An improved side pocket mandrel having an orientation housing, which in turn has an orienting slot and guide surfaces integrally formed with the orientation housing. The orientation housing is preferably manufactured by machining out of a single piece of metal. The orientation housing is then welded onto the remainder of the side pocket mandrel.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to gas lift apparatus and more particularly to side pocket mandrels for use in gas lift wells.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Side pocket mandrels have long been used in the industry to house well flow control devices, such as valves. These mandrels are referred to as "side pocket" because the valve is housed in a valve pocket section that is offset from the main bore diameter. By having the valve pocket section offset in the side pocket, tools traveling up and down the hole are less likely to accidentally strike the valve. A tool striking the valve could damage or otherwise render it inoperative. The damaged valve would then have to be replaced, an expensive and time consuming process during which the well would not be producing.
Modem side pocket mandrels house the valve in a side pocket section, to further protect the valve and prevent passing tools from damaging the valve. The side pocket section has a small hole in its top to allow appropriate tools, known as kickover tools, to enter the housing to interact with the valve.
Tools used to insert, remove or otherwise interact with the valves in the side pocket mandrels are referred to as "kickover" tools. Kickover tools must be properly rotationally oriented in the flowbore to be activated for entrance into the side pocket section. To orient the kickover tools, the upper end of the mandrel traditionally has an orienting sleeve that snugly fits inside of the mandrel. This sleeve is typically provided with a pair of guide surfaces that are generally helical in shape, leading from a point at the lower end of the sleeve upwardly to the lower end of a longitudinally-aligned orienting slot. This sleeve is generally cylindrical in shape, similar to the upper end of the mandrel, and fits snugly therein. In some cases, the slot in the sleeve may pass completely through the longitudinal length of the sleeve. In other mandrels, the slot may be provided with an end or shoulder, and in some cases this shoulder completely blocks the slot. Such a shoulder at the upper end of the slot is utilized in activating a kickover tool after it has first been oriented. The slot must be long enough so that the kickover tool can be kept properly aligned while the entire tool is pulled up past the opening to the side pocket section, and to maintain alignment of the kickover tool once activated and subsequently lowered to insert the kickover tool into the side pocket section.
Kickover tools of the orienting type are provided with an orienting key sufficiently narrow to enter the orienting slot in the orienting sleeve and have an abrupt upwardly facing shoulder thereon. When this abrupt shoulder engages the orienting sleeve, it will follow one of the guide surfaces causing the kickover tool to rotate about its longitudinal axis until the key becomes aligned with and enters the slot, thus orienting the kickover tool with respect to the side pocket mandrel, i.e., positioning the kickover tool for insertion into the entrance of the side pocket section of the side pocket mandrel. In some case, as where wireline equipment is used, the same abrupt shoulder of the orienting key also engages the shoulder in the slot, and further movement of the kickover tool causes it to be activated such that a portion thereof is shifted laterally into alignment with the entrance of the side pocket section of the side pocket mandrel.
In the prior art, the orienting slot is always wholly contained within the orienting sleeve, and the interior wall of the outer mandrel housing is uniformly smooth. The orienting sleeve is placed within the outer mandrel housing during construction of the side pocket mandrel. The sleeve must be long enough to provide a slot of sufficient length to allow the kickover tool to be fully activated and vertically positioned with respect to the side pocket section. That is, not only must the kickover tool be properly aligned, it must also be moved upward sufficiently so that the lower end of the kickover tool can enter the side pocket section.
During construction of the prior art side pocket mandrels, after the orienting sleeve is inserted and positioned inside the outer mandrel housing, the sleeve is welded to the interior wall of the outer mandrel housing, and the mandrel is welded shut, sealing the sleeve inside the outer mandrel housing.
Even though the sleeve fits snugly inside the outer mandrel housing, where the surfaces of the two parts meet creates suitable locations for crevice corrosion. Such corrosion can lead to mechanical failure.
Another problem with prior art side pocket mandrels is that the orienting sleeve can sometimes become detached from the walls of the mandrel, due to corrosion of its welds, the force of a tool striking it, or a combination of the two. When this happens, the orienting sleeve can become misaligned, or travel downhole, and not only must the side pocket mandrel be replaced, the orienting sleeve must sometimes be fished out of the hole.
As the side pocket mandrel is part of the production string, it is imperative that the side pocket mandrel not mechanically fail or have to be replaced, else production will have to be stopped while the entire production string is pulled and the mandrel replaced. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a side pocket mandrel which has less area for crevice corrosion present and is less prone to breakage.

Side pocket mandrel orienting device with integrally formed locating slot


In the transmissions of the background art, two larger-diameter gears are mounted on a final shaft thereby causing an increase in weight of the transmission. The present invention reduces the weight of a transmission by mounting only one larger-diameter gear on a final shaft. The transmission of the present invention includes an output shaft; a countershaft extending parallel to the output shaft; an intermediate shaft extending parallel to the output shaft; a forward drive gear rotatably supported relative to the countershaft; a reverse drive gear rotatably supported relative to the countershaft; a first intermediate gear rotatably supported relative to the intermediate shaft, the first intermediate gear normally meshing with the reverse drive gear; a second intermediate gear rotatably supported relative to the intermediate shaft, the second intermediate gear being interlocked with the first intermediate gear to rotate therewith; an output shaft driven gear fixed to the output shaft, the output shaft driven gear being normally meshing with the forward drive gear and the second intermediate gear; and a gear selecting and fixing device axially movably mounted on the countershaft for selectively fixing the forward drive gear and the reverse drive gear to the countershaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission, and more particularly to a transmission for a saddle type vehicle (buggy) for operation on rough terrain.
2. Description of the Background Art
A conventional transmission of the background art is described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-61212, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. This transmission includes a primary shaft, a main shaft, and a countershaft. Power is transmitted between the primary shaft, main shaft and countershaft respectively, e.g., the countershaft is a final shaft in this transmission.
In general, gears having diameters larger than the diameters of gears mounted on front-stage shafts are mounted on rear-stage shafts, e.g., so as to sequentially reduce a rotational speed during power transmission. In the above-described transmission of the background art, larger-diameter gears are mounted on the final shaft.
More specifically, two larger-diameter gears having different diameters are fixed to the final shaft (the countershaft in the above publication). Two smaller-diameter gears normally meshing with the two larger-diameter gears are rotatably supported relative to the shaft (the main shaft in the above publication) provided on the directly front stage of the final shaft. Further, gear selecting and fixing means (a gear selecting mechanism in the above publication) is provided between these smaller-diameter gears. Either of these smaller-diameter gears is selected and fixed to the support shaft by the gear selecting and fixing means, thereby allowing the selection of any one of different operational conditions.
Applicants have determined that the background art suffers from the following disadvantages. As mentioned above, the two larger-diameter gears are mounted on the final shaft of the transmission in the related art, causing an increase in weight of the transmission.


A transfer port system to allow material to transfer between two dockable sterile environments. Two doors provide access to the sterile environments. A peripheral flange frames one of the doors while another peripheral flange forms the opening to the other sterile environment. Doors connect to one another, when the sterile environments are docked, and then move as a unit into the one sterile environment in order to allow the material transfer. Outer and inner gaskets seal the sterile environments and with the peripheral flanges form an interface between the sterile environments during material transfer. The portions of the gaskets and peripheral flanges that were exposed to the unsterile ambient prior to docking are actively heated in order to maintain sterility during the time when the sterile environments are docked and prior to the time that the doors are moved to the open position. The doors can be connected to one another prior to their opening by vacuum. The vacuum has an added benefit of drawing contaminants from between the doors.

The present invention relates to a transfer port system to allow material transfer between two sterile environments in which the two sterile environments dock with one another during the material transfer. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a transfer port system in which doors provided for access to the two sterile environments are sealed by gaskets. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a transfer port system in which gasket surfaces are heated to maintain sterile conditions during the material transfer between the sterile environments.
The use of sterile manufacturing environments has become increasing more important in many industrial processes. In this regard, the electronic and pharmaceutical industries have a particularly low tolerance for inorganic and organic contaminants. An example of processing that must be conducted in aseptic conditions concerns the preparation of medicants, solutions, and suspensions within the pharmaceutical industry by freeze drying. In accordance with such production, the product is loaded into vials under sterile conditions and is then transported in an transporter isolator to a freeze dryer. The transporter isolator is a sterile vehicle for the transport of vials and docks at the end of its journey with the freeze dryer for the transfer of vials onto the shelves of the freeze dryer. After the docking of the transporter isolator and the freeze drier and the transfer of the vials, the product is freeze dried and the vials are stoppered within the freeze drier. Between freeze drying operations, the freeze dryer can be sterilized with steam, hydrogen peroxide vapor solutions and the like so that its sterility is maintained.
As can be appreciated, during the transfer of vials into the freeze dryer from the transporter isolator, a sterile interface must be maintained between the transporter isolator and the freezer dryer chamber. The same problem exists in any transfer port system in which material transfer is to be accomplished between two sterile environments. The difficulty in the maintenance of the sterile interface is that components of the transfer port system have been exposed to unsterile ambient conditions prior to linkage or docking of the two sterile environments. This problem is compounded by imperfections in the mating of components of the transfer port system. In order to maintain sterility at the interface, heat is applied to the components that have been exposed to the unsterile environment. Such sterilization is not without problems due to the thermal mass of the components of the transfer port system and the attendant required heating time to attain an assurance of a sterile condition.
As will be discussed, the present invention provides a transfer port system that is designed such that its components can be rapidly heated in order to maintain the necessary sterile interface between sterile environments during material transfer. Additionally, the transfer port system is designed to accommodate slight misalignments between its components.

