A phase shift mask device includes a transparent substrate; a first rim type part on the transparent substrate, the first rim type mask part including a first phase shift layer, a second phase shift layer adjacent the first phase shift layer, and a light transparent portion adjacent the second phase shift layer; a first outrigger type mask part on the transparent substrate spaced from the first rim type mask part by a first distance, the first outrigger type mask part including a first phase shift layer, a second phase shift layer adjacent the first phase shift layer, a shielding layer adjacent the first phase shift layer, and a light transparent portion adjacent the second phase shift layer; a second rim type mask part on the transparent substrate having a diagonal relationship with respect to the first rim type mask, the second rim type mask part including a first phase shift layer, a second phase shift layer adjacent the first phase shift layer, and a light transparent layer portion adjacent the second phase shift layer; and a second outrigger type mask part on the transparent substrate having a diagonal relationship with respect to the first outrigger type mask part, the second outrigger type mask part including a first phase shift layer, a second phase shift layer adjacent the first phase shift layer, a shielding layer adjacent the first phase shift layer, and a light transparent portion adjacent the second phase shift layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phase shift mask, and more particularly, to a phase shift mask for a semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a photolithography process widely applied in a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device employs a photomask. The photomask is divided into a portion for transmitting light and a portion for blocking the light in accordance with a desired shape of the semiconductor device. A general photomask is formed of a shielding pattern and a transparent pattern to enable selective exposure. But an increase in the pattern density induces diffraction to restrict improvement of resolution.
Therefore, a process for improving the resolution by using a phase shift mask has been continuously studied in various fields. In a technique of utilizing the phase shift mask, a general penetrating area is combined with a penetrating area that is phase-shifted by 180.degree. by means of a phase shifting material to be utilized as a transmitting area. This is for bringing about an offset coherence between the penetrating areas at a shielding area to decrease the diffraction of light.
Also, modified masks applied with a phase difference of light are introduced together with the development of a mask manufacturing technique to enlarge an optical resolution confinement.
Such a general photomask will be described with reference to FIGS. 1a to 1d.
FIG. 1a is a plan view showing a general photomask, FIG. 1b represents a graph plotting an. amplitude of light on the photomask shown in FIG. 1a, FIG. 1c represents a graph plotting an amplitude of light on a wafer after passing through the photomask shown in FIG. 1a, and FIG. 1d represents a graph plotting an intensity of the light on the wafer after passing through the photomask shown in FIG. 1a.
A general mask is provided by classifying a penetrating area 1 for transmitting the light and a shielding area 4 for blocking the light on a transparent substrate as shown in FIG. 1a. However, in the general mask, the coherence adversely affects a boundary plane of shielding area 4 and penetrating area 1 to result in a limited resolution where an overall profile becomes gentle or gradual since a light energy cannot effectively reach the surface of a resist. In other words, although the amplitude on the mask is as shown in FIG. 1b, the coherence is produced at the boundary plane of penetrating area 1 and shielding area 4 to smooth the light energy and light intensity as shown in FIGS. 1c and 1d.
In order to improve the above-stated drawback of the general photomask, several phase shift masks have been under development.
Starting from an alternate type phase shift mask of Levenson, a rim type phase shift mask for forming a shielding pattern and a phase shift layer suggested by Nitayama et al. was presented to improve the resolution limit of a contact hole. Recently, a half-tone mask (i.e., attenuated phase shift mask) was developed to thereby decrease an area of the phase shift mask.
The conventional phase shift mask will be described with reference to FIGS. 2a to 2d.
FIG. 2a is a plan view showing a general phase shift mask, FIG. 2b represents a graph plotting an amplitude of light on the phase shift mask shown in FIG. 2a, FIG. 2c represents a graph plotting an amplitude of light on a wafer after passing through the phase shift mask shown in FIG. 2a, and FIG. 2d is a graph representation plotting an intensity of the light on the wafer after passing through the phase shift mask shown in FIG. 2a.
The conventional phase shift mask having a single isolation pattern, as shown in FIG. 2a, has a penetrating area 1 for transmitting light on a transparent substrate and a half-tone phase shift layer 2 for transmitting light by approximately below 30% to a shielding area and shifting the others. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2b, a great amplitude difference can be obtained between the penetrating area and the shielding area to prevent offset and reinforcement of the light energy at the boundary plane of the penetrating area and shielding area, as shown in FIGS. 2c and 2d, thereby obtaining an accurate mask pattern.
However, in a phase shift: mask having a plurality of isolation patterns (penetrating pattern) arranged adjacent to each other, the offset and reinforcement of the light energy occur between adjacent isolation patterns. This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4a to 4d.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a conventional phase shift mask having a plurality of isolation patterns, FIG. 4a is a sectional view showing a phase shift mask taken along line I--I' of FIG. 3, FIG. 4b represents a graph plotting an amplitude of light on a wafer after passing through the phase shift mask taken along line I--I' of FIG. 3, FIG. 4c is a graph representation plotting an amplitude of light on the wafer after passing through the phase shift mask taken along line I'--I" of FIG. 3, and FIG. 4d is a graph representation plotting an intensity of the light on the wafer after passing through the phase shift mask taken along line I--I" of FIG. 3.
The light energy distribution of respective isolation patterns when four isolation patterns are adjacent to one another by the same distance as shown in FIG. 3 will be described below.
Referring to FIG. 4a, reference numeral 1 denotes the penetrating area; 2 is a half-tone phase shift layer which is a semi-transparent layer for shifting the phase, and 3 is a transparent substrate.
In considering the light energy between two isolation patterns, as shown in FIG. 4a, the reinforcing coherence of negative (-) amplitude component light appears at a point about one-half (1/2) the distance from centers of respective isolation patterns. Thus, as the energy of a light source is increased to enhance the resolution of penetrating area 1, the size of an unnecessary pattern is increased greatly. In other words, since two isolation patterns have the amplitudes as shown in FIGS. 4b and 4c, the negative (-) reinforcing coherence of the light occurs at a point one-half (1/2) the distance from the centers of respective isolation patterns.
Consequently, the unnecessary pattern size is enlarged in proportion to the energy of the light source. At this time, if the light intensity of the half-tone phase shift layer exceeds a threshold, the unnecessary pattern affects an etching on a substrate underlying the resist.
Moreover, the negative (-) amplitude reinforcing coherence of the light is generated at a portion b (FIG. 3) where four isolation patterns overlap one another and which has the greatest increase in the unnecessary light energy. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 5a-5d and 6.
FIG. 5a is a sectional view showing the phase shift mask taken along lines II--II' and III--III' of FIG. 3. FIG. 5b represents a graph plotting the amplitude of light on the wafer after passing through the phase shift mask taken along line II--II' of FIG. 3. FIG. 5c is a graph representation plotting the amplitude of the light on the wafer after passing through the phase shift mask taken along line III--III' of FIG. 3. FIG. 5d represents a graph obtained by adding the intensity of the light on the wafer after passing through the phase shift mask taken along line II--II' of FIG. 3 to the intensity of the light on the wafer after passing through the phase shift mask taken along line III--III' of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 shows a distribution of the light intensity of the conventional phase shift mask having the plurality of isolation patterns.
In FIG. 5a, the sectional view is obtained by overlapping the sectional views of the phase shift mask taken along lines II--II' and IV--IV' of FIG. 3. Here, the amplitude of the light on the wafer having passed through transparent substrate 3 is identical as shown in FIGS. 5b and 5c. But, as shown in FIG. 5d, the light intensity at point b (FIG. 3), where the amplitude on the wafer as shown in FIG. 5b overlaps the amplitude on the wafer as shown in FIG. 5c, exceeds the threshold ("critical position" in FIG. 5d). Thus, an undesired abnormal pattern or side lobe is formed.
The light energy distribution on the surface of the wafer in conformity with this principle is evaluated by a simulation tool called FAIM, which is shown in FIG. 6 (where an interval between dotted lines is 0.2 .mu.m). More specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates that when the light intensity of penetrating area 1 is sequentially displayed from 0.8 to 0, the light intensity having distribution I of 0.3.about.0.03 in penetrating area 1 and around the penetrating area to allow for the desired isolation pattern across the light intensity area of 0.03.
In addition, the light intensity by the (-) amplitude at four penetrating areas 1 is formed through distribution II of 0.01.about.0.05 where penetrating areas 1 overlap with each other to induce possible formation of an abnormal pattern due to the side lobe on light intensity distribution III of 0.03.about.0.06.
As described above, the conventional phase shift mask having the repeatedly-formed isolation patterns has the following problems.
When the attenuated phase shift mask is utilized to perform the exposure, the light intensity slope becomes steep to obtain a desired pattern exactly. However, when the plurality of penetrating areas exist, the unnecessary abnormal pattern is formed at the diagonally-overlapping place of them. Because of this unnecessary abnormal pattern size is increased as the intensity of the light source is increased.

