A snow shoe (1) has a peripheral frame (2) which defines an interior zone or screen (8). A retention device (3) retains a shoe (4) of a user on the snow shoe. The retention device includes a pivoting plate (7) which is articulated on the screen around a transverse pivoting axle (9), a front strap (10), arranged on the pivoting plate, and a positioning and a control mechanism which permits modification of the longitudinal position of the user's shoe. Specifically, the retention device permits positioning of the front or rear end of the shoe relative to the pivoting axle (7), or of the pivoting axle relative to the screen (8).

The present invention concerns a snow shoe and, more specifically, an improvement of the retention device for retaining a shoe of a user on the snow shoe.
Snow shoes are instruments which have been known for a great many years because they have been utilized for several centuries by the Scandinavian populations for travelling on snow. Up to this day, snow shoes are utilized for utilitarian or military purposes in order to permit the population or the mountain troops to move on snow for travels required by their daily life. Today, snow shoes are also utilized by walkers or athletic persons for runs and hikes and even for competitive events.
Different types of retention devices already exist in order to retain the shoe on the snow shoe, as for example the plate type, currently utilized by the athletes concerned with performance of the product. This type of device appears to be best adapted to the practice of athletics as well as for recreational snow shoe walks, thanks to its excellent foot hold. On the other hand, these devices present some inherent drawbacks with respect to their utilization, and, indeed, with respect to the diversity of their users. As a matter of fact, this kind of device presents an identical configuration, regardless of the person utilizing the device, and, in general, no consideration is given to the person's physical characteristics such as weight, size, or the size of his shoes. Moreover, the properties of the various practice terrains are not taken into account either in order to best adapt restraining the shoe on the screen of the snow shoe.
The present invention proposes to resolve the drawbacks of this type of snow shoe by proposing an improvement of the restraint which, thanks to simple and reliable means, afford better balance between the physical characteristics of the user, the diversity of the terrains and said snow shoe.

Bindings for snow shoes having adjustment of length and pivot axis


The present invention relates to novel compounds, the use of said compounds as a medicament as well as for the manufacture of a medicament for treatment of disorders relating to the binding of galectin to receptors in a mammal. Said galectin is preferably a galectin-3.

Galectins are proteins with a characteristic carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) (Barondes et al., 1994; Leffler et al., 2004)(FIG. 1a). This is a tightly folded β-sandwich of about 130 aa (about 15 kDa) with the two defining features 1) a β-galactose binding site (C in FIG. 1a) and 2) sufficient similarity in a sequence motif of about seven amino acids, most of which (about six residues) make up the β-galactose binding site. However, adjacent sites (A,B,D,E in FIG. 1a) are required for tight binding of natural saccharides and different preferences of these give galectins different fine specificity for natural saccharides.
The recent completion of the human, mouse and rat genome sequences reveal about 15 galectins and galectin-like proteins in one mammalian genome with slight variation between species (Leffler et al., 2004; Houzelstein et al., 2004). compartments; for galectin-3, solid evidence published in well respected journals support roles in RNA splicing in the nucleus, inhibition of apoptosis in the cytosol, and a variety of extracellular effects on cell signaling and adhesion (Patterson et al., Ochieng et al., Takenaka et al., Hsu et al. and others in Leffler (editor), 2004b). Galectin-7 and -12 also act in the cytosol by enhancing apoptosis and regulating the cell cycle and differentiation in certain cells (Hsu and Liu in Leffler (editor), 2004b). Most galectins act also extracellularly by cross-linking glycoproteins (e.g. laminin, integrins, and IgE receptors) possibly forming supramolecular ordered arrays (Brewer et al., 2002) and may thereby modulate cell adhesion and induce intracellular signals.
The present invention relates mainly to galectin-3, but its principles may be applicable also to other galectins.
Potential Therapeutic Use of Galectin-3 Inhibitors.
Galectin-3 has been implicated in diverse phenomena and, hence, inhibitors may have multiple uses. It is easy to perceive this as a lack of specificity or lack of scientific focus. Therefore, the analogy with aspirin and the cyclooxygenases (COX-I and II) is useful. The COXs produce the precursor of a wide variety of prostaglandins and, hence, are involved in a diverse array of biological mechanisms. Their inhibitors, aspirin and other NSAIDs (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs), also have broad and diverse effects. Despite this, these inhibitors are very useful medically, and they have several different specific utilities.
So if galectins, like COXS, are part of some basic biological regulatory mechanism (as yet unknown), they are likely to be 'used by nature' for different purpose in different contexts. Galectin inhibitors, like NSAIDs, are not expected to wipe out the whole system, but to tilt the balance a bit.
Inhibition of Inflammation.
A pro-inflammatory role of galectin-3 is indicated by its induction in cells at inflammatory sites, a variety of effects on immune cells (e.g. oxidative burst in neutrophils, chemotaxis in monocytes), and decrease of the inflammatory response, mainly in neutrophils and macrophages, in null mutant mice (chapters by Rabinovich et al., Sato et al., and Almkvist et al. in Leffler (editor), 2004b). Moreover, knock-out mice of Mac-2BP, a galectin-3 ligand, have increased inflammatory responses (Trahey et al., 1999). Inflammation is a protective response of the body to invading organisms and tissue injury. However, if unbalanced, frequently it is also destructive and occurs as part of the pathology in many diseases. Because of this, there is great medical interest in pharmacological modulation of inflammation. A galectin-3 inhibitor is expected to provide an important addition to the arsenal available for this.
Treatment of Septic Shock.
The idea of a possible role of galectin-3 in septic shock comes from our own studies (Almquist et al., 2001). Briefly, the argument goes as follows. It is known that septic shock involves dissemination of bacterial lipopolysaccharide into the blood stream, and that the pathological effects of this are mediated via neutrophil leukocytes (Karima et al., 1999). LPS does not activate the tissue-damaging response of the neutrophil. Instead, it primes the neutrophil, so that it is converted from unresponsive to responsive to other, presumably endogenous, activators. In septic shock, this priming happens prematurely in the blood stream. Endogenous activators could then induce the tissue damaging response in the wrong place and time. Several candidates have been proposed as these endogenous activators, including TNF-alfa. Inhibitors of these have been used in treatment schemes without much success (Karima et al., 1999). Since our own studies indicate that galectin-3 is a good candidate for being an endogenous activator of primed neutrophils (Almquist et al., 2001), galectin-3 inhibitors may be very useful in septic shock.
Treatment of Cancer.
A large number of immunohistochemical studies show changed expression of certain galectins in cancer (van den Brule et. al. and Bidon et al. in Leffler (editor), 2004b) Galectin-3 is now an established histochemical marker of thyroid cancer, and neoexpression of galectin-4 is a promising marker of early breast cancer (Huflejt and Leffler, 2004). The direct evidence for a role of galectin-3 in cancer comes from mouse models, mainly by Raz et al, but also others (Takenaka et al. in Leffler (editor), 2004b). In paired tumor cell lines (with decreased or increased expression of galectin-3), the induction of galectin-3 gives more tumors and metastasis and suppression of galectin-3 gives less tumors and metastasis. Galectin-3 has been proposed to enhance tumor growth by being anti-apoptotic, promote angiogenesis, or to promote metastasis by affecting cell adhesion. From the above it is clear that inhibitors of galectin-3 might have valuable anti-cancer effects. Indeed, saccharides claimed but not proven to inhibit galectin-3 have been reported to have anti-cancer effects. In our own study a fragment of galectin-3 containing the CRD inhibited breast cancer in a mouse model by acting as a dominant negative inhibitor (John et al., 2003).
Also galectin-1 is frequently over-expressed in low differentiated cancer cells, and galectin-9 or its relatives galectin-4 and galectin-8 may be induced in specific cancer types (Huflejt and Leffler, 2004; Leffler (editor), 2004b). Galectin-1 induces apoptosis in activated T-cells and has a remarkable immunosuppressive effect on autoimmune disease in vivo (Rabinovich et al; and Pace et al. in Leffler (editor), 2004b. Therefore, the over-expression of these galectins in cancers might help the tumor to defend itself against the T-cell response raised by the host (Rubinstein et al., 2004). Null mutant mice for galectins-1 and -3 have been established many years ago (Poirier, 2002). These are healthy and reproduce apparently normally in animal house conditions. However recent studies have revealed subtle phenotypes in function of neutrophils and macrophages (as described above) and in bone formation for galectin-3 null mutants, and in nerve and muscle cell regeneration/differentiation for the galectin-1 null mutants (Leffler et al., 2004; Poirier, 2002; Watt in Leffler (editor), 2004b). Recently galectin-7 and galectin-9 null mutant mice have been generated and are also grossly healthy in animal house conditions, but have not yet been analysed in detail. The differences in site of expression, specificity and other properties make it unlikely that different galectins can replace each other functionally. The observations in the null mutant mice would indicate that galectins are not essential for basic life supporting functions as can be observed in normal animal house conditions. Instead they may be optimizers of normal function and/or essential in stress conditions not found in animal house conditions. The lack of strong effect in null Galectin subunits can contain either one or two CRDs within a single peptide chain. The first category, mono-CRDs galectins, can occur as monomers or dimers (two types) in vertebrates. The by far best studied galectins are the dimeric galectin-1, and galectin-3 that is a monomer in solution but may aggregate and become multimeric upon encounter with ligands (Leffler et al., 2004; Ahmad et al., 2004). These were the first discovered galectins and are abundant in many tissues. However, our recent phylogenetic analysis (FIG. 2) suggest that galectins with two CRDs within a peptide chain, bi-CRD galectins, appear to be more ancient and more central to the family than previously thought and that most of mammalian mono-CRD galectins may have descended from one or the other CRD of a bi-CRD galectin.
There are now over 1200 publications on galectins in PubMed, with most, as mentioned above, about galectins-1 and -3. Strong evidence suggests roles for galectins in e.g. inflammation, cancer, and development recently reviewed in a special issue (Leffler (editor), 2004b) but a unifying model of the "basic function" of galectins at the cellular-molecular level is lacking.
Galectins are synthesized as cytosolic proteins, without a signal peptide on free ribosomes. Their N-terminus is acetylated, a typical modification of cytosolic proteins, and they reside in the cytosol for a long time (not typical of secreted proteins). From there they can be targeted to the nucleus, specific cytososlic sites, or secreted (induced or constitutively) by a non-classical (non-ER-Golgi) pathway, as yet unknown, but possibly similar to the export of e.g. IL-1 (Leffler et al., 2004). They can also function in all these mutant mice may make galectin inhibitors more favorable as drugs. If galectin activity contributes to pathological conditions as suggested above but less to normal conditions, then inhibition of them will have less unwanted side effects.
Known Inhibitors
Natural Ligands.
Solid phase binding assays and inhibition assays have identified a number of saccharides and glycoconjugates with the ability to bind galectins (reviewed by Leffler, 2001 and Leffler et al., 2004). All galectins bind lactose with a Kd of 0.5-1 mM. The affinity of D-galactose is 50-100 times lower. N-Acetyllactosamine and related disaccharides bind about as well as lactose, but for certain galectins, they can bind either worse or up to 10 times better. The best small saccharide ligands for galectin-3 were those carrying blood group A-determinants attached to lactose or lacNAc-residues and were found to bind up to about 50 times better than lactose. Galectin-1 shows no preference for these saccharides.
Larger saccharides of the polylactosamine type have been proposed as preferred ligands for galectins. In solution, using polylactosamine-carrying glycopeptides, there was evidence for this for galectin-3, but not galectin-1 (Leffler and Barondes, 1986). A modified plant pectin polysaccharide has been reported to bind galectin-3 (Pienta et al., 1995).
The above-described natural saccharides that have been identified as galectin-3 ligands are not suitable for use as active components in pharmaceutical compositions, because they are susceptible to acidic hydrolysis in the stomach and to enzymatic degradation. In addition, natural saccharides are hydrophilic in nature, and are not readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract following oral administration.
Synthetic Inhibitors.
Saccharides coupled to amino acids with anti-cancer activity were first identified as natural compounds in serum, but subsequently, synthetic analogues have been made (Glinsky et al., 1996). Among them, those with lactose or Gal coupled to the amino acid inhibit galectins, but only with about the same potency as the corresponding underivatized sugar. A chemically modified form of citrus pectin (Platt and Raz, 1992) that inhibits galectin-3 shows anti-tumor activity in vivo (Pienta et al., 1995; Nangia-Makker et al., 2002).
A divalent form of a lactosyl-amino acid had higher potency in a solid phase assay (Naidenko et al., 2000; Huflejt et al., 2001; Huflejt and Leffler, 2004) and clusters having up to four lactose moieties showed a strong multivalency effect when binding to galectin-3, but not to galectin-1 and -5 (Vrasidas et al., 2003). Cyclodextrin-based glycoclusters with seven galactose, lactose, or N-acetyllactosamine residues also showed a strong multivalency effect against galectin-3, but less so against galectins-1 and -7 (André et al., 2004). Starburst dendrimers (André et al., 1999) and glycopolymers (Pohl et al., 1999; David et al., 2004), made polyvalent in lactose-residues, have been described as galectin-3 inhibitors with marginally improved potency as compared to lactose. The aforementioned synthetic compounds that have been identified as galectin-3 ligands are not suitable for use as active components in pharmaceutical compositions, because they are hydrophilic in nature and are not readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract following oral administration.
Natural oligosaccharides, glycoclusters, glycodendrimers, and glycopolymers described above are too polar and too large to be absorbed and in some cases are large enough to produce immune responses in patients. Furthermore, they are susceptible to acidic hydrolysis in the stomach and to enzymatic hydrolysis.
Thus, there is a need for small synthetic molecules Thiodigalactoside is known to be a synthetic and hydrolytically stable, yet polar inhibitor, approximately as efficient as N-acetyllactosamine (Leffler and Barondes, 1986). A library of pentapeptides provided inhibitors against galectin-1 and -3, but only with low affinities, similar to that of galactose (Arnusch et al., 2004). Furthermore, peptides are not ideal agents for targeting galectins in vivo, as they are susceptible to hydrolysis and are typically polar. N-Acetyllactosamine derivatives carrying aromatic amides or substituted benzyl ethers at C-3′ have been demonstrated to be highly efficient inhibitors of galectin-3, with unprecedented IC50 values as low as 4.8 μM, which is a 20-fold improvement in comparison with the natural N-acetyllactosamine disaccharide (Sörme et al., 2002; Sörme et al., 2003b). These derivatives are less polar overall, due to the presence of the aromatic amido moieties and are thus more suitable as agents for the inhibition of galectins in vivo. However, said 3′-amido-derivatised compounds are still susceptible to hydrolytic degradation in vivo, due to the presence of a glycosidic bond in the N-acetyllactosamine disaccharide moiety and, although they are the best reported small molecule inhibitors of galectin-3, even further improved affinity is desirable.
Thus, there is still a considerable need within the art of inhibitors against galectins, in particular of galectin-3.

