A sheet feeding device includes a feeding tray, a conveying device, an ejecting tray, a feeding guide and a conveying rib. On the feeding tray, a sheet is placed. The conveying device feeds the sheet on the feeding tray to an image reading device. The ejecting tray receives the sheet after image reading. The feeding guide is configured to be movable in a direction intersecting a feeding direction of the sheet and to regulate a position in a width direction of the sheet on the feeding tray. The conveying rib is configured to be movable in interlocking with movement of the feeding guide and to lead the sheet to be ejected onto the ejecting tray.

The present disclosure relates to a sheet feeding device preferably applied in a copying machine, a printer or the like and to an image forming apparatus including this.
There is a sheet (document) feeding device feeding a document placed on a feeding tray to an image reading part by a conveying device and ejecting the document after the completion of reading in the image reading part to an ejected sheet tray positioned below the feeding tray.
For example, there is an automatic sheet feeding device including a document guide slidably operated in accordance with width of the document placed on a document platen to regulate ends in a width direction of the document and three sensors detecting a slide position of the document guide. In this automatic sheet feeding device, each sensor detects size of the document on the document platen on the basis of the position of the document guide. The document after conveying process and reading process from the document platen is ejected below the document platen.
Moreover, for example, there is an automatic sheet feeding device including a feeding sheet tray and an ejected sheet tray. The feeding sheet tray has a pair of left and right feeding sheet side guide plates opposed to each other slidably in a document width direction. The ejected sheet tray has a pair of left and right ejected sheet side guide plates respectively integrated with the feeding sheet side guide plates and configured to be slidable in interlocking with the feeding sheet side guide plates. The ejected sheet tray is also arranged below the feeding sheet tray. In this automatic sheet feeding device, a conveying part leads the document on the feeding sheet tray to an image reading part. The document after the reading process is ejected to the ejected sheet tray.
Incidentally, the above-mentioned former and latter automatic sheet feeding devices convey a plurality of the documents in order and carry out the reading process. The plurality of the ejected documents are placed on the ejected sheet tray in a stacked state. Such automatic sheet feeding devices generally feed the ejected document obliquely upward to the ejected sheet tray in order to prevent paper jam, incorrect collation and others from causing by a collision of the following ejected document with the document already ejected on the ejected sheet tray.
However, because the document ejected obliquely upward collides a lower face of the feeding sheet tray and is not placed at an appropriate position on the ejected sheet tray, there is a possibility that such a document causes the jam, incorrect collation and others in the vicinity of a sheet ejected port. In general, in the above-mentioned automatic sheet feeding devices, a plurality of conveying ribs changing an ejecting direction to a lower direction are fixedly arranged in the vicinity of an ejecting port of the document (e.g. in the lower face of the feeding sheet tray and others). The document is placed at the appropriate position on the ejected sheet tray by the plurality of conveying ribs. Because contact area of the ejected document surface with the conveying rib is reduced, the document is smoothly ejected.
However, it is necessary to position the conveying ribs at appropriate positions corresponding with the size of the document. In the above-mentioned automatic sheet feeding devices, it is necessary to arrange the plurality of the conveying ribs in the width direction of the document in parallel in order to correspond with the documents of different sizes. Therefore, the above-mentioned automatic sheet feeding devices have a problem that, as the size of the document is increased, the number of the conveying ribs to be installed is increased. If one sized document is fitted to a side face of the conveying ribs corresponding with another sized document, the ejection of the one document may be interfered (an occurrence of ejection interference).

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus including the same


The present invention creates a method, apparatus and system by which a telephone unit volume control provides instantaneous coupling to and controlling of a connected telephone unit's microphone gain and noise cancellation circuitry. With this invention, an increase in the volume control on the first unit, will result in an automatic adjustment of the second unit's microphone gain control. This microphone gain adjustment is an amount corresponding to the adjustment of the volume of the first unit. The noise cancellation circuitry on the second unit is adjusted to filter more of the background noise before transmission instead of after the receipt of the signal at the destination telephone.

Various telephone arrangements have been implemented to assist hearing-impaired persons when they are using a telephone. For example, a well known device has been a magnetic pickup coil connected to a hearing aid, which could be attached to a certain marked location on the handset and provide the hearing impaired person with a satisfactory hearing level.
Another aid has been a telephone handset with a receiver amplifier and a volume control in the form of a potentiometer. It is well known to provide a telephone amplifier in the handset of a conventional telephone to vary the amplitude of audio signals received from the telephone subset using a potentiometer. Generally, an amplifying receiver and a volume control in the form of a potentiometer are located in the handset and a user varies the receiver volume to suit the user's need by rotating the potentiometer. A handset amplifier of the above-described general type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,151,376 and 3,254,160. Another telephone handset amplifier disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,120 utilizes a rocker switch located in the handset to control the amplifier to vary the receiver volume. U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,088 describes a telephone handset amplifier circuit for receiving and amplifying an audio signal from a telephone subset by varying amounts based on the duration of operation of a switch and for converting the amplified audio signal into audible sound. The amount of amplification is determined by a variable impedance element such as a FET. An RC circuit controls the impedance of the FET based on the state of the switch and the level of a supply voltage generated in the transmitter portion of the circuit. An electret condenser microphone regulates or stabilizes the supply voltage and provides improved linearity and low transmitter distortion.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,867,573 and 6,304,654 describe a telephone handset interface that reduces or eliminates feedback-induced singing in a telephone handset/hybrid loop. The interface provides for user selectable volume control settings, each setting representing an amount of gain or loss to be applied to the transmit and receive signals within the telephone set. The gain settings are selected to limit overall loop gain so as to reduce or eliminate any tendency of the handset to sing at high receive gain levels. Loss inserted into the transmit circuit is removed when user speech is detected in the transmit circuit. The handset interface is preferably constructed as an electronic circuit controlled by a microprocessor. The handset interface contains a volume control circuit which allows the telephone user to vary up or down the amount of gain applied to the receive and transmit signals passing between the handset and the hybrid, thus affecting the amplitude of the signals which ultimately pass through tip and ring between the telephone user and a caller on the far end of the call. Although this handset provides improvements in volume and noise control during a telephone call, this device only works with one party to a telephone.
Current telephones allow a user to alter the unit's volume control to adjust for different acoustics, hearing levels, and physical environments. However, the current technology is not user-friendly in cases where at least one of the parties in a telephone conversation is hearing impaired or speech impaired, since it may be difficult for one party to hear the complete message of the other. For example, when a hearing impaired person is attempting to listen on the telephone, often the conversation is interrupted by requesting louder repetition of the last statement, while at the same time increasing the volume on the recipient's handset.
What is needed is a method, apparatus and system to enable a first party of a telephone conversation to increase the volume control of the first party's handset, while simultaneously increasing the microphone gain of the second party's handset. Thus, optimal gain and noise cancellation takes place at the source, instead of only increasing the volume on the receiving side, which would also increase any transmitted background noise. With a new product of this nature, a hearing impaired or speech impaired person can conduct a telephone conversation in a more natural way, without having to request the other party to speak louder (or softer) as required, or increasing the volume that also includes background noise from the other party.

Direct coupling of telephone volume control with remote microphone gain and noise cancellation

International Business Machines Corporation


A variable capacitor comprising a substrate having a first type ion-doped buried layer, a first type ion-doped well, a second type ion-doped region and a conductive layer thereon. The first type ion-doped well is formed within the substrate. The first type ion-doped well has a cavity. The first type ion-doped buried layer is in the substrate underneath the first type ion-doped well. The first type ion-doped buried layer and the first type ion-doped well are connected. The second type ion-doped region is at the bottom of the cavity of the first type ion-doped well. The conductive layer is above and in connection with the first type ion-doped buried layer.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a variable capacitor (varactor) structure and its method of manufacture. More particularly, the present invention relates to a high-frequency variable capacitor structure and its method of manufacture.
2. Description of Related Art
In this fast-changing society, wireless communication techniques are progressing at an unbelievably rapid pace and hence play an important role in data communication networks. Wireless communication is mostly conducted at very high frequency. Amongst the components used in high-frequency communication, variable capacitor (varactor for short) occupies a center stage.
In general, to change the capacitance of a variable capacitor, supply voltage to the variable capacitor is varied. When the capacitance of the varactor is changed, transmission or reception frequency of a high-frequency circuit is increased or decreased accordingly. Ultimately, wireless communication equipment containing this piece of high-frequency circuit is able to receive or transmit communication signals more accurately.
In the fabrication of high-frequency circuits, the metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices and bipolar complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (BiCMOS) devices are formed before the variable capacitor.
FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional variable capacitor. In the conventional method of fabricating a variable capacitor, a substrate 10 having N+ buried layer 12 on top, an N-well 14 above the buried layer 12, a deep collector region 20 also above the buried layer 12 and a field oxide layer 16 above the substrate 10 is provided. P-type ions are next implanted into the N-well 14 to form a P+-doped region 18 near the surface of the N-well 14. Thereafter, metal silicide layers 22 and 24 are formed over the P+-doped region 18 and the deep collector region 20 respectively. A dielectric layer 26 is formed over the substrate 10. Contacts 28 and 30 are formed in the dielectric layer 26 in contact with the metal silicide layers 22 and 24 respectively. Up to this stage, a variable capacitor structure comprising of the deep collector 20, the N+ buried layer 12 and the N-well 14/P+-doped region 18 is established.
Since the quality factor (Q) of the variable capacitor is inversely proportional to its resistance and capacitance and the capacitance value is the required capacitance of this variable capacitor, the quality factor of the variable capacitor can be improved only by lowering the resistance of the variable capacitor. However, in a conventional variable capacitor structure, the resistance of the variable capacitor is largely affected by the high resistance of the N-well 14. Since resistance at the N-well 14 is difficult to reduce, further improvement in the operating efficiency of a variable capacitor is hard to come by.

