A method for constructing a permanent magnet assembly by using a non-magnetic frame between individual magnet segments to restrain the movement of the magnet segments. The frame restricts the movement of the magnets during assembly. The frame also provides an effective system for replacing magnets in the existing assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to magnet assemblies and in particular to a method for constructing a permanent magnet assembly by using a frame to restrain the movement of magnets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous methods exist for construction of magnetic assemblies. The desired configuration and size of the magnetic assembly often dictates the method required for construction of the assembly, due, at least in part, to the large forces inherent in magnetic materials.
Permanent magnet materials function like any other material until magnetized by an external source. Manufacturing operations on permanent magnet materials such as grinding, slicing, etc. are well established, and pose no significant challenges to those equipped with the proper tools. Although charged magnetic materials can be machined, unmagnetized stock is preferred.
Magnetic materials are frequently altered by machining operations to shape the materials and to adjust the magnetic field characteristics of the materials. The altered, unmagnetized, magnetic materials may be assembled and then magnetized to full saturation, to minimize the exposure of assembly personnel to potentially dangerous forces that would otherwise exist if assembling magnetized materials. Although it is preferred that all magnets be charged after assembly, the sheer size and, more importantly, orientation of magnetic materials in some assemblies require personnel to work with fully magnetized materials. The associated dangers are significant and compounded as the size of the magnetized materials increases.
Magnetic assemblies may involve permanent magnets positioned in a manner that counters the natural alignment tendencies of the magnets, creating very large torques and forces that may lead to self-destruction if not properly restrained, during the assembly process.
Adhesives are currently the main fastening mechanism in the majority of magnetic assemblies. During the assembly process, external restraints are placed on the magnet being loaded into the assembly. These restraints are typically 3-axis ball screw driven linear slides. Adhesive is placed on the contact surfaces of the target magnet, which is then placed into its location in the assembly and held there until the adhesive has set.
Magnets being installed in magnet assemblies often experience three orthogonal forces. These forces generally differ in magnitude making it difficult to maintain the magnet's physical orientation as it is being assembled. Increased magnet sizes or certain assemblies can create forces that can approach hundreds or thousands of pounds and make hand assembly difficult, dangerous, or even impossible. As stated above a mechanical means of assembling such structures is required. Such means can become prohibitively large and costly. Furthermore, once the adhesive is set and the mechanical restraints removed, the loads imparted on the target magnet are fully absorbed by the adhesive. Although this has proven to be an acceptable method of assembly, broken or faulty bond lines may exist causing magnets to come loose.
Once a magnet assembly is completed, an exoskeleton of metal is often placed around the unit to act as the last line of defense against any failed bond line.
Nonetheless, at times during the assembly process the adhesive is the only fastening mechanism used to constrain the vast amounts of energy stored in the unit.
Magnets may be improperly oriented or defectively attached during construction of the assembly. Repair of magnets assembled in incorrect orientations can be difficult as well as dangerous. Attempting to separate faulty magnets may also sacrifice the integrity of any other bond lines or damage any other magnets in the system.

Method for constructing permanent magnet assemblies


An energy recovery circuit of the present invention includes a panel capacitor, a source capacitor for recovering and charging the voltage of the panel capacitor and re-providing the charged voltage to the panel capacitor, a reference voltage supply unit for supplying a discharge sustain voltage to the panel capacitor, an inductor disposed between the source capacitor and the panel capacitor, a first switch disposed between the inductor and the source capacitor, a second switch disposed between the inductor and the reference voltage supply unit, a third switch disposed between the inductor and the source capacitor, and a fourth switch connected between the inductor and a base potential, wherein the reference voltage supply unit is disposed so as to be connected with the inductor, for supplying any one of a rising pulse having a predetermined slope and a reference voltage having a predetermined voltage value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, and more particularly to an energy recovery circuit for use in a driving apparatus of the plasma display panel and a driving method thereof.
2. Background of the Related Art
A plasma display panel (hereinafter, referred to as a 'PDP') is adapted to display an image including characters or graphics by light-emitting phosphors with ultraviolet (147 nm) generated during the discharge of an inert mixed gas such as He+Xe, Ne+Xe or He+Ne+Xe, or the like. This PDP can be easily made thin and large, and it can provide greatly increased image quality with the recent development of the relevant technology. Particularly, a three-electrode AC surface discharge type PDP has advantages of lower driving voltage and longer product lifespan as a wall charge is accumulated on a surface in discharging and electrodes are protected from sputtering caused by discharging.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a discharge cell of a conventional plasma display panel. Referring now to FIG. 1, a discharge cell of a three-electrode AC surface discharge type PDP includes a scan electrode Y and a sustain electrode Z which are formed on an upper substrate 10, and an address electrode X formed on a lower substrate 18. Each of the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z include transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z, and metal bus electrodes 13Y and 13Z which have a line width smaller than that of the transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z and are respectively disposed at one side edges of the transparent electrodes.
The transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z, which are generally made of ITO (indium tin oxide), are formed on the upper substrate 10. The metal bus electrodes 13Y and 13Z are generally formed on the transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z made of metal such as chromium (Cr), and serves to reduce a voltage drop caused by the transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z having high resistance.
On the upper substrate 10 in which the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z are placed parallel to each other is laminated an upper dielectric layer 14 and a protective layer 16. The upper dielectric layer 14 is accumulated with a wall charge generated during plasma discharging. The protective layer 16 is adapted to prevent damages of the upper dielectric layer 14 due to sputtering caused during plasma discharging, and improve efficiency of secondary electron emission. As the protective layer 16, magnesium oxide (MgO) is generally used.
A lower dielectric layer 22 and a barrier rib 24 are formed on the lower substrate 18 in which the address electrode X is formed. A phosphor layer 26 is applied to the surfaces of both the lower dielectric layer 22 and the barrier rib 24.
The address electrode X is formed on the lower substrate 18 in the direction in which the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z intersect with each other. The barrier rib 24 is in the form of stripe or lattice to prevent leakage of an ultraviolet and a visible light generated by discharging to an adjacent discharge cell. The phosphor layer 26 is excited with an ultraviolet generated during the plasma discharging to generate any one visible light of red, green and blue lights. An inert mixed gas is injected into the discharge spaces defined between the upper substrate 10 and the barrier ribs 24 and between the lower substrate 18 and the barrier ribs 24.
This three-electrode AC surface discharge type PDP is divided into a plurality of sub-fields and is driven. In the period of each of the sub-fields, lights are emitted by the number proportionate to a weighted value of video data, thereby displaying gradations. The plurality of sub-fields are sub-divided into a reset period, an address period, a sustain period and a blanking period, and are driven.
Herein, the reset period is a period for forming an uniform wall charge on the discharge cell, the address period is a period for generating an selective address discharge according to a logical value the video data, and the sustain period is a period for maintaining discharge in the discharge cell from which the address discharge is generated.
As such, an address discharge and a sustain discharge of the AC surface discharge type PDP driven require high voltage of more than several hundreds of volts. Thus, in order to minimize the driving power necessary for the address discharge and the sustain discharge, an energy recovery circuit is used. The energy recovery circuit may recover the voltage between the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z, and may be used as a driving voltage necessary for the subsequent discharge.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing an energy recovery circuit formed on the scan electrode Y for recovering a voltage of the sustain discharge. Practically, the energy recovery circuit is placed symmetrically to the sustain electrode Z with respect to a central panel capacitor (Cp).
Referring to FIG. 2, a conventional energy recovery circuit includes an inductor L which is connected between a panel capacitor Cp and a source capacitor Cs, a first switch S1 and a third switch S3 which are connected in parallel between the source capacitor Cs and the inductor L, diodes D5 and D6 which are disposed between the first and third switches S1, S3 and the inductor L, and a second switch S2 and the fourth switch S4 which are connected in parallel between the inductor L and the panel capacitor Cp.
The Panel capacitor Cp represents an equivalent circuit of capacitance which is formed between the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z. The second switch S2 is connected to a reference voltage source Vs, and the fourth switch S4 is connected to a base voltage source GND. The source capacitor Cs recovers and charges the voltage which is charged to the panel capacitor Cp during sustain discharging, and provides again the charged voltage to the panel capacitor cp.
To this end, the source capacitor Cs has a capacitance capable of charging the voltage of Vs/2 that corresponds to a half of the reference voltage source Vs. The inductor L forms a resonant circuit together with the panel capacitor Cp. The first to fourth switches S1 to S4 control the flows of current. The fifth diode D5 and the sixth diode D6 both prevent the flow of electric current from reversing. Further, the internal diodes D1 to D4 each disposed within the first to fourth switches S1 to S4 also prevent the flow of electric current from reversing.
FIG. 3 is a timing and waveform diagram showing ON/OFF timings of the switches and output waveforms of the panel capacitors of FIG. 2.
The operation procedure will now be explained on the assumption that the panel capacitor Cp is charged with a voltage of 0 volt and the source capacitor Cs is charged with a voltage of Vs/2 before a period of T1.
In a period of T1, the first switch S1 is turned on, so that an electric current path is formed from the source capacitor Cs to the panel capacitor Cp through the first switch S1 and the inductor L. When the path of electric current is formed, the voltage of Vs/2 charged to the source capacitor Cs is supplied to the panel capacitor Cp. In this time, the inductor L and the panel capacitor Cp form a serial resonant circuit, so that the panel capacitor Cp is charged with the voltage of Vs that is twice the voltage of the source capacitor Cs.
In a period of T2, the second switch S2 is turned on. When the second switch S2 is turned on, the panel capacitor Cp is provided with voltage of the reference voltage source Vs. That is, when the second switch S2 is turned on, the voltage value of the reference voltage source Vs is supplied to the panel capacitor Cp, and hence it is prevented that the voltage value of the panel capacitor Cp become lower than that of the reference voltage source Vs, thereby generating a stable sustain discharge. At this time, because the voltage of the panel capacitor Cp rises up to Vs during a period of T1, the voltage value which is supplied from the outside during a period of T2 may be minimized (that is, it is possible to reduce a power consumption).
In a period of T3, the first switch S1 is turned off. In this time, the panel capacitor Cp maintains the voltage of the reference voltage source Vs. In a period of T4, the second switch S2 is turned off and the third switch S3 is turned on. When the third switch S3 is turned on, an electrical current path is formed from the panel capacitor Cp to the source capacitor Cs through the inductor L and the third switch S3, and the source capacitor Cs recovers the voltage which is charged to the panel capacitor. In this time, the source capacitor Cs is charged with a voltage of Vs/2.
In a period of T5, the third switch S3 is turned off and the fourth switch S4 is turned on. When the fourth switch S4 is turned on, an electric current path is formed between the panel capacitor Cp and the base voltage source GND, and the voltage of the panel capacitor Cp drops to 0 volts. In a period of T6, a state of T5 is remained for a given time period. Practically, an AC driving pulse which is supplied to the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z may be obtained by periodically cycling the periods of T1 to T6.
However, the energy recovery circuit driven according to the aforementioned manner has a problem that the manufacturing cost is increased because the circuit uses the switching elements S1 to S4 having a high internal voltage. More specifically, a first node n1 is supplied with a voltage from the reference voltage source Vs, so that the second switch S2 and the fourth switch S4 must have a higher internal voltage than Vs.
On the other hand, in a normal operation of the energy recovery circuit, a second node n2 is supplied with a voltage of Vs. The source capacitor Cs is charged with a voltage of Vs/2. Therefore, in a normal operation of the energy recovery circuit, the third switch S3 requires only an internal voltage corresponding to a voltage of Vs/2 which is obtained by subtracting a voltage charged to the source capacitor Cs from a voltage applied to the second node n2. However at an initial operation of the energy recovery circuit, since the source capacitor Cs is not charged with voltage, that is, a potential of the source capacitor Cs is set to about 0 volt, an internal voltage of the third switch S3 must be set to a voltage higher than Vs. And the source capacitor Cs is charged with a voltage of Vs/2.
Practically, in order for the source capacitor Cs to be charged with a voltage of Vs/2, the processes of T1 to T6 as shown in FIG. 3 should be repeatedly performed several times. Also, during this processes a value of the voltage applied to across the third switch S3 gradually lowers from Vs to Vs/2, thus an internal voltage of the third switch S3 is set to about Vs.
Furthermore, the first switch S1 is used only when a voltage of the source capacitor Cs is supplied to the inductor L. In this time, a difference in voltage across the first switch S1 is set to a voltage of Vs/2. Therefore, in a normal operation of the energy recovery circuit, the first switch S1 requires only an internal voltage of Vs/2. However, when a base potential is applied to the second node n2, the second node n2 is connected to the base voltage source GND via the inductor L and the fourth switch S4. In this time, a voltage of the second node n2 drops to a potential smaller than that of the base voltage source GND due to peaking phenomenon. Therefore, in the prior art, an internal voltage of the first switch S1 is set to approximately Vs, so that the first switch S1 is prevented from being damaged. That is, all of the first to fourth switches S1 to S4 used in the conventional energy recovery circuit are designed to have a higher internal voltage than Vs, which contributes to an increase in manufacturing cost.

