According to this manufacturing method, a copper foil is attached to both sides of an insulating material to form a substrate. First, a large number of through-holes is made in the substrate and the inside of the through-holes is made electrically conductive. Then, after one side of the substrate is coated with a photosensitive dry film having an outer masking layer attached thereto, a developing solution is caused to infiltrate into the through-bores from the other side to develop the photosensitive dry film as a plating resist. The photosensitive dry film is then exposed to be hardened. The outer masking layer is removed to copper-electroplate the inside of the through-holes and the like. Finally, the photosensitive dry film is removed to form a circuit pattern.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printed wiring board manufacturing method, and in particular to a printed wiring board manufacturing method whereby a circuit pattern is formed on both sides of an insulating material.
2. Background of the Art
<<Technological Background>>
A printed wiring board, for example, a flexible printed wiring board provided with flexibility and bendability has made remarkable progress in precision, function, thickness and weight. In particular, high density and miniaturization of a formed circuit pattern is outstanding.
A large number of minute through-holes is made in a printed wiring board for connecting a circuit pattern on both sides and for mounting semiconductor parts and the like. Two major methods for making such a through-hole during the process for manufacturing the printed wiring board are a panel plating method and a button plating method.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory front cross-sectional view showing an enlarged substantial part provided to explain a conventional printed wiring board manufacturing method of this kind. FIG. 4A shows a printed wiring board manufactured according to a panel plating method. FIG. 4B shows a coating process according to a button plating method, FIG. 4C shows an exposure process according to the button plating method and FIG. 4D shows a printed wiring board manufactured by the button plating method.
<<Panel Plating Method>>
Referring to a panel plating method as shown in FIG. 4A, a copper foil 2 is attached to both sides (i.e., front side and rear side) of an insulating material 1 to form a substrate 3. After a through-hole 5 for a through-hole 4 is made in the substrate 3, the inner wall surface and the like of the through-hole 5 are made electrically conductive. Then, copper electroplating 6 is applied on the entire substrate 3. In this case, the copper electroplating 6 is not only applied on the inner wall surface of the through-hole 5 of the substrate 3 which becomes electrically conducting, but also on the copper foil 2 attached to both sides.
A through-hole 5 of the substrate 3 is made electrically conducting by such a copper electroplating 6 to obtain electrical conduction on both sides. A circuit pattern 7 is thus formed by going through known steps such as exposure, development, etching and stripping in that order. In this manner, a printed wiring board A as shown in FIG. 4A, for example, a flexible printed wiring board is manufactured.
<<Button Plating Method>>
In the case of a button plating method shown in FIGS. 4B, 4C and 4D, a copper foil 2 is attached to both sides (front side and rear side) of an insulating material 1 to form a substrate 3 in the same manner as the panel plating method described above. A through-hole 5 for a through-hole 4 is made in the substrate 3 before the inner wall surface of the through-hole 5 becomes electrically conducting.
As shown in FIG. 4B, both sides of the substrate 3 are first coated with a photosensitive dry film 8 having a separator attached thereto. As shown in FIG. 4C, a photo mask 9, which is a negative mask, is positioned on the outside of the photosensitive dry film 8 to be exposed and developed by a developing solution.
The photosensitive dry film 8 remains hard except for the vicinity of an opening section of the through-hole 5 of the substrate 3. Copper electroplating 6 is applied on such a hardened photosensitive dry film 8 making it a plating resist. In other words, the copper electroplating 6 has been selectively implemented only on the electrically conducting inner wall surface of the through-hole 5 and the periphery of the opening section of the through-hole 5 on both sides. In this manner, the copper electroplating 6 is formed on the inner wall surface of the through-hole 5 (through-hole 4) and the periphery of the opening section of the through-hole 5 (through-hole 4) on both sides. In this case, the copper electroplating 6 is formed as a substantially button shaped section C.
In this manner, the through-hole 5 becomes electrically conducting to obtain electrical conduction on both sides. The substrate 3 is formed with a circuit pattern 7 by going through the known steps. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4D, a printed wiring board B, for example, a flexible printed wiring board, is manufactured.
<<Prior-Art Document Information>>
A conventional printed wiring board manufacturing method according to such a button plating method is disclosed in the following Patent Document 1.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 195849/1999
3. Problems to be Solved by the Invention
The following problems have been pointed out in such a conventional printed wiring board manufacturing method.
<<First Problem>>
In a method for manufacturing a printed wiring board A according to a panel plating method, it is pointed that the manufactured printed wiring board A, in particular, a flexible printed wiring board, has a problem with flexibility and bendability.
In the panel plating method, as described above, a copper electroplating 6 is applied not only on a through-hole 5, but also on a copper foil 2 on both sides (front side and rear side) of a substrate 3. In other words, in this substrate 3, copper has been separated out even from the outer surface of a copper foil 2 on both sides for forming a circuit pattern 7 for electrical conduction of the through-hole 5 (the through-hole 4).
Referring to the printed wiring board A manufactured in this manner, since the copper electroplating 6 is thoroughly applied on the outer surface of all the circuit patterns 7 formed on both sides, flexibility and bendability has deteriorated accordingly.
The printed wiring board A manufactured by the panel plating method has a problem with flexibility in that, for example, a bendable wiring section 10 as shown in a schematic plan view of FIG. 5 cannot be readily folded or bent in use. This problem is particularly remarkable in the flexible printed wiring board.
<<Second Problem>>
In the manufacturing method of the printed wiring board A according to the panel plating method, it is pointed out that the printed wiring board A has a problem with weight and thickness. It is also pointed out that there is a problem in high density and miniaturization of the circuit pattern 7.
Namely, in the printed wiring board A manufactured by the panel plating method, as described in the first problem, the copper electroplating 6 is thoroughly applied even on the outer surface of all the circuit patterns 7 formed on both sides (front side and rear side). It is therefore pointed out that the printed wiring board A has more weight and thickness and goes against the progress of lightness in weight and reduction in thickness.
Referring to the formation of the circuit pattern 7 on both sides in a final process, it is pointed out that the copper electroplating 6 formed on the outer surface of the copper foil 2 of the substrate 3 works against etching and it is difficult to form the high-density, miniaturized circuit pattern 7.
<<Third Problem>>
In the manufacturing method of a printed wiring board B according to a button plating method, it is pointed out that there is a problem in that the manufacturing process is long and complicated, and the process yield is poor and, as a result, affects the cost.
As described above, in the button plating method, since an exposure process and a developing process using the photosensitive dry film 8 and a photo mask 9 for the plating resist are needed prior to the copper electroplating of the substrate 3, this makes the manufacturing process complicated and troublesome.
Further, a location of the through-hole 5 on the substrate 3 side and a location of the photo mask 9 side corresponding to the through-hole 5 are visually positioned, but this positioning operation is not easy but very troublesome.
Thus, the button plating method not only improves the drawbacks of the panel plating method described above, but also excels in flexibility and bendability because the copper electroplating 6 is applied only in the vicinity of the through-hole 4. Further, the button plating method has no problem with weight and thickness and can respond to the high density and miniaturization as well. However, it is pointed out that this button plating method has a complicated and troublesome process, of which the yield is poor, and has a big problem with cost.
<<Fourth Problem>>
In the manufacturing method of a printed wiring board B according to the button plating method, it is pointed out that the manufacture printed wiring board B also has a problem with the positioning accuracy and the like of the copper electroplating 6 on the through-hole 4.
Namely, in the case of the button plating method, as described in the third problem above, positioning of the through-hole 5 of the substrate 3 and the photo mask 9 is conducted, but displacement therebetween often occurs. In other words, since this positioning is often visually conducted, it is difficult to ensure correct positioning because there is possible expansion and contraction in the substrate 3 and the photo mask 9.
Referring to the printed wiring board B manufactured by the button plating method, it is pointed out that there is a drawback in the positioning accuracy of the copper electroplating 6 in the vicinity of the through-hole 5 and the printed wiring board B does not exhibit the rapid progress in high precision.
Further, as shown in an explanatory plan view of FIG. 3B, it is difficult to miniaturize the copper electroplating 6, that is, a button section C, formed in a button shape on the periphery of an opening section of the through-hole 4 due to the problem with such positioning accuracy. As a result, the button section C cannot help having a larger diameter of about 0.2 mm. In this manner, since the button section C has a larger diameter, the diameter of a land 13 formed in response to the circuit pattern 7 also becomes large.
Referring further to the printed wiring board B manufactured by the button plating method, as shown in an explanatory plan view of FIG. 3D, the amount of wiring of the circuit pattern 7 to be put between the lands 13 is small and the wiring density also tends to be limited to a lesser amount. Accordingly, it is pointed out that the printed wiring board B does not exhibit the rapid progress in high function.

