In the present apparatus, nozzle openings of a pair of adjacent nozzle rows among a plurality of nozzle rows are shifted relative to each other with respect to a direction in which the nozzle rows extend. Liquid of the lightest color is supplied to the nozzle row nearest to an end of a liquid ejecting head with respect to a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the nozzle rows extend, and liquid of the darkest color is supplied to the nozzle row at a middle part of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the direction in which the nozzle rows extend. A controller controls the liquid ejecting head to eject liquids through the nozzle openings of all the plurality of nozzle rows of the liquid ejecting head while the liquid ejecting head is moving for forward and backward scanning strokes. The deterioration of image quality and the increase of approach regions due to the increase of the length of the liquid ejecting head can be prevented.

An ink-ejecting recording apparatus, i.e., an example of liquid ejecting apparatuses, includes a recording head (liquid ejecting head) having a plurality of nozzle rows each of which is formed by arranging a plurality of nozzle openings in a row, a carriage mechanism for moving the recording head in a main scanning direction (direction along the width of a recording sheet), and a feed mechanism for feeding the recording sheet in a sub-scanning direction (paper feeding direction) perpendicular to the main scanning direction.
The recording head is provided with pressure chambers communicating with the nozzle openings, and pressure-producing elements for varying ink pressure in the pressure chambers. Discharge pulses are applied to the pressure-producing elements of the recording head to change ink pressure in the pressure chambers such that ink particles are ejected through the nozzle openings.
The recording head moving in the main scanning direction ejects ink particles at times specified by dot-pattern data. Upon the arrival of the recording head at the terminal end of a scanning range, the feed mechanism feeds the recording sheet in the sub-scanning direction, and the carriage mechanism starts moving the recording head in the main scanning direction and the recording head ejects ink particles while the same is moving in the main scanning direction.
The foregoing steps of a recording operation are repeated to record an image on the recording sheet in a dot matrix specified by the dot pattern data.
The recording head of the ink-ejecting recording apparatus of this type is capable of ejecting inks of different colors, for example, inks of four colors, such as black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Some recording head is capable of ejecting seven color inks, such as black, cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta, yellow and dark yellow inks, to record high-quality color images.
A previously proposed ink-ejecting recording apparatus capable of printing color images as mentioned above is able to operate selectively in either of a high-speed printing mode and a high-quality printing mode according to the purpose of the user. When the ink-ejecting recording apparatus is set for operation in the high-speed printing mode, the four color inks, namely, the black, cyan, magenta and yellow inks, are used for a four-color printing mode. When the ink-ejecting recording apparatus is set for operation in the high-quality printing mode, the seven color inks, namely, the black, cyan, light-cyan, magenta, light-magenta, yellow and dark yellow inks, are used for operation in a seven-color printing mode.
To enable the ink-ejecting recording apparatus to operate selectively in either of the four-color printing mode (high-speed printing mode) and the seven-color printing mode (high-quality printing mode), the recording head is provided with nozzle rows respectively for the seven color inks. If two nozzle rows are assigned to the black ink that is frequently used, the recording head is provided with eight nozzle rows.
However, the dimension of the recording head along the main scanning direction increases with the increase of the number of the nozzle rows. Therefore, picture quality will be significantly deteriorated due to the incorrect positional relation between the recording head and the recording sheet that will occur when the recording head is incorrectly positioned or the recording sheet is dislocated.
Generally, the ink-ejecting recording apparatus has a printing region of a predetermined length, and approach regions extending outward from the opposite ends of the printing regions in the main scanning directions. When the recording head is reversed after being stopped at the end of a forward (or backward) scanning stroke for a backward (or forward) scanning stroke, the recording head starts moving at a moving speed of zero, and then the recording head is accelerated to a predetermined scanning speed. Therefore an approach region is necessary to accelerate the recording head to the predetermined scanning speed before the recording head enters the printing region.
When the dimension of the recording head in the main scanning direction increases due to the foregoing reasons, the necessary width of the approach regions on the opposite outer sides of the printing region increases inevitably.
When the recording mode of the liquid ejecting apparatus capable of operating selectively in either of the four-color printing mode (high-speed printing mode) and the seven-color printing mode (high-quality printing mode), the types of the liquids supplied to the liquid ejecting head are changed. The types of the liquids can be changed by changing, for example, ink cartridges. In such a case, predetermined types of ink cartridges meeting the recording mode must be correctly installed.


A polycrystalline silicon block fracture device includes a fracturing part mechanically fracturing a polycrystalline silicon block material to produce a polycrystalline silicon fragment including a polycrystalline silicon powder having a particle size of 500 to 1000 μm then discharging from a discharging port; a falling movement part continuous with a downstream of the fracturing part allowing said polycrystalline silicon fragment discharged from the discharging port to fall by gravity; a receiver part positioned at downstream of the falling movement part and receives the polycrystalline silicon fragment after falling through the falling movement part; and the falling movement part includes a suction removing part in which at least part of the polycrystalline silicon powder included in the polycrystalline silicon fragment is removed by suctioning to a different direction from falling direction; the suction removing part suctions at a suction rate of 1 to 20 m3/min.

As the method of producing the polycrystalline silicon which is also called as the polysilicon, Siemens method is known. According to Siemens method, the silicon core wire placed inside of a bell jar type reaction container is heated to a silicon depositing temperature, then hydrogen and silane compound gas such as tricyclosilane (SiHCl3) and monosilane (SiH4) or so are supplied to deposit the polycrystalline silicon on the silicon core wire by a chemical vapor phase deposition method, thereby a highly pure polycrystalline silicon rod is obtained.
The obtained polycrystalline silicon rod is fractured and sorted into a suitable size for the device used in the subsequent steps or for the production of object to be produced in the subsequent steps, then transferred to the next step. Specifically, the polycrystalline silicon rod is crushed by a hammer made of hard metal such as tungsten carbide or so, thereby the polycrystalline silicon block material is obtained. Then, the polycrystalline silicon block material is further fractured to a desired particle size by fracture device made of hard polymer or hard metal or so, and if needed, classified to a desired size by a classifier made of same material, thereby the polycrystalline silicon fragment having a desired particle size is obtained.
The obtained polycrystalline silicon fragment is called, a dust, a powder, a chip, a nugget, and a chunk or so depending on the size thereof, however there is no strict standard for the classification. In the present invention, the fragment having the particle size of less than 500 μm is called "silicon dust", the particle size of 500 to 1000 μm is called "polycrystalline silicon powder"; and the polycrystalline silicon block including the polycrystalline silicon fragment piece of a desired size, the polycrystalline silicon powder, and silicon dust obtained as mentioned in the above is called "polycrystalline silicon fragment".
During the fracturing and sorting of the polycrystalline silicon rod, the rod and the fragment contact with the fracture device and sorting device, and the contamination from these devices adheres to the surface oxide layer of the surface. Also, the metal fine powder due to the abrasion in the fracture device adheres to the surface oxide layer of the fragment, and may contaminate. These are called a surface metal contamination. The surface metal contamination tends to increase as the particle size of the fragment decreases, and the contamination adheres particularly to the silicon dust and the polycrystalline silicon powder having small particle size, thereby the surface metal contamination is increased.
In order to reduce the surface metal contamination, a wet chemical treatment such as treating the polycrystalline silicon with acid or so is widely done. By such wet chemical treatment, the silicon dust or the polycrystalline silicon powder which has a small particle diameter are removed; and also the polycrystalline silicon powder having large particle diameter and the surface contamination of the polycrystalline silicon fragment are removed, thus the amount of the silicon dust and the surface metal contamination attached to the polycrystalline silicon fragment can be reduced to the order of ppbw or less. Therefore, in case extremely high purity is demanded for the growth material of the silicon single crystal, the wet chemical treatment is carried out, so that the impurity level of the polycrystalline silicon fragment can be reduced as little as possible. For example, the patent document 1 (JP Patent Application Laid Open No. H06-144822) discloses to form a fine particle by pulverization, and when the above mentioned polycrystalline silicon powder has the particle diameter of 1000 μm or less, the impurity of the metal powder or so caused by the abrasion of the pulverizer becomes prominent; hence it clearly asserts that the wet chemical treatment is necessary if the use for the semiconductor is considered (see [0009]). However, the wet chemical treatment is costly. Also, it is indicated that when using for the semiconductor, regarding the silicon dust and the polycrystalline silicon powder having small particle diameter as small as 1000 μm or less, a sufficient high purification may not be possible even by the above mentioned wet chemical treatment.
On the other hand, the polycrystalline silicon used for the production of the solar panel or so does not require extremely high purity as discussed in the above. Therefore, depending on the use, the cost reduction may be prioritized without increasing the purity too much as long as the amount of the silicon dust and the metal surface contamination are below acceptance level.
As the method for reducing the surface metal contamination by a relatively low cost, the patent document 2 (JP Patent Application Laid Open No. 2012-46412) proposes blowing a compressed air and dry ice or so to the polycrystalline silicon of after the fracturing and classification, thereby removing the silicon dust.
However, when compressed air is blown to the polycrystalline silicon fragment, the silicon dust can be removed by the air pressure, but at the same time, the silicon fragment having large particle diameter than the silicon dust may jump, or collide against each other, and new silicon dust or the polycrystalline silicon powder may be formed. Also, when fracturing the silicon rod, the oxide film is formed at the fracture face of the fragment. If the silicon dust and the polycrystalline silicon powder adhere to this oxide film, said oxide film of the surface and the oxide film of the fracture surface of the fragment may be integrated into one body, and the removal of these silicon dusts and the polycrystalline silicon powders may become difficult. Further, if the compressed air is blown to the stacked polycrystalline silicon of after the classification, the silicon dust and the polycrystalline silicon powder between the spaces of the stacked fragment cannot be removed sufficiently.
Further, the patent document 2 removes the silicon dust having the particle size of less than 400 μm. For the fragment having the particle size of 500 μm (0.5 mm) or more, it is recognized as the product, and will not be removed. However, the particle having the particle size of 500 μm to 1 mm or so, which is called as "polycrystalline silicon powder" in the present invention still has a prominent mixing amount of the metal impurity as shown in the patent document 1, and also when the present inventors have examined, the following described problems were found.
The polycrystalline silicon fragment is used for the production of the single crystal silicon ingot in some cases. When producing the single crystal ingot, it is necessary to smoothly carry out the filling of the polycrystalline silicon fragment to the molten container. However, if the polycrystalline silicon powder of 500 μm to 1 mm or so is included, the fluidity of the polycrystalline silicon fragment may be compromised, and the smooth introduction to the molten container may be interfered. Also, for the ingot production, the polycrystalline silicon fragment is melt in the molten container, and then pulled out (also called as Czochralski method (CZ) method). However, the powder of 500 μm to 1 mm or so may be difficult to melt, and it may become a core of the crystalline production, thus the ingot may be polycrystallized. Therefore, in order to produce the single crystal ingot, the polycrystallized ingot needs to be re-melt, and pulled out once again, which lowers the productivity.
Also, when the silicon fragments are stacked, the fine silicon dust can be removed by blowing the compressed air, but the polycrystalline silicon powder of 500 μm to 1 mm or so is difficult to be removed. If the pressure of the compressed air is too strong, then as mentioned in the above, the silicon fragment may jump, or the fragments may collide against each other, thus new silicon dust and the polycrystalline silicon powder may be generated.
The patent document 3 (JP Patent Application Laid Open No. 2009-78961) discloses that in order to prevent the dust from adhering to the polycrystalline silicon which is electrically charged, an ionized clean air is blown to the polycrystalline silicon, thereby removes the electro static.
Also, when fracturing the polycrystalline silicon rod, it is preferable to prevent the metal from adhering as much as possible to the fragment surface from the devices, and in said fracture device, it has been experimented to constitute the material of the outside force loading member against the polycrystalline silicon rod, specifically the movable teeth and stationary teeth for the jaw crusher, by a hard metal such as tungsten carbide or so (for example see JP Patent Application Laid Open No. 2004-161595); and the patent document 4 discloses (JP Patent No. 4351666) the production device to pulverize the polycrystalline silicon with the pulverizer comprising an ultrahard pulverizing apparatus, then classifying.