Energy recovery circuit and driving method thereof


A seed layer structure for improved crystallographic orientation of grains in a hard magnetic material is disclosed. The seed layer structure is comprised of alternating layers of a metal and a dielectric. Hard magnetic materials deposited on the seed layer structure have superior properties and performance in providing hard bias to a ferromagnetic layer in a magnetic sensor. The seed layer structure also accommodates a relatively large total thickness, which is preferable in magnetic sensors with an ultra contiguous junction arrangement.

In a hard disk drive, a magnet write transducer or head is used to write and thus store information as magnetic bits on a spinning magnetic disk. The magnetic bits are regions on the magnetic disk with a net magnetization and having north and south poles where a magnetic field exits or enters the magnetic bits. During the writing of the magnetic bits, the magnetic write head is positioned in proximity of the spinning magnetic disk. More precisely, the magnetic write head is mounted on a slider that flies over the spinning magnetic disk on an airbearing. The slider is kept over an appropriate track of the magnetic disk by a servo control system. The magnetic bits, and thus the information, is read by positioning a magnetic read transducer or head in proximity above the spinning magnetic disk and over the appropriate track by the same slider and servo control system. The magnetic field associated with the magnetic bits outside of the magnetic disk (henceforth called the external magnetic field) enters the magnetic read head and affects a magnetic sensor in the magnetic read head such that a measurable output corresponding to the magnetic bits is produced. Magnetic sensors based on the fundamental principles of magnetoresistance including anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR), giant magnetoresistance (GMR) or spin valve and spin tunneling have been well known in the art for some time. Magnetic read heads incorporating these magnetic sensors have also been produced and widely used. For examples, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,159,513 and 5,206,590.
The areal density of the magnetic disk corresponds to the number of magnetic bits per unit area. There is an ongoing demand for storing more information on a given disk and thus for increasing the areal density. Magnetic scaling is a well-known approach in the art for achieving higher areal density while maintaining the signal-to-noise ratio that is ultimately necessary to obtain the measurable output from the magnetic read head corresponding to the magnetic bits. For example, according to the magnetic scaling approach the dimensions associated with magnetic recording, such as the thickness of various layers in the magnetic read head, need to be reduced as the areal density is increased. As discussed below, however, not all the consequences of the magnetic scaling approach are fully appreciated in the art.
FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a prior art magnetic read head based on a typical GMR magnetic sensor as seen from the airbearing surface. The magnetic sensor has a high coercivity ferromagnetic pinned layer 112 (such as an alloy of NiFe) with a net magnetization whose direction pointing into the page is fixed and a low coercivity ferromagnetic free layer 116 (such as an alloy of NiFe) with a net magnetization whose direction is moveable, rotating from pointing into the page to pointing out of the page in response to the external magnetic field from the magnetic disk. The direction of the magnetization in the ferromagnetic pinned layer 112 is fixed by exchange coupling with an antiferromagnetic layer 110. For a current 113 in-plane (CIP) magnetic sensor such as that shown in FIG. 1, the ferromagnetic pinned layer 112 and the ferromagnetic free layer 116 are separated by a thin film of copper 114 or other non-magnetic metal with a relatively long electron mean free path. The variation in the resistance of the GMR magnetic sensor in response to the rotation of the direction of the magnetization in the ferromagnetic free layer 116 is known in the art. It is this variation that gives rise to the measurable output from the magnetic sensor in the magnetic read head corresponding to the magnetic bits written on the magnetic disk.
An important concern in the design of the magnetic sensor in FIG. 1 is a longitudinal bias magnetic field applied to the ferromagnetic free layer 116 by the high coercivity hard magnet 118 at the two side edges of the ferromagnetic free layer 116. Longitudinal direction is the direction in the plane of the airbearing surface and parallel to the layers of the magnetic sensor, i.e., from right to left in FIG. 1, as indicated by the arrow 120. The longitudinal bias magnetic field is essential to proper operation of the magnetic sensor by ensuring that the ferromagnetic free layer 116 has a single magnetic domain. In the absence of the longitudinal bias magnetic field, the magnetic moments in the ferromagnetic free layer 116 tend to establish a magnetic multi-domain state. As is known in the art, when the ferromagnetic free layer 116 is allowed to have more than one magnetic domain it experiences Barkhausen jumps and other magnetic domain reorientation phenomena during magnetic reversal when the magnetic sensor is responding to the external magnetic field from the magnetic disk. This situation is highly undesirable since it produces noise and lowers the signal-to-noise ratio of the magnetic sensor and thus the ability to produce the measurable output corresponding to the magnetic bits.
A variety of schemes have been employed to provide the longitudinal bias magnetic field and prevent Barkhausen noise. FIG. 1 illustrates one of the more common approaches, so-called hard bias associated with the hard magnet 118 on either side of the ferromagnetic free layer 116. For more details on hard bias see U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,410.
In the course of manufacturing magnetic sensors, such as that shown in FIG. 1, it is common for the hard magnet 118 that is used to provide the hard bias to taper at the interface with the ferromagnetic free layer 116. As shown in FIG. 1, this taper produces a tip 122 of the hard magnet 118 on either side of the ferromagnetic free layer 116. Regions such as the tip 122 of the hard magnet 118 have negative consequences for the performance and the scaling of the magnetic sensor.
It is known in the art that superior materials for the hard magnet 118 should exhibit high coercivity, high remnant magnetization and the magnetic c-axis should be confined parallel to the film plane (henceforth called in-plane) as opposed to perpendicular to the film plane (henceforth called out-of-plane). These properties strongly depend on the microstructural characteristics of the hard magnet 118, which are in turn sensitive to growth conditions, film thickness and the ancillary non-magnetic layers (so-called seed layers or underlayers) onto which said hard magnet 118 is deposited. Achieving confinement of the magnetic axis in-plane is challenging and difficult in particular for very thin films in which the crystallographic growth is strongly dominated by early stages of nucleation. This situation is encountered at the tip 122 between the hard magnet 118 and the ferromagnetic free layer 116 and is also a general consequence of magnetic scaling, which dictates progressively smaller dimensions including thickness 124 of the hard magnet 118.
Alloys of CoPt and CoPtCr grown on suitable materials offer a partial solution to this hard bias challenge and are widely used as the hard magnet 118. If high temperatures are used during the deposition of the CoPtCr, grains with in-plane c-axis crystallographic orientation can be more easily obtained. Unfortunately, such high temperatures are incompatible with many of the other materials and techniques used to manufacture magnetic sensors and magnetic read heads. As a consequence, some fraction of the magnetic grains in CoPtCr films used to provide hard bias in magnetic sensors have out-of-plane c-axis crystallographic orientation.
These grains with out-of-plane c-axis crystallographic orientation degrade the magnetic sensor performance. The problem is worsened as the dimensions of the magnetic sensor are reduced per the magnetic scaling approach on account of the superparamagnetic effect which results in a loss of the magnetic order when the magnetic grain volume drops below a critical value. In addition, unlike grains in the magnetic disk, which are magnetically decoupled from one another, there is strong exchange coupling between the grains in the hard magnet 118. Furthermore, the average grain size in the hard magnet 118 is not typically scaled as the areal density is increased or, if it is decreased, the scaling ratio is larger than that dictated by the magnetic scaling approach. The combination of these effects increases the negative effect of grains in the hard magnet 118 with out-of-plane c-axis crystallographic orientation. This is especially the case in regions like the tip 122 where the number of grains is reduced as the overall magnetic sensor dimensions are scaled. Even if the average fraction of grains with out-of-plane c-axis crystallographic orientation remains fixed, the tip 122 may have a higher local fraction due to statistical fluctuations. These grains can act as nucleation sites for undesirable magnetic domains in the ferromagnetic free layer 116 with the deleterious effects described above.
