A coil spring, a pogo pin having the coil spring, and manufacturing methods thereof are provided. The method for manufacturing a coil spring includes i) preparing a metal strip 200 with a periodically repeated U- or S-shape pattern, and ii) bending the metal strip 200 at one or more inward bending points 210 and at one or more outward bending point 220, which are formed on the metal strip 200, in opposite directions, the inward bending point and the outward bending point being spaced apart from each other. The coil spring and the pogo pin may be manufactured to be small in size and low in manufacturing costs as compared with conventional ones. Further, the coil spring and the pogo pin may provide a sufficient maximum range of motion and spring force of a probe.

Pogo pins are widely used in inspection devices or sockets for semiconductor wafers, LCD modules, and semiconductor packages, and battery connectors for cell phones.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional pogo pin 6.
Referring to FIG. 1, the pogo pin 6 includes a cylindrical pin body 11, a coil spring 14 inserted in the pin body 11, and upper and lower probes 12 and 13 disposed at both ends of the coil spring 14.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional socket used in inspecting a semiconductor package. In FIG. 2, the pogo pin is used to establish a connection between an external terminal of the semiconductor package and a metallic wire on a printed circuit board.
Referring to FIG. 2, the socket 20 includes pogo pins 6 and a main body 1. The pogo pin 6 is used to establish an electrical connection between an external terminal 3a of a semiconductor package 3 and a contact pad 5a of a test board 5. The main body 1 is used to support the pogo pins 6 so that the pogo pins 6 may be arranged at regular intervals and be protected from deformation or damage.
The pogo pin 6 includes a pipe-shaped pin body 11, a metallic upper probe 12, a metallic lower probe 13, and a coil spring 14. The upper probe 12 is coupled to a top side of the pin body 11 to come into contact with the external terminal 3a of the semiconductor package 3. The lower probe 13 is coupled to a bottom side of the pin body 11 to come into contact with the contact pad 5a of the test board 5. The coil spring 14 is disposed in the pin body 11 and comes into contact with the upper and lower probes 12 and 13 to allow the upper and lower probes 12 and 13 to elastically come into contact with the external terminal 3a of the package 3 and the contact pad 5a of the test board 5, respectively, when inspection is conducted.
The pogo pin 6 is preferably small in size so as to be suited to increasingly miniaturized and integrated semiconductor packages. A reduced distance between the external terminals 3a inherently leads to a decrease in the outer diameter of the pogo pin 6. Further, the pogo pin 6 needs to be minimized in length to reduce electrical resistance between the semiconductor is package 3 and the test board 5.
For instance, in order to reduce the distance between the semiconductor package 3 and the test board 5 to 0.95 mm or shorter, the pogo pin 6 needs to have a length of 0.95 mm or shorter accordingly.
On the other hand, in order to securely establish electrical contact between the external terminal 3a of the semiconductor package 3 and the upper probe 12 and between the contact pad 5a and the lower probe 13, the range of motion of the upper probe 12 and the range of motion of the lower probe 13 are preferably as large as possible. However, in the case of a conventional pogo pin with a size as small as 0.95 mm or shorter, providing a sufficient range of motion is not possible.
For example, in the case of a pogo pin with a length of 0.95 mm, the coil spring 14 can have a range of motion of no more than about 0.6 mm, except for a space for the upper and lower probes. In this case, a coil spring of ten turns each having a diameter of 0.06 mm takes up at least 0.6 mm. On the other hand, a reduced diameter of a coil spring may result in a decreased spring force or electrical signal loss. Besides, a decreased number of turns of a coil spring may not provide a sufficient range of motion within a limited range of elasticity of the coil spring.

Flat plate folding type coil spring, pogo pin and manufacturing method


It is desired to prevent disalignment of the edges of a folded sheet by smoothly feeding the sheet while keeping tension fluctuations to a minimum when the sheet is unwound from a paper roll set in a paper feed unit to a packaging unit even though the paper roll diameter decreases gradually as the sheet is unwound. A sheet length measuring sensor or rotary encoder is provided in the paper feed path through which the packaging sheet unwound from the paper roll is fed toward the packaging unit. An angle sensor is provided which comprises Hall element sensors provide on a support shaft and magnets provided on a core pipe of the paper roll. Any change in the signals from one of these sensors relative to the signal from the other sensor is used to calculate the paper roll winding length, and the sheet tension is adjusted to an optimum, constant level by controlling the sheet braking force stepwise according to the roll diameter measured by the sensors.

This invention relates to a method of adjusting the tension applied to a sheet, more particularly a method of adjusting the tension applied to a sheet pulled out of a sheet roll in a stepwise manner according to the changing diameter of the sheet roll, and a device for carrying out the method.
One conventional drug packaging device includes a sheet feed unit rotatably supporting a rolled sheet of heat-fusible packaging paper, and a sealing device provided in a feed path through which the packaging sheet is unwound and fed. Upstream of the sealing device, the sheet is folded in half, drugs are supplied, and the sheet is heat-sealed in the width direction and along the edges by the sealing device to seal the drugs.
When the packaging sheet runs out, a new paper roll is set in the paper feed unit, and the new sheet is unwound and fed. When the sheet is fed, it has to be tensioned uniformly so that the sealing position will not deviate due to inaccurate folding of the sheet. But actually, the tension applied to the sheet changes gradually because the diameter of the paper roll changes gradually as the sheet is unwound.
Examined Japanese utility model publication discloses a sheet tension adjusting device which can apply uniform tension to the sheet even when the diameter of the sheet roll changes. The sheet tension adjusting device disclosed in this publication has a roll support cylinder on which is detachably mounted a sheet roll. A plurality of roll diameter detection sensors are provided at the side of the sheet roll. Signals from these detection sensors are used to control the electromagnetic force produced by an electromagnetic brake provided in the roll support cylinder so that the baking force decreases stepwise as the roll diameter decreases.
With this conventional sheet tension adjusting device, the sheet length of the sheet, which changes as the sheet is unwound, is detected stepwise by the roll diameter sensors arranged in the diametric direction of the roll. Thus, when the roll diameter decreases to a point where the detection sensor rank changes, the braking force rank of the electromagnetic brake will fluctuate up and down for every rotation due to deviation of the axis of the core shaft, the weight of the sheet, or winding strain.
If this happens, the sheet edges cannot be aligned accurately when the sheet is folded in half. Complete packaging is thus impossible. Since the braking force rank changes sharply, the sheet may suffer a laceration in the width direction.
Light reflecting type detection sensors have a problem in that they are more likely to malfunction. Packaging sheets used for a drug packaging device include semi-transparent, or transparent heat-fusible paper and many other kinds of paper. If the end position of such a sheet changes, light is reflected differently, making it impossible to detect the reflected light as a signal. This deteriorates detecting accuracy. Further, it tends to meander under the influence of humidity variations. Detection accuracy may deteriorate due to uneven end faces.
A thermal printer is usually provided upstream of the position where the sheet is folded in half for printing the packaging sheet. If the sheet vibrates, its printing dots may chip, or the durability of a remainder indicator lamp may deteriorate.
An object of this invention is to provide a method and a device of adjusting the tension in a sheet which is free of the problems of a conventional method of adjusting the tension in a sheet.

Method of adjusting tension applied to sheet, and device for the same


A unique positioning of a discharge tube relative to a pivot axis of a check valve in a compressor reduces the wear and fatigue stresses on the pivoting check valve components. The tube is centered on an axis that is non-perpendicular to an axis that is parallel to the pivot axis of the check valve, and in one embodiment was at 45°. With the inventive positioning of the discharge tube relative to the pivot axis, the flow streamlines heading from the discharge port to the discharge tube are no loner normal to the flapper valve surface, and the amount of wear between moving valve components and fatigue stresses are reduced.

This application relates to a unique positioning of a discharge tube relative to a pivot axis for a flapper check valve in a compressor.
Compressors are utilized to compress a refrigerant and deliver the compressed refrigerant to a downstream heat exchanger. One type of refrigerant compressor is a scroll compressor. In a scroll compressor, a pair of scroll members each have a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from the base. The wraps interfit to define compression chambers. One of the two scroll members is caused to orbit relative to the other, with the size of the compression chambers decreasing toward discharge as refrigerant is being compressed. After the refrigerant has been compressed, it leaves the compression chambers through a discharge port and into the discharge plenum.
A shell of the compressor is normally divided into a suction plenum and a discharge plenum by a separator plate. Scroll compressors require a check valve located in the discharge passage to prevent the compressor from running in reverse upon shutdown. Reverse rotation can occur at shutdown when the volume of compressed gas contained within the discharge plenum, discharge lines and condenser can drive the orbiting scroll in a reverse direction. This reverse rotation may continue until pressures on the high pressure side of the system equalize with pressures on the low side of the system. Such prolonged reverse rotation is undesirable. The separator plate normally carries a check valve assembly. However, other arrangements are possible where the check valve is installed, for example, directly onto the body of a fixed scroll, if the fixed scroll also serves as a separator plate, being a divider between the suction and discharge plenums. The check valve is opened by fluid pressure, upon the compressor startup and kept open during compressor operation. The check valve is closed by fluid flow, upon the compressor shutdown. The known check valves in many cases are flapper check valves that have a valve member that pivots about a pivot axis between open and closed positions. The valve member pivotal motion is accomplished via a pin that is normally received within hinge slots. When the valve is in the open position, the compressed refrigerant moves outwardly of the compression chambers and into the discharge plenum. When the check valve is closed the refrigerant is blocked from entering the compression chambers. This limits the amount of trapped gas communicating with the compression chambers, and greatly reduces the occurrence of reverse rotation.
One concern with prior art compressors is the wear and fatigue breakage of these flapper check valves. The flapper check valve is typically forced open and allowed to flutter during the compressor operation. The check valve also closes every time the compressor is shutdown. This occurs numerous times during any period of operation of the compressor. Forces acting on these check valves during compressor operation and upon start up and shut down make check valves prone to fatigue and wear failure.
In the prior art, a discharge tube for directing refrigerant from the discharge plenum into a downstream heat exchanger was placed such that the central axis of this tube was perpendicular to an axis that was parallel to the pivot axis of the flapper check valve. With such an orientation, flow streamlines, which extend from the discharge port to the discharge tube, are normal to a face of the flapper valve. This increases the fluid forces on the flapper check valve, and hence the wear and stresses on the flapper check valve components.

