In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of the invention, a rigid substrate which supports one or more semiconductor elements on a surface of the substrate and is clamped between an upper mold and a lower mold of an encapsulation mold at a time of resin encapsulation is provided, so that a vent-end edge portion of the substrate corresponding to a vent end of the encapsulation mold has a thickness smaller than a thickness of other portions of the substrate. The substrate is disposed in the encapsulation mold, and resin is injected into a cavity between the upper mold and the substrate to encapsulate the semiconductor elements with the resin.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device of resin-encapsulation type using a rigid substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a semiconductor device (semiconductor package) of surface mounting type, the semiconductor elements (chips) with the semiconductor integrated circuit formed therein are mounted on the semiconductor device surface. In such a semiconductor device, the bump electrodes are provided as the external terminals and the chip carrier substrate is provided to support the semiconductor elements thereon. For example, CSP (chip scale package), BGA (ball grid array), etc. are known as examples of this semiconductor device.
In recent years, with the demands of the small size, slim and lightweight structure of electronic devices, the surface mounting type semiconductor packages have come to be briskly adopted. Among the semiconductor packages of this type, the CSP is the general term of the semiconductor package having the small-size and slim structure, the size being equivalent to or slightly larger than the chip size.
For example, the CSP has been developed which is configured to have the structure that the semiconductor chips are carried on the surface of the chip carrier substrate, and a resin encapsulation portion is formed by carrying out the resin encapsulation to encompass the surface of the chip carrier substrate where the semiconductor chips are supported.
There are two kinds of the resin-encapsulation type semiconductor packages mentioned above: one using the tape substrate as the chip carrier substrate, and the other using the rigid substrate as the chip carrier substrate.
It is known that an example of the semiconductor packages of the kind using the tape substrate is the CSP in which a polyimide tape having certain flexibility is used as the tape substrate. On the other hand, it is known that an example of the semiconductor packages of the kind using the rigid substrate is the CSP in which a ceramic or resin substrate having certain rigidity is used as the rigid substrate.
The unified molding method has been developed as the technology of improving the efficiency of production of chip scale packages (CSP) which are manufactured using the rigid substrate or the tape substrate with low cost. In the unified molding method, two or more semiconductor elements (chips) are arranged in an array formation and mounted on the chip carrier substrate (for example, the rigid substrate), and the chip array region, including the semiconductor elements, is subjected to the resin encapsulation and molding in a unified manner so that the resin-encapsulation portion is formed. After the resin encapsulation is performed, the dicing is performed so that the chip array region with the resin-encapsulation portion formed is divided into the respective separate chips by cutting.
In recent years, there is the trend that the semiconductor packages using the rigid substrate are directed to having the inexpensive and slim structure, and such semiconductor packages are in the tendency that the rigid substrate is enlarged (or the whole substrate surface to be used to support the semiconductor element) and the rigid substrate has the slim structure.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-110718 discloses a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device. In this method, a plurality of semiconductor chips are supported on the tape substrate, and the unified resin encapsulation of the same is performed. It is disclosed that, in order to reduce the curvature of the resin encapsulation portion, the unified resin encapsulation is performed using the encapsulation mold which is provided with the convex portion on the cavity formation surface of the mold.
With the enlarged and slim structure of the rigid substrate, some small curvature and bending defects may arise in the chip carrier substrate of the semiconductor package due to the processing heat applied in the die-bonding process or the wire-bonding process.
Subsequently, the transfer molding process is performed. In the transfer molding process, the curvature or bending defects arising in the preceding process are pushed toward the vent-end of the mold (or in the direction where the resin flows) by the resin injection pressure, and the curvature or bending defects are concentrated on the vent-end of the mold. Hence, there is the problem that the rigid substrate will curve greatly.
Moreover, there is the problem that the semiconductor chips mounted on the rigid substrate are subjected to the residual stress due to the curvature or bending defects after the resin encapsulation is performed so that the semiconductor chips will be damaged, or the bonding wires will be deformed.
FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are diagrams for explaining a conventional molding process of a semiconductor device using a rigid substrate.
FIG. 1A shows a state of the semiconductor device at the time of resin injection in the unified molding process of the semiconductor device, and FIG. 1B shows a state of the semiconductor device after the resin injection is performed.
The rigid substrate 1 of FIG. 1A is the circuit board which contains a printed circuit board made of glass epoxy resin or a ceramic substrate. It should be noted that the rigid substrate 1 has some rigidity unlike the tape substrate.
The electrodes and wiring pattern for interconnection with the electrodes of the semiconductor device are formed on the front surface of the rigid substrate 1, and the electrodes for interconnection with the external electrodes are formed on the back surface of the rigid substrate 1.
The encapsulation mold used by the molding process of FIG. 1A is provided with the upper mold 2 and the lower mold 3, and the mold cavity is formed on the back surface of the upper mold 2.
In the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device which is in the state before the resin injection as shown in FIG. 1A, the rigid substrate 1 is disposed between the upper mold 2 and the lower mold 3.
The die-bonding and wire-bonding processes are already performed with the rigid substrate 1 in the state of FIG. 1A, a plurality of semiconductor elements (chips) (not shown) are arranged in an array formation on the chip-support surface of the rigid substrate 1. The chips are mounted in the chip array region of the rigid substrate 1, and the electrodes (pads) of the semiconductor elements and the connection terminals (electrodes) of the rigid substrate 1 are connected each other by the bonding wires.
With the processing heat applied in the die-bonding process or the wire-bonding process, the curvature of the rigid substrate 1 may often arise.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the resin 11 is injected into the mold cavity of the upper mold 2 from the gate-end of the mold on the right-hand side of the figure.
As shown in FIG. 1B, the resin-encapsulation portion is formed by carrying out the resin encapsulation of the semiconductor elements (chips) carried on the chip support surface of the rigid substrate 1 collectively with the injected resin 11.
However, as described above, in the transfer molding process of FIG. 1A, the curvature or bending defects arising in the preceding process are pushed toward the vent-end of the mold (in the direction where the resin 11 flows) by the resin injection pressure, and the curvature or bending defects are concentrated on the vent-end of the mold. Therefore, there is the problem that the rigid substrate 1 will curve greatly.
In FIG. 1B, reference numeral 9 indicates the position of the rigid substrate 1 where a relatively large curvature of the rigid substrate 1 arises and the deformation of the wires connected to the semiconductor elements occurs.
On the other hand, in the semiconductor packages using the tape substrate, the tape substrate itself has some flexibility, and the problem of the wire deformation as shown in FIG. 1B does not arise. However, there is the problem that the tape substrate is expensive when compared with the rigid substrate, and it is not adequate to satisfy the recent requirements of the substrate enlargement and the cost reduction.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using a rigid substrate including the vent-end edge portion of the substrate has a thickness smaller than the other portions of the substrate


A frame transmission apparatus includes multiple ports provided in a line unit, and a setting control unit. The setting control unit checks the normality of the frame transfer state within the apparatus by transferring a maintenance management frame from a first port to a second port within the apparatus. When the first port is a logical port configured by link aggregation of multiple physical ports, the setting control unit selects each of the multiple physical ports as a transmission source port and transfers multiple maintenance management frames from the multiple physical ports to the second port.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a frame transmission apparatus and a method for checking normality in a frame transmission apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a technique for improving the quality of a communication path between communication apparatuses performing packet transfer, a link aggregation technique as described in Non-Patent Document 1 is known. Link aggregation is a technique of providing multiple physical links, such as cables, between neighboring communication apparatuses and bundling the physical links to form a virtual logical link. With the link aggregation, a communication path with a wider band can be obtained without preparing an expensive cable or communication interface. Also, since multiple physical links are used in parallel, even when part of the physical links has broken, complete disconnection of the communication path can be prevented, thereby improving availability of communication systems. In a communication system adopting link aggregation, a packet is transferred using one of multiple physical links.
Also, as a technique for maintaining networks for telecommunications carriers providing Layer 2 virtual private network (VPN) services, a function called Ethernet operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) is known (Ethernet is a registered trademark). Ethernet OAM is standardized in Non-Patent Documents 2 and 3. In Ethernet OAM, a maintenance function point called a maintenance entity group end point (MEP) can be set. For example, a frame for maintenance management (hereinafter, referred to as a "maintenance management frame") defined in Ethernet OAM is transmitted between two MEPs so as to check the normality of the frame transmission state between the MEPs.
[Non-Patent Document 1] IEEE Std 802.1AX -2008 Link Aggregation
[Non-Patent Document 2] ITU-T Y.1731, "OAM functions and mechanisms for Ethernet based networks" ("Ethernet" is a registered trademark)
[Non-Patent Document 3] IEEE Std 802.1ag Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks Amendment 5: Connectivity Fault Management