One potential solution to this challenge is a seed layer, which improves the crystallographic properties of the hard magnet 118. FIG. 2 shows an illustration of seed layer 126 that helps control the crystallographic orientation of grains in the hard magnet 118. Cubic-titanium tungsten (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,595), a bi-layer of tantalum-oxide and Cr (see U.S. Appl. No. 2003/0058586 A1), Cr and alloys of CrMo have been used as the seed layer 126.
Recent advances, however, in the magnetic sensor in magnetic read heads have made a simple seed layer, such as seed layer 126, undesirable. In particular, the so-called ultra contiguous junction (UCJ) arrangement in the magnetic sensor. As shown in FIG. 3, in the UCJ arrangement the hard magnet 118 that provides hard bias is collinear with the ferromagnetic free layer 116 thereby avoiding magnetic instabilities in the magnetic sensor. This, in turn, requires seed layer thickness 128 be increased up to around 15–25 nm. Since the seed layer is polycrystalline, at this thickness stress and crystallographic imperfections will degrade the ability of the seed layer 126 to improve the c-axis crystallographic orientation of the grains in the hard magnet 118. This problem is illustrated in FIG. 4, which shows measured x-ray intensity as a function of diffraction angle (twice the angle of incidence as measured from the normal to the film) at grazing incidence (which is sensitive to grains with out-of-plane c-axis crystallographic orientation) for two samples that are representative of current hard magnet 118 materials used for hard bias in magnetic sensors. The first sample has CO3Pt hard magnet 118 with thickness 124 of 7.6 nm and a CrMo seed layer 126 with seed layer thickness 128 of 12.0 nm. The x-ray diffraction data 152 for the first sample is shown in FIG. 4. The second sample has 3.0 nm thick Rh cap layer on CoPtCr hard magnet 118 with thickness 124 of approximately 18.0 nm and Cr seed layer 126 with seed layer thickness 128 of 10.0 nm. The x-ray diffraction data 162 for the second sample is also shown in FIG. 4. The presence of peaks corresponding to the <11{overscore (2)}0> direction in CO3Pt 170 and CoPtCr 180 are indicative of grains with out-of-plane c-axis crystallographic orientation.
In light of this discussion, there is a need to improve the crystallographic orientation of the grains in the hard magnet 118 that provides the longitudinal bias magnetic field to the ferromagnetic free layer 116 in magnetic sensors. Furthermore, there is a need to provide this improved crystallographic orientation of the grains in the hard magnet 118 with a relatively large thickness 128 seed layer 126, such as is required in magnetic sensors with the UCJ arrangement.

Seed layer structure for improved crystallographic orientation of a hard magnetic material

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


An undergarment or bodysuit which uses a simplex lining between a nylon like material outer layer and a cotton inner layer, the cotton inner layer and the simplex lining forming a laminate. Stabilized tricot may be included as part of the laminate. The use of the simplex layer instead of the foam layer results in a material which provides a similar smoothing effect as foam but which has a lower tendency to crease or ride up when the wearer bends down or bends over. Foam cushions are also provided at strategic places to reduce the pressure caused by flexible wires or bones used to provide additional support to keep the bones from digging into the rib cage and provide more comfort to the bodysuit undergarment.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to upper bodysuits or undergarments, and more particularly, to bodysuits or undergarments of the type which serve to shape the upper body, and provide control to the waist and tummy of female wearers of strapless gowns and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many types of undergarments are known in the prior art which are constructed to provide support to the user. See, for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,249. Although the prior art devices generally serve their intended purpose, they usually are made of a single layer of non stretchable fabric and have a number of vertically extending seams and/or bones or wires which extend the length of the front portion of the garment. These wires and/or seams tend to result in visible lines which appear when wearing thin, tight fitting gowns or the like. Typically, prior art undergarments do not have vertically extending wires at the rear. Moreover, although products are available which utilize a foam construction which do not suffer this problem, for example, Style No. 7643 available from Felina Lingerie, such products tend to ride up or form creases in the midriff area when the wearer bends down or bends over. This problem results from the use of a TACTEL (a type of yarn and registered trademark) outer layer and a foam and cotton backing laminate as the inner layer because the foam layer tends to compress and stretch when put under pressure.

Upper body controlling and smoothing bodysuit


During a telephone call between a telephone user and an interactive response system, the user is enabled to use only his voice and key presses on a numeric keypad of his telephone to interactively specify information that can be used to control delivery of content to a visual display of, or a storage medium accessible by, a target telephone which may be a land-line phone, a mobile phone, or some other device acting as a telecommunications device. The target telephone has a visual display or a memory to display or store the delivered content, which may include ringtones, text messages, games, wallpapers, ring-back tones, video clips, web pages, applications, or links to information. The user is enabled to engage in an interaction with the response system that is representative of an interaction between the user and a server connected to the Internet. On behalf of the user, a separate interaction is conducted with the server through the Internet based on the representative interaction. Information is received that can be used to identify the user and the target device. Based on the received information, user authentication information is transmitted to the user, the authentication information is received from the user, and the user is allowed to access a service.

Cell phone users, for example, can not only conduct the usual voice phone calls but also have access to a wide variety of additional facilities based on digital data carrying services provided by mobile phone carriers. Cell phones users can, for example, transmit text messages to one another, send and receive email using the Internet, and browse the World Wide Web either through proprietary interfaces or direct access to Internet servers. One use of these services is to download content such as ringtones and video games. In the word "content" we include images, text messages, video material, sounds, audio material, programs, and web pages. Sounds may include ringtones, which play when a user receives a call, and ring-back tones, which are played to a caller to inform them of the recipient's phone is ringing. Another use is to subscribe to services that automatically transmit content to a user periodically. Although user devices designed specifically to take advantage of such functions sometimes include larger screens than hand-held devices, standard QWERTY-layout keyboards, and faster-than-normal data connection capabilities, cell phones with small screens and numeric keypads are also capable of accessing these data services.
Integrated Voice Response (IVR) systems enable users of telephone or other voice-based communications technologies to interact with databases and other information resources using their voices and touch-tone signals generated by their phones. In telephone banking, for example, a bank account holder may access his accounts by speaking his account number and other identifying information or by entering numbers on his phone's keypad. The IVR not only provides an interface for user interaction, but also acts as an intermediary by interpreting the user's speech or touch-tones generated by his phone, relaying the entered information to the bank's computer systems, and converting the bank's response into speech that the user can understand over the phone.