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The present invention provides an array substrate and a display device, to solve the problem of low testing precision due to significant difference between characteristics of TFTs in the detecting region and TFTs in the display region in the prior art. The array substrate comprises a display region and a dummy pixel region provided in the periphery of the display region, wherein, at least one detecting unit is provided in the dummy pixel region, each detecting unit comprises one second pixel unit, one thin film transistor is provided correspondingly to each second pixel unit, and respective electrodes of each thin film transistor provided correspondingly to the second pixel unit are connected to an external test device through test lines, respectively.

Array process is one of stages in the manufacture of a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) device. In the array process, a thin film transistor array circuit needs to be formed on a glass substrate. Since the quality of the array circuit directly decides the quality of a TFT-LCD screen, testing of the array circuit becomes an important process in the manufacture of a TFT-LCD device.
As shown in FIG. 1, an array substrate 100, in early stage of the manufacture, includes: a display region 101, a lead wire region 102 and a peripheral region 103. A plurality of first pixel units for display formed by intersecting gate lines and data lines are provided in the display region 101, and each first pixel unit corresponds to one thin film transistor. The lead wire region 102 is configured to provide electric connections of signals for necessary signal elements in the display region 101, for example, an input wire for data line signal in the display region 101 may be included therein. Since the TFTs in the respective pixel units in the display region 101 are disturbed by other patterns and layers, their performance can hardly be detected, and as a result, a detecting region 104 is further provided in the peripheral region 103 of the substrate. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of pixel units formed by intersecting gate lines and data lines are provided in the detecting region 104, and each pixel unit corresponds to one thin film transistor (TFT), which is used for detecting characteristics of TFTs on the substrate. Specifically, the respective electrodes of the TFT for detection are connected to a test device through lead wires, as shown in FIG. 3. After the array substrate and a color filter substrate are fitted to form a display panel, the peripheral region 103 is generally cut off.
In actual manufacturing process, there are some differences between the manufacture of the TFTs in the detecting region and the manufacture of the TFTs in the display region. For example, densities of the TFTs and signal lines thereof in the display region are larger than those in the detecting region, and process environments in which the TFTs are respectively formed in the two regions differ a lot, which results in significant difference in electrical characteristics caused by different processes between the TFTs in the two regions, and therefore, the relevant characteristics of the manufactured TFTs in the display region significantly differ from those of the TFTs in the detecting region. Further, the characteristics of the TFTs in the detecting region 104 are nonuniform, and the test results differ significantly.
Therefore, by detecting the relevant characteristics of the TFTs in the detecting region 104, the relevant characteristics of the TFTs in the display region cannot be reflected accurately, thus reducing accuracy of the detection.

BEIJING BOE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A system, method and/or software for using overlap between a first website area-of-interest map, associated with a first website, and a searcher area-of-interest map to help prioritize the websites returned by a search engine search. The area-of-interest maps are made up of geographic pixels respectively assigned with area-of-interest values. Overlap area is determined by comparing, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, corresponding pixels of the searcher area-of-interest map and the first website area-of-interest map to determine overlap pixels where the following conditions hold: (i) the first website area-of-interest map has a non-zero interest value, and (ii) the searcher area-of-interest map has a non-zero interest value.

Websites (sometimes herein called web pages) are known. A website is a set of associated data that is typically written in a language, such that hypertext markup language (HTML) or the extensible markup language (XML). It is known that a website may be related to a geographic location. For example, the website www.endicottny.com relates to the village of Endicott, N.Y., USA, because the content of this website (such as its text and pictures) substantively relates to this particular village in the state of New York.
Search engines for finding websites of interest are known. Search engines are applications, which typically reside on servers. Search engines are one means to sift through data in the hundreds of millions of web pages available. Search engines utilize matching algorithms to identify and return a set of "returned websites" (or "hit list") that the search engine has determined to be likely to be of interest to the searcher based on the searcher's search. The matching algorithms may parse alphanumeric text to determine a match between the data interested by the client (herein called the "searcher") and the data accessible to the search engine server hardware and software. The searcher intrinsically defines broadness of the search performed by the server by providing text-based queries designed to be broad, narrow or in between. For example, a search for "villages" would be broader than a search for "Endicott."
Geo URIs are known. A "geo URI" is a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) for geographic locations using the 'geo' scheme name. A geo URI identifies a physical location in a two- or three-dimensional coordinate reference system in a compact, simple, human-readable way. Geo URIs are also typically not protocol-specific. For example, a specific revision of the vCard specification supports geo URIs in a vCard "GEO" property field. As a further example, the GeoSMS standard uses geo URIs for geotagging SMS (Short Message Service) messages.
There is a currently-existing website called http://geourl.org. This website appears to relate to ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) addresses, and should not be confused with the Geo URI background art identified above.

International Business Machines Corporation


A connector coupling structure includes a first connector and a second connector which can be coupled to each other, each connector including: a housing having a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers formed therein and a housing surface, and an opening portion which is formed on a front end side of the housing surface being on an engaged side and forming an upper surface over the terminal accommodating chambers; the first connector including a projected main coupling portion arranged at a middle portion of the housing surface of the first connector; the second connector including a recessed main coupling receiving portion arranged at a middle portion of the housing surface of the second connector, in which the first and second connectors are coupled by engaging the main coupling portion with the main coupling receiving portion while causing the respective housing surfaces to confront each other; projected retaining portions arranged on the housing surface of the first connector; and recessed retaining portions respectively engageable with the projected retaining portions, the recessed retaining portions being arranged at corresponding positions in the housing surface of the second connector to the respective projected retaining portions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector coupling structure used for automobiles and the like. More particularly, this invention is directed to a connector coupling structure used for connecting the wires of a plurality of connecting terminals to a printed circuit on a board, particularly a flexible printed board (hereinafter referred to as "FPC" whenever applicable), while accommodating the plurality of connecting terminals within a housing.
2. Background
Various types of FPCs have heretofore been used in order to reduce the weight of electric devices mounted on automobiles and the like. In this conjunction, U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,100 and the like disclose that an FPC is electrically connected to connecting wires branched from a wiring harness through an FPC connector that has connecting terminals accommodated therein.
As shown in FIG. 10, an FPC connector includes a housing 32 and connecting terminals 30. The housing 32 has a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 39 and a thick-walled hinged rear holder 37 that prevents the connecting terminals 30 from erroneously coming off from the rear. Each terminal accommodating chamber 39 has a portion which is notched to form an opening portion 33. Each connecting terminal 30 has an elastic contact portion. Thus, the FPC connector generally has the connecting terminals 30 fitted into the accommodating chambers 39 in advance prior to being assembled to an automobile or the like and is transported to an assembling plant under such condition to be subjected to an assembling operation in the plant.
However, since the opening portion 33 extends over the upper surfaces of the terminal accommodating chambers 39, a part of a connecting terminal 30 is exposed from the opening portion 33 with the connecting terminal 30 accommodated within the corresponding terminal accommodating chamber 39. Therefore, there is a possibility that the contact portion of the connecting terminal 30 will be damaged by, e.g., the exposed contact portion of the connecting terminal 30 coming in contact with or colliding with other parts and the like during transportation.
In order to avoid such contact and collision, a cover 34 for covering the opening such as shown, e.g., in FIG. 11 is put. In this case, the connecting terminal 30 is protected by putting the cover 34 over the opening portion from the front of the housing 32 with the connecting terminal 30 having the connecting wire 31 connected thereto being accommodated within the terminal accommodating chamber 39.
Therefore, in the aforementioned connector, the cover 34 must be put on every time the connector is transported, which in turn has imposed the problem of making the connector expensive in addition to the fact that the cover 34, being disposable, is uneconomical.
In order to overcome this problem, the following connector coupling structure is available. The connector coupling structure includes two connectors, each having an opening portion. When coupled, the respective opening portions are caused to confront each other so as to protect connecting terminals exposed from the openings. This structure dispenses with a cover, which hence contributes to curtailing the cost of manufacture.
FIGS. 12 and 13 are a plan view and a front view of one of the two connectors used in this structure. This connector 35 is a hollowed rectangular solid having a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 39. Each terminal accommodating chamber 39 has a connecting terminal 30 fitted thereinto, the connecting terminal 30 having a connecting wire 31 connected to the rear end thereof. Therefore, the front end side of each terminal accommodating chamber 39 is directed frontwardly (the lower side as viewed in FIG. 12), and the rear end side of each terminal accommodating chamber 39 is directed rearwardly (the upper side as viewed in FIG. 12).
A housing surface 36 on the coupling side, which forms an upper surface over the terminal accommodating chambers 39, has a band-like shape extending in a horizontal direction that is orthogonal to the axial direction of the connector 35. An opening portion 38 is formed on the front end side of the housing surface 36. Further, a thick-walled hinged rear holder 37 is formed on the rear end side. The hinged rear holder 37 prevents the connecting terminals 30 from erroneously coming off from the rear.
Further, a projected main coupling portion 5 is arranged in the middle of the housing surface 36, and a main notched portion 6 is arranged on a hinged rear holder 37 portion behind the main coupling portion 5.
FIGS. 14 and 15 are a plan view and a front view of the other connector of the two connectors used in the aforementioned structure. This connector 40 is a hollowed rectangular solid having a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 49. Each terminal accommodating chamber 49 has a connecting terminal 30 fitted thereinto. The connecting terminal 30 has a connecting wire 31 connected to the rear end thereof.
A housing surface 41 on the coupling side, which forms an upper surface over the terminal accommodating chambers 49, has a band-like shape extending in a horizontal direction that is orthogonal to the axial direction of the connector 40. An opening portion 48 is formed on the front end side of the housing surface 41. Further, a thick-walled hinged rear holder 42 is formed on the rear end side. The hinged rear holder 42 prevents the connecting terminals 30 from erroneously coming off from the rear.
Further, a recessed main coupling receiving portion 15 is arranged in the middle of the housing surface 41, and a main projected portion 16 is arranged on a hinged rear holder 42 portion behind the main coupling receiving portion 15.
A procedure for coupling the two connectors will be described next. First, the connectors 35, 40 are positioned so that the respective housing surfaces 36, 41 thereof are caused to confront each other. Then, by sliding either the connector 35 rearwardly or the connector 40 frontwardly, the main coupling portion 5 can be fitted into the main coupling receiving portion 15.
Therefore, both connectors 35, 40 can be coupled to each other as shown in FIG. 16. Accordingly, the connectors 35, 40 are connected with the respective openings 38, 48 arranged face to face inwardly. Hence, the respective connecting terminals 30, 30 are not exposed, which in turn contributes to preventing other parts and the like from coming in contact with or colliding with the contact portions and the like of the connecting terminals during transportation.
However, in the aforementioned connector, if an external force such as shown by the arrow R in FIG. 17 is applied to at least one of the connectors 35, 40 that are so connected as shown in FIG. 17, e.g., to the connector 35, then, the connector 35 is displaced by turning about the main coupling portion 5. From this arises a problem that both connectors 35, 40 are uncoupled or damaged.
In addition, the application of such external force is caused frequently during handling of connectors, not by the connecting wires being pulled, etc. A solution to this problem has long been called for.