Compressor with check valve orientated at angle relative to discharge tube


A substrate to be encapsulated, an encapsulation assembly and a display device are provided. The substrate to be encapsulated comprises a base substrate, and a plurality of notches arranged in an array located in a region to be attached to an encapsulation layer, wherein the plurality of notches have a same shape of regular polygon.

In the art of encapsulation assemblies, such as an active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display device and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device, an encapsulation layer and a substrate are normally attached by an encapsulation process. Generally, the encapsulation process plays an important role in service life of the encapsulation assembly since the encapsulation process may prevent water or oxygen from permeating into the encapsulation assembly. In the encapsulation process, frit or resin may be used as an adhesive during an attaching step. Specifically, there is a plurality of holes, which are normally in a quadrangular shape, in the substrate. These holes may improve the contact surface area between the substrate and an adhesive layer, thus improving the adhesive force and encapsulation performances and decreasing mechanical properties and permeability to water or oxygen. There is still a requirement for a further development of the encapsulation performance of the encapsulation assembly.

Substrate to be encapsulated, encapsulation assembly and display device having the same

Chengdu BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to encapsulated microfluidic packages and methods thereof. In particular embodiments, the package includes a device, a cradle configured to support the device, and a lid having a bonding surface configured to provide a fluidic seal between itself and the device and/or cradle. Other package configurations, as well as methods for making such fluidic seals, are described herein.

Fluidic systems can provide complicated routines to manipulate and analyze small volumes of fluid. Such systems can have numerous fluidic features imparted by lithography and other fabrication techniques, as well as selective and/or specific analyte detection imparted by biological or chemical capture probes. Fabrication steps can include use of chemicals, etchants, oxidants, etc., that are incompatible with capture probes. Thus, there is a need for additional methods for fabricating fluidic packages in the presence of sensitive biological or chemical probes.

Microfluidic package and method of making the same

National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC


A method of clavicle fracture fixation includes using a K-wire to create a pilot hole extending longitudinally through the medullary canal of the lateral and medial fragments of the fractured clavicle while the fragments are reduced, enlarging a medial portion of the pilot hole in the lateral fragment and a lateral portion of the pilot hole in the medial fragment, wherein such enlarged portions are together sized for receiving the clavicle nail, attaching the lateral end of the clavicle nail to the K-wire, manipulating the K-wire such that substantially the entire length of the clavicle nail is positioned inside of the lateral fragment, aligning the lateral and medial fragments longitudinally, and manipulating the K-wire such that approximately half of the length of the clavicle nail is positioned within the medial fragment and approximately half of the nail is positioned within the lateral fragment.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to surgery. Particularly, this invention relates to orthopedic devices for fixation of clavicle fractures and methods of using the same.
2. State of the Art
Traditionally, orthopedic surgeons have accepted nonoperative treatment as the standard of care for fractured clavicles, likely the result of earlier studies showing unsatisfactory outcomes with operative treatment. However, recent studies show significant risks with nonoperative treatment, including chronic pain, weakness, and a higher nonunion rate. Hill, J. M., et al. "Closed Treatment of Displaced Middle-Third Fractures of the Clavicle Gives Poor Results." Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, May 1998: 537-539. In addition, poor operative results in the past may have been related more to the technique used than the concept of treating these fractures operatively.
Placement of plate and screws on the clavicle requires significant soft tissue stripping, which may compromise blood supply to the bone and subsequent healing. Furthermore, this treatment creates multiple stress risers in the clavicle, due to the use of several bicortical screws in the plate. Another treatment, smooth pin fixation, presents problems with possible pin migration.
The Rockwood Clavicle Pin, available from DePuy, fits into the intramedullary canal of the clavicle through a small incision over the fracture site with minimal soft tissue dissection. The device is specially designed to allow natural compression at the fracture site, minimizes hardware migration and can be easily removed under local anesthesia. This pin has a threaded end that may be screwed into the medial fragment of the fractured clavicle. The opposite end has a thread for receiving a nut that may be retained in the lateral fragment and tightened to reduce the fracture. The intramedullary placement of the Rockwood Clavicle Pin helps remedy past treatment issues, including impaired blood supply, painful, prominent hardware, and stress risers related to removal of a plate and associated screws. However, the pin may not be suitable for certain fractures, such as a non-union fracture, where compression across the fracture is undesirable.
The clavicle nail disclosed in co-owned and co-pending U.S. Pub. No. 20050065528 A1 to Orbay, includes threaded parallel holes displaced along an endosteal surface for receiving unicortical machine screws. The surgeon positions the nail inside the medial and lateral fragments of the fractured clavicle and then uses a jig attached to the nail for drilling bone holes in alignment with the threaded screw holes. Screws are inserted through the bone and thread into the nail. The unicortical screws have low-profile heads that tighten against the bone surface while compressing the nail plate against the endosteal wall of the medullary canal to maintain the reduction of the fracture.
Since the time when the application to Orbay was filed, further development has resulted in a nail and implantation method that takes full advantage of proven surgical techniques. In addition, unique structural features have been provided to the new nail that facilitate its implantation within the medullary canal of the clavicle bone and operate to stabilize a clavicle fracture.


A hydrogen storage tank for containing solid-state hydrogen storage media, and method for determining the hydrogen fill level in the tank. The tank has at least one compartment for storing the storage media, passages for transporting hydrogen gas to and from the compartment, and a heat distribution system for establishing a substantially uniform temperature in the storage media. A look-up table is generated for the tank that relates hydrogen pressure changes in the tank versus hydrogen fill levels in the tank as a function of temperature. The tank is filled to full capacity by adsorbing hydrogen on the storage media. Thereafter, hydrogen is released from the storage media for a time period during which there is a substantially constant demand on the tank, the change in pressure of the released hydrogen gas is measured, and the look-up table is applied to determine the hydrogen fill level in the tank.

