Provided are methods for producing pentahalosulfur peroxides and monoxides, such as bis-(pentafluorosulfur) peroxide, that involve exposing a composition comprising a pentahalosulfur hypohalite, and optionally a sulfur hexahalide or trihalomethyl hypohalite, to a halogen free radical scavenger.

This invention relates to methods for preparing peroxides and monoxides having at least one pentahalosulfur (VI) functional group. The invention further relates to novel pentahalosulfur hypohalites useful in preparing these peroxides and monoxides, and methods of producing the same.
Compounds such as bis-(pentafluorosulfur) peroxide are known to be useful as reagents for introducing an oxypentafluorosulfur group (—OSF5) into an organic molecule, such as a benzene ring, by substitution or oxidative addition. (See, e.g., Claude I. Merrill, et. AI, Some Reactions of Bis-(pentafluorosulfur) Peroxide, Apr. 5, 1963.) The resulting organic compounds having —OSF5 functionality are useful in a wide range of diverse applications such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, and polymers.
For example, bis-(pentafluorosulfur) peroxide can be reacted with benzene to form oxypentafluorosulfanylbenzene, which is useful in the synthesis of liquid crystal compositions for liquid crystal displays (LCDs). In particular, the —OSF5 group of this compound imparts reduced rotational viscosity on the crystal, thereby allowing the crystal to switch faster and, in turn, improving the clarity of the LCD display. Oxypentafluorosulfanylbenzene (a.k.a. pentafluorosulfaoxybenzene) is also useful as a photodecomposable compound due to its ability to etch a silicon dioxide film coated with a fluorine-containing polymer. (See U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,559.)
Bis-(pentafluorosulfur) peroxide is also useful in synthesizing analogs of known medicinal compounds, particularly medicinal compounds comprising one or more trifluoromethyl functional groups (—CF3). In particular, it is believed that substituting an oxypentafluorosulfur group for a trifluoromethyl group on a biologically active compound can improved the compound's efficacy, and in some instances, achieves new biological activity. Examples of analogs of biologically active compounds that can be synthesized with bis-(pentafluorosulfur) peroxide include a derivative of fenfluramine, such as N-ethyl-1-[3-(oxypentafluorosulfanyl)-phenyl]propan-2-amine; a derivative of fluoxetine (Prozac), such as N-methyl-3-phenyl-3-[4-(oxypentafluorosulfanyl)phenoxy]-propan-1-amine; a derivative of trifluralin, such as 2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-4-(oxypentafluorosulfanyl)aniline; and the like.
In addition, bis-(pentafluorosulfur) peroxide and similar peroxides are useful as initiators for certain polymerization reactions, such as the homopolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene. These peroxides can also form telomers with hexafluoropropene, and other fully fluorinated olefins.
Different synthesis routes have been proposed for bis(pentafluorosulfur) peroxide. For example, Merrill has suggested the catalytic reaction of SF5OF with OSF2 and/or OSF4 at high temperatures and pressures to produce SF5OOSF5 via the path: SOF2+SF5OF→2 SOF4; SOF4+SF5OF→SF5OOSF5. (C. I. Merrill et al., J. Am Chem. Soc. (1961) 83, 298.)
Merrill also describes the decomposition of SF5OF via ultraviolet radiation to produce SF5OOSF5. Id. In particular, Merrill discloses that irradiating SF5OF for three hours with a 350 watt mercury vapor lamp results in a yield of approximately 25%. Merrill notes, however, that longer periods of irradiation fails to increase the yield of peroxide due to the establishment of equilibrium in the reversible reaction: 2 SF5OFSF5OOSF5+F2.
Witucki describes an alternative method wherein SF5Cl is reacted with O2 under ultraviolet radiation to produce SF5OOSF5. (E. F. Witucki, Inorg. Nucl. Chem. Letters (1969) 5, 437. Another method of producing bis-(pentafluorosulfur) peroxide is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,537 (Pass) wherein sulfur tetrafluoride (SF4) is reacted with pentafluorosulfur hypofluorite (SF5OF) in the absence of oxygen.
Notwithstanding the synthesis methods described above, there remains a need for improved methods for producing pentahalogenatedsulfur oxides, such as methods for economically and efficiently producing bis-(pentafluorosulfur) peroxide in high yields. The present invention satisfies the need for such processes.