Frame transmission apparatus and method for checking normality

NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION


The present invention provides a method of generating a signal that may be used to determine the characteristic response of a communication channel that utilizes the public Digital Telephone Network (DTN). The channel includes the DTN, which may have Network Digital Attenuators (NDA) and/or Robbed Bit Signalling (RBS), and a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC), (also known as a codec), as well as the analog characteristics of the local loop, typically a twisted pair of copper wires. The present invention provides a method and apparatus to determine the optimal sampling instant of the received data stream. The present invention provides a probing signal that is well-suited for use in determining the channel's response to a known sequence of PCM codes used as data symbols. This is especially useful in so-called PCM modulation schemes that utilize the DTN, where knowledge of network and DAC distortion predicates the selection of available PCM codes used to represent data. This information is also useful when the data receiver, or PCM modem, makes determinations of which codes were actually sent.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and device for generating a probing signal for use in a pulse code modulation (PCM) data communication system. The communication system of particular interest herein uses the public digital telephone network (DTN) to transmit data. The presence of Robbed-Bit-Signaling (RBS) and/or a Network Digital Attenuators (NDA), and codec conversion distortion within the DTN impacts negatively upon the communication system performance. Determining its presence in the system allows the communication devices to minimize the impact of the distortion. The probing signal of the present invention exhibits properties particularly well suited for distortion detection.
B. Description of the Related Art
For many years the public digital telephone network (DTN) has been used for data transmission between modems. Typically, a modulated carrier is sent over a local loop to a service provider (e.g., a Regional Bell Operating Company), whereupon the service provider quantizes the signal for transmission through the DTN. A service provider that is located near the receiving location converts the digital signal back to an analog signal for transmission over a local loop to the receiving modem. This system is limited in the maximum achievable data rate at least in part by the sampling rate of the quantizers, which is typically 8 kHz (which rate is also the corresponding channel transmission rate, or clock rate, of the DTN).
Furthermore, the analog-to-digital (AID) and digital-to-analog (D/A) conversions are typically performed in accordance with a non-linear quantizing rule. In North America, this conversion rule is known as .mu.-law. A similar non-linear sampling technique known as A-law is used in certain areas of the world such as Europe. The non-linear A/D and D/A conversion is generally performed by a codec (coder/decoder) device located at the interfaces between the DTN and local loops. Alternatively, these devices are referred to herein as a DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and an ADC (analog-to-digital converter).
It has been recognized that a data distribution system using the public telephone network can overcome certain aspects of the aforesaid limitations by providing a digital data source connected directly to the DTN, without an intervening codec. In such a system, the telephone network routes digital signals from the data source to a client's local subscriber loop without any intermediary analog facilities, such that the only analog portion of the link from the data source to the client is the client's local loop (plus the associated analog electronics at both ends of the loop). The only codec in the transmission path is the one at the DTN end of the client's subscriber loop.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a data distribution system. The system includes a data source 10, or server, having a direct digital connection 30 to a digital telephone network (DTN) 20. A client 40 is connected to the DTN 30 by a subscriber loop 50 that is typically a two-wire, or twisted-pair, cable. The DTN routes digital signals from the data source 10 to the client's local subscriber loop 50 without any intermediary analog facilities such that the only analog portion of the link from the server 10 to the client 40 is the subscriber loop 50. The analog portion thus includes the channel characteristics of the subscriber loop 50 plus the associated analog electronics at both ends of the subscriber loop 50. The analog electronics are well known to those skilled in the art and typically include a subscriber line interface card at the central office that includes a codec, as well as circuitry used to generate and interpret call progress signals (ring voltage, on-hook and off-hook detection, etc.). In the system of FIG. 1, the only codec in the transmission path from the server 10 to the client 40 is a DAC located at the DTN 20 end of the subscriber loop 50. It is understood that the client-side, or subscriber-side, equipment may incorporate an ADC and DAC for its internal signal processing, as is typical of present day modem devices. For the reverse channel, the only ADC converter in the path from the client 40 to the server 10 is also at the DTN 20 end of the subscriber loop 50.
In the system of FIG. 1, the server 10, having direct digital access to the DTN 20 may be a single computer, or may include a communications hub that provides digital access to a number of computers or processing units. Such a hub/server is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,595, issued Jun. 18, 1996, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Another hub/server configuration is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,105, issued Nov. 19, 1996, the contents of which are also incorporated herein by reference.
In the system shown in FIG. 1, digital data can be input to the DTN 20 as 8-bit bytes (octets) at the 8 kHz clock rate of the DTN. This is commonly referred to as a DS-0 signal format. At the interface between the DTN 20 and the subscriber loop 50, the DTN 20 codec converts each byte to one of 255 analog voltage levels (two different octets each represent 0 volts) that are sent over the subscriber loop 50 and received by a decoder at the client's location. The last leg of this system, i.e., the local loop 50 from the network codec to the client 40, may be viewed as a type of baseband data transmission system because no carrier is being modulated in the transmission of the data. The baseband signal set contains the positive and negative voltage pulses output by the codec in response to the binary octets sent over the DTN. The client 40, as shown in FIG. 1, may be referred to herein as a PCM modem.
FIG. 3 shows a .mu.-law to linear conversion graph for one-half of the claw codeword set used by the DTN 20 codec. As shown in FIG. 3, the analog voltages (shown as decimal equivalents of linear codewords having 16 bits) corresponding to the quantization levels are non-uniformly spaced and follow a generally logarithmic curve. In other words, the increment in the analog voltage level produced from one codeword to the next is not linear, but depends on the mapping as shown in FIG. 3. Note that the vertical scale of FIG. 3 is calibrated in integers from 0 to 32,124. These numbers correspond to a linear 16-bit A/D converter. As is known to those of ordinary skill in the art, the sixteenth bit is a sign bit which provides integers from 0 to -32124 which correspond to octets from 0 to 127, not shown in FIG. 3. Thus FIG. 3 can be viewed as a conversion between the logarithmic binary data and the corresponding linear 16-bit binary data. It can also be seen in FIG. 3 that the logarithmic function of the standard conversion format is approximated by a series of 8 linear segments.
The conversion from octet to analog voltage (or a digital representation of the analog voltage, as discussed above) is well known, and as stated above, is based on a system called .mu.-law coding in North America and A-law coding in Europe. Theoretically, there are 256 points represented by the 256 possible octets, or .mu.-law codewords. The format of the .mu.-law codewords is shown in FIG. 2, where the most significant bit b.sub.7 indicates the sign, the three bits b.sub.6 -b.sub.4 represent the linear segment, and the four bits, b.sub.0 -b.sub.3 indicate the step along the particular linear segment. These points are symmetric about zero; i.e., there are 128 positive and 128 negative levels, including two encodings of zero. Since there are 254 non-zero points, the maximum number of bits that can be sent per signaling interval (symbol) is just under 8 bits. A .mu.-law or A-law codeword may be referred to herein as a PCM codeword. It is actually the PCM codeword that results in the DTN 20 codec to output a particular analog voltage. The codeword and the corresponding voltage may be referred to herein as "points."
Other factors, such as robbed-bit signaling, digital attenuation (pads), channel distortion and noise introduced by the subscriber loop, and the crowding of points at the smaller voltage amplitudes and the associated difficulty in distinguishing between them at the decoder/receiver, may reduce the maximum attainable bit rate. Robbed Bit Signaling (RBS) involves the periodic use of the least significant bit (LSB) of the PCM codeword by the DTN 20 to convey control information. Usually the robbed bit is replaced with a logical `1` before transmission to the client 40. The DTN performs robbed-bit signalling on a cyclic basis, robbing the lsb of an individual channel every sixth PCM codeword. In addition, due to the fact that a channel might traverse several digital networks before arriving at the terminus of the DTN 20, more than one PCM codeword per 6 time slots could have a bit robbed by each network, with each network link robbing a different lsb.
To control power levels, some networks impose digital attenuators that act on the PCM codewords to convert them to smaller values. Unlike most analog attenuators, a network digital attenuator (NDA) is not linear. Because there are a finite number of digital levels to choose from, the NDA will be unable to convert each codeword to a unique, lower magnitude codeword. This causes distortion of the analog level ultimately transmitted by the codec over the subscriber loop 50. RBS and an NDA can coexist in many combinations. For example, a PCM interval could have a robbed bit of type `1`, followed by an NDA followed by another robbed bit of type `1`. This could happen to a byte if a channel goes through a bit-robbed link, then through an NDA, then another bit-robbed link before reaching the DTN 20 codec.
It is evident that the above-described data transmission system may corrupt and distort the points that are used to transmit data through the system: e.g., lsbs may be robbed during some time slots thereby making some points unavailable in that time slot; digital attenuators may make some points ambiguous; the codec may not generate the analog voltages accurately; and, noise on the local loop may prevent the use of closely spaced points for a desired error rate. Thus it is desirable to be able to determine what types of distortion are present in the system so that the communication devices may minimize the effects of the distortion.

Method and apparatus for generating a probing signal for a system having non-linear network and codec distortion


MEMS devices with a rigid backplate and a method of making a MEMS device with a rigid backplate are disclosed. In one embodiment, a device includes a substrate and a backplate supported by the substrate. The backplate includes elongated protrusions.

Over the past years a desire for smaller electronic form factors and power consumption along with increased performance has driven an integration of device components. One area where integration took place is area of MEMS devices. More specifically, microphones in electronic devices such as, e.g., cell phones, laptops, and tablets are predominately MEMS microphones.
A MEMS (Micro-Electrical-Mechanical System) microphone comprises a pressure-sensitive diaphragm disposed in a silicon chip. The MEMS microphone is sometimes integrated with a preamplifier into a single chip. MEMS microphones may also include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit making it a digital MEMS microphone.

Methods of manufacturing a MEMS device having a backplate with elongated protrusions


The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of Linaclotide by oxidizing linear Linaclotide of formula (II) using combination of air and oxidizing agent followed by purification using RP-HPLC.