A door handle system includes a door opening lever rotationally supported on a support member, and a damper having a linear piston sliding mechanism. The door opening lever has an angle change device for changing an angle when the door opening lever is actuated. The damper is attached to the support member and arranged to contact the angle change device so that a returning force of the door opening lever after being opened is reduced by the damper.

The present invention relates to a door handle system of an automobile, in particular a door handle system having a damper for controlling a speed of a door opening lever returning to an initial position.
An automotive door is provided with a door handle system to operate the door. The door handle system includes a door opening lever interlocked with a latch mechanism for holding the door shut and resiliently biased by a torsion coil spring or the like toward a returning direction. When the door opening lever is pulled against the resilient bias force, the latch mechanism connected to the door opening lever is released to open the door. When the hand is removed from the door opening lever, the door opening lever automatically returns to an initial position with the resilient bias force.
A conventional door handle system occasionally makes an impulsive sound when the door opening lever briskly returns to the initial position with the resilient bias. Accordingly, in order to control a speed at which the door opening lever returns to the initial position, it has been proposed to provide a one-way damper comprising an actuator rotating along the angular movement of the door opening lever; a damping member for receiving a force of viscous oil; and a clutch member disposed between the actuator and the damping member for releasing the operative connection between the actuator and the damping member when the actuator is rotated in one direction against the resilience of an elastic part, and for conveying the rotational force of the actuator to the damping member when the actuator is rotated to the other direction by the resilience of the elastic part (see Patent Reference 1).
Patent Reference 1: Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 01-250571.
The one-way damper disclosed in Patent Reference 1, however, tends to have a complex structure, as it requires, among other elements, gear and clutch mechanisms. For this reason, any attempt to construct the door handle system so that the door opening lever does not make an impulsive sound when it returns to the initial position inevitably increases manufacturing cost.
In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a door handle system with a damper that can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.


Provided is an organic electroluminescent device (organic EL device) that is improved in luminous efficiency, fully secured of driving stability, and simply constructed. The EL device has a light-emitting layer disposed between an anode and a cathode stacked one upon another on a substrate and the light-emitting layer comprises a phosphorescent dopant and an indolocarbazole derivative as a host material. Examples of the indolocarbazole compounds include a compound represented by the following formula (2) or (3), wherein X is N or CH, at least one of Xs is N, and Ar1 to Ar3 each is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group.

An organic EL device of the simplest structure is generally constituted of a light-emitting layer sandwiched between a pair of counter electrodes and utilizes the following light-emitting phenomenon. Upon application of an electrical field between the electrodes, electrons are injected from the cathode and holes are injected from the anode and they recombine in the light-emitting layer; the energy level after recombination goes back from the conduction band to the valence band with release of energy in the form of light.
In recent years, organic thin films have been used in the development of EL devices. In particular, in an effort to enhance the luminous efficiency, the kind of electrodes has been optimized for the purpose of improving the efficiency of injecting carriers from the electrodes and a device has been developed in which a hole-transporting layer of an aromatic diamine and a light-emitting layer of 8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum complex (hereinafter referred to as Alq3) are disposed in thin film between the electrodes. This device has brought about a marked improvement in the luminous efficiency over the conventional devices utilizing single crystals of anthracene and the like and thereafter the developmental works of organic EL devices have been focused on commercial application to high-performance flat panels featuring self-luminescence and high-speed response.
In another effort to enhance the luminous efficiency of the device, the use of phosphorescence in place of fluorescence is investigated. The aforementioned device comprising a hole-transporting layer of an aromatic diamine and a light-emitting layer of Alq3 and many other devices utilize fluorescence. The use of phosphorescence, that is, emission of light from the excited triplet state is expected to enhance the luminous efficiency approximately three times that of the conventional devices utilizing fluorescence (emission of light from the excited singlet state). To achieve this objective, coumarin derivatives and benzophenone derivatives have been investigated as a material for the light-emitting layer, but they merely produced luminance at an extremely low level. Thereafter, europium complexes were tried to utilize the excited triplet state, but failed to emit light at high efficiency.                Patent document 1: JP2003-515897 A        Patent document 2: JP2001-313178 A        Patent document 3: JP2002-305083 A        Patent document 4: JP2002-352957 A        Patent document 5: JPH11-162650 A        Patent document 6: JPH11-176578 A
A large number of phosphorescent dopants useful for the light-emitting layer of an organic EL device are disclosed in the patent document 1 and elsewhere. A typical example is tris(2-phenylpyridine)iridium complex (hereinafter referred to as Ir(ppy)3).
A carbazole compound or CBP described in the patent document 2 is proposed as a host material for use in the light-emitting layer of an organic EL device. Since CBP has a special property of facilitating the flow of holes and obstructing the flow of electrons, the use of CBP as a host material for Ir(ppy)3 that is a green light-emitting phosphorescent material destroys the balanced injection of charges thereby causing excess holes to flow out to the side of the electron-transporting layer and, as a result, the luminous efficiency from Ir(ppy)3 drops.
As a means to solve the aforementioned problems, a hole-blocking layer may be disposed between the light-emitting layer and the electron-transporting layer, for example, in the manner described in the patent document 3. The hole-blocking layer accumulates holes efficiently in the light-emitting layer thereby improving the probability of recombination of holes and electrons in the light-emitting layer and enhancing the luminous efficiency. Examples of the hole-blocking materials currently in general use include 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (hereinafter referred to as BCP) and p-phenylphenolato-bis(2-methyl-8-quinolinolato-N1, O8)aluminum (hereinafter referred to as BAlq). The hole-blocking layer can prevent electrons and holes from recombining in the electron-transporting layer. However, BCP lacks reliability as a hole-blocking material as it tends to crystallize easily even at room temperature and a device comprising BCP shows an extremely short service life. On the other hand, BAlq is reported to have a Tg of approximately 100° C. and help to show a relatively long service life when incorporated in a device; however, BAlq does not have a sufficient hole-blocking ability and the luminous efficiency from Ir(ppy)3 drops.
Now, 3-phenyl-4-(1′-naphthyl)-5-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole (hereinafter referred to as TAZ) described in the patent document 4 is also proposed as a host material for a phosphorescent organic EL device; however, TAZ has a property of facilitating the flow of electrons and obstructing the flow of holes and displaces the light-emitting range toward the side of the hole-transporting layer. Hence, it is conceivable that the luminous efficiency from Ir(ppy)3 may drop depending upon the compatibility of Ir(ppy)3 with the material of choice for the hole-transporting layer. For example, 4,4′-bis[N-(1-naphthyl)-N-phenylamino]biphenyl (hereinafter referred to as NPB) is a material most widely used in the hole-transporting layer on account of its excellent performance, high reliability, and long service life; however, it is poorly compatible with Ir(ppy)3 and energy transition occurs from Ir(ppy)3 to NPB to lower the luminous efficiency.
The indolocarbazole compounds disclosed in the patent documents 5 and 6 are recommended for use as hole-transporting materials and their stability is admired. However, these documents do not teach the use as a phosphorescent host material. Moreover, the disclosed compounds differ in structure from those to be provided by this invention.