Synthesis of pentahalosulfur peroxides and monoxides


A speaker capable of properly adjusting a spring characteristic with which a voice coil is driven and capable of being driven in large amplitude. When a position control coil wound around a bobbin is at a reference position, both ends of the coil cross a magnetic gap formed between external and internal yokes by a predetermined length and Lorentz forces acting on the front and rear ends are balanced. When the voice coil moves in either forward or rearward direction, lengths of the magnetic gap crossed by the front and rear ends of the control coil are different therebetween, and the vector sum of Lorentz forces acting on the position control coil is opposite in direction from the movement of the voice coil, whereby the voice coil is stably held at the reference position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speaker and a speaker apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrodynamic, electrostatic, piezoelectric, electromagnetic and other types of speakers are conventionally known. Electrodynamic speakers (dynamic speakers), which are classified into a moving-coil type, a ribbon type, a Blatthaller type, a Heil type, etc. in terms of the construction of diaphragm and vibration source, are mainstream speakers since they are basically designed to drive a diaphragm by an electromagnetic force and achieve a high conversion efficiency with a relatively simple construction. A large majority of electrodynamic speakers are of moving-coil type such as a cone speaker and a dome speaker.
As shown in FIG. 16, the cone speaker includes a conical diaphragm (cone diaphragm C), a voice coil Vc and a magnetic circuit Mc that generate an electromagnetic force for driving the cone diaphragm C, a damper D that holds the voice coil Vc at a constant position relative to a gap Gp in the magnetic circuit Mc, an edge E that supports the periphery of the cone diaphragm C coupled to a tip end of the voice coil Vc, and a frame F that couples the above component parts into one piece.
To drive the cone diaphragm C, an electric current is caused to flow through the voice coil Vc disposed in the gap of the magnetic circuit Mc in accordance with an audio waveform, whereby the voice coil Vc directly coupled to the cone diaphragm C is reciprocated in a direction perpendicular to the line of magnetic force.
In the cone speaker, the damper D and the edge E serve to hold the voice coil Vc at the center of vibration. When using such a mechanical spring construction to hold the voice coil at the vibration center, the vibration of diaphragm C largely depends on the mechanical characteristic of the mechanical spring construction. Thus, a frequency-dependent variation is caused in sound emission, posing a problem. Another problem is that there is a limit in increasing the amplitude of vibration of diaphragm C.
To eliminate the problems of the mechanical support construction, the below-mentioned techniques have been proposed.
A method for solving the problems by using an air damper instead of the mechanical support construction is disclosed in the following document.
Guy Lemarquand "New structure of loudspeaker", Audio Engineering Society Convention Paper 6846 presented at the 120th Convention, May 2006
Another technique is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2001-186589, in which a bias current is added to an audio signal-based driving current for each coil of a double coil construction for adjustment of the vibration reference position.
Still another technical art disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-164394 includes a braking coil for exerting a braking force on the voice coils, the braking coil being disposed outside magnetic fields when the voice coils are each at a stationary position. In this technique, the vibration reference position is adjusted by a conventional mechanical structure.
In the technique disclosed in the document entitled "New structure of loudspeaker", the mechanical characteristic corresponding to a spring constant is determined by the air damper structure, thus posing a problem that the degree of freedom of design is limited. In addition, an air chamber is required, which is large in volume in comparison with its diameter.
In the technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2001-186589, an audio signal is supplied to the coils for being held in the vibration center position. When the coils are each at a position other than the vibration center position, these coils are deviated from a magnetic gap region, posing a problem that the efficiency of utilizing the magnetic field is lowered. Other problems are that the coils must be applied with biases which are opposite in polarity, resulting in a complicated driving circuit, and these coils are difficult to be utilized for any purpose (such as a motion feedback sensor) other than intended one.
In the technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-164394, when the voice coils are at vibration center positions, the braking coil must be positioned at a position deviated from the magnetic field. In such a state, a Lorentz force for realizing a damperless structure cannot be obtained.