The present invention relates to hydrogen storage tanks and methods. More particularly, this invention relates to hydrogen storage tank adapted to contain solid-state hydrogen storage media, such as nano-porous silicon (npSi), and to methods for determining fill levels in such tanks.
Hydrogen-based fuel cell technologies are being considered for a wide variety of power applications, including but not limited to mobile applications such as vehicles as an attractive alternative to the use of petroleum-based products. Hydrogen-based fuel cells are also readily adaptable for use as energy sources in numerous and such diverse applications as cellular phones to space ships. They have the further desirable attribute of producing water vapor as their only byproduct and are thus environmentally benign. However, hydrogen storage remains a challenge because of its very low heat value per volume compared to fossil fuels. As such, efficient storage of hydrogen is vitally important for cost-effective system implementation. When compared to storage for conventional chemical fuels or electric energy sources, existing hydrogen storage technologies lack the convenience of gasoline for delivery and storage capacity (energy density per unit weight), and lack the flexibility of electrical energy stored in batteries and capacitors. Therefore, for fuel cells to reach their full commercial potential, improved hydrogen storage technologies are needed.
Prior methods of storing hydrogen fall broadly into two categories. The first category involves storing hydrogen chemically within a convenient chemical molecule, usually an aliphatic organic compound such as methane, octane, etc., and then pre-processing the fuel as needed, such as by catalytic reforming, to release elemental hydrogen plus carbon oxides. This method suffers two important drawbacks: carbon dioxide byproduct is a "greenhouse gas" that some believe contributes to global warming and is therefore environmentally undesirable; and the additional weight of the chemical molecule and the reformer reduce the efficiency of the entire process, making it less attractive from a cost and performance standpoint.
The second category involves mechanical or adsorptive storage of elemental hydrogen in one of three forms: compressed gas, cryogenically-refrigerated liquid, or chemisorbed onto active surfaces. Of these methods, compressed gas storage is the most straightforward and is a mature technology. However, compressed gas cylinders are quite heavy, needing sufficient strength to withstand pressures of many thousands of pounds per square inch. This weight is a considerable drawback for portable applications, and in any usage compressed gas cylinders must be treated with care because they represent a safety hazard.
Cryogenic storage of hydrogen is also well known, being used in industrial plants and as a rocket fuel. Liquid hydrogen is remarkably dense from a specific energy point of view (kilowatts per kilogram), but requires a considerable amount of additional energy to maintain the nearly absolute zero temperatures needed to keep hydrogen in a liquid state. Liquid hydrogen also requires a heavy mass of insulation, and these factors conspire to make cryogenic storage impractical for portable and small-scale applications.
Chemisorption as used herein means the adsorption of a given molecule onto an active surface, typically of a solid or a solid matrix. Chemisorption is typically reversible, although the energy of adsorption and the energy of desorption are usually different. Various catalysts and surface preparations are possible, providing a wide range of possible chemistries and surface properties for a given storage problem. Chemisorption of hydrogen has been studied extensively, and substances such as metal hydrides, palladium, and carbon nanotubes or activated carbon have been used to adsorb and desorb hydrogen. In particular, hydrogen storage in absorbed solids such as metal hydrides, metal oxides and other inorganic surfaces, carbon nanotubes/fibers, carbon fullerene, etc., has recently been considered as a promising method with the advantages of high volumetric hydrogen density and improved safety. However, prior hydrogen chemisorption techniques with these solid-state storage media have fallen short of the goals of efficiency, convenience, and low system cost for several reasons.
In the case of metal hydrides, metal oxides, and other inorganic surfaces, storage efficiencies typically are relatively low and the adsorption/desorption process is highly dependent upon exacting chemistry. These factors combine to make such approaches less than sufficiently robust for many commercial applications. Even so, metal hydrides are considered leading candidates for hydrogen storage. However, metal hydride materials expand during hydriding cycles to the extent that large stresses are generated on the material (typically particles) and the hydriding container, such that stringent requirements are imposed in container design. Furthermore, these stresses tend to fragment the metal hydride particles into finer and finer powders in an uncontrollable manner, resulting in material movement and segregation in the storage container, an increased tendency for entrainment of hydride fines in the hydrogen gas streams released from the particles, and the risk of plugged gas filters and high internal pressures within the hydriding container. Secondly, hydrogen charging (adsorption) and release (desorption) require heating of the metal hydride particles at a level of about 14.6 MJ/kg, which poses a significant thermal management challenge and leads to slow refueling.
In other materials, such as carbon nanotubes, the efficiency of hydrogen adsorbed per unit weight of matrix is higher than metal hydrides, metal oxides, and other inorganic surfaces, but desorption requires high temperatures that raise the risk of combustion. Additionally, the present cost of carbon nanostructures is relatively high, and control over material properties can be quite difficult in high-volume manufacturing.
Hydrogenated surfaces in silicon have also been employed, as disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 5,604,162, 5,605,171, and 5,765,680, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In each of these references, the adsorbed molecule is the radioactive hydrogen isotope tritium (3H), and the objective is the storage of this isotope to enable its safe transport, typically to a waste handling or storage facility, or to serve as a means for providing radioactive energy to power a light source. These prior methods of chemisorption do not, however, provide for desorption of hydrogen from a silicon storage medium. In fact, conventional methods of chemisorption are generally designed to prevent desorption. Further, these conventional methods of chemisorption fail to teach methods by which the storage capacity of a silicon matrix can be increased.
As a solution to the forgoing, a system for storage and retrieval of elemental hydrogen on a porous silicon media is described in U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004/0241507 to Schubert et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As a solid-state hydrogen storage media, nano-porous silicon (npSi) has a theoretical hydrogen capacity of about 6.6 weight percent, and has unique characteristics capable of enhancing hydrogen charging and recharging processes. As such, there is a need for hydrogen storage tanks adapted for containing npSi, as well as methods for their use and operation.

Hydrogen storage tank and method of using


The storage device system comprises: a plurality of signal transmission paths connected respectively to a plurality of installed storage devices; a plurality of system side communications sections for transmitting and receiving signals respectively to and from the plurality of storage devices, via the plurality of signal transmission paths; and one or a plurality of signal correcting sections for inputting a signal exchanged between the plurality of storage devices and the plurality of system side communications sections, correcting the input signal on the basis of a previously established correction parameter, and outputting the corrected signal. The correction parameter is a value set on the basis of at least one of the length of the signal transmission path between the storage device and the system side communications section, the wavelength attribute of the signal input to the signal correcting section, and the storage device attribute relating to the storage device.

For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-347816, a disk array device provided with a fiber channel loop, a control device and a plurality of disk devices is known. The control device and the plurality of disk devices are connected to the fiber channel loop. The control device accesses any one of the plurality of disk devices, via the fiber channel loop.

Storage device system and signal transmission method for storage device system


A high quality imager is constructed using a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process with sensors fabricated in the SOI substrate and isolated by the buried oxide (BOX) from associated readout circuitry in the SOI layer. Handle windows are opened in the SOI device layer for fabrication of the sensors in the handle layer substrate and then closed prior to processing in the device layer. By keeping the buried oxide layer intact, the described technique allows for independent processing of sensors and readout circuitry so that each is optimized with regard to thermal and dopant properties without concern for degradation of the other. The process is compatible with the fabrication of readout circuitry using transistors having independent double-gates, which offer simultaneous advantages in scalability, low power and low noise. Photodiode sensors are shown with allowance for many other types of sensors. The process easily accommodates hardening against radiation.

As complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology has developed, it has become the technology of choice for integrated circuitry due to its capability to produce low-cost, low-power, reliable and highly integrated systems. Ever-increasing device densities have been driven by demand for ever-increasingly capable consumer products that require more and more memory to support ever more complex circuitry for process and control systems. One of the more recent applications to be effectively addressed by CMOS technology has been that of imaging. This has been accomplished by the development of active pixel detectors which incorporate the transistors of the readout electronics into the same device cell as the sensor itself.
Unfortunately, imagers with photodiodes and CMOS integrated on a single semiconductor substrate, or wafer, are difficult to manufacture. The photodiode and the CMOS can each interfere with the other and limit overall performance. When a viable compromise in performance is achieved in a monolithic photodiode with CMOS imager, there is the opportunity to scale it to smaller feature size consistent with industry standard technology migration. This yields the required economic competitiveness and performance improvement but scaling is limited by an accompanying reduction in voltage range and an increase in noise level. Thus, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a monolithic sensor cell that—                integrates photodiodes and CMOS without compromising the performance of either component,        reduces the voltage limitations associated with scaling,        improves the noise performance, and        implements efficient fabrication techniques.
Some early attempts to produce integrated CMOS-based imagers used a bulk-CMOS technology in which reverse-biased photodiodes formed by the n+/p− substrate junction relied upon a portion of the substrate as a collection region. For a while, this conveniently allowed arrays of photodiodes to scale downward in size as CMOS densities increased. This was a workable technique as long as the device dimensions and corresponding collection regions were somewhat larger than the wavelengths of the photons being detected. However, for detectors in the visible region of 400-800 nanometers (nm), the collection efficiency dropped off and crosstalk between cells increased as CMOS dimensions dropped below about 0.5 μm.
The advent of Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) and its application to CMOS technologies has presented alternatives to bulk-CMOS. In SOI, transistors are created on a thin top silicon layer that is separated from a silicon substrate by a thin insulating layer of glass or silicon dioxide. Standard SOI substrates are constructed by one of two processes. In the first of the two processes, known as SIMOX (for Separation by IMplantation of OXygen), oxygen is ion-implanted into a polished wafer under intense heat after which the wafer is annealed in high temperature to form a buried oxygen layer, commonly known as the BOX, at a uniform depth from the surface while eliminating defects made in the surface layer. In the second of the two processes, a "Bonded" SOI wafer is produced by bonding of a thin device wafer onto a thicker one known as a handle wafer utilizing for adhesion the common oxide that becomes the BOX. Both processes result in the same three-layer substrate structure. The result of either process is an SOI wafer having a thicker base substrate, or handle layer, on top of which is a buried oxide layer which in turn is covered by the thinner SOI layer. Thicknesses of the layers for present production technologies are about 0.1-1 μm for the SOI layer, 0.1-1 μm for the BOX, and 750 μm for the handle layer.
With the buried oxide layer providing isolation between the SOI layer and the substrate, devices built in the SOI layer experience reduced substrate capacitance which contributes to lower power requirements while increasing transistor switching speed. Also, the I.sub.O versus V.sub.G characteristics of such devices have steeper slopes below V.sub.t than conventional bulk-CMOS devices, thus reducing leakage current when devices are in their off-states without the need to increase threshold voltages.
As attractive as SOI-CMOS device characteristics may be for imagers, the use of this technology for such an application is not without its drawbacks. A temptation to construct photodetectors in the SOI layer is met with the recognition that the thin silicon film lacks sufficient thickness to efficiently absorb photons of visible light. For detection of light having a wavelength of 800 nm, for instance, the quantum efficiency of a 0.5 μm thick silicon film is only about 5%, whereas a film having a thickness of 16 μm or greater is required to achieve a more desirable quantum efficiency of 80%. This suggests that a more desirable solution would be to form the detectors in the thicker handle layer, while preserving the SOI layer for the readout circuitry. Earlier versions of this approach have been described by others.
The formation of photodiodes in a silicon substrate with MOS transistors built in the thin silicon-on-insulator layer has been described by Akimoto, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,895. In their design a photodiode which was formed in the substrate also served as the source terminal of a vertical MOS transistor switch, the gate and drain of which were formed on the silicon substrate. These in turn were connected to horizontal MOS transistors in an SOI structure formed on an insulating oxide film for the remainder of the readout circuitry.
Pain and Zheng as co-inventors in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,380,572 (to Pain, et al.) and 6,838,301 (to Zheng, et al.) described the formation of silicon islands on top of the buried oxide layer on the substrate. The BOX was then etched away to provide access for formation of the photodetector. In this manner processing of the photodetector could be accomplished simultaneously with implementation of the drain and source of the first MOS device at the input of the readout circuitry in the SOI layer.
An approach related to the above-described techniques is developed by Kucewicz, et al. in a paper entitled "Development of monolithic active pixel detector in SOI technology" (Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A, Volume 541, Issues 1-2, 1 Apr. 2005, Pages 172-177). Unlike others who have aimed specifically at photo detection, the focus of Kucewicz, et al. is to develop sensors for ionizing radiation such as that from a Strontium-90 (Sr-90) radioactive source. Their preference is to use wafer-bonded substrates, rather than other popular SOI substrates obtained in the SIMOX process, due to what they identify as the lower level of structural defects in both device and support layer and the absence of silicon inclusions and islands in the buried oxide. Otherwise, their approach is very similar to those that have been described above. Their particle detecting sensor, having a depth of 300 micrometers, is realized in the support layer with its high-resistivity (44 k Ohm/cm) and has a conventional form of a matrix of p+−n junctions. The readout electronics is fabricated in the 1.5 μm thick, low-resistive device layer and monolithically coupled to the detector by a connection that passes through the buried oxide.
One feature that is common to all of the above described implementations is that both the SOI and buried oxide (BOX) layers are etched away to open a window in which to build the sensor in the handle layer, with the readout electronics in the SOI layer. The present invention, to be described here, is unique in that it utilizes a process that does not etch but maintains the integrity of the BOX. This new method provides the advantages of isolation between the components fabricated in each of the two layers and protection of the surface of the photodiode from damage or contamination. This process invention also provides for re-planarization of the silicon surface prior to CMOS processing. Furthermore, the high temperature processing desired for construction of photodiodes is completed prior to the CMOS processing, thereby permitting nanoscale CMOS to be integrated with the photodiodes.
Another significant advantage of the process used in the present invention is that it is fully compatible with the Flexfet™ process developed and owned by American Semiconductor Incorporated and described by Hackler, et al. in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/613,169, which will be referred to as the '169 application. The addition of only two minor divergences from the Flexfet™ process allows the readout electronics of the present invention to take full advantage of the Flexfet™ devices produced in that process. Thus, in accord with the stated objectives, an efficient fabrication technique integrates photodiodes and CMOS without compromising the performance of either component. The process used to develop the sensor is completely decoupled from the CMOS process.
Furthermore, the resulting monolithic sensor cell of the present invention makes full use of unique double-gated Flexfet™ transistors in the readout circuitry to reduce the voltage limitations associated with scaling while at the same time improving noise performance over previous designs. The present invention therefore meets the above-itemized goals, achieving performance that is superior to previous designs through techniques that will now be described and claimed herein.


