there is updating on the part of the hub station, requesting retransmission of differential information concerning the difference, if any, from its own node configuration information table, and updating its own node configuration information table.

Recently, attention is being focused on network systems in which multiple electrical household appliances are connected by cables for transmission and reception of voice and image data. For example, it is now common to watch videos shot with a digital video camera by connecting the camera to a monitor by cables, or to edit images by connecting the camera to a video apparatus. More recently, there is a trend of building such network systems not with cables but wirelessly. Wireless transmission and reception provides an advantage in that the troublesome aspects of wiring devices can be eliminated. An example of such a wireless network (to be referred to as a wireless bus) will be described below.
FIG. 32 shows a block diagram of a configuration of terminals and a hub station in a wireless bus. Numeral 1 designates a wireless bus (wireless network), 2 a hub station, and 3–6 nodes formed by multiple terminals. The wireless bus 1 includes a plurality of devices called nodes, and multimedia data is transmitted and received among the nodes. The transmission and reception of the data are managed by the hub station 2. In order to enable inter-node wireless communication, the nodes 3 to 6 in the wireless bus 1 have memory regions for storing node configuration information concerning the wireless bus 1, node information about each node, and inter-node communication quality information. The hub station 2 is selected from those of the nodes 3 to 6 in the wireless bus 1 that have the functions required of a hub station. One prerequisite for a node to become the hub station 2 is that the node be located at a position that allows it to communicate with every other node in the wireless bus 1. The hub station 2 is also required to have functions for gathering and analyzing the node configuration information, node information for each node, and inter-node communication quality information transmitted from the nodes 3 to 6, so that it can manage the latest information.
Hereafter, the node configuration information, node information, and inter-node communication quality information managed by the hub station 2 will be described.
The node configuration information indicates whether or not the individual nodes 3 to 6, which are centrally managed by the hub station 2, can carry out communication. When there is a change in the node configuration in the wireless bus 1, such as when a node is newly registered or deleted, the node configuration information is updated. The node information indicates the function of each node. Of the nodes participating in the wireless bus 1, some have the functions of the hub station 2, some have relay capability, and some have only an asynchronous communication function. In order to build the wireless bus 1, it is necessary to check the functions of the individual nodes and then select a hub station from among the nodes having a management function.
The node configuration information and the node information are updated only when a node is newly registered or deleted in the wireless bus 1, or the function of a node is changed. These items of information are not modified for any other reason.
The communication quality information indicates the states of communication condition between individual nodes when data is transmitted or received wirelessly. When a wireless bus is constructed in a wireless environment, it is necessary to select an appropriate transmission method adapted to the conditions of communication paths, so that accurate transmission and reception can take place. However, a wireless transmission path could deteriorate when a node has been transported or when there are people or obstacles located between two nodes, for example, making it impossible to transmit or receive data. Thus, the communication path conditions among the individual nodes vary on a case-by-case basis, and so the hub station must receive the communication path conditions from the nodes and manage them.
As an example of the method of managing the information mentioned above, JP Patent Publication (Unexamined Application) No. 11-88396 discloses an apparatus for managing node configuration information in a network of a plurality of nodes connected by cables. In this example, each node carries a table for the management of the node configuration information in the network. Each time the node configuration is updated, the node configuration information is transmitted to other nodes, so that there are no discrepancies regarding the node configuration information carried by the individual nodes in the network. This example is wired and involves only node configuration information. Further, JP Patent Publication (Unexamined Application) No. 11-215135 discloses a method of managing the quality of individual communication paths in a wireless network comprised of a plurality of nodes. In this example, a hub station is selected from among the multiple nodes, and the hub station centrally manages the communication path quality information in the wireless network. Each node in the wireless network transmits its own management information to all of the other nodes. Each node receives the management information from all of the other nodes in the wireless network and evaluates it. The nodes then transmit management information results to the hub station, which in turn overwrites this information on the communication quality information table. This example is wireless and involves only communication quality information.
These conventional node configuration information management methods have the following problems. In the communication apparatus disclosed in JP Patent Publication (Unexamined Application) No. 11-88396, each time the node configuration is updated as the number of nodes increases, node configuration information corresponding to the number of nodes must be transmitted. This results in an increase in overhead. Further, the hub station must wait until it receives an Ack signal from all of the nodes to which the hub station has transmitted.
While this management method creates no problems in the case of wired examples, it would not be an efficient method for wireless communication with limited frequency resources, because no other data can be transmitted while waiting for an Ack signal. Further, in a wired environment using cables, for example, the communication conditions among the nodes are fixed, so in this case there is no need to recognize the communication quality conditions. For these reasons, there is no description of a method of managing communication quality information. On the other hand, JP Patent Publication (Unexamined Application) No. 11-215135, which relates to a wireless communication method, does not describe the method of managing node configuration information. It is possible to transmit node configuration information by adding it to the above-described communication quality information. However, while the communication quality information varies depending on communication conditions, node configuration information is updated upon registration of a new node, deletion of a node, or when there is a change in a node. Accordingly, inserting the node configuration information in each frame and thus notifying the hub station would be redundant and could not be called an efficient method for wireless communication with limited frequency resources.
In view of these problems of the prior art, it is an object of the invention to provide a node configuration information management method and a wireless network system whereby node configuration information in a wireless bus comprised of a hub station and multiple nodes is managed by the hub station in a centralized manner. This is carried out in a manner such that the hub station can share the latest node configuration information with all of the nodes.
It is another object of the invention to provide a node configuration information management method and a wireless network system whereby node configuration information in a wireless bus comprised of a hub station and multiple nodes is centrally managed by the hub station in each frame. This is carried out in a manner such that the hub station can share the latest node configuration information with all of the nodes in the wireless bus within a minimum frame.

Node structure information management method and radio network system


The glove according to the present invention has, at least partially, a laminated part 2 in which a plurality of different types of rubbers are successively laminated. In the laminated part 2, the lowermost layer is a natural rubber layer, and the top surface layer is all oil-resistant rubber layer (for example, an acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber layer). The glove manufacturing method according to the present invention comprises the steps of immersing a glove mold in natural rubber latex containing a heat-sensitive coagulant to form a coating of the lowermost layer on the mold surface, and immersing at least a part of the lowermost layer in another rubber latex different from the first-mentioned rubber latex. The glove of the present invention has high strength and is economical and excellent in oil resistance and solvent resistance.

The present invention relates to gloves made of a rubber material and a method of manufacturing such gloves.
Generally, natural rubber which is economical and has high strength, is mainly used as the material of gloves. However, the natural rubber is poor in oil resistance. On the other hand, gloves made of synthetic rubber, particularly acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber excellent in oil resistance, are advantageous in view of its resistance to an organic solvent and oil, but are disadvantageously expensive and poor in strength and tearing.