Method for manufacturing polycrystalline silicon fragment and polycrystalline silicon block fracture device


Coding of a high efficiency is achieved without increasing the scale of a code train transform table. Quantization spectra are divided into groups, and when two quantization spectra in any group are both equal to 0, they are coded into 0. If the two quantization spectra are not equal to 0, for example, the values (-2, 3) of the individual quantization spectra are coded into corresponding values (1101, 1110) and 1 is added to the top (or start) of the code train.

Variable methods for high efficiency coding of an audio or speech signal are available. For example, subband coding (SBC) is a non-blocking frequency band dividing method wherein an audio signal or a like signal on the time base is not blocked but is divided into and coded in a plurality of frequency bands. Transform coding is a blocking frequency band dividing method wherein a signal on the time base is transformed (spectrum transformed) into another signal on the frequency base and divided into a plurality of frequency bands and then coded for each frequency band.
Also a method for high frequency coding which includes a combination of the subband coding and the transform coding described above is available. In this method, band division is first performed by subband coding, and then signals in each band are spectrum transformed into signals on the time base, whereafter coding is performed for the spectrum transformed signals for each band. For example, a quadrature mirror filter can be used as a filter for the band division mentioned above. The quadrature mirror filter is disclosed, in R. E. Crochiere, "Digital coding of speech in subbands", Bell Syst. Tech. J., Vol. 55, No. 8, 1976.
Meanwhile, a filter dividing method having subbands of equal bandwidths is disclosed in Joseph H. Rothweiler, "Polyphase Quadrature filters--A new subband coding technique", ICASSP 83, BOSTON. Here, as the spectrum transform mentioned above, a spectrum transform is performed on an input audio signal. The input audio signal is blocked with a predetermined unit time (frame). A discrete Fourier transform (DFT), discrete cosine transform (DCT) or modified discrete cosine transform (MDCT) is performed for each block to transform the input audio signal of time base into a frequency base signal. The MDCT is disclosed in J. P. Princen and A. B. Bradley, "Subband/Transform Coding Using Filter Bank Designs Based on Time Domain Aliasing Cancellation", Univ. of Surrey Royal Melbourne Inst. of Tech., ICASSP, 1987.
By quantizing signals divided into subbands by a filter or spectrum transform in this manner, subband quantization noise can be controlled. In addition higher efficiency coding can be achieved by making use of masking effects. Specifically normalization is performed for each band before quantization. If the normalization is based upon a maximum value from among absolute values of signal components in the band, higher efficiency coding can be anticipated.
Division of the frequency band is performed taking the auditory sense characteristic of the human being into consideration. In particular, an audio signal is frequency divided into a plurality of bands (for example, 25 bands) whose bandwidth increases as the frequency increases up to a high frequency band normally called the critical band. Further, coding is performed with predetermined bit allocation for the individual bands or with adaptive bit allocation for the individual bands.
For example, coefficient data obtained by the MDCT processing mentioned above are coded with an adaptive allocation bit number. The following two methods are known for the bit allocation.
The first method is disclosed in R. Zelinski and P. Noll, "Adaptive Transform Coding of Speech Signals", IEEE Transactions of Acoustics, Speech, and Signal processing, Vol. ASSP-25, No. 4, August 1977. Here, bit allocation is performed based on the magnitude of a signal for each band. With this method, flat quantization noise spectra are obtained and the noise energy is minimized. However, since the masking effects of an auditory sense are not utilized, the actual noise feeling perceived by a human being is not optimum.
The second method is disclosed in M. A. Kransner, "The critical band order-digital encoding of the perceptual requirements of the auditory system", ICASSP, MIT, 1980. The document recites a method performing fixed bit allocation wherein auditory sense masking is utilized to obtain a required signal to noise ratio for each band. With the method, however, even when a characteristic value is measured with a sine wave input, since the bit allocation is fixed, the characteristic value does not exhibit a very good value.
In order to solve these problems, a high efficiency coding apparatus has been proposed wherein all available bits are divided into bits which are used for a fixed bit allocation pattern determined in advance for each subblock and bits which are used for bit allocation which relies upon the magnitude of a signal of each block. The dividing ratio between them is determined based upon the input signal so that the number of bits allocated to the fixed bit pattern is increased as the spectra of the signals mentioned above become smoother.
With the apparatus described above, when energy is concentrated in a particular spectrum such as when a sine wave is inputted, a comparatively large number of bits are allocated to the block which includes the spectrum. Accordingly, the overall signal to noise ratio characteristic can be improved remarkably. Generally, since the auditory sense of the human being is very sensitive to a signal having a steep spectral component, improvement of signal to noise ratio by employment of such a method as described above also improves the sound quality perceived by the auditory sense.
Many other various methods have been proposed for bit allocation, and the model regarding the auditory sense has improved. An improved coding apparatus requires higher efficiency in terms of the auditory sense.
The inventors of the present invention have proposed, in PCT application No. PCT/JP94/00880 filed on May 31, 1994 and corresponding U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/374,518, (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,821) a method wherein a tonal component which is particularly important in terms of the auditory sense is separated from a spectrum signal and is coded separately from other spectrum components. By this method, an audio signal or a like signal can be coded efficiently at a high compression ratio while causing little deterioration on the auditory sense.
Where the DFT or DCT mentioned above is used as a method of transforming a waveform signal into a spectrum, M independent real number data are obtained by transformation of a time block including M samples. In order to reduce connection distortion between time blocks, M1 samples are usually overlapped with each other between two adjacent blocks. Consequently, according to the DFT or DCT, when averaged, M real number data are quantized and coded for (M-M1) samples.
On the other hand, where the MDCT mentioned above is used as a method of transforming a waveform signal into a spectrum, M independent real number data are obtained from 2M samples from which N samples are overlapped with those of each of the opposite adjacent times. Consequently, according to the MDCT, when averaged, M real number data are quantized and coded for M samples. In a decoding apparatus, inverse transform is performed for each block from codes obtained using the MDCT. Waveform elements obtained by the inverse transform are added to each other in an interfering relationship with each other to regenerate a waveform signal.
Generally, by increasing the length of a time block for transformation, the frequency resolution of spectra increases and energy is concentrated upon a particular spectrum component. Where the MDCT is used, a long block is transformed with individual halves thereof overlapped with blocks on the opposite sides. The number of spectrum signals obtained does not exhibit an increase in number with respect to the original number of time samples. Therefore coding of a higher efficiency can be performed than where the DFT or DCT is used. Further, by providing a sufficiently large overlap length between adjacent blocks, the inter-block distortion of a waveform signal can be reduced.
In order to form an actual code train, quantization accuracy information and normalization coefficient information should be coded with a predetermined bit number for each band. The normalized and quantized spectrum signal should then be coded.
A method of coding a spectrum signal which uses variable length coding such as Huffman coding is known. The Huffman coding is disclosed, for example, in David A. Huffman, "A Method for the Construction of Minimum--Redundancy Codes", Proceedings of the I.R.E., September, 1952, pp.1,098-1,101.
Also another method is known which employs a multidimensional variable length code by which a plurality of spectrum signals are represented collectively by a single code. Generally, in a coding method which employs a multidimensional variable length code, as the order number of the code increases, the efficiency in coding in terms of the compression efficiency increases. However, since the scale of a code train table increases progressively as the order number increases, the method gives rise to a problem in practical use. Actually, an optimum order number conforming to an object is selected taking the compression efficiency and the scale of the code train table into consideration.
Generally, in an acoustic waveform signal, energy is frequently concentrated upon a basic frequency component and frequency components which are integral multiples of the basic frequency, that is, harmonic components. Since spectrum signals around the frequencies have very low levels compared with those of harmonic components, they are quantized into 0 at a relatively high probability. In order to code such signals efficiently, spectrum signals which are quantized to 0, and which are produced in a high probability, should be coded with the least information possible. Where one-dimensional variable length codes are used, even if each spectral signal is coded with one bit which is the smallest code length, N-bits are required for N spectra. Where a multidimensional variable length code of the order number N is used, since N spectra can be coded with one bit of the smallest code length, efficient coding can be performed for signals having such frequency components as described above.