A cartridge detachably mountable to a main body of an image forming apparatus, includes a developing frame, a developer carrying member provided in the developer frame and adapted to hold and carry developer, a developer containing container for containing the developer and for supplying the developer to the developer frame, a seal member for unsealably sealing an opening portion through which the developer is supplied from the developer containing container to the developing frame, a rotary member for supplying the developer toward the developer carrying member, a first drive transmitting device for effecting drive transmission between the developer carrying member and the rotary member, and a second drive transmitting device for transmitting the driving to the seal member to unseal the seal member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cartridge detachably attachable to a main body of an image forming apparatus.
The image forming apparatus may be, for example, of a type in which an image is formed on a recording medium by using an electrophotographic image forming process, such as an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, an LED printer, a laser beam printer or the like) and an electrophotographic facsimile apparatus, and, as an example of the cartridge, there is a cartridge integrally incorporating at least developing means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member as an image bearing member into a cartridge unit which can detachably be mounted to the main body of the image forming apparatus. As another example of the cartridge, there is a cartridge which does not have an electrophotographic photosensitive member and has a developing device integrally including a developer containing container storing developer (referred to as xe2x80x9ctonerxe2x80x9d hereinafter) and which can detachably be mounted to the main body of the image forming apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
In conventional image forming apparatuses using an electrophotographic image forming process, a process cartridge system in which an electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally incorporated into a cartridge unit which can detachably be mounted to a main body of the image forming apparatus has been used. According to such a process cartridge system, since the maintenance of the apparatus can be performed by the operator himself without any expert, the operability can be enhanced considerably. Thus, such a process cartridge system has widely been used in the image forming apparatuses.
In such a process cartridge, a photosensitive drum is provided and developing means is used for applying developer (toner) to a latent image formed on the photosensitive drum. The developing means is constituted by joining a developing frame holding a developing roller for feeding out the toner to the photosensitive drum to a toner frame (toner container) containing the toner. Before usage, an opening portion defined in a joined portion between the toner frame and the developing frame is sealingly closed by a seal member. There has been proposed a process cartridge having an automatic seal unsealing device in which, upon first usage, when the process, cartridge is mounted to the main body of the image forming apparatus, the seal member sealing the opening portion of the toner frame is automatically unsealed, and an image forming apparatus capable of driving an automatic seal wind-up device of a process cartridge. Similarly, regarding a developing cartridge and a toner cartridge, there has been proposed an automatic seal wind-up device.
The developing apparatus includes various rotary members and a developing process is effected by rotating such rotary members. As an example, there are a toner supplying roller disposed within a toner container and adapted to supply the toner to a developing roller, carrying and agitating means (referred to as merely as xe2x80x9cagitating meansxe2x80x9d hereinafter) for carrying the toner to the developing frame, and a developing roller.
When the process cartridge is inserted into a predetermined position within the main body of the image forming apparatus, a developing roller input gear coaxial with the developing roller is engaged by a driving gear of the main body of the image forming apparatus, with the result that the developing roller is rotated, thereby rotating various rotary members relating to the developing process.
Nowadays, many process cartridges available on the market have mainly been designed so that various rotary members in the developing portion and cleaning portion, and the photosensitive drum are rotated by a process-cartridge driving gear of a driving device of the main body of the apparatus.
There is one (or two at the maximum) interface between the driving apparatus of the main body and a driven portion of the process cartridge. When two interfaces are provided, one of the interfaces relates to input of the photosensitive drum and the other relates to input of developing relating rotary portions. In this arrangement, image quality can be enhanced, and, by separating the input of the photosensitive drum from the input of developing relating rotary portions, uneven rotation of the photosensitive drum due to a change of load in development is prevented. This arrangement is adopted particularly by a high class machine in which a high quality image is requested. If there are three or more driving input portions for the process cartridge, the cost of the process cartridge is increased, and the positioning between the driving input portions of the process cartridge and the driving portion of the main body of the image forming apparatus becomes complicated, and such techniques are not yet used in the present machines available on the market. Normally, the single input of developing relating rotary portions is used.
Further, in recent years, there has also been proposed a process cartridge in which the toner seal is automatically wound up by a winding shaft, and a technique in which various rotary members, such as the winding shaft, the agitating means, the developer supplying roller and the like are rotated simultaneously by a driving force inputted to the developing portion, has also been proposed.
When there are various rotating means, driving mechanisms for rotating the winding shaft and other rotary members are concentrated at one side in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller. As a result, it is considered that the side at which the driving mechanisms are located extremely protrudes with respect to the developing roller, with the result that an installation space for the driving mechanism in the main body of the image forming apparatus is pressed to bring an unbalanced arrangement of the driving mechanisms. Particularly, since the winding shaft must wind up all the seal automatically, it requires sufficient strength, and, a diameter of the shaft is considered to be normally about 10 mm. In such a case, even when the winding shaft is installed in the driving portion of the process cartridge, the longitudinal dimension (perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction) of the process cartridge including the driving apparatus is lengthened. Further, when the other rotary members such as the toner agitating means and the toner supplying roller are also installed in this driving portion, the driving portion of the process cartridge becomes bulky.
Normally, left and right side plates of the main body of the apparatus are adequately spaced apart from each other not to interfere with the insertion of the process cartridge into the main body of the image forming apparatus. In this case, when the process cartridge in which the driving mechanisms are installed only at one side is inserted into the main body of the apparatus, the side plate (of the main body) corresponding to the driving side must be retarded not to interfere with the insertion of the process cartridge. However, on the side plates of the main body, there are installed not only the process cartridge, but also various units, such as the fixing device, a laser scanner, a sheet conveying portion (from the transfer portion to the fixing device), a sheet feeding portion and the like. Other units than the process cartridge are designed not to have a protruded portion at one side, unlike the process cartridge having the seal winding mechanism in the driving portion, and, in such a case, the side plates of the main body must be designed in consideration of the installation position of the process cartridge within the main body of the image forming apparatus and the configuration of the process cartridge passing through the main body of the image forming apparatus.
For these reasons, when the process cartridge has the construction in which the driving portion extremely protrudes in comparison with the other units, the entire distance between the side plates of the main body must be widened in accordance with the dimension of the process cartridge, or a portion of the side plate associated with the process cartridge must be retarded, i.e., the side plate must be partially recessed.
Normally, at the side of the developing apparatus where the driving mechanisms are located, a driving mechanism of the main body of the image forming apparatus (i.e., driving mechanism of the main body of the image forming apparatus for applying the driving force to the developing apparatus and for transmitting a rotational force from a motor to a developing member) is also installed.
In this way, if the driving mechanisms of the developing apparatus are concentrated at one side with respect to the center of the developing roller, not only the side plate of the main body must be reformed, but also the driving apparatus of the main body of the image forming apparatus must be designed in accordance with the reformed side plate. Since the driving mechanism drives not only the process cartridge but also other units such as the fixing device and the sheet feeding device, if drive input positions of these units are differentiated, the driving mechanism of the main body will becomes complicated (to cope with these units) and expensive.
Further, the reformed side plate influences not only the driving mechanism of the main body, but also an outer cover of the main body of the image forming apparatus for enclosing the driving mechanism. If the outer cover is partially protruded to conceal the protruded portion, the entire system will become bulky.
Further, within the process cartridge, if the driving mechanisms are concentrated at one side with respect to the center of the developing roller, various driving paths such as a driving path to the winding shaft, a driving path to the agitating means and a driving path to the toner supplying roller are partially overlapped with each other, which leads to a complicated arrangement in which gears are multi-overlapped. Thus, if a malfunction occurs once, disassembling and repair of the system becomes difficult. Therefore, it is considered that divisional installation of the driving mechanisms is inevitable.
When the toner seal is not yet unsealed by the winding shaft, the toner seal is bonded to the toner container by ultrasonic welding and the toner seal is also secured to the winding shaft. In this way, in the toner-seal unsealed condition, except for the mechanism for driving the winding shaft, other mechanisms disposed at that side cannot be exchanged.
As mentioned above, if the layers of various driving paths (ranges where the driving paths defined by the gears exist) are installed at one side in an overlapped fashion, the following disadvantages occur:
1. Only a portion of the side plate associated with the process cartridge is protruded, thereby affecting an influence of the installation of the driving apparatus of the main body.
2. The configuration of the side plates of the main body must be changed, and the outer cover is also protruded in accordance with the driving apparatus.
3. Since various driving gears are concentrated in the driving portion of the process cartridge, the disassembling becomes difficult, thereby making exchange of parts in the driving portion difficult.
An object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge in which a toner-seal member can automatically be unsealed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge in which drive transmitting portions of the cartridge are prevented from being concentrated at one end in a longitudinal direction of the cartridge.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge in which an uneven protruded portion is prevented from being created at one end in a longitudinal direction of the cartridge.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge in which an outer cover of a main body of an image forming apparatus is prevented from creating an uneven protruded portion and from being made bulky.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge in which maintenance of a driving system of the cartridge can easily be performed.