Printed wiring board manufacturing method


An entertainment system for use with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device has a display panel and associated electronics which are mounted close to the MRI device and which are enclosed within a Faraday shield. A patient may be placed within the MRI device in a variety of positions and may view images from the display panel either directly or through a mirror, prism, or corner reflector. In order for the patient to view the images in the correct orientation regardless of the exact positioning, the display panel can display the images normally, with the images flipped from top to bottom, with the images flipped from left to right, and with the images flipped both from top to bottom and from left to right. The display panel is formed with a dark-colored focus area which forms a border around the display panel and which directs the attention of the patient toward the images on the display panel. The entertainment system indicates the various states of the MRI procedure through a set of lamps colored and arranged to simulate a typical traffic light. By using the traffic light configuration and coloring, patients can easily determine the state of the MRI procedure. The entertainment system calms the patient, distracts the patient from the MRI procedure, and makes it easier for the patient to remain still during the MRI procedure. As a result of the entertainment system, better quality images may be obtained with the MRI device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an entertainment system and method and, more particularly, to an entertainment system and method for use with a magnetic resonance imaging device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the medical field, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a commonly used non-invasive technique to diagnose the medical condition of a patient. Typically, the patient is placed within a large homogeneous magnetic field and is subjected to a set of gradient fields and RF fields. The various fields are accurately controlled to cause nuclei within a selected slice of the patient to precess about an axis and to emit RF signals. These signals are then used to reconstruct an image of the slice. By varying the gradient fields, images of the patient at different slices may be captured. The separate slices can then be combined to form a complete scan of the patient.
A typical MRI device is designed to have a central bore within which the patient is inserted. This bore is fairly small and may induce claustrophobic feelings in the patient. As is known in the art, these claustrophobic feelings may be reduced or eliminated by providing the patient with some type of entertainment.
A problem with providing the patient with some type of entertainment is that very small magnetic fields generated by another device can destroy the images generated by the MRI device. Conversely, the strong fields generated by the MRI device may prevent the normal operation of certain devices, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid display panel (LCD), within the vicinity of the MRI device. Therefore, any type of system used to entertain the patient must not generate any stray magnetic fields in the vicinity of the MRI device and should be shielded from the magnetic fields generated by the MRI device.
Despite these constraints, many types of systems have been designed to provide the patient with some entertainment thereby distracting the patient from the MRI procedure. In order to isolate the entertainment systems from the fields generated by the MRI device and to prevent any magnetic fields from effecting the MRI device, some systems pipe in video images to the patient while the patient is within the MRI device. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,141 to Costello and U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,373 to Tsuruno et al. both disclose video systems in which video images are supplied through optic fibers to the patient. These systems are rather expensive to install since the MRI device must be retro-fitted with the optical fibers.
Rather than routing the video images by optical fiber, another type of entertainment system generates an image behind the MRI device and has a mirror for reflecting the image to the patient. For instance, a viewing system in U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,275 to Bechor et al. and an MRI video system disclosed in a Nuclear Associates brochure both reflect images generated from a display panel located behind the patient into the eyes of the patient. These systems may use a reflective surface mounted to the MRI device or reflective surfaces which are mounted onto goggles worn by the patient.
While these systems are easier to install than systems which route the video images through optical fibers, these systems do not readily accommodate different positions of the patient. For instance, while a patient is often in a supine position, the MRI procedures vary in whether the patient is placed in a supine position or prone position or whether the patient is placed head-first or feet-first within the MRI device. The conventional entertainment systems cannot accommodate all of the different positions that a patient may be placed and, at most, may be able to accommodate only a single position of the patient. It is therefore a problem with conventional entertainment systems which are used with MRI devices to provide video images to the patient for a variety of positions.
Also, with many of the existing MRI entertainment systems, the patient may find it difficult to focus on the video images and may therefore find it difficult to completely relax. This may be especially true for the entertainment systems which reflect the video images from behind the MRI device to the patient. With this type of entertainment system, the patient may be distracted by items which are adjacent to the display screen or by people working behind the patient. It would therefore be desirable to have the patient focus on the video images during the MRI procedure so that the patient is able to relax.
In order for the MRI device to produce high resolution images of the patient, the patient must remain as still as possible while the MRI device is operating. While the entire procedure may last more than an hour in duration, the MRI device is not imaging during the entire hour. Instead, the procedure is usually comprised of two or more imaging sequences with pauses in between the sequences. During these pauses between sequences, the patient can relax and may move about a minimal amount.
The status of the MRI procedure, such as when the MRI device is imaging or pausing, may be indicated to the patient in a variety of ways. One manner of indicating the states of the MRI procedure is by simply verbally informing the patient of whether the MRI device is imaging, pausing, or about to image. A better way, disclosed in JP-A-145643, is to flash a colored light to warn the patient that an imaging sequence is about to begin and to steadily illuminate the MRI device with the colored light for the period during which the MRI device is imaging.
A still better way, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,885 to Tsuda et al., provides the patient with information about the particular operation that is occurring. With the system disclosed by Tsuda et al., the inspection space within the MRI device is illuminated with a number of colors to indicate the different operations. This system illuminates the inspection space with a mixture of green and yellow light and then illuminates the space with just a yellow light during a pretreatment period. A red light flashes before the beginning of an imaging sequence and then the green light illuminates the space during the imaging sequence. As the imaging sequence progresses, the space is illuminated with a mixture of both green and yellow lights with the mixture slowly changing to entirely yellow to indicate the end of the imaging sequence. As with the beginning of the MRI procedure, the end of the entire procedure is indicated with the mixture of green and yellow lights.
While the system disclosed in Tsuda et al. can indicate the various states of the MRI device, it may be difficult for many patients to determine the exact state of the MRI device. The patient may be in a state of anxiety and may not remember the exact relationship between the colors and the states of the MRI device. Also, many patients may have trouble distinguishing a slight mixture of colors, such as green and yellow, from a pure color of light, such as just yellow. Consequently, some patients may determine that the MRI device is pausing when in fact the MRI device is still acquiring images. It is therefore a problem to accurately and reliably indicate the various states of the MRI procedure to a patient.

Audio/visual entertainment system for use with a magnetic resonance imaging device with adjustable video signal


A data capture device includes: a display, a primary image sensor having a primary field of view centered on a primary optical axis; an auxiliary image sensor having an auxiliary field of view centered on an auxiliary optical axis, wherein the auxiliary field of view is larger than the primary field of view; a memory storing offset data defining an offset between the primary field of view and the auxiliary field of view; a data capture controller connected to the primary image sensor, the auxiliary image sensor and the memory; wherein the data capture controller is configured to: responsive to activation of an aiming mode, control the auxiliary image sensor to capture a video stream; select, according to the offset data, a portion of the video stream corresponding to the primary field of view; and present the selected portion of the video stream on the display.