Variable capacitor structure and method of manufacture


Format-independent electronic circuit descriptions are generated by providing incompatible sets of naming conventions, providing translation rules for generating circuit element names which satisfy all supported naming conventions, and modifying element names in accordance with the translation rules. Supported circuit descriptions may represent netlists defined by high-level design languages such as Verilog, EDIF, VHDL, and so forth, or may represent schematics or other symbolic representations. Any element associated with any input circuit representation may be tested or modified to ensure compatibility, such as the naming of logic cell types and instances, the naming of nets interconnecting logic cells, and the naming of input, output, and bidirectional ports. In a preferred embodiment, an element name to be resolved is inserted into a set of element names to determine whether the name is unique. If not, the proposed name is modified according to a set of modification rules until uniqueness is achieved. The step of modifying a name may be carried out on an iterative basis, for example, by attaching an incremented or decremented index value to an element name as a prefix or suffix.

In the field of microelectronic circuit design, a particular circuit may be represented by a netlist, which is a data file or other data compilation specifying the descriptions and interconnections of the electrical elements in the circuit. Within a netlist, the electrical elements and their interconnections are labeled, or named, according to naming conventions particular to the specific format of the netlist.
Typical computer-aided-engineering (CAE) tools employed in the design of microelectronics circuits may use one or more specific netlist formats to enable the automated processing of the circuit during the design phases. Each specific netlist format, such as Verilog, EDIF, or VHDL, employs a particular naming convention which may be incompatible with another specific netlist format. As a result, it is generally not possible to use the name of an netlist element in one specific netlist format when translating that netlist into another specific netlist format.
The names in a netlist constrained by these naming conventions may include names of logic cell types, logic cells instances, input, output, and bidirectional ports, and interconnections (nets) among instances of logic cells. Although the naming conventions of these various netlist formats are known in the art, the need exists for a method of generating translations of names in specific netlist formats so as to realize format-independent names.

Method for generating format-independent electronic circuit representations


A method for making a mold including the steps of (a) forming a layer of a photocurable composition containing a U.V. transparent filler; (b) irradiating the layer formed in step (a) with light in a predetermined pattern thereby forming a solid cross-sectional layer of the desired mold; and (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) on the previously formed solid cross-sectional layer until the mold is formed. The filler is preferably phyllosilicate clay mineral and the mold has heat and pressure shock resistant properties making it particularly useful for injection molding.

The most widely used means for processing thermoplastic materials into articles of desired shape is by injection moulding. A typical injection moulding cycle commences by locking mould halves together under a considerable clamping force. Hot, molten thermoplastic material is then injected rapidly into the mould cavity and pressure is maintained whilst the thermoplastic material cools and solidifies. Finally, when the material has cooled to a suitably rigid state, the mould halves are opened and the article of desired shape is ejected. The cycle then begins again to prepare the required number of shaped articles.
To be of value in injection moulding, the moulds need to be capable of withstanding repeated temperature and pressure shocks resulting from the injection of hot materials. The mould should withstand many cycles without melting, deforming or cracking.
An alternative method for producing three-dimensional articles called `stereolithography` is also known. This method comprises curing successive layers of a photopolymerisable liquid using a computer-controlled light source, e.g. a laser, to give the desired article. Stereolithography has been used to prepare prosthetic devices, medical models and a variety of other articles having complex internal structures. Hull's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,575,330, 4,752,498 and Hideo Kodama's article in Rev. Sci. Instrum. 52 (11), 1770-1773, November 1981 describe this method in more detail.
A limitation of stereolithography is that it can only produce three dimensional articles from photocurable liquids. If one requires an article made from polythene, nylon or other meltable materials which are not derived from a photocurable liquid then stereolithography is of no direct use.
International patent application No.PCT/US89/03303 proposed a method for preparing a ceramic mould wherein a disposable pattern is produced by stereolithography, a ceramic material is formed around the pattern by applying a refactory material (e.g. an aqueous ceramic slurry) and the pattern is destroyed and removed by heating the mould. The patterns used in this application were therefore unstable to heat and were used only once.


The present invention is provided with a waterless detection method and a waterless detection device of a boiler iron and an iron applied with the device thereof. The present invention is applied with a normal close thermostat of the constant temperature boiler and a control device, a signal line between the thermostat of the traditional boiler iron and the control device to send the off and on information of the thermostat to the control device. The control device can judge the presence of the water in the water tank according to the empiric value of the actual heating system, preventing the pump from damage due to empty pumped. Compared to the traditional iron with other hardware detection device, the present invention costs lower with simple manufactory. And It saves more space for other component of the iron as well.

The traditional pump iron is disposed with a housing with a handle. The inside of housing is disposed with a water tank and a pump, a heating pan is disposed in the bottom of the boiler to heat the water to be steam. The housing is disposed with a switch. The pump is disposed to pump the water in the water tank to the boiler to generate steam. The way of the existing iron to generate steam is spray steam type, that is to say, the water in the water tank is dripping to the heating pan of the boiler by the pump to generate a small amount of steam, and the steam sprays out of the steam outlet hole of the boiler beside the heating pan. To avoid water boiled away, the water tank must have water, so a water detection device is required to detect the water in the water tank.
The existing water detection method is: 1. use a spring switch to cooperate with a magnet, put the floater with magnet in the water tank, the floater floats when there is water in the water tank, the spring switch detects the position change of the floater to detect the water. 2. put the metal probe in the water pipe, the resistance of the metal probe changes according to the presence of the water as the water detection basis.
However, above proposals are required at least a hardware architecture to detect the water, which enhances the cost of the iron.

Waterless detection method and a waterless detection device of a boiler iron and an iron applied with the device thereof

TSANN KUEN (ZHANG ZHOU) ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.


A eutectic extraction solvent for extracting plant (e.g. vegetable) and/or animal and/or prokaryotic biological material, wherein the solvent is a clear, stable and fluid mixture comprising: (a) betaine or a hydrated form of betaine; (b) at least one hydrogen bond donor compound selected from the group consisting of polyols and organic acids; and (c) water with the proviso that the eutectic extraction solvent does not contain any exogenous sugar and/or amine salt and/or anion.