Indolocarbazole compound for use in organic electroluminescent device and organic electroluminescent device


An oil filter assembly includes a filter housing and a release valve for regulating oil drainage from a filter chamber in the filter housing. A filter module is arranged in the filter chamber to engage the release valve. A first biasing element normally moves the release valve to an opened position allowing drainage of oil from the filter chamber to urge the filter module to cause the release valve to move against and overcome a biasing force generated by the first biasing element to the closed position when the filter module is installed in a oil-filtering position in the filter housing.

The present invention relates to a system for filtering engine oil in an internal combustion engine. More particularly, the present invention relates to an oil filter assembly having an oil filter positioned within a filter chamber of the assembly.
It is well known to provide a replaceable oil filter that is housed within a filter chamber attached to an internal combustion engine. Typically, a bottom portion of the housing forming the chamber is permanently coupled to, or integral with, the engine block. A top portion of the housing is typically designed to detach from the bottom portion to allow the filter to be replaced when it has met its useful service life.
One problem with replacing such an oil filter is that oil can become trapped in the bottom portion of the chamber which results in an undesirable amount of oil covering the interior and exterior of the filter upon removal. This can make replacement of the filter a messy proposition. Heretofore, others have attempted to solve this problem by providing a release valve in the lower end of the bottom portion of the housing which is actuated during removal of the top portion of the housing. Prior efforts to provide a suitable relief valve have involved the use of complex biasing systems which typically utilized multiple calibrated springs mounted within the relief valve. The use of such small, highly calibrated springs and the required assembly into a tight space in the relief valve has resulted in undesirable expense in manufacture of the filter assembly.
Moreover, such prior relief valve systems required fairly precise tolerances in the dimensions of the oil filter and filter housing. This is so because the downward pressure exerted by closure of the housing onto the filter was used to provide the force necessary to overcome the upward bias of the spring mounted in the quick release valve. If adequate tolerances were not maintained and the filter was too small relative to the housing, the closure of the housing could provide insufficient force to seal the release valve. Conversely, if the filter were too large relative to the housing, the housing could fail to fully close and seal. Maintenance of such tight tolerance in the closure mechanism of the housing and filter dimensions can prove difficult for the filter manufacturer and typically leads to increased expense in the manufacture of prior filters.
Thus, there is a need for a filter assembly which has an improved quick relief system. There is also a need for a filter assembly that allows for greater dimension tolerances for replaceable filters and housings.
The present invention is directed to an oil filter assembly including a housing defining a chamber, and an oil filter positioned within the chamber. In one embodiment of the invention, a support is positioned within the chamber having at least one flexible member adapted to be coupled to the housing. The flexible support member provides a flexible mount for the filter which allows the filter manufacturer a greater variance in the dimensions of the filter and housing.
In another embodiment of the invention, an oil filter assembly is provided having a housing defining a chamber with an inlet channel opening into the chamber and an outlet channel opening into the chamber, an oil filter positioned in the chamber, a seal for the outlet channel, and a biasing element positioned between the housing and the filter and configured to bias the oil filter toward the seal. The provision of the biasing element and its position between the housing and the oil filter ensure that the filter is biased sufficiently against the seal to ensure that a reliable seal is formed. This arrangement also provides a filter assembly with greater dimensional variance in filter and housing manufacture and ensures a reliable seal of the filter within the housing.
In still another embodiment of the invention, an oil filter assembly is provided which includes a housing defining a chamber, an oil filter positioned in the chamber, a releasable channel formed in said housing in fluid communication with the chamber, a release valve positioned for releasably sealing said release channel, and a biasing element positioned between the housing and oil filter and configured to bias the oil filter within the chamber toward the closed position of the release valve.

Oil filter unit with quick-drain valve actuator


A chemical injector for injecting fluid chemical into a pipeline having an axis wherein the pipeline has fluid flow moving from an upstream to a downstream direction. The chemical injector includes an injector tube having an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of the pipeline. An injector tube tip extends from the injector tube having an angled end, wherein the angled end forms a line extending from the injector tube axis toward the downstream direction at an acute angle. A circular aperture through the tube tip angled end of the injector tube assists in dispersing the fluid chemical in the pipeline.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chemical injector for injecting a fluid chemical into a liquid or gas pipeline. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for a pipeline chemical injector which will promote atomization and dispersion of the injected fluid chemical in a manner superior to existing processes and devices.
2. Prior Art
Various industries utilize processes and devices wherein a liquid chemical is injected into a pipeline hauling a moving fluid stream. These industries include natural gas transmission and distribution, oil and gas production and gathering, petrochemical processing and refining, water conditioning and treating, and various types of chemical processing. By way of example, mercaptan may be injected into a natural gas pipeline as an odorant. Other examples of fluid chemicals injected into pipelines include corrosion inhibitors, paraffin inhibitors, and scale inhibitors.
Existing devices for injecting chemicals suffer from four basic drawbacks. The present invention seeks to address these concerns.
First, they are relatively complicated devices that require substantial modification to the pipeline with the concomitant expenditure for materials and labor. Once such devices are installed, they must remain in place. The optimum location for the injector depends on the chemical process. As the process changes, or as new process equipment is installed in or around the pipeline, the optimum location can change. Thus, it is beneficial for the injector to be easily removed and relocated.
A second drawback is pressure drop. The ability for a pipeline to carry fluid from one point to another is directly related to the addition of pumping pressure to the fluid. The energy cost of running a pump is the overhead cost of pipeline operation. Thus, any device within the pipeline that causes the loss of pressure results in a lowering of pipeline capacity and the subsequent loss in revenue. Thus, it is a great benefit for the chemical injector to minimize pressure loss. Many devices require substantial impingement of the area of the pipeline cross section. Such impingements result in pressure drop across the device and the resulting loss in flow capacity.
The third problem is fouling of the injector. In order to effectively atomize the injection fluid, a common means is by forcing the injected fluid through small ports in the injection tip. Experience shows that the viscosity of the injection fluid, along with long-term build-up of fine impurities in the injection fluid, results in the eventual fouling of the ports in the injection tip.
Fourthly, the use of small ports in the injection tip to effectuate atomizing requires the addition of pressurized equipment to force the injection chemical through the small ports and into the fluid flow. It is desirable to eliminate the need for additional capital expenditure for the pressurizing equipment.
Existing devices which seek to address these concerns are typically simple devices made up of a hollow tube which is open on one end. The opposed end of the hollow tube has a process connection that allows the device to be threadably received into a threaded coupling on the pipeline. Oftentimes there may be a check or isolation valve at the entrance to the injector device. These injectors introduce a jet of liquid chemical into a process flow without regard to the dynamics of atomization droplet formation by the laterally flowing fluid flow stream. Once a jet of liquid is injected directly into a fluid stream, the ability of that stream to atomize the liquid depends on the physical properties of the fluid stream moving through this pipeline. If the liquid is not atomized, it will collect as a liquid on the interior walls of the pipeline. Because the chemical injected is often a very reactable caustic or acidic fluid, liquid chemical directly impinging on the pipeline walls may cause corrosion.
Past approaches to chemical injection include McClintock (U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,111) which discloses introducing a second fluid into a pipeline with a first fluid by a sparger pipe 2 perpendicular to the pipeline having a series of holes 3 which are perpendicular to the flow of fluid in the pipe section. McClintock's device requires substantial pipeline modification, cannot be easily relocated and causes substantial pressure loss in the pipeline.
Sewell et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,915) discloses a chemical injector with an injector quill of any conventional design. The injection quill 11 is capable of injecting the liquid in such a way to mix the fluids in a finely atomized or mist form. The present invention is an ideal application for Sewell's requirements.
Dela (U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,250) discloses a chemical injector quill with a lower end of the quill stem closed by a removable plug or cap. Three staggered rows of jet openings 46 are uniformly spaced along its length in order to disperse chemical. Dela reveals that the invention is for liquid service. Furthermore, the numerous holes are subject to fouling and required pressurizing equipment. Also the requirement for the device to extend across the entire pipeline diameter causes pressure drop.
Ziemer (U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,372 and 6,238,557) disclose a first quill and a second quill with the second quill end spaced from the first quill end. Outlet tip ends 52 and 64 for the outlets of the quills are beveled and have notches 92 and 94, respectively, formed at the extremities in order to increase turbulence in the liquid stream. The notch or notches were not provided to encourage atomization and dispersion of the injected liquid into the gaseous stream. Tests of this configuration in a gaseous stream reveal that the injected liquid stream flows off the end of the injector tip without any atomization occurring.
There remains a need to improve two-fluid atomization methods and equipment.
There remains a need to provide an improved chemical injector to more efficiently atomize injected fluid chemicals into a pipeline stream without allowing the injected fluid to build up on the interior walls of the pipeline.
There remains a need to provide an improved chemical injector using the force of fluid flow through the pipeline to advantageously disperse injected fluid chemicals.
There remains a need to provide a chemical injector that effectively atomizes the injected fluid without clogging the injection apparatus.