Cartridge detachably attachable to image forming apparatus


A control system comprising a timer based controller and a valve wherein the timer-based controller has a fixed period and the timer based controller regularly cycles the valve between a first condition and a second condition with the first portion of the cycle directing a first flow of water through a dispensable material and the remaining portion of the cycle directing a lesser flow of water through the dispensable material.

Contained bodies of water where a person immerses himself or herself partly or wholly in the body of water can be found in swimming pools, spas, hot tubs, jetted tubs as well as other containers. Generally, the person immerses his or her body partially or wholly in the body of water in order to obtain the effects of the water. In order to make the body of water safe for human contact it is necessary to kill harmful microorganisms in the water, such as bacteria, which can be done by dispensing antibacterial materials into the water. These type of water characteristics can be referred to as water safety characteristics. In addition, from time to time other water characteristics of the body of water, such as water comfort characteristics are adjusted. For example, the water temperature may be changed or in some cases the pH of the water may be adjusted sometimes both for safety purposes and for the comfort of the water user.
In some types of systems at least one pump continually circulates the water in a container so as to provide a body of water with uniform water characteristics as well as to remove unwanted materials or debris from the water. During the circulation of the water dispensable materials, such as minerals or other ion yielding materials, can be controllable dispensed into the water through either inline dispensers or floating dispensers to control the microorganisms in the water. Other water characteristics such as water temperature can be controlled by a heating or cooling the water as it flows through a heat transfer unit. In either case the water characteristics whether safety or comfort characteristics can be changed to make the water suitable and safe for the user.
Water characteristics in the containers have been controlled by continually circulating water through the dispensable materials that are located in a dispenser. In these systems one controls the level of dispensable materials in the body of water by continually circulating the water through the dispenser with the size and number of openings in the dispenser limiting the amount of dispensable material released by limiting the rate of water flow flowing through the dispenser. One such system is shown in King Technology U.S. Pat. No. 7,052,615. Generally, the incremental control of the dispensing rates is determined by the number and the size of openings in the dispenser. Another type of disinfectant control is an activity-enhanced dispenser wherein an enhanced dispensing rate is obtained by the activity in the body of water. One such system is shown in King Technology, Inc. U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,770.
Still other dispensing systems such as on-demand systems dispense materials, such as chlorine, directly into the body of water when the level of dispensable material falls below an acceptable level. One such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,154. If the chlorine level in the pool drops below a minimum level a solenoid valve is actuated for a short period of time followed by a longer non-dispensing period of time to permit the dispensed material to disperse throughout the pool. Once the level of chlorine reaches the proper level the dispensing of chlorine to the swimming pool ceases.
The invention herein described can be used without a sensor and is well suited for general use as well as for small recreational water systems such as found in swimming pools, spas, hot tubs or the like either as original equipment or as an after market item. The invention described herein is suitable for use in conjunction with flow area adjustable dispensers to provide greater incremental dispensing control as well as more precisely control the release of dispensable materials to better maintain the proper level of dispensable materials in the body of water.


A method for assaying an immunologically active substance based on the antigen-antibody reaction in a liquid phase, and a reagent for use in the method are disclosed. This method comprises adding a reagent containing a compound represented by the general formula EQU R.sup.1 O---[(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.m (AO).sub.n ]--R.sup.2. (wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbyl group containing 1 to 5 carbon atoms, AO represents an oxyalkylene group containing 3 to 4 carbon atoms, m and n represent the number of oxyethylene groups and that of oxyalkylene groups, respectively, with said oxyethylene groups and oxyalkylene groups forming a random copolycondensate and having a molecular weight of 1000 to 20000, and the ratio of m/n being 60/40 to 90/10).

In recent years, it is widely carried out that a specific immunologically active substance such as a particular protein, etc. appearing in living body fluid in relation to the conditions of diseases is determined by utilizing an antigen-antibody reaction, and a result obtained is utilized for diagnosis. Various methods have been developed for biochemical measurements utilizing such antigen-antibody reaction. Illustrative of the methods are, for example, radioimmunoassay (RIA), enzyme immunoassay (EIA), enzyme-labelled immunosolvent assay (ELISA), light scattering photometry and nephelometry. Among these, RIA, EIA and ELISA need in any of the cases separation of the reaction product after the reaction with a liquid to be examined. Accordingly, these methods generally require a plenty of time and much labor for the measurement, but are now widely utilized for the reason that these methods are excellent in the quantitative results of determination.
Very recently, a photometric determination method such as a light scattering method, nephelometric method or the like capable of measuring optical changes in a test liquid occurring as a result of an immune reaction (an antigen-antibody reaction) has attracted public attention as a method for the determination of immunologically active substances. These methods are based on the principle that since change in turbidity of a liquid takes place more or less before and after the reaction between an antigen and an antibody in the liquid in compliance with the degree of reaction, determination of an immunologically active substance aimed at can be made by measuring the change with any proper photometric means. Accordingly, the light scattering method and nephelometry are distinguished by their own easiness and convenience in operation for the measurement as compared with RIA, EIA and ELISA.
On the measurement of immunologically active substances utilizing such antigen-antibody reaction, the use of particular additive has also been investigated for promoting the antigen-antibody reaction. In Japanese Patent Publn. No. Sho. 60-4938 for example, there is disclosed the use of a non-ionic surfactant consisting of polyethylene glycol and a block copolycondensate having the structural formula: HO(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.a (CH.sub.3 CHCH.sub.2 O).sub.b (CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.c H and the like. In Japanese Laid-open Patent Appln. No. Sho. 59-43362, there is disclosed the use of a compound of the general formula: ##STR1## as such additive. Further, Japanese Laid-open Patent Appln. No. Sho. 58-47256 discloses that polyethylene glycol can be used as the additive in the system where an antigen or antibody is carried on insoluble fine particles and is subjected to an antigen-antibody reaction in a solution.
However, a satisfactory result was not always obtained in case of using such known additive. For example, in case of the use of such known additive for a photometric measurement, e.g. nephelometry or turbidimetry, of a reaction mixture obtained by reacting an antigen with an antibody in a solution, substances which are coexistent in the solution other than the object of measurement, such as fat and oil or protein, permit the occurrence of turbidity, the so-called non-specific reaction, which may cause error in the measurement. Further, the so-called prezone phenomenon may take place wherein a result of the measurement rather indicates a low concentration of a substance to be measured notwithstanding it actually exists at a high concentration, or alternatively, a result of the measurement may be inaccurate at a very low concentration. The additives may cause a non-specific reaction or the prezone phenomenon also in case of EIA or RIA. Thus, the use of such additive rather involves troublesome problems though it promotes the reaction to a certain degree.
Under the circumstances above mentioned, there is a great demand for developing a new method for measuring an immunologically active substance in high accuracy by utilizing an antigen-antibody reaction in a liquid, wherein all of the drawbacks as seen in the prior art methods are overcome and for providing a new reagent utilizable for such new method.