Data capture devices such as handheld computers may be employed for data capture operations (e.g. barcode scanning) under a variety of conditions. For example, such devices can be deployed to perform barcode scanning at various ranges, under various lighting conditions, and in connection with a variety of objects bearing the codes to be scanned. Such devices may have mechanisms to aid an operator in aiming the device, such as a laser emitter to project a dot on the surface to be scanned. Under certain conditions, however, such mechanisms may fail (e.g. the laser dot mentioned above may not be visible beyond certain distances, or under certain lighting conditions), leading to reduced scan accuracy.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

Device and method for data capture aiming assistance


An agricultural harvester includes a primary power unit which is couplable with at least one primary load. The at least one primary load includes a threshing system load. An auxiliary power unit is mechanically independent from the primary power unit, and is couplable with at least one biomass processor, independent from the threshing system load.

A work machine, such as an agricultural work machine, a construction work machine or a forestry work machine, typically includes a power unit in the form of an internal combustion (IC) engine. The IC engine may either be in the form of a compression ignition engine (i.e., diesel engine) or a spark ignition engine (i.e., gasoline engine). For most heavy work machines, the power unit is in the form of a diesel engine having better lugging, pull-down and torque characteristics for associated work operations.
The step load response of an IC engine in transient after a load impact is a feature mostly influenced by the engine displacement, the hardware of the engine (e.g., whether it has a standard turbocharger, a turbocharger with waste gate or variable geometry, etc.), and by the software strategy for driving the air and fuel actuators (e.g., exhaust gas recirculation, turbocharger with variable geometry turbine (VGT), fuel injector configuration, etc.) with respect to the requirements of emissions legislation (e.g., visible smoke, nitrous oxides (NOx), etc.), noise or vibrations. The load impact may be the result of a drivetrain load (e.g., an implement towed behind the work machine) or an external load (i.e., a non-drivetrain load). External loads can be classified as including both parasitic and auxiliary loads. Parasitic loads are non-drivetrain loads placed upon an engine through normal operation of the work machine, without operator intervention (e.g., an engine cooling fan, hydraulic oil cooling circuit pump, etc.). Auxiliary loads are non-drivetrain loads placed upon an engine through selective operator intervention (e.g., an auxiliary hydraulic load such as an unloading auger on a combine, a front end loader, a backhoe attachment, etc.)
Engine systems as a whole react in a linear manner during the application of a transient load. Initially, the load is applied to the drive shaft of the IC engine. The IC engine speed decreases when the load increases. The engine speed drop is influenced by whether the governor is isochronous or has a speed droop. The air flow is increased to provide additional air to the IC engine by modifying the air actuators. A time delay is necessary to achieve the new air flow set point. The fuel injection quantity, which is nearly immediate, is increased with respect to both the smoke limit and maximum allowable fuel quantity. The engine then recovers to the engine speed set point. The parameters associated with an engine step load response in transient after a load impact are the speed drop and the time to recover to the engine set point.
An IC engine may be coupled with an infinitely variable transmission (IVT) which provides continuous variable output speed from 0 to maximum in a stepless fashion. An IVT typically includes hydrostatic and mechanical gearing components. The hydrostatic components convert rotating shaft power to hydraulic flow and vice versa. The power flow through an IVT can be through the hydrostatic components only, through the mechanical components only, or through a combination of both depending on the design and output speed.
A work machine including an IC engine coupled with an IVT may exhibit problems to be overcome in two ways: First, sudden loads placed on the drivetrain or vehicle hydraulic functions cause the engine speed to decrease. The response time to change the IVT ratio to reduce engine load once decreased is slower than necessary to prevent substantial engine speed drop and sometimes stall. Second, when an external load is applied to the IC engine, such as when filling the bucket of a front end loader on an IVT vehicle, the operator may command a vehicle speed substantially more than what is capable from the IC engine. Under these conditions the IVT output torque and speed may result in excessive wheel slippage and other undesirable characteristics. Likewise, if an external load from another external function to the transmission is activated, such as hydraulic functions, the external load combined with the transmission output capability may place the engine in an overload condition.
The demands for increased performance and fuel economy will increase significantly for farm machinery within the next decade. For combines, the need to improve productivity will be compounded by the addition of other functional capabilities beyond merely the threshing and cleaning of grain. The advent of attachments for biomass collection, stalk chopping for residue management and fine cut straw choppers are some examples of using the combine to not only collect grain, but to also collect residue for ethanol refining or chop up residue for better reincorporation of plant nutrients in the soil. These functions require significant amounts of engine power beyond the traditional harvesting function. Because levels of engine output in the tier 4 (T4) timeframe will be limited, other ways of delivering increased performance, features and fuel economy will be required in order to provide adequate power for these additional functions.
Currently, for cornheads with integral stalk chopping capability, a higher horsepower torque curve is automatically selected by the engine control unit (ECU). This causes the IC engine to generate more power to offset the increased power demand to enable the stalk chopping function. This is called "intelligent power management" or IPM. Essentially, the engine power output is automatically controlled to deliver just the amount needed to meet the load as a function of all of the various threshing, propulsion, and residue chopping required. IPM enables the operator to configure the combine with the appropriate header either with or without stalk chopping and the powertrain automatically selects the proper torque curve to provide enough power to provide consistent, predictable performance and for good fuel economy. A higher power output can be selected for high power needs or a lower curve for non-chopping situations, without noticeable differences in machine throughput capability. Fuel consumption can be saved with the lower curve, if the operator is not chopping.
The basic problem is that the power output of currently available IC engines is limited. As combines get larger and as additional functions such as biomass collection are added, there will not be enough power from the IC engine and a higher torque curve cannot be selected as a result. Invariably, combine performance will be limited in this situation.
What is needed in the art is an agricultural harvester and corresponding method of operation providing sustained, increased power capability for carrying out additional functions during a harvesting operation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Agricultural harvester with auxiliary power unit and intelligent power management


The invention relates to an ultrasound horn comprising a fixing section (1a), a sealing section (1c) and a transfer section (1b) extending therebetween, one or more elongate recesses (3, 4) being formed at least in the transfer section (1b), and said recesses (3, 4) extending in a direction (A) between the fixing section (1a) and the sealing section (1c). Said recesses (3, 4) have a rounding-off encompassing, along the rounding-off, at least a first portion (5a, 7a) with a first radius of curvature, a second portion (5b, 7b) with a second radius of curvature and a third portion (5c, 7c) with a third radius of curvature. The invention also relates to a novel forming of the transfer section (1b) and recesses (9, 10) at the ends of the sealing section (1c).