A height-adjustable fastening system for a safety belt of a vehicle has a guide track and a slide slidably connected to the guide track and arrestable in various positions along the guide track. A fastening or guiding bracket is connected to the slide. A Bowden cable arrangement has a first end connected to the slide and a second end connected to a vehicle seat displaceable on a first and second seat tracks. The Bowden cable arrangement includes a sleeve and a cable pull displaceably guided within the sleeve. A stationary guide is positioned in the vicinity of the first seat track. The Bowden cable arrangement is guided about the stationary guide and the sleeve is connected to the stationary guide. The cable pull is connected with a first end to the vehicle seat at a fastening location remote from the stationary guide. The cable pull transmits a displacement movement of the vehicle seat onto the slide. The fastening location and the stationary guide are arranged such to one another that in a first end position of the vehicle seat the cable pull extends at a first angle of 90.degree. or less to the seat tracks and in a second end position of the vehicle seat extends at a second angle of 0.degree. or more to the seat tracks.

The invention relates to a height-adjustable fastening or guiding bracket for a safety belt of a vehicle. On a guide track connected to the vehicle a slide is connected that is longitudinally displacable along the guide track and arrestable in different height positions. The height-adjustable slide supports the fastening or guiding bracket for the safety belt and is connected with a Bowden cable arrangement for transmitting pulling and/or pressure forces to the vehicle seat. The Bowden cable arrangement couples the displacement of the slide to the movement of the vehicle seat.
A height-adjusting mechanism of the aforementioned kind is known from German Patent Application 40 18 294. The arrangement disclosed therein shows a horizontal adjusting movement of the vehicle seat transmitted via a Bowden cable arrangement onto the fastening or guiding bracket at the slide of the height-adjusting mechanism. The displacement of the vehicle seat is to be taken into consideration within the adjusting range of the seat because, according to the representation in German Patent Application 40 18 294, in the forward, in the central, and in the rearward area of the respective adjusting range of the seat different respective height adjustments of the fastening or guiding bracket are required. In principle, the known arrangement is already based on a reducing or step-down transmission of the seat displacement stroke in relation to the displacement stroke for the fastening or guiding bracket coupled thereto. With the known arrangement it is disadvantageous that a complicated embodiment of the Bowden cable arrangement coupling the displacement movement of the vehicle seat to the height-adjusting device is required.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a height-adjusting mechanism of the aforementioned kind which is constructively simple but functionally reliable.

Height-adjustable safety belt fastening system coupled to the vehicle seat movement


A motor stator 400 is integrated with a position sensor 200 through a novel attachment ring 600. Electrical connection to the integrated device is through terminals 202, 210 that pass through the position sensor housing 250. The stator 400 is preferably overmolded, though other suitable forms of encapsulation are contemplated. The attachment ring 600 is preferably ultrasonically bonded to the sensor 200 during manufacture, prior to insertion of the motor armature 430. Other methods of attachment arc contemplated, and various types of motors and sensors are also contemplated.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to servomotors and servomechanisms generally, and in one facet, to throttle position sensors integrated with throttle actuator motors.
2. Description of the Related Art
For many years, man has relied upon motors to assist in various work functions. With the advent of more advanced electrical and electronic circuits, motors have been controlled by these circuits to improve efficiencies, provide precision placements or timings, and perform other various monitoring and control functions. Motor control has enabled man to use motors in applications beyond those strictly requiring great force or enduring power.
Motors today are used for positioning with more precision in space or time than obtainable with hand manipulation, and in environments which are inhospitable to human presence. These motors, commonly referred to as servomotors, form a part of a servomechanism. The control of the servomotor is often derived from a sensor directly attached to the motor, and may also be derived from other remote sensors. The servomotor may include a rotary, linear or other type of motor, depending upon the requirements of each specific application.
Machines as complex as most transportation vehicles today have many applications for servomechanisms. One specific application involves the control of internal combustion engine throttle. Control of throttle in passenger cars and trucks is usually dependent upon the position of an accelerator pedal, which represents vehicle operator demand. The accelerator pedal position, or demand, is then linked to the engine throttle. Accelerator pedal movement was transmitted for many years through mechanical linkages consisting of solid rods and ball joints. In some applications, the solid rod linkage was replaced by a cable within a sleeve, referred to in the trade as a Bowden cable. These mechanical linkages are prone to problems which tend to affect all mechanical systems, such as sticking, freezing, breakage, and other mishaps. In addition, adaptation of the mechanical linkages to allow for special features such as more efficient energy utilization, reduced emissions, idle speed control, and "limp-home" modes of operation are generally not practical, or even possible in some cases.
By using a sensor to sense accelerator demand, a servomotor to control the throttle position, and a computer system to control operation of the throttle relative to the input from the accelerator pedal sensor and other various sensed inputs, a variety of special features may be incorporated into the accelerator-throttle linkage. In these computer-assisted systems, the throttle linkage is commonly referred to as a "drive-by-wire" system, since the linkage is electrical.
The servomechanism becomes a remote control system, since a vehicle operator within a climate controlled passenger compartment controls a throttle located in the harsh climate of an engine compartment. In fact, remote control is a very common use for servomechanisms. The control of functions ranging from TV and radio tuners to space shuttle door releases and valve controls all are remote control applications. Once again, the desire for remote control may stem from precision in timing or positioning achievable from the servomechanism, or from the need to control a function in a harsh environment where human interventions may not be practical.
Each of these applications require a motor, and also a sensor to sense the position of the motor. A number of schemes have been devised for coupling the sensor to the motor, including magnetic coupling, where the sensor detects the magnetic flux produced by certain section of the armature optical coupling, where a toothed wheel breaks a passage of light or a reflective surface reflects the light during rotation; mechanical coupling, where the motor armature is used to directly drive the sensor or drive the sensor through such mechanical devices as gears, and other known methods. Each of these different coupling methods has benefit in specific applications.
In addition to coupling the sensor and the motor, the sensor must also be physically positioned relative to the motor. Direct integration between the motor stator, also sometimes referred to as the field winding, and the sensor is desirable, since parts counts are reduced and common functions may be removed to avoid duplication and reduce cost. In the prior art, direct integration often involved the placement of an open frame sensor, often of the resistive or magnetic field sensing type, directly within a servomotor housing designed to contain both the motor and the sensor. The relatively light weight sensor is easily carried within the more rugged motor housing, and the housing does not need to be duplicated for both components. Unfortunately, in this type of prior art servomotor, the sensor is exposed to contaminants from the motor which are adverse to the life and reliability of the sensor. In addition, less control is available over the contactor, paint and lubricant. All three must be carefully controlled to ensure long life and reliability of the sensor. For example, a sensor designed to operate through tens or hundreds of millions of cycles will fail after only a few million cycles if the contactor is bent. In addition, the motor may be destroyed if some part of the sensor should detach, flow or bend and interfere with motor movement.
An alternative prior art design combines a fully housed, assembled and tested sensor with a similarly housed and assembled motor. The sensor is merely driven from the motor shaft, with no other interaction between the two components. This design eliminates any concerns about contamination of the sensor or motor. Unfortunately, the parts which must be handled, inventoried, and serviced is also greater, as is the cost of the components. Furthermore, the fully housed sensor of the prior art generally includes a separate set of bearings from the motor, leading to potential axial misalignment of bearings, which will result in early failure of the sensor bearings. In fact, proper axial alignment is very crucial to the longevity of a servomotor.