However, while increasing the order number of codes acts considerably advantageously in terms of the compression efficiency, where practical use is taken into consideration, it is impossible to increase the order number indefinitely.
Normally, a code train table is prepared for the quantization accuracy set for each band. Where the quantization accuracy is low, since the number of values of spectrum signals which can be represented is small, even if the order number is increased, the scale of the code train table is not increased very much. However, where the quantization accuracy is high, the number of values of spectrum signals which can be represented is larger. Therefore, even if the order number is increased by only one, the scale of the code train table is increased remarkably.
This will be described in more detail using a concrete example. Now, it is assumed that an input signal is MDCT transformed to obtain such spectra as seen in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, absolute values of spectra of the MDCT are converted in level into dB values and indicated on the axis of ordinate. The axis of abscissa indicates the frequency, and an input signal is transformed into 32 spectrum signals taking a predetermined time as a block. The spectrum signals are divided into 6 coded units denoted by [1] to [6] in FIG. 1. Each coded unit includes a plurality of spectra, and normalization and quantization are performed for each coded unit.
By varying the quantization accuracy for each coded unit depending upon the distribution of frequency components, coding which minimizes the deterioration in sound quality and is efficient in terms of the auditory sense can be performed. The quantization accuracy required for each coded unit can be obtained by calculating a minimum audible level or a masking level in a band corresponding to each coded unit based on an auditory sense model. Each normalized and quantized spectrum signal is transformed into a variable length code and is coded together with the quantization accuracy information and normalization information for each coded unit.
Table A illustrates a method of representation when quantization accuracy information is transmitted. Where a quantization accuracy information code is represented with 3 bits, eight different kinds of quantization accuracy information can be set. In the example illustrated, quantization is performed with one of 8 different step numbers of one step, 3 steps, 5 steps, 7 steps, 15 steps, 31 steps, 63 steps and 127 steps.
Here, quantization into one step signifies that spectrum signals in the coded unit are all quantized into the value of 0.
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a variable length coding method which has ordinarily been performed. Spectrum signals are quantized with quantization accuracy information determined for each coded unit to obtain quantization spectra. Quantization spectra are transformed into a corresponding code train by referring to such a code train table as shown as table B.
Referring to FIG. 2, for the coded unit [1], for example, a code 011 is selected as the quantization accuracy information. Accordingly, quantization is performed with 7 step numbers as seen from Table B, and the values of the quantized spectrum signals are, in order from the lower frequency side, -1, 3, 0, 1. Here, it is to be noted that the level of each spectrum signal is represented by an absolute value.
If the spectrum signals are transformed into code trains using the code train table portion of the table B wherein the quantization accuracy information code is 011, then digit data of 101, 1110, 0, 100 are obtained, respectively. Thus, they have the code lengths of 3, 4, 1 and 3, respectively.
Meanwhile, for the coded unit [2], another code 010 is selected as the quantization accuracy information. In this instance, quantization is performed with five different step numbers as seen from Table B. As code trains which can be used here, five different digit data of 111, 101, 0, 100 and 110 have the smallest word length. This is because, for example, if code trains 10, 11, 0, 01 and 101 are used, then when 0101001 is received as a code train, it cannot be distinguished whether it is 0, 101, 0, 01 or 01, 0, 10, 01 or else 01, 01, 0, 01. Accordingly, it must be noticed that there are limitations to code trains which can be used.
Where the quantization accuracy information code is 010, the values of quantized spectrum signals are, in order from the lower frequency side, 0, -2, 1, 0. If they are transformed into code trains using the code train table portion of the table B wherein the quantization accuracy information code is 010, then the spectrum signal values are 0, 111, 100, 0, and they have code lengths of 1, 3, 3, 1, respectively.
As seen from Table B, code trains are prepared by a number equal to the quantization step number. Accordingly, for example, where the quantization accuracy information code is 111, 127 different code trains are prepared. Consequently, a total of 252 different code trains are prepared.
Similarly, for the coded unit [3], a further code 001 is selected as the quantization accuracy information, and quantization is performed with three different step numbers. Thus, the quantization spectra are 0, -1, 0, 0, the code trains are 0, 11, 0, 0, and the code lengths are 1, 2, 1, 1.
FIG. 3 illustrates a two-dimensional variable length coding method. The two-dimensional code train table as seen in Table C is used when the quantization accuracy information code is 001. The quantization spectra of each of coded units [1], [2] and [3] shown in FIG. 3 are collected two by two into a group which is transformed into one code train. Accordingly, quantized spectra 0, -1, 0, 0 of the coded unit [3] are collected as (0, -1) and (0, 0) and transformed into two code trains of 101, 0.
Where the quantized spectra 0, -1, 0, 0 of the coded unit [3] are coded into one-dimensional variable length codes as seen in FIG. 2, the required information amount is 1+2+1+1=5 bits. In contrast, if they are coded into two-dimensional variable length codes as seen in FIG. 3, then the information amount is 3+1=4 bits. Thus, it can be seen that use of two-dimensional variable length coding can allow coding with a reduced information amount.
As described above, by coding two quantized spectra into one variable length code in accordance with a code train table, the code length can be decreased compared with that where a one-dimensional variable length code is used.
However, if a plurality of (N) quantized spectra are collected into one group to obtain N-dimensional data and code the N-dimensional data into a variable length code then a very large scale code train table is required. This makes it difficult to put the coding apparatus into practical use.
For example, the quantized spectra of the coded unit [3] shown in FIG. 3 may be collected into one group. Accordingly 3.sup.4, (or 81) code trains are required.


The present invention relates to a reinforcement of foundation which comprises at least two base steel plates arranged to be upright with respect to the ground and shaped as a plate with a cutaway formed at a top portion thereof, a reinforced steel plate coupled to upper portions of both ends of the base steel plates, fastening steel rods placed to extend in a longitudinal direction of the base steel plate and coupled to the reinforced steel plate, and a connection steel rod bored sequentially through the base steel plates and coupled to the base steel plates. According to the present invention, huge concentrated load exerted on a foundation can be uniformly distributed, and thus, load transmitted from a pillar or column installed on the foundation can be stably supported. Further, the thickness of foundation can also be reduced as compared with the prior art, and thus, the excavation can be made shallow. Accordingly, the period and expense of construction can be reduced.

In general, a foundation plate is constructed at a bottom portion of a building such that a load of the building can be uniformly distributed over the ground, upon the construction thereof, to prevent the ground from subsiding due to the building weight. In such a case, the conventional foundation plate has been designed to be constructed of thick reinforced concrete.
As the dimension of building has been recently increased, a load applied to a foundation plate is also being increased. In case of a conventional foundation plate, bending strength and shear strength have been increased in such a manner that the foundation plate constructed of general reinforced concrete is increased in size as a load to be applied to the foundation plate is increased.
As the size of the foundation plate is increased, therefore, an excavation depth should be increased enough to bury the foundation plate in the ground. Accordingly, there is a problem in that the construction period and expense are excessively consumed since the excavation work for burying the foundation plate and the manufacture work for manufacturing the foundation plate are increased in scale. In particular, in a case where a building should be constructed on a rock, the excavation work is very difficult. Thus, the construction period and expense are remarkably increased.
Further, in a case where the foundation plate is conventionally constructed of reinforced concrete, it is inevitably brought into contact with underground water as the excavation depth is increased. In such a case, if the foundation plate is in contact with underground water for a long time, there is another problem in that the reinforced concrete is deteriorated, whereby a load of building cannot be stably supported.
Furthermore, in a case where the excavation should be made deep, a desired land should be dug wider in an upward direction to prevent wall surfaces of the dug portion from collapsing and to secure as working space. If the excavation is made in such a way, it causes damage to neighboring buildings. Thus, there is a further problem in that the construction cannot be easily made at a place where the buildings stand close together. Moreover, if the excavation is made in such a manner that the desired land should be dug wider in an upward direction, a space where the concrete should be poured is increased. Therefore, there is a still further problem in that the concrete is wasted.