3-triazolyl-galactoside inhibitors of galectins


A child safety seat assembly includes a base having two fixed anchoring hooks, a seat shell detachably installed with the base, two catching collars pivotally assembled with the seat shell, the collars being operable to respectively engage with the anchoring hooks to hold the seat shell with the base, and a release actuator operatively connected with the catching collars, the release actuator being operable to rotate the catching collars to disengage the catching collars from the anchoring hooks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to child safety seat assemblies.
2. Description of the Related Art
Current safety legislations require the use of a child safety seat for seating a young child in a motor vehicle. A child safety seat may typically include a seat shell that is placed on a base for providing stable support on the vehicle passenger's seat. Unfortunately, the current locking devices used to attach the seat shell with the base may be complex in structure, and not convenient to operate.
Therefore, there is a need for a child safety seat assembly that is easy to install, reliable in use, and address at least the foregoing issues.


A first objective lens and a second objective lens are fixedly mounted on a lens holder. The lens holder has four magnetic members embedded in a side thereof about an axis of rotation. The magnetic members are associated with coils respectively. The lens holder is rotatable supported by a support which has four permanent magnets fixedly mounted on a side thereof corresponding to the four coils. A pair of the magnets located opposite to each other is for the focusing control and the other pair of the magnets located opposite to each other is for the tracking control and the objective lens switching control. When the coils corresponding to the magnets are loaded with a switching signal, they turns the lens holder to switch the objective lenses from one to the other. When the coils corresponding to the magnets are loaded with a tracking drive signal, they perform the tracking control. When the coils corresponding to the magnets are loaded with a focusing drive signal, they perform the focusing control. At the beginning of operation, the objective lens drive apparatus can be initialized by feeding the switching signal to either pair of the coils so that the objective lens is set across a light path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an objective lens drive apparatus installed in an optical disk system and particularly, to a drive apparatus having objective lenses with different numerical apertures, arranged for switching from one to the other depending on the type of a recording medium to be scanned, and having an initialization function wherein one of the objective lenses is set to a predetermined location at the beginning of operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such objective lens drives apparatuses have been developed for use with playback systems for scanning a variety of advanced optical data recording mediums including an optical disk and an opto-magnetic disk. Some of the objective lens drive apparatuses are now available in the market for driving compact disks and CD-ROM disks.
Some types of objective lens drives provided for not only playback but also recording, particularly, with a magnet-optical or phase-change method. Most of the recording types are standardized for specific application. However, recently super-density types of the optical disk such as DVD format for maximizing the recording density have been developed and introduced. The optical disk of such a super-density type has pits of record unit formed much smaller in size than those of the common CD type to be scanned at a higher accuracy. Also, the optical disk of such a type has a substrate with a different thickness from that of the CD type. In addition, a playback system for the optical disk of such a super-density type employs a laser beam of a shorter wavelength to scan the pits, and an objective lens of a larger numerical aperture to focus a smaller spot of the laser beam on the optical disk.
As a variety of optical disks are employed, the drive unit may encounter a difficulty to scan each of the disks at a constant accuracy. This will require a user to have two or more drive units corresponding to the different types of recording medium to be scanned.
For overcoming the above drawback, a method is proposed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,581 where a plurality of optical heads with different focal lengths are provided in one single optical disk drive. More specifically, the disk drive of the type has two optical heads arranged for performing tracking actions independently from each other thus allowing the recording and playing back of conventional optical disks such as CD as well as of super-density type.
However, the two optical heads are located opposite to each other about the center of the optical disk and therefore are not close to each other. Accordingly, when the optical disk of a cartridge (or casing) type which has a window for scanning (such as a CD-ROM or MO disk) is selected, the conventional optical disk drive does not allow either of two objective lenses to be located beneath the aperture of the window which has a substantially limited size. Furthermore, the optical disk drives of any type should be low in cost and the installation of such two optical heads will be expensive.
It is thus desired to provide an improved optical head which includes two or more different objective lenses arranged for switching from one to another. More preferably, such an improved optical head is capable of being initialized wherein one of the objective lenses is selected and presented at the beginning of operation. Furthermore, such an improved optical head is preferably adapted for identifying the type of a recording medium or optical disk to be scanned with the selected objective lens and thus allowing the selection of a corresponding type of the objective lens for the optical disk.