It has long been known in the art to employ ultrasound to weld or fuse together thermoplastic material. Normally, the ultrasound device consists of a drive unit, a so-called converter, which is connected to an a.c. current source and which is disposed to convert the electric oscillation into a mechanical oscillation in the ultrasound unit, and a horn which transfers the oscillation to the material which is to be fused together. As one example of an ultrasound device of this type, mention might be made of U.S. Pat. No. 3,671,366. Occasionally, a so-called booster is mounted between the horn and the converter in order that the desired oscillation picture be obtained.
EP-A1-0 615 907 schematically describes the principle of an ultrasound sealing apparatus. In this publication, a description is further given of a specific variation of an ultrasound sealing apparatus which is very compact in relation to the generally described design with converter, booster and horn. The ultrasound sealing apparatus according to this embodiment comprises an ultrasound unit which includes a drive unit, a so-called horn and a number of reaction bodies. The horn is intended to abut, with a sealing surface formed in its end, against, for example, a packaging material which is to be sealed and clamped with a sealing force against a counter abutment. The drive unit is connected to an a.c. current source and is disposed to convert the electric oscillation into a mechanical oscillation in the ultrasound unit. The horn and the reaction bodies are located on either side of a nominal nodal plane and are designed so that the resonance frequency (or inherent frequency) which is used as the working frequency will give rise to axial oscillations of large amplitude in the sealing surface of the horn and no amplitude, respectively, at the centrally located nodal plane. The ultrasound unit is secured in relation to other machine parts at the nominal nodal plane.
Within the packaging industry, use is normally made of ultrasound sealing in order fuse together two layers of plastic-coated paper laminate for forming a liquid-tight joint. The desired fusion of the material is achieved in that the material which is clamped between the sealing surface and the counter abutment is subjected to a pulsating compression, which, because of hysteresis losses, gives rise to inner heating of the material which in turn results in the material in question partly melting and being fused together. In so-called roller-fed systems, a paper tube filled with product such as milk, juice or the like is clamped together in the transverse direction so that the tube is formed into closed cushion cartons. In so-called sheet-fed systems, an open tube end is flattened and clamped together approximately as the end of a toothpaste tube or the like. These techniques are generally well-known to a person skilled in the art and will not be described in greater detail here.
FIG. 1 of the accompanying Drawings shows an ultrasound horn which is intended to be connected to a drive unit and possibly a booster in a conventional manner (not shown). The ultrasound horn 1 has a sealing surface 2 of a width B which is slightly greater than the width of the joint which is to be created. In order to obtain a unitary amplitude in the axial A oscillations of the sealing surface 2 along the entire width of the sealing surface 2, the ultrasound horn 1 is provided with two axially extending recesses 3, 4.
An ultrasound horn 1 cannot be made infinitely wide, but it is necessary to take into account the transversely directed oscillations which occur because of the transverse contraction of the material (Poissons number). If a horn is made excessively wide without being provided with recesses, its transverse oscillations, which per se limit the oscillations in the axial direction, result in an excessively great variation in axial amplitude along the sealing surface. If the sealing distance is excessively large for a monolithic cast ultrasound horn of the type which is shown in EP-A1-0 615 907, it is possible either to place a plurality of horns side by side or to make a wide horn with a number of recesses which corresponds to the division into several horns. Using a plurality of horns placed alongside one another is less cost-effective and, moreover, the difficulty is introduced of orienting the horns correctly in relation to one another.
As was explained above, these recesses 3, 4 are thus necessary for correct operation to be obtained for a construction with one single wide horn. The recesses 3, 4 are designed so that they are defined by two parallel lines 3a–b, 4a–b which are located at a distance C from one another and two semi-circles 3c–d, 4c–d at the ends. The semi-circles 3c–d, 4c–d have a radius which is half as large as the above mentioned distance C between the parallel lines.
It has unfortunately proved that, in the ultrasound sealing, the inner tensions in the material reach high levels precisely at these recesses 3, 4, and it is common that the ultrasound horn 1 fails at these recesses 3, 4 because of fatigue cracks which derive from the lower end radii 3c, 4c of the recesses 3, 4. In accordance with general construction and design rules, it has been tested, in order to be able to increase the end radius 3c, 4c in the hope of reducing the levels of tension, to increase the width C of the recesses 3, 4. However, this has proved not to be successful, since an increased width C of the recesses 3, 4 increases the flexural effects at the lower ends 3c, 4c of the recesses 3, 4, An increased width C of the recesses also gives rise to an increased variation in the oscillation amplitude of the sealing surface 2 immediately beneath the recesses.
EP-A2-1 088 760 also discloses various designs of elongate sealing horns provided with axially extending recesses. In this context, it might also be mentioned that there are different configurations of the ultrasound horns as regards their profile seen from the side. The above-mentioned EP-A1-0 615 907 shows an arcuate version, in FIG. 1 there is shown an arcuate design with a right angle upper portion and there are also variations where the arcuate portion in FIG. 1 is instead rectilinear cuneiform (see broken line in FIG. 1). Regardless of the form of the profile, they all suffer from the above-outlined problem as regards fatigue cracks at the ends 3c, 4c of the recesses 3, 4.
Hence, there is today no satisfactory design and construction of ultrasound horns. The variations which are in existence today have different advantages as regards unitary amplitude along the width of the sealing surface, as regards propagation of inherent frequency because of manufacturing tolerances, as regards proximal, undesirable other inherent frequencies etc. However, they also suffer from similar problems in respect of failure at the recesses and other failures at different transitional zones between different parts.


A liquid droplet discharge head includes a nozzle substrate; nozzles, disposed on the nozzle substrate, to discharge a liquid; a pressurized liquid chamber that communicates with the nozzles; a diaphragm forming one wall of the pressurized liquid chamber; an electromechanical transducer element for discharging, disposed on an element mount surface of the diaphragm opposite a side facing the pressurized liquid chamber; and a retainer substrate laminated to the element mount surface of the diaphragm with an adhesive. The subject head is configured to discharge a liquid inside the pressurized liquid chamber from the nozzles while the diaphragm is displaced by a drive voltage applied to the electromechanical transducer element for discharging, and the liquid droplet discharge head further comprising an electromechanical transducer element for inspection that does not perform discharging, disposed on the element mount surface of the diaphragm, to which a voltage is applied so that the diaphragm displaces.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid droplet discharge head, an image forming apparatus including the liquid droplet discharge head, and a method of inspecting the liquid droplet discharge head.
2. Background Art
This type of liquid discharge member includes the one used for inkjet recording apparatus that forms an image by causing a liquid inside a pressurized liquid chamber to be discharged from nozzles.
A conventional liquid jetting head or liquid discharging member includes a nozzle plate or substrate, a fluid channel forming substrate to form a pressure generating chamber or a pressurized liquid chamber that communicates to nozzles of the nozzle plate, all of which are laminated by an adhesive to form a liquid jetting head. The liquid jetting head includes a concave portion on a laminated surface between the nozzle plate and the fluid channel forming member to catch and therefore prevent excess adhesive from flowing into the pressure generating chamber.

Liquid droplet discharge head, image forming apparatus including same, and method of inspecting liquid droplet discharge head


Systems and related methods of providing seamless transactions, including payments and promotion redemptions, are discussed herein. Some embodiments may provide for a system including a communication beacon and one or more servers. The communication beacon may be configured to communicate with consumer devices via a direct wireless connection when the consumer devices are within a wireless direct communicable range of the communication beacon. The one or more servers may be configured to associate the communication with a merchant and receive consumer presence data from the communication beacon such that consumer presence at the merchant may be determined. In response, the one or more servers may be configured to perform a seamless transaction on behalf the consumer that allows the consumer to provide payments or redeem promotions, among other things, simply by self-identifying with the merchant while carrying the consumer device.

Consumers near commercial areas may traverse past many different merchants, some direct competitors or otherwise. Enticing consumers to stop at, consider, or enter a merchant shop can be an important aspect of generating business at a brick-and-mortar location. Furthermore, consumer merchant interactions may be improved to facilitate experiences that grow repeat customers. In this regard, among others, areas for improving current systems have been identified. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, solutions to improve such systems have been realized and are described herein.


A novelty chomping device includes a skull having an upper jaw, a lower jaw and a pair of eyes that are embedded with LED's. The skull is positioned on a pedestal control box that includes a radio and speakers. An actuation unit is positioned within the control box and imparts a linear movement to the upper jaw to create a chomping motion. One or more lights are also positioned along the control box to produce an audiovisual effect.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Many organizations such as universities and professional sports teams, for example, have a mascot that promotes unity and team spirit among its members.
In this regard, many individuals hang banners or wear clothing that is imprinted with an image of the mascot at social occasions such as charity tournaments, sporting events, galas, or other such times where there is a party atmosphere among the participants. At these times, the mascot is celebrated, but is not typically the center of attention.
Many mascots perform a signature dance, chop or chomping motion that is typically simple and easy for fans to emulate. For example, teams having an alligator as their mascot often imitate the characteristic chomp the animal makes with their upper and lower jaws.
Owing to the above, many fans would enjoy a novelty device that is mechanically actuated to produce, for example, a gator chomp, while simultaneously providing audiovisual entertainment. Such an item could be placed in a users home for entertainment, or can be portable, so as to be the center of attention at any social event.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a novelty chomping device that is capable of producing a chomping motion, along with audiovisual effects.