Linaclotide is a guanylate cyclase-C (GC-C) agonist. Guanylate cyclase-C refers to a transmembrane form of guanylate cyclase that acts as the intestinal receptor for the heat-stable toxin (ST) peptides secreted by enteric bacteria. Guanylate cyclase-C is also the receptor for the naturally occurring peptides guanylin and uroguanylin.
Both Linaclotide and its active metabolite bind to GC-C and act locally on the luminal surface of the intestinal epithelium. Activation of GC-C results in an increase in both intracellular and extracellular concentrations of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Elevation in intracellular cGMP stimulates secretion of chloride and bicarbonate into the intestinal lumen, mainly through activation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) ion channel, resulting in increased intestinal fluid and accelerated transit. In animal models, Linaclotide has been shown to both accelerate GI transit and reduce intestinal pain. The Linaclotide-induced reduction in visceral pain in animals is thought to be mediated by increased extracellular cGMP, which was shown to decrease the activity of pain-sensing nerves.
Linaclotide having SEQ ID NO: 1 is a peptide having 14 amino acids, with the sequence Cys Cys Glu Tyr Cys Cys Asn Pro Ala Cys Thr Gly Cys Tyr. This molecule is cyclical by forming three disulfide bonds between Cys1 and Cys6, between Cys2 and Cys10 and between Cys5 and Cys13.

Linaclotide is marketed in USA under the trade name LINZESS in the form of capsules having dosage forms 145 mcg and 290 mcg for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and chronic idiopathic constipation.
Linaclotide for first time disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,304,036. This patent discloses two different methods for the preparation of Linaclotide either by chemical synthesis or by recombinant DNA technology. Chemical synthesis is carried out by solid-phase method using an automated peptide synthesizer such as Cyc(4-CH2Bxl)-OCH2-4-(oxymethyl)phenylacetamidomethyl resin using a double coupling program to yield linear protected compound attached to the resin, which is deprotected and cleaved from resin using hydrogen fluoride, dimethyl sulfide, anisole and p-thiocresol. Thereafter obtained linear Linaclotide is oxidized using dimethyl sulfoxide, and then the crude peptide was lyophilized and purified using Reverse phase-HPLC to obtain Linaclotide in 10-20% yield.
The above said patent has following drawbacks 1) the patent utilizes extremely toxic, corrosive and volatile hydrogen fluoride 2) oxidation using DMSO requires large volume of solvent, the oxidation time is too long. Therefore, throughout the production process, the oxidation step will occupy the large proportion.
Biopolymers, Issue 96, Volume 1, Pages 69-80 (2011) also discloses synthesis of Linaclotide by solid phase synthesis, following sequential addition of amino acids to the supported resin (Wang or 2-chlorotrityl resin) and thereafter cleaved from resin and deprotection is carried out in two steps. Oxidation of obtained peptide and followed by purification by RP-HPLC and lyophilization. This paper suggests the use of air, DMSO, red glutathione for oxidizing the linear Linaclotide peptide. Oxidation using air alone takes long duration (more than 24-48 hr) for completion and a high dilution is required.
The prior art as discussed above necessitates the isolation of crude Linaclotide by lyophilization before subjecting it into chromatographic purification. The said isolation is important to get the product in pure form, without any contamination. The principle disadvantage of lyophilization are 1) it requires high capital cost of equipment 2) it takes long process time and associated with high energy costs. Hence overall productivity is decreased.
WO 2012/118972 discloses a process for the preparation of Linaclotide by coupling the two fragments in solution phase in presence of a coupling agents HBTU, Cl-HOBt, DIPEA, DMF to obtain linear protected Linaclotide, which is deprotected in presence of TFA:EDT:TIS:H2O and oxidation in presence of sodium bicarbonate and glutathione hydrochloride, followed by purification using preparative RP-HPLC and lyophilization. Since the peptide synthesis is carried out in solution phase, the obtained product is often contaminated with undesired peptide as a byproduct and hence removal of this byproduct becomes tedious.
WO 2014/188011 discloses a process for the preparation of Linaclotide by solid phase synthesis. This publication utilizes DMSO as an oxidizing agent and the said reaction took more than 24 hour for completion thereby the productivity is decreased.
Considering the importance of Linaclotide as a medicinal product, there is a need to increase the productivity of the said peptide. The present inventors have made Linaclotide by the process, which is simple and industrially scalable with consistent yields. Further, the Linaclotide obtained by the process of the present invention results in higher yield and purity. Applicant surprisingly found that the Linaclotide can be manufactured in pure form by oxidizing the linear Linaclotide utilizing combination of air and oxidizing agent there by productivity is increased and the product formation is kinetically favored.
Applicant also find that purification of Linaclotide applying reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) comprising a first, second and a third chromatography steps with a mixture of an aqueous buffer or aqueous acid with an organic solvent for elution yields high purity compound.

Process for the preparation of linaclotide


Change control in a software release stream is managed by a computer implemented Request To Integrate (RTI) system, including at least one user unit having an input unit and a display. A server unit which is connected to the user unit(s) creates and stores RTI files representing requests to integrate changes into the software release stream, and enables a selected RTI file to be displayed on the display unit under control of the input unit. The server unit includes a database in which the RTI files are stored under the Source Code Control System (SCCS), and a search engine for searching the database and displaying selected RTI files and their histories. The RTI files are in World Wide Web (WWW) HyperText Markup Language (HTML) text format, and are accessible through a WWW browser in the user unit(s) and a cooperating WWW server in the server unit. The server unit stores and executes a program including a WWW home page, and developer, evaluator and gatekeeper pages which are accessible through the home page. RTI files are created, edited, viewed, approved, placed on hold, canceled and integrated into the software release stream through the WWW page hierarchy by entering data through the input unit(s). The system further includes a software bug database which is accessible through hyperlinks in the WWW pages, and a user database which limits access to verified users.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the art of computer software development, and more specifically to a computer implemented request to integrate (RTI) system for managing change control in a software release stream.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer technology has evolved to the extent that commercially successful application programs are extremely large and complex, and require the coordinated efforts of a number of persons to produce a finished product.
The scope of these applications requires that modules of program code be written and debugged by individual programmers, also known as developers, working in parallel. It is necessary to coordinate and integrate the developers' work products to produce a complete application program.
Additions, modifications, bug fixes, etc. can be made to a partially completed version of a program using the concept of a "software release stream". Code changes are proposed by developers in the form of "Requests To Integrate (RTI)", which are evaluated by other individuals in view of their merit and the development status of the program. The software release stream at any given time consists of the core program including previously integrated changes, and pending RTIs.
An important business objective is to maintain a fluid and controlled software release cycle. Group workspace hierarchies are used to manage the development, integration and release of software. It is essential to minimize development overhead yet provide the necessary change control needed to track software releases based upon bug fixes, code changes, feature releases, product enhancements and documentation changes.
Software release stream management has previously been performed using combinations of pencil and paper lists, improvised database files, e-mail messages, etc., which are prone to omissions, errors, and data loss.
A need exists in the art for an automated software release stream management system which positively tracks all RTIs from initial creation to final integration into one or more release streams, and enables developers, evaluators, gatekeepers, and other interested persons to access the entire RTI database of relevant projects.

Computer implemented request to integrate (RTI) system for managing change control in software release stream


Embodiments of the invention relate to providing quantized congestion notification (QCN) in networks. One embodiment includes a method that includes determining a traffic flow congestion by a particular congestion point (CP) unit of multiple CP units that communicate with at least one end unit, at least one reaction point (RP) unit and at least one controller in a network. A first congestion notification message (CNM) and a second CNM are generated by the particular CP unit. The particular CP unit sends the first CNM directly to the controller and the second CNM directly to the RP unit. Traffic flow is managed among the multiple CP units by the controller based on the first CNM.

Embodiments of the invention relate to quantized congestion notification (QCN) for computing environments and, in particular, providing QCN for OpenFlow networks/Software Defined Networks (SDN).
QCN is an end-to-end congestion avoidance technique where the end-node/Reaction Point (RP) throttle the communication traffic flow based on Congestion Notification Messages (CNM) feedback from the Congestion Points (CP), such as edge bridge switches. With QCN, the congestion checks and CNM generation are performed in hardware. The CNMs are relayed to the RP indirectly through each CP. At the end-station or node, the RP implements queues in the network interface card (NIC)/converged network adapter (CNA) and react to CNMs messages to reduce or eliminate congestion and packet drop.

Quantized congestion notification for computing environments

International Business Machines Corporation


Unique 3-PPB monobenzoate analogs useful as plasticizers in polymeric dispersions, such as plastisols, melt compounds, and adhesives among other applications. The analogs are structurally similar to and/or derived from 3-phenylpropyl benzoate and heretofore were not known for use in industrial applications, particularly not as a plasticizer in polymeric applications including without limitation plastisols and adhesives. Depending on the application, the advantages rendered by the use of the inventive monobenzoate analogs include, among other things, excellent solvating properties and rheology, low viscosity and significantly improved viscosity over time, comparable or improved Tg suppression, set and open times, as well as health, safety and environmental advantages, over traditional plasticizers.