Rotary position sensor with insert molded coil winding


A process for the production of trifluoroethylene (i.e., CF.sub.2 =CHF or HFC-1123) is disclosed. The process involves contacting (in the vapor phase) at least one halogenated ethane of the formula CF.sub.3 CClFX (where X is H, Cl or F) with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst including at least one component selected from elemental metals, metal oxides, metal halides and metal oxyhalides. The metal of the component is ruthenium, copper, nickel, and/or chromium and the halogen of the halides and the oxyhalides is fluorine and/or chlorine.

Trifluoroethylene (i.e., CF.sub.2 =CHF or HFC-1123) is a useful monomer for the preparation of fluorocarbon polymers.
HFC-1123 can be produced from CCl.sub.2 FCClF.sub.2 (CFC-113) by reaction with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising palladium and at least one other metal selected from gold, tellurium, antimony, bismuth and arsenic (U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,379). HFC-1123 can also be prepared from CF.sub.2 =CClF (CFC-1113) by reaction with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising palladium or platinum on a magnesium oxide carrier (U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,454). A product of over-hydrogenolysis from both CFC-113 and CFC-1113 is CH.sub.2 FCHF.sub.2 (HFC-143). There is continuing interest in developing efficient processes for the manufacture of HFC-1123.

Process for the production of trifluoroethylene


A method and apparatus for providing force sensations in virtual environments includes a human/computer interface device and method used in conjunction with a host computer and which can provide feel sensations to a user of the device. A user manipulatable object physically contacted by a user, such as a joystick, stylus, pool cue, or other object, is movable in multiple degrees of freedom using a gimbal mechanism. A local microprocessor, separate from the host computer, enables communication with the host computer and receives commands from the host, decodes the commands, outputs actuator signals in accordance with commands, receives sensor signals, and reports data to the host in response to commands. Actuators generate feel sensations by providing a force on the user object in response to actuator signals from the local microprocessor, and sensors detect the motion of the user object and reports sensor signals to the local microprocessor. Memory is included locally to the local microprocessor for storing program instructions and routines enabling feel sensations and host-microprocessor communication. The feel sensation generated on the user is, in one embodiment, a damping sensation simulating a feel of motion through a fluid. In another embodiment, the feel sensation is a wall sensation simulating the feel of impacting a surface or obstruction.

The present invention relates generally to interface devices between humans and computers, and more particularly to computer input devices that provide force feedback to the user.
Computer systems can be used for a variety of applications, including simulations and games which are very popular with consumers. A computer system typically displays a visual environment to a user on a display screen or other visual output device. Users can interact with the displayed environment to perform functions on the computer, such as playing a game, experience a simulation or virtual reality environment, use a computer aided design system, operate a graphical user interface (GUI), perform file manipulation, or otherwise influence events or images depicted on the screen. Such user interaction can be implemented through the use of a human-computer interface device, such as a joystick, mouse, trackball, stylus, tablet, or the like, that is connected to the computer system controlling the displayed environment. Typically, the computer updates the environment in response to the user's manipulation of a user-manipulatable physical object such as a joystick handle or mouse, and provides visual feedback to the user utilizing the display screen and, typically, audio speakers. The computer senses the user's manipulation of the object through sensors provided on the interface device.
One common use for computer and virtual reality systems is for simulations and games. For example, a user can operate a simulated fighter aircraft or spacecraft by manipulating controls such as a joystick and other buttons and view the results of controlling the aircraft on display device portraying a virtual reality simulation or game of the aircraft in flight. In other applications, a user can manipulate objects and tools in the real world, such as a stylus, and view the results of the manipulation in a virtual reality world with a "virtual stylus" viewed on a screen, in 3-D goggles, etc. In yet other applications, activities such as medical procedures, vehicle training, etc., virtual reality computer systems and simulations are used for training purposes to allow a user to learn from and experience a realistic "virtual" environment.
In addition to sensing and tracking a user's manual activity and feeding such information to the controlling computer to provide a 3D visual representation to the user, a human interface mechanism should also provide tactile or haptic feedback to the user, more generally known as "force feedback." The need for the user to obtain realistic force information and experience force sensation is extensive in many kinds of simulation and greatly enhances an experience of a virtual environment or game. For example, in a simulated environment, the impact of a user controlled object against a "virtual wall" should feel as if a hard object were impacted. Similarly, in 3-D virtual world simulations where the user can manipulate objects, force feedback is necessary to realistically simulate physical objects; for example, if a user touches a pen to a table, the user should feel the impact of the pen on the table. For simulations or games involving controlled vehicles, force feedback for controls such as a joystick can be desirable to realistically simulate experienced conditions, such as high acceleration in an aircraft, or the viscous, mushy feel of steering a car in mud. An effective human interface not only acts as an input device for tracking motion, but also as an output device for producing realistic force or "feel" sensations.
Force feedback interface devices can provide physical sensations to the user manipulating a user manipulable object of the interface device through the use of computer-controlled actuators, such as motors, provided in the interface device. In most of the prior art force feedback interface devices, the host computer directly controls forces output by controlled actuators of the interface device, i.e., a host computer closes a control loop around the system to generate sensations and maintain stability through direct host control. This configuration has disadvantages in the inexpensive mass market, since the functions of reading sensor data and outputting force values to actuators can be a burden on the host computer's processor which detracts from the performance of the host in other host tasks and application execution. In addition, low bandwidth interfaces are often used, which reduces the ability of the host computer to control realistic forces requiring high frequency signals.
For example, in one type of force feedback interface described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,319, by J. Kramer, force and texture information is provided to a user. The interface consists of an glove or "exoskeleton" which is worn over the user's appendages, such as fingers, arms, or body. Forces can be applied to the user's appendages using tendon assemblies and actuators controlled by a computer system to simulate force and textual feedback. However, the system described by Kramer includes a host computer directly controlling the actuators of the device, and thus has the disadvantages mentioned above. In addition, the Kramer device is not easily applicable to simulated environments where an object is referenced in virtual space and force feedback is applied to the object. The forces applied to the user in Kramer are with reference to the body of the user; the absolute location of the user's appendages are not easily calculated. In addition, the exoskeleton devices of Kramer can be complex, cumbersome or even dangerous to the user if extensive devices are worn over the user's appendages.
Typical multi-degree-of-freedom apparatuses that include force feedback also include several other disadvantages. Since actuators which supply force feedback tend to be heavier and larger than sensors, they would provide inertial constraints if added to a device. There is also the problem of coupled actuators, where each actuator is coupled to a previous actuator in a chain such that a user who manipulates the object must carry the inertia of all of the subsequent actuators and links except for the first actuator in the chain. These types of interfaces also introduce tactile "noise" to the user through friction and compliance in signal transmission and limit the degree of sensitivity conveyed to the user through the actuators of the device.
In other situations, low-cost and portable mechanical interfaces having force feedback are desirable. Active actuators, such as motors, generate forces on an interface device and the user manipulating the interface device so that the interface device can move independently of the user. While active actuators often provide quite realistic force feedback, they can also be quite bulky and typically require large power supplies to operate. In addition, active actuators typically require high speed control signals to operate effectively and provide stability. In many situations, such high speed control signals and high power drive signals are not available or too costly, especially in the competitive, low-cost market of personal computers. Furthermore, active actuators can sometimes prove unsafe for a user when strong, unexpected forces are generated on a user of the interface who does not expect those forces.

Force feedback device including non-rigid coupling


A light emitting device includes a first conductive-type semiconductor layer laminated on a substrate; a light emitting layer laminated on the first conductive-type semiconductor layer; a second conductive-type semiconductor layer laminated on the light emitting layer; a first ITO layer laminated at a side of the first conductive-type semiconductor layer opposite to the substrate; a second ITO layer laminated at a side of the second conductive-type semiconductor layer opposite to the substrate; a first metal layer laminated on the first ITO layer; and a second metal layer laminated on the second ITO layer. The first and second metal layers have the same structure and each includes a lower metal layer which contacts a corresponding ITO layer of the first ITO layer and the second ITO layer; and an upper metal layer laminated on the lower metal layer, the upper metal layer being thicker than the lower metal layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting device, a light emitting device package including the light emitting device, and a method for manufacturing the light emitting device.
2. Description of Related Art
A semiconductor light emitting device according to one prior art is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-354040. In the semiconductor light emitting device, a low-temperature buffer layer, a high-temperature buffer layer, an n-type layer, a superlattice layer, an active layer, a p-type layer and a transparent conductive layer are laminated on a sapphire substrate in this order from the sapphire substrate side. The transparent conductive layer is made of ZnO, and a p-side electrode having a laminate structure of Ti and Au is formed on a part of the transparent conductive layer. Moreover, an n-side electrode having a laminate structure of Al, Ni and Au is formed at an exposed portion of the n-type layer.