In a shuttleless loom, a warp sheet is moved from a space that is necessary for maintenance and inspection of a reed. An arranging bar is provided over the warp sheet between a shedding frame and a cloth fell so as to be vertically movable. When the arranging bar is lowered at the time of maintenance and inspection of the reed, the warp sheet can be moved to the lower side of the reed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a warp sheet arranging device for arranging and moving a warp sheet to the bottom side of a reed and a reed control device for maintaining and inspecting the reed while being interlocked with the warp sheet arranging device, wherein both the devices are used in a shuttleless loom.
2. Prior Art
Conventional devices of this type are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-32416 and No. 61-56340, in which the devices are moved in the width direction of the warps while brushes are turned in the groove of the reed.
The conventional devices are used before the reed is incorporated in a loom, or before weaving if the reed is incorporated into the loom. Accordingly, the conventional devices cannot be used in a loom undergoing weaving because of the presence of the warp sheet.

Reed maintenance device with warp sheet repositioner


Voice communication method and apparatus and method and apparatus for operating jitter buffer are described. Audio blocks are acquired in sequence. Each of the audio blocks includes one or more audio frames. Voice activity detection is performed on the audio blocks. In response to deciding voice onset for a present one of the audio blocks, a subsequence of the sequence of the acquired audio blocks is retrieved. The subsequence precedes the present audio block immediately. The subsequence has a predetermined length and non-voice is decided for each audio block in the subsequence. The present audio block and the audio blocks in the subsequence are transmitted to a receiving party. The audio blocks in the subsequence are identified as reprocessed audio blocks. In response to deciding non-voice for the present audio block, the present audio block is cached.

VAD is a technique used in voice processing in which the presence or absence of human voice is decided. VAD may be employed in voice communication applications to deactivate some processes during non-voice section of an audio session. For example, VAD can avoid unnecessary coding/transmission of silence packets in Voice over Internet Protocol applications, saving on computation and on network bandwidth. VAD is an integral part of different voice communication systems such as audio conferencing, echo cancellation, speech recognition, speech encoding, and hands-free telephony.
In a typical networking environment, there is some uncertainty about the occurrence and timing of received packets when being sent from one end point to another. For applications where the data being transmitted is mediated or not in real time, this can be overcome by using techniques that monitor transmission and correct through retransmitting data and/or providing suitable delays in the transmission to overcome any network impairment. For applications where various parties are interacting with each other in real time, such as in voice communication, this approach is not feasible as the delay in communications may represent a significant degradation in utility and perceived quality.
A conventional approach to this problem is to introduce a queue or jitter buffer that is sufficient to provide resilience to some level of network jitter, without necessarily ensuring that all data packets for the voice stream arrive. In some approaches, the length of such a jitter buffer is set to provide resilience to a certain degree by using statistical or historical information to provide a buffer and delay that permits a certain percentage of packets to be received in time for processing, forwarding or decoding and use.
Such jitter buffers introduce a necessary latency into the overall communications path. Many approaches have been proposed to manage this balance and trade off of quality and latency, and also, to improve encoding, decoding or processing to reduce the impact of missing data packets on the output voice stream.

Method and apparatus for voice communication based on voice activity detection

Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation


The present invention is directed to a promoter derived from an Arabidopsis ATP sulfurase gene. Nucleic acid constructs, vectors, plant cells and transgenic plants comprising the promoter are also provided.

Promoters are regulatory elements that direct the expression of genes. Both constitutive and regulated promoters are used to direct gene expression in transgenic organisms including plants. Constitutive promoters direct expression in most or all tissues, and are useful when high levels of production of a gene product are desired. The 35S promoter from cauliflower mosaic virus (CMV) is frequently used to direct constitutive expression. Regulated promoters, such as tissue-specific and inducible promoters, are used to direct spatially or temporally specific expression, or expression in response to environmental factors.
The present invention is directed to a promoter that directs constitutive expression of genes in plants. The present promoter is derived from an ATP sulfurase gene of Arabidopsis thaliana.
ATP sulfurase catalyzes the formation of adenosine-5′-phosphosulfate from ATP and sulfate in the sulfate assimilation pathway. In Arabidopsis, ATP sulfurase is encoded by a gene family of at least three genes, APS1, APS2 and APS3. Leustek et al. (1994) Plant Physiol. 105:897; Murillo et al. (1995) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 323:195; Klonus et al. (1995) Plant Physiol. 107:653; Logan et al. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271:12227. APS1, APS2 and APS3 cDNAs have been isolated and sequenced. Leustek et al. (1994); Murillo et al. (1995).
In accordance with the present invention, it has been discovered that a promoter derived from APS1 can direct high levels of constitutive expression of heterologous genes in plants.


An electrochromic device having a pair of electrically conductive counter plates, an ion conductive material placed between the electrically conductive counter plates, a layer containing an electrochromic material provided in at least one of locations between the ion conductive material and the electrically conductive counter plates, at least one of the electrically conductive counter plates being a transparent electrically conductive plate having a transparent substrate and a transparent electrode disposed inside the transparent substrate, and at least one of the transparent electrically conductive plate having an ultraviolet absorbing layer containing an organic ultraviolet absorber between the transparent substrate and the transparent electrode.

This invention relates to an electrochromic device utilizing electrochromism.
An electrochromic device such as a smart window utilizing electrochromic materials is expected to be used for a wide variety of usage. However, the conventional electrochromic devices have a drawback in that they are easily deteriorated in the environment wherein ultraviolet rays are irradiated such as the outdoors.
In order to prevent the deterioration, it is suggested, for example, to provide a ultraviolet shielding layer outside a substrate constituting the smart window. However, this is not a satisfying solution in respect of appearance, wear resistance, and durability.
In an electrochromic device, usually a pair of transparent electrodes are disposed between a pair of transparent substrates, between which an electrochromic layer and an electrolyte layer are placed. It is suggested to provide an ultraviolet shielding layer inside the transparent electrodes to prevent the deterioration by ultraviolet irradiation (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Nos. 62-148339 and 63-236016). This method does not adversely affect the abrasion resistance of the transparent substrate constituting the device. However, when the ultraviolet shielding layer is composed of metal oxides (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 62-148339), near-ultraviolet area cannot be cut sufficiently, and thus the deterioration by ultraviolet rays cannot be prohibited satisfactory. Alternatively, when a dichroic layer is adopted as a ultraviolet shielding layer (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 63-236016), a number of processes are required, thus being disadvantageous in cost.


A display assembly in the form of a sleeve envelops a central subpart, a loop that envelops the central subpart, and a pull tab panel part. An opening is provided on one side edge of the sleeve to allow the pull tab to be pulled out in a pull out direction. The act of pulling out the pull tab panel part causes the loop to be pulled on a side attached to the pull out tab part in the same direction so as to cause it to traverse around the central subpart. A cutout window on the front of the sleeve displays printed matter on the loop moving, with respect to the other side of the central subpart, in a direction opposite that of the pull out direction.

Several image changing mechanisms exist in the advertising and promotional display field. These devices in the most basic sense will first display one image and then replace it with another (secondary) image as the device is activated by the user.
Many of the aforementioned class of image changing mechanisms are restricted to the maximum size of the image area due to the size requirements of the necessary (hidden) components of the mechanism. In addition to this, many like mechanisms reveal the secondary image(s) in a predictable manner.