Plasticizers, as polymer additives, have been known for more than a century. Most high volume plasticizers have been developed in the last seventy years, primarily for use with vinyl and other polymeric substances. Plasticizers are used more than any other type of polymer additives, particularly in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) applications, such as plastisols; however, a wide variety of applications for plasticizer use are well known. Hundreds of plasticizers have been produced, but only a few remain having acceptable performance properties when combined with vinyl or other polymeric materials.
General purpose phthalates dominate the volume of plasticizers purchased every year and are most often selected for compounding flexible vinyl.
A typical plasticizer is defined as an organic liquid that will soften a polymer and make it more workable, as long as the polymer and plasticizer are at least partially compatible. Generally, plasticizers are used to adjust hardness (or softness) of a polymer, alter tensile properties (such as strength, elongation or flexibility) and to facilitate processability, as required, for a multitude of applications, including without limitation flexible vinyl applications.
Plasticizers serve as a vehicle for the dispersion of resin (polymer) particles, such as PVC in a plastisol. The dispersion is initially a two-phase, heterogeneous system. Plasticizers promote the formation of homogeneous systems and polymer fusion occurs upon heating. The higher the solvating power, the lower the temperature at which the system is fused, which, in turn, decreases the residence time and increases the speed at which polymeric compositions can be processed into an end product, resulting in a faster, more efficient and economical process.
In adhesives, plasticizers are used as additives to modify physical properties of the adhesive and the polymer film formed by the dried adhesive. Plasticizers facilitate the formation of an adhesive bond and prevent failure of the bond after aging. Plasticizers soften the polymer and add flexibility to the adhesive bond, without adversely affecting the degree of adhesion, lower the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the adhesive film making the polymer more flexible and the glue more efficient, and enhance film formation by lowering the minimum film formation temperature (MFFT).
In all applications, a plasticizer must be at least partially compatible with the base polymer. Compatibility is an important requirement for the selection of a plasticizer. Plasticizers should also possess chemical stability, low toxicity and low volatility. Finally, plasticizers should also be economically feasible.
Plasticizers are available in a wide variety of alternative chemistries and include: 1) general purpose, 2) specialty types and 3) secondary and diluent types, more fully described herein. Plasticizers are also distinguished based on their ability to solvate dispersed solid polymers and/or their gelation and fusion temperatures in plastisols, Gelation and fusion temperatures dictate the speed of production and are influenced by the solvating power of the plasticizer. By way of example only, the gelation and fusion temperatures of a plastisol containing a dibenzoate plasticizer will be lower than a plastisol containing a general purpose phthalate alone, thus enabling speed of processing and lower processing temperatures in that particular application.
General purpose plasticizers provide an excellent compromise between performance characteristics and economy for most applications. Some examples include: bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP or DOP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), dioctyl phthalate (DnOP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), dipropylheptyl phthalate (DPHP), di-2-ethylhexyl terephthalate (DOTP or DEHT), and diisononyl-1,2 cyclohexane dicarboxylate (DIDC or BASF's Hexamoll® DINCH).
Environmental scrutiny has led to the development of "next generation" general purpose non-phthalate plasticizers, such as DOTP and DIDC. Even though DOTP, chemically, is a phthalate, it is not an orthophthalate, the use of which is subject to increasing regulatory pressure. These "next generation" phthalate alternatives are viable; however, they do not always give the performance desired in vinyl compositions, particularly in plastisols (i.e., they have poorer compatibility resulting in slower speed, higher gel temperatures, lower gel strength). Blends of plasticizers can be used to adjust performance, although there may be some limits to this approach.
Some applications, however, require performance that cannot be achieved by use of a general purpose plasticizer alone. Applications that require better resistance to oils and solvents are one such example. General purpose phthalates are easily extracted by nonpolar solvents such as hexanes, such that alternative plasticizers would be a much better choice. There is also a need for plasticizers that are higher solvators for PVC and other polymer applications. These high solvators should also have a favorable rheology profile.
Specialty type plasticizers were developed, in part, to fulfill the need for high solvators, the most popular being lower molecular weight phthalates. An example of such a plasticizer is butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), which has been often employed as a high solvating plasticizer. Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) are also useful high solvator, specialty type plasticizers. Examples of non-phthalate, high solvating plasticizers include dibenzoate esters, some citric acid esters, alkyl sulfonic acid esters, and certain phosphates. Dibutyl terephthalate (DBTP) and N-alkyl pyrrolidones have also been proposed as specialty type, high solvator plasticizers. Most high solvating (solvator) plasticizers are fast fusing and will increase processing speed and lower processing temperatures, but are limited in their usefulness due to poor rheology characteristics. An ideal plasticizer possesses a good balance between solvation and rheology characteristics.
Benzoate plasticizers include dibenzoates and monobenzoates, such as diethylene glycol dibenzoate (DEGDB) and dipropylene glycol dibenzoate (DPGDB) esters that have been used in a wide variety of polymer applications, including in the vinyl industry. DEGDB is an excellent plasticizer, but due to its high freeze point, blends with DPGDB were also developed to capitalize on the utility of DEGDB. Several years ago a blend of DEGDB, DPGDB and triethylene glycol dibenzoates (TEGDB) was introduced as a high solvating dibenzoate blend. More recently, a new dibenzoate triblend was introduced as a plasticizer/coalescent for use in plastisols, adhesives, architectural paint and coatings, and polishes, among other applications. This triblend, comprising DEGDB, DPGDB and 1,2-propylene glycol dibenzoate (PGDB) in various ratios and sold as K-FLEX® 975P, has been found to be very versatile for a variety of applications, based on its broad range of compatibilities with polymers. The triblend possesses good solvating properties for polyvinyl chloride applications. Its performance properties compare favorably to traditional high solvating phthalate plasticizers as well as traditional benzoate ester plasticizers. Suitable applications include: plastisols, including without limitation PVC and acrylic-based plastisols; adhesives, including without limitation polyvinyl acetate and vinyl acetate ethylene; caulks and sealants, including without limitation polysulfides); and coatings, including without limitation vinyl acrylic, acrylic and styrene acrylic types.
Monobenzoate esters known to be useful as plasticizers include: isodecyl benzoate, isononyl benzoate, and 2-ethylhexyl benzoate. For example, isodecyl benzoate has been described as a useful coalescent for paint compositions and for use in the preparation of plastisols in U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,987 to Arendt. The use of isodecyl benzoate has also been described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,629,413 to Godwin et al. as a useful secondary plasticizer in combination with phthalate plasticizers to provide lower viscosity and lower volatility in PVC plastisols. The use of 2-ethylhexyl benzoate in a blend with DEGDB and diethylene glycol monobenzoate is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,830 to Arendt et al. The use of isononyl esters of benzoic acid as film-forming agents in compositions such as emulsion paints, mortars, plasters, adhesives, and varnishes is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,638,568 to Grass et al. More recently, as described in WO 2013/123127, WO 2013/123149, and WO 2013/123188, it has been discovered that the monobenzoate, 3-phenylpropyl benzoate (3-PPB), which had not heretofore been used in polymeric applications of the type discussed herein, is a surprisingly effective plasticizer alone or in blends for polymeric applications.
"Half ester" monobenzoates include dipropylene glycol monobenzoate and diethylene glycol monobenzoate, which are byproducts of the production of dibenzoates, but which, most of the time, are not objects of production. Half esters are not known for being high solvators, although they may be used in conjunction therewith. Half esters are also not as useful in PVC as dibenzoate plasticizers, because they are less compatible than the corresponding dibenzoate with PVC. However, the half esters are compatible with emulsions polymers, such as acrylic and/or vinyl ester polymers.
Examples of secondary and diluent type plasticizers, used primarily to reduce plastisol viscosity, include those based on castor oil and soybean oil. Isodecyl benzoate, a monobenzoate, is also a useful diluent type plasticizer.
All of the high solvator plasticizers (regardless of type) add value to vinyl compositions that traditional general purpose plasticizers cannot. Traditional general purpose plasticizers have good rheology profiles and are compatible with many polymers but have poor solvating ability. Moreover, many of the high solvator plasticizers are phthalates, for which safer alternatives are being sought.
There remains a need for non-phthalate, low VOC plasticizers for use in polymeric applications, such as plastisols, adhesives, paints and other coatings, as alternatives to traditional primary and secondary diluent plasticizers. These alternatives should be compatible with a wide variety of polymers and have lower VOC content and comparable or better performance properties when used in polymer applications, such as vinyl, traditionally requiring plasticizers. Non-phthalate, low VOC alternatives are particularly desirable in view of environmental, health and safety issues associated with many of the traditional diluent type plasticizers.
It has been discovered that certain analogs of 3-PPB are surprisingly effective plasticizer alternatives for use in polymeric applications, including but not limited to plastisols, paints and other coatings, adhesives, OPV's and inks, and provide improved or comparable performance over 3-PPB, when used alone or in blends with other plasticizers, or as a diluent. These analogs are derived from alcohols not traditionally used in industrial applications, but rather in the flavor and fragrance field. Advantages of these monobenzoate analogs versus conventional plasticizers are their performance and handling properties, which are better than most dibenzoates and monobenzoates previously used, including comparable or better viscosity, rheology and solvating properties, improved viscosity stability over time and lower cost. A significant, unexpected advantage is gained in viscosity control, with no sacrifice of solvating properties, as compared to traditional plasticizers, including the benzoates.
The monobenzoate analogs of the invention include compounds that are structurally similar to 3-PPB. One of the inventive monobenzoate analogs, 2-methyl-3-phenylpropyl benzoate (HMCA benzoate) is not commercially available and has not been used in polymeric applications of the type discussed herein. Other inventive analogs include 2-phenylethyl 2-phenylacetate, commonly used in the fragrance industry, benzyl 3-phenylpropanoate, and benzyl 2-methyl-3-phenylpropanoate. None of these analogs have been used in polymeric applications of the type herein described.
While this invention is focused on the use of the inventive analogs as plasticizers in plastisol compositions and adhesives, other applications include a variety of coatings, including without limitation overprint varnishes, polishes, inks, paints, sealants, and caulk. In addition, it has been found that the inventive analogs are useful as secondary plasticizers or diluents when blended with other traditional primary plasticizers and may be used at levels that are comparable or lower than traditional diluent (secondary) plasticizers, while improving viscosity, rheology and solvating properties of the primary plasticizer.
It is an object of the invention to provide plasticizers having excellent compatibility with a wide variety of polymers and other plasticizers, lower VOC content than traditional diluent type plasticizers used to control plastisol viscosities, and improved viscosity stability, for use alone or in blends with other plasticizers, in plastisols and other polymeric applications where plasticizers are traditionally required and used.
It is a further object of the invention to provide non-phthalate alternative plasticizers for use as primary or secondary (diluent) plasticizers in PVC applications.
It is also an object of the invention to provide alternative, non-phthalate plasticizers having excellent compatibility with a wide variety of polymers, with improved handling and a superior toxicological profile over traditional plasticizers, for use alone or in combination with other plasticizers in adhesive applications.
Another object of the invention is to provide alternative, non-phthalate plasticizers for use in adhesives, which achieve comparable or better performance properties over traditional plasticizers, including but not limited to viscosity response, Tg suppression, set and open times, and minimum film formation temperature (MFFT), among other properties.
Still another object of the invention is to provide plastisols, waterborne or non-aqueous adhesive compositions, and other polymeric compositions comprising the inventive monobenzoate analogs, which have comparable or better properties than compositions utilizing traditional plasticizers.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide non-phthalate plasticizers that have high solvating properties and/or good rheology profiles, which are useful as specialty blending plasticizers or diluents to improve the compatibility and processability of poor solvating plasticizers, while minimizing the attendant disadvantages of high viscosity and poor rheology associated with the use of traditional high solvating plasticizers.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide plasticizer blends comprising the inventive monobenzoate analogs of the invention.
Finally, another object of the invention is to provide a plastisol formulation utilizing the inventive non-phthalate plasticizers, which allows faster processing and economic efficiencies to be achieved and provides comparable or better tensile strength properties over traditional diluent type plasticizers.
Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description herein.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Monobenzoate analogs useful as plasticizers in plastisol compositions