Baro Construction Key-Technology Co., Ltd.


An isolation knife gate valve has a valve body including pipe couplings. Removable face sealing elements are attached on either side of the valve body interior to the pipe couplings. A perimeter seal may also be mounted within the valve body. The face sealing elements may include flexible seal elements extending around the opening. The flexible seal elements may cooperate with the perimeter seal, having portions contacting side surfaces of the perimeter seal and other portions contacting faces of the valve gate.

Isolation knife gate valves (Isolation KGV) typically seal either using a perimeter seal that extends around the perimeter of the gate ending at a packing seal or using a face seal that seals against the face of the gate. A face seal generally can only seal effectively in one direction of flow. Bidirectional sealing can be achieved by face seals on both sides of a gate, but this creates a pocket beneath the gate that is not exposed to much flow but is accessible to fluid passing through the valve when the valve is open. This pocket can collect debris which can eventually impede the closing of the isolation KGV. A perimeter seal ending at a packing seal provides bidirectional sealing without such a pocket, but it is difficult to provide fully leak-tight sealing with only a perimeter and packing seal particularly in valves that are large in size or under high pressures or especially both. Valves used in oilsands and mining, for example, can be upwards of 36 inches in diameter.
It is also desired for a KGV to have a strong uni-body construction and for the seals to be replaceable.


A natural graphite-based modified composite material, a preparation method therefor, and a lithium ion battery comprising the modified composite material. The natural graphite-based modified composite material comprises natural graphite and non-graphitized carbon coated on the inner and outer surfaces of the natural graphite. The preparation method comprises: (1) subjecting spherical natural graphite to isotropic treatment; (2) performing granularity control and shaping treatment; (3) subjecting the inner surface and the outer surface of the material obtained in step (2) to simultaneous modification; and (4) performing carbonization, so as to obtain a natural graphite-based modified composite material.

With the intensification of environmental pollution and the reduction of fossil energy stocks, there is an urgency to establish a new lifestyle that does not rely on fossil fuels, especially in the field of transportation. The development of pure electric vehicles is considered the general trend. Among many secondary battery systems, lithium ion batteries are considered to be the most promising power batteries due to their high energy density, high operating voltage, long-cycle stability, and no memory effect.
Lithium ion batteries are mainly composed of a negative electrode, an electrolyte, a separator, and a positive electrode. Among them, the positive and negative electrodes have a decisive influence on the performance of the battery. For anode materials, graphite is still the dominant material at the present stage. Graphite can be subdivided according to the sources into artificial graphite and natural graphite. Natural graphite dominates the main market of 3C product lithium battery anode materials due to its advantages such as high-quality capacity, high compacted density, low price and wide source. However, its performance needs to be further improved in the process of applying it to power batteries, especially the rate performance. Natural graphite generally refers to flaky graphite, which is scaly. Such materials are generally parallel to the pressurized surface after being pressed. The performance in the electrode is that the flaky graphite is parallel to the current collector, thereby reducing the electrolyte permeability of the material, which is very detrimental to the battery's rate performance. How to achieve the isotropy of flaky graphite is one of the research focuses to improve the performance of graphite anode materials.
CN101685858A discloses a negative electrode material for a lithium ion secondary battery and a manufacturing method thereof. The method adopts natural spherical graphite as a raw material and applies isotropic pressure to obtain a natural graphite electrode material with high isotropy. This method can effectively construct isotropic materials. However, the flake graphite will be further broken and fractured during the preparation process, so as to expose more defect sites on the spherical surface and inside, resulting in poor electrode material cycle performance. Moreover, the increase in material density will further increase the electrode expansion rate.
CN103477476A discloses a non-aqueous secondary battery negative electrode carbon material, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous secondary battery. On the basis of the above CN101685858A, the patent discloses further surface-processing the isotropic material obtained by high-pressure treatment. The further surface treatment improves the performance of the material. However, the cycling performance of the material is not qualitatively improved since the method does not improve the material defect sites. In addition, neither discloses the effect of increasing the isotropy of the material on the electrode expansion rate.

Natural graphite-based modified composite material, preparation method therefor, and lithium ion battery comprising modified composite material


A method for treatment of an allergic disease which comprises administering, to a subject in need of such treatment, a 15-dehydroxy-16-oxoprostaglandin compound in an amount effective in treatment of the allergic disease

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for treatment of allergic diseases, inflammatory diseases, diseases treatable by an antihistaminic agent, diseases treatable by a leukotriene antagonist, diseases treatable by a platelet activating factor antagonist and diseases treatable by bronchodilatation which comprises administering a 15-dehydroxy-16-oxoprostaglandin compound to a subject.
Nowadays, it is well established that histamine is acting as a chemical mediator in allergic and inflammatory diseases. Leukotrienes, compounds known as the slow reacting substances (SRS), are also known to be mediators in various biological reactions. Furthermore, it has recently been demonstrated that the slow reacting substances (SRS) such as leukotrienes involve in autoimmune diseases (AID). Also, the platelet activating factor (PAF) is being accepted as a chemical mediator in allergic and inflammatory reactions.
Presently, antihistaminic agents are widely used in the treatment of various allergic and inflammatory diseases. Although anti-lipoxigenases, substances inhibiting production of leukotrienes, and platelet activating factor antagonists have also been attempted in treatment of these disease, satisfactory results have not been obtained.
Prostaglandins (hereinafter, prostaglandins are referred to as PGs) are members of a class of organic carboxylic acid that are contained in human and most other mammalian tissues or organs and that exhibit a wide range of physiological activities. Naturally occurring PGs possess as a common structural feature the prostanoic acid skeleton: ##STR1## Some synthetic analogues have somewhat modified skeletons. The primary PGs are classified based on the structural feature of the five-membered cycle moiety into PGAs, PGBs, PGCs, PGDs, PGEs, PGFs, PGGs, PGHs, PGIs and PGJs, and also on the presence or absence of unsaturation and oxidation in the chain moiety as:
______________________________________ Subscript 1 13,14-unsaturated-15-OH Subscript 2 5,6- and 13,14-diunsaturated- 15-OH Subscript 3 5,6- 13,14- and 17,18- triunsaturated-15-OH ______________________________________
Further, PGFs are sub-classified according to the configuration of hydroxy group at position 9 into .alpha.(hydroxy group being in the alpha configuration) and .mu. (hydroxy group being in the beta configuration).
2. Background Information
Some 15-dehydroxy-16-oxoprostaglandin compounds are disclosed in Japanese patent application No. 55930/1991 (U.S. patent application No. 660,833/07, European patent application No. 91301480.9) .
As stated above, the activities of the primary PGs are diversified an one compound has various activities coexistently. While the fact that a compound has various activities appears to be advantageous at first sight, the presence of activities which are not useful in individual cases is not desirous because they are disliked as side-effects. Therefore, it is desirous to develop compounds having only one particular activity or a limited number of activities out of various activities of PGs. Furthermore, there is a continuous demand for the compounds of this kind which have improved chemical stability and reduced rate of metabolic degradation in the living body in comparison with the natural PGs. It has now been found that, as a results of extensive study seeking for such compounds, 15-dehydroxy-16-oxoprostaglandin compounds have excellent activities such as antiallergic, antiinflammatory, antihistaminic, leukotriene-antagonistic, platelet activating factor antagonistic and bronchodilatative activities.

Biochemical treatment with 15-dehydroxy-16-oxoprostaglandin compounds

Kabushikikaisha Ueno Seiyaku Oyo Kenkyuio


Embodiments of the invention include a data processing system and method for processing data in a mediation or service provisioning system of a communications network. In the invention, a special logic definition structure is formed based on the processing logic. The logic definition structure is designed so that it is easy to modify and efficient to execute. This is made possible by defining the processing logic in the form of a series of byte code instructions, wherein each instruction contains a pointer to a piece of program code performing a function and a pointer to parameters to be used in performing the function. The instructions, the program codes performing the functions, the pointers and the data under processing are preferably stored in arrays thus allowing the use of efficient pointer mechanisms together with flexibility and ease of modification.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,618 discloses one real-time event processing system. The system presented in the publication has poor flexibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,657 discloses a system of supporting and managing telecommunications services. The principle idea of U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,657 is that the system comprises a Service Creation Environment (SCE). The SCE simplifies creation, provision, and management of new services for subscribers. This is done by toolkits for specifying object definitions in an object-oriented framework. The system presented in the publication is directed to telecommunication operators to simplify provision of services.
There are two alternative ways to develop the known systems further in attempt to combine effectiveness and easy modification and management.
The first alternative would be to generate some scripting language from the predefined processing logic. One suitable scripting language is Perl. An advantage of this approach is that the resulting code can be viewed and is human readable. Hence, the code is easy to debug. However, there are several disadvantages in the scripting language approach. For example, the performance is relatively poor as the scripting languages (even Perl) are slower than native code. It is also difficult to generate valid code and to ensure that the variable names etc. do not cause any conflicts in the system.
The second alternative would be to generate C or Java source code and compile it before the execution. This solution produces the fastest code, if C is used, because no interpreting is needed. However, with this solution, it is challenging to compile the source code and ensure that the system really works correctly. If rapid changes to the logic are needed, the processing logic created in this way could not be tested before use. This makes the system unreliable and risky. Compilation is also very difficult if not impossible because it has to be performed in a customer environment and on different platforms. Hence, this approach involves serious risks and is extremely difficult. However, if the problems involved in this solution could be solved, the solution would offer a very high performance.