See-scroll display apparatus and method of assembly


A souvenir toothbrush includes a head part of the toothbrush with bristles, a handle part made with clear or opaque thermoplastic material, a molded recess inside the handle for placement of an insert having text or an image on one or both sides, a clear or opaque window insert placed inside the recess on top of the insert and a soft spongy part of the toothbrush molded to the handle of the toothbrush for convenient gripping of the handle by a user. The insert has ribs around the perimeter to allow it to be centered within the pocket of the handle and leave a gap between the insert and the pocket to be filled with soft thermoplastic elastomer. The insert is also designed with a step on either side to allow more efficient manipulation of the insert during manufacturing. A toothbrush holder, soap dish and other toiletry articles can also have a similar insert design. The toothbrush holder is designed to keep the toothbrushes, or other implements stored in the holder, from touching the bristles of other toothbrushes in the holder and is constructed for easy cleaning to avoid the accumulation of germs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toothbrushes, toothbrush holders, and soap dishes and in particular to a toothbrush, toothbrush holder and soap dish each having an imbedded image and/or message.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal care articles such as toothbrushes often have logos, messages, pictures, and the like on or in the handle or other portion of the toothbrush. Existing methods of providing such logos, messages, pictures, and the like on or in the article handles includes the use of decals, ink imprinting, laser imprinting, and labels applications. For toothbrushes, since toothpaste is an aggressive and abrasive substance, it is common that after using the toothbrush several times, the logos, messages, pictures, and the like wear or come off partially or entirely. It is desirable to provide the logos, messages, and pictures so that it will remain on the toothbrush despite heavy use around abrasive substances.
Toothbrushes are regularly held in toothbrush holders and used near soap dishes. Coordinated sets of toothbrush holders and soap dishes are commonly available. Although a toothbrush holder and soap dish may not be as frequently surrounded by or used in conjunction with abrasive substances such as toothpaste, it can still produce similar wear of any decorations applied to the articles.
Toothbrush holders present additional problems in that they can be difficult to clean, allowing for the accumulation of germs. Toothbrush holders are often made in one configuration, allowing limited flexibility in the number of toothbrushes that can be contained within the holder and not necessarily preventing the toothbrush heads from contacting one another.

Souvenir toothbrush, holder and soap dish


A method of forming a low profile brazing connection utilizes the heat from an exothermic or metallothermic reaction which takes place in a vessel having a wall of a thickness and material to radiate the heat of the reaction therethrough while nonetheless containing the reaction. The conductor or conductor lug has a flat surface and the apparatus in at least two embodiments provides for pressing the vessel and thus the flat surface against the conductor and the conductor in turn against the structure to which it is brazed. The vessel and its contents may be discarded after brazing.

Presently, after grinding the receiving surface and depositing a fluxing element, the aforesaid attachment by brazing is performed by placing the element to be brazed on the supporting surface. Then by increasing the temperature of the receiving supporting surface and of the element to be brazed, normally by means of an oxyacetylene blowpipe, the elevated temperature of the elements allows the melted brazing material to flow between the element and supporting surface by capillary action.
This well known and well mastered technique of attachment requires an oxyacetylene unit comprising two bottles, a welding regulator, some pipes and a blowpipe, such unit being voluminous and bulky and it cannot always be transported to work on an outside or field site. Moreover, under certain conditions, and for instance when the supporting surface is solid and a high heat conductor, or when it carries a fluid causing the dissipation of calories, the thermal energy supplied by an oxyacetylene blowpipe is insufficient to bring the supporting surface to the required brazing melting temperature.
This invention aims at eliminating these disadvantages by offering a method of brazing in situ which replaces the calorific supply delivered by the heavy, bulky oxyacetylene unit, such equipment requiring an experience and skill to carry out a good brazing, with a calorific supply produced by a metallothermic reaction.
A method is also known and described in German patent 9825391, to connect two wire conductors end to end consisting, on the one hand, in surrounding the attachment zone with a cartridge containing a metallothermic mixture and, on the other hand, in crushing these melted zones one against the other when the exothermic reaction causes a melting of the wire conductors ends. Such technique, which requires the local melting of the elements to be assembled, requires a large quantity of metallothermic mixture to reach the calorific power necessary for melting. Such method also requires the handling of the elements during the exothermic reaction in order to join them and to reach the compression necessary for their attachment. Thus, such method cannot be applied to the attachment of a conducting wire or jumper on a bulky supporting surface by brazing, and it cannot be applied on an outside site not provided with mechanical means to ensure the compression of the melted zones.
A brazing technique on the site is known and described in German patent 1016096. It consists in attaching a terminal previously placed on a wire conductor on a supporting surface by melting a brazing, said brazing being included in an arrangement of the terminal by means of a metallothermic reaction carried out in a crucible, the wall thereof comprising an opening adapted to the terminal and allowing the direct contact of said terminal with the mixture and the metallothermic reaction.
For such method a special terminal is required for the wire conductor and, after the reaction ensuring the brazing on the site, the crucible has to be withdrawn to disengage the melted metal mass resulting from the reaction and connected to the terminal. This metal mass which does not cooperate with the attachment of the terminal on the supporting surface, forms a protuberance removable only with a file, due to the fact that such melting connection to the back terminal is more resistant than the attachment by brazing of the terminal on the receiver. Such method cannot be used to attach the end of an electric wire conductor or jumper to a metal tube or to any other supporting surface as the proturberance is inconvenient for the installation of a protecting envelope on the connecting zone. Also handling the aforesaid protuberance causes the brazed zone to be caught, and the quality may be altered. Moreover, the positioning of the crucible on the terminal, the latter resting on the supporting surface, requires a particular attention to obtain a good brazing and also requires to provide for different crucibles, whenever the terminal is differently oriented in relation to the supporting surface, or whenever the supporting surface is differently positioned in relation to the vertical plane.
Another brazing technique is shown in French patent publication 2657283 utilizing a metal cup with the attached wire or cable extending into the cup through a hole in the wall. A crucible on top of the cup contains exothermic weld metal which when ignited flows into the cup. The heat from the weld metal provides heat through the bottom wall of the cup to braze the cup to a support surface. The connection provided is bulky, having a substantial protuberance, and is expensive.

Method of attaching a metal element to a metal supporting surface by brazing and apparatus for its implementation


A semiconductor module is disclosed. One embodiment provides a first semiconductor chip, a second semiconductor chip and a spacer. The first semiconductor chip has a depression at a first main surface. The spacer applied to the first main surface and at least partly fills the depression. The second semiconductor chip is applied to the spacer.

The invention relates to a semiconductor module and a method for producing a semiconductor module.
In modules containing more than one semiconductor chip, the semiconductor chips can be arranged in different ways. The semiconductor chips can for example be applied to a carrier one alongside another or be stacked one above another. A high packing density is achieved by the stacking of the semiconductor chips.


A material for producing a conductive composition comprising polymer particles, conductive particles, and a liquid medium. The material is in a liquid/dispersion form until it is cured at which time it forms an electrically conductive composition. The composition contains larger sized polymer particles along with smaller metal conductive filler particles such as nanoparticle-sized filler particles. The larger polymer particles create excluded volume in the material matrix and reduce the percolation threshold of the conductive filler particles to provide a conductive material with a reduced volume fraction of electrically conductive filler. The electrical conductivity of the material is further increased after heat treatment which causes the conductive filler particles to sinter together to form a highly conductive network.

Conductive materials are utilized in many different electronics applications. Such materials are commonly polymer-based and contain metal conductive fillers such as silver powder or silver flakes. After application and curing, the conductive metals form a percolated network within the polymer matrix, which provides the electrical conducting channels. Typical electronic coatings and conductive adhesives require conductive filler loadings which are very high, with the conductive filler often comprising about 70-85 weight percent of the composition due to a high percolation threshold. Such coatings and adhesive are frequently very expensive due to the high cost of conductive metals, which are usually the most expensive component in conductive compositions, as opposed to the relatively low cost of polymers. Consequently, it would be advantageous to provide a lower cost conductive composition with a reduced volume of metal conductive filler material.