A leg design for a folding table with rotationally attached leg segments. The folding table includes a table top with a pivoting leg, a pivoting top segment, at least one leg segment and a free standing leg. The number of pivoting legs and free standing legs can vary according to the table shape. The pivoting legs are connected to the table top by hinges. The free standing legs are connected to a leg segment by a crossbar and the leg segments rotationally interconnect with the pivoting top segment. The pivoting top segment and the leg segment or segments form a segmented leg when connected. The rotational connection allows for a free standing leg to rotate with respect to the segmented leg and the connection prevents the leg segments from separating. The free standing legs can be locked into a position that a fixed leg would normally be positioned. During disassembly, the pivoting legs are pivoted towards the table and the free standing legs are rotated towards the pivoting legs. As a result the free standing legs lay adjacent to the pivoting legs and the table top rests on top of the legs.

Tables come in a variety of styles and are used for a variety of reasons. Sometimes when tables are not in use they need to be stored. Non-folding tables require a large amount of storage space. A folding table offers benefits over non-folding tables in that it takes less storage space, is easy to disassemble and easy to assemble. A folding table that does not have to be disassembled for storage will reduce the possibility of pieces being lost or damaged. While folding tables already exist, new designs for such tables continue to benefit consumers by providing alternatives that may better suit a particular situation.
There thus exists a need for a folding table that is easily assembled and disassembled using a novel leg design. The present invention uses means to attach legs to a table top to provide a solid base for a table top and also allow the table to be folded in a manner that reduces the storage space for the table and keeps all of the pieces of the table attached to the table.


Substantially uniform deposition of conductive material on a surface of a substrate, which substrate includes a semiconductor wafer, from an electrolyte containing the conductive material can be provided by way of a particular device which includes first and second conductive elements. The first conductive element can have multiple electrical contacts, of identical or different configurations, or may be in the form of a conductive pad, and can contact or otherwise electrically interconnect with the substrate surface over substantially all of the substrate surface. Upon application of a potential between the first and second conductive elements while the electrolyte makes physical contact with the substrate surface and the second conductive element, the conductive material is deposited on the substrate surface. It is possible to reverse the polarity of the voltage applied between the anode and the cathode so that electro-etching of deposited conductive material can be performed.

Multi-level integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing requires many steps of metal and insulator film depositions followed by photoresist patterning and etching or other means of material removal. After photolithography and etching, the resulting wafer or substrate surface is non-planar and contains many features such as vias, lines or channels. Often, these features need to be filled with a specific material such as a metal or other conductor. Once filled with a conductor, the features provide the means to electrically interconnect various parts of the IC.
Electrodeposition is a technique used in IC manufacturing for the deposition of a highly conductive material, such as copper (Cu), into the features on the semiconductor wafer surface. FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a wafer or substrate 16 to be coated with Cu. Features 1 may be vias, trenches, bond pads, etc., and are opened in the dielectric or insulator layer 2. To achieve Cu deposition, a barrier layer 3 is first deposited over the whole wafer surface. Then, a conductive Cu seed layer 4 is deposited over the barrier layer 3. An electrical contact is made to the barrier layer 3 and/or the seed layer 4, the wafer surface is exposed to a Cu plating electrolyte, and a cathodic voltage is applied to the wafer surface with respect to an anode which also makes physical contact with the electrolyte. In this way, Cu is plated out of the electrolyte, onto the wafer surface, and into the features 1.
The terms xe2x80x9cwaferxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9csubstratexe2x80x9d are used interchangeably above and throughout the remaining description. Referring to the example shown in FIG. 1, it is to be understood that the xe2x80x9cwaferxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9csubstratexe2x80x9d referred to includes the wafer WF per se, the dielectric or insulator layer 2, and the barrier layer 3, with or without the seed layer 4. These terms, of course, may also refer to a wafer WF per se, including one or more previously processed layers, a further dielectric or insulator layer, and a further barrier layer, with or without a further seed layer.
The electrical contact to the seed layer and/or the barrier layer is typically made along the periphery of the wafer, which is usually round. This approach works well for thick and highly conductive seed layers and small wafer diameters (e.g. 200 mm) However, the trend in the semiconductor industry is to go to larger wafers (e.g. 300 mm) and smaller feature sizes (smaller than 0.18 microns). Smaller feature sizes, as well as cost considerations, require the use of the thinnest possible seed layers. As the wafer size increases, the plating current value also increases. As the seed layer thickness decreases, the sheet resistance increases, and the voltage drop between the middle and the edge of a large wafer also increases. Therefore, voltage drop becomes a major problem, especially for large wafers with thin seed layers. This voltage drop results in non-uniform Cu deposition on the wafer surface, the regions near the contacts being typically thicker than other regions.
One other consideration in Cu plating is the xe2x80x9cedge exclusionxe2x80x9d. Cu plating heads, such as the one described in commonly assigned, copending application Ser. No. 09/472,523, filed Dec. 27, 1999, titled WORK PIECE CARRIER HEAD FOR PLATING AND POLISHING, typically use contacts around peripheries of the wafers. Making electrical contact and, at the same time, providing a seal against possible electrolyte leakage is difficult.
FIG. 1a shows a cross sectional view of a contacting scheme in which the wafer or substrate 16 is contacted by a ring-shaped contact 17 which is sealed by a ring seal 18 against exposure to the electrolyte 9a. The seal 18 also prevents the electrolyte 9a from reaching the back surface of the wafer or substrate 16. Such a contacting scheme extends a distance xe2x80x9cWxe2x80x9d from the edge of the wafer. The distance xe2x80x9cWxe2x80x9d is referred to as xe2x80x9cedge exclusionxe2x80x9d and may typically be 3-7 mm. Minimizing xe2x80x9cWxe2x80x9d would allow better utilization of the wafer surface for IC fabrication.
There is, therefore, a need to develop new and novel approaches to provide electrical contacts to the surface of semiconductor wafers during electrodeposition of conductors.
It is a primary object of this invention to provide both a device and a method by which substantially uniform deposition of conductive material on a surface of a substrate, which includes a semiconductor wafer, from an electrolyte containing the conductive material is made possible. According to the invention, a first conductive element can contact or otherwise electrically interconnect with the substrate surface at locations disposed over substantially all of the surface. Upon application of a potential between the first conductive element and a second conductive element, while the electrolyte makes physical contact with the surface and the second conductive element, the conductive material is deposited on the surface.
In one preferred form of the invention, the first conductive element is provided with multiple electrical contacts. The multiple electrical contacts may include pins extending from the first conductive element, rollers biased and electrically interconnected, at least in part, by springs with the first conductive element, or various combinations of such pin and spring biased roller contacts. In this form of the invention, the first conductive element is a cathode plate, and the second conductive element is an anode plate. Each pin or spring biased roller contact extends through a hole provided in the second conductive element, and an insulator is interposed between the pin or the spring biased roller contact and the second conductive element. The electrical contacts are biased into contact or at least into electrical connection with the substrate surface. The device also includes a pad disposed on the second conductive element by which the substrate surface can be polished. At least one of the substrate and the second conductive element can be moved relative to the other while the conductive material is deposited on the surface of the substrate. This relative movement may be in the form of rotation and/or translation. If pins are used as the electrical contacts, each pin may have a rounded tip adapted to contact the substrate surface.
In another preferred form of the invention, the first conductive element can be a conductive pad through which the electrolyte can flow, and the second conductive element can be an anode plate separated by an insulating spacer from the conductive pad. At least one of the substrate and the pad can be rotated or translated relative to the other while the conductive material is deposited on the surface of the substrate, and in this way the substrate surface can be polished by the pad.
The device can also be used to provide substantially uniform electro-etching of conductive material deposited on the substrate surface when the polarity of the potential applied is reversed. Moreover, the device can be used simply to provide substantially uniform electro-etching of conductive material on the substrate surface. In this case, a first conductive element can be electrically interconnected with the substrate surface over substantially all of the surface. Upon application of a potential between the first and second conductive elements while an electrolyte makes physical contact with the surface of the substrate and the second conductive element, the conductive material on the surface will be etched.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows.

Device providing electrical contact to the surface of a semiconductor workpiece during metal plating


A truss system wherein the structural components and fixtures are formed from light gauge metal. The trusses are fabricated from roll formed truss chord members and truss web members. The truss chord members are roll formed to have a generally U-shaped cross-section with a base and two substantially parallel legs with recessed web attachment faces and outwardly extending stiffening flanges to improve structural capacity thus improving the strength-to-weight ratio of the chord member and minimizing costs. The truss web members are formed by nesting two roll formed C-shaped members to form a web member which is box-shaped in cross section. The web members provide the structural advantages of a box-shaped member and the ease and flexibility of a roll formed member. The truss system and method provides improved means and methods for positioning and attaching the web members to the chord members as well as improved truss clips for resistance to uplifting forces and improved truss jack clips for forming hip connections.