Data processing in a mediation or service provisioning system


An altimetry method comprising: providing a signal receiver (RX) on a first platform (S1) flying above a portion of the Earth surface (ES), for receiving a temporal series of signals emitted by a second flying platform (S2) and scattered by said portion of the Earth surface; and computing altimetry waveforms, indicative of an elevation profile of said portion of the Earth surface, by processing the received signals; characterized in that said step of computing altimetry waveforms comprises: cross-correlating the received signals with a plurality of locally-generated frequency-shifted replicas of the emitted signals; introducing a frequency-dependent temporal shift to the correlation waveforms in order to compensate for range delay curvature; and incoherently summing the temporally shifted correlation waveforms (CXC) corresponding to signals scattered by a same region of the Earth surface at different times during motion of said first platform.

The invention relates to an altimetry method and system for determining an elevation profile of a portion of the Earth surface. More precisely, the invention relates to a bistatic passive altimetry method, using opportunity signals such as GNSS signals and incorporating delay-doppler curvature compensation.
The invention can be applied, in particular, to the field of satellite altimetry for oceanography.
The possibility to measure with high accuracy the mesoscale ocean topography is of primary importance for oceanographers, meteorologists or climatologists in order to improve the understanding of ocean circulation, ocean bathymetry, eddies, tides and Earth climate models.
Over the last years, conventional radar altimeters have provided huge amount of data, allowing the observation of many ocean features. However, since they are based on observing the ocean on a small footprint along nadir-looking direction, classical altimeters such as TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason, or ESA RA and RA-2 are not able to provide high spatial-temporal sampling, absolutely necessary to map properly ocean mesoscale features, unless deployed in ad-hoc constellations.
The wide swath ocean altimeter has been envisaged as a potential solution to increase spatiotemporal sampling; however it is a very complex and costly solution. See W. J. Emery, D. G. Baldwin, D. K. Matthews, "Sampling the Mesoscale Ocean Surface Currents With Various Satellite Altimeter Configurations", IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Vol. 42, No. 4, April 2004, 795.
In this context, since 1993 European Space Agency and later European industry have been working on the idea to make use of GNSS (Global navigation Satellite System) signals reflected from the ocean's surface in order to perform altimetry. The technique, designated as "PARIS" (Passive Reflectometry and Interferometry System), has been investigated and experimentally proven by ESA, NASA and many other space and non-space related research organizations. PARIS is a very wide swath altimeter, capable of reaching a swath of 1000 km or more, depending on orbital altitude, as it picks up ocean-reflected (and direct) signals from several GNSS satellites, up to 12 tracks when Galileo will be available.
For a detailed description of the PARIS technique, see:                M. Martin-Neira, "A Passive Reflectometry and Interferometry system (PARIS): Application to Ocean Altimetry", ESA Journal, 1993;        U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,087; and        G. A. Hajj, C. Zuffada, "Theoretical Description of a Bistatic System for Ocean Altimetry Using the GPS Signal", Radio Science, Vol38, No5, October 2003.
Due to the global coverage and the bi- or multi-static nature of this technique, a low-Earth-orbiting PARIS instrument would allow high spatial-temporal sampling of the Earth surface. For these reasons PARIS has been identified as a very promising complementary technique with respect to conventional radar altimeters in order to address mesoscale altimetry or fast tsunami detection. The precision requirement in order to properly perform mesoscale altimetry is considered as 5 cm height precision over a spatial extent of 100 km at most. See P.Y. Le Traon and G. Dibarboure, G. Ruffini, E. Cardellach, "Mesoscale Ocean Altimetry Requirements and Impact of GPS-R measurements for Ocean Mesoscale Circulation Mapping, Technical Note Extract from the PARIS-BETA ESTEC/ESA Study" ESTEC, Dec. 2002.
However, a major disadvantage of this technique is that, being intrinsically passive, it is highly dependent on the characteristics of the available navigation signals. Indeed, transmitted signals power and bandwidth are the most important parameters driving the performance of an altimeter, either radar or PARIS based, either mono-static or bi-static. Currently transmitted navigation signals show significantly reduced power and bandwidth with respect to conventional radar altimeters. This implies poorer altimetry precision, accuracy and resolution per pulse. Several studies and results from airborne experimental data have predicted that a space based PARIS receiver exploiting GPS C/A code cannot meet ocean mesoscale altimetry requirements, even adopting maximum reasonable instrument dimensions.
On the other hand, the exploitation of a GPS P-code-like signal (which presents wider bandwidth, and, in turn, better performances) is on the limit of fulfilling the mesoscale requirements for a spatial resolution of 100 km, as shown by O. Germain and G. Ruffini in their paper "A revisit to the GNSS-R code range precision", Proceedings of GNSS-R Workshop, 14-15 Jun. 2006, ESTEC.
The invention aims at improving the performances of the PARIS technique, i.e. its precision, accuracy and/or spatial resolution.


A pixel operable within a photographing device includes a light receiving portion for generating an electric signal corresponding to an intensity of received light, an amplifying portion for amplifying an output signal of the light receiving portion, a number of storing portions for storing, as a current signal, an electric signal amplified by the amplifying portion, a load portion for converting current outputs of the number of storing portions into voltages, a bias portion for supplying an offset current to an input of the load portion, and a calculating portion for calculating an output of the load portion, wherein a number of the pixels are arranged in a matrix. The storing portions and the photographing device are disposed on the same circuit, thereby expediting pixel processing. Additionally, with a bias, the output becomes stable.

The present invention generally relates to a picture processing apparatus for processing a picture photographed by a photographing device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a picture processing apparatus with a photographing device and a storing portion disposed on the same circuit thereby accelerating a calculating process, and to a picture processing apparatus for suppressing characteristics of the storing portion from fluctuating even if a temporal change in brightness of an object is diminutive, thereby ensuring an accurate calculation output.
With a picture of an object photographed as a first frame and a picture of the object photographed as a second frame, the temporal change in brightness of the object can be obtained.
Conventionally, when the difference between pictures is obtained, a camera that is equipped with a photographing device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), a plurality of frame memories, and a calculating apparatus are prepared and connected. In other words, picture data of a first frame that is output from the camera is temporarily stored in a frame memory. Thereafter, picture data of a second frame that is photographed is stored in another frame memory. The calculating apparatus synchronously reads the contents (namely, picture data) stored in the frame memories and calculates the difference of the corresponding pictures.
However, since picture data is transferred from the camera to the frame memories in the serial method, the transfer time for one screen can be rather long. For example, in an NTSC (National Television System Committee) type camera of which the CCD is used as a photographing device, while a picture of one frame is being photographed, a picture of the preceding frame is read. Thus, until a picture of one frame is read and transferred, it takes as long as 33 msec. Consequently, after a picture is photographed, until the calculated result is obtained, it takes at least 33 msec.
FIG. 10 shows a timing chart of which a photographed picture is stored and read in the CCD as a photographing device. As shown in FIG. 10, it takes 33 msec until a picture of each of odd fields and even fields is stored. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 10, unless the read period for a picture of the second frame elapses, the calculated result cannot be obtained.
Thus, it is difficult to apply the conventional photographing system using a camera composed of a CCD photographing device to a controlling system using visual information such as visual feedback.
Conversely, in a prototype CMOS image sensor, the frame rate is raised to as high as around 1 kHz and while pictures are being photographed at very high speed, a calculating process is successively performed so as to accomplish the visual feedback. However, in such a sensor, since internal processes are digitally performed, it is necessary to provide, for example, an A/D converting circuit for converting analog values into digital values, a storing circuit for storing digital values, and a calculating circuit for calculating digital values. Since these circuit modules have large circuit scales, they are not suitable for a many-pixel device. Thus, it is difficult to commercially use such a sensor (refer to "Designing ultra parallel, ultra high speed vision chip using general purpose processing element (translated title)" by Komuro et. al., Journal of The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, Japan, Vol. J81-D-1, No. 2, pp. 70–76, 1998).
Additionally, a CMOS image sensor for calculating analog signals as they are has been proposed. In such sensors, a memory function is accomplished by storing a signal voltage to a capacitor. Thus, depending on how a capacitor is structured, each pixel becomes large. Even if the number of pixels can be increased by disposing a memory portion at a non-pixel area, such a method is not suitable for reducing the size of the chip.
Also, when a signal voltage is stored to a capacitor, if a signal voltage of another capacitor is read as a gate voltage of another transistor, since threshold voltages of individual transistors fluctuate, there is a risk that a signal may be read as a different value. As a result, the calculated result may contain an error. In addition, when a signal voltage is stored to a capacitor, since the charging time cannot be ignored, such sensors are not suitable for high speed processes.