A cylinder is usable, in particular, for aligning magnetic of magnetizable particles, which are contained in a coating medium that is applied to a first side of a web-like or a sheet-like substrate, which cylinder, in the region of its outer circumference, has a plurality of elements effecting a magnetic field, magnetic elements for short. The magnetic elements are arranged in or on a plurality of ring elements that are spaced axially apart from one another and that are positionable in the axial direction on a shaft, in or on which ring elements, in turn, a plurality of magnetic elements are respectively arranged one after the other in the circumferential direction. At least two adjacent ring elements, each have a covering element, forming a part of the cylindrical lateral surface of the cylinder and extending in the circumferential direction, at least over the circumferential region populated with magnetic elements. The covering elements of two ring elements adjacent to each other have, on their sides facing each other in the axial direction, a plurality of projections alternating in the circumferential direction with recesses and offset in a circumferential direction in such a way that, during a relative movement of the two ring elements towards each other, the projections on the covering element of one ring element engage, in the manner of teeth, in corresponding recesses of the other ring element, and, as seen in the circumferential direction, can overlap. A security paper printing machine, having such a cylinder, is also disclosed.

A printing press known from EP 2 845 732 B1 comprises a screen printing unit and a device for aligning magnetic or magnetizable particles that are contained in the printing ink or the varnish; said device comprises a cylinder having on its circumference a plurality of elements that induce a magnetic field, along with a dryer directed toward a point along the transport path at which the substrate has not yet left the cylinder.
In EP 3 178 569 A1, substrate is coated on one side with a coating medium containing magnetic or magnetizable particles and, on the transport path downstream of the coating point, said substrate is first guided on that side over a first cylinder comprising at least one element that generates a magnetic field, and is then guided with its second side over another cylinder comprising at least one element that generates a magnetic field. As the substrate is being guided over the first cylinder, the coating is dried through a mask and through the substrate from the second side thereof.
CN 105034570 B discloses a device for producing substrate that is printed with magnetic coating medium, in which the substrate is coated on a first side by a printing device, and then is guided on said first side over a first and then a second cylinder in succession, each having elements that generate a magnetic field, after which said substrate is dried on the twice-printed side by means of a curing device, for example.
In WO 2016/015973 A1, coating medium containing magnetic or magnetizable particles is applied in one exemplary embodiment to a substrate surface; the particles are then aligned by means of a magnet provided on the second side while at the same time being dried over only a portion of the surface from the first side using a mask, after which the undried portion is aligned from the first side by means of a magnet while at the same time being dried from the second side by means of a dryer.
EP 2 114 678 B1 discloses a cylinder which, in the region of its outer circumference, comprises a plurality of elements that induce a magnetic field in or on a plurality of ring elements that are spaced apart axially and can be positioned in an axial direction on a shaft; in or on each of said ring elements, a plurality of magnetic elements are in turn arranged one after another in the circumferential direction.
EP 1 810 756 A2 discloses a device in the form of a roller for orienting magnetic flakes, in one embodiment of which said roller is formed by fitting a shaft with multiple disk-shaped magnet carriers side by side, which in turn carry multiple magnets one after another in the circumferential direction.
WO 2014/037221 A1 discloses a magnetic cylinder comprising a plurality of single-piece carrier disks arranged on a shaft, the outer circumference of said disks having a surface that comprises perforations.