Betaine is a trimethylated form of glycine discovered for the first time in sugar beet juice. By virtue of its structure and physico-chemical properties, this natural molecule is of particular interest in the cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food and nutrition/health sectors. It is used in particular for its hydrating, emollient and moisturising properties in maintaining the water content of a cosmetic product, as well as in preserving an optimum moisture balance of the skin. This beneficial effect results from a particular positioning at the interface of human skin cells. In addition, betaine is a natural osmolyte which protects human cells—as it does cells—against osmotic stress. When ingested in the diet or by nutraceutical supplementation, this molecule plays a hepatic protective role by enabling sufficient methylation of certain liver enzymes. Conditions associated with the hepatic metabolism of lipids have also been identified as a result of insufficient intake of betaine which can lead to steatosis (Craig, S.A.S., Betaine in human nutrition, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 2004, 80, 539-549).
Besides its physiological and technological role, betaine is inexpensive (˜10 euros/kg), biologically sourced and non-toxic. It is a primary metabolite produced in considerable quantities during sugar beet processing for the production of saccharose, accounting for up to 30% of the molasses thus obtained. Given the industrial quantities involved, there remain stocks of betaine that have little or no development value. Deicing of roads with betaine-rich beet juice obtained after extracting the sugar is one of a number of examples of use of this compound in very low value-added sectors. New applications in niche markets are therefore sought after. Betaine is of undoubted value in the preparation of cocamidopropyl betaine used in the cosmetics industry as a surfactant, but this chemical product is derived from organic synthesis. In a context where artificiality is increasingly deprecated, this avenue of development appears to be more compromised than ever. Thus, societal, economic and regulatory changes driven by the desire of consumers to move towards more natural options have provided the impetus for the use of natural substances in environmentally friendly processes with low energy inputs (for example, low temperature).
A problem often encountered by the person skilled in the art is that of the high heat sensitivity of the molecules of interest, foremost among which are natural compounds containing aromatic cores substituted by hydroxyl groups (phenolic compounds, alcohols, phenolic acids and esters, flavonoids, tannins, stilbenes and phenolic terpenes). It is also known that the saccharidic portion of saponins and triterpenes as well as the associated conjugated systems of terpenes and carotenoids can be isomerised or oxidised beyond 60-70° C.
An essential characteristic of betaine is the combination of a quaternary ammonium group with a carboxylic acid, which are particularly well suited to solubilisation and to extraction of polar or amphiphilic substances, in particular by forming hydrogen and/or ionic bonds with the solute to be extracted. In an approach guided by the principles of green chemistry and eco-extraction, it would be advantageous to be able to use betaine both as active principle and as extracting fluid in a mixture with other constituents. However, it appears that there is no existing application of betaine for the extraction of natural substances of cosmetic, pharmaceutical or nutritional interest, such as phenolic compounds, antioxidants, saponins, carotenoids, terpenes or others, for the good reason that betaine exists in solid form at ambient temperature and is not amenable to the extraction of any natural substance due to its physical state.
Recent progress in chemistry shows, however, that a solid can be brought into the liquid state when it is formulated in a precise fashion in a mixture with one or more other specific compounds in suitable proportions. This applies in particular to deep eutectic solvents which are mixtures of compounds having melting points much lower than those of their constituents taken in isolation. They take their name from the Greek "eutektos" meaning "easily melted", a term which was used for the first time by the English physician Guthrie in 1884. These solvents, described by Abbott et al. in the document EP 1 324 979, are generally liquid at ambient temperature, whereas the compounds which the mixturesare composed of are solid compounds when considered separately. This phenomenon of lowering of melting points by the formation of a eutectic mixture is attributable to the establishment of inter-molecular hydrogen bonds, which have the effect of increasing the volume of the space between the chemical species thereby increasing their mobility such that they are rendered liquid.
In recent years particular attention has been given to the use of natural substances for inclusion in the composition of these eutectic solvents, which are then referred to as natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES). They are composed of organic acids, amino acids, sugars, polyols, choline and urea (Choi, Y. H., van Spronsen, J., Dai, Y., Verberne, M., Hollmann, F., Arends, I. W. C. E., Witkamp, G. J., Verpoorte, R., Are natural deep eutectic solvents the missing link in understanding cellular metabolism and physiology, Plant Physiol., 2011, 156, 1701-1705). These natural substances are ideal constituents for preparing eutectic mixtures by virtue of the fact that they are abundant in the biomass, they exhibit wide structural diversity, they are biodegradable, they exhibit low toxicity, they are edible for the most part, and they are natural. They are described in particular in the documents of the family WO 2011/55829.
However, these natural eutectic solvents have a certain number of drawbacks for industrial scale use. For example, the concomitant use of sugars and amino acids are known to the person skilled in the art to form odoriferous and coloured compounds as result of non-enzymatic browning, and such extracts do not meet the industrial needs of the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food and nutraceutical markets. Although sugars can be used without necessarily being combined with amines, or vice versa, the biological material is capable of partnering with sugars on one hand, or amines on the other hand, facilitating initiation of the non-enzymatic browning reaction and thereby preventing the use of the extracts thus obtained for formulating consumer products. Furthermore, the constituents of the natural eutectic mixtures described in the patent family WO 2011/55829 may not always be suitable from the regulatory standpoint. This applies in particular to choline and its derivatives which are prohibited for use in cosmetics according to European Regulation No 1223/2009. Added to the fact that in the case of eutectic mixtures formed from sugars, the microbial stability of the corresponding extracts is generally insufficient to envisage their incorporation into common consumer products stored for a sufficiently long period to permit the development of spoilage flora or pathogenic micro-organisms.
Furthermore, the eutectic mixtures are typically only formed for very precise proportions of defined constituents, which means that it is not sufficient to mix such and such a molecule, albeit natural, to obtain a lowering of the melting point of the mixture, and expect that mixture to be stable from the standpoint of crystallisation (by stability we understand at least one week). Also, these solvents present the drawback of being highly viscous at ambient temperature (generally above 100 cP). For example, the mixture of choline chloride and urea (molar ratio 1:2) has a viscosity of nearly 500 cP at 30° C. (Abbott, A. P., Capper, G., Davies, D. L., Rasheed, R. K., Tambyrajah, V., Novel solvents properties of choline chloride/urea mixtures, Chem. Commun., 2003, 7, 70-71), which is not without its problems in terms of extraction yields and renders it impossible to use industrially as an extraction solvent. In terms of molecular interactions, this high viscosity is attributed to the presence of a very dense network of hydrogen bonds between the constituents of the eutectic mixtures, thereby reducing the mobility of the free species present in these solvents. This viscosity is also attributable to the size of the ions (if present), from the low volume of space between the molecules, from electrostatic effects, and from Van der Waals interactions. All these factors combined constitute an impediment to the use of eutectic mixtures for the purpose of extracting plant (e.g. vegetable) substances, in so much as the shear forces necessary to place the extracting fluid in motion, and to make it penetrate into the biological material from which it is desired to extract all or part of the substances, will not be sufficient to permit optimum extraction. As a corollary, the low mobility of the chemical species in the eutectic mixture is problematic for dissolving the substances to be extracted, leading to low extraction yields, high energy costs, prolonged extraction times and/or large quantities of solvents.
Thus, it appears that there is currently no existing solution for extracting from a biological material ingredients or active principles such as phenolic compounds, antioxidants, saponins, carotenoids, terpenes or other, using fluid and low viscosity eutectic solvents based on betaine and in which the latter can also play a role of active ingredient or principle (by active ingredient we understand a substance having a technological action, while an active principle refers to any substance capable of exerting a cosmetic, pharmacological or nutritional action).
There is also a constant need for natural extraction solvent alternatives to substantiate and find potent activity for botanical extracts. This is because different solvents may differ in their extraction ability, resulting in a potential to derive various/different health benefits depending on the solvent used. Additionally, the use of novel extraction solvents, such as the eutectic solvents described herein, could allow for the discovery of novel activity and applications for botanicals.
The role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human diseases has been the subject of extensive studies relative to the prevention of diseases. Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance between antioxidant systems and the production of oxidants, including ROS, seems to be associated with many multifactorial diseases, especially cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and inflammatory disorders. The mechanisms by which these diseases develop generally involve oxidative alteration of physiologically critical molecules, including proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids, along with modulation of both gene expression and inflammatory response. Growing evidence suggests that, in addition to organism antioxidant defenses, intake of antioxidants may protect important biological molecules from oxidative damage and thus reduce the risk of numerous chronic diseases related to ROS.
Exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a causative factor in skin photodamage and carcinogenesis, and an urgent need exists for improved molecular photoprotective strategies different from (or synergistic with) photon absorption (Watson et al, 2014). Although the spatiotemporal consequences of UVR exposure for the composition and architecture of the dermal extracellular matrix (ECM) are well characterized, the pathogenesis of photoaging remains poorly defined. Several markers and pathways co-exist:                ROS are implicated in the aging processing        Extra-cellular matrix degradation        Loss of skin barrier function        And so on
Recent studies suggest a photoprotective role of cutaneous gene expression orchestrated by the transcription factor NRF2 (nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2) and the protein DJ-1. Indeed, the downregulation of DJ-1 impairs nuclear translocation of Nrf2 (Liu et al, 2014). The DJ-1/NRF2 pathway is clearly activated by cells to fight against oxidative stress-induced damage and this pathway acts as a protein cell marker of oxidative stress, highlighting the oxidative stress that is already present and affecting the cells. Active and botanical extracts may be able to interfer with this pathway, and therefore the use of active and botanical extracts may able to act prior to the activation of this pathway to. protect against oxidative stress-induced damage.
Thus, both topical antioxidants and inhibitors of detrimental cell signaling may be effective in abrogating the effects of specific UV-mediated protein degradation in the epidermis and dermis.
The listing or discussion of an apparently prior-published document in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document is part of the state of the art or common general knowledge.

Eutectic extraction solvents, extraction methods by eutectigenesis using said solvents, and extracts derived from said extraction methods

UNIVERSITE D'AVIGNON ET DES PAY DE VAUCLUSE


A permanent magnet rotor for an electric generator or motor has a core lamination hub formed of a stack of generally round plates with peripheral slots for holding the first end of a rectangular magnet. Each magnet has an outer end which is held by a slotted pole piece formed of laminated plates. First and second side plates overlie each side of the hub, magnets and pole pieces, and fasteners such as rivets are passed through holes in the side plates, hub plates and pole pieces to form a rigid rotor in which each rectangular magnet is supported and restrained on all six sides. A method for fabricating the rotor is also disclosed.