The present invention relates to an automated teller machine having an EPP guard cave formed therein. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automated teller machine having an EPP guard cave formed therein, in which the EPP guard cave is recessively formed on the front surface of the automated teller machine toward the inside thereof and an encrypting pin pad (EPP) is installed inside the EPP guard cave formed as such, so that a user may conveniently use the automated teller machine without anxiety by effectively preventing the procedure of inputting personal information by the user from being exposed to surroundings or other people through a concaved structure without a separate structure such as an EPP guard plate since the user may put a hand into the EPP guard cave and input the personal information through the EPP when the user inputs the personal information through the EPP for a banking transaction.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an automated teller machine having an EPP guard cave formed therein. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automated teller machine having an EPP guard cave formed therein, in which the EPP guard cave is recessively formed on the front surface of the automated teller machine toward the inside thereof and an encrypting pin pad (EPP) is installed inside the EPP guard cave formed as such, so that a user may conveniently use the automated teller machine without anxiety by effectively preventing the procedure of inputting personal information by the user from being exposed to surroundings or other people through a concaved structure without a separate structure such as an EPP guard plate since the user may put a hand into the EPP guard cave and input the personal information through the EPP when the user inputs the personal information through the EPP for a banking transaction. Furthermore, since a light emitting means configured be operable in a variety of modes is provided in the EPP guard cave formed in the automated teller machine, the user may easily recognize the EPP provided in the EPP guard cave, and, at the same time, an interior decoration effect may be improved since the light emitting means emits light of various colors according to mode selection of a manager of the automated teller machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automated teller machine (ATM) is an automated machine capable of supporting a basic banking service such as deposit or withdrawal without a teller regardless of time and space in relation to a banking service, and is configured to allow a user to perform a banking service such as deposit or withdrawal of cash or the like by himself or herself using a medium such as a card, a passbook. Owing to these advantages of the automated teller machine, the number of customers using the automated teller machine, the number of installed automated teller machines and the number of places where the automated teller machine is installed are increased abruptly, and the automated teller machines can be easily found at any place in these days.
In order to prevent other people from illegally accessing and using the automated teller machine, such an automated teller machine requests to first input a password before performing a banking process function and allows the banking process function to be performed only when the input password is matched to a previously registered password.
At this point, when a user inputs a password into the automated teller machine, the password of the user is protected by inputting the password using an encrypting pin pad (EPP) provided in a customer reception unit of the automated teller machine and encrypting the password. However, if the password input procedure is exposed by an illegally installed camera or other people in the surrounding area, an accident of leaking the password occurs.
Therefore, automated teller machines distributed recently are designed to be provided with an additional security structure such as an exposure protection cover for covering both sides and the like of an EPP in order to prevent a password from being exposed in the procedure of inputting the password through the EPP by the user.
However, the exposure protection cover provided in the EPP invites inconvenience of bumping a hand to the exposure protection cover when a user inputs a password, and since exposure of the movement of the hand of the user inputting the password is not perfectly protected, it is still worried that the password may be leaked by other people.

Automated teller machine with EPP guard cave


A road map displaying system for an automotive vehicle for displaying road information transmitted by a radio beacon transmitter (1) on a display unit (6) of an automotive vehicle comprises: a radio receiver (3) for receiving road information including position data and traffic snarl data transmitted by the radio beacon transmitter; a memory unit (4) for storing various road maps; and a processing unit (5) for selecting a current road map on the basis of the received position data, displaying traffic snarl information on the selected road map on the basis of the received traffic snarl data, measuring time elapsed after the road information has been received, and in particular, deleting the traffic snarl information displayed on the selected road map, when a predetermined timer or distance-related condition is satisfied after the road information has been received. Since the old traffic snarl information can be deleted, a more reliable traffic information can be provided to the driver, without confusing the driver with the old road information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a road map displaying system for an automotive vehicle, which can display various road information received through communication on a road map related to the route along which the vehicle is now travelling, and more specifically to an improvement in reliability of road information displayed on the road map.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been known a road map displaying system for an automotive vehicle for guiding the vehicle to a destination without delay, by displaying various road information such as traffic snarl on a road map along a route of which the vehicle is guided to a destination, as disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined (Kokai) Patent Application No. 58-143370, for instance.
In the displaying systems of this sort, traffic snarl sections are usually displayed on the road map in color according to the traffic snarl conditions on the basis of road information transmitted from traffic radio beacon transmitters arranged along roads. Further, the displayed information such as traffic snarl sections can be updated whenever new road information is received from another radio beacon transmitted arranged at another position. The road information transmitted from the radio beacon transmitter includes position data and traffic snarl data, for instance. The position data indicates the position at which the radio beacon transmitter is arranged, and therefore provides information of the current position where the vehicle is now travelling. The traffic snarl data indicates the road sections where traffic is snarled due to rush hours, seasonal trips or journeys, accidents, construction, no passing, etc. Since traffic snarl varies momentarily, the most updated traffic snarl data must be provided for drivers. Further, since the above-mentioned traffic radio beacon transmitters are not necessarily arranged along all roads, there exists of course the case where the vehicle travels on the road along which no radio beacon transmitters are arranged.
In the prior-art road map displaying system for an automatic vehicle, however, there exists a problem in that preceding road information (e.g. traffic snarl) transmitted by a radio beacon transmitter is kept displayed on the road map, and therefore the driver is confused with the preceding traffic snarl information. The above-mentioned undesirable condition occurs when the vehicle first travels on a road along which radio beacon transmitters are arranged and then travels on another road along which no radio beacon transmitters are arranged. This is because the preceding road information is not updated by the succeeding radio beacon transmitter.

Road map displaying system for automotive vehicle


A method of controlling pulmonary capillary pressure is disclosed which includes increasing the output of a first ventricle (V1) (e.g., a left ventricle) relative to second ventricle (e.g., right ventricle) by increasing the magnitude of a post extrasystolic potentiation (PESP) therapy effect in the first ventricle relative to the magnitude of a PESP therapy effect produced in the second ventricle. In certain embodiments of the invention, this may be accomplished by adjusting the extra-stimulus interval (ESI) in either or both of the left ventricle and the right ventricle, for example.

Pulmonary congestion (pulmonary edema) is the accumulation of fluid in the pulmonary tissues and air spaces in the lungs of a patient due to changes in hydrostatic forces in the capillaries. Pulmonary edema may be caused by increased pulmonary capillary hydrostatic pressure. A patient with pulmonary edema may experience shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
PESP is a pacing therapy for improving cardiac function that used paired- or coupled pacing of a cardiac chamber. PESP is a property of cardiac cells whereby a pair of closely-spaced depolarizations of a heart chamber results in subsequent contractions that are of an increased magnitude.
PESP may be employed by supplying an "extra" pacing stimulus, delivered shortly after an intrinsic (or paced) depolarization event, which causes a second depolarization without a corresponding mechanical contraction. The time interval between the initial depolarization event and the extra pacing stimulus is called the extra stimulus interval, or ESI. In general, the shorter the ESI, the greater the magnitude of the PESP effect.

Method and system for controlling pulmonary capillary pressure


An image forming method by developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor to form a toner image employing a developer comprising toner, transferring the toner image onto an image forming material, and fixing the transferred toner image employing a fixing unit, is disclosed.