A universal lid for industrial or commercial large size solid waste containers, has a ribbed single layer central portion and a peripheral edge having a hollow double wall boxed configuration. The boxed perimeter may have a predetermined height such as approximately one inch, and the lid is provided with hinge lugs having a vertical extent substantially more but not more than twice than said predetermined height. In addition, the lids have substantial symmetry so that the lids may be stacked and nested with alternate lids oriented in opposite front-to-back directions. With this type of lid, the advantages of both single layer and double layer lid constructions may be realized.

For more than 25 years, there have been two basic types of plastic lids for large commercial and industrial (1 cubic yd.-16 cubic yd.) solid waste containers. They have been either, a single sheet of plastic formed with various rib configurations, or a hollow double wall fabrication with an even greater variety of ribbing combined with partial fusion of the top and bottom walls. Each type has significant advantages as well as known drawbacks.
Single Wall Lid Advantages:
Both types of lids are limited to a maximum weight of approximately 15 pounds for lifting ease. Therefore, the double wall type has approximately half the wall thickness of its single wall counterpart. In the highly abusive environment of the solid waste industry, the thicker single wall lids last longer due to the simple fact that it is inherently more cut, puncture and abrasion resistant. The thicker wall also resists UV degradation far longer. Double wall lids will also allow the ingress of rainwater when punctured. This may result in an unwanted shower for the user when the lid is rotated open or closed. In winter conditions when the water is frozen to ice, the lids can become too heavy for the user to lift. Single wall lids do not retain water except in the open horizontal position and are easily emptied in a controlled fashion.
For any given rib height, the single wall additional thickness increases the load bearing of the rib by the cube of the increase in the thickness (i.e. if you double the thickness of the rib wall, the stiffness is increased 8 times). Load bearing is important for safety; primarily with regard to children playing on top of a container. Additionally, load bearing is required to resist collapse of the lid into the container due to excessive snow loads or trash bags piled on top of the lids.
The delivery and storage costs of single wall lids are nearly half the cost of double wall lids. Single wall lids rest one on the other every vertical one-half inch. The typical double wall lid has a vertical nesting depth of nearly two inches per lid. A full truckload of double wall lids weights about 23,000 lbs. (1560 lids) whereas a full truckload of single wall lids weighs about 40,000 lbs. (2700 lids). The same issues affect the amount of storage space required throughout the distribution process.
Double Wall Lid Advantages
The double wall lid is superior to the single wall lid with regard to usability, i.e., the person opening the lid to deposit trash prefer the double wall type because it will not twist laterally when lifted off center as is the case with single wall lids. Standing to one side and lifting off center is necessary when depositing larger articles or trash bags as the typical lid in a pair will only provide an opening which is 30 inches to 36 inches wide.
This lateral twisting is a problem for the user because the side of the lid opposite that which is raised with one hand will not lift to the same height as the other (typically 12 or more inches lower) and will effectively block the deposit of trash with the users other hand. This is not a mere annoyance, because in most cases and especially on larger containers, the user will throw open the lid over the back of the container and leave it in the open position due to the difficulty of retrieving the lid and closing it. In communities where they are used, it is not uncommon to find the majority of large waste containers with the lids left open. This condition is obviously unsightly and creates a real health and litter problem in any community.
The double wall lid has significantly stronger hinge lugs than single wall lid fabrications. This is especially true of rotationally molded double wall lids. Most single wall fabricating techniques stretch the material thinner in all raised areas such as ribs and hinge lugs. Furthermore, the hole for the hinge rod is drilled through the thinner stretched wall. This 9/16 inches to 11/16 inches diameter hole is by necessity ½ inc ⅝ inches from the edge of the plastic fabricated sheet. When stressed, the ½ inch diameter hinge rod can pull through the edge with relative ease.
The double wall hinge hole for the lid pivot shaft extends through the side of a boxed hinge lug that has no nearby edge to pull through. This type of fabrication requires the hinge rod to be pulled through the entire side and back wall of the boxed lug in order to fail. Even with double wall fabrications that stretch the wall material thinner as in typical single wall fabrication, the double wall boxed lug is far stronger and will hold the lid on the container far longer than is the case for single wall lids.

Universal lid for large solid waste containers


A device for current measurement comprises a substrate with a first current conductor and a current sensor with a second current conductor. The current sensor is mounted above the first current conductor on the substrate. The second current conductor is formed with integrally attached first and second terminal leads through which the current to be measured is supplied and discharged. The current sensor further comprises a semiconductor chip with a magnetic field sensor mounted on the second current conductor on the side of the second current conductor facing the substrate. The magnetic field sensor is sensitive to a component of the magnetic field extending parallel to the surface of the semiconductor chip and perpendicular to the second current conductor. The second current conductor extends above and parallel to the first current conductor.

Current conductors are available in many configurations and variants. Current sensors, which detect the magnetic field generated by the current, are packed in a conventional IC housing and in which the current conductor through which the current to be measured flows is guided through the housing, are known for example from U.S. Pat. No. 7,129,691, WO 2005026749, WO 2006130393 and US 2010156394. Such current sensors contain a current conductor which is arranged as a part of the leadframe, which is used for mounting and producing the electrical terminals, and a semiconductor chip mounted on the leadframe, which chip comprises at least one magnetic field sensor and the electronics required for its operation and for the processing of its output signal.
Furthermore, current sensors which are encased in a conventional IC housing are also known, e.g. from JP 2003302428, which are mounted on a printed circuit board above a conducting path and which measure the current flowing through the conducting path.


In receiving equipment such as a mobile terminal (1) for decoding received signals coded according to a CDMA method are decoded in an intermediate processor (9). In the decoding, coefficients or elements of a vector w are calculated in a unit or module (13) by an iterative method as a solution to a system of linear equations represented by the matrix equation Rw=h, where R is a matrix of known elements and h is a known vector. For terminating the iteration, a value of the signal to interference plus noise ratio SINR for the received signals is calculated in each iteration step and then this calculated value or a quantity derived therefrom is used as a stopping criterion or generally in a stopping algorithm.