This invention relates generally to a rotor for an electrical energy conversion transducer such as a generator or electric motor. More particularly, this invention pertains to a rotor assembly having permanent magnets attached thereto and is well suited for use with an electric permanent magnet generator.
Electric motors and generators utilize a rotor which rotates within a cage, the cage having stationary wire windings and comprising a stator. For example, a generator may have a rotor with permanent magnets mounted about the rotor circumference. This type of generator rotor produces a rotating magnetic field, and the generated current is taken directly from the stator. Similarly, certain motors may also utilize a permanent magnet rotor and a stator whose coils are selectively energized by a power source to cause the rotor to turn.
One well known rotor construction has a one-piece steel hub having a cylindrical outer periphery machined to provide the desired number and spacing of flat surfaces upon which permanent magnets are mounted. Each magnet has a rectangular or circular cross-section with a central axial bolt hole. A sintered iron "pole tip" or "shoe" with a center hole is mounted atop each magnet. A non-magnetic bolt is passed through the holes of the pole tip and magnet, being screwed into a threaded radial hole tapped into the flat machined mounting surface of the hub to hold one end face of the magnet against the machined surface. A known, but more costly variation of this mounting arrangement utilizes a shallow groove machined into each of the otherwise flat mounting surfaces and has the ends of the magnets partially constrained within these grooves. This arrangement causes the hub and its groove to engage and constrain three of the six faces of the typical rectangular magnets used with such rotors.
While this common rotor construction is effective and has been in use for many years, it has a number of well-known shortcomings.
First, the sintered iron pole tip is brittle, and being largely exposed, is easily broken if hit by another object. When installing a rotor within the stator of a motor or generator housing, the rotor can be suddenly and somewhat strongly pulled into the narrow, closely fitted rotor chamber of the stator by magnetic force, sometimes causing a bolt head or the pole tip itself to hit the stator housing and crack or damage the pole tip.
Second, there are difficulties in attaching the magnet to the hub. To prevent movement between the pole tips, magnets and the machined surfaces of the hub, adhesive has been used between these members. Effective use of an adhesive requires that the mating surfaces be scrupulously clean. It has also been found in practice that if the magnet or pole tip is bumped, the adhesive sometimes shatters and thereafter becomes ineffective.
Third, the bolts which attach the magnets and pole tips to the hub must be non-magnetic to prevent undesirable leakage of magnetic flux through the bolt hole and along the bolts. Thus, weaker and more expensive metals such as stainless steel must be used in the bolts instead of hardened steel. The rotor design must account for this lower strength, often by using thicker, heavier and more expensive bolts.
Fourth, the bolt hole formed in the magnet reduces the magnet's field strength and thus the net power production of the transducer is reduced.
Fifth, molding of the sintered pole tips with the central bolt hole requires a core in the mold and produces variable pole tip dimension tolerances for its bolt hole; assembly may require the use of shimming washers or other reshaping of the pole tip to attain proper alignment. Sintered materials cannot be easily machined, often requiring grinding as the alternative to shimming with washers. If the outer periphery of the pole tips are machined after assembly of the rotor to produce a uniform rotor-stator air gap, extreme care must be taken in the machining, using a very thin cut. Nevertheless, the sintered pole tips sometimes still break.
Sixth, the presence of the central hole in the sintered steel pole tip results in a loss of magnetic field strength and a resulting loss of rotor efficiency.
Seventh, the hub requires exacting machining to produce accurate and smooth surfaces for attachment of the magnets. The hub is expensive to manufacture, and a slight misalignment results in a hub which is unbalanced. Time consuming placement of shimming washers between the magnet and hub is sometimes required to bring the magnets into alignment. If not properly aligned, such misalignment during operation may lead to unwanted vibration, loosening of the bolts, breakage of pole tips and/or magnets, and, worst of all, catastrophic rotor failure and a required shutdown of the motor or generator for repairs. In some applications, such as uninterruptable power systems, the unplanned shutdown of a generator or crucial motor can be very costly to a user.
Eighth, forces exerted on the attachment bolts now used to secure the magnets and pole tips have a major longitudinal vector, tending to stretch the bolts and sometimes leading to further loosening of the magnets and pole tips.
Ninth, if an attachment bolt is over-torqued during installation, the brittle pole tip can be easily broken.
Tenth, the magnets are supported at only one end, and thus are subject to bending forces. During operation significant torque must be absorbed by the magnets, the pole tips and the attachment bolts, and this torque tends to sometimes loosen the bolts and cause eventual rotor failure.
While the above list of problems or disadvantages of the prior art rotor is not exhaustive, it suggests a need for improvement in rotor design.
One particular use of a smaller permanent magnet generator is as a "pilot exciter" for a large brushless field generator wherein the exciter operates off the same driveshaft. When a heavy starting load or short-circuit condition overloads the field generator, the exciter supplies constant voltage to the field generator's voltage regulator, forcing the field generator into saturation and supplying the necessary output current to handle the starting load or clear the fault condition, i.e. trip the circuit breaker.
In this generating application, it is extremely important to minimize the exciter downtime, since an excessive starting load or short-circuit condition which is not exciter-enhanced may result in shutdown of the field generator. Thus, it is desirable to eliminate the possibilities of rotor failure due to any of the reasons indicated above, and to develop a rotor with greater reliability using simpler construction techniques and at lower cost.


A method for managing a data transfer system includes recovering energy at peripheral devices, and wireless transfer recovered energy to a base by synchronizing RF signals transmitted by double-loop antennas. Synchronizing includes implementing a listening phase to detect a radio-frequency signal transmitted by said central base, and either sending an RF signal that is synchronous with the detected signal or transmitting a signal at a predetermined frequency depending on whether an RF signal is detected at the base. The method includes, in response to receiving a signal from the peripheral device at that frequency, causing the base to recover the received signal and to re-transmit at the predetermined frequency to the peripheral devices. This signal synchronization enables simultaneous energy transfer from peripheral devices to the central base while avoiding mutually destructive effects between said signals.

In order to perform this data transfer, an energy source is necessary. In the prior art, the radiofrequency identification (RFID) technique is known and is represented in FIG. 1 in which the central base, also called reader 1, comprises an energy source, for example a battery 3, which enables the central base 1 to power a radiofrequency transmitter 5. The radiofrequency signals are sent to peripheral devices called tags 7 comprising an antenna 9. The radiofrequency signals are used to power the tags 7 and to recover data associated with the peripheral devices 7. However, the battery 3 of the central base 1 has to be regularly changed or recharged by an external energy source which can be a drawback in certain environments or for certain applications.

Data transfer system and associated management method

Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives


Vehicular acceleration is sensed and used to set and/or modify at least two of a plurality of control sensitivity values in a manner which increases one with respect to the other and thus avoids the situation wherein a limited amount of servo power is wasted by futile operation of a servo powered arrangement which cannot produce a large control effect under the instant operating conditions and enables an adequate amount servo power to be directed to the operation of a different arrangement which can be effective.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a vehicle which is equipped with a number of performance/safety enhancing arrangements such as four wheel steering, four wheel drive, active suspension and the like type of systems and more specifically to a control which integrates and optimizes the operation of the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
JP-A-59-77968 discloses an example of a 4WS steering arrangement wherein, when the vehicle speed is low and the steering of the front wheels is large, reverse phase steering of the rear wheels is implemented to reduce the turning circle. On the other hand, when the vehicle speed is high and the steering angle of the front wheels is relatively small, inphase steering of the rear wheels is implemented for the sake of cornering stability.
JP-A-61-157437 discloses an example of a four wheel drive arrangement wherein when wheel slip occurs the distribution of drive power to the vehicle wheels is adjusted in a manner which improves stability during sudden applications of power, acceleration etc.
However, when the above mentioned 4WS and 4WD systems are both utilized in the same vehicle, the combined effect of the two systems is apt not to be optimal. The reason for this is that consideration has not been given to the overall system and the sensitivities of the auxiliary steering control of the 4WS and the driving force distribution control of the 4WD are set individually and arranged so that they operate independently of one another. Conditions which induce a large response in the auxiliary steering system are different from those which induce a similarly large response in the drive power distribution. Accordingly, when one system is put into effect the other tends to remain dormant and does not supplement the effect of the one which is currently effective. Even when both of the systems are simultaneously active, as the two systems are controlled independently of one another, still the effect of one tends to be small and the total effect promimates that which could be achieved by equipping the vehicle with only one of the two arrangements. Further, the provision of the two systems undesirably increases the total energy consumption with respect to the total effect which is achievable.
It has been thought to link the two systems in a manner which provides a cooperative control between the two systems with a view of improving a given facet of one control, or modifying one control to compensate for the degradation of the performance of the other system. Nevertheless, the effect is limited to given facets of operation and the overall on total performance of the two systems is not synergistically improved.

Control system for optimizing operation of vehicle performance/safety enhancing systems such as 4WS, 4WD active suspensions, and the like


An optical device, such as for example a wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer, a wavelength router, an optical comb filter or a planar lens, having a first coupler and a second coupler which are connected by an array of optical waveguide channels. At least one of the couplers is a multimode imaging component (MMI), which has the property that the radiation distribution at any input thereof is imaged onto each of the coupler outputs and with uniform power distribution among the outputs. Efficient power transfer in thereby achieved. Phase differences between the inputs and the outputs are compensated by appropriate differences in optical pathlength of neighboring channels in the array.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an optical device comprising a first coupler, a second coupler and a plurality of at least three optical channels connecting outputs of the first coupler to inputs of the second coupler and forming a dispersive array.
Such a device is particularly useful as an array multiplexer or demultiplexer because of its wavelength dependent behaviour due to the dispersive array. The dispersion gives the device a wavelength selectivity in the range from 0.1 nm to about 200 nm. A wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer (WDM) can be used as a multiplexer in the field of optical communications to combine optical beams at pump and signal wavelengths in an optical amplifying system. WDMs can also be used to increase the transmission capacity of optical fibres by adding closely spaced wavelength bands. Different wavelength bands can be used to provide bidirectional transmission on a single fibre. A WDM also can be used as a demultiplexer to perform the operation opposite to that of a multiplexer, i.e. decomposing an incoming signal into its constituting wavelength bands.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical device of the type described in the opening paragraph is described in the European patent application nr. 0 565 308. The known device comprises a pair of optical couplers and an array of channels extending between the couplers. The couplers are so-called radiative couplers. Such a coupler is typically a slab waveguide configured for providing substantially identical optical paths between an input channel and a plurality of coupler output channels. A drawback of the known device is the non-uniform channel response, i.e. the power transmission from an input channel to an output channel of the device depends on the ordinal numbers of the input and output channel.