The present invention relates to an image forming method.
In color toner images in which a desired color is formed by laminating toner layers having three primary colors (color layering), with the view of improving color reproduction properties, it is required that color matching be conducted by smoothing the surface (interface) of the toner layer surface of each color. In order to smooth the interlayer of said toner layers, it is advantageous to use a toner having a low melt viscosity during fixing. On the other hand, widely employed, as a system to fix color toner images, is a heating roller fixing system utilizing a fixing unit provided with a heating roller as well as with a pressure roller.
However, when color toner images, comprised of toners having a low melt viscosity, are fixed utilizing said heating roller fixing system, and subsequently the fixed image is peeled off from said heating roller, so-called offset phenomena tend to occur. In order to minimize said offset phenomena, a relatively large amount of silicone oil is applied to the surface of said heating roller so that adhesion between said heating roller and said toner is reduced.
However, in such a system, problems occur in which silicone oil which is applied to the surface of the heating roller is soaked into the transfer paper sheets (an image forming support) to result in degradation of writability of said transfer sheet, and in addition, said silicone oil adheres to the leading edge of the transfer sheet which is brought into contact with said heating roller. Further, when PET sheets, for overhead projection use, are employed as the image forming support, problems also occur in which said silicone oil remains on the surface of said PET sheet to result in stickiness.
When color images are fixed employing the heating roller system described above, no means has been known which sufficiently exhibits both color reproduction properties (smoothness of each color toner layer) and offsetting resistance (releasability in a fixing unit in which no silicone oil is supplied or only a very small amount of silicone oil is supplied).
Multicolor image forming methods include a method in which an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a color is formed on a latent image bearing body, and a multicolor image is formed by repeating the development and transfer process for each color. Said method, however, requires that said electrostatic latent image bearing support is subjected to repetition of development and transfer processes under the frequency of developing each color. Therefore, the rate of image formation is low compared to that of a single color image formation. Thus, when full-color images are formed, said rate is not more than xc2xc of the single color rate.
Accordingly, when said method is utilized, it is difficult to increase the rate of full-color image formation.
On the other hand, methods, in which even full-color images are formed at high speed, include a method, generally called a tandem method, in which an electrostatic latent image bearing body corresponding to each color is provided, and an image formed on each body is transferred so as to form a full-color image.
In said method, since a latent image forming process, a development process, and a transfer process are formed for each color, the rate of image formation is the same as that of a single color formation. Thus, said method exhibits an advantage which makes it possible to achieve full-color image formation at high speed.
However, in said method, since each color image is formed utilizing an individual electrostatic latent image bearing body, it is required to stabilize the developed amount of each color to control the color balance. Further, since an image is formed by transferring a toner image formed on each electrostatic latent image bearing body onto an image support and subsequently by fixing the transferred image, problems occur in which when adhesion of any of color images onto said image support is different, image stability during fixing deteriorates.
The electrostatic latent image bearing body as previously described is commonly an electrophotographic photoreceptor, which is hereinafter referred occasionally to simply as a photoreceptor.
On the other hand, preferably employed as a fixing method is a so-called heating roll method due to the simplicity, and the like, of such a unit. In this fixing method, since the fixing roller is brought into contact with a toner, releasing agents are preferably incorporated into said toner to assure sufficient releasability.
However, in a toner which is prepared employing a conventional pulverization method, materials dispersed into toner particles exist non-uniformly on a broken surface. Particularly, materials such as releasing agents, which melt quickly in the narrow temperature range, tend to be concentrated on the surface so that surface properties among toner particles tend to be non-uniform. Due to that, it becomes difficult to stabilize the developed amount as well as to assure uniform adhesion among the toner particles of each color. As a result, problems occur in which fluctuation tends to result and color reproduction properties, required for quality color images, are degraded.
On the other hand, a so-called polymerization toner has been known which is prepared utilizing a polymerization method. Of said polymerization toners, a toner prepared by utilizing a suspension polymerization method is comprised of spherical toner particles with uniform surface properties. Thus, it is supposed that uniformity among toner particles is enhanced. However, the particle shape tends to become spherical and adhesion onto an electrostatic latent image bearing body as well as onto an image support is enhanced. As a result, problems tend to occur in which transferability is degraded and image repellency during fixing occurs.
As a result, by employing the image forming method comprised of said tandem method, at present, it is difficult to obtain consistent image quality over an extended period of time.
Known as a color image forming method has been a method utilizing a so-called intermediate transfer system in which a latent image formed on a latent image bearing body is developed employing a toner; instead of transferring the resulting toner image directly onto an image forming support, it is temporarily transferred onto an intermediate transfer body, and subsequently retransferred onto said image forming support.
In said intermediate transfer method, by transferring a toner image formed on a latent image bearing body onto an intermediate transfer body several times (for example, 4 times), each color toner layer is laminated on said intermediate transfer body (color layering). In this case, when the last color toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer body, the charge amount of the toner, constituting the color toner image which has been first transferred onto said intermediate transfer body, decreases occasionally. In order to minimize the decrease in the charge amount of the toner image in the lower layer, it is required to employ a toner with stable chargeability.
On the other hand, widely employed as a means to fix toner images formed on an image forming support, is a heating roller system, employing a fixing unit provided with a heating roller as well as with a pressure roller.
In said system, a toner is brought into contact with the surface of said heating roller. As a result, so-called offset phenomena tend to occur. Herein, in order to minimize said offset phenomena, a method is employed in which a relatively large amount of silicone oil is applied to the surface of said heating roller so as to provide releasability.
However, when a relatively large amount of silicone oil is employed, problems occur in which silicone oil adheres onto an image forming support and the mechanism of the fixing unit itself becomes more complex. Accordingly, it is desirous that releasability be provided in the toner itself so that the coating amount of silicone oil required for the fixing unit itself can be reduced, or silicone oil is not at all necessary.
In the intermediate transfer system as previously described, when a toner produced employing a pulverization method is utilized, materials dispersed into toner raw materials exist non-uniformly on a broken surface. As a result, it becomes difficult to make the surface properties among toner particle uniform. As a result, problems occur in which transferability tends to fluctuate, and accordingly, color reproduction properties required for quality color images are degraded.
Further, when a toner, produced employing a suspension polymerization, is utilized, an advantage is obtained in which stable transferability is obtained due to uniform surface properties among toner particles.
However, in said suspension polymerization, it is extremely difficult to place releasing agents on the surface of toner particles. As a result, the fixability (particularly, releasability) of toner particles is limited to employed resins, that is, approaches the properties of said resins. Subsequently, problems occur in which offset phenomena occur due to insufficient releasability of toner particles, and image staining results due to the resulting offset phenomena.
As a means to overcome such problems, for example, Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection No. 10-97098 proposes a suspension polymerization toner which incorporates a large amount of releasing agents in the interior of the toner particles.
However, in such a suspension polymerization toner, since a large amount of releasing agent is incorporated in the interior of toner particles, problems occur in which, due to a decrease in light transmittance caused by the domain of releasing agents, the smoothness of the color image after the fixing process is degraded, resulting in color contamination, and the color reproduction range, which is obtained employing a plurality of colors, is narrowed.
When color images are formed employing the intermediate transfer system as previously described, means have not yet been known which simultaneously result in sufficient color reproduction properties (smoothness of each color toner layer) and fixability (releasability). As a result, it has been difficult to form consistently quality color images.
An object of the present invention is to provide a toner capable of forming color images which exhibit excellent fixability and offsetting resistance, as well as excellent color reproduction, even when employed in an image forming method comprising a fixed color image forming process employing a fixing unit to which no silicone oil, or a very small amount of silicone oil is supplied.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming method capable of forming no offset phenomena, increasing the fixing ratio, and exhibiting excellent color reproduction properties, while employing an image forming method comprising a fixed color image forming process, employing a fixing unit to which no silicone oil, or a very small amount of silicone oil is supplied.
The other object of the present invention is to provide a color image forming method and an image forming apparatus which results in excellent and consistent color reproduction properties over an extended period of time, and an electrostatic latent image developing toner employed in them.
An object of the present invention is to provide a toner capable of forming color images with excellent offsetting resistance as well as excellent color reproduction properties in the wide range for an extended period of time, in the case of forming color images employing an intermediate transfer system, even when said toner is employed in an image forming method comprising a fixed color image forming process, employing a fixing unit to which no silicone oil or only a very small silicone oil is supplied.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming method capable of forming no offset phenomena as well as forming color images with excellent color reproduction properties for an extended period of time in the case of forming color images, even when there is included a fixed color forming process, employing a fixing unit to which no silicone oil or only a very small silicone oil is supplied.
Said fixing unit is employed in an image forming method in which a toner image formed on said photoreceptor is transferred onto an image forming support, and the transferred toner image is fixed employing a fixing unit. Said fixing unit is comprised of a heating roller and a pressure roller which is brought into contact with said heating roller. Said heating roller is constituted in such a manner that the surface of a cylinder having an interior diameter of from 10 to 70 mm and a wall thickness of from 0.1 to 2 mm, comprised of a metal or a metal alloy, is covered with an elastic martial having an Asker hardness C of less than 70 degrees at a thickness of from 0.1 to 30 mm, and a heating member is incorporated in its interior. Said pressure roller is constituted in such a manner that the surface of a metal cylinder is covered with an elastic material having an Asker hardness C of less than 80 degrees at a thickness of from 0.1 to 30 mm.
The supplied amount of silicone oil to said heating roller, comprised of said fixing unit, is preferably not more than 2 mg/A4 sized sheet of paper.
In a toner which is employed in an image forming process which is comprised of a process in which a latent image is formed on a latent image bearing body, a process in which said latent image is developed employing a developer comprising said toner, a process in which a toner image formed on said latent image bearing body is transferred onto an intermediate transfer body, a process in which the toner image formed on said intermediate transfer body is transferred onto an image forming support, and a process in which the toner image transferred onto said image forming support is fixed employing a fixing unit which utilizes a heating roller fixing system, a toner of the present invention is obtained by salting out/fusing resinous particles comprising at least a binding resin containing a releasing agents, a colorant, and a releasing agent, and colorant particles.
xe2x80x9cSalting-out/fusionxe2x80x9d, as described in the present invention, refers to an operation in which salting-out (aggregation of particles) and fusion (disappearance of the interface between particles) occur simultaneously, or salting-out and fusion are allowed to occur simultaneously. In order to simultaneously carry out salting-out and fusion, it is required that particles (resinous particles and colorant particles) are aggregated at a temperature which is equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the resin constituting said particles.
The inventors of the present invention have investigated the composition of toners which are required to effectively minimize offset phenomena during fixing. As a result, it was discovered that it was possible to effectively minimize the offset phenomena by employing a coalesced type toner which was obtained by salting out/fusing resinous particles comprising releasing agents, together with colorant particles in a water based medium.
Generally, the toner, into which releasing agents are incorporated, results in a decrease in light transmittance due to the domain of said releasing agents. Therefore, it has been considered that it is impossible to use releasing agents in a color image forming toner. However, in the present invention, it is possible to minimize the color contamination of color images, as well as to enhance transparency, by incorporating releasing agents which require said domain structure and employing a method which salts out/fuses said resinous particles. As a result, it has become possible to improve color reproduction properties of fixed color images.
Further, the following has been discovered. The surface of a heating roller as well as a pressure roller in a fixing unit is formed employing an elastic material so that the nip width is widened. As a result, it is possible to maintain the fused state of a toner during fixing and to readily form a toner layer on the smoothed interface so that it is possible to enhance the color reproduction properties.
However, when such a constitution of a fixing unit is only employed, the nip width during fixing is widened, while a peeling angle in the fix peeling section increases so as to result in a state in which offset phenomena tend to occur.
Therefore, it is possible to exhibit the effects of the present invention by combining said fixing unit with a specified coalesced toner (the toner of the present invention), instead of employing only said fixing unit.
(1) Since the toner of the present invention is a coalesced type toner prepared employing a salting-out/fusion method, the surface properties among toner particles is uniform. As a result, it is possible to achieve excellent fixability
(2) Since the toner of the present invention is comprised of toner particles, having releasing agents (which have been incorporated into resinous particles) on its surface, it is possible to achieve excellent offsetting resistance.
(3) Since the toner of the present invention is obtained by coalescing resinous particles containing releasing agents, employing said salting-out fusion method, color contamination problems which result in the simple addition of said releasing agents do not occur, and high light transmittance is achieved. As a result, it is possible to form fixed color images which exhibit excellent color reproduction properties.
(4) Since each of the heating roller and the pressure roller, which constitute a fixing unit, is covered with an elastic material having low hardness, the resulting nip width is widened, making it possible to form a smoothed toner layer at the interface. As a result, it is possible to improve the color reproduction as well as to enlarge the color reproduction range.
(5) As previously described, by combining the specified coalesced type toner with the specified fixing unit, it is possible to simultaneously achieve excellent offsetting resistance as well as excellent color reproduction of fixed images.