Phase shift mask and method for manufacturing same


A reticle exchange unit for moving a reticle in a lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The surface of the reticle is protected by a pellicle attached thereto by a gas permeable pellicle frame. The reticle exchange unit includes a reticle preparation chamber, a reticle transport unit arranged to cause a plurality of exposed gas permeable parts of the pellicle frame to face an interior of the reticle preparation chamber, and a purge gas pressure and evacuating pressure supply arrangement coupled to the reticle preparation chamber and arranged to provide, alternately, a purge gas pressure and evacuating pressure that is lower than the purge gas pressure to the reticle preparation chamber when the exposed gas permeable parts of the pellicle frame are facing the interior of the reticle preparation chamber, so that gas flows through the pellicle frame, alternately, into and out of a pellicle space between the pellicle and the reticle.

A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a target portion of a substrate. Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that circumstance, a patterning device, such as a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. including part of, one or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer) that has a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively exposed. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion in one go, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through the projection beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction), while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction.
The reticle (also called mask) may be reflective or transmissive. A reflective reticle reflects a patterned version of the projection beam and the reflected beam is directed to the substrate. A transmissive reticle transmits a patterned version of the projection beam and the transmitted beam is directed to the substrate. The reticle often contains a glass plate, on one side of which the pattern is provided, e.g. in the form of a patterned Chromium layer. To protect the patterned surface of the reticle, a pellicle (which is made of a transparent material in the form of a thin foil or a thin glass plate, for example) is provided, which covers the patterned surface of the reticle. The pellicle is attached to the reticle using a frame that connects to the edges of the pellicle, leaving a pellicle space free. This frame will be called the pellicle frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,507,390 discloses a pellicle-reticle-frame assembly in which the pellicle frame is porous, thereby permitting an inert purge gas to flow into and out of the pellicle space. Alternatively, holes may be provided in the pellicle frame to permit the flow of purge gas. Purging of spaces surrounding optical equipment is a standard procedure. During conventional purging, a steady flow of an inert gas is maintained to drive out unwanted gases.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,507,390 describes how the pellicle-reticle-frame assembly can be purged in preparation of use. This is often done each time before the reticle is loaded into the reticle stage of the photolithographic apparatus, shortly before the reticle will be used during exposure of the substrate. The pellicle-reticle-frame assembly is placed in a box in which purge gas flow is realized through the pellicle space in parallel with the surface of the reticle and the pellicle. A purge gas supply and a vacuum source are mounted near the edges of the pellicle frame on mutually opposite sides of the pellicle space. Purge gas flows from one edge to the other between the pellicle and the reticle.
The pellicle is a flimsy structure that is often prone to damage. Therefore, direct (accidental) contact between the pellicle and the outlets of the purge gas supply and the vacuum source should be avoided. Nevertheless, these outlets should be located as close as possible to the edges of the pellicle frame to minimize loss of gas that does not flow through the pellicle space. This often requires the overhead of accurate positioning equipment. When the pellicle size and shape are different for different reticles, careful adaptation should be used.
Another problem with the purge gas flow approach is that contaminants, like water, that are adsorbed to pores of the pellicle frame on the side of the purge gas supply flow into the pellicle space and are often removed through the pellicle frame on the side of the vacuum source, where they may again be adsorbed to the pellicle frame. This may extend the time that a purge flow is needed. Particles blown into the pellicle space from the pellicle frame may get attached to the reticle, often making the reticle useless.
A further problem with the purge gas flow from one side of the pellicle to the other is that different dynamic forces may be generated on different sides of the attachment to the pellicle frame, which may lead to deformation and a spatial relation between the pellicle and the reticle.

Lithographic apparatus, reticle exchange unit and device manufacturing method


A portable power drill or hammer drill having a housing (12) which consists in particular of half shells (13, 14) and accommodates a manual gearbox (26), wherein a shift element (59) that can be rotated by hand converts its rotary movement into a shift movement, can be produced cost-effectively and can be easily operated, without lubricant escaping from the housing (12), by the shift element (59) consisting of a shell-like handle part (100) which can be joined together with a further, shell-like shift part (102) in a sealing manner from outside and inside relative to a housing shell (13).

The present invention relates to a portable power drill or a drill hammer.
Many kinds of systems for shifting the change-speed gears of portable power drills and drill hammers are known, such as rotatable selector elements and levers with which various operating states can be selected; in these systems, the selector elements must pass through the housing wall.
To that end, it is usual to use selector elements designed as a one-piece component with complex locking contours, mounted on the gearbox. A disadvantage is that producing these complex components requires complicated, expensive tools, and the sealing between the housing wall and the selector element is problematic.


To provide a polycarbonate resin composition having a high Abbe's number, high strength and excellent stainability.

Polycarbonate resins formed of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (referred to as "BPA" or "bisphenol A" hereinunder) have been used in various optical material applications such as substrates of CD or DVD, optical films, optical sheets, a wide variety of lenses, or prisms since they are excellent in transparency, heat resistance, low water-absorption properties, chemical resistance, mechanical characteristics, and dimension stability.
However, the bisphenol resins formed of only BPA have a large photoelastic coefficient, and the molded articles formed of the resins may have large birefringence due to the relatively inferior melt-flowability thereof. And the resins have a high refractive index, 1.58, but they have a low Abbe's number, 30, which indicates that the refractive index and the Abbe's number are ill-balance. Therefore, they suffer from the disadvantage of not having capabilities sufficient for being used in a variety of the applications such as optical recording materials and optical lenses. Furthermore, they suffer from the disadvantages of having the low stainability and of forming only the lenses of the limited color
For solving the disadvantages of the BPA-polycarbonate resins, the copolymer of BPA and an aliphatic-compound such as tricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]decanedimethanol (referred to as "TCDDM" hereinunder) has been proposed (see Patent Documents 1-3). However, since the polycarbonate containing the aliphatic structure is slightly inferior in terms of the heat-resistance, compared with any aromatic polycarbonate, the tendency thereof is large, and therefore, it is especially difficult to obtain an aromatic-aliphatic copolymerization polycarbonate having a large molecular weight and an excellent hue.

Abstract: Disclosed is a polycarbonate resin composition prepared by blending                a polycarbonate resin (A) prepared by forming carbonate bonds in tricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]decanedimethanol with a diester or phosgene, and a weight-averaged molecular weight (Mw) of the polycarbonate resin (A) being equal to or more than 25,000, and        a polycarbonate resin (B) prepared by reacting 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane and phosgene, and weight-averaged molecular weight (Mw) of the polycarbonate resin (B) being equal to or more than 30,000, wherein        a ratio thereof, 100×(A)/((A)+(B)), is from 1 to 99% by weight.


A miniaturized, thin coil component with enhanced heat radiation and decreased flux leakage includes an I-shaped laminate iron core having at opposite ends tapered surfaces, and a pair of C-shaped laminate iron cores having tapered surfaces adapted to be mated with the tapered surfaces of the I-shaped laminate iron core. The I-shaped laminate iron core and the C-shaped laminate iron cores are combined so that the I-shaped laminate iron core is pressed by the inner surfaces of the tapered surfaces of the pair of C-shaped iron cores. The iron cores used for the coil component are stamped by a process of positioning the C-shaped cores in opposition to each other perpendicular to the hoop width, shifting one of the C-shaped cores perpendicular to the hoop width, obliquely positioning the I-shaped core between the C-shaped cores and then successively stamping the iron core hoop.