In the context of RAKE receivers, and in particular generalized Rake (G-RAKE) receivers, problems of the formRw=h  (1)arise. Here, R is an N×N matrix that can be an impairment covariance matrix with known values, h is an N×l vector with known values, which are net channel coefficients, and w is an N×l vector that needs to be determined and contains combining weights. Methods like Gaussian elimination, LU decomposition, QR factorization, or other known methods can be employed to solve for the unknown vector w. These methods typically require O(N3) (i.e. "of the order of N3") operations to determine w, which may be too computationally complex for many applications. Also, the aforementioned methods may encounter numerical problems if the matrix R is ill-conditioned.
An alternate method of solving equation (1) for w is to use an iterative method. Iterative algorithms generally exploit some property of matrix R to recursively solve for the unknown vector w. An iterative linear system solver starts with some initial guess for the unknown vector w and then refines the estimate of w with each iteration. As an example, consider the following iterative formulationwi+1=wi+g(ri)ri+1=f(h−Rwi+1)  (2)Here, ri+1 is the residual error vector at iteration i+1, f(h−Rwi+1) indicates an expression that is a function of the combining weights at iteration i+1 (e.g. f(h−Rwi+1)=h−Rwi+1), and g(ri) indicates an expression that is a function of the ith residual error vector (e.g.
            g                    (                  r          i                )              =                                        (                          p                              i                +                1                                      )                    T                                  r          i                                                  (                          p                              i                +                1                                      )                    T                                  Rp                      i            +            1                                ,where pi+1=ri+βi+1pi and
      β          i      +      1        =                              -                                    (                              p                i                            )                        T                                            Rr          i                                                  (                          p              i                        )                    T                                  Rp          i                      .  Here w0 represents the initial guess at the solution and r0 is the residual error due to the initial guess. Many iterative algorithms fit into the framework of the equations (2), but other formulations are possible.
Iterative linear systems solvers are not necessarily guaranteed to converge to the true solution to equation (1), but these algorithms generally determine a solution that is "close" to the right answer. The advantages of employing an iterative method include reduced complexity, numerical tractability, and/or less sensitivity to near-singularity of the matrix R. There is, however, one major disadvantage of using an iterative algorithm. The disadvantage is that it is often unclear how many iterations are required to achieve an answer that is "good enough". This disadvantage will herein be called the stopping criteria problem.
There are at least two general methods of solving the stopping criteria problem.
Empirical Experimentation
In this method a number of representative Rw=h problems for an intended application are solved using an iterative algorithm. The number of iterations required to determine a "good enough" solution are recorded for each problem. The ultimate number of iterations employed in practice for such problems would then be a function of the maximum number needed to solve any one of the representative problems.
This method has at least two problems. First, if the matrix R is ill-conditioned for some reason, the number of iterations determined for representative Rw=h problems may in practical use result in very poor solutions. This in turn may affect other parts of the application that depend on a reliable solution to Rw=h. A poor solution for the combining weights could e.g. cause an extremely high block error rate. The second problem associated with this method is that it may not be possible to determine a representative set of Rw=h problems. In such cases, it is likely that this method will set the iteration requirements higher than needed for some, or most, Rw=h problems. In this case, computation power is wasted on extra iterations.
Adaptive Stopping Criteria
This approach can be used alone or in combination with the empirical experimentation approach. The idea here is to compute a metric of the fidelity of the solution and halt the iterative process when the metric crosses a threshold. One example of such a metric is ρi=∥h−Rwi∥22, where ∥q∥2 is the 2-norm of vector q. This metric is compared to ε∥h∥22 where ε is some small predetermined quantity and the iterative process stopped when ρi<ε∥h∥22.
This method has as well at least two problems. First, no experimental evidence has been found that shows that it prevents divergence if the matrix R is ill-conditioned. Second, the choice of the value of the quantity E requires some experimentation in order to get reasonable performance. As with the empirical experimentation method, it may not be possible to determine a representative set of Rw=h problems from which values of the quantity E can be chosen. Therefore, ε may be chosen so small that some, or at least most, Rw=h problems will use more iterations than necessary. Again, computational power is wasted.


Improved photoresist compositions having high resolution and high thermal resistance, produced from certain novolak polymers and diazoquinone photosensitizers. The useful novolak polymers are formed from phenolic mixtures including 2,3,5-trimethyl phenol and/or 2,3-dimethyl phenol, and optional amounts of 2,6-dimethyl phenol, o-cresol and p-cresol.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel positive photoresist compositions based upon certain novolak polymers and containing diazoquinone-type photosensitizers. More specifically the invention relates to positive photoresist compositions which provide high resolution and high resistance to flow at elevated temperatures.
2. Description of Related Art
Photoresist compositions are used in microlithographic processes for making miniaturized electronic components, such as in the fabrication of integrated circuits and printed wiring board circuitry. In these processes, a thin coating or film of a photoresist composition is generally first applied to a substrate material, such as silicon wafers used for making integrated circuits or aluminum or copper plates of printed wiring boards. The coated substrate is then baked to evaporate any solvent in the photoresist composition and to fix the coating onto the substrate. The baked coated surface of the substrate is next subjected to an image-wise exposure of radiation. This radiation exposure causes a chemical transformation in the exposed areas of the coated surface. Visible light, ultraviolet (UV) light, electron beam, ion beam and X-ray radiant energy are radiation types commonly used today in microlithographic processes.
After this image-wise exposure, the coated substrate is treated with a developer solution to dissolve and remove either the radiation-exposed or the unexposed areas of the coated surface of the substrate In some processes, it is desirable to bake the imaged resist coating before this developing step. This intermediate step is sometimes called post-exposure bake or PEB.
Photoresist compositions may be negative-working or positive-working. When negative-working photoresist compositions are exposed image-wise to radiation, the areas of the resist composition exposed to the radiation become less soluble to a developer solution (e.g. a cross-linking reaction occurs) while the unexposed areas of the photoresist coating remain relatively soluble to a developing solution. Thus, treatment of an exposed negative-working resist with a developer solution causes removal of the non-exposed areas of the resist coating and the creation of a negative image in the photoresist coating, and thereby uncovering a desired portion of the underlying substrate surface on which the photoresist composition was deposited. On the other hand, when positive-working photoresist compositions are exposed image-wise to radiation, those areas of the resist composition exposed to the radiation become more soluble to the developer solution (e.g. the Wolff rearrangement reaction of the photoactive compound occurs) while those areas not exposed remain relatively insoluble to the developer solution. Thus, treatment of an exposed positive-working resist with the developer solution causes removal of the exposed areas of the resist coating and the creation of a positive image in the photoresist coating. Again, a desired portion of the underlying substrate surface is uncovered.
Positive-working photoresist compositions are currently favored over negative-working resists because the former generally have better resolution capabilities and pattern transfer characteristics.
After this development operation, the now partially unprotected substrate may be treated with a substrate-etchant solution or plasma gases and the like. This etchant solution or plasma gases etch the portion of the substrate where the photoresist coating was removed during development. The areas of the substrate are protected where the photoresist coating still remains and, thus, an etched pattern is created in the substrate material which corresponds to the photomask used for the image-wise exposure of the radiation. Later, the remaining areas of the photoresist coating may be removed during a stripping operation, leaving a clean etched substrate surface. In some instances, it is desirable to heat treat the remaining resist layer after the development step and before the etching step to increase its adhesion to the underlying substrate and its resistance to etching solutions.
Certain uses of photoresists require that the photoresist formulations possess better lithographic properties for the fabrication of smaller microelectronic circuits. The lithographic properties which are critical to these uses include the following: (1) good resolution capabilities in both the micron and submicron ranges without incomplete development in the exposed areas (i.e. scumming); (2) higher thermal image deformation temperatures (e.g. above 120.degree. C.); (3) relatively fast photospeeds; (4) good adhesion to the substrate; (5) good developer dissolution rates; (6) good process latitute; (7) near to absolute vertical profiles (or good contrast) between exposed and unexposed photoresist areas after development; (8) good resistance to etching solutions and plasma etching techniques; (9) reduced tendency to form insoluble particulates and (10) mask linearity.
Generally, past efforts to improve one of these lithographic properties have resulted in significant decreases in one or more of the other lithographic properties of the photoresist. Accordingly, there is a need for improved photoresist formulations which possess all of these desired properties. The present invention is believed to be an answer to that need.
It is known to prepare positive photoresist compositions from novolak polymers and photosensitizers such as naphthoquinone diazide, such novolak polymers being formed by reacting a combination of m-cresol and p-cresol with formaldehyde in the presence of an acid catalyst. However such positive photoresist compositions do not demonstrate high resolution with high thermal resistance, due to the formation of isomer and oligomer mixtures as undesirable by-products. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,682 (Hunt Chemical).
A large number of dimethyl phenol novolak compositions are known in the art. Reference is made to Japanese published patent applications J 60176034-A (JSR); J 60158440-A (Mitsubishi Chemical) and JP 62/89042-A2 (Mitsubishi Chemical). These references disclose the incorporation of p-cresol and/or m-cresol into their compositions as required ingredients. Such cresols result in the formation of by-products including isomers, such as p-cresol dimer, and oligomers, which reduce the resolution and thermal resistance of the compositions.

Positive photoresists comprising a novolak resin made from 2,3-dimethyl phenol,2,3,5-trimethylphenol and aldehyde with no meta-cresol present