A method for changeover of a blow molding machine without a long dead time is disclosed. The blow molding machine includes a plurality of blow mold holders, each of which carries a multi-part blow mold. At least one part of the blow mold is connected with a media supply. At first, at least two working areas are being assigned at the blow molding machine. Different processes are carried out at each working area. The blow mold holder is opened at least at the first working area and/or the media supplies are released. The parts of the blow mold are removed from the blow mold holder at a second working area and are replaced with a blow mold of another type.

A blow molding machine is being particularly used for stretch blow molding of preforms. The blow molding machine itself comprises at least one blow mold. For the stretch blow molding of preforms for plastic bottles blow molds are being used, in which a preform is being blown into shape, which means being outlined, in the inside of the blow mold with excess pressure. The blow mold can comprise for example two half-molds, which are pivotable about a common axis. By pivoting about this axis, said half-molds can be closed so that a cavity is formed inside the blow mold, which is limited by the two half-molds, and a preform can be formed therein. European patent EP 1 276 598 B1 discloses, for example, the embodiment of such a blow mold holder.
European patent EP 0 572 107 B1 discloses a work head changer for a rotary vessel processing system. The rotary vessel processing system comprises a pivotable body for transporting containers within a defined interval. Likewise, a plurality of work heads is provided which are situated at the circumference of the pivotable body in the same separation distance, in order to treat each container, which is transported by means of the pivotable body, in a treatment process. The treatment process can comprise, for example, a process for attaching caps or a filling process. A connection between the pivotable body and each work head is being provided in order to mount each work head in a removable way on the pivotable body. The work head changer comprises a control system for controlling the rotation of the pivotable body so that each work head is being stopped consecutively and in turn at a predetermined work head exchanging device. Likewise, a work head feeding mechanism is provided which carries out the exchanging step at the corresponding work head changer for removing a work head. After the work head had been removed, a new work head can be placed into the provided empty position.
German patent application DE 10 2005 035 233 A1 discloses a holding device for blow mold segments. The blow mold segments are arranged in a support element. Thereby, the blow mold segments are detachably fixed in the support element with at least one locking element. For each blow mold segment, the locking element is provided with both a positively locking retention and a non-positively locking retention. For exchanging the blow mold segments, the support element must be opened in such a way so that the corresponding processes for the exchange of the blow mold segments must be carried out in one position only.

Method for changeover of a blow molding machine


An automatic stop/start controller having an engine, a motor generator to drive the engine, and an automatic transmission. The automatic stop/start controller permits the engine to stop and start without operation of an ignition key. At start of the engine by not operation of the ignition key and after the engine is started to drive by the motor generator, a control means corrects to increase the torque generated by the motor generator according to the degree of the engagement of frictional engaging elements of the automatic transmission.

Some vehicles are equipped with an automatic stop/start controller that automatically stops and starts an engine to improve fuel economy.
A conventional automatic stop/start controller includes an electrically powered oil pressure pump to generate oil pressure for frictional engaging elements that switch paths for transmitting driving force in the automatic transmission. The oil pressure pump operates to generate low oil pressure during engine stop without operation of an ignition key and to generate high oil pressure at start up of the engine without the operation of ignition key. Thereby the required oil pressure is maintained while saving the electric power consumed by the oil pump (see JP Laid-Open No. 2002-106380).
Another conventional automatic stop/start controller includes an engine, a stepped automatic transmission which achieves plural speeds by engagement or disengagement of frictional engaging elements, and a motor generator. From the beginning to finishing of changing speed of the automatic transmission, inertia torque is generated by variation of input rotational speeds which is accompanied by engagement or disengagement of the frictional engaging elements, and is transmitted from the automatic transmission to the driving wheels. The motor generator absorbs this inertial torque to control torque to reduce shock during changing speed (see JP Laid-Open No. H09-331603).
According to the conventional automatic stop/start controller, although the electric power consumption is restricted, the electrically powered oil pressure pump is operated and continuously consumes electric power while the engine is stopped without operation of the ignition key. It is desired to enhance fuel economy.
Elimination of the oil pressure in the automatic stop/start controller may increase the fuel economy by eliminating the electric power consumed by the oil pump. However this prevents maintaining of the oil pressure for the automatic transmission during the engine stop without operation of the ignition key. At engine start up without operation of the ignition key, there is a delay until the oil pressure is generated by a mechanical oil pressure pump driven by the engine and until the frictional engaging elements of the automatic transmission are engaged.
Also, if an accelerator pedal is depressed to drive the vehicle before the frictional engaging elements of the automatic transmission are engaged, the frictional engaging elements will be engaged after the engine speed has increased sharply. This results in shock and bad influence on durability of the automatic transmission.
The automatic stop/start controller to address these problems is equipped with an electric motor generator to drive the engine. The engine is firstly driven by the torque generated by the motor generator at start up of the engine without operation of the ignition key. Then the torque generated by the motor is gradually decreased after the engine is supplied with fuel and produces sufficient torque. Accordingly, the engine speed does not increase sharply even if the accelerator pedal is depressed before the frictional engaging elements of the automatic transmission are engaged. This is believed to suppress the shock in engaging and improves durability of the automatic transmission.
However, according to this latter automatic stop/start controller, the more the engagement of the frictional engaging elements of the automatic transmission proceeds, the more torque generated by the motor is expended to drive the vehicle. The engine speed decreases temporary to decrease the engine torque so that the driving force of the vehicle is undesirably temporarily decreased.
In addition, while the frictional engaging elements are engaging, the inertia torque is generated by reduction in the rotational speed of a turbine rotor wheel in a torque converter, and is added to an output shaft of the automatic transmission. After the driving force is enhanced, the inertia torque is lost when the frictional engaging elements finished engaging, so that the reduction in the driving force more remarkably appears. As a result, sufficient smooth transmission of the driving force may not be achieved.