In recent years, coil components such as transformers, choke coils or the like used in various kinds of civilian electronic equipment, have been made thinner and shorter, and further have been desired to enhance their electric characteristics such as a low loss, low heat generation, high efficiency, and a low leakage flux. In this situation, it has been also required that they have structures which enhance productivity, and accordingly, a method of stamping iron cores, which is highly productive and economical, has been desired.
Among conventional coil components, a transformer as a conventional example, will be hereinbelow explained with reference to FIGS. 22 to 27. Referring FIGS. 22 and 23, windings 3 composed of a primary winding and a second winding are wound on a coil bobbin 2 having flanges at opposite ends thereof, and an E-shaped laminate iron core 4 having a predetermined thickness is inserted in the coil bobbin 2 while an I-shaped laminate iron core 5 having a predetermined lamination thickness is arranged so as to abut against the magnetic leg end side of the E-shaped laminate iron core 4. Then, the abutting parts of both iron cores 4, 5 are fixed together by welding or by using a metal frame or the like so as to form the transformer.
With the above-mentioned arrangement, as shown in FIGS. 24(a) and (b), the space required for the windings is inevitably small due to (a) the previous provision of a clearance A between (1) the windings 3 or the outer peripheral part of the coil bobbin 2 and (2) both outside magnetic legs of the E-shaped laminate iron core 4, which depends upon the direction of insertion of the E-shaped laminate iron core into the coil bobbin 2, and the clearance a between (1) the center hole of the coil bobbin 3 and (2) the center magnetic leg of the E-shaped laminate iron core 4, and (b) the necessity of a clearance B for deformation of the coil bobbin 2 caused by winding tension, or the like. Accordingly, this hinders the transformer from being minaturized and made thinner.
Further, with the provision of the above-mentioned clearances A and B, air layers are present between the windings 3 or the coil bobbin 2 and the E-shaped laminate iron core 4, causing heat radiation to deteriorate so that the temperature rise becomes steep and further possibly causing vibration. Accordingly, the reliability of the transformer is inferior.
Further, due to the use of the E-shaped laminate iron core 4 and the I-shaped laminated iron core 5 for the iron core of the transformer, the abutting parts of both iron cores 4, 5 are orthogonal to the magnetic flux so that the abutting parts serve as a magnetic gap. Accordingly, the leakage of magnetic flux through the abutting parts becomes excessive, resulting in difficulty in lowering the leakage of magnetic flux.
Further, since the clearances should be taken by a large degree as mentioned above, the windings 3 have to be wound in order or in line-up so as to effectively use the winding space at its maximum. Accordingly, the winding requires a large amount of manhours, and further, the cost of the winding machine therefore becomes expensive.
Further, as shown in FIG. 25; if the insertion angle of the E-shaped laminate iron core 4 into the coil bobbin 2 goes out of order, or if the outer diameter of the windings becomes excessively large as shown in FIG. 30, a corner of one of the magnetic legs of the E-Shaped laminate iron is likely to damage the outer surface of the windings 3 upon insertion of the E-shaped laminate iron core 4, causing deterioration of insulation. Accordingly, it is inferior with respect to safety.
As mentioned above, since the risk of increase in the diameter of the windings 3 would often occur, as shown in FIG. 27, the windings 3 are pressed on opposite sides with the use of winding shaping tools 6 so as to put the diameter of the windings in order after the formation of the windings 3. However, this shaping causes cracking and deformation of the coil bobbin 2 so as to incur secondary inferiority such as breakage or inferior insulation of the windings 3, that is, serious problems are raised with respect to reliability.
The present invention is devised in order to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages inherent to the conventional arrangement, and accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a coil part which is lightweight, thin and short, and which is excellent in electrical characteristics.

Coil component and method of stamping iron core used therefor

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An arrangement of building elements capable of a snap-fastening interconnection comprises an element, especially the tongue, consisting of a different material from the other building elements. An MDF/HDF panel, is initially milled along the longitudinal and/or transverse sides, and the resulting groove is then provided and/or foam-filled with extrudates. Finally, the free ends of the extrudates are milled to form the profile of the tongue. Alternatively, or additionally, a groove may also be milled into the extrudates.

The invention discloses an arrangement of building elements with connecting means, especially panels capable of separable connection to one another.
In this context, building elements are understood to mean panel-shaped building elements such as panel boards, floor boards, cladding boards, cladding strips especially for covering walls, ceilings or floors in buildings of every type. Building elements of this kind may comprise single or multiple-layer panels and/or strips made from wooden materials or on a wooden base (laminate), especially chipboard, medium density fibre board (MDF), high density fibre board (HDF), oriented strand board (OSB) and plywood panels, which may optionally be coated on one or both of the exterior surfaces. The coating or so-called useful surface maybe produced with synthetic material sheets, solid wood, veneers made from wood or synthetic material or paper etc. In the case of flooring panels, a decorative paper, for example with a natural wood design, intended to create the impression of a solid wooden panel, is widely known. Since flooring is placed under considerable stresses during normal use, the surface of the decorative paper is sealed with a hard, especially scratch-resistant and abrasion-resistant, overlay made, for example, from resin-soaked alpha-cellulose paper, and is therefore protected from scratches and dents. In particular, therefore, the invention relates to flooring boards or so-called panels, which consist of wooden materials and provide a relatively hard surface made from synthetic-material laminates.
Arrangements of building elements with separable connecting means are known from the prior art. The invention discloses a special type of design and manufacture for building elements and connecting means, which keeps the building elements in the optimum position relative to one another in the connected condition, but also allows the building elements to be separated from one another if required.
Known arrangements of building elements in the form of flooring panels provide at their lateral edges tongues and/or grooves, especially tongues which can snap into the grooves. Panels of this kind can be manufactured in a particularly economical manner, because only the generally relatively soft middle layer of the panels consisting particularly of wood needs to be processed specially in order to form the tongues and grooves acting as the locking means. The middle layer can also be described as the carrier layer or core. In the case of laminate flooring with a tongue milled into the middle layer, the middle layer generally consists of chipboard, MDF, HDF, hard-fibre board, solid wood or plywood material. These materials provide the disadvantage that, as described above, the tongues, in particular, are relatively soft and can therefore break either in their entirety or in part. A panel with a partially crushed tongue can only be introduced into the groove of another panel if the crush damage is specially treated prior to laying. This requires additional work when laying, and the strength of the connection between the interconnected panels is reduced.
The tongue which projects beyond at least one lateral edge of the panel is particularly susceptible to damage, because it can strike obstacles particularly hard in view of its small cross-section and the relatively heavy weight of the panel. This problem is encountered in manufacture and transportation as well as laying. The groove is also susceptible, because in the region of the groove, the panel provides a reduced wall thickness and strength. The exterior walls of the groove may even be thinner than the cross-section of the tongue.
Damaged tongues or tongues made from material permeable to water or capable of absorbing water also render the tongue and groove connection itself more permeable to water. Water spilled on the area of the connection can therefore penetrate more readily into the generally liquid-absorbing internal material layer (core) of the panel, which therefore swells and becomes visually unattractive. The moisture can also penetrate through the tongue and groove connection settling under the panels for a considerable time. This moisture cannot be observed or removed and, in the long-term, can therefore lead to consequential damage typical of moisture, especially mould, bacteria, efflorescence and staining.
EP 1 024 234 discloses panels of this kind with tongue and groove connections, wherein locking means for a snap-fastening are provided on the tongues and grooves. Since the tongues and grooves are milled from the core, which consists of HDF or MDF, in one piece with the locking means, the strength properties of the tongues and grooves are determined by the material properties of the core of the panel. In view of the strength of the connecting and locking means required for a secure connection, the core of the panel must therefore be harder, stronger, heavier and more expensive than is necessary, for example, for a floor covering.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,341 discloses panels in which the fastening means are connected to the edges of the panels in the form of strips, so that the materials used for the panels and the connecting means can each be optimised. In order to connect the connecting means to the panels, hook-shaped anchors are formed on the connecting strips, which engage with undercutting provided on the panels. An undercut geometry of this kind can only be manufactured at a considerable expense.
WO-A-00/20706 and WO-A-00/20705 disclose flooring panels which can be connected to one another via separate connecting profiles by moving the longitudinal edges horizontally towards one another or by lowering the longitudinal edges vertically. Accordingly, the locking means must lock on both sides, that is, with the longitudinal edges of two profiles to be connected. This increases manufacturing costs, because the separate connecting means must be attached to the longitudinal side of a profile in the factory. Otherwise, the work required on-site by the installer is increased, because, immediately before installation, the installer has to connect the connecting means first to one side and then to the other side of the panel to be connected. Accordingly, the connecting means are not firmly connected to the panel on both sides, thereby doubling the risk of accidental separation and rendering the connection less rigid and less strong. Moreover, additional processing stages must be carried out for each connection, namely, for two grooves and two tongues. Normally one groove and one tongue is sufficient for each connection.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved arrangement for building elements with connecting means, which removes the disadvantages named above.

Arrangement of building elements with connecting means


A virtual reality augmented massage therapy system and method is disclosed. Using this system taps into all of the key senses that people use to evaluate their surroundings, which in turn helps them to relax and feel comfortable. Simply stated, the more stimulus inputs a person's brain receives to determine its presence in an environment, the more immersed the person will become in the generated environment.

Embodiments of the invention described in this specification relate generally to virtual reality (VR) systems, and more particularly, to a virtual reality augmented massage therapy system and a method for providing virtual reality augmented massage therapy.
Many people suffer from anxiety, panic attacks and depression which in many cases are influenced by or directly attributed to their daily routines and responsibilities. Having a way to regularly alter ones mental state through practical, holistic means, has proven to be an effective way to battle some of these physiological disorders.
Other methods of using VR to address anxiety and stress typically focus only on an audio and visual experiences which use a head-mounted display and some form of standalone or integrated computer. These types of singular VR experiences don't sync up with external devices or stimulate sensations like smell, temperature and touch. When relying on just an audio/visual VR experience, the sense of immersion is very limited.
Therefore, what is needed is a way to tap into all of the key senses that people use to evaluate their surroundings, which in turn helps them to relax and feel comfortable. Simply stated, the more sensory inputs a person's brain receives to determine its presence in an environment, the more immersed the person will become in the generated environment.