The present invention relates to a method for producing an unsaturated acid and/or an unsaturated acid ester, containing a process A of reacting a compound (1) represented by the following formula (1) at a temperature of 0° C. to 350° C. in the presence of a Brønsted acid catalyst and/or a Lewis acid catalyst, to prepare a compound (2) represented by the following formula (2);

As a method for producing an unsaturated acid and/or an ester thereof, such as methacrylic acid (MAA) and/or methyl methacrylate (MMA), the acetone cyanohydrin method (ACH method), which produces methacrylic acid and/or methyl methacrylate from acetone and prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide), has been industrially widely used. However, prussic acid is highly poisonous, and the use thereof is undesirable.
As methods of using no prussic acid, a method of oxidizing isobutene or tertiary butyl alcohol, a method of subjecting propionic acid or propionic acid ester to reaction with formaldehyde or the like, are known. However, any of them have problems when practiced industrially.
A method for producing methacrylic acid or a methacrylic acid ester from a 1,1,1-trihalo-2-methyl-2-propanol is also known. For instance, there is a known method in which 2-methoxy-2-methylpropanoic acid is obtained from 1,1,1-trichloro-2-methyl-2-propanol, then converted into a methyl ester thereof and further dealcoholized, to thereby produce methyl methacrylate (Non-patent Document 1). In producing 2-methoxy-2-methylpropanoic acid, such a method, however, requires to use a basic compound in an amount three times by mole larger than that of the alcohol as a starting material. In addition, in producing methyl methacrylate from methyl 2-methoxy-2-methylpropanoate, one or more equivalent of phosphorous compound or metal chloride is required. Consequently, this method cannot be said to be industrially practicable production method. Further, the chlorine component in the starting material combines with the basic compound to form a salt, and which is difficult to use effectively so long as it remains in a salt form.
As another method for producing methacrylic acid, a method in which 2-chloro-2-methylpropanoic acid is heated up to a temperature of 250° C. to 600° C. in the presence of a catalyst such as calcium chloride is known (Patent Document 1). Further, as a method for producing methyl methacrylate, a method in which methyl 2-chloro-2-methylpropanoate is used as a starting material, heated up to a temperature of 480° C. to 550° C. without catalyst, and then heated up to a temperature of 250° C. to 350° C. in the presence of a dehydrohalogenation catalyst such as a metal chloride is known (Patent Document 2). The 2-chloro-2-methylpropanoic acid and the methyl 2-chloro-2-methylpropanoate can be produced according to, for example, the method for producing 2-bromo-2-methylpropanoic acid through the reaction between 1,1,1-tribromo-2-methyl-2-propanol and potassium hydroxide (Non-patent Document 2). In each of these methods, however, it is required to use the basic compound in an amount two times by mole larger than that of the alcohol as a starting material. Further, the obtained halogen salt is difficult to be used effectively.

Method for producing unsaturated acid and/or unsaturated acid ester

Abstract: in which each of R1, R2 and R4 independently represents a hydrogen atom, a deuterium atom or an alkyl group; each of R3 and R5 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a deuterium atom; R6 represents a hydrogen atom, a deuterium atom, or an alkyl group or an aryl group; and X represents a chlorine atom, a fluorine atom, a bromine atom, or an iodine atom.


A method having a corresponding apparatus and computer program comprises receiving a mosaic image comprising a plurality of pixels; separating the mosaic image into a plurality of color channels each comprising only the pixels having a corresponding one of a plurality of colors; and processing each color channel of the image data separately, wherein the processing of each of the color channels comprises at least one of compressing the pixels in the color channel, and color processing the pixels in the color channel.

The present invention relates generally to data processing. More particularly, the present invention relates to processing image data in mosaic form.
A variety of devices such as mobile phones are now equipped with image sensors such as charge-coupled-devices (CCD). These devices comprise an array of elements, each of which is filtered so as to sense only one color of light, typically red, green or blue. For each element the sensor provides a pixel value representing the intensity of the color of light detected by that element. These pixel values are referred to as "raw data" or "mosaic data." Because images represented by mosaic data (referred to herein as "mosaic images") are not pleasing to the eye, they are "demosaiced" (that is, converted into RGB images) before display. Each pixel in an RGB image is represented by three pixel values, each representing the intensity of one of the respective colors.
In conventional devices, demosaicing is performed before any further image processing, such as color processing, compression and decompression, and image enhancement. One disadvantage of this approach is that, because the volume of RGB data is three times that of mosaic data, more resources are consumed when processing RGB data.


The invention provides a stacked capacitor cell structure for a semiconductor memory device. The cell includes a transistor formed in an active region in a surface of a semiconductor substrate; a first inter-layer insulator both overlying the transistor and having a contact hole over the transistor; a second inter-layer insulator both overlying the first inter-layer insulator and having a through hole with a larger diameter than the diameter of the contact hole; a stacked capacitor both formed within the through hole formed in the second inter-layer insulator and comprising a storage electrode electrically connected to the transistor through the contact hole, a capacitive insulation film and an opposite electrode; and a third inter-insulator overlying both the stacked capacitor and the second inter-layer insulator.

The invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly to an improvement in high density stacked capacitor cells for a dynamic random access memory (DRAM).
The importance of high integration of a stacked capacitor cell array for the dynamic random access memory has been on the increase in the semiconductor technology. An improvement in the high integration of the stacked capacitor cell array in the dynamic random access memory device requires each memory cell to occupy a small area as much as possible. The each memory cell includes a stacked capacitor serving as a storage capacitor and a field effect transistor serving as a switching transistor. Concurrently, a security of a predetermined capacitance is essential to support an excellent performance of the each stacked capacitor as a storage capacitor in the each memory cell. Scaling down of the each stacked capacitor and thus high density of the stacked capacitor cell array is essential to allow the memory cell array device or the dynamic random access memory device to exhibit excellent and high level performances as the memory device. The security of a predetermined capacitance or a relatively large capacitance for the each stacked capacitor is also essential to provide both a high reliability and a excellent performance to the stacked capacitor memory cell array device or the dynamic random access memory device. Many structures about the stacked capacitor have been proposed for improvements both in the high integration of the stacked capacitor cell array and in the enlargement of the capacitance of each the stacked capacitor in the dynamic random access memory device.
A typical structure of each stacked capacitor memory cell in a conventional dynamic random access memory device will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The structure of the each stacked capacitor cell in the dynamic random access memory device has a p-type silicon substrate 301. Field oxide films 302 are selectively formed in a surface area of the p-type silicon substrate 301 thereby an active region for formation of the stacked capacitor cell is defined in the surface area of the p-type silicon substrate 301. Both a gate oxide film 303 and a gate electrode 304 which exists on the gate oxide film 303 are formed in a predetermined area in the active region of the p-type silicon substrate 301. Further, n-type diffusion regions 305-1 and 305-2 to serve as source and drain regions are formed in the active region except for an area directly under the gate oxide film 303 and the gate electrode 304 thereby a channel region directly under both the gate oxide film 303 and the gate electrode 304 is defined by the n-type source and drain diffusion regions 305-1 and 305-2. A first inter-layer insulator 306 is so formed as to overlay an entire surface of the device, for example, the field oxide film 302, the n-type source and drain diffusion regions 305-1 and 305-2 and the gate electrode 304. The first inter-layer insulator 306, however, has a through hole directly over the source or drain diffusion region 305-1. A storage capacitor 308 for a stacked capacitor cell is so formed as to contact to the n-type source or diffusion region 305-1 through the contact hole of the first inter-layer insulator 306. The storage electrode 308 of the stacked capacitor cell has a vertical side wall above the first inter-layer insulator 306 such as to have a relatively large height as compared to its size. A capacitive insulation film 309 for the stacked capacitor is so formed as to cover an exposed surface of the storage electrode 308 above the first inter-layer insulator 306. Further, an opposite electrode 310 for the stacked capacitor is so formed as to overlay the capacitive insulation film 309 thereby resulting in a formation of the stacked capacitor in the memory cell. The capacitance of the stacked capacitor is formed by a combination of the storage and opposite electrodes 308 and 310 through the capacitive oxide film 309. A second inter-layer insulator 307 is so formed as to overlie an entire surface of the device, for example, the first inter-layer insulator 306 and the opposite electrode 310 of the stacked capacitor.
Actually, a plurality of word-lines and bit-lines are formed over the second inter-layer insulator 307, although illustrations thereof are omitted from FIG. 1. The plural word-lines and bit-lines are, of course, electrically separated from each other. The word-lines are crossed to the bit-lines with an overpass. The bit-lines comprise wiring layers made of polycide. The word-lines also comprise wiring layers but made of aluminium which provide a low resistance to the word-lines. The n-type source or drain diffusion region 305-2 is connected to the bit-line, although an illustration of this connection between the bit-line and the n-type source or drain diffusion region 305-2 is omitted from FIG. 1.
Digital signals are transmitted through any one of the plural bit-lines to the n-type source or drain diffusion region 305-2 of the transistor. When the transistor takes ON state, the digital signal is transmitted though the channel region to the n-type source or drain diffusion region 305-1, and subsequently transmitted into the storage electrode 308 of the stacked capacitor. The transistor turns OFF thereby the digital signal is stored in the storage electrode 308 of the stacked capacitor.
With respect to the capacitance of the stacked capacitor, a value of the capacitance of the stacked capacitor depends upon a size of a surface area of the capacitive oxide film 309 which is sandwiched between the storage and opposite electrodes 308 and 310. A security of a large area of interfaces of the capacitive oxide film 309 to the storage and opposite electrodes 308 and 310 provides a large capacitance to the stacked capacitor. A small occupied area of the stacked capacitor allows the accomplishment of the high integration of the stacked memory cell array. The storage electrode 308 of the stacked capacitor having the side portion abutting the capacitive oxide film 309 of the stacked capacitor is so designed that the side portion of the storage electrode 308 has such a large height as to secure a large area of the interface of the storage electrode 308 to the capacitive oxide film 309 under the condition of a small occupied area of the stacked capacitor. Such security of the large area of the interfaces of the capacitive oxide film 309 to the storage and opposite electrodes 308 and 310 for the stacked capacitor under the condition of the small occupied area of the stacked capacitor not only permits the accomplishment of the high integration of the memory cell array but also provides a required capacitance relatively large as compared to the stacked capacitor.
Such structure of the stacked capacitor cell for the dynamic random access memory device is, however, engaged with the following disadvantages. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a surface of the second inter-layer insulator 307 exhibits a large difference in level at a boundary area between a memory cell area and a peripheral area. Namely, the surface of the second inter-layer insulator 307 over the stacked capacitor exists above the surface of the second inter-layer insulator 307 over the field oxide film 302. As described the above, the bit-lines and the word-lines are formed over the second inter-layer insulator 307. That is why the bit-lines and the word-lines also have such a difference in level as the large difference in level of the second inter-layer insulator 307. Such large difference in level of the second inter-layer insulator 307 is caused from the large height of the vertical side wall of the stacked capacitor above the inter-layer insulator 306. Although such structure of the stacked capacitor having the vertical side wall with the large height allows the above requirements concerned with the small occupied area and the large capacitance of the stacked capacitor to be satisfied, the large height of the vertical side wall of the stacked capacitor above the first inter-layer insulator 306 provides the large differences in level not only to the second inter-layer insulator 307 but also to the word-lines and the bit-lines above the first inter-layer insulator 306. The large difference in level of the wiring layers of the bit-lines or the word-lines causes the following problems in both the high integration and the high reliability of the dynamic random access memory device.
One of the most important factors for accomplishment of the scaling down of the each memory cell, which allows the high integration of the memory cell array in the dynamic random access memory device, is the accuracy of patterning provided by a photo-lithography process. Namely, how much scaling down of the dynamic random access memory is achievable depends upon a grade of the accuracy of the patterning provided by the present photo-lithography technique. The grade of the accuracy of the patterning provided by the photo-lithography depends upon a degree of leveling of a surface of a layer which is exposed to ultraviolet rays for the patterning by the photo-lithography. A high grade leveling of a surface of a layer to be exposed to the patterning by the photo-lithography allows an accomplishment of a high accuracy of the patterning by the photo-lithography. In contrast, a low grade leveling of a surface of a layer to be exposed to the patterning by the photo-lithography does not allow any accomplishment of a high accuracy of the patterning by the photo-lithography. Namely, a large difference in level of a surface of a layer to be exposed to the patterning by the photo-lithography makes the accuracy of the patterning by the photo-lithography inferior. A fine pattern or a high grade accuracy of the patterning by the photo-lithography is essential for improvement in the scaling down of the device. Inferiority of the accuracy of the patterning by the photo-lithography makes it difficult to improve the scaling down of the device. Existence of a large difference in level of a surface of a layer in the device, thus, provides the inferiority to the accuracy of the patterning by the photo-lithography and thus resulting in a difficulty in the scaling down of the device, although the scaling down is necessary for improvement in the high integration of the device. Elimination of the difference in level and thus implementation of a high grade leveling of a surface of each layer in the device is essential for improvement in the scaling down which allows a high integration of the device.
Indeed, as understood from FIG. 1, the conventional dynamic random access memory cell device has a remarkable difference in level of the second inter-layer insulator 307 at the boundary area between the memory cell area and the peripheral area. That is why the bit-lines and the word-lines which are formed over the second inter-layer insulator 307 also have such a remarkable difference in level which causes the inferiority in the accuracy of the patterning by the photo-lithography. The inferiority in the accuracy of the patterning by the photo-lithography for the bit-lines and the word-lines provides a restriction to the improvement in the scaling down of the dynamic random access memory device thereby resulting in an inferior yield of the device.
Accomplishment of an excellent leveling for a surface of each layer, particularly the second inter-layer insulator 307, wiring-layers such as bit-lines and word-liners is, therefore, essential to improve a high integration of the memory cell device such as stacked capacitor cell random access memory device.
It is, thus, required to develop a novel stacked capacitor memory cell device for memory cell array of a random access memory device, which allows a leveled surface of each layer, particularly the second inter-layer insulator 307, wiring-layers such as bit-lines and word-liners.