The present invention relates to a truss system used in the construction of commercial and residential buildings. More particularly, the present invention relates to a truss system using roll-formed light gauge metal truss members and fixtures.
In the construction field, structural members and fixtures are increasingly formed from light gauge metal due to the rising cost and declining quality of wood. Components formed from light gauge metal are preferred over wood in many applications because the metal components are lighter in weight, stronger, consistent in quality, not subject to shrinkage, and resistant to fire and insect infestation.
In producing the most economical light gauge metal truss system, it is desirable to roll form the elongated truss members with a cross-sectional configuration designed to achieve maximum strength of the member to meet the required structural codes while minimizing the weight of the metal used. A number of roll-formed light gauge metal truss chord members have been developed having different cross-sectional configurations. Typically such truss members have been formed with C-shaped or Z-shaped cross-sections which suffer from low strength-to-weight ratios. More recently, truss members have been formed with generally U-shaped cross-sections having a pair of substantially parallel legs extending from a base portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,051 to Meyer et al. dated Jan. 22, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,028 to Meyer dated May 23, 1995; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,653 to Dolati et al. dated Jun. 30, 1998, each disclose an elongated truss chord member of light gauge metal having a generally U-shaped cross-section. The prior art chord members include in cross-section a pair of legs extending from a base portion. Each of the legs includes a recessed web attachment face so that the pair of web attachment faces are spaced apart a distance less than the width of the base portion. The legs terminate in an outwardly turned stiffening flange to improve the strength-to-weight ratio of the members. The outwardly turned stiffening flange also provides an outer face adjacent the distal end of each leg so that the cross-sectional width of the chord members at the base portion is substantially the same as the cross-sectional width of the chord member at the distal end of the legs to facilitate stacking and transport of the trusses, and engagement of the truss chord members with other structural members or fixture.
The prior art teaches the use of an inclined face in the portion of the chord member interconnecting the recessed web attachment face with the base. The inclined faces in each leg extend inward toward the opposite leg so that the web attachment faces are spaced apart a distance less than the width of the base. Truss chord members including inwardly extending inclined faces to interconnect the web attachment face and the base have several drawbacks. For example, it is desirable in a truss chord member to provide a wide web attachment face to thereby facilitate the attachment of the chord member to structural members received between the web attachment faces. In a member including an inwardly extending inclined face interconnecting the web attachment face and the base, the inclined face comprises a portion of the overall longitudinal width of the leg, thus the longitudinal width of the web attachment face relative to the overall longitudinal width of the leg is reduced.
Further by way of example, the angle of the inclined portion relative to the base may cause difficulties in engaging the chord member with truss clips and other fixtures.
A typical truss includes a plurality of truss web members interconnecting the truss chord members. A number of roll-formed light gauge metal truss web members have been developed having different cross-sectional configurations. Typically such web members have been formed with a C-shaped or H-shaped cross-section which suffer from low strength-to-weight ratios. Truss web members having a box-shaped cross section are favored because the box-shaped cross-sectional configuration eliminates two modes of failure of the members in compression compared to C-shaped or H-shaped members. However, box-shaped members are difficult to fabricate which adds to the expense of fabricating the truss and reduces the flexibility in providing trusses of differing dimensions.
It is known to fabricate a box-shaped member by nesting two C-shaped members. French Patent No. 939,599 dated Jan. 8, 1947, discloses an elongated member having a box-shaped cross section formed by nesting two elongated C-shaped members each having one longer flange and one shorter flange. The above-referenced French patent does not disclose or suggest structural members having sufficient size and strength to bear the loads subjected to a web member in a long span truss. Heretofore, such two-piece box-shaped members have not been made in such sizes or used as load bearing web members in trusses.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel truss system in which the structural members and fixtures are formed from light gauge metal.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel truss chord member which is easily roll formed having a cross-section that optimizes the strength of the member for the weight of the metal used.
It is another object of the invention to provide a truss system with truss chord members having wide web attachment faces.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a truss system with truss chord members which easily engage truss clips and other fixtures.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a truss system with truss chord members which are easily stacked and nested for efficient shipment.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel truss web member that is easily roll formed having a cross-section that optimizes the strength of the member for the weight of the metal used and provides flexibility in sizing for different size truss chord members.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel truss web member having a box-shaped cross section that may be easily roll formed in different sizes.
Trusses are typically fabricated with upper and lower truss chord members and a plurality of interconnecting web members. Each of the web members having one end attached to an upper chord member and the other end attached to a lower chord member. The number and location of the web members is determined by the type of truss being fabricated and the structural requirements for the truss.
In the fabrication of trusses, the various members may be attached to each other by conventional means. Typically, the end portion of a web member is received between the web attachment faces of the chord member and attached thereto by self tapping screws or other conventional means. It is known to provide one or more pre-positioned holes along the length of structural members to facilitate the attachment of the members by screws or other conventional attachment means. U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,957 to Madray discloses a series of pre-positioned holes formed along the entire length of a C-shaped structural member. However, in the fabrication of trusses it is not necessary or desirable to pre-position holes along the entire length of the chord member. The pre-positioned holes need only be located along the portions of the chord member where a web member will be attached. Limiting the pre-positioned holes to one or more portions along the length of the chord member reduces the time and expense associated with forming the holes and provides an additional aid in properly positioning the web members.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel truss system and method of fabricating trusses which obviate the deficiencies of the known systems and methods.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus and method for positioning web members in a light gauge metal truss.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus and method for roll forming truss chord members from a blank of light gauge metal.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus and method for forming the peak of a light gauge metal truss.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus and method for securing a truss from uplifting forces.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus and method for connecting one or more trusses together.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

Light gauge metal truss system and method


An execution instructing apparatus that operates to communicate with at least one processing apparatus executing a predetermined processing includes: a determination unit determining whether, of a first communication method where the execution instructing apparatus communicates with an image processing apparatus via a server which is neither the image processing apparatus nor the execution instructing apparatus, and a second communication method where the execution instructing apparatus communicates with the image processing apparatus without the server, communication can be performed using the second communication method; and a communication control unit controlling communication with the image processing apparatus so that when a determination is not made or when communication cannot be performed using the second communication method, communication regarding the predetermined processing is performed using the first communication method, and when communication can be performed using the second communication method, communication regarding the predetermined processing is performed using the second communication method.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an execution instructing apparatus which instructs a processing apparatus to execute predetermined processing, an execution instructing method, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are known systems where apparatuses such as personal computers (PCs), cellular phones, and so forth, cause a processing apparatus such as a scanner or the like to execute processing, utilizing various types of interfaces such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), wireless local area network (LAN), and so forth.
Japan Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-174444 describes a system in which a PC and a scanner are connected through a server. This system is described as the PC giving the server a scan instruction to go to the scanner, upon reception of that instruction the server causes the scanner to read an original, and the scan results are transmitted to the server.
However, in cases where a PC gives a scan instruction through a server as in the conventional art described above, processing may be performed through the server even if the scan actually could be executed without going through the server.

Execution instructing apparatus, execution instructing method, and storage medium


One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that proactively monitors and detects metal whisker growth in a target area within a computer system. During operation, the system collects target electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals using one or more antennas positioned in the vicinity of the target area. Next, the system analyzes the target EMI signals to proactively detect the onset of metal whisker growth in the target area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to techniques for proactive fault-monitoring in computer systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus that proactively detects metal whisker growth in a computer system by monitoring and analyzing real-time electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals from the computer system.
2. Related Art
The European Union's directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), as well as the California State Senate bill on electronic waste recycling, have been enacted to protect the environment from "electronic waste." One of the materials required to be eliminated from electronic products under these new laws is lead. Lead (Pb) is the main substance in the Sn—Pb alloy which has been widely used as a plating material for printed circuit boards and wires to improve and preserve solderability over long periods of storage. As a result, electronic components are now being plated with pure tin (Sn) or high tin alloys as an alternative to the Sn—Pb plating.
However, a disadvantage of using pure tin or high tin alloy as a plating material is the spontaneous growth of needle-like conductive tin crystals from tin finished surfaces. These needle-like structures are commonly referred to as "tin whiskers." Note that tin whisker formation and growth can potentially cause current leakage or electrical shorting between adjacent leads of a component, between leads of adjacent components on a circuit board, or between leads of a component and the traces on the circuit board.
Although pure tin or high tin alloy-based products are relatively new in the electronics industry, a number of catastrophic failure events due to tin whisker related electrical shorting have already been reported in military, avionics, telecommunication, medical and consumer electronics applications. For example, Boeing reported the failure of a space control processor due to tin whiskers, which resulted in the complete loss of a $200 million communication satellite. More recently, there was a well-publicized failure of electronic systems on NASA's Space Shuttle due to long tin whisker formation.
One technique for detecting tin whisker buildup is to have trained personnel visually inspecting electronic parts that are mostly likely to grow tin whiskers. However, visual inspection is extremely labor-intensive and requires complex systems to be disassembled and reassembled. Hence, it is impractical to perform routine visual inspections for tin whiskers inside a large number of electronic systems. Another technique that the electronics industry is adopting to mitigate tin whisker growth is to apply conformal coatings on the electronics. However, the needle-like tin whiskers can still poke through a conformal coating. Unfortunately, there is no known technique in the electronics industry capable of proactively monitoring and detecting the buildup of conductive whiskers before shorting failures occur.
Hence, what is needed is a method and an apparatus that facilitates proactively detecting the incipience or the onset of conductive whiskers without the above-described problems.