Method for assaying immunologically active substance and reagent therefor


A fiber optical light guide for transmits a light emitted from a light source in a light transmitting direction. The fiber optical light guide has an inlet-side end, an outlet side end, a plurality of core members, and an outer clad member. The light from the light source enters into the inlet-side end, and is emitted from the outlet-side end. The core members extend in the light transmitting direction. The outer clad member is positioned around the core members and provides an outer wall of the core members. The outer clad member has light diffusionability.

Conventionally, a fiber optical light guide using an optical fiber technology is used for an illumination for a vehicle, a building such as a house, or the like. For example, Patent Document 1 (JP H11-006918 A) describes such a fiber optical light guide. An example of a conventional fiber optical light guide is shown as a fiber optical light guide 1 in FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 12, the fiber optical light guide 1 has a tubular clad member 2 and a core member 3 around which the tubular clad member 2 is positioned. The fiber optical light guide 1 has an elongated shape and a circular cross section. A light emitted from a light source such as a light-emitting diode (LED) 4 enters into the core member 3 from an inlet side as an incident light, and the light is transmitted toward an outlet side. Since a portion of the incident light is diffused from the clad 2 while being transmitted to the outlet side, the fiber optical light guide 1 entirely illuminates softly.
However, according to studies conducted by the inventor of the present disclosure, since the fiber optical light guide 1 illuminates entirely, the fiber optical light guide 1 works insufficiently to produce an illumination pattern, for example, showing a light going straight in one direction or a smooth gradation with various colors of lights. In this case, various illumination patterns may be produced by using multiple light guides 1 and multiple LEDs 4 that are positioned such that each LED 4 faces the corresponding fiber optical light guides 1, and by controlling a lighting pattern of the fiber optical light guides 1. However, it may require a lot of the fiber optical light guides 1 increases, which leads to an increase in the cost for the multiple light guides 1.

Fiber optical light guide, attachment member for the same, and lighting device


A chip structure includes a semiconductor substrate, an interconnecting metallization structure, a passivation layer, a circuit layer and a bump. The interconnecting metallization structure is over the semiconductor substrate. The passivation layer is over the interconnecting metallization structure. The circuit layer is over the passivation layer. The bump is on the circuit layer, and the bump is unsuited for being processed using a reflow process.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor chip. More particularly, this invention relates to a semiconductor chip with metal circuit layers and bumps.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to the advances that have been made in the information technology industry, it is no longer difficult to get quickly the information faraway. To achieve this goal, information technology companies with great competition produce more efficient products. With the evolution of the information industry, the latest generation of IC chips has, overall, a greater number of functions than before. Due to the improvements in the semi-conductor technology, the improvement in the production capacity of copper manufacturing process and to innovative circuitry designs, the majority of signal transmissions can be made within a single IC chip. However, this development has led to decreased functional efficiency in such chips.
Regarding the package for the liquid crystal display panel, multiple gold bumps are generally formed on the driver IC chip, and then multiple inner leads of a flexible TAB substrate is connected to the gold bumps. The method for bonding the inner leads to the gold bumps may include Gold-to-Gold eutectic bonding or Gold-to-Tin solder bonding. The gold bumps on the driver IC chip can be bonded to the gold layer or tin layer formed on the inner leads.
Alternatively, the gold bump can be pressed into the anisotropic conductive paste (ACP) or the anisotropic conductive film (ACF) after the anisotropic conductive paste (ACP) or the anisotropic conductive film (ACF) is formed over a glass substrate or thin film substrate. The driver IC chip can be electrically connected to the glass substrate or thin film substrate via the metal particles gathered in the anisotropic conductive paste (ACP) or the anisotropic conductive film (ACF).
In the prior art, there is no circuit lines formed over a passivation layer of the driver chip for the above-mentioned electronic package.


Aspects of the disclosure relate to implementing and using a data processing system with a machine learning engine to provide automated collaboration assistance functions. A computing platform may receive, from a teleconference hosting computer system, a content stream associated with a teleconference. Responsive to receiving the content stream associated with the teleconference, the computing platform may generate, based on a machine learning dataset, real-time transcript data comprising a real-time textual transcript of the teleconference. The computing platform may receive a request for a summary of the teleconference. Responsive to receiving the request for the summary of the teleconference, the computing platform may generate, based on the real-time transcript data comprising the real-time textual transcript of the teleconference, a summary report of the teleconference. Based on generating the summary report of the teleconference, the computing platform may send the summary report of the teleconference to one or more recipient devices.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to electrical computers, data processing systems, and machine learning. In particular, one or more aspects of the disclosure relate to implementing and using a data processing system with a machine learning engine to provide automated collaboration assistance functions.
Large enterprise organizations may deploy, operate, maintain, and use many different computer systems, which may provide many different services to various affiliated entities associated with a given computing environment. As new computer systems and services are introduced and the technical complexity of such a computing environment grows, it may become increasingly difficult for network administrators, organization employees, and other affiliated entities to optimize, maintain, and/or otherwise utilize such computer systems and services, particularly in instances in which different entities may need to collaboratively use such systems and services.

Data processing system with machine learning engine to provide automated collaboration assistance functions


A method for manufacturing a fermentation product by culturing a microorganism, the method containing steps (A) to (D):                (A) culturing the microorganism with a first culture medium;        (B) passing a culture solution containing cultured bacterial cells, raw materials for culture, and the fermentation product through an adsorption tower packed with an adsorbent capable of adsorbing the fermentation product from the culture solution, and then collecting an effluent containing the bacterial cells and the raw materials for culture flowing out from the adsorption tower, wherein a relationship among a size (short diameter) d of the bacterial cell, a pore size D1 of the adsorbent, and a minimum void size D2 between adsorbent particles, D1<d<D2 is satisfied;        (C) eluting the fermentation product from the absorbent; and        (D) culturing the microorganism with a second culture medium using collected effluent containing the bacterial cells and the raw materials for culture.

In recent years, technologies for producing industrially useful compounds by fermentation methods using microorganisms have been put into practical use.
In the fermentation culture solution after culturing of microorganisms, unused raw materials for culture and bacterial cells are contaminated with fermentation products. Therefore, it is common to first separate the bacterial cells and then separate the fermentation products from the solution containing the unused culture raw materials to recover them in the procedure for obtaining fermentation products from the culture solution. For the separation, centrifugal separation, membrane separation, adsorptive separation, and the like (e.g., Patent Literatures 1 to 3) are employed.
It has also been reported that a culture solution is filtered through a porous ceramic membrane to separate bacterial cells and at the same time to have enzymes contained in the culture solution specifically adsorbed on the membrane, and after the filtered cultured solution is removed, the enzyme is recovered by eluting (Patent Literature 4).
However, in these conventional methods, the bacteria may be reused, but the unused raw materials for culture are often discarded in the procedure of recovering the fermentation product and were seldom reused in the production of the fermentation product. Because a eutrophic liquid medium is often used as the medium for fermentation production, it is desired to use the raw material for culture effectively from an economic point of view.    (Patent Literature 1) JP-A-2016-96742    (Patent Literature 2) JP-A-2017-112847    (Patent Literature 3) JP-A-2011-36146    (Patent Literature 4) JP-A-hei 3-240487
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a fermentation product by culturing a microorganism, the method comprising steps (A) to (D):
step (A) of culturing the microorganism with a first culture medium;
step (B) of passing a culture solution containing cultured bacterial cells, raw materials for culture, and the fermentation product through an adsorption tower packed with an adsorbent capable of adsorbing the fermentation product to adsorb the fermentation product from the culture solution to the adsorbent, and then collecting an effluent containing the bacterial cells and the raw materials for culture flowing out from the adsorption tower, wherein a relationship among a size (short diameter) d of the bacterial cell, a pore size D1 of the adsorbent, and a minimum void size D2 between adsorbent particles, D1<d<D2 is satisfied;
step (C) of bringing an eluent into contact with the adsorbent to elute the fermentation product; and
step (D) of culturing the microorganism with a second culture medium using the collected effluent containing the bacterial cells and the raw materials for culture.