Cylinder, device and machine for aligning magnetic or magnetizable particles on a web-like or sheet-like substrate


A ferroelectric memory device includes a memory cell, read circuit, temperature sensing circuit, and read controller. The memory cell includes a ferroelectric capacitor. The read circuit is configured to read data from the memory cell. The temperature sensing circuit is configured to sense the ambient temperature of the memory cell. The read controller is configured to receive a temperature sensing signal from the temperature sensing circuit, and inhibit a data read operation by the read circuit when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensing circuit is higher than a preset temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data memory device and, more particularly, to a ferroelectric memory device which stores data in a ferroelectric capacitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A general ferroelectric memory has a cell structure in which data is stored in the ferroelectric capacitor of each cell. Data read is performed by applying a voltage to the ferroelectric material to cause polarization reversal, and sensing a charge amount extracted outside. This charge amount extracted outside is temperature-dependent; the higher the temperature, the smaller the output charge amount. This is so because the spontaneous polarization amount in the ferroelectric material is temperature-dependent.
The relationship between the voltage and polarization of the ferroelectric capacitor has a hysteresis, and the shape of the hysteresis loop of the ferroelectric capacitor at room temperature differs from that at a high temperature. Therefore, the spontaneous polarization amount of the ferroelectric capacitor reduces when the temperature rises.
Accordingly, a signal output from a memory cell of the ferroelectric memory during data read decreases as the temperature rises. If the absolute value of the signal becomes close to the performance limit of a sense amplifier, a read error is highly likely to occur.
In the conventional ferroelectric memory, cell data is read by an external instruction regardless of the device temperature (e.g., S. Sheffield Eaton et al., "A Ferroelectric Nonvolatile Memory", IEEE International Solid State Circuit Conference 1988 Technical Digest p. 130). The conventional ferroelectric memory also has the problem that data is read even when the device temperature is high and a read error may occur (e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-332082 or 2001-210080).
In addition, since the ferroelectric memory is a destructive read device, wrong data is rewritten if a read error occurs. Accordingly, the memory has the problem that stored data itself may be destroyed, i.e., data which is not destroyed if it is not read may be destroyed.

Ferroelectric memory device and data read method in same


Flame-retardant polymer blends of a polyurethane polymer or prepolymer and a poly(organophosphazene) are disclosed. Preferred poly(organophosphazenes) contain functional groups capable of reacting with isocyanate groups present during the curing of the polyurethane. The blends are preferably formulated by reacting the poly(organophosphazene) containing functional groups under conditions where some of the functional groups of the poly(organophosphazene) can react with the isocyanate groups present during the polymerization and curing of the polyurethane. These polymer blends are useful for making flame-retardant foamed articles of manufacture.