Automatic stop/start controller for engine


An emergency breathing device comprises: a mouthpiece; a valve body having one end receiving a hose coupling and one end receiving the mouthpiece, the valve body having a valve opening adjacent the mouthpiece end; a resilient seal interiorly of the valve opening; a valve having a seal engaging surface, gas pressure in the hose urging the valve into a sealing engagement with the seal; and, a valve actuator extending through the valve opening and substantially through the mouthpiece. Inward squeezing pressure exerted on the valve actuator through the mouthpiece opens the sealing engagement, allowing a breathable gas to flow from the hose into the mouthpiece. The device can be particularly adapted to be responsive to biting pressure while held in a diver's mouth and to operate right side up and upside down.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to the field of self contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), and in particular, to an improved secondary breathing device which can be attached to a SCUBA tank for the purpose of allowing a second diver to safely access the breathable gas, for example air, from the supply of the SCUBA tank in an emergency situation.
2. Description of Related Art
Most SCUBA divers will only dive in pairs, for safety reasons. In an emergency, one diver can often save the life of the other. One of the most obvious and dangerous emergencies is when one of the divers unexpectedly runs out of air. Unless the divers are very close to the surface, the only solution to the emergency is for both divers to share the air of the diver who still has a useable supply. This has been accomplished in the past by the use of various devices and or procedures. The actual time involved in the process is usually very short, being only long enough for the two divers to safely ascend to the surface.
All present systems for supplying a companion diver with air in an emergency are in some way dependant upon the breathing device used by SCUBA divers called a regulator. Most modern regulators consist of two valves connected by a hose, which attaches to a tank of highly compressed air carried by each diver.
One valve, called the first stage, is connected directly to a valve on the tank of air. Its function is to reduce the high pressure of the air coming out of the tank to a safer low pressure. high pressure of the air coming out of the tank to a safer low pressure.
The second valve, at the other end of the hose, is called the second stage. It has a mouthpiece and is held in the mouth of the diver. Its purpose is to deliver the low pressure air in the hose to the mouth of the diver, at ambient pressure, as the diver requires, through normal breathing processes.
One method of sharing air in an emergency is commonly called buddy breathing. It is accomplished by the diver, who is out of air, approaching the other diver, and through the use of hand signals, indicating that he needs air. The two divers then take turns breathing out of the second stage belonging to the diver who still has air. One important problem involved in buddy breathing is its extreme danger if one of the divers panics because of the fear of not getting enough air to breath. This can cause a fight for the single mouthpiece and lead to the death of the weaker of the two divers, or in some cases, both divers. Buddy breathing requires an uncomfortable swimming position, with the two divers facing each other and each with one hand gripping the common second stage. The air loss inherent in this method, as the divers pass the second stage back and forth, is even more dangerous because if one diver has run out of air, it is probable that the other diver is also carrying a tank that is nearing depletion. Yet another danger is that one diver must hold his or her breath while the other diver is breathing. If a diver holds his or her breath while ascending, the resultant lessening of ambient pressure could cause serious internal injury or even death. Finally, sharing a common mouthpiece between divers is also unsanitary. If one diver is aware the other diver has certain medical conditions, that diver may be unwilling to buddy breathe in the first instance. At the same time, a diver aware of his or her own medical condition may be reluctant to seek buddy breathing assistance. Fear of contamination or infection may not seem reasonable to anticipate at first consideration, but it must be remembered that running out of air underwater is as panic prone a situation as can be imagined.
Another, and presently popular method, is the use of a device commonly called an octopus. The octopus is a regulator which has two second stages attached to the first stage instead of just one. Both are identical in every aspect except that the one attached for the emergency use of the dive partner is usually attached to a slightly longer hose to allow the two divers to swim more comfortably side by side while ascending. This is a much safer method. The octopus protects the diver who has run out of air by giving him an additional source of air. The octopus also protects the diver who is carrying it by reducing the possibility that the other diver will panic and attempt to forcibly take the diver's air source out of the diver's mouth. One problem with the octopus is that it is expensive. While the basic regulator, consisting of a first and second stage, is an absolute necessity for SCUBA diving, the added second stage is not. Many divers with a limited budget do not purchase and use the additional second stage on their regulator, hoping that an emergency will not arise, or hoping to be able to handle the emergency by using the buddy breathing method.
Since the second stage device is asymmetrical, with one end attached to a hose, during an emergency in which seconds count and panic is common, it is possible for the diver who needs the air to fumble away precious seconds trying to get the proper part of the second stage in his mouth. During night dives and under cloudy water conditions, it is not always possible to even look at the second stage before trying to use it. It is also dangerous in the situation in which the diver needing the air has already exhaled. The dead space of the extra second stage is large, and is filled with water as it hangs on the extra hose. If the diver without air tries to inhale from a normal second stage, he or she will get a mouthful of water before getting any air, possibly causing choking. The only way to avoid this problem is to press a purge button on the second stage which will blow the water out of the regulator before it is used. This means that the diver experiencing the emergency must have the functional use of at least one hand in order to use the device. More importantly, the diver must also remember to perform this action while the diver is in this emergency situation. Such emergencies do not usually occur, and too many divers do not practice enough.
In the event the diver in trouble is unconscious, or otherwise incapacitated, it may be very difficult or impossible for the rescuing diver to force the large mouthpiece of a normal regulator second stage into the mouth of the diver needing it.
Another problem with the octopus is that the regulator second stage that is hanging on the end of that extra hose for emergency use is left dangling freely from the equipment of the diver. It must be carried that way so the diver who runs cut of air can quickly grab it for emergency use. Unfortunately, the octopus has a shape and size, as it hangs freely, which makes the octopus prone to getting caught in crevices and tangled on submerged fishing lines or any number of other underwater hazards. The octopus therefore poses a danger to the diver to whom it is attached, even absent any emergency. Another problem, related to hanging freely, is that the second mouthpiece is subject to being clogged with sand or mud from the bottom during the course of the dive, without either diver being aware of the octopus being thereby rendered inoperable for any possible emergency. Finally, the octopus will cease to function over time even absent any of the problems noted above, unless it is be carefully maintained, washed after each dive and periodically serviced by trained personnel. Otherwise it will not function.
The kinds of problems described above in connection with SCUBA gear are also problems faces by firemen, and other rescue workers, who upon entering mines, tunnels and similar hostile environments, must also carry self contained breathing apparatus. Rescue breathing equipment is subject to the same dangers as those for SCUBA divers.
Accordingly, there is a long felt need for an auxiliary breathing device which can be safely and conveniently used with SCUBA gear and other rescue breathing apparatus in an emergency and without the problems and additional risks described above.


Proposed is an aqueous developer solution for an alkali-developable photoresist composition which contains, besides a water-soluble organic basic compound such as tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide and an anionic or non-ionic surface active agent as conventional ingredients in the prior art developwer solutions, an inorganic ammonium salt such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphates and ammonium borates in a limited amount. By virtue of this unique additive, the developer solution is advantageous in respect of the absence of any scums on the patterned resist layer obtained by the development treatment therewith as well as quite good orthogonality in the cross sectional profile of line-patterned resist layer in addition to the greatly improved latitude in the light exposure dose and range of focusing depth in the light-exposure process of the resist layer with ultraviolet light.

The present invention relates to a developer solution for a photoresist composition or, more particularly, to a developer solution for alkali-developable positive- and negative-working photoresist compositions widely used in the photolithographic precision-patterning works in the manufacture of various kinds of semiconductor devices.
As is well known, it is a well established technology in the electronics industry that a finely patterned resist layer is formed by the photolithographic method on the surface of a substrate such as semiconductor silicon wafers in the manufacturing process of various kinds of semiconductor devices such as ICs, LSIs and the like. In the photolithographic patterning process, a layer of a photosensitive composition formed on the substrate surface is exposed patternwise to actinic rays such as ultraviolet light to form a patterned latent image which is then developed to give a patterned resist layer by using a suitable developer solution which is a weakly alkaline aqueous solution when the photosensitive composition is an alkali-developable photosensitive resin composition. It is usual that the alkaline developer solution contains an organic base free from any metallic element such as tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide, choline and the like in consideration of the possible adverse influences caused on the performance of the semiconductor devices by the metallic contaminant coming from the developer solution.
Among the various requirements which a developer solution for a photoresist composition should satisfy, it is very important that the substrate surface bearing the patterned resist layer after development is absolutely free from scums produced in the development treatment since even a slightest deposition of scums on the patterned resist layer would have a very serious adverse influence on the quality of the semiconductor device manufactured by subsequent processing.
Various attempts and proposals have been made heretofore in order to minimize occurrence of scums on the patterned resist layer after development by modifying the nature of the developer solution with the admixture of a specific additive. An additive agent of the most widely used class in this regard is a surface active agent including anionic surface active agents such as alkyl-substituted diphenyl ether ammonium sulfonates disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokai No. 4-204454 and non-ionic surface active agents such as polyoxyethyleneglycol mono(alkylphenyl) ethers disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokai No. 63-25650.
Even if not to mention that occurrence of scums cannot be completely prevented by using a developer solution admixed with these surface active agents, another problem in the use of a surface active agent in the developer solution is that, while it is highly desirable that the cross sectional profile of the line pattern of the resist layer formed by the development treatment is orthogonally upright on the substrate surface with square shoulders, the shoulder portion of the line pattern of the resist layer formed by using such a developer solution is sometimes rounded.
Besides the above mentioned problems relative to the performance of the developer solutions, it is a trend in the photolithographic technology in recent years that improvement in the reproducibility and productivity of the patterning works is desired by using materials which ensure a larger latitude of light exposure dose and wider depth of focus than in the use of conventional materials. These parameters naturally depend on the performance not only of the photosensitive resin composition but also of the developer solution so that, along with the improving efforts of the photosensitive resin composition, it is eagerly desired to have a developer solution capable of giving improvements relative to these parameters. None of the developer solutions proposed heretofore, however, can be quite satisfactory in this regard.

Developer solution for photoresist composition


Systems and methods for multi-threaded server control automation for disaster recovery are described. A method may include initiating a disaster recovery sequence on two or more processors, wherein the disaster recovery sequence comprises a plurality of subsequences. The method may also include implementing the disaster recovery sequence on the two or more processors in parallel, wherein one or more subsequences of the disaster recovery sequence are implemented on the two or more processors in parallel. Upon completion of the disaster recovery sequence, at least one server partition is repurposed from a first configuration, such as a test configuration, to a second configuration, such as a production configuration.