Light emitting device and light emitting device package


A polymer compound having a structural unit (a0) represented by a general formula (a0-1) shown below, and a structural unit (a1) that is derived from an acrylate ester containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group but is not classified as said structural unit (a0).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel polymer compound that can be used as a component of a positive resist composition, a positive resist composition that includes the polymer compound, and a method of forming a resist pattern that uses the positive resist composition.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-229445, filed Sep. 4, 2007, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
In lithography techniques, for example, a resist film composed of a resist material is formed on a substrate, and the resist film is subjected to selective exposure of radial rays such as light or electron beam through a mask having a predetermined pattern, followed by development, thereby forming a resist pattern having a predetermined shape on the resist film.
A resist material in which the exposed portions become soluble in a developing solution is called a positive-type, and a resist material in which the exposed portions become insoluble in a developing solution is called a negative-type.
In recent years, in the production of semiconductor elements and liquid crystal display elements, advances in lithography techniques have lead to rapid progress in the field of pattern miniaturization.
Typically, these miniaturization techniques involve shortening the wavelength of the exposure light source. Conventionally, ultraviolet radiation typified by g-line and i-line radiation has been used, but nowadays KrF excimer lasers and ArF excimer lasers are starting to be introduced in mass production. Furthermore, research is also being conducted into lithography techniques that use an exposure light source having a wavelength shorter than these excimer lasers, such as F2 excimer lasers, electron beam, extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV), and X ray.
Resist materials for use with these types of exposure light sources require lithography properties such as a high resolution capable of reproducing patterns of minute dimensions, and a high level of sensitivity to these types of exposure light sources.
As a resist material that satisfies these conditions, a chemically amplified composition is used, which includes a base material component that exhibits a changed solubility in an alkali developing solution under the action of acid and an acid generator that generates acid upon exposure.
For example, as a positive chemically amplified resist composition, a composition containing a resin component (a base resin) that exhibits increased solubility in an alkali developing solution under the action of acid and an acid generator component is commonly used. If the resist film formed using the resist composition is selectively exposed during formation of a resist pattern, then within the exposed portions, acid is generated from the acid generator, and the action of this acid causes an increase in the solubility of the resin component in an alkali developing solution, making the exposed portions soluble in the alkali developing solution.
Resins that contain structural units derived from (meth)acrylate esters within the main chain (acrylic resins) are now widely used as base resins for resists that use ArF excimer laser lithography, as they exhibit excellent transparency in the vicinity of 193 nm (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2003-241385).
Here, the term "(meth)acrylic acid" is a generic term that includes either or both of acrylic acid having a hydrogen atom bonded to the α-position and methacrylic acid having a methyl group bonded to the α-position. The term "(meth)acrylate ester" is a generic term that includes either or both of the acrylate ester having a hydrogen atom bonded to the α-position and the methacrylate ester having a methyl group bonded to the α-position. The term "(meth)acrylate" is a generic term that includes either or both of the acrylate having a hydrogen atom bonded to the α-position and the methacrylate having a methyl group bonded to the α-position.

Polymer compound, positive resist composition and method of forming resist pattern

Abstract: [wherein, R represents a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, or a halogenated lower alkyl group; A represents a divalent aliphatic cyclic group that may have a substituent; B represents a divalent hydrocarbon group that may have a substituent; r represents an integer of 0 or 1; and R1 represents an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group]


Aligning multiple 3D images of an object can be difficult when the representative datasets (images) are large. An exemplary aspect of this technology teaches a technique to subdivide the images and use the alignments between the subdivided images to determine the alignment between the complete datasets.

Current technology allows acquisition of large 3-dimensional images. These datasets can be very large containing many terabytes of data. For certain techniques, multiple datasets of the same object are obtained and then a method to align the datasets is needed.
For example, multi-view single plane illumination microscopy (MSPIM) acquires images from an object from two orthogonal views. The views are then combined to form a final image with better resolution and isotropic voxels. Before the combination algorithm is applied, the two images must be aligned to each other to better precision than the resolution of the final image. There are two current methods to align the images in use. The first uses a cross-correlation (XCOR) algorithm on the complete datasets. This algorithm works well, but suffers from long computation times which become prohibitive if the datasets are large. The second uses manually selected points of interest in the two images for the alignment.
Other techniques and additional background can be found with reference to: Multi-Focal Structured Illumination Microscopy Systems And Methods, WO2013126762A1, Sub-Resolution Alignment Of Images, US20080298719A1, and Process For The Registration Of Two Different Images Of The Same Object, U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,143B1, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Image processing using registration by localized cross correlation (LXCOR)


A method for indicating an alarm condition in an industrial process includes measuring a parameter of the industrial process that varies over time and determining at least one parameter limit as a function of the parameter and also varying over time. The method further includes comparing the parameter to the parameter limit or limits and indicating an alarm condition when the parameter is outside of a bound set by the parameter limit or limits when the parameter is compared to the parameter limit or limits.

This invention relates generally to methods and apparatus that provide automatic notification of machine malfunctions.
Operators of significant equipment or processes need warning of equipment or process malfunction. Such equipment can include machinery in power plants, oil refineries, pipeline pumping stations, manufacturing facilities, and any other appropriate applications. Known threshold-based alarms can be used, and such alarms provide an operator to use remedial tools and procedures to correct malfunction conditions. However, alarms based on parameter thresholds may not be timely enough to allow an operator to use such tools and procedures optimally in all conditions.

Methods and apparatus for providing alarm notification


A mobile apparatus (10) is provided for the on-site production of phosphine fumigant gas so as to permit selective delivery over time of essentially constant concentration phosphine gas, thereby assuring complete fumigation of a grain silo or other enclosure. The apparatus (10) includes a mobile frame 12 supporting a reactor assembly (14); the latter includes an elongated stirred reactor (16) with metal phosphide and reactant gas (carbon dioxide and water) inlets (18,20) and a phosphine gas output (22).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with a mobile reactor apparatus, and a corresponding method, which permits the on-site fumigation of grain silos and other enclosures with phosphine gas. More particularly, the invention pertains to such apparatus and methods which can achieve relatively high and substantially constant levels of phosphine gas in a silo in order to obtain maximum fumigation thereof, to this end, the invention contemplates a mobile unit supporting a reactor assembly enabling on-site production of phosphine gas directly adjacent a silo or the like so that phosphine may be continuously and directly fed into the silo without intermediate storage in containers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fumigation of stored agricultural products such as grain with phosphine gas is the foremost method of preventing insect damage. Typically, fumigation is achieved by introducing metal phosphide pellets or tablets directly into the grain to be fumigated. The metal phosphide reacts with ambient moisture in the air and grain, resulting in the production of phosphine and inert gases. Forced air circulation devices are often used to assist in distribution of the phosphine gas throughout the grain. Where the grain is stored in unsealed containers, a gas tight plastic sheet may be placed over the container to retain the fumigant gas.
A common fumigation problem encountered with prior practices is the inability to maintain a constant concentration of phosphine gas within the silo for an adequate time to achieve complete insect kill. It is known that for the most effective insect control, it is necessary to maintain specific relatively high concentrations of phosphine gas for known periods. However, with prior methods the release of phosphine gas is slow in the initial stages of treatment and the concentration of phosphine builds up only gradually. After a maximum is reached, the concentration of phosphine begins to decline. It is accordingly very difficult for the fumigator to ensure that the necessary phosphine concentration-time parameters are met to achieve complete insect kill. As a consequence, many fumigators tend to over treat grain with phosphine, which is not only wasteful but can present a hazard owing to the flammability of phosphine gas.
Batch processes for the generation of phosphine gas have been proposed in the past, see, e.g., Australian Published Application No. 73446/87. This reference describes a batch reactor for the hydrolysis of metal phosphides to obtain phosphine gas, the latter being stored in closed containers. Such containers can then be used on-site to deliver phosphine gas at a specific concentration throughout a selected period of fumigation. A significant drawback of this technique is the need to containerize the phosphine gas in pressure vessels with subsequent delivery of said vessels to the silo site.
There is accordingly a need in the art for an improved apparatus and method allowing the safe, continuous production of phosphine gas at the site of use so that a desired phosphine concentration/time fumigation can be achieved while avoiding the need to produce phosphine at a remote site with intermediate containerization of the phosphine.

Continuous process for producing phosphine fumigant gas


The invention relates to a method for controlling the disposition of graphical elements, whose positioning is effected by a layout manager component, according to which the elements are listed in tuples according to a predetermined method. A Boolean condition is evaluated for every tuple and if said Boolean condition is met an associated command is carried out that comprises the control command for the layout manager component. The inventive method is preferably used in generator systems for generating applications that extract data bases, whereby for every line of the result table graphical objects are generated and said objects are disposed on the graphical surface by way of the indicated method.