Proactive detection of metal whiskers in computer systems


A rake and shovel combination including an elongated post. Also included is a shovel coupled to an end of the post. A rake is pivotally coupled to the shovel. A control mechanism is provided for selectively pivoting the rake between an open and a closed orientation. When in the close orientation, the prongs of the rake extend past a front edge of the shovel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rake and shovel combination and more particularly pertains to providing a device that may be utilized as both a rake and a shovel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of rake combinations is known in the prior art. More specifically, rake combinations heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of accomplishing yard work are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, the prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,794; U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,536; U.S. Patent Des. 296,510; U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,448; U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,074; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,114.
In this respect, the rake and shovel combination according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a device that may be utilized as both a rake and a shovel.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved rake and shovel combination which can be used for providing a device that may be utilized as both a rake and a shovel. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A hard disk drive device and method for assembling such a device are provided. The hard disk drive device includes storage medium components comprising a drive motor and disk for digital data storage, which are attached to a section of a casing that encloses the drive's mechanical components. Opposite the storage medium components, the read/write components including the actuator assembly, and heads are attached to a different section of the casing.

Hard disk drives are used to store digital data. An example of a HDD is shown in FIG. 1. The HDD may include a read/write head 1, which reads and writes digital data to a magnetic storage medium 2. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the specification.
The read/write head 1 is part of the head stack assembly (HSA) 20, shown in more detail in FIG. 2. The HSA 20 includes a head 1, a head gimbal assembly (HGA) 3, and an actuator assembly 4. The HGA 3 holds the head 1 above the storage medium 2 while the actuator assembly 4, which pivots on pivot 21, positions the HGA 3 so that the head 1 is above one of the many tracks on one of the platters of the storage medium 2. The actuator assembly may also include a voice-coil motor (VCM) as port of the actuator assembly 4.
A typical HDD has mechanical components enclosed within a casing that consists of two main parts, a base casing and a cover. Either the base casing or the cover may have a relatively flat surface, while the other side may have a bowl-shape to accommodate the components that are enclosed therein. FIG. 1 illustrates a typical HDD 10 in the art today, where the base casing 6 is bowl shaped, and the cover, although not shown would have a relatively flat surface.
FIG. 3 shows a typical HDD that is known in the prior art. According to FIG. 3, the HSA 20, the spindle motor 301, one or more platters 302, and the spindle cover 303 are attached to the base casing 6. After these parts are attached, the cover 401 and an electric control body 402 are attached to the base casing as shown in FIG. 4.
Great care needs to be used when assembling components to the base casing 6, as the actuator assembly 4 and HGA 3, including the head(s) 1, are very fragile and the process of assembling the spindle motor 301 with the storage medium 302 and the disk cover 303 may damage these parts, since attaching the medium 302 and the disk cover 303 with the spindle motor requires a significant twisting force. In addition, because both the spindle motor 301 and storage medium 2 are assembled in the same section of the casing 6 as the HSA 20, the assembly steps occur serially, which wastes time as compared to an assembly process which uses parallel steps to assemble the cover and base casing.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a method and device, which may separate assembling steps of the hard drive into parallel steps by allowing the actuator and other read/write components to be assembled in a section of the casing that is different from the section of the casing where the spindle motor and storage medium are assembled.

Hard disk drive device and method of assembling the hard disk drive device


The invention provides an apparatus and method for printing an image using the printhead of an ink jet printer. The printhead ejects ink drops on a print medium in a series of scanning passes, and different addressing patterns are selected in each scanning pass to address ink drop locations for different portions of the raster lines addressed by each scanning pass. Addressing patterns having various interlacing percentages are selected in order to produce overlapping boundary regions between passes. The overlapping boundary regions minimize the banding effects that occur with inexact ink drop placement.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for reducing banding artifacts during ink jet printing, in particular, by modulating the swath boundaries of a printhead using variable interlacing percentages.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thermal ink jet printers apply ink to a print medium such as paper by ejecting ink drops from one or more printheads through a column or array of nozzles. The printheads are mounted on a carriage assembly that is movable in a lateral direction across the print medium and ink drops are selectively ejected from the nozzles at corresponding ink drop placement locations. Specifically, each nozzle is associated with a heater resistor that generates heat when sufficient current passes through it, with the generated heat causing ink within an associated ink reservoir to be ejected from the nozzle. The printheads are moved in a series of lateral passes or swaths across the print medium, and between printing passes, the print medium is advanced in a longitudinal or advance direction. Since the printhead moves in a direction that is perpendicular to the advance direction of the print medium, in each pass, each nozzle passes in a linear manner over the print medium. The line associated with each nozzle which overlies the print medium is commonly referred to as a raster or raster line. A plurality of raster lines extending across the image area of the print medium are disposed vertically adjacent to each other in the advance direction.
A printer controller determines which resistors will be "fired" and the proper firing sequence so that a desired image is printed. However, ink drop placement errors can occur due to a number of factors, including incorrect timing or variable ink drop flight time. Further, if the amount that the print medium is advanced between printing passes is not precisely equal to a theoretical advance amount, either adjacent printed lines can overlap, or be visibly distant from one another. These effects of incorrect line spacing are referred to as line continuation errors.
Known methods exist for ameliorating the effects of ink drop placement errors. One such method is known as shingling or interlaced printing. For a two pass shingling mode (i.e., 50% interlace level), approximately 50% of the ink drops are placed on any given printhead pass. The candidate dots in a first pass are selectively addressed according to a checkerboard pattern, with the remaining dots printed on the next pass, after the print medium is advanced. For a printhead with vertically disposed colors, and a raster which contains cyan, magenta and yellow dots, printing at a 50% interlace level requires that the printhead be passed at least six times across each raster line. Employing a shingling method generally improves print quality, while at the same time reducing the printing speed as compared to printing without shingling.

Apparatus and method for ink jet printing using variable interlacing


Aspects of the invention are directed towards method system and devices assisting the configuration, installation and maintenance of the devices in a system. The invention describes integrating a digitized map on a user terminal. The digitized map comprises positions for configuring one or more devices. The user terminal receives position co-ordinates and configuration information of each of the one or more devices. The user terminal requests configuration for one or more devices and receives the configuration based on the configuration information. The received configuration is transmitted to the one or more thereby configuring the one or more devices.

Fire alarm system involves installation and commissioning of sensors, detectors, control panels, and other devices. The process of installation and commissioning the devices involves a cumbersome process. A technician is provided with a floor plan. The technician visits the area and identifies the devices based on the floor plan. The devices are scanned (e.g. for QR code) to identify each device for configuration. The details of the devices are fed in a worksheet that is validated for correct entries for each of the devices in the entire area. The process further involves multiple checks on a configuration utility software to ensure the devices are configured and installed as per the floorplan making the entire process to be manually intensive. The configuration utility (CU) device is generally secluded on a site.
In a conventional device loop wiring arrangement a fire control panel supports up to 250 addressable devices (for example) on a loop and a typical building comprises around 10 such loops (for example). Thus, in this example a technician needs to scan around 2500 devices in an area for receiving the details of all the devices. These details are then required to be fed in a worksheet. The worksheet is further validated using the utility software. This process is prone to human errors while the data is fed in the worksheet. Further, it is also a labor intensive task to scan each of the 2500 devices and also marking the location information for each device.
Further, there are instances where a device malfunctions and the technician needs to visit the area and determine the fault with the device. If configuration of the device is faulty, the technician may need to scan the details and bring an appropriate configuration update for the device by visiting the area again.
The above instances and examples clearly indicate the manual intensive and time consuming nature of the installation in the fire alarm systems.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to develop methods and systems for configuring and installing the devices in an area with minimum manual effort and in minimum duration.


A device for starting an internal combustion engine for hand-held tools, chainsaws, lawnmowers, trimmers and the like, includes a rotatable pulling medium roller which can be brought into functional connection with the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine in order to bring about a rotation of the crankshaft. The starting device has a simply configured functional connection between the crankshaft and the pulling medium roller and effectively reduces the force peaks reaching the pulling medium roller. To accomplish this, a deformation body having elastic deformation behaviour is arranged in the functional connection between the pulling medium roller and the crankshaft. The deformation body compensates for leading or lagging of the crankshaft with respect to the pulling medium roller.