Abstract: The fixing unit is comprised of a heating roller and a pressure roller which is brought into contact with said heating roller, the heating roller is constituted of a cylinder having an interior diameter of from 10 to 70 mm and a wall thickness of from 0.1 to 2 mm comprised of a metal or a metal alloy, and a heating member being incorporated in the interior, a surface of the cylinder being covered with an elastic martial having an Asker hardness C of less than 70 degrees at a thickness of 0.1 to 30 mm, and the pressure roller is constituted of a metal cylinder whose surface is covered with an elastic material having an Asker hardness C of less than 80 degrees at a thickness of from 0.1 to 30 mm.


One or more adjustable printer driver settings are displayed, and one or more pages of a print job corresponding to the document are displayed in accordance with the adjustable printer driver settings. The user is permitted to adjust the adjustable printer driver settings, such that the pages of the print job are redisplayed based on adjustments made to the adjustable printer driver settings.

Printer drivers are computer programs that convert application computer programs' print jobs into the language that the printers understand. Many printers have settings that can be adjusted within their printer drivers, so that the printers may print jobs as desired by a user. For example, different color settings, media settings, duplexing settings, toner or ink saving settings, and so on, may be adjusted by the user within a printer driver for a given printer.
A difficulty with adjusting printer driver settings within a printer driver is that the user generally has no way to see how the adjustments made to the settings will affect a document to be printed without actually printing one or more pages of the document with the adjusted settings. As a result, users may waste media, as well as toner or ink, in the process of optimally adjusting the printer driver settings. This process can be time-consuming and frustrating to users.

Displaying print job based on adjustments made to printer driver settings

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


For fabricating multiple field effect transistors (FETs), a first conductive layer is deposited over first and second active regions of a semiconductor substrate. The first conductive layer is patterned over the second active region to form mold structures. Mask structures are formed between the mold structures. The second active region is patterned using the mask structures or using spacers formed at sidewalls of the mold structures to form multiple fins of a field effect transistor of a fin type. The first conductive layer is patterned over the first active region to form a gate of another field effect transistor of a different type.

This application claims priority under 35 USC § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 2006-51408, filed on Jun. 8, 2006 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fabrication of integrated circuits, and more particularly to fabricating structures of different types of field effect transistors with high integrity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integrated circuits such as semiconductor memory devices generally include transistors such as MOSFETs (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors). MOSFETs having various structures and characteristics may be used in a semiconductor memory device. For example, a MOSFET of a planar type or a MOSFET with one fin is formed in a cell area of a semiconductor memory device. Additionally for improved response speed with increased channel regions, a MOSFET with multiple fins is formed in a peripheral area and a core area of the semiconductor memory device. Furthermore, another MOSFET of the planar type is formed in the peripheral area and the core area.
Processes for fabricating such transistors with different structures and characteristics may be complicated, and such transistors may have failures generated from such fabrication processes. For example, a MOSFET of a planar type and a MOSFET with multiple fins are simultaneously formed on different areas of a semiconductor substrate. In that case, a first gate oxide layer and a first gate conductive layer for the MOSFET of the planar type are formed in first and second active regions of the substrate. Portions of the first gate oxide layer and the first gate conductive layer in the second active region are removed to expose the second active region of the substrate.
Thereafter, a second gate oxide layer and a second gate conductive layer are formed on the multiple fins exposed in the second active region of the substrate. During removal of the first gate oxide layer from the second active region, the fins in the second active region may be etched to be degraded structurally. For example, the widths of the fins may be excessively reduced. Alternatively, during formation of the first gate oxide, the fins in the second active region may be oxidized. Such changes to the fins would deteriorate characteristics of the MOSFETs formed in the second active region.
Further, thermal budgets may be created for the first gate conductive layer and the first gate oxide layer during several oxidation processes performed at high temperature for the structures subsequently formed in the second active region. Additionally when the second gate conductive layer is formed with metal, the first gate conductive layer may be contaminated during formation of the second gate conductive layer. Such contamination may cause failure in the MOSFET of the planar type in the first active region.
Thus, a mechanism for fabricating field effect transistors of different types with high performance integrity is desired.

Method for fabricating multiple FETs of different types


The diamine, 1,3-diamino-5-pentafluorosulfanylbenzene (DASP), was reacted with various dianhydrides to form polyimides containing an SF.sub.5 moiety. These polyimides exhibit high glass transition temperatures, high density, low solubility, and low dielectric properties. These polymers were used to prepare semi-permeable membranes, wire coatings, and films and are useful for electronic, space and piezoelectric applications.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to polyimides. In particular, it relates to polyimides containing the pentafluorosulfanylbenzene moiety.
2. Description of Related Art
Polyimides containing a trifluoromethyl moiety have been prepared from the diamine, 3,5-diaminobenzotrifluoride (DABTF), which contains one symmetrically substituted, polar CF.sub.3 group. These polymers are more soluble, have greater optical transparency and lower dielectric constants than state-of-the-art polyimides. The glass transition temperatures (Tg) of these polymers are similar to those prepared from m-phenylenediamine and they also exhibit high thermooxidative stability. These polymers are easily processible due to their enhanced solubility and are useful in any electronic and aerospace applications where high thermooxidative stability, optical transparency and excellent dielectric characteristics are needed.
Despite these properties, there is a desire to have a polymer which not only has low dielectric properties but a higher Tg, higher density, and lower solubility than those of the CF.sub.3 containing polyimides. This combination of properties would allow the polymer to be used at higher temperatures, harsher environments, and in applications where polymer to substrate compatibility is important such as piezoelectric applications.
An object of the present invention is to prepare polyimide polymers containing a pentafluorosulfanylbenzene moiety.
Another object of the present invention is to prepare polyimide polymers which exhibit high Tg, high density, low solubility, and low dielectric properties.