Computer systems have become backbones of companies throughout the world. Even if a company does not provide products or services over the internet, computer systems within the company improve employee productivity by providing employees with instantaneous access to millions of bytes of data. In fact, many companies are unable to function when the company's computer systems fail. Thus, it is imperative that companies have reliable computer systems with 99.999% up time.
Conventionally, a computer system may be provided with additional resiliency to failures by having a disaster recovery (DR) plan. That is, when a failure in the computer system occurs, a plan is available to quickly bring the computer system back to functional status. Disaster recovery plans may include actions taken by one or more actors. For example, a recovery plan may include switching to backup systems at the location of the failure or may include switching to backup systems at a location remote from the site of the failure.
To improve response to disaster events within the computer system, control over servers and partitions within a computer system may be automated. This may be referred to as Server Control Automation (SCA). SCA may be executed on one or several control systems. Conventional systems may include many server partitions that are spread across multiple service processor (SP) instances. However, due to the nature of server control, only a single partition may be acted upon for each SP using SCA. As a result, a significant amount of time elapses for recovery and preparation of multiple server partitions.

Multi-threaded server control automation for disaster recovery


A piston pump for delivering hydraulic fluid for ABS brake systems having at least one pump piston. The pump piston is driven to execute an axial stroke motion and which, with a sliding face embodied on its circumference, slides against the inner wall of a guide bore in order to assure a favorable sliding friction between the pump piston and the guide bore for the purpose of noise reduction and to achieve longer service lives for the seal. Viewed in the longitudinal section of the pump piston, the slide face is embodied as wavy, wherein wave crests and wave troughs follow one another in succession in the longitudinal direction of the pump piston.

The invention relates to a piston pump for delivering hydraulic fluid for motor vehicle brake systems with an antilocking device.
In a known piston pump of this type (WO 95/168859 A1), to reduce manufacturing costs, the guide bore for the pump piston is embodied directly in the pump body, i.e. without the use of a separate pump cylinder inserted into the pump body for the sliding guidance of the pump piston. To seal the pump piston in relation to the inner wall of the guide bore, a high pressure seal is provided, embodied as an annular seal comprised of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is received on a step of the pump piston and in the axial direction, rests against the radial shoulder of the step. The omission of the pump cylinder that acts as a slide bush makes it necessary to take steps to prevent a damage or intense abrasion of the slide bush against the pump piston and of the sealing face against the annular seal in the longer term, particularly when the pump body is made out of aluminum in order to reduce costs. A measure of this kind, for example, is the anodization of the pump body.

Piston pump having a hardened piston with a wavy profile


The present invention provides soy meat compositions with improved organoleptic properties and methods of identifying soybeans with improved organoleptic qualities. The invention also provides methods for producing soy compositions with improved organoleptic properties and for creating plants producing soybeans with such characteristics.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of nutrition and food sciences. In particular, the invention relates to soy meat compositions with improved organoleptic properties such as decreased odor and methods for the use and production thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Soybeans provide high quality proteins that provide health benefits for humans (Hermansen et al., 2003; Bazzano et al., 2001; Food and Drug Administration, 1999). The demand for soybeans to make soy foods had not gone up as much as expected in last three decades (Wolfe and Cowan, 1975 and SoySource, The United Soybean Board 1999). This is in-part because of the undesirable odor associated with soy products (McLeod and Ames, 1988 and Freese, 1999). The undesirable soybean odor is commonly described as "beany." Components that impart beany characteristic to soybeans include many volatile fatty acids, aliphatic carbonyls, amines, alcohols, aldehydes, and furans derived from the action of enzymes on various compounds found in soybeans and their further oxidation that is caused by many mechanisms (Wolfe and Cowan, 1975; Sessa and Rackis, 1977).
Kobayashi et al. (1995) concluded the main contributors to the odor of uncooked soymilk were (trans, trans)-2,4-nonadienal, (trans, trans)-2,4-decadienal, hexanal, 2-pentyl furan, 1-octen-3-one, (trans)-2-nonenal, and (trans, cis)-2,4-nonadienal. The strongest odors extracted from heat-treated soymilk were identified as (trans, trans)-2,4 decadienal and n-hexanal (Feng, Cornell University Ph.D. Dissertation, 2000). The formation of (trans, trans)-2,4 decadienal take place at a slow rate at room temperature (Frankel, 1988), however this reaction is enhanced because of thermal degradation during soybean processing under hot conditions (Lin, 2003). Other contributors to odors were (trans)-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal (formed from 2,4 decadienal), (trans, cis)-2,6-nonadienal, (trans)-2-nonenal, (trans, trans)-2,4-nonadienal, 2,4 nonadienal, maltol, vanillin and β-damascenone. The most powerful odorants in soymilk determined by the minimum headspace volume required to detect by olfactometry, were hexanal, acetaldehyde, methanethiol, dimethyl trisulfide, and 2-pentyl furan (Boatright, 2002).
The strongest odorants in soy protein isolates were identified as dimethyl trisulfide, (trans, trans)-2,4-decadienal, 2-pentyl pyridine, (trans, trans)-2,4,-nonadienal, hexanal, acetophenone, and 1-octen-3-one (Boatright and Lei, 1999). The mechanism of formation of methanethiol and dimethyl trisulfide involves free radicals formed by lipid oxidation (Lei and Boatright, 2003) and products of enzymes such as cysteine synthase (Boatright, 2003, poster 45C-26, IFT annual meeting, Chicago).
The formation of 2-pentyl pyridine occurs from a spontaneous reaction between 2,4 decadienal and ammonia at room temperature. Free amino acids arginine, lysine, asparagine and glutamine increase 2-pentyl pyridine formation probably by providing ammonia during soy protein processing. (Zhou and Boatright, 2000; Kim et al., 1996). Free amino acids can also form other undesirable products. High temperature exposure of asparagine and glucose results in the formation of acrylamide (Jung et al., 2003). Arginine exposed at cooking temperatures can form mutagens (Knize et al., 1994). Free arginine was enriched in soybeans lacking both β-conglycinins and glycinins (Takahashi et al., 2003).
Once formed, odors are difficult to remove from soy ingredients because they are associated with proteins (Franzen and Kinsella, 1974). The quality of natural flavors added to soy foods are also altered unfavorably because some of the odors bind to soy protein. Carbonyl compounds and 2-pentyl pyridine bound with greater affinity to glycinin fractions than β-conglycinin fractions (Zhou et al., 2002; O'Keefe et al., 1991). The extraction of oil-body-associated proteins and polar lipids significantly reduced the quantity of odors associated with soy protein isolate (Samoto et al., 1998).
Textures created by protein-protein interactions can have more effect on flavor intensity than the in-nose odor concentration (Weel et al., 2002). Soy proteins can contribute to the poor organoleptic quality of soy beverages by forming insoluble aggregates and chalky mouthfeel (Skarra and Miller, 2002). Among the main soy proteins, glycinins are more sensitive to pH and Ca+2-induced insolubilization (Yuan, 2002) and soybeans containing a low ratio of glycinins to β-conglycinins are useful for creating soluble soy protein ingredients (U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,640). Lipid oxidation reactions also influence protein solubility. Antioxidants can be added during soy protein isolate manufacture to limit free radical induced oxidation of proteins and improve the yield of soluble protein (U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,080). Some peptides can react during processing with polysaccharides to form antioxidant compounds (Matsumura, 2003).
Color influences perceptions of freshness and taste (Joshi, 2000). Low amounts of reducing sugar and aldehydes formed from lipid oxidation react with amino groups of proteins on heating to form brown pigments by the Maillard's browning reaction (Kwok et al., 1999). Soymilk with a higher content of aldehydes will create a darker, less appealing color after heat processing. On the other hand lipid oxidation during soymilk processing decolorizes yellow pigments in soymilk (Obata and Matsuura, 1997).
Soybeans are refined to improve the flavor by extracting lipids and other components either by alcohol extraction, enzyme treatments, washing protein curds, ultrafiltration of protein and or use of flash vaporization. These processes add to the cost of the soy protein ingredients and typically lower the amounts of healthful components that are bioavailable (for example fiber, oligosaccharides, isoflavones, polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, phospholipids, bioactive peptides). Processing approaches used to improve the organoleptic properties of soy protein ingredients are limited in effectiveness by odors bound to soy proteins and by conditions that promote odor formation (pH 8-10). Soybeans that lack one to three of the lipoxygenases 1, 2, and 3 were created using mutation breeding to reduce the formation of beany odors (Hajika et al., 1991). Aroma analysis of soymilk and soy flour made from soybeans lacking the three lipoxygenases were found to contain lower amounts of several odors, but higher amounts of 1-octen-3-ol than the parent soybean line containing all three lipoxygenases (Hao et al., 2002). Similar levels of 2,4 decadienal were found in defatted flour and soy protein isolate made from one soybean lacking three lipoxygenases and two other soybean lines (Boatright et al., 1998). Soy foods prepared from soybeans lacking lipoxygenases had improved flavor compared to foods made from control soybeans (Wilson, 1996). Soymilk prepared from soybeans lacking three lipoxygenases was perceived as more bitter than the control, especially after 15 months of seed storage, but this difference was expected to be eliminated by adding sugar (Torres-Penaranda and Reitmeirer, 2001).
Transgenic modifications are proposed to improve the flavor of soybeans by reducing the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,781), lipoxygenases (U.S. Patent Appln. 20030074693) and or hydroperoxide lyases (U.S. Pat. No. 6,444,874). Soybeans containing less than 10% polyunsaturated fatty acids and greater than 75% oleic fatty acids yield frying oil that is less tasty compared to frying oil with higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (Warner et al., 2001).
Chemicals such as polyphosphates (U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,296) can be used to limit off-favor production and improve protein solubility. Other additives such as gallic acid (PCT WO 01/06866) or aldehyde oxidase (Maheshwari et al., 1997) can be used to remove odors.
There is little published information on the effects of natural genetic variations on flavor and color attributes of soybeans. The thiobarbituric acid number for 16 soybean varieties was determined as a measure of lipid oxidation and no correlation was found with the vitamin E content of the soybeans (Dahuja and Madaan, 2004). The amounts of 2-pentyl pyridine and 2,4 decadienal in soy flour and soy protein isolate made from three soybean varieties were determined (Zhou and Boatright, 1999). The effects of drying conditions on the removal of the green pigment, chlorophyll from soybeans were studied (Salete et al., 2003; Sinnecker et al, 2002).
In past decades scientists showed that oils prepared from soybeans lacking lipoxygenases did not have improved oxidative stability. Soybean proteins produced from lipoxygenase null soybeans still contained significant levels of beany taste (Maheshwari et al., 1997).
The first step in making soymilk or soy protein ingredients is to dehull (or decoat) the soybeans to create soybean meats. Hypocotyls may also be separated from the cotyledons. Soybean meats are defined as dehulled soybeans and may or may not include cotyledons. A method for preparing meats is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,689. One method for dehulling includes, but is not limited to, running seeds between counter-current rollers or a cracking mill and aspirating light weight hulls, leaving the meats. Meats may be soaked in water to produce soymilk or flaked and extracted using hexane as an initial step in making defatted soy flour, soy protein concentrates, soy protein isolates and purified protein fractions, as desired.
The present invention provides a new method to determine the ability of soybean meats to resist production of key odor compounds identified as 2,4 decadienal, hexanal, hexanol and 1-octen-3-ol. These compounds were selected as indicators of the extent of different types of oxidation reactions. Hexanal and hexanol result from the breakdown of hydroperoxide containing compounds (peroxides on 9 and 12 carbon positions of fatty acids) by hydroperoxide lyases and alcohol dehydrogenases. 2,4 decadienal is a breakdown product of the lipoxygenase pathway which is not known to involve hydroperoxide lyases. 1-octen-3-ol is formed by the action of hydroperoxide lyases on hydroperoxides formed on the 10 carbon position of linoleic acid. These compounds can react further by additional processing to form more potent odors. For example, 2,4 decadienal is involved in the formation of 2-pentyl pyridine and 1-octen-3-ol is involved in the formation of 1-octen-3-one.