A multi-functional tool for use on flat or curved surfaces, comprising a flexible hand-held member characterized by a plurality of undulations formed in the member and having a plurality of edges and surfaces.

This invention relates to hand held tools and, in particular, to a flexible cleaning tool having a plurality of edges and ridges which accommodate the user's hand and fingers and enable the tool to perform a variety of functions.
Hand-held tools for cleaning or scraping generally include a member and an attached or integral handle. Hand-held scrapers with handles or grips formed integrally therein are highly effective for scraping surfaces to clean or remove materials because pressure is directly applied by the user's hand to the surface being scraped with the scraping member of the tool. A hand-held tool that accommodates the shape of the user's hand is desirable because it improves the user's grip and is comfortable to use.
Such scrapers and cleaners are available in a variety of configurations and materials to be used for indoor and outdoor tasks such as: removing snow, ice and frost from an automobile windshield (U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,175); removing paint or other materials from a glass surface (U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,517); scooping soft materials (U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,050); and cleaning gutters of various shapes or performing light gardening tasks (U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,611). As is evident from these examples, hand held tools in the prior art that may be used to scrape or clean surfaces are commonly formed from rigid materials for strength and durability and are therefore particularly suited for only a limited number of applications. In addition, the flat design of the scraping member of such tools further limits the surfaces with which the tools may be used.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hand held cleaning tool that is flexible to accommodate a variety of functions while maintaining its resilient, strong construction.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hand held cleaning tool that is inexpensive and easy to manufacture.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a hand-held cleaning tool comprising a flexible member with undulations which contribute to the flexibility of the tool and also enable the tool to accommodate both flat and rounded surfaces.


A drug-delivery device comprising a drug-reservoir assembly, displacement-generating actuator, and drug administration unit is described, wherein the drug-reservoir assembly comprises at least one flexible wall and a constraining ring, such that the displacement generated by the actuator collapses a flexible wall of the assembly expelling the drug contents of the drug-reservoir towards said drug administration means.

The long-term storage of liquid parenteral drugs in pre-filled syringes provides simplicity and convenience for patients and clinicians. The use of such syringes enables skipping the preparatory stage of extracting a drug from a liquid vial (or reconstituting from powder) and then filling into a syringe for injection. An even easier modality of delivering drugs is to use a patch-pump or patch-injector rather than a syringe. The use of such devices reduces "needle shock" and can also enable slow-infusion of drugs in place of rapid injection and facilitate delivery of large-doses of drugs, having a range of viscosities.
The long-term storage of drugs in syringes or other liquid containers requires that those containers be made from a very limited variety of materials, all of which have to be shown to cause minimal damage to the drug contained within even during direct and prolonged contact with the drug. Historically, this material has always been glass, but in more recent years glass syringes have been shown to have some problems and incompatibilities with biological. In particular, numerous drugs—especially biologics—can be adversely affected by the release of soluble alkali from the glass containers. Moreover, there is a known problem of Bovine serum albumin (also known as BSA protein) absorption on the container surface. Additionally, the silicone which is used as a lubricant in a syringe and the tungsten residue from the pin that is used to form the nozzle of the syringe into which the needle is embedded can also adversely affect these drugs. As a partial solution to these problems, some pre-filled syringes are starting to be fabricated from certain inert plastics, which exhibit low protein absorption and high compatibility with biological drugs. To date, however, there is no such appropriate solution for long term drug containers for application in a patch-pump or patch-injector housing.
Patch-pumps or patch-injectors or micro-infusers, or other such devices that transfer drug from an external source onto or through the skin, are drug-delivery devices which ideally have a very slim profile and are relatively flat, so as to provide maximum comfort to the patient. Syringe-type drug reservoirs represent a very inefficient design of a drug reservoir in terms of minimizing the size of the patch-pump device. This is due to the fact that (a) the rigid cylindrical design of syringes require that the reservoir portion of the patch pump needs to have at least the thickness dictated by the diameter of the syringe plus the thickness of the walls of the housing, and (b) the initial length of the syringe reservoir needs to be at least the length of the portion of the syringe which holds the drug, plus the protruding length of the plunger.
One approach to integrating a relatively flat drug reservoir into a patch-pump is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,250,037 in which the drug reservoir has a domed shape. This dome is bounded on one side by a multi-layer film and from the other by a "dished-out" section of a rigid plastic. A spring presses against the multi-layer film in order to dispense the drug. As this spring extends, said multi-layer film is pressed into the "dished-out" section in the rigid plastic, thereby expelling the drug. While this configuration does enable the actuator (in this case a spring) to expel the contents of the reservoir, in terms of space-efficiency it is non-optimal. The optimal exploitation of the volume would of course be the use of 100% of the volume of a cylinder defined by the depth of the reservoir (h) multiplied by its area (πτ2). For example, assuming that the dome is semi-spherical, with a radius of 15 mm, then the volume enclosed using this approach would be 2/3πΓ3 which is 9.3 mL; whereas the volume of a cylinder with this radius and equivalent depth (15 mm) would be 14.6 mL. Thus it is clearly more space-efficient to have a drug-reservoir design which more closely approximates a cylinder.


A method is provided for making a transformer core assembly using a work table positioned proximate to a rotatable rack assembly having first and second racks. Core segments are created by a segment forming machine. The core segments are transferred to a core block of the second rack. After a predetermined number of core segments are stacked on the core block to form a core segment assembly, the rack assembly is rotated so that the second rack is positioned proximate to the work table. The second rack is then moved onto the work table and one or more finishing steps are performed on the core segment assembly. During the performance of the one or more finishing steps, core segments may be transferred to a core block attached to the first rack.

Wound-core style transformer cores are commonly manufactured by building up the core with a plurality of layered core segments. The process generally includes a machine that continuously produces core segments from relatively thin metallic strips. The process requires an operator to stand in front of the machine, wait (typically 1-5 seconds) for a steel laminate to feed out of the machine, then place it on a table in concentric loops. When a sufficient number of core segments are layered, the segment forming machine is stopped, and a number of finishing steps are performed on the core assembly. Once the finishing steps are completed, the core assembly is sent on for further processing (e.g. annealing) and the core assembly process begins again. This method of assembly is inefficient, monotonous and time consuming.
There is therefore a need in the art for a transformer core assembly process having greater efficiency and speed without the need for additional human operators.

Method of manufacturing a transformer core assembly


An agent architecture may be provided with base functionality that allows it to run without executing any applications. The base application need not have any modules. When functionality is desired, modules may be added. The agent may receive policies and procedures from a controller, and executes the modules based on the policies and procedures. It may then return and report information. This allows a system to be designed that doesn't have to be recompiled upon changes to individual tasks or applications, which greatly eases development of new tasks and applications.

The rise of Internet attacks via computer viruses and other techniques has caused significant financial damage to many corporations. Current anti-virus software operates by comparing incoming files against a list of "offensive" code (e.g., known viruses). If a file looks like one of these offensive codes, then it is deleted and the system protected. There are several major problems with this approach, however, with regard to modern virus attacks.
First, if the virus is new and not in the list of known viruses, the anti-virus solution will not identify it is a virus and therefore it will not keep it from spreading. Second, modern worms such as "code red" and "SQL slammer" do not rely on any of the methods of transmission guarded by most virus protection systems. These new strands of viruses are designed to attack the computer system directly by exploiting faults in the software used by the computer to perform its operations. The viruses are therefore able to crack corporate networks and replicant without the intervention of anti-virus software.
Another critical factor in preventing anti-virus software from protecting modern networks is the speed of modern virus replication and propagation. Whereas years ago it could take years for a virus to disseminate across the United States, modern viruses can spread across the whole world in a matter of minutes.
At the root of the modern virus problem lies system management and maintenance. All network applications are vulnerable to some level of attack, but the software manufacturers work diligently to resolve these errors and release fixes to the problems before they can be exploited by virus producers. In fact, most of the time the application manufacturers have released the fixes to the application that would have prevented a virus from utilizing these holes before the viruses are even released. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of modern networks, most system administrators are unable to keep pace with the increasing number of security patches and hot fixes released from the software manufacturers on every computer in the network.
What is needed is a solution that automates the process of identifying and managing network application security holes. Typical solutions to this problem involve the user of multiple applications installed one various computers. These applications are executed when certain conditions occur. For example, a company may install several anti-virus components that each execute upon the detection of certain conditions. There are several problems, however, with this approach, especially when it relates to managing network application security holes. Each overall task (such as antivirus) typically requires multiple applications, each compiled together. This can make development and maintenance difficult, however, as changes to one application necessitate the recompiling of others. Additionally, the execution of multiple applications simultaneously can waste memory and processor resources. There may be no need for a particular application to run at a certain time, yet prior art solutions require that an application be run if it is compiled together with another application that is running.
What is needed is a solution that overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.