Polyimides containing the pentafluorosulfanylbenzene moiety

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration


A translation lookaside buffer may include control functionality coupled to a first storage and a second storage. The first storage includes a first plurality of entries for storing address translations corresponding to a plurality of page sizes. The second storage includes a second plurality of entries for storing address translations corresponding to the plurality of page sizes. In response to receiving a first address translation associated with a first page size, the control functionality may allocate the first plurality of entries to store address translations corresponding to the first page size. In addition, in response to receiving a request including an address that matches an address translation stored within the first storage, the control functionality may copy a matching address translation from the first storage to the second storage.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to microprocessors, and more particularly, to translation lookaside buffers used for storing address translations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many modem microprocessors support a form of virtual memory called "paging". Paging enables system software to create separate address spaces for each process or application. Paging divides a physical address space, defined by the number of address signals generated by the processor, into fixed-sized blocks of contiguous memory called "pages". If paging is enabled, a "virtual" address is translated or "mapped" to a physical address. Various mechanisms exist in different processor architectures for performing virtual-to-physical address translations. For example, in a processor implemented in the x86 architecture, with paging enabled a paging mechanism within the processor translates a virtual or "linear" address to a physical address. If an accessed page is not located within the system memory, paging support constructs (e.g., operating system software) load the accessed page from secondary memory (e.g., disk drive) into system memory. In some x86 processors, a set of hierarchical translation tables or "page tables," stored within the system memory, are used to store information needed by the paging mechanism to perform the virtual-to-physical address translations.
Since accesses to the system memory require relatively large amounts of time, address translations may be a source of processing latency. To reduce the number of required system memory accesses to retrieve information from page tables, a small cache memory system called a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) is typically used to store the most recently used address translations. Typically, translations are provided on a page basis (e.g. 4 kilobytes, 2 megabytes, etc.) and the TLB may store the page portion of the virtual address and the page portion of the corresponding physical address. The TLB may then be searched for the issued virtual address. If found, a physical address corresponding to the issued virtual address may then be used to access system memory. As the amount of time required to access an address translation in the TLB is relatively small, overall processor performance may be increased as needed address translations are often found in the readily accessible TLB.
Despite the advantages provided by a TLB, there may still be drawbacks. Some processor microarchitectures, such as in a superscalar processor, for example, may include multiple pipelines. To obtain high performance from such designs, low latency access to relatively large TLB structures may be desirable. To provide the low latency to the multiple pipelines, some conventional TLB structures may include several large multiported structures. In addition, multiple page sizes may be supported, and each TLB structure may support a different page size. Alternatively, very large fully associative TLB structures may support multiple page sizes. However, such conventional TLB designs may not only take up considerable area on the integrated circuit and have higher access times, but they may also consume an unacceptable amount of power.

Microprocessor including a configurable translation lookaside buffer


A molding machine for producing flaskless molds is provided with at least a cope flask and a drag flask and a pattern plate therebetween. The pair of flasks is alternatively positioned in a horizontal position in which the produced molds are removed and the pattern plate is inserted and removed, and in a vertical mold-forming position in which the sand is charged and compacted. The cope flask, the drag flask, the first squeeze plate, the second squeeze plate are rotatable in unison.

The present invention relates to a machine for producing flaskless moulds.
Document EP-0 468 355 discloses a conventional moulding forming machine of the above-mentioned type. This moulding machine is of a type in which a cope flask, a pattern plate and a drag flask are capable of rotating over an angle of 90xc2x0 between a horizontal position and a vertical position. The horizontal position is associated with inserting the pattern plate between the cope and drag flask before the sand charging and compacting step and is associated with the removing of the pattern plate and the discharging of the cope and drag after the charging and compacting step. The sand charging and compacting step is performed with the cope flask, drag flask and pattern plate in the vertical position. The prior art moulding machine uses a first squeeze plate for compacting the sand in the cope flask (the upper flask by definition) and a second squeeze plate for compacting the sand in the drag flask (the lower flask by definition). The second squeeze plate is inserted into the drag flask when the latter is in the vertical position. Because of the rotating movement of the drag flask with respect to the fixed second squeeze plate, it is difficult to align the drag flask with the second squeeze plate in a precise and reproducible manner. The exact alignment in the prior art machine has to be carried out by the compression frame, which has already another important function, namely the transmission of the force for compacting the sand from one squeeze plate to the other. Therefore, the above described second squeeze plate cannot always be smoothly introduced into the drag flask due to deviations in the alignment of the two components.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a moulding machine for producing flaskless moulds of the kind referred to above, with which it is possible to overcome the disadvantages mentioned above and which allows easier alignment of the second squeeze plate with the drag flask, thus resulting in a simpler construction of the components of the machine and in higher quality drags and copes. This object is achieved with a machine for producing flaskless moulds in which the cope flask with a first squeeze plate and the drag flask with an associated second squeeze plate are supported by a swing frame and rotatable in unison between the horizontal position and the vertical position. With this arrangement, the alignment function of the compression frame is transferred to the swing frame which takes care of all alignment, whereas the compression frame is only constructed to transmit the relatively large forces related to the compacting of the sand. Thus, the second squeeze plate is always kept in alignment, avoiding problems associated with reproducibility of position. The lower and upper squeeze plates as well as the drag and cope flask are rotated over approximately 90xc2x0 to take their vertical position in which the cope flask and drag flask are filled with sand. After the sand-filling, the compacting of the sand also takes place in, the vertical position.
According to a further embodiment, the swing frame which carries the squeeze plates and the flasks is received in an opening in the compression frame.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the drag flask is arranged to be movable up and down with respect to the fixed cope flask when the cope flask and drag flask are in their horizontal position.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the second squeeze plate is inserted in the drag flask when the cope flask and drag flask are in their horizontal position.
According to a further embodiment, the second squeeze plate serves as a table to receive and lower the superposed cope and drag when the latter are discharged from the cope flask and drag flask, thus doing away with the need for an additional transport table.
According to a further embodiment, the sand-charging openings of the respective cope flask and drag flask will, when the latter are moved into their vertical position, engage the sand-blowing nozzles of the blowhead.


A sheet calendering method and apparatus including a calendering cylinder, a delivering cylinder, and a conveyor for transporting sheets between the calendering cylinder and the delivering cylinder; wherein the conveyor includes two flexible elongated members forming parallel endless loops around the calendering and delivering cylinders, a plurality of support members attached between the parallel loops, and a plurality of calendering plates each linked to an adjacent plate by the support members to form an endless belt.

In the art of printing, a variety of substrates must be coated with glossy finishes. These substrates are typically sheets of paper or cardboard; however, the term "sheet" also includes any other flat surface or substrate such as fabric, boxes, magazines, newspaper inserts, and bonding thermoplastic substrates.
There are basically two broad classes of coatings which are used in many conventional printing processes. The first class of coatings may be referred to as acrylic polymers. Acrylic polymer coatings are typically soluble in water, or in a solvent, and are suspended or dissolved in a solution before being applied to a substrate. Once applied to the substrate, acrylic polymer coatings may be cured by applying heat to evaporate the water or solvent base. The second class of coatings used in many conventional printing operations may be referred to as ultra-violet polymers. These coatings are cured using ultra-violet light to bond, or polymerize, monomer molecules in the coating.
Ultra-violet polymer coatings are generally preferred in many conventional coating processes for their superior aesthetic properties. Ultra-violet coatings tend to produce glossier finishes than acrylic coatings due to their flow characteristics and the larger amount of solid material that remains on the substrate after curing. In order to achieve comparably glossy finishes with acrylic coatings, more coating material must be applied to the substrate which then decreases the smoothness of the acrylic finish.
Although ultra-violet polymer finishes may be preferred in conventional coating processes for aesthetic reasons, ultra-violet coating processes have significant drawbacks. For example, the ozone which is produced as a by-product of curing with ultra-violet radiation has been found to threaten air quality. In addition, paper products which are coated with ultra-violet polymers are often difficult to recycle. Water-based acrylic coatings, on the other hand, are much easier to recycle and do not require ultra-violet radiation for curing. Consequently, there is a long felt and continuing need to improve the aesthetic qualities of sheets that are coated with acrylic polymers, and other coatings, in order to avoid the environmental problems associated with ultra-violet polymer coating materials.
Many recyclable surface finishes, including acrylic polymers, are activated by heat and pressure. Such coating materials are typically applied to sheets in liquid form and then allowed to air dry. The coated and dried sheets are then pressed against a heated, flat surface for a certain period of time and then allowed to gradually cool before being stripped from the surface. In order to create an acceptable finish on the sheet, the texture, temperature, and pressure of the compression surface along with the heating time and pressure must be tightly controlled during the finishing process. There is also a need to automate and increase the speed of the process in order to maximize the number of sheets which may be finished during any give time period while still producing a high quality surface finish.
A known sheet calendering device has used one continuous, mirror-finished belt arranged between two cylinders. Sheets are fed onto the belt at one end of the process and then heated, with steam, and compressed between the belt and a third cylinder. The steam-heated sheets are then cooled with a liquid coolant prior to their delivery at the other end of the process. One disadvantage of using such continuous belt arrangements for sheet calendering is that the entire belt must be replaced when even just a small portion of the belt is damaged. It is also difficult to maintain sufficient tension in the belt, particularly in long belts, to ensure proper belt tracking and minimize vibrations at high speeds. Furthermore, steam heating systems are complicated to build and difficult to operate and maintain. And finally, it is difficult to position sheets on the belt at the feed end of the apparatus and to remove the cooled sheet from the belt at the delivery end of the apparatus. Although the effects of many of these problems on surface finish quality can be minimized by using ultra-violet polymer coatings, acrylic coatings are often preferred for environmental reasons. Consequently, it is the object of the present invention to provide a high speed sheet calendering apparatus which overcomes these and other disadvantages of conventional sheet calendering technology.