Processing apparatus and photographing device


To provide a multilayer film for a disposable body warmer outer bag, and a disposable body warmer that are excellent in gas barrier property which inhibits permeation of oxygen gas, water vapor and the like, and that can allow swelling due to hydrogen gas generated during a storage period to be prevented.

A disposable body warmer is a body warmer utilizing heat generation due to the oxidation action of iron powder. In general, the disposable body warmer includes an outer bag made of air-impermeable film and an air-permeable inner bag of a non-woven fabric, paper or the like. The inner bag is accommodated and packaged airtightly in the outer bag. The inner bag contains an exothermic composition containing iron powder as an exothermic element, a salt as an oxidation catalyst, activated carbon for intake of oxygen, water for oxidizing iron, a water-retaining agent for retaining water, and the like. The outer bag cuts off contact with air in an unused state.
A disposable body warmer outer bag is required to be excellent in gas barrier property that inhibits permeation of air, especially, oxygen gas, water vapor, and the like. If the disposable body warmer outer bag is poor in gas barrier property against oxygen gas and water vapor, any gas and water vapor in the disposable body warmer outer bag escape outside during storage for a long period to thereby produce a depressurized (vacuum) state, and therefore the outer bag is depressed and thus is not preferable in terms of appearance. In addition, when such a disposable body warmer outer bag in a depressurized (vacuum) state is stored for a long period and thereafter used for a disposable body warmer, the duration of heat generation is often short. As the air-impermeable film forming the disposable body warmer outer bag, a multilayer film is generally used where a gas barrier layer is provided on a sealant layer and a heat-resistant resin layer is provided on an outermost layer. Two of such air-impermeable multilayer films are superposed and the peripheries of the sealant layers located inward are mutually heat-sealed to form a bag, thereby producing the disposable body warmer outer bag.
As the air-impermeable film forming such a disposable body warmer outer bag, for example, a multilayer film is proposed where an inorganic oxide vapor-deposited film is provided on one surface of a substrate film being a biaxially oriented polyester-based resin film, a biaxially oriented polyamide-based resin film or a biaxially oriented polyolefin-based resin film, and a primer agent layer, a printing pattern layer, and a heat-sealing resin layer of polyethylene or the like are sequentially provided on the vapor-deposited film (Patent Literatures 1 to 2). In this multilayer film, the substrate film on which an inorganic oxide is vapor-deposited serves as a gas barrier layer, and the heat-sealing resin layer serves as a sealant layer.
Meanwhile, it is known that, when a disposable body warmer is stored in an unused state for a long period, a trace amount of hydrogen gas is generated. A disposable body warmer outer bag is swollen by hydrogen gas, and is not preferable in terms of appearance. Therefore, the disposable body warmer outer bag is required to have a hydrogen permeation property so that the outer bag is not swollen during storage for a long period. The disposable body warmer outer bag, however, is also required to be excellent in gas barrier property that inhibits permeation of oxygen gas, water vapor and the like, as described above. Therefore, if the gas barrier property of the air-impermeable film forming the disposable body warmer outer bag is enhanced, a hydrogen gas permeation property is deteriorated to result in swelling during storage for a long period. There is then proposed as one that satisfies both conflicting conditions of a gas barrier property against oxygen gas and water vapor and a hydrogen gas permeation property, an outer bag for a disposable body warmer, made by adopting a biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate film as an outermost layer, and dry laminating a first metal vapor-deposited film layer where aluminum is vapor-deposited on biaxially oriented polypropylene (OPP), inward against the outermost layer, and a second metal vapor-deposited film layer where aluminum is vapor-deposited on unoriented polypropylene (CPP), inward against and apart from the outermost layer (Patent Literature 3). In such a multilayer film, the first metal vapor-deposited film layer serves as a barrier layer and the second metal vapor-deposited film layer serves as a sealant layer.
The outer bag for a disposable body warmer described in Patent Literature 3, however, has the following problem: aluminum is difficult to vapor-deposit on the OPP film located closer to the outer layer and furthermore the CPP film being an inner layer is more easily oriented because of being poorer in tensile strength and tearing strength than the OPP film oriented, thereby causing the aluminum vapor-deposited film to be cracked during a production process, to make it impossible to ensure a high gas barrier property. There is then proposed an outer bag for a disposable body warmer, made by adopting biaxially oriented polypropylene as a substrate film, and laminating a barrier film having an aluminum oxide vapor-deposited film on the outer surface of polyethylene terephthalate, and a sealant resin layer of polyethylene or the like, inward against the substrate film (Patent Literature 4). The outer bag for a disposable body warmer described in Patent Literature 4, however, has been found to be incapable of penetration of hydrogen gas generated, and thus be swollen. If marginally swollen, the outer bag is broken, and an exothermic composition accommodated in an inner bag is oxidized to generate heat, thereby causing the function as a disposable body warmer to be impaired.
As described above, various multilayer films for disposable body warmer outer bag are proposed, but a multilayer film for a disposable body warmer outer bag, and a disposable body warmer are required which can ensure an optimum gas permeation property and gas barrier property as a product over a long period.

Multilayer film for disposable body warmer outer bag, and disposable body warmer

Abstract: In a disposable body warmer outer bag formed from a multilayer film including a sealant layer 10 and a barrier layer 20, the sealant layer 10 and the barrier layer 20 serve as an inner surface and an outer surface of the outer bag, respectively. The sealant layer 10 includes a vapor-deposited layer 12 made by vapor-depositing a metal or metal oxide on at least one surface (upper portion in FIG. 1) of a thermal fusible resin substrate 11. The barrier layer 20 includes a polyvinylidene chloride layer 22 made by coating at least one surface (lower portion in FIG. 1) of a heat-resistant resin substrate 21 with polyvinylidene chloride.


The present invention is directed to a ketonitrile derivative represented by the following formula (1): ##STR1## (wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group; each of R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, and R.sup.5, which may be identical to or different from each other, is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted phenoxy group; X is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; Y is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, a carbonyl group that has been substituted by a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group, a carbonyl group that has been substituted by a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, an N,N-di-substituted carbamoyl group, or an alkyl group that has been substituted by a heterocyclic group) or a salt thereof, and to an antibacterial agent as well as to a drug containing, as the effective ingredient, the ketonitrile derivative or the salt. This compound exhibits excellent antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria.

In infectious diseases of humans, cattle, poultry, and fish caused by causal bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, hemolytic Streptococci, Bacillus anthracis and Clostridium tetani, antibiotics or synthetic antibacterial agents including penicillins, tetracyclines, macrolides, cephalosporins, and cephems have conventionally been used.
Prolonged terms of use or a large amount of use of these conventional antibiotics or synthetic antibacterial agents, however, causes drug resistance to the aforementioned causal bacteria. Especially, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which causes a high death rate due to its strong toxicity, has become a big social problem, for it exhibits resistance to multiple drugs and makes therapy difficult.
The object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problem and to provide a compound having enhanced antibacterial activities against gram-negative bacteria and gram-positive bacteria, inter alia, gram-positive bacteria--such as Staphylococci--which have acquired drug resistance, as well as antibacterial compositions and drugs containing the compound.
The present inventors conducted extensive research to attain the above object, and found that certain ketonitrile derivatives having the below-described structure exhibit high antibacterial activities against gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococci and Streptococci, as well as gram-negative bacteria, and that the derivatives are useful as drugs for the therapeutic treatment or prevention of a variety of infectious diseases and as antibacterial agents for diversified materials such as fibers, leading to completion of the invention.

Ketonitrile derivatives and antibacterial agent and drugs containing the same


An ink receptacle includes a housing (1) having a tub-shaped bottom part (2) and a lid (3). Around the periphery of an upper edge (16) of the tub (4) extends a circumferential groove (17). A port (8) sealed by a stopper (10) is defined in the bottom (7) of the tub (4) which is adapted to be pierced by a hollow needle. A tub-shaped membrane (18) is installed in the tub (4) and has, at its edge, a bulge (20) which is fitted with radial compression in groove (17). The lid (3) is snapped onto the bottom part (2) and has an interior wall (36) whose lower edge is pressed upon the bulge (20). In addition to the tub (4), the receptacle has another chamber (26) with an absorbent filling (28) for acceptance of residual ink. The receptacle has a large volumetric capacity and is specifically suitable for plotters or printers.

The present invention relates to the art of ink supply systems for inkjet printers and plotters. It finds particular application in conjunction with a replaceable ink receptacle and will be described with particular reference thereto.
An inkjet print head with an ink receptacle is known from EP-A-238829. In one specific embodiment, the receptacle space is subdivided by a bladder into an ink storage space and an air space. The edge of the bladder is sealed against a cylindrical projection in the interior of the receptacle by means of a ring. This structure may be susceptible to ink leakage caused by exterior shocks or environmental changes.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved ink receptacle which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.

Ink receptacle for an inkjet printer or inkjet plotter


A wound dressing material comprising a solid substrate having interstitial spaces therein, wherein said substrate is a hydrophilic open-cell foam material, and wherein said interstitial spaces are at least partially filled by a hydrophilic polyurethane foam different from said substrate foam material. Also provided is a method of making a porous wound dressing material comprising the steps of: providing a substrate of a solid hydrophilic first foam material; applying a fluid or gel polyurethane foam prepolymer mixture to at least one surface of said solid substrate; and curing said prepolymer in contact with said solid substrate.