Virtual reality augmented massage therapy system and method


A self-supporting tyre for a vehicle wheel includes a carcass structure, a belt structure, a tread band, a pair of sidewalls, and at least one elastic stiffening insert. The carcass structure includes at least one carcass ply provided with end flaps engaged with respective annular reinforcing structures. The annular reinforcing structures are disposed in coaxial relationship with a geometric rotation axis of the tyre at positions axially spaced apart from each other. Each annular reinforcing structure includes at least one first circumferentially inextensible annular anchoring insert. The at least one elastic stiffening insert is incorporated into the carcass structure, at least at one of the sidewalls, and includes a radially internal end portion at least partly disposed in axial side-by-side relationship against the at least one first annular anchoring insert. A method of making the tyre is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a self-supporting tyre for vehicle wheels, comprising: a carcass structure having at least one carcass ply with end flaps in engagement with respective annular reinforcing structures which are disposed in coaxial relationship with a geometric rotation axis of the tyre at positions axially spaced apart from each other and each comprising at least one first circumferentially-inextensible annular anchoring insert; a belt structure applied to the carcass structure at a radially external position thereof; a tread band applied to the belt structure at a radially external position of same; at least one pair of sidewalls applied at laterally opposite positions to the carcass structure; at least one elastic stiffening insert incorporated into the carcass structure at least at one of said sidewalls.
The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a self-supporting tyre for vehicle wheels, comprising the steps of: preparing a carcass structure having at least one carcass ply provided with end flaps in engagement with respective annular reinforcing structures disposed in coaxial relationship with a geometric rotation axis of the tyre at positions axially spaced apart from each other and each comprising at least one first circumferentially-inextensible annular anchoring insert; applying a belt structure to the carcass structure at a radially external position thereof; applying a tread band to the belt structure at a radially external position of same; applying a pair of sidewalls at laterally opposite positions to the carcass structure; incorporating at least one elastic stiffening insert into the carcass structure, at least at one of said sidewalls.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tyres for vehicle wheels essentially comprise a carcass structure made up of one or more carcass plies that, in the most classic solutions, have the respective inner circumferential edges turned up around inextensible annular inserts being part of annular reinforcing structures and placed at axially opposite positions in the regions usually identified as tyre "beads".
Applied to the carcass ply or plies, at a radially external position, is a belt structure comprising one or more belt layers radially superposed in succession. A tread band of elastomer material is radially superposed on the belt structure. The outer sides of the carcass structure are also covered with respective sidewalls made of elastomer material as well.
It is to be pointed out that, to the aims of the present invention, by the term "elastomer material" it is intended a rubber blend in its entirety, that is the assembly made up of at least one base polymer suitably amalgamated with reinforcing fillers and/or process additives of various types.
To give the tyre self-support qualities, i.e. the capacity to ensure ride over short-medium distances in the absence of inflation pressure, due to a puncture for example, one or more stiffening inserts of elastomer material are known to be integrated into the carcass structure, close to the tyre sidewalls; said inserts are usually referred to as "lunettes" and they conveniently support the vehicle load when the usual inflating pressure of the tyre is lacking.
In this connection different manufacturing solutions have been proposed, aiming at giving the tyre the required self-support features, without impairing ride comfort when the tyre is inflated. These solutions are essentially diversified as regards both the physico-chemical features of the elastomers employed in making the elastic stiffening inserts, and the number of the inserts to be provided, as well as in terms of positioning of said inserts relative to the carcass ply or plies.
Examples of these solutions that however do not ensure satisfactory results, are known from documents EP 0385192, U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,131 and GB 2053815 showing self-supporting structures comprising one lunette alone placed at each sidewall and disposed internally of the carcass ply or plies.
Good results, particularly as regards the tyre self-supporting capacity under deflated conditions, are achieved by adopting manufacturing solutions in which at least one of the elastic stiffening inserts which are present at each sidewall, is enclosed between two carcass plies forming a sort of closed container around it, as disclosed in documents GB 2087805, EP 475258 and EP 542252, for example.
The Applicant has however perceived that placing the elastic stiffening inserts in a sort of closed container defined by the carcass plies turned up around the annular anchoring structures tends to increase stiffness of the tyre sidewall too much, not only with reference to its vertical flexibility, i.e. in connection with substantially radial stresses with respect to the rotation axis of the tyre, but also with reference to its torsional responsiveness, i.e. in connection with stresses directed tangentially of the circumferential extension of the tyre itself.
By adopting particular expedients, as described in documents EP 475258 and EP 542252 in the name of the same Applicant for example, the possibility of restricting within limits, the vertical stiffness of the sidewall under running conditions with an inflated tyre are achieved. On the other hand, these technical solutions tend to make the tyre structure more complicated and heavier and are not efficient for the purpose of limiting the torsional stiffness which, as found out by the Applicant, is one of the decisive factors in terms of ride comfort, particularly at medium/high speeds. In fact, the tyre capacity of absorbing impacts transmitted by potholes or other unevennesses present in a road surface depends on the torsional stiffness of the tyre.
In accordance with the present invention it has been found that in the field of self-supporting-tyre manufacture, unexpected advantages can be reached if the elastic stiffening inserts have flaps axially overlapping the inextensible annular inserts, to ensure better anchoring of the reinforcing element to the annular structures and, through it, to the mounting rim during use at zero pressure.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel self-supporting tyre characterized in that said elastic stiffening insert has a radially-internal end portion disposed at least partly in axial side by side relationship against said first annular anchoring insert.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of manufacturing a self-supporting tyre for vehicle wheels, characterized by the fact of disposing said at least one first annular anchoring insert at a position in side by side relationship against a radially-internal end portion of the elastic stiffening insert.

Self-supporting tyre for a vehicle wheel, and method of making the tyre


An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus with attach/detach sections to/from which a developer container is attachable/detachable and an image bearing body. A driver instructs the apparatus to execute single-color or color-image formation. When a developer container is attached to each attach/detach section, the apparatus is usable as a color image forming apparatus. When a developer container is attached to only one attach/detach section, the apparatus is usable as a single-color image forming apparatus. The apparatus forms an image when the driver instructs the apparatus that is being used as the color image forming apparatus to execute single-color-image formation. The apparatus does not form an image when the driver instructs the apparatus that is being used as the single-color image forming apparatus to execute color-image formation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming systems and image forming apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are known image forming systems that comprise, for example: an image forming apparatus including a plurality of attach/detach sections to and from each of which a developing unit (which serves as an example of a developer container for containing developer) can be attached and detached, and an image bearing body for bearing a latent image; and a computer that is capable of communicating with the image forming apparatus and that is provided with a driver capable of instructing execution of image formation to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus of the type described above forms images by developing the latent image bore on the image bearing body with the developer contained in the developing unit(s) attached to the attach/detach section(s). In such image forming systems, when image data are transmitted from the computer in accordance with instructions given by the driver to execute image formation, the image forming apparatus moves the developing units to thereby locate one of them at a developing position opposing the image bearing body. A developer image is formed by developing the latent image formed on the image bearing body, and the image is temporarily transferred onto an intermediate transferring body. The developer image formed on the intermediate transferring body is then transferred onto a medium to form an image thereon. (See, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2002-333756. )
In some situations, a user may wish to use a color image forming apparatus as a monochrome image forming apparatus by attaching, for example, only a black developing unit, which contains black developer, to the image forming apparatus. In order to fulfill such a desire, it is advantageous to use an image forming apparatus in which, when a developing unit is attached to each of the plurality of attach/detach sections, the image forming apparatus can be used as a color image forming apparatus for forming color imaged by developing the latent image bore on the image bearing body with the developer contained in each of the developing units; and on the other hand, when a developing unit is attached to only one of the plurality of attach/detach sections, the image forming apparatus can be used as a single-color image forming apparatus for forming a single-color image by developing the latent image bore on the image bearing body with the developer contained in that developing unit.
(1) Usually, a user makes an image forming apparatus, of the type described above, form monochrome images when the image forming apparatus is being used as a monochrome image forming apparatus, and makes the image forming apparatus form color images when it is being used as a color image forming apparatus.
There are situations, however, in which the user gives instructions to the image forming system to form monochrome images when the image forming apparatus is being used as a color image forming apparatus, or conversely, gives instructions to the image forming system to form color images when the image forming apparatus is being used as a monochrome image forming apparatus.
For the sake of achieving simplification of processes, it is preferable that processes of the image forming system are always the same for situations in which the state of use of the image forming apparatus regarding its monochrome/color modes and the instructions relating to monochrome/color image formation do not match, as with the situations described above.
One way to achieve process simplification by adopting common processes is to make the image forming system carry out the image forming processes in both situations described above. In this case, however, if the user gives instructions to the system to form color images when the image forming apparatus is being used as a monochrome image forming apparatus, then images that do not meet the user's expectations will be formed because only the black developing unit containing black developer is attached to the image forming apparatus.
Another way to achieve process simplification by adopting common processes is to make the image forming system not carry out image forming processes at all for both situations described above. This, however, would be disadvantageous for the user if he/she gives instructions to the system to form monochrome images when the image forming apparatus is being used as a color image forming apparatus, because the structure of the image forming apparatus allows it to form monochrome images even when it is being used as a color image forming apparatus.
(2) Further, users are supplied with drivers that are capable of instructing image forming apparatuses of the type described above to execute image formation. It may be disadvantageous for the user, however, if the same driver is used as the driver for instructing the image forming apparatus to execute image formation when it is being used as a color image forming apparatus, and as the driver for instructing the image forming apparatus to execute image formation when it is being used as a single-color image forming apparatus. For example, if the driver is capable of being commonly used for instructing both color-image formation and single-color-image formation, then, in cases where the user instructs execution of color-image formation when the image forming apparatus is being used as a single-color image forming apparatus, the driver will instruct the image forming apparatus, which is being used as a single-color image forming apparatus, to form color images. As a result, contrary to the user's intentions, the user may not be able to obtain the images that he/she wishes. On the contrary, if a driver is capable of instructing execution of only single-color-image formation, then the driver could only instruct the image forming apparatus to form single-color images, even when it is being used as a color image forming apparatus.