Starter devices of the type concerned here are mostly configured with a handle in order to start the internal combustion engine manually. The handle comprises a grip, which is connected with a pulling element such as a cord or a flat band, with the cord or flat band being wound around the pulling medium roller. When the user exerts a pulling force on the pulling medium, the pulling medium roller is set in rotation.
The rotation is transferred to the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine by means of a functional connection with the crankshaft in such a manner that the internal combustion engine can start. In addition to manual actuation of the starter devices, electric motors are known, which set a drive element in rotation, which is in functional connection with the crankshaft. Furthermore, other mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic starter devices are known, which however all function according to the same basic principle. Consequently, the kick starter for mopeds can likewise be designated a starter device to which the present invention applies.
Owing to the construction of the internal combustion engine, the rotation of the crankshaft has a torque profile which varies periodically. During the compression phase of the internal combustion engine cycle, a high torque is required, which must be passed to the crankshaft in order to set the internal combustion engine in rotation.
During the expansion phase, the crankshaft in contrast only requires a low torque or no torque at all, since the expansion of the gas in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine produces the effect of a gas spring so that the crankshaft rotates automatically. This highly periodic torque requirement of the internal combustion engine to be started produces in the pull cord a correspondingly periodic rising and falling force requirement, which the user must apply. The user senses this periodic rising and falling force requirement as a jerky, pulsing load.
Force peaks can be avoided with a variokinematic connection or mechanism between the cord roller and the crankshaft, as is disclosed in the earlier filed application DE 20 2007 006 551.5. The damping effect is however rather small, since there is no appreciable flexibility in the functional connection. The effect of the different phase positions between the crankshaft and the pulling medium roller can however be compensated by using variokinematic connections.
In order to damp the force peaks which reach the pulling medium roller via the crankshaft, torsion spring devices are likewise known, which are arranged between the pulling medium roller and a driver. The rotation brought about by means of the pulling medium and the pulling medium roller is passed via the torsion spring device so that the torsion spring device makes possible a compensation of the rotation for the compression phases of the internal combustion engine which causes the engine shaft to lead. The force peaks in the cord pull, which would otherwise arise as a result of two components with opposed acceleration vectors meeting each other are thereby effectively suppressed. The torque required for starting is transferred in a form-fitting manner via large-area stops positioned on the outside of the torsion spring. The disadvantage here arises in the case of pulling medium rollers consisting of a plastic material having a tendency to wear as a result of the high surface pressures from the torsion spring element.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Starter device for an engine unit with improved damping


A turbine blade for a turbine engine having a cooling system with at least one serpentine cooling channel in internal aspects of the turbine blade. The serpentine cooling channel includes at least one root turn proximate to a root of the turbine blade. The root turn may have a generally rectangular shape and may account for reduced pressure losses relative to conventional curved root turns. One or more refresh holes may be positioned in a rib proximate to the root turn to provide the root turn with cooling fluids that have bypassed the first and second legs of the serpentine cooling channel.

Typically, gas turbine engines include a compressor for compressing air, a combustor for mixing the compressed air with fuel and igniting the mixture, and a turbine blade assembly for producing power. Combustors often operate at high temperatures that may exceed 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Typical turbine combustor configurations expose turbine blade assemblies to these high temperatures. As a result, turbine blades must be made of materials capable of withstanding such high temperatures. In addition, turbine blades often contain cooling systems for prolonging the life of the blades and reducing the likelihood of failure as a result of excessive temperatures.
Typically, turbine blades, as shown in FIG. 1, are formed from a root portion and a platform at one end and an elongated portion forming a blade that extends outwardly from the platform. The blade is ordinarily composed of a tip opposite the root section, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. The inner aspects of most turbine blades typically contain an intricate maze of cooling channels forming a cooling system. The cooling channels in the blades receive air from the compressor of the turbine engine and pass the air through the blade. The cooling channels often include multiple flow paths that are designed to maintain all aspects of the turbine blade at a relatively uniform temperature. However, centrifugal forces and air flow at boundary layers often prevent some areas of the turbine blade from being adequately cooled, which results in the formation of localized hot spots. Localized hot spots, depending on their location, can reduce the useful life of a turbine blade and can damage a turbine blade to an extent necessitating replacement of the blade.
Conventional turbine blades may have one or more root turns, as shown in FIG. 2, which are located proximate to the root. Conventional root turns are typically curved elements of the flow path that change the direction of cooling fluid flow about 180 degrees in a serpentine formation in the root. While a conventional root turn successfully redirects cooling fluid flow from flowing spanwise towards a root to flowing spanwise towards the blade tip, a conventional root turn causes the cooling fluids flowing through the conventional root turn to undergo a significant pressure loss. Such a pressure loss often causes undesirable hot spots to develop in portions of the turbine blades. Thus, an internal cooling system having reduced pressure loss cooling fluid turns is needed.

Internal cooling system for a turbine blade


Disclosed herein are a portable information terminal apparatus, an information processing method, a computer-program storage medium, and a computer-program. In a portable information terminal apparatus capable of managing a schedule list, the apparatus includes acquiring means for acquiring program information; displaying means for displaying the program information acquired by the acquiring means; establishing means for establishing preset information for presetting a program for unattended recording based on an operation input by a user referring to the program information displayed by the displaying means; and writing means for writing to the schedule list the preset information established by the establishing means. In the apparatus, the displaying means further displays the schedule list including the preset information written by the writing means.

The present invention relates to an information processing system, a portable information terminal apparatus, an information processing method, a program information providing apparatus, a program information providing method, a recording/reproducing apparatus, a recording/reproducing method, a program storage medium, and a program. More particularly, the invention relates to an information processing system, a portable information terminal apparatus, an information processing method, a program information providing apparatus, a program information providing method, a recording/reproducing apparatus, a recording/reproducing method, a program storage medium, and a program, whereby a user operating the portable information terminal apparatus such as a so-called PDA can preset a desired program to be recorded unattended.
Some related-art TV program recorders known as VTRs (video tape recorders) allow users to preset desired programs to be later recorded unattended using the so-called G code (trademark of Gemstar Development Corp.). This technology involves the user operating a remote commander to input a G code corresponding to the desired TV program, the G code being transmitted as an infrared ray signal to the VTR. Upon receipt of the infrared ray signal, the VTR decodes the G code carried by the signal to find out the date of broadcast, the name of the TV station concerned, the name of the TV program to be recorded, a program start time, and a program end time for analysis, and presets accordingly the TV program for recording.
Examples of the technology above are disclosed illustratively in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,335,079 and 5,307,173.
One disadvantage of the above-disclosed method is its complexity of operation. The method requires the user to look up a G code of up to eight digits corresponding to a desired TV program in the program list carried by the newspaper, magazines or other publications and to manually input the selected G code.
Recent years have seen the launch of a service based on a system utilizing a TV program preset website on the Internet allowing users to preset desired TV programs to be later recorded unattended. According to this preset recording system, a user operates a portable information terminal apparatus such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a personal computer initially to access a TV program preset website offering TV program information (in the form of a TV program list). Browsing through the program information, the user searches for the desired TV program. Once the desired program is chosen, the user operates a preset button to download the relevant program information describing the name of the TV station concerned, the name of the TV program to be recorded, a program start time, and a program end time.
A disadvantage of the recording preset system above is that users must keep displaying the TV program list on their PDA or personal computer screen after gaining access to the TV program preset website, until they find the programs they have been searching for. The search process is time-consuming and expensive in an online communication environment.

Portable information terminal apparatus, information processing method, computer-program storage medium, and computer-program


Variations in the response band of a PLL circuit due to manufacturing variations of the sensitivity of a voltage control oscillator are suppressed. With respect to an original PLL circuit which generates a clock signal having a predetermined frequency in accordance with an input signal, a dummy PLL circuit having a voltage control oscillator having characteristics substantially similar to those of a voltage control oscillator within the original PLL circuit is provided. By controlling the output current of a charge pump circuit within the original PLL circuit on the basis of a locked voltage of the voltage control oscillator within the dummy PLL circuit, the gain of the original PLL circuit is controlled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional PLL circuit, as shown in FIG. 6, is formed of a phase comparator 101, a charge pump circuit 102, a loop filter 103, a voltage control oscillator (VCO) 104, and a frequency divider 105. In such a PLL circuit constructed as described above, if the output current of the charge pump circuit 102 is denoted as Ip, the constants of the loop filter 103 as R and C, the sensitivity of the voltage control oscillator 104 as Ko, and the frequency-division ratio of the frequency divider 105 as N, the response of the phase of an output signal with respect to a phase change of an input signal is expressed by the following equation. ##EQU1## where .omega..sub.n is the natural angular frequency and .zeta. is the dumping coefficient, each of which is expressed as follows: ##EQU2## A-3db response band is expressed by the following equation. ##EQU3##
That is, in a region where the dumping coefficient .zeta. is large, the response band is proportional to the product of the sensitivity Ko of the voltage control oscillator 104, the output current Ip of the charge pump circuit 102, and the constant R of the loop filter 103, i.e., loop gain.
Meanwhile, in a case in the whole PLL circuit is assembled into one semiconductor integrated circuit, all of the voltage control oscillator 104, resistors within the charge pump circuit 102, and resistors within the loop filter 103 have manufacturing variations controlled by a strong proportional correlation. Therefore, the output current Ip of the charge pump circuit 102 and the constant R of the charge pump circuit 102 tend to be inversely proportional, and their product is not susceptible to manufacturing variations. However, since the response band varies due to manufacturing variations in the sensitivity Ko of the voltage control oscillator 104, it is difficult to precisely control the response band of the PLL circuit.