Polyurethane foams have been proposed for a number of medicinal uses. The foams are prepared by reacting particular diisocyanates or isocyanate-capped prepolymers with suitable chain extending compounds having amine and/or alcohol multiple functionality. Chain terminating compounds such as mono-amines or monohydric alcohols may be included in the reaction mixture. Water may be included in the reaction mixture, since it reacts with isocyanate to liberate carbon dioxide for foaming the mixture. The resulting foams are absorbent, hydrophilic, and may be medically acceptable for use in wound dressings and the like.
EP-A-0541391 describes a method of forming a polyurethane foam suitable for use as a wound-contacting layer, the method comprising mixing 1 part by weight of an isocyanate-capped prepolymer having a relatively low isocyanate content of from 0.5 to 1.2 meq NCO groups/g with from 0.4 to 1.0 parts by weight of water in the presence of from 0.05 to 0.4 parts by weight of a C1 to C3 monohydric alcohol, and then drying the product. The use of a relatively small amount of water produces an initial reaction mixture of much higher initial viscosity. Carbon dioxide formed by hydrolysis of isocyanate end groups is therefore trapped, producing a foamed hydrogel. For use as a wound-contact layer, topical medicaments and antiseptics, such as silver sulfadiazine, povidone iodine, chlorhexidine acetate and chlorhexidine gluconate, as well as other therapeutically useful additives such as polypeptide growth factors and enzymes may be incorporated into one or more of the components used to make the foaming mixture. These products manufactured by Johnson & Johnson have achieved commercial success under the Registered Trade Mark TIELLE.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,472 describes wound dressing materials formed by impregnating a polyurethane foam prepolymer mixture into a fibrous substrate, such as a cotton gauze. The polyurethane coating reduces the tendency of the gauze to shed fibers into a wound.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,547 describes laminating a polyurethane foam layer to a non-woven fibrous web to form an integral structure.
EP-A-1600096 describes absorbent sheet materials formed from nonwoven fibrous substrates incorporating distributed foam particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,649 describes composite polyurethane foam sheet prepared by mixing fibres with a liquid polyurethane foam prepolymer.
A need exists for improvements to the above polyurethane foam wound contacting materials. In particular, it would be desirable to be able to optimize the liquid absorbency of such materials for different applications. It would also be desirable to increase the mechanical strength of the materials for certain applications. It would also be desirable to provide dressings having increased thickness at moderate cost. It would also be desirable to provide dressings having greater elasticity and/or compressibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,617,014 describes impregnating a liquid polyurethane foam prepolymer into a hydrophobic foam support having an open-celled structure. The resulting materials are used for the treatment of aqueous liquids.


A method and apparatus for facilitating interactive television is disclosed. The method for facilitating interactive television comprises the following steps: accessing an interactive program; executing said interactive program; and providing an end user with a set of coded instructions which may be transmitted upstream.

The present invention is directed to interactive television systems. In particular, the present invention is directed to interactive television systems which may be used to facilitate two-way communication between an end user and a provider center or service and which can be used to broadcast data files which may be accessed by a locally stored program to be displayed on a monitor as one or more presentations. The prior art has disclosed systems and devices which facilitate interactive television presentations.
Such prior art systems are characterized by the inclusion of dedicated phone or transmission lines or expensive hardware. The use of such dedicated systems drastically increases the cost associated with the use of such systems.
The PRODIGY.RTM. information service, which is marketed widely by Sears.RTM. and IBM.RTM. claims to use a distributed database architecture. However, that system only distributes the database to regional main frame computers. The underlying technology still relies on the maintenance of continuous real time two-way communication by a personal computer. Nearly all videotex services use phone lines and modems to link the two, although some experiments with two-way cable television and other media have been attempted. Such systems have exhibited numerous limitations.
Because each user of a traditional videotex system is directly connected to a central main frame computer when "on-line", the central computer must be capable of simultaneously handling the many subscribers it gets during prime usage periods. The central computer may sit idle the rest of the time. If there is a problem with a central computer or communications net linking it to the end users, the entire system may cease functioning. Thus, prior art systems have typically relied upon a computer/print interfaces.
The speed with which information may be retrieved in such systems is limited to the speed with which the central computer can recognize a user's request and locate the information in a central data storage media. Even the largest and fastest of central computers cannot overcome the limitations of how quickly information may be carried by the phone lines or other media that connect it to the user. Phone lines typically have a narrow bandwidth and can carry only a limited amount of information. Typical phone line communications are limited to a speed of 2400 baud.
The newer Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and fiber optic cable technologies provide greater information transmission capability. However, even with high speed fiber optics which connect the central computer to a home terminal, the largest computers cannot keep up with an entire city, particularly during prime hours. These systems rely upon the single interaction of a computer and computer.
The bandwidth issue has never been adequately addressed because until recently all computer interfaces were just character-based or used very low resolution alpha mosaic-style displays utilizing protocol such as NAPLPS or TELETEL. Because these systems do not use attractive graphical interfaces, they are not pleasing to the eye. Graphical user interfaces have become very popular because they are far more interesting and easier to use. Such systems utilize much more memory storage space.
There are a number of prior art patents directed to interactive communications systems. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,093,718 and 5,220,420 are directed to Interactive Home Information Systems. These patents disclose systems which incorporate a nodal structure which feeds in a broadband signal. The nodes are dedicated computers which reside outside of a house or group of houses. The nodes couple to head end computer which is preferably an industrial microprocessor-based controller with high capacity magnetic or optic read/write storage devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,436 discloses an interactive video system having a display for displaying camouflaged information which is discernible only when viewed through a partially transparent viewing screen having zones with light transmission characteristics corresponding to the characteristic of respective displayed image regions. The user of the system is required to input information which can be derived only by recognizing the camouflaged information with the aid of the screen.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,559 discloses a data transmission system in which data templates are downloaded so as to facilitate data transmission and storage. This patent uses a system in which storage templates are locally retrieved and are associated with a unique identifier. The database records are stored locally and are updated from a remote location.
Each of the above systems requires dedicated hardware as shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,093,718 and 5,220,420 or the maintenance of a locally stored database. It would be desirable to provide a system in which interactive data could be broadcast to many customer premise equipment devices (CPE). Such devices could obtain control, graphical and audio data by recognizing and accepting specific data files within broadcast data streams and acting upon the data files such that the viewer would achieve the simulation of an interactive television system. The system would broadcast data files which would be selectively retrieved by the individual viewer on a CPE. The files would be broadcast to all CPE'S in the system. The executing program could become resident and active at the CPE by being loaded from a data stream within a broadcast video channel; a data stream within a broadcast data channel; a pointcast data signal directed to a specific CPE or memory storage within the CPE. End user responses could be transmitted back to the provider using the network return data path. In this way, new files could be broadcast through the system such that the system could access the new information.


A moisture detection sensor is used in a building structure to detect moisture penetration. The sensor is a flat adhesive tape of a substrate of dielectric, hydrophobic material. Three or four elongate, parallel, conductors are secured to the top surface and a protective layer of non-hygroscopic, water pervious material is secured over two of the conductors so that they are exposed to surface moisture. One or two of the conductors are covered by an insulating layer to prevent moisture access. Pairs of moisture probes along the length of the tape penetrate the insulating layer, the respective conductors and the substrate and to extend into a building component to which the substrate has been adhered. A diode guide arrangement allows a monitoring unit to monitor the exposed conductors for surface moisture and the penetrated conductors for moisture in the component by reversing polarity of the voltage across the conductors.

Water intrusion into buildings is a massive and growing problem. Leaking buildings cost homeowners, commercial property owners and property insurers hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Even the smallest leaks that channel water into building walls can cause expensive problems. Structural damage to plywood sheathing and stud walls due to wood rot has been commonplace for decades. Black mold or toxic mold that grows in the wet walls is known to cause severe physical problems for occupants as well as severe fiscal problems for builders and insurance companies.
Early detection and location of building envelope penetration will allow the builder or owner to identify developing problems and carry out minor repairs. These homeowners, builders, and insurance companies can avoid high costs resulting from extensive structural damage, health problems, insurance claims and potential lawsuits
There are several types of moisture detection sensors available for detecting water leaks.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,310 (Gott) issued Jan. 16, 2001 there is disclosed an arrangement which uses exposed conductors on a tape of a hygroscopic material where the current across the conductors is detected to detect moisture enveloping the tape.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,377,181 (Kroll) issued Apr. 23, 2002 there is disclosed an arrangement which uses probes which are each connected to a conductor pair communicating with a central monitor which issues an alarm when moisture above a threshold is detected.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,209 (Raymond) issued Nov. 7, 2000 there is provided an arrangement which describes a location method using a combination of specially designed insulated and detection conductors cabled together in a form helix. This design while useful for detection and location of water on floor like surfaces can not be placed between the roof deck and waterproof membrane because of the large overall dimensions and the susceptibility of the cable design to crushing and shorting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,044 (Farris) issued Feb. 26th 1985 discloses a plurality of sensor elements defined by side by side pairs of conductors which are adapted to be mounted in two walls of a building and which connect to a central control unit. The control unit uses a transistor which acts to detect when voltage across a resistor reaches a value sufficient to turn on the transistor to emit an alarm signal.
British Patent Application 2,235,535 (Stewart) published 1991 discloses a plurality of sensor elements defined by tapes 3 which are mounted in walls of a building and connect to a central control unit in the form of a leak detection
U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,422 (Shih) issued Jan. 14th 1992 discloses in general a plurality of moisture sensor elements each defined by a side by side pairs of conductors which have a resistance characteristic which varies in relation to a moisture content. Shih also discloses the use of probes which are connected to the wires and are driven into the material on which the wires are attached.
The present Applicants also disclose arrangements in Published PCT Application WO/05/10837 published Feb. 3, 2005. These arrangements use detection tapes and probes are suited for detecting water intrusion in selected areas of a building structure. Also in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/229,312 filed Sep. 19, 2005 entitled "A MOISTURE DETECTION SENSOR TAPE WITH LEAK LOCATE", which corresponds to Canadian application Serial No: 2,520,202 filed Sep. 19, 2005, is disclosed an improved tape using four conductors which allow a location process to be used to locate the position of the leak along the tape. The disclosures of the above application of the present Applicant are incorporated herein by reference or may be reviewed for further details not disclosed herein.