Image forming system and image forming apparatus


A switch system and method transfer a data packet from a source data port to one or more destination data ports through a switch. The system comprises a source input buffer, a first and a second source input path, a first and a second output path and at least one crosspoint circuit. The source input buffer includes a first and a second data section. The first and the second data sections are coupled to the first and the second input paths respectively. The first and the second input paths couple through the crosspoint circuits at each intersection with the first and the second output paths. The method includes loading the data packets into data sections of an input buffer, transferring each data packet across an input path dedicated for each data section, transmitting each data packet over its input path, and switching the data from the input path to the output path based on a voltage differential. A crosspoint circuit in the switch system includes a first and a second reduced voltage swing line, a first and a second transistor circuit for each data input path and a sense amplifier for a data port. The first reduced voltage swing line is coupled to the first transistor circuit, the second reduced voltage swing line is coupled to the second transistor circuit and both reduced voltage swing lines are connected to the sense amplifier. The method of the unit comprises the steps of charging a first and a second reduced voltage swing line to a predetermined voltage, discharging the voltage from the first reduced voltage swing line, maintaining the voltage in the second voltage line, receiving a clock signal at the sense amplifier, and generating an output signal based on a voltage differential between the voltage lines.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the field of electronic routing systems, and in particular, to a switch system and method for routing data packets between data ports.
2. Description of the Related Art
A crossbar switch system is a relay operated device or the equivalent that makes a connection between a one-bit signal line in one set of signal lines and a one-bit signal line in another set of signal lines that are essentially orthogonally oriented relative to the signal lines in the one set. In a typical chip, a crossbar switch is used to route data from one data port to another data port. Traditional cell-based, full logic swing crossbar switches involved many switching elements that caused long time delays and high power consumption due to the capacitance of the switching elements and the resistance and capacitance of the metal. Generally, conventional systems routed data by moving the data to be transmitted from a transmitting data port to an input buffer associated with that data port, along a single data line, to an input of a crossbar switch, to an intersection at which a second data line that is also connected to the crossbar switch connects, to an output of the crossbar switch, and to the receiving data port.
In a typical conventional system, a crossbar switch system has six bi-directional data lines, so that there is only one data line for each data port that is numbered for simplicity 1 through 6. Each data port has a data buffer and each data buffer includes block units that each hold a portion of a packet of data. Typically, there are six to eight block units in each data buffer. Each data buffer is coupled to the data line associated with that particular data port. Within the crossbar switch, each data line is coupled to each other data line at an intersection point. Typically, data lines 1, 2, and 3 are positioned horizontally, while data lines 4, 5, and 6 are positioned vertically, so that the lines form a grid or orthogonally oriented data lines. Where two lines intersect and couple together is an intersection point for connecting two data ports.
When the conventional system is operational, a data port loads its associated buffer with the packets of data it seeks to transmit, along with information on the priority of the data in the blocks and on which output port to transmit the data. An arbitration process is also employed to determine the order in which the block units are to transmit over the data line to the crossbar switch. Furthermore, a second arbitration process at the output end determines whether the destination data port is available to receive the data from the data blocks. In conventional systems the arbitration processes occur to provide a priority of transmission. Once a block of data successfully gets access to both the transmitting data line and the receiving data line, the data is transmitted to the crossbar switch and to the destination data port by switching from the transmitting line to the receiving line at the intersection point where the two lines couple together. Similarly, another data port may undertake a similar operation to transmit data from its buffer, along its data lizne to the crossbar switch, to the intersection point where the data line coupled to the destination port couples to the transmitting data line, and out to the destination data port.
The following examples illustrate operation of the conventional systems. As a first example, the data port 1 seeks to transmit its data packets to the data port 6. The data port 1 loads the data packets into the blocks, for example 8 data packets into 8 blocks, of the data port 1 buffer. Each data packet in the data port 1 buffer also includes priority information such as low, medium, or high, as well as address information to direct transmission of the data to the data port 6. The system begins using a first arbitration process to determine the order of transmitting the data packets in the blocks across data line 1 to the crossbar switch. A second arbitration process then determines whether the data port 6 is available to receive the data packets. Once these arbitration processes are completed and a data block is given access to both the data line 1 and the data line 6, the data packet from that data block is transmitted across the data line 1 into the crossbar switch, to the intersection point where the data line 1 couples with the data line 6, onto the data line 6 and out to the data port 6. The problem with this approach is that two arbitration processes decrease system performance as system time and resources are consumed to arrange and order the data packets before transmission begins. Moreover, in the conventional systems, internal blocking is not prevented. Internal blocking is a typical problem in conventional systems where a data packet destined for a particular data port is unable to transmit to that data port because of a transmission of another data packet to that data port.
As a second example, both the data port 1 and the data port 3 seek to transmit their respective data packets to the data port 6. In this implementation, each source data port undergoes a first arbitration process to determine the order to transmit the data packets in the data blocks of their own data buffer across their data line and to the crossbar switch. A second arbitration process is also applied to determine whether the data port 6 is available to receive the data packets, and if so, from where it may receive the data packets, that is either from the data port 1 buffer or the data port 3 buffer. After the two arbitration processes are completed, the data block that won both arbitration processes begins transmitting through its data line, to the crossbar switch, to the data line 6 and onto the data port 6. All other data packets in the data blocks of the data port 1 and the data port 3 must wait to transmit. Once again, the problem with this approach is that the two arbitration processes require significant system time and resources resulting in decreased overall system performance for routing data.
As a third example of a crossbar switch system, the data port 1 seeks to transmit a data packet to the data port 6. In this example, the data port 1 has already undergone the first arbitration process and begins transmission of the data packets from its data input buffer to the data port 6. Subsequently, the data port 3 seeks to transmit its data packets from the data blocks of its data input buffer, with the data packets from some blocks destined for the data port 6 and the data packets from other blocks destined for the data port 5. Moreover, the data blocks holding the data packets to be transmitted to the data port 6 are designated high priority while the data blocks holding the data packets to be transmitted to the data port 5 are designated medium priority.
During the first arbitration process for the data port 3 data packet, the data packets in the data blocks destined for the data port 6 are ordered in terms of their priority for transmission across the data line 3. However, the second arbitration process will not permit transmission to the data port 6 because the data port 6 is unable to receive a data transmission as it is busy receiving data from the data port 1. Moreover, the data in the data blocks destined for the data port 5 are also unable to transmit because it lost the first arbitration process to the high priority blocks that are waiting to transmit across the data line 6 and onto the data port 6. The data packets in the data blocks destined for the data port 6 have been given priority and control of the data line 3, by virtue of prevailing in the first arbitration process, until its transmission is completed. This problem described and associated with the conventional systems is another example of internal blocking. Internal blocking also occurs where multiple data packets having the same priority reside in the same data input buffer. Internal blocking decreases system performance because of the greater time required to transmit the data packets when a higher priority data block is unable to transmit forcing lower priority data blocks to remain idle and wait until the higher priority data block completes its transmission.
Another problem associated with conventional crossbar switch systems involves using a full-swing operational implementation to switch logic states. A drop voltage level necessary to trigger the switch cannot be reached. For example, if the voltage required to switch a state is 2.5 volts ("V") for ON and 0.8 V for OFF and the system voltage level only reaches 2.3 V, a switch may not switch ON. The problem with the prior art systems is that longer clock cycle times are required as the system must wait to switch states until the voltage level can rise back to 2.5 volts. Moreover, the full-swing bus implementation of the prior art systems results in greater power dissipation on the chip. Thus, there is a decrease in the performance and power ratio on the chip.
Therefore, there is a need for a crossbar switch system that provides faster and more efficient data throughput thereby increasing overall switch system performance. There is also a need for a switch data bus that allows for faster and more efficient switching despite being heavily loaded and being wired with resistive interconnect.