Soy compositions having improved organoleptic properties and methods of generation


A method and device (10) is provided for safely removing a needle from the barrel of a syringe and for protectively storing the needle. A housing (16) contains V-shaped jaws (26) which are resiliently hinged, lined with a face of rubber or other gripping material, and biased towards a closed position. The round hub of the needle of a syringe is urged into the mouth (27) of the "V" until it is tight enough for the user to rotate the barrel without the hub and needle moving, thus disconnecting the needle from the syringe. A lever (44) engaging the housing (16) forces the jaws (26) to open, thus dropping the needle from the lid-mounted device into a container beneath.

The present invention relates generally to devices for safely removing the needle portions of hypodermic needle/syringe assemblies and, more particularly, to a device which enables the safe removal of needles from a syringe assembly and also automatically provides safe storage of the needles for alternate disposal, substantially without risk of puncture or contact with the needles during removal, storage, or disposal. The present invention also relates to a one-hand method for safely disposing of needles using the device of the present invention thus decreasing the likelihood of inadvertent needle sticks.
More particularly, this invention concerns a disposable device for safely separating needles from barrels of syringes after use and for causing the separated needles to directly enter an impervious storage container, and a one-handed method for performing the operation safely.

Device and method of removal and storage of syringe needle


An apparatus and method for a function setting event in a mobile terminal according to user position information are disclosed. According to the apparatus and method, a character agent function is added to a mobile terminal, and when an event occurs in the mobile terminal, the event occurrence and process is expressed by corresponding character User Interfaces (UIs). When user position information confirming event and function setting related event occur, they can be expressed through the character agent function.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a mobile terminal and a method therefor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a method of setting registration information in a mobile terminal according to user position information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In modern society, the number of people carrying personal mobile terminals is increasing. Users of mobile terminals now require terminals to posses additional functions such as electronic pocketbooks, Internet accessibility, as well as the capability to place simple phone calls. Accordingly, mobile terminals are provided with diverse functionality to cope with the user's requirements. In particular, users desire a schedule management function to be included in an electronic pocketbook as an additional function of the mobile terminal. Such a function stores, in advance, the user's registration of important tasks that the user should remember and helps the user not to miss important schedule items, even if the user has a very busy daily life.
A conventional schedule management function is constructed to sound an alarm when the date and time for carrying out the schedule preset by the user arrives. Accordingly, even if the user visits a specified place in advance, after having already scheduled a trip to the specified place, the user may not remember the schedule at that the time of the advanced unscheduled visit. Thus, the user may visit the place again to carry out the schedule when the date and time for carrying out the schedule arrives. For example, even if the user visits a department store in advance of a previously scheduled visit to purchase goods at the department store at a specified date, the user may not remember the schedule at that the time of the visit and may not make the necessary purchase of goods. In other words, the user can confirm the contents of the schedule only when the registered date and time for carrying out the schedule arrives, and thus the user should visit the department store again to purchase the goods. Furthermore, if the user does not change a reception notifying mode to an etiquette mode in the case where it is required to change the reception notifying mode to the etiquette mode in a specified public place in which the schedule is carried out, the alarm sound produced when the reception notifying mode is performed may cause great inconvenience to others.

Apparatus and method for function setting event in mobile terminal according to user position information


An electric shielding enclosure that encloses a volume. The electric shielding enclosure includes a conductive structure that partially encloses the volume and that has an edge defining an opening into the volume. A conductive power pack surface is configured to fill at least a part of the opening and has a number of conductive connections. The conductive connections include a first conductive connection located in proximity to a first point of the edge, and a second conductive connection located in proximity to a second point of the edge, where the second point is across the opening from the first point. Each of the conductive connections within the conductive connections is electrically coupled to the conductive structure.

Many electronic devices include circuits or other components that are enclosed within electric shielding enclosures. Some devices include circuits or components that emit electromagnetic energy that is able to disturb other components of the device and are enclosed in an electric shielding enclosure to prevent emission of such energy outside of the enclosure. Some circuits or components are sensitive to static electric discharge or to exposure to electromagnetic energy that can adversely affect their operation. Such circuits or components are enclosed in an electric shielding enclosure to protect them from static electric discharge or interfering electromagnetic energy. Such electric shielding enclosures add to the size and weight of the device. In an example of decreasing device size, manufacturing tolerances for electric shielding enclosures and their neighboring structures within the device increase and add complexity and cost to the physical design of the device.
Decreasing the weight and size of electric shielding enclosures in electronic devices increases design flexibility and manufacturability of devices.

Electric shielding enclosure including power pack


Drawing, from a first installation, organic filaments in the form of one or more layers which converge toward a same point, and drawing, from a second installation, glass filaments which are joined together to form at least one strand. Guiding structure is provided to laterally introduce the glass strand into the area defined by the organic filaments before it is combined with the filaments at their point of convergence. A blowing device (48, 36) is also provided either outside or inside the area defined by the organic fibers.

The invention relates to a process and an apparatus for manufacturing a composite strand formed by the combination of a plurality of continuous filaments of glass and continuous filaments of an organic thermoplastic material.
More specifically, the invention relates to a process, and to an apparatus for its implementation, wherein continuous filaments of glass and of an organic thermoplastic material are drawn from these two materials in the molten state and wherein these different filaments are combined to form a composite strand.
A process for manufacturing a composite strand according to this principle is known, and has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,523. This patent describes installations comprising a die, from which continuous glass filaments are drawn, and a drawing head, which is supplied under pressure with an organic thermoplastic material, thereby producing continuous organic filaments. These different filaments, in the form of layers, or layers and strands, are combined in various ways to form a composite strand.
The '523 patent proposes an advantageous embodiment that consists of surrounding the glass filaments or the strand with the organic filaments at the time they are combined. The composite strand produced in this manner displays an advantage in that it prevents, or at the very least restricts, the friction of the glass filaments on the solid surfaces with which it comes into contact.
According to the '523 patent, this embodiment requires the implementation of an annular drawing head with a center opening through which the glass strand or filaments pass. From the description in the patent, this type of composite strand can be produced only by using a special installation.

Apparatus for manufacturing a glass and organic composite strand, including a blowing device


A two sided pruning saw blade has a top cutting edge used for making an undercut of a limb while the bottom cutting edge is used for regular pruning. Both the top cutting edge and the bottom cutting edge have a compound curve containing two radii of curvatures which are different from one another.

With a conventional pruning saw blade, the pruning saw blade contains a cutting edge on only one side of a blade main body. Therefore, when the saw blade is used to cut a limb or branch, as the limb is sawed from the top, the limb will sag under its own weight and will eventually fall down prior to the saw blade cutting the entire way through the limb. Therefore, the branch or limb will split which will injure the tree rather than if the limb were completely sawed through.
In addition, with a conventional pruning saw blade, if the saw blade becomes disengaged from the limb prior to completion of cutting the limb, it is often difficult to center the saw blade on the cut again, especially if the limb is high up.

Two sided pruning saw blade with compound cutting edges