A number of tools are available for the creation of programs having a graphical interface, which facilitate the creation of such programs.
An example is the compiler system 'Delphi' of the Inprise company (formerly Borland). In this system, the user places objects of the graphical interface onto a working interface, and assigns properties to them. The classes of these objects are referred to as components in Delphi. The position of the objects is noted by the interface of the compiler system and is filed in resource files. In this way, the objects are predetermined by their position. While it is certainly possible to change the position during the running time, this requires that pixel coordinates be indicated and is therefore complicated.
Such a dynamic adaptation is required, for example, if database inquiries must be represented, the scope of which is only known during the running time after the database query. For this purpose, special components are provided in Delphi, which allow representation of all calculated data in the form of a table, for example. While the properties of the representation can be parameterized, this can only normally be done only within the scope of the planned representation. These planned representations are of a text type and correspond to forms and tabular representations. If another representation is desired, particularly one that visualizes the relationship between the data, either a new specific component has to be created, or the entire graphical configuration must be specially programmed. Either one requires significant, detailed knowledge and is initially unknown to a newcomer to such a system, and is therefore also time-consuming for an expert.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,514 presents a system for the representation of database contents that generates a form-oriented representation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,104,393 shows a system for the integration of procedural and object-oriented user interfaces in which also a representation with forms is selected.
Other tools that were created in the UNIX environment are the programming language JAVA and the Tcl/Tk system. In both, partial systems referred to as 'layout managers' are used. In this environment, the displayed graphical objects are also referred to as 'widgets' in order to clearly differentiate them from the objects of the programming language. A layout manager arranges objects of the programming language that have been assigned a graphical representation on an interface, if it is displayed or if it has changed in size or in any other way. The graphical objects are made known to the layout manager object, whereby influence can be exerted on their position by way of parameters, without absolute pixel positions being necessary. If the number of objects is predetermined, i.e. if it is fixed during the programming, this procedure works well.
However, if the objects are generated dynamically, and if they are not predetermined, then each case requires a special solution specific to the case.

Control method for disposing graphical elements


A process for fabricating a flexible electrophotographic imaging members including providing a flexible substrate including a biaxally oriented thermoplastic polymer web coated with at least one thermoplastic adhesive layer, vapor depositing on the adhesive layer a thin charge generating layer, cooling the charge generating layer to induce strain in the charge generating layer as well as at the interface between the charge generating layer and the substrate, heating the flexible substrate to shrink the biaxally oriented thermoplastic polymer web and substantially remove the strain from the charge generating layer, and forming a layer of a charge transport coating solution on the charge generating layer, the charge transport coating solution including a charge transporting film forming polymer matrix, and solvent for the film forming polymer matrix, and drying the charge transport coating solution.

This invention relates in general to a fabrication process and more specifically, to a process for fabricating a flexible electrophotographic imaging member.
Flexible electrophotographic imaging member belts are usually multilayered photoreceptors that comprise a substrate, an electrically conductive layer, an optional hole blocking layer, an adhesive layer, a charge generating layer, and a charge transport layer and, in some embodiments, an anti-curl backing layer. One type of multilayered photoreceptor comprises a layer of finely divided particles of a photoconductive inorganic compound dispersed in an electrically insulating organic resin binder. U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,990 discloses a layered photoreceptor having separate charge generating (photogenerating) and charge transport layers. The charge generating layer is capable of photogenerating holes and injecting the photogenerated holes into the charge transport layer.
One of the more encouraging advances in electrophotographic imaging which has emerged in recent years is the successful fabrication of a of a flexible imaging member which exhibits a nearly ideal capacitive charging characteristic, outstanding photosensitivity, low electrical potential dark decay, and long term electrical cyclic stability. This imaging member design employed in belt form usually comprises a substrate, a conductive layer, solution coated hole blocking layer, a solution coated adhesive layer, a thin vapor deposited charge generating layer of pure organic pigment, a solution coated charge transport layer, a solution coated anti-curl layer, and an optional overcoating layer. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,189 to Hor et al photoconductive imaging members are described comprising a vacuum sublimation deposited benzemidazole perylene charge generating layer for electrophotographic imaging members.
This multilayered belt imaging member provides excellent electrical properties and extended life, but is also observed to exhibit a major problem of forming cracks in the charge generating layer. Since these cracks have an appearance similar to cracks found in dried mud flats, they are often referred to as "mud cracks". These observed mud cracks in the charge generating layer are a two-dimensional network of cracks. Mud-cracking is believed to be the result of built-in internal strain due to the vacuum sublimation-deposition process and subsequent solvent penetration through the thin charge generating layer. The penetrating solvent dissolves the adhesive layer underneath the generating layer during application of the charge transport layer coating solution. Crack formation in the charge generating layer seriously impacts the versatility of a photoreceptor and reduces its practical value. Cracks in charge generating layers not only print out as defects in the final copy, but may act as strain concentration centers which propagate the cracks into the other electrically operative layer, i.e. the charge transport layer, during dynamic belt machine cycling.
While the above described imaging member exhibits desirable electrical characteristics, there is an urgent need to resolve the cracking issue in order to achieve an imaging member capable of forming high quality prints under extended image cycling conditions. It is also important that any solution employed to solve the charge generating layer mud-cracking problem does not produce any deleterious effects on the electrical and mechanical integrity of the original device.
Thus, there is a continuing need for an electrophotographic imaging member having improved resistance to mud crack formation in the charge generating layer.

Process for fabricating a flexible electrophotographic imaging member


Techniques are disclosed relating to deblending of sources in multi-source geophysical survey data, including marine or land-based data. Recorded data may be aligned to a primary source. A deblending procedure may be iteratively applied to produce a residual term and deblended estimates for the primary source and one or more secondary sources. Following an iteration of the deblending procedure, the resultant data may be sorted according to a domain that renders the one or more secondary sources incoherent with respect to the primary source. The domain used for sorting may be different from a domain used to sort during an immediately prior iteration. In embodiments, the deblending procedure may use coherency filtering, and the coherency filtering may be weighted according to a signal-to-noise metric generated from the data being deblended.

Geophysical surveys are often used for oil and gas exploration in geophysical formations, which may be located below marine environments. Various types of signal sources and geophysical sensors may be used in different types of geophysical surveys. Seismic geophysical surveys, for example, are based on the use of seismic waves. In some surveys, a survey vessel may tow one or more sources (e.g., air guns, marine vibrators, etc.) and one or more streamers along which a number of sensors (e.g., hydrophones and/or geophones) are located.
One particular type of seismic survey involves continuously recording sensor data while multiple different seismic sources are actuated. Such multi-source surveys may offer various advantages over single-source surveys, such as the ability to collect a richer set of data per survey pass for essentially the same amount of time and effort as a single-source survey. When multiple sources are actuated so as to overlap one another in time, however, the reflected energy from these sources tends to overlap in the recorded data. That is, the resultant record reflects a blend of energy from different sources. In order to effectively analyze the resulting data, it is typically "deblended" in order to separate the contributions of the individual sources. Deblending, which may also be referred to as source separation, presents a significant computational challenge. Embodiments of this disclosure may be used to improve the effectiveness of deblending, as discussed below.

Separation of blended marine seismic survey data acquired with simultaneous multi-source actuation


An apparatus for melting samples in crucibles above burners while moving the crucibles to mix the contents. The crucibles are supported by movable shafts on a movable subframe. The shafts can oscillate in a horizontal plane to mix the contents of the crucible. The subframe can also oscillate vertically to mix the contents of the crucible. The crucible mixing pattern is the sum of the horizontal and the vertical motion applied to the crucible. The crucible can be moved back away from the burner to add additional material to the crucible. The crucible can be moved forward, away from the burner, to pour the melted sample into either a heated casting dish or a container containing a solution. Nothing is added to or poured from the crucible while over the burners.

The apparatus of the present invention is commonly referred to as a "fluxer." In this type of apparatus, a sample is heated to a molten state in a crucible and is then either poured into a casting dish to prepare a solid glass-like disc for analysis by instrumental techniques or the heated sample is poured into an acid solution contained in a beaker for analysis. Some of the devices known in the past would add materials to the crucibles while the crucibles were above and being heated by the burners. Also, the molten contents of the crucible was poured into a casting dish above the burner, the burner being used to heat the crucible and the casting dish. A fluxer usually contained several burners and facilities for supporting several crucibles. If the apparatus was prepared to add a wetting agent to the molten sample in the crucible, and a crucible was not in place, the wetting agent could be dumped directly into the burner. Likewise, if the laboratory technician forgot to install a casting dish into the apparatus and the apparatus dumped the contents of the crucible into the absent casting dish, the contents would be poured into the burner. In either case, the burner would be seriously damaged or totally destroyed by the molten material.
It is also known in the operation of a fluxer that the crucible should be agitated vigorously in order to properly mix the molten sample in the crucible. Various complicated mechanical arrangements have been provided for moving the crucible while it is being heated and, in some cases, a shaped crucible was used to cause the material to separate and remix as it was poured from one side of the crucible bottom to the other.