A raw material gas supply apparatus includes a liquid raw material gas supply source, a source tank storing liquid raw material, a gas distribution passage through which raw material gas comprising steam of the liquid raw material is supplied to a process chamber from the source tank, an automatic pressure regulator installed on an upstream side of the gas passage, wherein the automatic pressure regulator keeps supply pressure of the raw material gas at a set value, a supply gas switching valve installed on a downstream side of the gas passage, wherein this valve opens and closes the gas passage, an orifice provided on at least one of an inlet side or outlet side of the valve, wherein the orifice regulates flow rate of the raw material gas, and a constant temperature heating device heats the source tank, the gas passage, the valve and the orifice to a set temperature.

A so-called ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) method has been widely utilized for film formation processes of semiconductor manufacturing because of its good thermal history and step coverage.
Thus, this ALD method supplies steam flow of two or more raw material gases and liquid raw material gases alternatively to the inside of a process chamber, in order to form a film due to a chemical reaction on a surface of a wafer, or the like. That is, by employing the ALD method, it is possible to highly accurately form a film thickness corresponding to one atomic layer in a so-called "one sequence."
A film formation of titanium nitride (TiN), using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and ammonia (NH3) as precursors, is an important process in semiconductor manufacturing. Furthermore, the accuracy of control of a flow rate of supplying titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) has great effects on the film thickness of the titanium nitride and on the quality of the titanium nitride film.
Therefore, various techniques with respect to the supply of raw material gases, such as titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), have been conventionally developed. For example, in a conventional raw material gas supply apparatus (Japanese Patent No. 4605790) of FIG. 4, a carrier gas G1′ is supplied to the inside of a source tank 25 through a pressure regulator 22 and a mass flow controller 23 from a carrier gas source 21, and a mixed gas G0′ of steam G2′ of a liquid raw material 24 and the carrier gas G1′ is supplied to the inside of a process chamber 29 through a pressure control valve CV and an opening/closing valve V1, to control the supply of the gas G0′ to the process chamber 29 by controlling the opening or closing of the pressure control valve CV and the opening/closing valve V1.
In addition, in FIG. 4, reference numeral 27 denotes an automatic pressure regulating device for regulating the pressure of the inside of the source tank 25, and the automatic pressure regulating device computes the tank internal pressure from the pressure in a pipe passage L (as measured by pressure sensor PO) and a detection value of a temperature (as measured by temperature sensor TO), and controls the opening or closing of the pressure control valve CV in a direction in which a difference with a set pressure input from a terminal 28 becomes zero, thereby keeping the source tank internal pressure at a set value. Reference numeral 27a denotes a controller within automatic pressure regulating device 27. Furthermore, reference numeral 26 denotes a constant temperature heating unit, reference symbol 30 denotes a heater, reference symbol 31 denotes a wafer, Gn′ denotes another raw material gas, Vn denotes an opening/closing valve for the other raw material gas Gn′.
In the above-described raw material gas supply apparatus of FIG. 4, first, the pressure of the carrier gas G1′, which is supplied to the inside of the source tank 25, is set to a predetermined pressure value PG1 (as measured by the corresponding pressure sensor) by the pressure regulator 22, and its supply flow rate is set to a predetermined flow rate value by the thermal type mass flow control system (mass flow controller) 23. Moreover, the portion of the source tank 25, and the like, are heated and kept at a high temperature of about 150° C. The supply quantity of the carrier gas G1′, the temperature of the source tank 25, and the internal pressure of the source tank 25 (the pressure of the mixed gas G0′) are respectively kept at set values, thereby supplying the mixed gas G0′ of a constant mixture ratio with a constant flow rate to the process chamber 29 through the pressure control valve CV while highly accurately controlling at a predetermined flow rate value, which is proportional to a set flow rate by the thermal type mass flow control system 23, and the mixed gas G0′ is supplied to the process chamber 29 by opening the opening/closing valve V1.
FIG. 5 shows another example of this type of raw material gas supply apparatus. A liquid raw material gas (TiCl4) in the source tank 25 is evaporated by a bubbling action of the carrier gas G1′, a mixed volume G0 of the carrier gas G1′, raw material gas steam G2′, and raw material gas particles associated with the carrier gas, are made to flow into a vaporizer 35, and a vaporized mixed gas G0′ is supplied to a valve opening/closing mechanism 34 through buffer tanks 33, and a mixed gas G0′ of a predetermined quantity is supplied to the inside of the chamber 29 by opening/closing control (on/off control) of the valve V1.
In addition, in FIG. 5, respectively, the liquid raw material gas (TiCl4) 24 in the source tank 25 is heated to about 100° C. (steam pressure of 269 Torr), and the vaporizer 35 is heated to about 200° C., and the respective buffer chambers 33 (whose internal volumes are about 500 to 1000 cc) are heated to about 170° C., and the valve opening/closing mechanism 34 is heated to about 200° C. Furthermore, the flow rate of supplying the mixed gas (TiCl4+carrier gas) G0′ is about 20 sccm (standard cubic centimeters per minute), and the supply pressures of argon (Ar) and ammonia (NH3) are 0.15 PaG, and the supply flow rates thereof are respectively about 10 SLM (Standard Liter per Minute). Moreover, the internal volume of the process chamber 29 is 500 to 1000 cc, and the internal pressure thereof is kept to 1 Torr or less.
At the time of supplying the raw material gases to the chamber 29, the respective raw material gases stored in the respective buffer tanks 33 at predetermined internal pressures are supplied in sequence by predetermined quantities by sequentially turning on/off the opening/closing valves V1 to Vn in the valve opening/closing mechanism 34 at predetermined time intervals (for example, an opening time is about 0.2 seconds and a closing time is about 0.93 seconds in the case of TiCl4), in order to perform one cycle of film formation.
In the gas supply apparatus shown in FIG. 4, because the pressure of the space portion in the source tank 25 (the pressure of the mixed gas G0′) is kept to a set value by the automatic pressure regulating device 27 in the source tank, it is possible to supply the raw material gas G0′ of a predetermined quantity to the valve opening/closing mechanism 34 (i.e., opening/closing valve V1 in particular) while highly accurately controlling the flow rate thereof even without using the buffer tanks 33. This is because the gas supply apparatus of FIG. 4 does not employ buffer tanks.
Furthermore, in the gas supply apparatus shown in FIG. 5 as well, because the buffer tanks 33 are used, there are no pressure fluctuations in the respective raw material gases G0′, GAr, and GNH3 to be supplied. This makes it possible to supply the respective raw material gases G0′, GAr, and GNH3 at predetermined flow rates to the inside of the chamber 29 through the valve opening/closing mechanism 34, which exerts an excellent effect.
However, there remain many unsolved problems in the conventional gas supply apparatuses shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. First, in the gas supply apparatuses shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, because the steam G2′ of the liquid raw material gas 24 is supplied as a raw material gas to the process chamber 29 by use of the carrier gas G1′, it is not possible to directly supply only the steam G2′ of the liquid raw material gas 24 to the process chamber 29. That is, it is not possible to supply only the stream G2′ of the liquid raw material gas 24 to the process chamber 29 without the use of a carrier gas. As a result, there is a problem that it takes a lot of time and effort for managing the concentration of the raw material gas G2′ in the mixed gas G0′, which makes it difficult to highly accurately control the supply quantity of the raw material gas G2′.
Furthermore, in the gas supply apparatus shown in FIG. 4, there are problems listed as follows: (A) because the expensive thermal type mass flow control system 23 is used, it is difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost for raw material vaporizing and supplying apparatuses and, additionally, it is necessary to highly accurately control the carrier gas supply pressure to the thermal type mass flow control system 23, which leads to an increase in the equipment cost for the pressure regulator 22; (B) it is not possible to directly control a flow rate of the mixed gas G0′ by the thermal type mass flow control system 23; (C) because the apparatus adopts the bubbling method, it is difficult to stably supply raw material steam in the case of a solid raw material, or a raw material at low steam pressure, which often makes it unstable to supply a mixed gas to the process chamber; (D) the concentration of the raw material steam G2′ in the mixed gas G0′ significantly fluctuates according to a fluctuation in the raw material liquid level in the source tank, which makes it difficult to control the concentration of the raw material steam G2′; (E) because the carrier gas flow rate on the inlet side and the mixed gas flow rate (total flow rate) on the outlet side are different from each other, highly accurate flow control of the mixed gas flow rate is difficult; and (F) it is not easy to highly accurately control the internal pressure of the source tank and, as a result, it is not easy to regulate a raw material concentration directly relating to the partial pressure of the raw material steam in the mixed gas in the tank, and the like.
Moreover, in the gas supply apparatus in FIG. 5, in addition to the problems of (A) to (F) in the gas supply apparatus in FIG. 4, as listed above, there is a problem that, because the apparatus is configured to control a supply quantity of the raw material gas G0′ by adjusting its opening/closing switching time by use of the opening/closing valve V1 provided in the switching mechanism 34 as a pulse-driven valve, not only is achieving highly accurate flow rate control difficult, but also it takes a lot of time and effort for maintenance and management of the opening/closing valve V1. Moreover, in the gas supply apparatus of FIG. 5, the buffer chambers 33 are required in order to stabilize the supply pressure of the raw material gas G0′, which makes it impossible to downsize the apparatus.