Considerable interest exists in the development of flame-retardant polymers for a wide range of applications. Most conventional organic polymers have useful structural and mechanical properties, but are limited by their low thermo-oxidative stability. A typical example is found in polyurethanes, the many varieties of which are widely used in the aerospace and construction industries. However, polyurethanes are highly combustible. As a result, their thermal stability has been studied extensively. Three general approaches exist to reducing the flammability of polyurethanes; (1) the addition of small molecule flame retardants; (2) modification of the polyurethane structure to influence the thermal decomposition pathways; and (3) blending with other polymer systems to enhance the thermo-oxidative stability of the resulting material. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages. The first approach, the addition of small molecule flame retardants, is relatively easy and inexpensive but suffers from the problem of migration or leaching of the small molecules out of the system. This limits their effectiveness over long periods of time. In addition, the small molecule additives may influence the decomposition reactions in a way that increases the production of smoke and toxic vapors, thus hampering emergency countermeasures and increasing the likelihood of death by inhalation. The second approach, the modification of the polymer structure, is often higher in cost and can compromise the mechanical properties. The third approach, which involves blending of the polyurethane with other polymers, could utilize a polymer that inhibits combustion by modifying the decomposition mechanism of the polyurethane, by the release of noncombustable gases, and/or by undergoing reactions during heating to create a high char yield to quench further combustion. However, the choice of suitable polymeric flame-retardants is restricted to species that allow retention of advantageous mechanical properties of the polyurethane.
In considering this third approach, flame retardant polymer blends, the phase behavior of polymer-polymer mixtures is crucial, because it strongly influences the chemical, physical and mechanical properties. Conditions governing the mixing of polymers are stringent and, it is a general rule that the probability is exceedingly low that a single phase (miscible) mixture of two randomly chosen high molar mass polymers can be obtained. Accordingly, the mixing of two polymers usually results in a grossly phase separated material. Macromolecular compatibilizers (usually block or graft copolymers) have been used to decrease the domain size of the dispersed phase and produce a more homogeneous dispersion, but ideally intimate mixing, exemplified by a single phase (miscible) mixture, is preferred. Miscible polyurethane blends are sparse, but can be designed by incorporating functional groups capable of specific intermolecular interactions. In situ chemical reactions between the two polymers in the mixture is another method to ensure intimate mixing, and, given the appropriate chemistry, numerous graft and interpenetrating networks can be designed. The solution that we present here is the use of a class of readily modified macromolecules known as poly(organophosphazenes).
Poly(organophosphazenes) form a large class of macromolecules with the general formula (NPR.sub.2).sub.n. They contain alternating nitrogen and phosphorus atoms in the backbone and contain a wide variety of organic, organometallic, and inorganic side groups. Specific poly(organophosphazenes) have high resistance to solvents, low temperature flexibility, and good thermal stability. The primary synthesis route is through the ring-opening polymerization of molten hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene at 250.degree. C. to form poly(dichlorophosphazene). The phosphorus-chlorine bonds in this polymer are highly responsive to macromolecular substitution by a wide range of nucleophiles to give a broad spectrum of poly(organophosphazenes). These have a wide range of properties that depend on the nature of the side groups. The polyphosphazenes useful in the instant invention are prepared according to standard techniques known to those skilled in the art of polyphosphazene preparation. Methods of preparation are further discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,622, to Allcock et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,053,451 to Allcock et al., and U.S. No. 5,457,160 to Allcock et al (all incorporated herein by reference).
The thermo-oxidative stability at elevated temperatures is of primary interest when tailoring poly(organophosphazenes) for flame-retardant applications. The thermo-oxidative stability of one poly(organophosphazene) in particular, poly[bis(carboxylatophenoxy) phosphazene] has been examined [Reed, C. S. et al. Chem. Mater. 1996, 8, 440]. It has features which make it a good candidate for blending with polyurethanes. It was found that it undergoes cross-linking at temperatures above 200.degree. C. with a high char yield which could quench further combustion.
Polymer blends or alloys are physical mixtures of two or more polymers. The phase behavior of polymer blends is determined essentially by the balance between unfavorable "physical" forces expressed in terms of solubility parameter differences and favorable "chemical" forces which are derived from intermolecular specific interactions. The strength of the interactions depends on the functional groups in the macromolecules. The roles played by the different functional groups in these interactions has been reported in detail for organic polymers [Coleman, M.; Graf, J. F.; Painter, P. C. Specific Interactions and the Miscibility of Polymer Blends; Technomics Publishing, Lancaster, Pa. 1991; Olabisi, P.; Robeson, L. M.; Shaw, M. T. Polymer-Polymer Miscibility; Academic Press: New York, 1979, p. 207 and references therein].
Polymer blends can exist as miscible one-phase systems, as semimiscible systems that have domains which exist together with phases rich in one of the constituent polymers, or as immiscible multi-phase materials systems. Many examples exist of miscible and immiscible polymer blends. An example of a miscible blend is that between polycaprolactone and poly(vinyl chloride), in which the driving force for miscibility is apparently the close matching of the solubility parameter and the presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the Cl-C-H unit of the poly(vinyl chloride) and the proton-accepting character of the carbonyl group of the polycaprolactone [Coleman, M.; Graf, J. F.; Painter, P. C. Specific Interactions and the Miscibility of Polymer Blends; Technomics Publishing, Lancaster, Pa. 1991; Olabisi, O. Macromolecules 1975, 8, 316].
In the thesis of Paul E. Austin (Polyphosphazenes, New Biomaterials, Penn State University, 1984), the following polymer blends were reported: (i) [NP(OCH.sub.2 CF.sub.3).sub.2 ].sub.n (referred to as poly[bis(trifluoroethoxy)phosphazene]) with poly(methylmethacrylate), poly(vinylpyrrolidone), and phenoxy resin; and (ii) [NP(OCH3)2]n (referred to as poly[bis(methylamino)phosphazene]) with poly(vinylpyrrolidone), poly(acrylic acid), poly(vinyl alcohol), and methyl cellulose. This disclosure does not mention or suggest the possibility of blends containing polyurethane.