A vehicle seat base is provided with a foam bun that includes a protective cloth that is molded into the foam bun and attached with the seat cover material to the seat frame. A suspension mat is attached to the protective cloth below the foam bun to add support.

Vehicle seats of conventional design generally include a seat base and a seat back. The seat base and seat back each have a frame, a foam bun, and a seat cover that maybe made of vinyl, leather or cloth. Portions of the seat buns that may or may not be covered by the seat cover material may be covered by a protective cloth. The protective cloth may cover and protect portions of the foam bun that are not covered by the seat cover material. The protective cloth is normally trimmed or sized to conform to selected portions of the foam bun.
Some vehicle seats include steel suspensions that may be formed as part of the frame or may be assembled to the foam bun. Resilient, durable mesh suspension nets may also be provided as part of the vehicle seat structures that are used to support the foam buns. Suspensions are used to support the bottom of a seat base to provide comfort for the seat occupant and support for the foam bun.
One problem with vehicle seats is that the foam may shift or otherwise be forced through the interface between the seat cover and cover pieces. Cover pieces are plastic molded parts that are attached to the sides of seats to conceal seat hardware and also may be used to support seat control switches and actuators. The foam bun may have portions that may be forced between the seat cover, cover pieces and the frame of the vehicle seat. Any portions of the foam bun that is visible on a vehicle seat is objectionable. In addition, foam that works into the interface area of the suspension and frame may cause undesirable noises and should be avoided.
The above shortcomings and problems associated with some vehicle seat structures are addressed by applicant's invention as summarized below.

Vehicle seat with protective cloth anchoring flaps, and method of making the same


The disclosed HPLC column is formed with overlying concentric inner and outer tubes. The flow path is established via the inner tube bore that holds packed absorbent, end filters and capping sealing members, and end coupling members cooperate with the inner tube at its ends. The sealing and end coupling members have conventional configurations for establishing a sealed connection with capillary lines and their fittings, for the series flow testing use through the column. The inventive method and manner of assembly provides that the outer tube overlies all of the inner tube and both sealing members, but only part of each end coupling member. The ends of the outer tube are then deformed radially inward to become mechanically interlocked with the end coupling members, as the column, holding also the filters and sealing members within the inner tube.

HPLC technology is widely used to detect and identify different components contained in a test sample or specimen material. A typical HPLC instrument has a high pressure pump for forcing a suitable solvent, via capillary lines, at a constant flow rate serially through a sampler, a separation column and a UV or other type detector. Periodically, a small quantity of the test sample will be injected via the sampler into this flowing solvent stream to travel then somewhat as a slug with the solvent stream into the separation column. The separation column contains an absorbent reactive anticipated sub phase components in the test sample. Thus, the different sub phases pass through the detector at different rates, producing separated flow through the detector suited for identification and quantitative analysis.
Different separation columns are commercially available for different testing needs, being of different lengths and/or diameters, and/or being packed with different absorbents and/or to different degrees of compactness.
A typical separation column consists of a rigid tube having couplings secured relative to its opposite ends, where each coupling has an internally threaded end cavity and capillary line adapter. A tubular exteriorly threaded fitting, snugged over an end of a capillary line, can be tightening into the column end coupling for establishing a reliably liquid-tight connection therewith. This allows the column to be easily connected into the HPLC instrument in a series flow circuit with the capillary line between the sampler and detector.
The column tube bore has a substantially uniform diameter (such as between 0.5 mm to 7 mm) machined and polished to a high finish. The tube bore is densely packed with the absorbent of micron sized particles, and sintered or mesh filters made of steel, titanium or PEEK close or cap at both tube ends. A sealing member secured or pressed onto the tube end generally holds the filter in place across the bore end.
The column provides high resistance to the liquid test sample mixture flowing through it, requiring pumped liquid pressures up to 5,000 psi, although only a small quantity of liquid sample is used (a few mcls) for each test. To withstand blow-out forces due to these high operating bore pressures, each end coupling must be mechanically secured relative to the tube.
To achieve this solid mechanical connection, some end couplings are threaded onto the tube ends while others utilize a stop ring compressed on the tube exterior for holding one component of a conventional threaded two-component fitting connection. However, thread machining adds costs, as does machining needed to form the multi-faced fittings (hex shapes or the like) for defining faces to accept a wrench or other tool for tightening the threaded components together.
Several problems can occur with separation columns having the above noted end couplings. For example, the column must have an identification label secured to it to identify its parameters. Such labels commonly have been taped around and onto the mid-portion the bore tube between the end couplings. This limits the shortest length column to several centimeters, as the smallest label and each end coupling might extends about a centimeter along the tube length, and label cannot cover the end couplings.
Further, it is desirable during certain testing procedures to maintain the column at a specific temperature, and present procedures place the column then on a flat heating or cooling plate held at that desired temperature. However, as the end couplings project radially beyond the tube exterior, only they contact the thermal plate (while the column mid-section is gapped from the thermal plate), meaning temperature uniformity along the column length remains uncertain.

HPLC column design and method of making same


A wide view mirror expands the field of view for drivers of commercial trucks and other large vehicles. The wide view mirror comprises a single piece of material formed into a planar surface immediately adjacent to an inner contoured surface and an outer contoured surface. The inner contoured surface is formed with a first arc having a first constant radius of curvature and a first width. The outer contoured surface is formed with a second arc having a second constant radius of curvature and a second width. The second radius is greater than the first radius; and the second width is greater than the first width creating an expanded field of view.

A truck driver's direct field of view is significantly more restricted than that of other vehicles, especially passenger vehicles. The difficulties of seeing through mirrors for a commercial vehicle driver of semi-tractor trailers, delivery straight trucks, buses and personal recreational vehicle motor homes are well known and documented. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 571.111 Rearview Mirrors (codified at 49 C.F.R. §571.111), sets standards and requirements for vehicles to improve safety and minimize blind spots for drivers in traffic. A typical flat or planar mirror has limited field of view. A convex or spherical mirror provides an increased field of view but the images in the convex or spherical mirror are distorted and minimized. Thus, estimation of both distance and relative closure speeds of traffic approaching the commercial vehicle from behind or alongside is more difficult.
Many trucks have at least six mirrors; each mirror has a different reflective optical quality. This increases the difficulty for the driver to quickly judge the dynamic traffic environment, which increases driver fatigue and the likelihood of a driver making an error.
These matters are well recognized in the extensive researches performed by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute for the Department of Transportation. These studies indicate a need for improvements in mirrors available to trucks and large vehicles to reduce side lane-change accidents by minimizing driver confusion and fatigue. This research includes: (1) Daniel Blower, Truck Mirrors, Field of View and Serious Truck Crashes, UMTRI-2007-25 (available at http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/58728/1/99830.pdf); (2) Mathew P. Reed, Daniel Blower, Michael J. Flannagan, Prioritizing Improvements to Truck Driver Vision, UMTRI-2005-31 (available at http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/83927/1/102737.pdf); (3) Luoma, J., Flannagan, M. J., and Sivak, M., Effects of Non-Planar Driver Side Mirrors on Lane Change Crashes, UMTRI-2006-26 (available at http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49417/1/UMTRI-2000-26.pdf); (4) Helmers, G., Flannagan M. J., Sivak, M., Owens, D. A., Battle, D., and Sato, T., Response Times Using Flat, Convex and Multi-Radius Mirrors, UMTRI-92-20 (available at: http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64070/1/82649.pdf); (5) Luoma, J. Sivak, M., Flannagan, M. J., Effects of Driver-Side Mirror Types on Lane-Change Accidents, UMTRI-94-34 (available at: http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/1107/2/59932.0001.001.pdf); (6) Flannagan, M. J., Sivak, M., Schumann, J. Kojima, S., Traube, E. C., Distance Perception in Driver-Side and Passenger-Side Convex Rearview Mirrors: Objects in Mirror are More Complicated Than They Appear, UMTRI-97-32 (available at: http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49363/1/UMTRI-97-32.pdf); and (7) Sivak, M., Devonshire, J., Flannagan, M. J., Reed, M. P., Mirror Size and Lane-Change Crashes, UMTRI-2008-32 (available at: http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/58738/1/100958.pdf), which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The prior art contain many shortcomings that are resolved by the present invention. For example, the prior art mirrors have been developed for automobiles, except as noted below, and not the special requirements of trucks and other large vehicles. The prior art mirrors also do not provide a clear and true field of view since the prior art mirrors distort images in size and depth perception resulting in objects appearing further away and smaller than the objects actually are. This is because the prior art mirrors have used progressive multi-radius, spherical designs or a combination of these. The prior art mirrors have not been designed with both different sectional widths and different constant radius combinations in one mirror with a center planar section. All previous automotive designs are wider than taller.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,201 issued to Haile teaches a rear vision mirror. This is the only truck mirror prior art that considers adding more field of view for the driver, but does so in a way that includes convex surfaces to the top and bottom along with the outer edge of the planar surface. The adjoining areas of these additional convex surfaces would provide considerable distortion and it does not take advantage of rotating the planar mirror surface outward to provide the most beneficial clear viewing of the adjacent lane for the driver, as does the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,382 issued to Graff teaches a wide-angle mirror for use on automobiles. Graff clearly states that his design is exclusive of buses and trucks larger than pick-ups. It is also claiming a radius of 8 inches±12½% with one outboard mirror surface which has much too small a radius to provide any clarity for what is being seen.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,147,077 issued to Lynam teaches an exterior side view mirror for automobiles. Lynam is presenting the process of providing layers for reflective and protective surfaces, upon preformed backings consisting of polymeric flexible substrate reflective element construction to virtually any combination available for optic quality. Lynam discusses applying this process to curvatures in multi-radius designs erroneously includes spherical and aspherical curvatures which may be on either side in addition to a center planar reflective surface. Lyman teaches designing inboard curvatures of larger radii than outboard curvatures utilizing multi-radius design, which is opposite of the present invention.