Raw material gas supply apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing equipment


Various embodiments provide an add-on advisor that is designed to assist users in managing add-ons for a browser and/or other application programs. In at least some embodiments, the add-on advisor can be implemented to detect newly installed add-ons and provide notifications to a user of the detected add-ons. The notifications regarding new add-ons can be configured with options to permit the user to enable or disable the add-ons. Add-ons that are not explicitly enabled by a user can be prevented from operating by the add-on advisor. Further, in at least some embodiments, the add-on advisor can be implemented to monitor performance impact of add-ons and provide notifications to a user when add-ons adversely affect performance. The user can then interact with the add-on advisor to improve performance by selectively enabling and disabling add-ons.

Add-ons are popular with users because add-ons are a convenient way to add new and customized functionality to a browser or other application program. Unfortunately, users may not be aware that certain add-ons have been installed and/or may not appreciate that add-ons can adversely affect performance due to the time it takes add-ons to load and operate. Accordingly, users may misattribute poor performance that is caused by add-ons to the browser or other application program. Moreover, a traditional approach to management of add-ons is limited to turning add-ons on or off collectively. While this approach gives the user some control over add-ons, the user may be forced to disable some add-ons the user likes due to poor performance caused by other add-ons.


There is obtained a low-profile electrolytic copper foil with a small surface roughness on the side of the rough surface (the opposite side from the lustrous surface) in the manufacture of an electrolytic copper foil using a cathode drum, and more particularly an electrolytic copper foil which allows fine patterning, and is superior in terms of elongation and tensile strength at ordinary temperatures and high temperatures. The present invention provides a copper electrolytic solution, containing as additives an organo-sulfur compound and a quaternary amine compound polymer obtained by homopolymerizing a compound in which the nitrogen of an acrylic type compound having a dialkylamino group is quaternized, or copolymerizing the compound with another compound having an unsaturated bond, and an electrolytic copper foil manufactured using this electrolytic solution.

Generally, a rotating metal cathode drum with a polished surface, and an insoluble metal anode which is disposed on more or less the lower half of this cathode drum and surrounds the circumference thereof, are used to manufacture electrolytic copper foils. A copper electrolytic solution is caused to flow between the above-mentioned drum and anode, and an electrical potential is applied across these parts, so that copper is electrodeposited on the cathode drum. Then, when the electrodeposited copper has reached a specified thickness, this copper is peeled from the cathode drum, so that a copper foil is continuously manufactured.
The copper foil thus obtained is generally referred to as a raw foil and is subsequently subjected to several surface treatments, and is used in printed wiring boards or the like.
An outline of a conventional copper foil manufacturing apparatus is shown in FIG. 3. In this electrolytic copper foil manufacturing apparatus, a cathode drum 1 is disposed in an electrolysis bath which accommodates an electrolytic solution. This cathode drum 1 rotates in a state in which the drum is partially immersed (i.e., substantially the lower half of the drum is immersed) in the electrolytic solution.
An insoluble anode 2 is disposed so that this anode surrounds the lower half of the cathode drum 1. There is a fixed gap 3 between this cathode drum 1 and anode 2, and an electrolytic solution flows through this gap. Two anode plates are disposed in the apparatus shown in FIG. 3.
In this apparatus shown in FIG. 3, the electrolytic solution is supplied from below, the apparatus is constructed so that this electrolytic solution passes through the gap 3 between the cathode drum 1 and anode 2 and overflows from the upper rim of the anode 2, and so that this electrolytic solution is recirculated. A specified voltage can be maintained between the cathode drum 1 and anode 2 by interposing a rectifier between these parts.
As the cathode drum 1 rotates, the thickness of the copper electrodeposited from the electrolytic solution increases, and when this thickness exceeds a certain thickness, the raw foil 4 is peeled away and continuously taken up. The thickness of the raw foil that is thus manufactured can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the cathode drum 1 and the anode 2, the flow velocity of the electrolytic solution that is supplied, or the amount of electricity that is supplied.
In the copper foil that is manufactured by such an electrolytic copper foil manufacturing apparatus, the surface that contacts the cathode drum is a mirror surface, however, the surface on the opposite side is a rough surface with projections and indentations. In the case of ordinary electrolysis, the projections and indentations of this rough surface are severe, so that undercutting tends to occur during etching, and the achievement of a fine pattern is difficult.
Recently, meanwhile, as the density of printed wiring boards has increased, the narrowing of the circuit width and the development of multi-layer circuits have led to a demand for copper foils that allow fine patterning. In order to achieve such fine patterning, a copper foil having superior etching characteristics is required.
Furthermore, in regard to the performance values required in copper foils used in printed wiring boards, not only elongation at ordinary temperatures, but also high-temperature elongation characteristics for the purpose of preventing cracking caused by thermal stress, and a high tensile strength for dimensional stability of the printed wiring board, are required.
However, copper foils of the above-mentioned type in which the projections and indentations of the rough surface are severe are completely unsuitable for fine patterning, as was described above. For such reasons, the smoothening of the rough surface to a low profile has been investigated.
It is generally known that such a low profile can be achieved by adding large amounts of glue or thiourea to the electrolytic solution.
However, such additives lead to the problem of an abrupt drop in the elongation at ordinary and high temperatures, thus causing a great drop in the performance of the copper foil as a copper foil for use in printed wiring boards.

Copper electrolytic solution containing quaternary amine compound polymer with specific skeleton and organo-sulfur compound as additives, and electrolytic copper foil manufactured using the same


A process for hydroprocessing a hydrocarbon feed of the present disclosure includes contacting the hydrocarbon feed with hydrogen in the presence of at least one hydroprocessing catalyst in a two-phase hydroprocessing unit, where the at least one hydroprocessing catalyst is a solid catalyst and contacting produces a hydroprocessed effluent having a reduced concentration of one or more of metals, nitrogen, sulfur, aromatic compounds, or combinations of these. The process further includes combining the hydroprocessed effluent with make-up hydrogen downstream of the two-phase hydroprocessing unit to produce a hydrogen saturated hydroprocessed effluent, separating the hydrogen saturated hydroprocessed effluent in a separation system to produce a hydrogen-saturated high-pressure bottom stream, a hydroprocessed product stream, and a gaseous effluent, and passing at least a portion of the hydrogen-saturated high-pressure bottom stream back to the two-phase hydroprocessing unit.

Hydroprocessing technologies, such as hydrotreating, hydrocracking, or both, are commonly used in the industry to produce value added products from crude oils and its fractions. Hydrotreating may remove heteroatoms, such as sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or combinations thereof, from a hydrocarbon feedstock. During the hydrotreating processes, unsaturated hydrocarbons, such as olefins, alkynes, aromatics, or combinations thereof, may become saturated through a reaction with hydrogen. Hydrotreating processes are performed in the presence of a hydrotreating catalyst at elevated temperatures and pressures. Hydrocracking processes may split the low value heavy molecules of the feed into smaller molecules having higher average volatility and greater economic value compared to the low value heavy molecules. Additionally, hydrocracking processes typically improve the quality of the hydrocarbon feedstock by increasing the hydrogen to carbon ratio and by removing organosulfur and organonitrogen compounds. The significant benefit derived from hydrocracking operations has resulted in substantial development of process improvements and more active catalysts.
A key use of hydroprocessing is in the desulfurization of fuel fractions, such as diesel. Production of ultra-low sulfur level fuels requires removal of sulfur-containing compounds, such as hindered alkylated dibenzothiophenes, which is challenging. Hydrodesulfurization of sulfides, disulfides, thiophenes, benzothiophenes and dibenzothiophenes takes place by breaking the carbon sulfur bond directly. However, the sulfur atoms of alkylated dibenzothiophenes are severely sterically hindered by the two adjacent alkyl groups. Thus, the sulfur cannot be removed by direct carbon-sulfur bond breakage. Instead, one of the aromatic rings in the molecule is required to be first dearomatized (hydrogenated) in order to make the sulfur atom reachable. After hydrogenation, the carbon-sulfur bond is broken and the sulfur is removed from the molecule. These processes require extremely severe operating conditions that either requires a lower space velocity of the feed flow that, in turn, decreases the production capacity of the unit, or, an increase the reaction temperature, which can shorten the useful life of the catalyst.
Conventional hydrodesulfurization methods generally utilize a single reactor consisting of three-phases: gas-hydrogen, liquid-feedstock and solid-catalyst. Conventional hydrodesulfurization processes, which are used worldwide, take place in one step in a single three phase reactor. In particular, in the reactor, the mixed two-phase feedstock may flow in the reactor in a down flow direction. The reactants inside the reactor are liquid feedstock, gas phase hydrogen and solid phase catalyst, making the reactor a three-phase reactor, which may be referred to as a trickle bed reactor. The term "trickle bed reactor" may refer a reactor in which a liquid phase and a gas phase flow concurrently downward through a fixed bed of catalyst particles while reaction takes place. In the trickle bed reactor, the reactor bed may be fixed, the flow pattern may be much closer to plug flow, and the ratio of liquid to solid present may be much less. Fluid flowing through the reactor may be considered as a series of infinitely thin coherent plugs, each with a uniform composition, traveling in the axial direction of the reactor, with each plug having a different composition from the ones before and after it. The fluid may be mixed well in the radial direction but not in the axial direction. In the reactor, the hydrogen gas may be transported from the gas phase to the liquid phase, across the gas/liquid interphase. Hydrogen may then be transported through the liquid to the external surface of the catalyst particles and then to the interior of the catalyst particle. Hydrogen gas may adsorb at an active site on the catalyst surface and reacts with the hydrocarbon molecules, which may be also adsorb on the active site. Reactions are taking place in the liquid phase. As soon as the hydrogen in the liquid phase is consumed, more hydrogen may be transported to the liquid phase since there is still large amount gas phase hydrogen in the system. Liquid molecules have simple behavior, since it is in the liquid state. The liquid molecules may be transported to the external surface of the catalyst and then diffuse into the pores of the solid catalyst. Liquid products are required to diffuse from the interior of the catalyst to the external surface and then be transported from the external surface to the bulk liquid. In the reactor, sulfur and nitrogen may be removed from hydrocarbons by forming H2S and NH3.