Blends of polyurethane and polyphosphazene and their use as flame-retardant foamed compositions


An image pickup apparatus having an optical path reflecting zoom lens system includes a zoom lens system, and an image pickup element which is disposed at an image side of the zoom lens system. The zoom lens system includes in order from an object side thereof a first lens unit G1 having a positive refracting power, which includes a reflecting optical member having a reflecting surface which reflects an optical path, a second lens unit G2 having a negative refracting power, a third lens unit G3 having a positive refracting power, a fourth lens unit G4 having a positive refracting power, and an aperture stop S which is disposed between the second lens unit G2 and the fourth lens unit G4. The first lens unit G1 has a position fixed with respect to a position of the image pickup element. At least the second lens unit G2 and the fourth lens unit G4 move and the zooming is carried out from a wide angle end to a telephoto end by changing a distance between each of lens units. The second lens unit G2 includes in order from the object side thereof, a negative lens, a positive lens, and a negative lens.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus having an optical path reflecting zoom lens system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, digital cameras (electronic cameras) have been gathering attention as next generation cameras replacing a silver-salt 35 mm film (135 format) camera. Furthermore, such digital cameras have a several categories in a wide range from a high-function type for professional use to a portable popular type.
A major bottleneck in making thin a depth of the camera has been a thickness of an optical system, particularly (a thickness) from a surface nearest to an object of a zoom lens system, up to an image surface. The mainstream of a camera body thinning technology nowadays has been using a so-called collapsible lens barrel in which, the optical system is protruded from a camera body at the time of taking and is accommodated in the camera body at the time of carrying. However, when the collapsible lens barrel is adopted, a time for a start-up from a lens-accommodated state to a usable state becomes long. Moreover, when a lens unit nearest to the object is let to be movable, it is disadvantageous for water proofing and dust proofing.
Lately, a digital camera in which there is no start-up time (time for protruding out of a lens) to the usable state of a camera as seen in the collapsible barrel, and which is favorable for water proofing and dust proofing, and moreover, which has a structure in which, an optical path (optical axis) of an optical system is allowed to be reflected by a reflecting optical member such as a mirror and a prism for making it a camera having an extremely thin depth, has come out.
Such an optical system is a system in which, a dimension in a direction of depth of the camera is made to be as thin as possible by adjusting an optical path upon reflection to a vertical or a horizontal direction of the camera body by providing a reflecting optical member in the optical system, as a lens unit in which a position of a lens unit nearest to the object is fixed with respect to an image pickup element.
Moreover, currently, in video cameras and digital cameras of a portable category, cameras having an image angle of 30° at a wide angle end have been main stream, and there is a need for further widening of an angle for widening a taking area.
As a zoom lens system in which an optical path reflecting optical system is adopted, having a wide angle, a zoom lens system has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2004-354871, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2004-354869.