Semiconductor memory device having improved stacked capacitor cells


An image display method and an image display system in which, based on a relative positional relationship between a three-dimensional image displayed on an image screen and an optional position designated by an operator on said image screen, the three-dimensional image is displayed after being rotated by a predetermined angle with respect to the relative positional relationship. An image is obtained by rotating the three-dimensional image by 90 degrees around a line which is orthogonal to a line connecting a center position of the three-dimensional image displayed on the image screen with the optional point designated by the operator on the image screen, thereby making it possible to designate a display perspective of a design object with operating sense which conforms with the design intent of the designer.

The present invention relates to an image display method and an image display system in case of designing a three-dimensional configuration and the like.
When a three-dimensional configuration is displayed with a CAD system and so on, an operator judges the quality of the configuration, watching the three-dimensional configuration from an optional direction and performs a combining operation of various configurations. This is for forecasting and judging workmanship of an object to be designed or to design objects only by data processing with a computer without actually producing the object, and for producing configuration information of the object to be designed. Further, in order to forecast in advance, when an operation command is given to a machine tool, a robot and the like, how they are operated and to what extent they interfere with other members, it is required to observe raw materials, tools, parts, arms and the like on a computer image plane.
When it has been desired to display a three-dimensional image on an image screen from a certain other point of view, for example, when a certain object being displayed is desired to be viewed from the right side or from the left side, the viewing direction has been heretofore designated as follows.
For example, in a most fundamental first prior art, the direction is designated by numeric values. That is, a directional vector line of sight and a vector in an upward direction on an image screen are designated with numeric values and an angle of rotation from a reference direction is designated with numeric values in an ordinate system in a three-dimensional space.
In a second prior art, the viewing direction is selected by having numerals correspond to several display directions which have been prepared in advance (for example, "1" corresponds to the direction viewed from the front, "2" corresponds to the direction viewed from the right and so on), and designating the corresponding numeral to a particular direction. That which is related to this second prior art is described in a manual "HITAC Program Product GRADAS Three-Dimensional Design System HICAD/3D Principles of Operations (8090-7-034-40) p. 155 issued by Hitachi, Ltd.
In a third prior art, when a certain three-dimensional image has already been displayed, rotating angles for further rotating the three-dimensional image which is being displayed (angles viewed from top and bottom, angles viewed from right and left, angles for rotating clockwise and counterclockwise around an axis which is perpendicular to the image screen and so on) are input from a dial or a keyboard by designating numeric values. This prior art is also described in page 150 of the manual of the second prior art.
In a fourth prior art, one straight line in a displayed configuration is designated as an axis of rotation, and the image is rotated around the axis by a rotating angle designated by one dial.
In a fifth prior art, a display direction of a configuration which is newly displayed is designated using several points, lines or faces in a configuration which is being displayed. For example, when two straight lines which are perpendicular to each other are designated, the configuration is displayed so that the straight line designated at the beginning becomes the horizontal direction of the configuration which is newly displayed and the straight line designated later becomes the vertical direction. (This prior art is described on page 154 in above-mentioned manual, and will be described later with reference to FIG. 17.) Further, when one face and one straight line which is parallel to the face are designated, the configuration is displayed so that the designated face is parallel to the display screen and the designated straight line shows a horizontal direction.
In a sixth prior art, when one sphere is displayed and one point on the sphere is designated, a body is displayed with a vector connecting the point and the center of the sphere to determine direction.
As other prior arts reference, JP-A-1-305475 and JP-A-61-46565 may be mentioned as being relevant.
According to the prior arts described above, it is possible to display a three-dimensional image when a design object is viewed from an optional direction. For example, in the above-described fifth prior art, an operator designates a straight line 201 on a right side surface and a straight line 202 on a bottom surface one after another as seen on the design object shown in FIG. 17A which are seen from various directions and are displayed on the image screen. Accordingly, the design object is displayed so that the straight line 201 lies in a horizontal direction and the straight line 202 lies in a vertical direction on the left side of the image screen as shown in FIG. 17B. Also, when the operator designates the straight line 202 and the straight line 201 in successive order, the display is made so that the straight line 202 lies in a horizontal direction and the straight line 201 lies in a vertical direction as shown in FIG. 17C. Furthermore, when the operator designates a straight line 202 and a straight line 203, display is made so that the straight line 202 lies in a horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 17D.
It is possible for an operator to designate the display direction of a design object optionally as described above, but questions arise regarding accuracy and ease of the designating operation. In respective prior arts described above, no consideration has been given to ease of the designating operation, thus the operation remains complex and inconvenient. For example, when it is desired to look at the image shown in FIG. 17C, the operator has to determine which two straight lines are to be designated in FIG. 17A and how the designating order should be, by picturing in the operator's brain, the displayed image in FIG. 17C in a three-dimensional coordinate system to oneself in advance. With such a method, the operator has to repeat trials and errors until an objective image is obtained. The same applies to other prior arts, and furthermore, only an image in a predetermined direction can be seen and a display direction has to be designated with numeric values, thus requiring operating sense which is different from design intentions of the designer.

Method and device for determining a viewing perspective for image production


A method for fabricating piezoelectric resonators on a substrate such that the resonant frequency of one resonator is shifted by a small amount from another of the resonators. By means of differential fabrication of the electrodes, the thickness of the metal in an electrode for one resonator is increased relative to that of another resonator to obtain the shift in resonant frequency. The frequency of a single resonator also may be adjusted to a specific frequency by the addition of a differential layer of metal to one of the electrodes comprising the resonator. Mask alignment errors in the differential fabrication process cause non-uniformities in the thickness of the metal in the electrode which non-uniformities significantly degrade the performance of the resonator. The areas of non-uniform thickness of electrode that degrade the performance are removed in this process.

a. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the fabrication of piezoelectric resonators which resonate at microwave frequencies. More particularly this invention pertains to the fabrication of multiple resonators on a single piezoelectric substrate, where the resonant frequency of one resonator is shifted by a small amount relative to the resonant frequency of one or more of the other resonators on the same substrate.
b. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, piezoelectric resonators, or "crystals" for use at high frequencies, e.g. 2 to 30 mhz, have been fabricated from thin slabs of quartz crystal. A conducting electrode is placed on the top surface of the slab and a second conducting electrode is placed on the bottom surface of the slab. Because the application of an electric field between the two electrodes causes the thin slab of piezoelectric material to deform mechanically, and because the periodic deformation of the thin slab of piezoelectric material exhibits a mechanical resonance, the attached pair of electrodes exhibit a similar electrical resonance.
The resonant frequency of the device may be raised by using an abrasive in a grinding or lapping process to reduce the thickness of the piezoelectric slab and thus raise the frequency of its mechanical resonance. However, at microwave frequencies, the piezoelectric slab is too thin to withstand grinding or lapping and often breaks. Furthermore, if the thin slab is supported by additional structure at its periphery, e.g. an inverted mesa structure, even if the thin slab does not break, the grinding or lapping pressure bends the slab and produces a slab having a non-uniform thickness, which non-uniformity substantially degrades the operation of the resonator.
In order to obtain a thin piezoelectric substrate having a uniform thickness, a thin substrate has been fabricated using etching processes or deposition processes using sputtering or evaporation techniques. Metal electrodes are then placed on the surfaces of the substrate using similar processes. See "High-Q Microwave Acoustic Resonators and Filters," by Lakin, Kline and McCarron, IEEE Trans. on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 41, No. 12, December 1993, p. 2139. Various methods have been used to fabricate such devices for use at microwave frequencies, see e.g. Guttwein, Ballato and Lukaszek, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,677. The substrate may consist entirely of a piezoelectric material, or may consist of layers of piezoelectric and non-piezoelectric materials. See e.g. "Acoustic Bulk Wave Composite Resonators", Applied Physics Letters 38(3) by Lakin and Wang, Feb. 1, 1981.
Many techniques exist for fabricating piezoelectric resonators. For some applications a suitable resonator can be fabricated simply by adding conducting electrodes to a thin piezoelectric crystal "blank" obtained from commercial sources which "blank" may have been further thinned by processing. Another technique is to first fabricate a bottom electrode on a supporting substrate such as silicon. Next, a thin film of piezoelectric material is deposited over the electrode and substrate. The supporting substrate is then removed in some regions so as to expose the bottom electrode, which leaves the electrode and piezoelectric film in the form of a membrane or plate supported at the edges. The top electrode is then fabricated on the top surface of the membrane. The equivalent of a thin membrane may also be created by fabricating a sequence of quarter-wavelength thick layers of material upon a suitable substrate. A bottom electrode is then fabricated upon the uppermost quarter-wavelength reflector followed by a layer of piezoelectric material and finally by the top electrode. The quarter-wavelength thick layers of material act as reflectors and mechanically isolate the acoustic motion of the bottom electrode and of the piezoelectric material from the underlying substrate.
Curran et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,622, have disclosed the fabrication of a plurality of resonators located upon a single substrate and electrically interconnected so as to provide complex filtering properties. Curran, et al. also disclose using different thicknesses for the metal electrodes on the different, resonators so as to obtain slightly different resonant frequencies for such resonators located upon a single substrate. Black et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,365 discloses various means for fabricating thin substrates that include a piezoelectric layer for use in making resonators. Black et al. disclose that the placement of acoustic absorbing material at the periphery of the electrodes and the removal of zinc oxide at the periphery of the electrodes may serve to enhance the resonance "Q" factor, reduce unwanted sidelobe response, and/or improve filter efficiency.
Roberts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,430, discloses the use of small coupling adjust spots to alter the resonant properties of coupled resonators located upon a single substrate. Roberts et al. also encountered some problems arising from errors in the alignment of successive masks used in the metal deposition process and they adjusted the thickness of the deposited metal to compensate for some of the consequences of the alignment errors.
As indicated above, it is known in the prior art (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,365) that two resonators may be fabricated, upon a single substrate and that the two resonators can be made to have different resonant frequencies by fabricating the metal electrodes so that one of the electrodes forming one resonator has a thickness that differs from the corresponding electrode for the other resonator. It is also known in the prior art that one can. fabricate such electrodes having differing thicknesses by depositing each electrode in a separate step in the fabrication process. For example, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, substrate 1, which may consist solely of a piezoelectric material or of layers of piezoelectric and non-piezoelectric materials, may be fabricated by any of the methods known in the prior art. Then by suitable masking operations, conducting electrodes 2 and 9 are placed by deposition, sputtering, or other means upon bottom surface 3 of the substrate. By means of suitable masking operations, conducting electrode 4 is deposited upon top surface 5 of the substrate. The area of electrode 4 that overlaps with the area of electrode 2 defines the physical location and extent of resonator 6. By suitable masking operations, electrode 7 is then placed upon top surface 5 of the substrate and the area of electrode 7 that overlaps with electrode 9 similarly defines resonator 8. Electrode 7 can be fabricated to have a thickness that is greater than the thickness of electrode 4 simply by increasing the length of time of the deposition or sputtering process that is used to fabricate electrode 7 as compared with the length of time used for the fabrication of electrode 4.
However, the practical problem with fabricating electrodes 4 and 7 in two completely separate steps is that it is very difficult to control accurately each of the two separate deposition or sputtering processes so as to obtain a thickness for electrode 7 that is greater than that of electrode 4 by only a small, controlled amount so as to obtain two resonators whose resonant frequencies differ from each other by only a small and controlled amount. For example for a resonant frequency of 1900 mhz., the resonators may comprise a piezoelectric film having a thickness of 1 micron and electrodes having a thickness of only 1000 angstroms (0.1 microns). An increase in the metal thickness of one electrode by 76 microns would reduce the resonant frequency by approximately 38 mhz. Accordingly, the amount of additional metal deposited would have to be controlled to an accuracy of 7.6 microns if one wished to obtain the specified frequency shift with an accuracy of 10 percent.
A similar problem arises in the fabrication of a resonator having its resonance at a particular specified frequency with high accuracy. It is difficult to control the thicknesses of the substrate and of the metal electrodes with enough accuracy to obtain the desired result.

Method for fabricating piezoelectric resonators and product


A receiver dryer for storing and drying a refrigerant for an air conditioner is integrally fixed to a condenser to form an assembly. A condenser has refrigerant flow passages, and also has an opening portion for assembling a receiver dryer. In a body of the receiver dryer, a desiccant and members such as a filter are inserted. The refrigerant flows into the receiver dryer from the flow passage through a hole, and flows out to the outflow passage side through a strainer. A ring-shaped protruding portion is formed on the body by bulging, and the body is fixed to the condenser by a C ring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a receiver dryer for storing and drying a refrigerant for an air conditioner and a receiver dryer integrated condenser.
2. Description of the Related Art
A receiver dryer which is provided in an air conditioner for a motor vehicle to store and dry a refrigerant is required to decrease the number of parts and achieve a smaller size and lighter weight.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-2475 discloses a receiver dryer of this type.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-211275 discloses a receiver dryer assembled integrally to a condenser.
The above-described conventional receiver dryers have a construction in which the opening of a tank is closed by a closing member, and the closing member and a connector are connected to each other by bolts.