Crossbar switch and method with reduced voltage swing and no internal blocking data path


Two position sensors provide, as outputs, two signals that vary sinusoidally at a pitch of wavelength λ with respect to a displacement of a target and have phases shifted from each other by 90°. A memory unit has stored therein offset values for the two signals, and two subtractors eliminate the offset values from the two signals, respectively. The two signals after offset elimination are converted into position data in an interpolation calculator. A radius calculator calculates a radius value of the two signals after offset elimination. An FFT calculates offset values based on the position data and the radius values, and the calculated offset values are used to update the values stored in the memory unit. An amplitude ratio correction value and a phase difference correction value for the two signals are updated similarly. By performing elimination of the components that degrade interpolation accuracy at every rotational position, interpolation accuracy is improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a position detector that converts, into position information, output signals from a position sensor which outputs two signals that sinusoidally vary at a pitch of wavelength λ with respect to a measured displacement and have phases shifted from each other by 90 degrees.
2. Description of the Related Art
At a rotation shaft of a rotary table or the like of a machining tool, a drive scheme achieved by combining a reduction gear such as a worm gear with a servo motor was previously employed. However, drive schemes using reduction gears are disadvantageous in that accuracy degradation occurs due to backlash, and increase of rotational speed is limited. Accordingly, in recent years, a direct motor drive scheme achieved by incorporating a built-in motor to facilitate accomplishing high accuracy and high speed has been employed at the rotation shaft.
In a rotary table or the like of a machining tool, high-accuracy position detectors are conventionally employed for providing feedback in performing position control. In order to increase the position detection accuracy, these position detectors are configured using a position sensor which outputs two signals that sinusoidally vary at a small pitch with respect to a measured displacement and have phases shifted from each other by 90 degrees. Such a position sensor is used because, even when the resolution accuracy (hereinafter referred to as interpolation accuracy) within the pitch obtained by performing interpolation processing with respect to the two signals is poor, as long as the pitch is small, the ratio by which the interpolation accuracy influences the actual position detection accuracy remains small.
However, in this type of position detector, when rotation about the axis is performed at a high speed, the frequency of the output signals becomes excessively high. For this reason, a position detector of this type that can be used at high rotational speeds has not been available. Accordingly, the rotation shafts driven by the direct motor drive scheme which facilitates high-speed rotation were subjected to restraints in high-speed performance by the position detectors available.
In light of this background, there has been a need for position detectors capable of enhancing the interpolation accuracy even when a position sensor that outputs signals having long pitches in response to a measured displacement is used. Position detectors of this type are disclosed in JP 4-136715 A, JP 2003-14440 A, JP 2005-156348 A, and the like.


An apparatus for controlling a solid state drive (SSD) includes an host interface, to receive a set of memory access commands from a host computer, and processing circuitry coupled to the host interface and to memory cells of the SSD, to distinguish the write commands from the read commands in the set, and execute up to a threshold number of the write commands prior to executing any of the read commands.

Modern client solid state devices (SSDs) use cached commands for both read and write operations to maximize performance. For SSD capacities that have, for example, a single die per channel, caching of memory commands may provide a fifty percent (50%) increase in throughput per unit time. While a read only workload, or a write only one, may benefit from memory command caching, a mixed workload of both read and write commands may not. This is because the cached commands in such a mixed workload are repeatedly interrupted by a change in operations. For example, a cached read is interrupted by a new write instruction, and a cached write is interrupted by a new read instruction.

Method to improve mixed workload performance on storage devices that use cached operations


A vending machine for dispensing products includes a germicidal light for disinfecting a product dispensed by the vending machine. The germicidal light is positioned adjacent an exit chute of the vending machine such that it exposes the product to a sterilizing frequency of light when the product is dispensed. Alternatively, the products may be intermittently exposed to the sterilizing light while the products are on display in accordance with a predetermined exposure schedule. The invention is particularly effective when it is used in connection with a canned drink machine.

Millions of American eat and drink from vending machines on a daily basis. Unfortunately, many of the products, such as drinks in aluminum cans, are consumed directly out of the packaging. As the person's lips and mouth come into contact with the exterior of the package or can, they are exposed to any bacteria or germs that may be on the can. These germs can come from the hands of individuals that came in to contact with the can or product, the internal portions of the machine, storage facilities or simply from the air surrounding the products and the vending machine. Also, after the Sep. 11, 2001 attacks, and the wide attention to anthrax being passed in the mail and on packages, more concern is being directed toward preventing intentional contamination of food items. Thus, people are now more likely than ever to question whether products purchased from vending machines are safe and sanitary.

Installation of germicidal lights in vending machines


In an exhaust gas turbocharger turbine for an internal combustion engine including a turbine housing with a turbine wheel disposed therein, an axially movable slide member having a front end with a vane structure is disposed in an annular gap formed in the turbine housing adjacent a radial flow passage leading to the turbine wheel such that the annular slide member is movable between a first position in which its vane structure is disposed in the radial flow passage and a second position in which the vane structure is received within the annular gap and blow off passages which extend through the turbine housing from the radial flow passage through the annular gap to the discharge side of the turbine are opened when the annular slide member is further retracted for discharging gas from the radial flow passage to the turbine discharge side while by-passing the turbine.

The invention resides in an exhaust gas turbocharger for an internal combustion engine with a turbine housing including an axially movable slide member with guide vanes movable into, and out of, the exhaust gas flow to the turbine wheel.
Such an exhaust gas turbocharger is disclosed in DE 43 32 400 C1, wherein the exhaust gas turbocharger turbine and the exhaust gas flow can be controlled by the guide vanes of the slide member depending on the operating state of the internal combustion engine. In a low rpm range of the internal combustion engine and during engine braking operation, the guide vane structure is for example inserted into the exhaust gas flow path such that the guide vanes form a radial flow guide structure in the annular exhaust gas admission flow path to the turbine wheel.
In this way, an increased charge air pressure is obtained in the associated compressor since the exhaust gas flow speed into the turbine is increased by the flow guide structure.
In the intermediate and in the upper speed range of the engine, the guide vanes are removed from the exhaust gas inlet passage to the turbine wheel whereby the flow cross-section thereof is increased. In this way, the charge air pressure in the compressor remains within the required limits preventing damage to the turbine components. The axial slide member with the guide vane structure provides actually for a turbine with a two stage operability.
Any exhaust gas turbocharger is to be adapted to the particular operating conditions of the associated internal combustion engine, particularly as far as flow rates and charge pressures are concerned. In order for the compressor to reach a desired charge pressure, the turbine must be designed with a particular excess size. Then however, it is disadvantageous that the efficiency of the relatively large turbine during braking operation of the internal combustion engine is too low. For this reason, it is known to provide various devices and measures which generate a high back pressure in the exhaust of the internal combustion engine whereby the braking power is increased.
Another disadvantage of excess size turbines is that, upon removing the guide vane structure from the radial annular gas admission flow channel, there is a relatively large jump to a lower pressure level. This means that a correspondingly long time is required for reaching a predetermined maximum charge pressure.
DE 32 44 928 discloses an exhaust gas turbocharger for an internal combustion engine wherein an air pressure release line extends between the charge air manifold and the exhaust gas manifold. Excess charge air under pressure can be discharged this way to the turbine exhaust side. In addition, a control valve arrangement is provided including a pressure release valve and a flow control valve.
DE 36 06 944 A1 discloses an exhaust gas turbocharger with a turbine housing which includes a radial gas inlet and an axial gas outlet channel. A bypass line interconnecting the gas inlet and gas outlet channels leads to an annular recess in the wall of the gas outlet channel. For controlling the bypass amount, an annular rotary valve is arranged in the recess and includes a radial control passage which can be brought, by rotation of the annular rotary valve by means of a linkage, into, or out of, alignment with the bypass line discharge opening.
For further general background information reference is made to DE 43 15 474 C1.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an exhaust gas turbocharger which will have a high efficiency during engine braking operation but which nevertheless generates an optimal charge pressure during operation of the internal combustion engine under full load.