Multistep manufacturing method for producing fermentation product, which includes culturing microorganism


A laundry bead molding mold is disclosed, including a first mold cavity and a second mold cavity which are separated from each other and could be filled with detergent or detergent additives to meet different washing demands. The first mold cavity has two opposite side walls at a certain angle, which could ensure the shape of the bead product is a preset shape. The mold could be used to mold a laundry bead having at least two cavities, and could obtain a multifunctional laundry bead, has a simple structure and a high yield of the formed bead. A laundry bead formed by the mold is also disclosed, including a plurality of beads, which facilitates the washing process. A laundry bead molding method is also disclosed.

Laundry bead is an innovative washing product that has emerged in the past two years, and because its shape likes a bead, it is named as the laundry bead, and the product is soft to the touch and cute in shape, leading the new trend in the laundry market. Laundry bead is a water-soluble concentrated laundry detergent with high-efficiency cleaning ability, and the laundry bead is specially designed for machine washing, and the laundry bead is easy to operate, convenient and does not dirty hands, and it has high cleaning ability and is easy to rinse, which can effectively remove stubborn stains to make clothing as clean as new.
The existing laundry bead generally comprises only one cavity, and only one concentrated cleaning agent is provided inside, and when cleaning different clothes and the like, it is often necessary to add detergent, bactericide, biological agent, softener, whitening agent and skin-friendly agent, so when using the existing laundry bead to wash the clothing, one also need to add the above-mentioned cleaning agent, causing the operation is cumbersome, and various cleaning agents need to be purchased and stored separately, occupying a large space. In addition, in the production process of the laundry bead, the outer film of the laundry bead needs to be vacuum plasticized, and the elastic outer film tends to deform, and after restoring to normal pressure, the pressure caused by the elastic deformation causes the bead product is not completely consistent with the preset shape.

Laundry bead molding mold, laundry bead and laundry bead molding method


Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus and a method for communicating with another electronic device in an electronic device. The electronic device includes: a first communication module configured to support low frequency communication; a second communication module configured to support cellular communication; at least one sensor; at least one processor; and a memory electrically connected with the processor, wherein, when being executed, the memory may store instructions that cause the at least one processor to detect a motion of the electronic device based on the at least one sensor, and to transmit a signal for controlling an activation state regarding the low-frequency communication with another electronic device to the another electronic device via the second communication module, based on motion information of the electronic device. Other embodiments are possible.

With the development of information and communication technology, vehicles are developing into smart cars having electronic devices mounted therein to provide Internet and mobile services. Along with this, keys of vehicles are developing into smart keys that can control vehicles via communication with electronic devices mounted in the vehicles. An electronic device for a vehicle and a smart key communicate with each other according to a passive keyless entry (PKE) system to control the ignition of the vehicle or to open and close a door. According to the PKE system, the electronic device for the vehicle transmits a low frequency (LF) signal to the smart key when the ignition of the vehicle is turned off. The smart key receiving the LF signal transmits an ultra high frequency (UHF) signal to the electronic device for the vehicle in response to the LF signal. Upon receiving the UHF signal, the electronic device for the vehicle may determine that there is a driver in the proximity of the vehicle and may turn on the ignition of the vehicle and open the door.

Electronic device for controlling vehicle, and operating method thereof


A watercraft (10,40, 60, 90, 110, 200, 210, 310) is disclosed which is propelled by at least one pair of pivoted sheets (28, 29) which are reciprocated through the water by a propulsion mechanism (18, 25, 45, 48, 91, 92) which is driven by repeated weight transfer of an operator's body (20). Also disclosed is a hull assembly system (61, 161, 261). The water craft disclosed are particularly suited as pleasure craft able to be transported by a vehicle and operated by many classes of persons including those without endurance or stamina.

There have been many proposals over the years to propel water craft by means of an oar like arrangement with two flaps which are pivoted about an axis. A stop member is provided so that as the flaps move forwardly, the flaps are closed by their forward movement through the water. However when the flaps move rearwardly, the flaps open against the stop member and the large surface moving rearwardly through the water propels the watercraft forwardly. The following prior art specifications are representative of this art.                U.S. Pat. No. 817,810 (SHEEN-1906)        U.S. Pat. No. 1,204,937 (CARLEY-1916)        U.S. Pat. No. 1,324,397 (HOBART-1919)        U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,219 (TESAN)        U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,493 (GILL)        GB 992,948 (BECKETT)        CA 2,219,471A (BOYLAN)        DE 3,141,738A (BLUEGGEL)
To the best of the applicant's knowledge, none of these proposals have been commercially successful and the general principle of propulsion has not been adopted as a practical proposition. This is thought to be due to the difficulty of successfully applying muscular energy to the pivoted flaps.
A different body of art in relation to water craft concerns the movement of such craft by means of reciprocating a fin like body which resembles the flukes of a whale or the oar used with Venetian gondolas. The following patent specifications are representative of this art.                U.S. Pat. No. 3,086,492 (HOLLEY)        U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,240 (STEIN)        U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,371 (BAULARD-CAUGAN)        U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,273 (MOMOT)        U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,813 (LEKHTMAN)        U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,706 (LIN)        GB 2,212,467A (WATKISS)
Again, to the best of the applicant's knowledge, none of these proposals have been commercially successful nor has the general principle of propulsion been adopted as a practical proposition. This is thought to be due to the difficulty of moving a sufficient volume of water by the movement of the fin or fluke.
The genesis of the present invention is a desire to see each of these hitherto separate, and commercially unsuccessful, proposals combined so is to each ameliorate the other's difficulties.


An electrical circuit for supplying electrical propulsion power on board a motor vehicle is disclosed. The electrical power is obtained from power delivered to the electrical circuit by a battery of the vehicle and converted by at least two cells. The circuit includes inductive elements connected to transistors for managing the current flowing in the inductive elements, and the inductive elements are coupled to form a magnetic circuit. The magnetic circuit is alternatively controlled according to a common mode in which an apparent inductance of the said magnetic circuit is of the order of magnitude of the sum of the inductances specific to each inductive element, or according to a differential mode in which the apparent inductance of the said magnetic circuit is of the order of magnitude of the leakage inductance of the coupling between the said coupled inductive elements.

With reference to FIG. 1, it is known practice to furnish a vehicle 100, that is totally or partially electrically propelled, with a power converter 102 capable of raising the voltage of a battery 104 in order to power an electrical machine 106, typically via inverters 108.
Because of the powers at work in such a converter 102, usually between 20 and 1000 kW, it may be worthwhile to make a multi-cell converter in which a power-supply current originating from the battery 104 is distributed amongst multiple conversion cells.
The use of such a multi-cell converter faces a problem of cost notably because of the quantity of silicon required by switches 111 and 113 used in a cell, and notably in their transistors 103 or 105 and their power diodes 107 or 109.
In the case of electrical vehicles and more particularly of hybrid vehicles, the volume and weight of these cells are also important criteria and, notably, the usually considerable size of the inductive elements—a coil 110 in this example—becomes problematic.
Efficiency is another important criterion for the use of a converter since the latter has a direct influence on the range of the vehicle 100.
In order to increase this efficiency, it is known practice to use inversion cycles of the current flowing in the inductive element 110 of the converter in order to use a switching method called ZVS, for "Zero Voltage Switching", as described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.
More precisely, FIG. 2 illustrates such an opening of the switch 113 of the converter 102 under a practically zero voltage obtained by virtue of a capacitor 204 since, as described below, this capacitor 204 is discharged during this opening.
Although the current 302 (FIG. 3) flowing in the collector of the transistor 105 is not totally zero when the voltage 304 at the terminals of the said transistor 105 (collector/emitter voltage) begins to increase, this method makes it possible practically to greatly reduce the losses associated with an opening of the switch 105. In the example of FIG. 3, the orders of magnitude at work are indicated as a key in the figure.
Consequently, the capacitor 204 can be discharged by inverting the current i passing through the inductive element 110 such that, with the capacitor 204 being thus discharged, the switch can again close under zero voltage.
With reference to FIG. 4, the converter 102 is shown during such an inversion of the current i passing through the inductive element 110 of the cell, that is to say at the opening of the switch 111. Since the flow of current through the switches 111 and 113 is blocked, the capacitor 204 discharges, and then, when it is completely discharged, it places the diode 109 of the switch 113 in conduction.
In this case, the voltage 504 (FIG. 5) at the terminals of the switch 113 decreases rapidly during the discharging of the capacitor (step 510) and then becomes negative such that the diode 109 (step 512) is on-state.
Consequently, the current 502 in the inductive element 110 becomes positive again and the cycle is repeated with an opening of the switch 113 as described above.
Although the use of this ZVS method with a fixed switching frequency may be satisfactory when the converter is operating at high load, it seems that this ZVS technique does not allow satisfactory efficiency at low load.
Specifically, it seems problematic that the current is greatly modulated irrespective of the load, whether it be at low load, that is to say when the average current is close to zero (FIG. 7) or in the case of a high load, that is to say when the average current is, for example, close to 50 A (FIG. 6). In this example, the inversion is of the order of 100 A peak-to-peak, which generates considerable iron losses in the inductor.
In order to alleviate this problem, it is known practice to use the ZVS method described above in a mode called critical conduction. In such a mode, the inversion of the current is forced for a time that is relatively short but sufficient to discharge the capacitor used to zero the voltage of the switch, as shown in FIG. 8.
In this case, the current is controlled by a first threshold which regulates the average value of the current and by a second threshold, with an opposite sign, which discharges the said capacitor, the alternation between these two thresholds being subjected to a variable frequency.
Problematically, it seems that this critical conduction mode generates current inversions in the inductive elements which make it difficult to design the latter. In truth, the amplitude of the current inversions may be greater than 100% of the value of the peak current over a high-frequency range (between 20 kHz and 80 kHz for example) which makes the power losses in the inductor unacceptable in terms of temperature rise and efficiency.
Finally, it should be pointed out that the inductive elements are usually manufactured based on materials of the ferrite or nanocrystalline type because of the resistivity of the material for the first and the thinness of the strips forming the core for the second, and because of their common capability to limit the generation of eddy currents and therefore to limit the losses.
Unfortunately, ferrite is a material which saturates with a relatively weak magnetic field relative to other, iron-based, magnetic materials.
The consequence is the considerable magnetic volume required to manufacture the inductive element, which may be unacceptable in a hybrid-vehicle application, or the limited power storage in these materials because of their very great permeability.
In terms of power storage, iron-based and silicon-based materials could be more suited to vehicle converters because their saturation threshold can sometimes exceed 2 Teslas. In addition, these materials are very widely used in power conveyance or conversion (transformer, generator, electric motor, etc.), usually in the form of laminated metal sheets.
Problematically, these materials have a high level of losses at high frequency because of the modulations of flux generated by these high frequencies. This is why the frequencies used in power conveyance vary across a relatively low range of frequencies, typically between 50 Hz and 1 kHz, with switching frequencies rarely exceeding approximately 10 kilohertz.