Two-phase hydroprocessing utilizing soluble hydrogen from the high pressure separator


A computer-implemented method for merging architecture data that are exchanged between an architecture definition tool and a behavior modeling tool includes: opening a first file with first architecture data and a second file with second architecture data in a comparison tool; comparing the first architecture data with the second architecture data to obtain a first list of differences; retrieving at least one combination rule, wherein the at least one combination rule comprises an identification rule for identifying a difference and a change to be applied to the identified difference; ascertaining a second list of differences that fulfill the identification rule and removing the differences of the second list from the first list; and applying the change defined in the at least one combination rule to each difference in the second list.

Control devices are used in a variety of applications to record physical quantities of a process and/or to act on a process via connected actuators; for example, they can be an anti-blocking control of a braking process. The time constants that determine the dynamic behavior of the process often cause cycle times of 1 ms or shorter, so that the control device must be real-time-capable. In order to accelerate the design of control devices, control strategies are frequently developed on the basis of models in a computing environment, such as MATLAB/Simulink. The process and/or controller or, in general, the behavior of the control device may thus be simulated first, and the presence of desired properties may be checked. In particular, the models can be block diagrams that comprise blocks that perform operations, such as calculations, wherein a block can calculate an output signal from multiple input signals, for example.
Source code for programming the control device can be generated directly from the models via a code generator. For example, a code generator for generating production quality source code is known from the document entitled "Production Quality Code Generation from Simulink Block Diagrams", Proceedings of the 1999 International Symposium on Computer Aided Control System Design, Kohala Coast, Hi., by H. Hanselmann et al. In this case, the generated production code can be adapted by an additional annotation of the blocks or block variables, in order to, for example, set the compliance with code standards or the use of fixed-point calculations. In particular, a combination of computing environment and code generator can be used as a behavior modeling tool.
Increasing the memory resources and the computing speed of modern microcontrollers enables increasingly more complex control strategies along with the execution of multiple programs on a single control device. In order to overcome this increased complexity, the AUTOSAR (AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture) development partnership has defined a software framework for developing ECU software (detailed information can be found at www.autosar.org). Before implementing the actual control strategy or the desired behavior, an architecture of the software is defined. The architecture comprises software components, subcomponents (runnable entities) and interfaces of software components. Messaging between various software components can take place via a runtime environment (RTE) that is adapted to the defined architecture. For example, the software architecture can correspond to the AUTOSAR Classic Platform standard version 4.3.0 of Nov. 30, 2016. SystemDesk by dSPACE can be used as the architecture definition tool.
In the case of workflow for generating a software component for a control device, the architecture definition tool and the behavior modeling tool must exchange data. This generally takes place with the aid of dedicated XML files. These files correspond, for example, to a formal exchange format defined by the AUTOSAR consortium (ARXML files). When the architecture has been defined, at least one ARXML file is generated and imported into the behavior modeling tool. Based on the data imported, the behavior modeling tool can generate a model framework. As soon as the desired control strategy has been modeled, the source code for the software component can be generated by the behavior modeling tool. Since portions of the data resulting from a code generation are also relevant to the architecture definition tool, the behavior modeling tool is also adapted for exporting ARXML files. During the development process, a round trip of ARXML files can take place multiple times between the architecture definition tool and the behavior modeling tool (and vice versa).
Problems during exchange can occur, for example, by the behavior modeling tool requiring and understanding only one portion of the architecture data, while other portions of the architecture data are generated and evaluated by the architecture definition tool. If the behavior modeling tool deletes or changes these other portions, this can have undesirable effects in the architecture definition tool.
Existing comparison programs for texts, which are arranged in lines with a plurality of words in each case, can only be applied to ARXML files with a more complex structure to a limited extent.


A washer for use with a fastener to join two components or plates includes a washer body having an inner portion and an outer portion joined by a connecting wall. The inner portion and the connecting wall form a cavity and the outer portion extends outwardly from the connecting wall to form a flange. The washer joins two plates fabricated from dissimilar material and minimizes stress in the joint. Additionally, the washer minimizes leakage through the joint and can be used with standard fasteners.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to fasteners and, more particularly, to washers therefor.
2. Background Art
Typical fasteners include an elongated shank extending from a proximate end to a distal end with a head disposed on the distal end thereof. The shank typically passes through apertures formed in component layers or plates that the fastener is joining together. The shank of a conventional fastener includes a threaded portion to be secured to an internally threaded nut for joining two or more components between the head of the fastener and the nut.
When a conventional fastener joins two components or plates, a leakage or seepage of water may occur through the joint. The leakage may increase if components are fabricated from dissimilar materials. Since dissimilar materials have different expansion and contraction rates, the components may move relative to each other and to the fastener and form gaps between the apertures in the components and the fastener. This problem may be exacerbated in harsh environments where the temperature differences are greater. Another disadvantage of conventional fasteners is that the material may be subjected to different stress and strain and form cracks that tend to propagate with time, thus, degrading the integrity of the joint.
Therefore, there is a need for a fastener assembly that can be used to join plates fabricated from dissimilar materials and will minimize leakage of fluids through the joint.


An electronic device includes a server, a plurality of fans, a fan holder attached to one outer side of the server and a plurality of fan ducts received in the fan holder. The server defines an inner cavity therein. Each fan is centrifugal fan and has a fan intake and a fan outlet perpendicular to the fan intake. The fan holder accommodates the fans therein. Each fan duct has an inlet communicating with the fan outlet and an outlet communicating with the inner cavity of the server through the fan holder to allow airflow from the fans into the server.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a heat dissipation system and an electronic device using the system.
2. Description of Related Art
Electronic components, such as central processing units (CPUs), generate heat during normal operation, which can deteriorate their operational stability, and damage associated electronic components. Thus, the heat must be removed quickly to ensure normal operation of the CPU. An electronic device such as a server utilizing multiple heat-generating components such as CPUs therein requires a powerful heat dissipation system. The heat dissipation system for the server often includes a plurality of fans mounted inside of the server for accelerating airflow therethrough. However, the heat dissipation system is inherently mounted in the server, such that when the server requires updating or replacement, the heat dissipation system must be abandoned accordingly.
What is needed, therefore, is a heat dissipation system can be reused in multiple servers.

Heat dissipation system and electronic device using the system


Various methods and apparatuses are described for a server that includes at least a server starter program, a monitor program, and a service program. The server starter program runs resident on a computer readable storage medium. The server starter program contains code scripted to start and stop server applications. The monitor program also runs resident on the computer readable storage medium. The monitor program contains code scripted to detect a failure associated with a first server application and to communicate to the server starter program to re-start one or more server applications based upon the detected failure associated with the first server application. The service program registers as an operating system service with the operating system. The service program controls requests and communicates to the operating system on behalf of the first server application in the server.

Software bugs can cause server applications to crash, which makes these services unavailable. A solution to improve the availability of server service is to form a cluster of two or more servers to service multiple users in a high availability configuration (HA). The high availability solution, such as a Sun Cluster™ and a Veritas Cluster Server™, can provide for another server to provide similar functionality when server applications fail on a first server. Some HA frameworks are constructed for specific implementation for one customer who has multiple clients using the HA cluster of servers. For complex server software that involves multiple processes with dependencies, implementing an agent for every framework with all the complexity to detect failures and initiate restart may be impractical and prone to errors.

Various methods and apparatuses to restart a server