PLL circuit with reduced response variance due to manufacturing variations


Systems and methods for obtaining and displaying a collimated X-ray image are described. The methods can include providing an X-ray device having an X-ray source, a square or rectangular X-ray detector, and a collimator. The collimator can be sized and shaped to collimate an X-ray beam from the X-ray source that exposes a receptor region on the detector. The collimator can allow the X-ray image received by the X-ray detector to have any suitable shape that allows a relatively large view of the image to be displayed and rotated on the display device without changing the shape or size of the image as it rotated. In some instances, the collimator provides the image with superellipse shapes or cornerless shapes having four substantially straight edges with a 90 degree corner missing between at least two edges that run substantially perpendicular to each other. Other embodiments are described.

A typical X-ray imaging system comprises an X-ray source and an X-ray detector. The X-rays that are emitted from the X-ray source can impinge on the X-ray detector and provide an X-ray image of the object (or objects) that are placed between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector. In one type of X-ray imaging system, a fluoroscopic imaging system, the X-ray detector is often an image intensifier or, more recently, a flat panel digital detector.
In many medical imaging applications, a collimator is placed between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector to limit the size and shape of the field of the X-ray beam. The collimator can shape or limit the X-ray beam to an area of a patient's body that requires imaging, preventing unnecessary X-ray exposure to areas surrounding the body part that is being imaged and protecting the patient from needless X-ray exposure. And because the collimator can limit the X-rays impinging on the X-ray detector near the body part being imaged, the collimator helps improve image contrast and quality. For example, the collimator can reduce excess X-rays from impinging on a flat panel digital detector, reducing or preventing image blooming or bleeding (which tend to occur when the detector is overloaded with X-rays). Thus, some conventional collimators can minimize X-ray exposure and maximize the efficiency of the X-ray dosage to obtain an optimum amount of data for diagnosis.

Systems and methods for obtaining and displaying an X-ray image


A major shortcoming in the prior art for detecting cardiac arrhythmias for the purpose of making an electrical intervention decision has been that each variable sensed was given in effect a "veto" over intervention on the basis of its own particular predetermined threshold value, and irrespective of the values of companion variables. The present invention overcomes this prior art problem by generating a function of relevant variables, and assigning a threshold value to the function. As a result, an individual variable can range widely for a positive intervention decision, depending upon the values of the companion variables. Thus, the intervention exploits features often described as those associated with fuzzy logic. The functions chosen for this purpose can be as one desires, with the choice depending upon the current state of advancing knowledge. Even further flexibility can be achieved by employing the principles of the neural net, wherein functional values can themselves be combined, with another threshold value assigned to the result of that combination, and so on.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to detection methods for cardiac arrhythmias, and more particularly, to methods of improved accuracy for identifying the presence of conditions that can be ameliorated by antitachycardia pacing, by cardioversion shock, or by defibrillation shock.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fibrillation is a chaotic and uncoordinated contraction of the ventricular myocardium. The heart can be caused to return to normal rhythm by the application of an energetic electrical shock, typically of the order of 10 joules. Cardioversion involves the application of a more modest shock, typically in the neighborhood of one joule, and is appropriate in the case of ventricular tachycardia. The heart in this condition has a high, but well-defined rate, but its contraction is not as well-coordinated as it is in the normal state, the condition of normal sinus rhythm. Furthermore, if the rate is high enough, pumping efficiency declines significantly. Ventricular tachycardia, still further, is sometimes a precursor of fibrillation.
When the heart races, but retains well-coordinated contractions, effective intervention is sometimes possible by applying a pacing signal of still higher rate that "takes over" from the tachycardia, and then returns the rate to the proper range. This treatment is appropriate when the rise in rate has not been too large.
Several prior-art tactics have been used to identify malfunctions such as these, in order to apply the appropriate electrical protocol. But these have left much to be desired in terms of accuracy and reliability. For example, a simple and common criterion for the application of a defibrillation shock is a pulse rate above 170 per minute. But such an elevated rate can and should result from exercise, to name one cause, the case of "sinus" tachycardia. Under such conditions, a "false positive" instruction to the defibrillator results from the sole use of the simplistic rate criterion, followed by the delivery of a painful and possibly hazardous shock to the patient.
More sophisticated systems monitor more than one variable. For example, rate of change of the pulse rate is sometimes observed, to detect a rapid "jump" in heart rate. In variations on this method, one can monitor rate acceleration, or the magnitude of the rate change within a given interval. More general approaches are covered in the discussion below under the term "onset". Another criterion is duration of high heart rate, measured in the number of consecutive cycles above a specified rate. Other options examine the correlation between electrical pulses and separate signals derived from a mechanical sensor of some description.
Yet another option observes a quantity that is related to the waveform shape of the signal from the heart. For example, the ratio of the average absolute value of the signal voltage to the peak absolute voltage is small during normal sinus rhythm, because the signal departs from near zero for a relatively small fraction of the cycle. In the chaotic signal from a fibrillating heart it is nonzero much more of the time. This kind of absolute-amplitude observation is included below under the brief term "absolute-amplitude ratio" (AAR). The probability distribution function (PDF) is a useful detection approach involving waveform shape. A further criterion is signal amplitude. Amplitude declines significantly during fibrillation. Still further, one can observe blood pressure, blood pH, and other physiological-variable values. Finally, there is the stability criterion. Here the rate variation can suggest an exercise-related change in normal sinus rhythm, or the chaotic behavior connected with ventricular fibrillation, but rules out the middle ground of ventricular tachycardia.
A number of U.S. Patents deal with the detection of ventricular arrhythmias by using observations of more than one variable. The inventors, patents, dates, and variables can be summarized as follows:
Dennisten and Davis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,795, 1974, electrical and mechanical.
Langer and Heilman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,551, 1984, rate and PDF.
Imran, U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,620, 1989, rate and onset.
Chirife, U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,036, 1989, rate and mechanical.
Pless and Sweeney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,005, 1989, rate and stability.
In these multi-variable systems, it is standard practice to set a threshold level for each variable that, when exceeded, contributes a positive "vote" to the decision. These discrete criteria are combined in a logical AND function, thus requiring a unanimous vote, and a particular electrical treatment is initiated by the positive AND output.
To illustrate the shortcomings of such a system and also a single-variable threshold-method system, let us take a two-variable example. The same kind of example is useful to illustrate the advantages of the present invention, as described in the following section. The principles involved in more complex systems will be evident as extension of this example. Suppose that ventricular tachycardia is to be detected and at most two variables are to be monitored, heart rate and duration of the elevated rate.
As the single-variable example, let us take the case of pulse-rate monitoring only. This case is illustrated in FIG. 1A, where the x axis is labeled "rate". The y axis is present also, and is labeled "duration", but is included only to relate this case to subsequent cases. The standard technique chooses a discrete threshold r.sub..degree., and triggers electrical therapy when the rate exceeds r.sub..degree.. It follows, then, that any pulse rate falling in the shaded region will produce a positive indication. The obvious problem with this simplistic method is that even a condition represented by the point with the coordinates (r.sub.1, d.sub.1) will trigger therapeutic response in spite of the fact that the high rate was very fleeting.
Moving then to the two-variable method, we can see that such a false positive is ruled out by "ANDING" the pair of variables. It is now necessary to have r>r.sub..degree., and d>d.sub..degree. simultaneously in order to trigger electrical response. This situation is illustrated graphically in FIG. 1B, and the now more restricted shaded area represents the locus of points that trigger the system. Thus, it follows that the false-positive condition represented by the point (r.sub.1, d.sub.1) does not cause triggering. This is not the end of the story, however. Note that the condition represented by the point (r.sub.2, d.sub.2) will not trigger the system either, but certainly represents a case of tachycardia because the rate is high (though slightly below threshold) for a very long time. The system design of the present invention eliminates this shortcoming, as well as that associated with a point such as (r.sub.1, d.sub.1).

Arrhythmia-detection criteria process for a cardioverter/defibrillator


An underwire for brassieres which is split in the width and the split extends substantially the full length of the underwire to the rounded ends. The split defines two segments, one of which can swing out of the plane of the other to thereby strengthen the underwire while providing a measure of flexibility.

Underwire brassiere are available in a wide variety of configurations with underwires which can be made of metal, of plastic or plastic-coated metal, which are round or flattened or of hybrid configuration, which may have rounded ends to facilitate insertion into a stitched channel along the bottom of a brassiere cup to lie against the sternum of the wearer, may have stitching flanges enabling them at various locations to be stitched into the garment and may have configurations which change along the length so as to have variable flexibility within the plane of the underwire or transverse to that plane.
The underwire imparts shape to the cup of the brassiere and has a stiffness or flexibility required to maintain a particular shape or allow various degrees of mobility. The underwire may, in addition, be received under a certain prestress in the channel beneath and around the cup so as to press inward against the breast for enhancement purposes.
Underwires of various shapes are also available in various sizes to accommodate different bust sizes and breast shapes and sizes.