Exhaust gas turbocharger for an internal combustion engine


An electron-emitting device in which the specific capacitance and the drive voltage are reduced, and which is capable of obtaining a finer electron beam by controlling the trajectory of emitted electrons. An electron-emitting portion of an electron-emitting member is positioned between the height of a gate and the height of an anode. When the distance between the gate and a cathode is d; the potential difference at driving the device is V1; the distance between the anode and the substrate is H; and the potential difference between the anode and the cathode is V2, then the electric field E1=V1/d during driving is configured to be within the range from 1 to 50 times E2=V2/H.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electron-emitting device, an electron-emitting apparatus, an electron source and an image-forming apparatus. The present invention also relates to a display apparatus such as a television broadcast display, a display for use in a video conference system or a computer display, and to an image-forming apparatus designed as an optical printer using a photosensitive drum or the like.
2. Related Background Art
A field emission (FE) type of electron-emitting device which emits electrons from a surface of a metal when a strong electric field of 106 V/cm or higher is applied to the metal, and which is one of the known cold cathode electron sources, is attracting attention.
If the FE-type cold electron source is put to practical use, a thin emissive type image display apparatus can be realized. The FE-type cold electron source also contributes to reductions in power consumption and weight of an image display apparatus.
FIG. 13 shows a vertical FE-type cold electron source structure formed of a substrate 131, an emitter electrode 132, an insulating layer 133, an emitter 135, and an anode 136. The shape of an electron beam with which the anode is irradiated is indicated by 137. This structure is of a Spindt type such that an opening is formed in the insulating layer 133 and the gate electrode 134 provided on the cathode 132, and the emitter 135 having a conical shape is placed in the opening. (This type of structure is disclosed by, for example, C. A. Spindt, "Physical Properties of thin-film field emission cathodes with molybdenum cones", J. Appl. Phys., 47, 5248 (1976).)
FIG. 14 shows a lateral FE structure formed of a substrate 141, an emitter electrode 142, an insulating layer 143, an emitter 145, and an anode 146. The shape of an electron beam with which the anode is irradiated is indicated by 147. The emitter 145 having an acute extreme end and the gate electrode 144 for drawing out electrons from the extreme end of the emitter are disposed above and parallel to the substrate, and the collector (anode) is formed above the gate electrode and the emitter electrode remote from the substrate (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,728,851, 4,904,895, etc.).
Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-115652 discloses an electron-emitting device using fibrous carbon which is deposited in a narrow gap by performing thermal cracking of an organic chemical compound gas on a catalyst metal.
In an image display apparatus using one of the above-described FE-type electron sources, an electron beam spot is obtained which has a size (hereinafter referred to as "beam diameter") depending on the distance H between the electron source and the phosphor, the anode voltage Va, and the device drive voltage Vf. The beam diameter is smaller than a millimeter and the image display apparatus has sufficiently high resolution.
In recent years, however, there has been a tendency to require higher resolution of image display apparatuses.
Further, with the increase in the number of display pixels, power consumption during driving due to the device capacitance of electron-emitting devices is increased. Therefore there is a need to reduce the device capacitance and the drive voltage and to improve the efficiency of electron-emitting devices.
In the above-described Spindt type of electron source, the gate is laminated on the substrate with the insulating layer interposed therebetween, so that parasitic capacitances are produced between large capacitances and a multiplicity of emitters. Moreover, the drive voltage is high, several ten to several hundred volts, and capacitive power consumption is disadvantageously large because of the specific structure.
Also, since the beam of electrons drawn out spreads out, there is a need for a focusing electrode for limiting spreading of the beam. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 7-6714 discloses a method of converging electron trajectories by disposing an electrode for focusing electrons. This method, however, has the problem of an increase in complexity of the manufacturing process, a reduction in electron emission efficiency, etc., due to the addition of the focusing electrode.
In ordinary lateral FE electron sources, electrons emitted from the cathode are liable to impinge on the opposed gate electrode. Therefore the structure of lateral FE electron sources has the problem of a reduction in the efficiency (the ratio of the electron current flowing through the gate and the electron current reaching the anode) and considerable spreading of the beam shape on the anode.

Electron-emitting device, electron-emitting apparatus, image display apparatus, and light-emitting apparatus


Monomer/solvent separation and recycle processes for continuous supercritical, solution and advanced solution polymerization processes for propylene-containing polymers and their blends are provided. The advantageous monomer/solvent separation and recycle process includes heating a polymer-lean recycle stream coming from a gravimetric separator positioned downstream of the reactor to form a heated polymer-lean recycle stream, and subsequently combining the heated polymer-lean recycle stream with the one or more homogenous reactor effluent streams to form a heated reactor effluent mixed stream. The heated reactor effluent mixed stream may then be passed through a pressure let-down valve followed and a gravimetric separator, such as to provide for reduced fouling propensity of the polymer-rich phase and sufficient heating of the polymer-rich phase to be able to pass through the remainder of the processing steps to form a propylene based polymer product without additional heat.

Advanced solution polymerization processes, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/961,583 involve increased monomer concentrations in the polymerization reactor(s) delivering polymeric products with improved properties, such as higher molecular weight and melting/crystallization temperatures. Similar advantages are disclosed for supercritical polymerization as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/667,585. For the case of the production of the isotactic polypropylene using the advanced solution and supercritical polymerization process, the higher propylene concentration enables the production of highly crystalline isotactic polypropylenes with sufficiently low melt flow rates. Higher monomer concentrations also enable higher polymer concentrations in the reactor effluent thus reducing the monomer recycle ratio and with it the cost of monomer and solvent recycle. Both processes are performed in homogeneous dense fluid polymerization systems.
Homogeneous polymerization processes, such as supercritical, solution, and advanced solution polymerization, advantageously employ phase separators for recovering the bulk of the low molecular weight monomer and solvent components from the reactor effluent for recycle as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/854,93. The separation process involves heating the reactor effluent before letting its pressure down to rapidly cross the fluid-fluid phase separation boundary from the single-phase to the two-phase region in the phase diagram. The heating step needs to introduce enough heat to cover the enthalpy of evaporation of the solvent and monomer remnants after phase separation, plus the heat required to stay above the melting point of the polymer, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,989. With solution polymerization processes, for example, this entails raising the temperature of the reactor effluent from around 50 to 90° C. to about 160 to 200° C. in a heat exchanger. The maximum temperature typically is limited by the reactor effluent crossing into the two-phase region upon heating, due to the reduced solvency at increasing temperatures. If a polymer-rich phase forms in the heat-exchanger, it tends to foul the heat exchanger, resulting in a substantial deterioration of the heat transfer coefficient and other plant operation problems.
This limitation becomes even more severe in the advanced solution and supercritical polymerization processes described in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/961,583 and 10/667,585 respectively, because the solvency of the reactor effluent is reduced by the higher monomer concentration, i.e., the monomers are poorer solvents for the product polymer than the inert solvent (typically paraffinic hydrocarbons, such as hexanes or octanes, etc.). This issue may limit the temperature to which the reactor effluent can be heated and/or the maximum polymer concentration in the reactor effluent, and correspondingly, may lead to difficulties in removing the solvent and monomer remnants from the final product and increase the volume and cost of recycle, and reduce plant capacity for a given separation and devolatilization train.
Hence, there is a need for an improved monomer separation and recycle process that can reduce or even eliminate these limitations caused by the increased monomer concentrations in the reactor effluent. The improvements can be particularly advantageous for the supercritical and advanced solution polymerization processes due to their typically lower concentration of solvents in the polymer-containing reactor effluents resulting in lower fluid-fluid phase separation temperatures as compared to the conventional solution processes practiced today. In regard to supercritical and advanced solution polymerization processes, an improved monomer separation and recycle process would allow all the benefits of the increased monomer concentration, namely the improved product capability, and reduced cost of monomer and solvent recycle to be captured. Nonetheless, the disclosed monomer/solvent separation-recycle process configurations provide advantages even in a conventional solution polymerization plant operating with higher solvent concentrations by providing a reduced risk of fouling in the separation-recycle train.

Monomer/solvent separation and recycle process for propylene containing polymers

Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company


The present disclosure provides a method for batting practice. The method includes securing a baseball training device to a leg of a user; positioning a stand assembly adjacent to the user; and swinging a baseball bat such that a ball positioned on the stand assembly attaches to the plate of the device. The device includes a body and a plate attached to and extending outwardly from the body.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
Proper swinging mechanics in baseball are imperative to give the hitter a better chance of success at each at bat. It is known that hip rotation and follow through during a swing of a baseball bat is needed to achieve a batter's hitting potential. Many systems have been developed to train a batter to hit a baseball correctly and to teach proper hip rotation. However, such systems are difficult to transport, expensive, and ineffective in ensuring proper hip rotation and follow through. The present disclosure provides a system and method that is simple to use, inexpensive, and effective in ensuring hip rotation and follow through.


A prosthetic spinal disc nucleus pulposus formed from a hydrogel formed by crosslinking a macromer having a polymeric backbone comprising units with a 1,2-diol or 1,3-diol structure and at least two pendant chains bearing crosslinkable groups and an amphiphilic comonomer.