Receiver dryer and receiver dryer integrated condenser


The present invention relates to a novel diaryl 1,2,4-triazole derivative of the following formula 1 as a highly selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor:

Most of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs represent actions such as anti-inflammation, analgesic, and antipyretic activity by inhibiting the enzymatic activity of cyclooxygenase or prostaglandin G/H synthase. In addition, they can suppress the uterine contraction induced by hormones and the cell proliferation in several kinds of cancers. First, only cyclooxygenase-1 was known to be found in cow as a constitutional enzyme. But recently, cyclooxygenase-2 is identified to be discriminated clearly from cyclooxygenase-1 and can be provoked easily by mitogen, endotoxin, hormones, growth factors, cytokines and the like.
Prostagladins have various pathological and physiological functions. Precisely, cyclooxygenase-1 as a constitutional enzyme participates in the secretion of basic endogenous prostaglandin and plays an important role in physiological aspects such as stomach homeostasis, renal blood circulation and so on. On the other hand, cyclooxygenase-2 is induced by inflammatory factors, hormones, growth factors, cytokines and the like, and thus plays an important role in pathological effects of prostaglandins. Therefore, selective inhibitors against cyclooxygenase-2 are expected to have no side effect on account of the functional mechanism compared with the anti-inflammatory drugs such as conventional non-steroid agents and to represent actions such as anti-inflammation, analgesic, and antipyretic activity. Furthermore, it is estimated to suppress the uterine contraction induced by hormones and the cell proliferation in several kinds of cancers. Especially, it probably has a few side effects such as gastrointestinal toxicity, renal toxicity and the like. Also, it is assumed to prevent the synthesis of contractive prostanoids, and thus inhibit the contraction of smooth muscle induced by the prostanoid. Hence, it can be applied usefully to treat a premature birth, dysmenorrhea, asthma and several diseases associated with eosinophilic leukocytes. Besides, it can be widely exploited to cure osteoporosis, glaucoma and athymia, which has been disclosed in many references, especially the usefulness of selective inhibitors against cyclooxygenase-2 (References: John Vane, "Towards a better aspirin" in Nature, Vol. 367, p 215–216, 1994; Bruno Battistini, Regina Botting and Y. S. Bakhle, "COX-1 and COX-2: Toward the Development of More Selective NSAIDs" in Drug News and Perspectives, Vol. 7, p 501–512, 1994; David B. Reitz and Karen Seibert, "Selective Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors" in Annual Reports in Medicinal Chemistry, James A. Bristol, Editor, Vol. 30, p 179–188, 1995).
The selective inhibitors against cyclooxygenase-2 have been reported to have various structure forms. Among these, the diaryl heterocycle structure, namely a tricyclic system, has been studied most frequently and exploited to construct a lot of candidate substances. In this structure, it is essential that sulfonamide or methanesulfone group exist onto one phenyl group. The initial substance having the above structure is identified to be Dup697 (Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, Vol 5, No. 18, p 2123, 1995). Then, as a derivative, SC-58635 (Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Vol 40, p 1347, 1997) having a pyrrazole structure, MK-966 (WO 95/00501) having a furanone structure and the like are disclosed.

Diaryl 1,2,4-triazole derivatives as a highly selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor

Abstract: Wherein, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, W and A is as defined in this specification.


An air data probe (10) and associated method of method of measuring air data is disclosed. The air data probe includes a plurality of air pressure sensors, and a body (14) that encloses a hollow interior cavity (16), where the body (14) has a generally symmetrical airfoil profile. The body (14) includes a plurality of projections (20a-d) extending beyond the generally symmetrical airfoil profile, each of the plurality of projections (20a-d) including an pressure port (22a-d) at a distal end (24a-d) that is in communication with the hollow interior cavity. Each of the pressure ports (22a-d) receives a corresponding air pressure sensor (12a-d) that is configured to collect static and dynamic air pressure data.

Aircraft are able to maintain airborne by an aerodynamic lift force produced by their wing airfoils. An aircraft maneuvers and maintains stability by aerodynamic forces, normal or transversal to the aircraft longitudinal axis, produced by the control surfaces, which are airfoils. Airfoils on a plane produce lift force by interacting with the oncoming airflow at an incident angle known as the Angle of Attack ("AOA"). The produced lift force is substantially linear under a critical value of AOA, but then reverses when that critical AOA value is exceeded; this situation is known as stall. The incident angle for transversal lift is known as Angle of Sideslip ("AOS").
The loss of flight capability of an otherwise intact aircraft is known as Loss of Control ("LOC") and it is the main cause of fatal accidents in commercial and general aviation flights. In-flight LOC of an otherwise intact aircraft occurs when one or more airfoils stall. Recent statistics show that in-flight LOC remains number one cause of accidents and fatalities in commercial, general as well as experimental (self-built) aircraft aviation. Automatic and autonomous flight control for nominal as well as LOC prevention and recovery require accurate and reliable measurements of AOA and AOS. Reliable AOA and AOS measurement can also be used in a pilot warning system to prevent LOC.
Several commercial devices have been developed over the history of aviation with the aim of providing the needed readings of the aerodynamic attitude variables mentioned above. Initial approaches were made using mechanical devices that rotated into the same direction of the wind. For example, an early device designed to measure and transmit, by means of electrical signals, the direction of airstream in the horizontal and vertical axes. The use of mechanical moving elements was the preferred means used in several posterior designs, with certain modifications to improve the response of the devices. Another presents an improvement to the mechanical coupling of the moving element meant to be adjustable according to the flight conditions of the aircraft. However, the mechanical elements also known as wind vanes, are susceptible of being damaged by external objects or getting stuck due to environmental conditions.
Other developed instruments use dynamic pressure to calculate AOA and AOS. One presents the design of a multifunction probe with orifices located on its surface meant to allow for airflow to enter pressure sensors' ports. The values of AOA, AOS and wind speed are calculated using the dynamic pressure detected by the pressure sensor through the orifices. The inconvenience faced by pressure sensing devices of this kind, is that they malfunction when the pressure ports are clogged by external agents. The damage caused to the probes can render the data unreliable, which may lead to LOC, or even fatal accidents.
Current air data sensors generally rely on mechanical moving mechanisms or stagnation pressure measurements, which induce turbulence, aerodynamic drag, and are susceptible to measurement noise, malfunction and failure due to turbulence, icing and obstruction by foreign objects. For example a current AOA/AOS sensors use a wind vane design that is susceptive to measurement noise, malfunction and damage due to turbulence and foreign object obstruction, due to its mechanical moving parts. Current airspeed sensors employ the pitot tube, that is prone to be obstruct by foreign objects such as ice, birds or insects.
AOA/AOS, airspeed and (barometric) altitude measurements are relevant data in automatic/autonomous flight control systems for nominal flight and LOC prevention and recovery. Recently, some AOA/AOS sensors using pressure measurement measure air data (AOA, AOS or air speed) by measuring the incident stagnation (ram air) pressure, and infer AOA and AOS by the pressure difference at different location and angles of the probe. Such probes have reported a limited range of +/−15 degrees of AOA/AOS measurement, which does not include the more critical and useful range of post-stall angles.
As a result, there is a need for an air data probe with a profile that measures accurate and reliable AOA, AOS, airspeed and (barometric) altitude and that eliminates moving parts and pressure ports, thereby eliminating the sensor failing due to mechanical malfunction or obstruction of sensor orifices and reducing turbulence and air drag caused by the air data probe. Therefore, a need exists for an improved air data probe.