Moisture detection sensor tape and probes to determine surface moisture and material moisture levels


The assembly comprises the tank-side connector 1 and the hose-side socket 2 detachably connected with the tank-side connector 1. The tank-side connector 1 is constructed of: a plug 4 in which a liquid-communication valve 5 for providing liquid communication is incorporated; and, a plug guide 3 for receiving the plug 4 therein. The plug guide 3 is provided with an opening portion in its upper surface. A ring 7 is embedded in the opening portion of the plug guide 3, and provided with at least one key projection 8 in a predetermined position. The key projection 8 is so arranged as to correspond to the type of liquid stored in a tank. The socket 2 is provided with an outer sleeve 21 an outer peripheral surface of which is provided with at least one key groove 25 in a position corresponding to that of the key projection 8. The key groove 25 slidably receives the key projection 8 therein in an insertion manner. Preferably, the ring 7 is colored a predetermined color indicating the type of liquid stored in the tank.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mismating-free connector assembly, and more particularly to a mismating-free connector assembly for properly and quickly connecting a tank, which stores a liquid such as petroleum products, industrial chemicals, coatings and the like therein, with a hose for drawing such liquid from the tank.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known in the related art is a method shown in FIG. 3, wherein a socket 50 is mounted on a front-end portion of a hose (not shown), and detachably connected with a plug 52 of a tank-side connector 51 provided in an upper surface of a tank (not shown), so that the hose is detachably connected with the tank. In this case, in order to guide a user to a proper selection of the tank (i.e., the kind of liquid stored therein), a plurality of key projections 53 are provided in an outer peripheral surface of the plug 52 at predetermined angular intervals so as to correspond to the kind of liquid stored in the tank. On the other hand, the socket 50 is provided with a sleeve 55, which is provided with a plurality of key grooves 54 in its inner peripheral surface at predetermined angular intervals so as to correspond in angular position to the key projections 53 of the plug 52. Consequently, in coupling or mating operation, the key projections 53 of the plug 52 are aligned with the key grooves 54 of the socket 50.
In this case, it is necessary for the user to confirm the position of each of the key projections 53 and the key grooves 54 through his own eyes each time the plug 52 is coupled or mated with the socket 50. Consequently, in case that the plug 52 is projected from an upper surface of the tank or tank-side connector 51, there is substantially no problem in coupling or mating them. In contrast with this, when the tank-side connector 51 itself is embedded in the tank so as to be disposed beneath the upper surface of the tank, or when the plug 52 is received inside the tank-side connector 51 so as to be disposed beneath the upper surface of the connector 51, it is hard for the user to confirm the position of each of the key projections 53 and the key grooves 54 through his eyes.
As described above, up to the present time it has been impossible to apply the method for coupling the socket with the plug by aligning in angular position the plug's key projections with the socket's key grooves to any connector assembly of the type having the tank-side connector embedded in the tank or of the type having the plug received inside the tank-side connector.

c/o Surpass Industry Co., Ltd. 2204 Shimooshi


Libraries of modified AAV cap genes are generated by synthesizing modified cap genes using degenerate oligonucleotides. Combinatorial libraries of virions composed of modified (e.g., chimeric), replication-competent AAV vectors and modified Cap proteins are also produced. Helper vectors are described that encode AAV Rep protein, modified Cap proteins, and Ad proteins. The helper vectors are used to produce stocks of virions composed of modified (e.g., chimeric) capsids and rAAV vectors.

Recombinant Adeno-Associated Viruses (rAAV) based on AAV serotype 2 (AAV2) have become recognized as vehicles of choice for many gene-delivery applications for several reasons. Among these, AAV2 are able to transduce and cause persistent transgene expression in several different cell types including both dividing and quiescent cells without normally causing pathology or a vigorous cell-mediated immune response (reviewed in He et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 95:2509–2514, 1998; Monahan et al., Gene Ther. 7:24–30, 2000; and Rabinowitz et al., Virology 278:301–308, 2000). Although the broad host cell tropism of rAAV2 virions is advantageous in many situations, it is often undesirable in others. In addition, the broad cell tropism of rAAV2 often requires an impractically large dose of virions to induce a therapeutic effect as virions infect both target and non-target cells. A major goal in this field has thus been to develop rAAV that selectively target only a particular cell type or tissue. Such cell-selective rAAV would reduce or eliminate non-target cell transduction and also thereby reduce the viral dose required to cause a therapeutic effect.
Producing cell- or tissue-specific AAV virions, however, has proven to be a difficult undertaking. A major reason for this is that until very recently (Xie et al, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2002, v. 99, p.10405–10410), no structure had been resolved for any AAV serotype. The structural information that was available was inferred from parvovirus sequence homologies (Girod et al., Nat. Med. 5:1052–1056, 1999; and Grifman et al., Mol. Ther.3:964–975, 2001) and mutational analyses of the AAV2 capsid gene (cap). Through the latter technique, the amino acid residues of AAV2 that are critical for binding to AAV's primary cellular receptor (the heparan sulfate proteoglycan receptor) were identified. Despite this advance, methods for altering AAV tropism have not been optimized. For example, some rAAV virions made to express particular homing peptides exhibit packaging problems. Such problems underscore the need for a new, more practical approach for creating rAAV with restricted tropisms.

University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


The invention relates to a device (10) for the incremental control of at least one first direct-current motor (12) for the cooling fan of a motor vehicle. Said device comprises a first (14) and a second current-limiting component (16), and a first (22), a second (24) and a third switching element (28). The inventive device is characterized in that the switching elements (22, 24, 28) connect the first (14) and the second current-limiting component (16) in such a manner that the cooling capacity of the cooling fan can be varied in at least four levels different from zero.

The present invention relates to a define for incremental control of at least one direct-current motor for a cooling fan of a motor vehicle.
Publication EP 1 017 158 A2 makes known a device for controlling the starting phase of a direct-current motor for a cooling fan of a motor vehicle, with which the speed of the direct-current motor can be varied in four stages using three resistors that can be connected in series using a relay. The device also includes a temperature-dependent switch for controlling the direct-current motor.
Furthermore, publication EP 0 445 015 A1 makes known a method for attaining different speed stages of a direct-current motor for a cooling fan via connection with several pairs of brushes. According to EP 518 538 A2, a continual speed adjustment is attained via control using pulse-width modulated (PWM) signals.

Device for the incremental control of a direct-current motor for the cooling fan of a motor vehicle


A nozzle face cleaning device and an image recording device includes: a wiping member; cleaning liquid adding means which adds a cleaning liquid to the wiping member; pressing means that brings the wiping member to which the cleaning liquid has been added, into pressure-contact with a nozzle face; and wiping means which makes the wiping member and an ejection head relatively move, and wipes the nozzle face. A cleaning liquid supply flow channel is opened to the air in a connected portion of the cleaning liquid supply flow channel and a cleaning liquid adding nozzle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nozzle face cleaning device and an image recording device, and particularly to a nozzle face cleaning device and an image recording device which bring a wiping member to which a cleaning liquid has been added into contact with a nozzle face and wipes a nozzle face.
2. Description of the Related Art
Onto a nozzle face of an ink jet head which is used in an image recording device, for instance, an ink jet recording device, various foreign substances such as a residue of ink and paper powder are deposited due to service. When a foreign substance is deposited on the nozzle face, an ink droplet which is ejected from a nozzle is affected by the deposited foreign substance, thereby dispersion occurs in an ejection direction of ink droplets, and it becomes difficult to land the ink droplet at a predetermined position on a recording medium. The deposition of the foreign substance onto the nozzle face causes a deterioration of an image quality. Then, it becomes important in the ink jet recording device to remove the foreign substance with a maintenance method of periodical wiping or the like.
In the following Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-280067 (Patent Literature 1), for instance, a droplet ejecting device is described which has a structure of supplying a cleaning liquid to a wiping member, and wiping an ejection portion of an ejection head with the wiping member. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-195908 (Patent Literature 2) describes a technology of ejecting a cleaning liquid onto a wiping sheet, pressing the wiping sheet to a nozzle face, and thereby wiping the nozzle face.

Nozzle face cleaning device and image recording device