Converter for an electrical circuit designed to supply electrical propulsion power on board a motor vehicle


A portable fluid dispensing apparatus comprising an fluid reservoir, an air compressor, and a dispensing gun. The fluid reservoir is fitted with a pressure switch which regulates the pressure within said fluid reservoir. Once fluid is charged into the fluid reservoir, the air compressor is activated to pressurize said fluid reservoir and the apparatus is ready for use. The fluid dispenser is then transported to the servicing site. An operator pulls the trigger on the dispenser gun for delivery of fluid on demand. When the pressure in the fluid reservoir drops, the air compressor is automatically triggered to raise the pressure to the predetermined set point. The fluid reservoir may be replenished with fluid as needed by simply depressurizing the fluid reservoir, refilling and repressurizing same. The fluid dispenser may additionally be fitted with a manually operated pump. The fluid reservoir may also be thermally insulated with heat tape to maintain the desired viscosity of the fluid contained therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fluid dispensers, and, more particularly, to a portable automatic fluid dispenser which delivers an accurate amount of fluid in a safe and efficient manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When servicing engines, servicing personnel must work safely, quickly and efficiently to reduce costs and maximize profits.
In the past, service personnel in charge of apparatus fluid management and maintenance had to handle hundreds, if not thousands, of individual fluid containers for delivery of fluid to a particular device. If a servicing operation has to be done in the field, the operator has to physically carry several containers to the site. The weight of the fluid filled containers in combination with the awkward manner of toting is physically challenging and can be injurious to servicing personnel.
Moreover, individual fluid containers are expensive, and the empty containers must be disposed of in land fills. This creates environmental concerns.
Once at the site, the servicing personnel has to open each individual container and pour the fluid into the device to be serviced. This is not only time consuming, but it also creates a hazardous situation when the fluid spills on the ground creating a slippery surface. The possibility of overfilling and/or spilling is also a constant concern due to the inability to accurately control fluid delivery.
To ease the burden on servicing personnel, filling stations have been developed. The apparatus or device to be serviced is brought to the servicing station. While this has reduced the physical strain experienced by the personnel, it is impractical in certain situations due to the size and maneuverability limitations of the device to be serviced. This method is also time consuming because the device has to be brought to and moved out of the servicing station each time it needs servicing.
Therefore, what is needed is a fluid dispenser which minimizes spillage of fluid thereby resulting in a safer working environment. Additionally, the fluid dispenser should be lightweight and transportable in a manner whereby the physical injury to an operator is eliminated. Furthermore, it is desired that the fluid dispenser be efficient so that service personnel may service more devices in less time. Finally, what is needed is a fluid dispenser which is environmentally friendly by eliminating the waste, such as empty can and bottles, that ultimately end up in land fills.
What is disclosed is a portable fluid dispenser that is comprised of at least a fluid container or reservoir, an air compressor, and a dispenser gun. The fluid container is filled with the desired fluid suitable for a particular application. Next, the air compressor is activated and the fluid container is pressurized up to a predetermined set point. The fluid dispenser is then transported to the place of operation. Finally, when an operator is ready to dispense the fluid, a trigger of the dispenser gun is activated and the fluid is dispensed.
As the fluid is dispensed, the pressure within the container decreases due to an increase in volume or head space. This decrease in pressure is detected by a pressure switch which then activates the air compressor. The air compressor then pressurizes the fluid container back up to the set point so that a constant fluid flow is maintained.
Optionally, the fluid dispenser may be fitted with a manually operated pump to pressurize the fluid container. This option is provided so that in case of power or mechanical failure, the operator may manually pressurize the fluid container and continue servicing operations.
The fluid dispenser may also be insulated with heat tape. The heat tape ensures that the temperature of the fluid within the fluid container maintained at a predetermined value. This is a particularly useful feature if the fluid dispenser is operated in colder climates or in the winter season. As temperature decreases, the fluid viscosity may increase. With the heat tape, however, the fluid temperature may be maintained at a predetermined value to maintain the viscosity desired.
With the fluid dispenser of the present invention, fluid may be safely and efficiently delivered.
Therefore it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which can accurately deliver fluid thereby avoiding a overfill situations that create a hazardous condition.
Another object of the invention to provide an economical apparatus that uses fluid from cheaper bulk sources, such as a drums, rather than individual cans which are costly.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that is environmentally friendly by using fluid from a bulk source such as a drum thereby cutting back the need for dispensing numerous empty cans or bottles in land fills.
Still another object is to provide an apparatus which safely delivers fluid by avoiding spills which may occur by conventional methods of fluid delivery such as pouring the fluid out of a can or bottle.


A removable universal terminal assembly has a molded housing that clips onto an electric power switch and two terminal members that can be alternatively installed in the molded housing to provide either a quick connect termination or a binding post termination.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to terminals for connecting electric power switches to electrical conductors, and particularly to terminals that can be used to make different types of connections to one or more conductors and which is usable with multiple configurations of electrical switches.
2. Background Information
Power switches used in electrical distribution systems, such as for instance, circuit breakers, transfer switches, disconnect switches, contactors, motor starters and the like, require connections for electrically connecting the power conductors of the switch to the electrical conductors of the distribution system. Typically, the power conductor of the switch is a rigid, flat conductor. A common connection for connecting cables to such switches is the collar terminal. The collar terminal has a cylindrical or square body with a transverse slot in which the flat power conductor of the switch and the wire or cable are received, and a tapped bore into which a screw is threaded to clamp the wire or cable against the power conductor while also securing the collar to the power conductor. Typically, the collar terminal is received in a recess in a molded casing of the power switch.
In some applications, it is desirable to have other types of connections for connecting the wires or cables to the power conductors of the switch. These other types of connections can include a quick connection and a binding post connection. In the past, quick connect terminals have been provided by replacing the collar terminal with a terminal fabricated from sheet material having a number of male connectors projecting from edges of one face, and a common tang projecting from an edge of the opposite face and braised or welded to the power conductor of the switch. Female clips on wires then slide onto the male connectors to provide multiple quick connections. The binding post connection can be provided by including a tapped hole in the terminal conductor of the switch and inserting a wire under the head of a binding post which is screwed down against the terminal conductor.
While these alternative connections allow a user choice in making connections to a power switch, they require the user to purchase and the manufacturer to inventory different switches with the dedicated type of connection for different applications.
Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,781,491, entitled "Quick Connect Terminal For Electric Power Switch", discloses a quick connect terminal having a molded housing that can be removably mounted to the molded casing of the power switch at the terminal recess in the switch casing. An electrically conductive terminal member has a tang at one end which is clamped to the main conductor of the switch by a collar terminal. The terminal member is a flat strip having a tang at one end and a center section perpendicular to the tang which extends along the housing of the quick connect terminal and has a number of spade terminations extending through slots in the housing wall to an open cavity where connections can be made to female terminal members on a number of wires. While this terminal assembly provides an easy choice between a collar terminal and spade type quick connect terminations, it does not also provide an easy and quick binding post termination.

Universal terminal assembly for electric power switch