A method and apparatus for attaching a pre-formed header module, e.g. a connector header module or an electrode bearing header module, etc., to a hermetically sealed enclosure of the implantable medical device, typically including electronic integrated circuits, batteries, electromechanical pumps, or the like, are disclosed. A plurality of upstanding tabs that are fixed to the hermetically sealed enclosure, e.g. to the enclosure attachment surface, extend into a like plurality of tab channels formed in the header module housing. The upstanding tab(s) are inserted into the respective tab channel(s) during seating of the module and enclosure attachment surfaces and effects an initial alignment of the header module with the hermetically sealed enclosure. Each attachment tab has a retention feature formed on or in the tab that is designed to accommodate the flow of the thermoplastic material during the application of ultrasonic energy in the region of the tab channel and to cooperate with the solidified mass of thermoplastic material. During application of the ultrasonic energy, the thermoplastic material melts and flows into the remaining space of the tab channel and encapsulate the attachment tab including the retention feature. Upon termination of the ultrasonic energy, the thermoplastic housing material cools and solidifies and forms a continuous mass that encapsulates the surface of the attachment tab and the retention feature.

The earliest implantable medical devices, e.g., implantable cardiac pacemakers and other body tissue stimulating devices, were formed of an implantable pulse generator (IPG) and a set of electrical leads attached between the IPG and heart or body tissue to be paced or stimulated. Typically, the IPG electrical circuit was powered either by Hg--Zn batteries or by induction of energy transmitted transcutaneously from a skin surface RF power generator and supplied electrical pacing or stimulating pulses to the leads. The IPG batteries and circuits were encapsulated within an epoxy compound partly for ease of manufacture and to allow hydrogen emitted by the Hg--Zn batteries to escape. Electrical connector pins and rings, if present, were initially permanently attached to the circuits. Other early implantable medical devices, e.g. implantable monitors and cochlear implants or the like were also formed in somewhat the same manner.
Such early implantable cardiac pacemakers suffered very short useful lives due to moisture ingress through the epoxy and causing electrical dendritic growth across, and shorting of, adjacent points of the circuit, battery terminals, or discrete transistor terminals. In addition, pacing leads frequently failed due to conductor stress fractures, and batteries depleted prematurely for a variety of reasons.
In the 1960's, IPG connector assemblies were formed integrally with other IPG circuit components and embedded in an epoxy housing to enable attachment of a chosen lead to the IPG circuit for initial implant or defective lead replacement purposes. These integrally formed connector assemblies typically comprised at least one metal, electrical connector block encapsulated therein that were aligned in relation to an elongated lead end receptacle for receiving the proximal lead end. Each connector block was formed to have a bore to receive the lead connector pin or ring, depending on the type of lead intended to be used, and a threaded cross bore receiving a trapped set screw. The connector block(s) was electrically directly attached to the IPG circuit. A silicone rubber suture boot was placed in the mold so that it's bore would be aligned with the elongated receptacle. The entire IPG including these connector assembly components, was then encapsulated in epoxy.
In use, the proximal lead connector end(s) was inserted into the appropriate lead connector receptacle until the lead connector pin or ring was received in the bore of the connector block(s). Then, the set screw was tightened by a hex wrench to maintain the firm electrical and mechanical attachment, and the opening through the molded epoxy housing to access the set screw was sealed. Sutures were tied around the suture boot(s) to seal it against the lead body.
Since about the mid-1970's, hermetically sealed, lithium batteries and miniaturized, digital and analog, integrated circuits (ICs) have been used in implantable medical devices, particularly for implantable cardiac pacemaker and nerve stimulation IPGs. The ICs, batteries, and other components are enclosed in hermetically sealed metallic enclosures or "cans" separated from the connector assembly components. Electrical connection with the connector block(s) and/or other components of the connector assembly is obtained by use of electrical feedthroughs supporting feedthrough pins that extend through the hermetically sealed can.
In certain instances, the lead connector assembly components external to the hermetically sealed enclosure are still to this date attached to an attachment surface thereof using an in situ molding process to seal the connector assembly components and form the receptacle for a lead or catheter proximal end, etc. Very simply, in the formation of a lead connector assembly for a cardiac pacemaker IPG, for example, the connector block(s) and feedthrough pin(s) are welded together and laid out in a mold with respect to any other associated components and mold plugs. An encapsulating compound is injected into the mold to form the connector header assembly molded to the IPG attachment surface as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,956. This approach is time consuming and not terribly precise. If the resulting connector header assembly fails to meet dimensional tolerances or other quality requirements, it is difficult to rework the IPG.
In 1979, the MEDTRONIC.RTM. SPECTRAX.RTM. cardiac pacemaker IPGs were introduced having the digital and analog or hybrid IC's and lithium batteries forming the pacing circuit enclosed within a hermetically sealed titanium enclosure having feedthroughs extending through an enclosure attachment surface thereof. Such an assembly of these components is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,142,532 and 4,182,345, incorporated herein by reference.
The lead connector assembly, in this case and as used in IPG models to the present time by Medtronic, Inc., is manufactured as a separate pre-formed connector header module that encloses connector components and is attached to an enclosure attachment surface of the hermetically sealed enclosure and to the feedthrough pins. The connector header module is molded of a thermoplastic elastomer, e.g., a medical grade polyurethane, with an outer module surface and a number of receptacles and channels within it that in some instances are accessible through windows extending to the module surface. The connector header module receives the electrical connector block(s) in connector block receptacle(s) such that the connector block bore(s) is aligned with elongated lead connector receptacle(s) for receiving the proximal lead connector end assembly(s). In the typical design, each such connector block is formed with a threaded cross bore receiving a trapped set screw as described above. Each set screw of each connector block in a connector block receptacle is also aligned with a septum receptacle for receiving a silicone rubber set screw septum. The pre-formed connector header module is formed with pin channel(s) for directing the feedthrough pin(s) into contact with the respective connector block(s) and with window(s) to allow the connector block(s) and septum(s) to be inserted into their respective receptacle(s). In each case, the connector block receptacle window or a further window to the module surface is provided for allowing the feedthrough pin end to be welded to the connector block. The windows(s) and pin channel(s) are typically back filled with a medical grade silicone adhesive after the welding step and attachment of the connector header module to the hermetically sealed enclosure.
To attain and maintain these characteristics, the receptacle for the connector block and the connector block itself are dimensioned within tight tolerances to precisely align the connector block bore with the lead connector receptacle. In one approach, the connector block receptacle opening dimensions are reduced and the opening edge shaped so that the connector block stretches the opening edge as it is inserted to be seated within the connector block receptacle. In certain other cardiac pacemaker IPGs, each connector block is inserted into a connector block receptacle and ultrasonic energy is applied to the edge of the connector block window to melt it over and tamp it against the exposed surface of the connector block. This ultrasonic tamping technique of dissimilar material parts is similar to that shown in the article entitled "Ultrasonic joining of moulded parts and semi-finished parts of thermo-plastic polymers in mass production--Forming with ultrasound. Staking, swaging and tamping (Guideline DVS 2216, Part 3, 1992)", Welding in the World, Le Soudage Dans Le Monde, Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 205-207 (1993).
As a general rule, the connector header module formed as described above, has to satisfy very tight tolerances and remain dimensionally stable over a long time period of implantation within the hostile environment of the human body. Any substantial initial or time-induced misalignment of the lead connector receptacle bore(s) extending through the molded module housing and the connector block bore(s) can make initial attachment or removal and replacement of a lead connector end impossible or unreliable.
During the attachment of the connector header module to the hermetically sealed enclosure, medical grade adhesive may be employed to adhere the module attachment surface with the enclosure attachment surface. During the curing of the adhesive, it is necessary to ensure that the attachment surfaces are not disturbed. It has been proposed to employ mechanical attachment mechanisms as a substitute for or in addition to the use of the medical grade adhesive between the attachment surfaces to provide stability and strength. Such mechanical attachment mechanisms that have been proposed for use or actually used either alone or with adhesive take a variety of forms, e.g., the forms shown in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,142,532 and 4,182,345, both incorporated herein by reference in their respective entireties. While these approaches have merit, they require use of additional, precision piece parts and assembly steps that can add to the cost and time spent in assembling the connector header module with the hermetically sealed enclosure.
In a further current approach employing both adhesive and temporary mechanical fixation, tab channels are formed in the connector header module to receive upstanding attachment tabs that are welded to the enclosure attachment surface to extend outward therefrom. The upstanding attachment tabs are formed with hooks at their ends that snap into engagement with undercuts that are intentionally formed in the tab channels. Adhesive is applied to the mating attachment surfaces and into the tab channels. This mechanical attachment provides a temporary fixation with relatively low resistance to dislodgement for several hours until adhesive applied to the mating attachment surfaces sets up.
Finally, it should be noted that it has been recently proposed to form the connector header module as part of a shroud surrounding and adhering to the rim of the hermetically sealed enclosure in order to simplify the assembly by reducing the number of parts, assembly steps and required tolerances. Such a configuration is shown in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,535,097, 5,522,861, 5,456,698 and 5,431,695, all incorporated herein by reference in their respective entireties. In this configuration, the shroud is preferably formed of a flexible silicon rubber, and pacing leads may be attached and replaced in the normal manner for an implantable pacing system. However, the use of silicone rubber has its own disadvantages related to dimensional instability and lack of rigidity, general design aesthetics, and potential discoloration of the silicone rubber during storage and sterilization which contribute to lack of market acceptance.
The adhesion force or "peel and pull strength" of the connector header module with the hermetically sealed enclosure at the mating attachment surfaces is important both during the adhesive curing time and in later chronic implantation of the implantable medical device. The pull strength is the separation force, specified in pounds, applied perpendicularly to the plane of the header module and enclosure attachment surfaces sufficient to pull the header module away from the hermetically sealed enclosure. The peel strength is the separation force, specified in pounds, applied laterally against a major side of the header module sufficient to break the attachment laterally. The curing or drying of adhesive between the mating attachment surfaces to establish a specified peel and pull strength takes time, and this delay in manufacturing is undesirable. Moreover, the peel and pull strength that can be achieved is limited by the areas of contact of the mating attachment surfaces. Consequently, a need remains for an improved mechanical attachment mechanism and method that avoids undue delay and provides enhanced peel and pull strength upon completing the attachment. As will become apparent from the following, the present invention satisfies that need.
Certain implantable medical devices other than IPGs also require the attachment of a pre-formed header module with a hermetically sealed enclosure. Such pre-formed header modules do not include lead connector components and connector end receptacles. Similar considerations of simplified manufacture, reduced cost and enhanced peel and pull strength also apply to the assembly of such pre-formed header modules and hermetically sealed enclosures.