On occasion it becomes necessary to replace or augment a natural spinal disc nucleus pulposus with a prosthesis. For example, a spinal disc may become damaged due to trauma or disease resulting in a disc herniation. Such a prosthesis should preferably mimic the shape and function of the natural nucleus pulposus. Various types of prostheses have been designed, including hydrogels in the form of beads and solid implants. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,326 to Bao et al. discloses a prosthetic nucleus pulposus made of either a solid hydrogel core or a plurality of hydrogel beads surrounded by a membrane. The prosthesis is implanted in a dehydrated state and then hydrated to fill the intradiscal space.
Some prostheses include a constraining jacket to hold the prosthetic nucleus pulposus in place. However, such implants are large and require a large access point for insertion. To avoid this problem, implants have been proposed that rely on a composition that is inserted as a liquid and then hardens into a solid. U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,988 to Felt et al., for example, discloses an implant which includes a container that is inserted at the site of implantation and then filled with a material which is then cured in situ. The shape of this implant may be manipulated in situ and this implant may avoid problems of size and shape which would otherwise hinder implantation.
A similar prosthetic nucleus pulposus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,187,048 to Milner et al. which discloses a spinal disc implant comprising a composition of acrylates which is injected into the intradiscal space and induced to at least partially polymerize through the addition of a cross-linking agent. This prosthesis, however, is similar in composition to joint implants, which eventually decompose and become mobile.
WO 01/68721 to BioCure, Inc. discloses a composition useful for tissue bulking that includes macromers having a backbone of a polymer having units with a 1,2-diol and/or 1,3-diol structure. Such polymers include poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and hydrolyzed copolymers of vinyl acetate, for example, copolymers with vinyl chloride or N-vinylpyrrolidone. The backbone polymer contains pendant chains bearing crosslinkable groups and, optionally, other modifiers. The macromers form a hydrogel when crosslinked. This composition can be injected as a liquid and crosslinked into a solid hydrogel in situ.
The composition taught in WO 01/68721 results in a hydrogel that is suitable for many bio-applications. However, the hydrogel does not have the properties necessary for the particular and repeated stresses placed on a spinal disc nucleus pulposus.


A computer device, associated with a base station, may include a memory storing instructions and processor configured to execute the instructions to determine at least one of a channel quality variation or beam switching request frequency for a user equipment (UE) device communicating with the base station via wireless signals and determine a speed and direction of movement of the UE device based on the determined at least one of the channel quality variation or beam switching request frequency. The processor may be further configured to select an antenna beam pattern for the UE device based on the determined speed and direction of movement of the UE device and adjust an antenna beam associated with the UE device based on the selected antenna beam pattern.

In order to satisfy the needs and demands of users of mobile communication devices, providers of wireless communication services continue to improve and expand available services as well as networks used to deliver such services. One aspect of such improvements includes the development of wireless access networks as well as options to utilize such wireless access networks. A wireless access network may manage a large number of devices using different types of services and experiencing various types of different conditions. Managing all the various types of different conditions that may arise poses various challenges.

Systems and methods for adaptive beamforming management


A particulate trap for a diesel engine use which is less likely to vibrate or deform under exhaust pressures and achieves good results in all of the particulate trapping properties, pressure drop, durability and regenerating properties. This trap has a filter element made of plurality of flat or cylindrical filters. Longitudinally extending exhaust incoming and outgoing spaces are defined alternately between the adjacent filters by alternately closing the inlet and outlet ends of the spaces between the adjacent filters. Gas permeable reinforcing members are inserted in the exhaust outgoing spaces to prevent the filter from being deformed due to the difference between the pressure upstream and downstream of each filter produced when exhausts pass through the filters. Similar gas permeable reinforcing members may also be inserted in the exhaust incoming spaces or at both ends of the filter element to more positively prevent vibration of the filters.

The present invention relates to a particulate trap for trapping and removing particulates such as carbon contained in diesel engine exhausts.
Exhaust gases from automobiles are a major cause of air pollution. It is therefore of extreme importance to develop a technique for removing noxious components in exhausts.
In particular, it is most urgently required to develop a technique for removing particulates components in diesel engine emissions, which are mainly made up of NOx and carbon.
To remove such noxious components in exhausts, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 58-51235 proposes to provide an exhaust trap in an exhaust line to trap any noxious components and remove them by after-treatment. Other conventional exhaust purifying means include various improvements in the engine itself such as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems and improved fuel injection systems. But none of them can be a decisive solution. As of today, after-treatment methods are considered more practical as exhaust purifying means. Rigorous efforts are now being made to develop after-treatment type exhaust purifying systems.
It is required that particulate traps for trapping particulates contained in diesel engine emissions satisfy all of the following requirements.
1) Particulate trapping capability
A particulate trap has to be capable of trapping particulate with such high efficiency that exhausts are purified to a satisfactory degree. It is considered necessary to trap an average of at least 60% of the particulates contained in diesel engine emissions, though the amount of particulates contained in exhausts depends upon the displacement of the diesel engine and the load applied.
Airborne particulates 2 .mu.m or less in diameter can enter human alveoli and reportedly trigger lung cancer. It is thus necessary that particulate traps be capable of efficiently trapping such small suspended particulates.
2) Pressure drop
The particulate trap has to be capable of keeping the pressure drop in exhaust gases to a minimum. If it causes a large pressure drop, a back pressure will act on the engine, aggravating the fuel economy. Thus, it is necessary that the particulate trap have a small initial exhaust pressure drop (when no particulates are trapped). As it traps particulates, its filter tends to be clogged with the trapped particulates, so that the pressure drop will increase gradually. It is necessary to keep the pressure drop to a minimum even after it has trapped a large amount of particulates.
3) Regeneration
The third requirement is that the trap can be regenerated at low energy cost. This is because the particulate trap has to be regenerated or recycled many times for repeated use by burning trapped particulates. An electric heater or a light oil burner is considered as a feasible means for burning off particulates.
4) Durability
Fourthly, the trap has to be sufficiently durable. It has to be highly resistant to corrosion when exposed to hot exhaust gases and to heat shocks produced while burning particulates.
5) Integration with a catalytic converter
Further, it is necessary to provide a catalytic converter integral with the trap. In order to remove noxious gas components in exhausts, a catalytic converter carrying a noxious gas removing catalyst may be provided in an engine exhaust line. If it is desired to further provide a separate particulate trap in the same exhaust line, there may be no available mounting space in the exhaust line. Also, the cost for separately providing such two different kinds of after-treatment type exhaust purifying systems tends to be rather high.
One of the existing filter element materials that satisfy the above-listed requirements is a wall-flow type, honeycomb porous member made of cordierite ceramics. It is considered the most practical.
But this filter has several problems. One problem is that particulates tend to collect locally. Another problem is that, because of low thermal conductivity of cordierite ceramic, this filter tends to develop heat spots during regeneration. As a result, the filter may melt or crack due to thermal stress. Such a filter is not durable enough. Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 4-265411 proposes to uniformly heat a ceramic foam filter by optimally arranging regenerating heaters. But in this arrangement, the filter supporting portion is relatively small, so that its durability is not so high as a honeycomb porous filter when subjected to vibration or exhaust pressure. A ceramic fiber trap made by forming ceramic fibers into a candle shape is gaining much attention these days. But this trap is not sufficiently durable either, because the fibers forming the trap tend to be broken due to reduced strength when exposed to high-temperature exhaust gases.
Metal traps (as disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publications 6-257422, 6-294313, 7-731 and 7-51522) are now considered more promising, because they are high in thermal conductivity, less likely to develop heat spots and cracks and highly corrosion-resistant in high-temperature exhausts.
We will discuss problems of conventional metal traps in connection with the abovementioned requirements 1)-5).
Conventional metal traps basically satisfy requirements 1) and 3). But as to the capacity of trapping suspended particulates 2 .mu.m or less in diameter in requirement 1), higher performance is desired.
As to requirement 2), conventional metal traps can cause a marked pressure drop after trapping particulates. If an especially low engine back pressure is required, these traps will be unsatisfactory. In order to minimize the pressure loss even after the filter element has trapped a large amount of particulates, the filter element has to have a large surface area (filtering area). But in order to increase the filtering area of a conventional metal trap filter element, it is necessary to use an extremely large trap.
In connection with requirement 4) the filter element of a conventional metal trap is deformed microscopically due to the pressure of the introduced exhausts, and can be destroyed due to stress resulting from the microscopic deformation. Also, since the trap is mounted in the exhaust line, its filter element is vibrated together with the trap, which may result in the destruction of the filter element. These problems are observed in harsh endurance tests.
As to requirement 5), it is sometimes necessary to integrally provide a catalytic converter on a conventional metal trap. For example, a catalyst may be integrally carried on a wall-flow type, honeycomb porous member made of a cordierite ceramic, which was originally developed as a DPF. In such a case, it may be difficult to heat the catalyst to a temperature at which it acts because the honeycomb porous member, having a large heat capacity, is slow to heat up.
An object of the present invention is to provide a particulate trap which is free of all the above problems and which satisfies all the requirements 1)-5).