Wide view mirror for commercial trucks and other large vehicles


This invention provides nucleic acids and expression vectors, and host cells transformed with the same, for providing high expression of a desired polypeptide. Also provided are methods of using the expression vectors, nucleic acids, and host cells which have been modified by these compositions, for increasing expression of a gene encoding a desired polypeptide.

Stable production of a gene of interest (GOI) can be accomplished by transfecting host cells with vectors containing the GOI co-linked to a selectable marker gene, and selecting for cells harboring the GOI by inflicting a stress on the cell which can only be abated if the cell expresses sufficient quantities of the selectable marker. The vectors randomly integrate into the host cells' chromosomal DNA, and resulting transfectants show a large degree of variation in the expression level of the GOI. However, relatively few transfectant cell clones will express the GOI at the desired highest levels due to the positional effect of the site of integration. The level of expression of the genes encoded by the vector is influenced largely by the local chromosomal environment at the site of the genes' integration. (Barnett et al., 1995, Antibody Expression and Engineering, Wang and Imanaka (eds.), ACS Symposia Series, p. 604).
The use of a weakened selectable marker has been correlated with a shift towards obtaining transfectants with higher levels of expression of the linked GOI, presumably by biasing selection for integration positions that have positive influences on the expression of the weakened selectable marker and the co-linked GOI (Reff and Pfarr, 1992, Gene Amplification in Mammalian Cells, R. E. Kellems (ed.), Marcel Dekker, Inc., p.355). The expression vectors typically described in the prior art contain strong regulatory elements to drive high-level protein expression of the GOI which is co-linked to a weak selectable marker. Strategies have been utilized previously for the impairment of expression vector selectable markers, which include crippling mutations of selectable marker protein (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,316,253), artificial intronic insertions in the selectable marker gene (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,779) and impaired expression of selectable markers in polycistronic vector constructs (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,339 and Rees et al., 1996, Biotechniques 20:102). While each of these systems for improving expression of genes of interest may have problems associated with them, it is desirable to have an improved expression system that allows for a more efficient method of generating and screening for cells that are high producers of the gene product of interest. Thus, it is desirable to create an improved expression vector and host cell expression system that can be used to efficiently generate high quantities of any recombinant protein through stable, increased expression of a gene of interest by a host cell.
The citation and/or discussion of a reference in this section and throughout the specification is provided merely to clarify the description of the present invention and is not an admission that any such reference is "prior art" to the invention described herein.


A robot cleaner includes a body; a dust box to store dust; and a dust sensing unit to detect dust stored in the dust box, the dust sensing unit including a light emitting unit to transmit a signal to an interior of the dust box and a light receiving sensor to sense the signal transmitted by the light emitting unit. The light emitting unit and the light receiving sensor are positioned between the dust box and the body, and face each other at the same height.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a system for performing a cleaning operation using an autonomous robot.
2. Description of the Related Art
An autonomous robot is a device for performing a desired task while traveling about a certain region without being operated by a user. Such a robot may substantially operate autonomously. Autonomous operation may be achieved in various manners. In particular, a robot cleaner is a device for removing dust from a floor while traveling about a region to be cleaned without being operated by a user. In detail, such a robot cleaner may perform a vacuum cleaning operation and a wiping operation in a home. Here, dust may mean (soil) dust, mote, powder, debris, and other dust particles.

Robot cleaner, maintenance station, and cleaning system having the same


Techniques and mechanisms for determining the value of a weight associated with a synapse of a spiking neural network. In an embodiment, a first spike train and a second spike train are output, respectively, by a first node and a second node of the spiking neural network, wherein the synapse is coupled between said nodes. The weight is applied to signaling communicated via the synapse. A value of the weight is updated based on a product of a first value and a second value, wherein the first value is based on a first rate of spiking by the first spike train, and the second value is based on a second rate of spiking by the second spike train. In another embodiment, the weight is updated based on a product of a derivative of the first rate of spiking and a derivative of the second rate of spiking.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to spiking neural networks, and more particularly, but not exclusively, relate to techniques for determining a synaptic weight value.
A variety of approaches are currently used to implement neural networks in computing systems. The implementation of such neural networks, commonly referred to as "artificial neural networks", generally include a large number of highly interconnected processing elements that exhibit some behaviors similar to that of organic brains. Such processing elements may be implemented with specialized hardware, modeled in software, or a combination of both.
Spiking neural networks (or "SNNs") are increasingly being adapted to provide next-generation solutions for various applications. SNNs variously rely on signaling techniques wherein information is communicated using a time-based relationship between signal spikes. As compared to typical deep-learning architectures—such as those provided with a convolutional neural network (CNN) or a recurrent neural network (RNN)—a SNN provides an economy of communication which, in turn, allows for orders of magnitude improvement in power efficiency.
Neural networks are configured to implement features of "learning", which generally is used to adjust the weights of respective connections between the processing elements that provide particular pathways within the neural network and processing outcomes. Existing approaches for implementing learning in neural networks have involved various aspects of unsupervised learning (e.g., techniques to infer a potential solution from unclassified training data, such as through clustering or anomaly detection), supervised learning (e.g., techniques to infer a potential solution from classified training data), and reinforcement learning (e.g., techniques to identify a potential solution based on maximizing a reward). However, each of these learning techniques are complex to implement, and extensive supervision or validation is often required to ensure the accuracy of the changes that are caused in the neural network.

Device, system and method for varying a synaptic weight with a phase differential of a spiking neural network


A method for fabricating a capacitor of a semiconductor device, which is capable improving the chemical and thermal stability of lower electrodes. The method includes forming an interlayer insulating film provided with a contact hole over a semiconductor substrate, forming a conductive polysilicon plug in the contact hole, sequentially forming a titanium film and a titanium nitride film over the entire exposed surface of the resulting structure, selectively removing the titanium film and titanium nitride film by use of a first storage electrode mask, thereby forming a titanium film pattern and a titanium nitride film pattern, sequentially forming a ruthenium film and a ruthenium dioxide film over the entire exposed surface of the resulting structure, selectively removing the ruthenium film and the ruthenium dioxide film by use of a second storage electrode mask, thereby forming a ruthenium film pattern and a ruthenium dioxide film pattern, forming an SrO film over the entire exposed surface of the resulting structure, forming a high dielectric film over the SrO film, and forming an upper electrode over the high dielectric film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for fabricating capacitors of a semiconductor device, and more particularly to a method for fabricating capacitors of a semiconductor device, which is capable of achieving an improvement in chemical thermal stability, thereby enabling high integration of semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The recent high integration trend of semiconductor devices inevitably involves a reduction in cell dimension. For this reason, it is necessary to form capacitors having a large capacitance while reducing the topology. In the case of a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device constituted by one transistor and one capacitor, it is particularly important to increase the capacitance of the capacitor. In order to achieve an increase in capacitance, various methods have been proposed which are concerned with the use of a material exhibiting a high dielectric constant, the use of a dielectric film having a small thickness and the use of a lower electrode for a capacitor having an increased surface area.
By virtue of research on the application of a thin film made of SrTiO.sub.3 or (Ba, Sr)TiO.sub.3 (BST) exhibiting a high dielectric constant to highly dense semiconductor devices, a technique has been proposed which is concerned with the use of ruthenium dioxide (RuO.sub.2) or iridium dioxide (IrO.sub.2) for oxide electrodes.
Such ruthenium oxide, which is used in accordance with the above technique, has a structure having a smooth and dense surface while involving no generation of hillocks.
In accordance with this technique, however, RuO.sub.2 reacts with oxygen during a deposition of BST carried out in a subsequent MOCVD BST process, so that it may be oxidized into gaseous RuO.sub.4 or reduced into Ru in a vacuum at a high temperature. This is because the BST deposition is carried out at a relatively high temperature in an O.sub.2 atmosphere. As a result, the surface of the resulting structure becomes rough.

Method for fabricating capacitors of semiconductor devices

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.