Attachment apparatus and method for an implantable medical device employing ultrasonic energy


A multifunctional tape printer of tape measure, is provided with a main frame (1), a small number (for foot) roller (3) with the perimeter of 3 feet or/and a small number (for meter) roller (5) with the perimeter of 1 meter mounted on the main frame (1), pinch rollers and rubber brush on the rollers as well as ink supply device and tape conveying devices, which constitute the main body of the tape printer, the tape printer being featured by that an additional functional component of a large number (foot) roller (4) or/and large number (meter) roller (6) are mounted on the main frame (1) for matching with the small number (for foot) roller (3) with the perimeter of 3 feet or/and the small number (for meter) roller (5) with the perimeter of 1 meter, the large number roller(s) is/are kept at the same linear velocity to that of the small number roller(s), moreover, the large number roller and small number roller, through the proportioning of mechanical transmission rotating speed, achieve that when a small number roller rotates for one circle, the corresponding large number roller will rotate for an angle of a large number unit. It can print both large numbers and small numbers mechanically at the same time, which has high efficiency, fine printing precision and low rate of rejects and can reduce labor intensity.

Presently, many countries in the world adopts both the metric and the British systems for the measurement of length, therefore, the plastic tape measures people are using mainly combines meters of the metric unit and feet of the British system, i.e., meters are printed on one side and feet are printed on the other side.
There are several main problems to be solved for tape measures made of plastic, plastic reinforced with fiberglass or sackcloth etc.
There's another difficult problem to be solved: the large measurements on the tape numbers cannot be printed mechanically. Said large numbers means numbers printed on the tape indicating whole numbers like 1 m, 2 m . . . 30 m . . . and 1 ft, 2 ft . . . 100 ft . . . . In comparison with large numbers, we call repeatedly appearing graduation and text indicating centimeters or inches within every meter or inch the small numbers.
Traditional tape printers of tape measure can only print small numbers and cannot print large numbers. Limited by the diameter of the form roller, in general, rollers for small numbers in a meter can only adopt 1 m as the perimeter, while rollers for small numbers in a foot often adopt the perimeter of 3 feet, i.e., 0.9144 m so as to be close to that of the rollers for small numbers in meters. Both sides are printed at the same time, the numbers in the meter side will repeat every meter, and that in the foot side will repeat every 3 feet (actually 3 independent but end-to-end feet). Then, how can large numbers in the unit of meter or foot are printed? For example, for a 30-meter-long tape measure, 1 m, 2 m, 3 m . . . 29 m, 30 m shall be printed on the meter side and 1 ft, 2 ft, 3 ft . . . 99 ft, 100 ft shall also be printed on the foot side. The traditional method is: after printing all small numbers of both sides by machine, and then print the large numbers by screen printing or other means one by one.
This is a very troublesome process, which not only needs to be done manually, but also has the disadvantages of slow printing speed, great labor intensity, covering large space, high rate of defective products and unstable quality. The method to print the large numbers by silk-screen printing or other means one by one has been followed all over the world since the first tape measure appeared.

Multifunctional tape printer of tape measure