Image pickup apparatus having optical path reflecting zoom lens system


A MEMS device includes a movable section, a frame, a beam, and an electrode substrate. The frame surrounds a surrounding of the movable section. The beam extends from at least a part of the frame, and is connected to the movable section. The electrode substrate includes a fixed electrode, an extended electrode, and a substrate section. The fixed electrode is formed on the electrode substrate in at least a part of a region facing a swing section. The extended electrode is connected to the fixed electrode, and is formed on the electrode substrate in at least a part of a region facing the shaft.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of package 1300 incorporating a conventional MEMS device. FIG. 7 shows a state in which a lid of package 1300 is opened. Package 1300 is mounted on substrate 1500. Sensor chip 1100 and integrated circuit 1200 such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) are mounted on package 1300. The MEMS device is accommodated in sensor chip 1100. Integrated circuit 1200 carries out various operations based on an output from sensor chip 1100. Terminals 1400 are extracted from package 1300 and connected to substrate 1500.
Hereinafter, a capacitance type acceleration sensor as a MEMS device is described. FIG. 8A is a vertical sectional view of conventional acceleration sensor 210. FIG. 8B is a horizontal sectional schematic view of conventional acceleration sensor 210. FIG. 8C is a top view of movable body 101 of conventional acceleration sensor 210. FIG. 8D is a bottom view of movable body 101 of conventional acceleration sensor 210.
Capacitance type acceleration sensor 210 includes movable body 101 and electrode substrates 122a and 122b.
Movable body 101 includes movable section 111, frame 133, and beams 16a and 16b. Frame 133 is an outer frame surrounding movable section 111. Movable section 111 is supported by frame 133 around beams 16a and 16b as a rotary shaft.
As shown in FIG. 8C, movable section 111 includes shaft 145 that is an extension portion of beams 16a and 16b, and swing sections 144a and 144b that are places other than shaft 145 of movable section 111. Swing section 144a is a cube, and swing section 144b is a cube having opening 111d at an opposite side to a surface facing fixed electrode 112b.
Frame 133 is formed of silicon (Si). Movable section 111 is formed of SOI (Silicon on Insulator). Specifically, movable section 111 is formed by sandwiching oxide film 111b such as SiO2 between Si layer 111a and Si layer 111c.
Electrode substrates 122a and 122b are disposed to both surfaces of movable body 101. A periphery of movable body 101 is bonded to peripheries of electrode substrates 122a and 122b by anodic bonding. Electrode substrate 122a includes substrate section 120a, lead electrodes 114a and 114b, and fixed electrodes 112a and 112b. Substrate section 120a is formed of glass. Lead electrodes 114a and 114b are formed of Si. Electrode substrate 122b includes substrate section 120b formed of glass. Fixed electrodes 112a and 112b are a metal thin film formed by, for example, sputtering. Fixed electrode 112a is formed on electrode substrate 122a in at least a part of a region facing swing section 144a. Fixed electrode 112b is formed on electrode substrate 122a in at least a part of a region facing swing section 144b. Lead electrodes 114a and 114b are embedded in substrate section 120a, and thereby potential of fixed electrodes 112a and 112b can be led to the upper surface of electrode substrate 122a.
When movable section 111 swings by acceleration, capacitance between fixed electrode 112a and movable section 111 as well as capacitance between fixed electrode 112b and movable section 111 are changed. For example, capacitance C can be calculated from C=∈S/d where ∈ is a dielectric constant of a substance, S is an area of electrodes sandwiching the substance, and d is a gap between the electrodes. Since capacitance C is changed when movable section 111 swings by acceleration, by calculating the differential capacity by integrated circuit 1200, the acceleration can be detected.
That is to say, acceleration sensor 210 detects displacement of movable section 111 from the change in the capacitance between movable section 111 and fixed electrodes 112a and 112b, and then detects acceleration based on the detected displacement.
A plurality of projecting stoppers 134 is formed on movable section 111 at a surface facing fixed electrodes 112a and 112b. Formation of stoppers 134 can suppress damage due to collision of movable section 111 with fixed electrodes 112a and 112b even when large acceleration is applied to movable section 111.
Bonding portions between electrode substrates 122a and 122b and frame 133 are substrate sections 120a and 120b, respectively and are formed of glass. Bonding portions between movable body 101 and electrode substrates 122a and 122b are formed of silicon (Si). Electrode substrates 122a and 122b and movable body 101 are bonded to each other by using anodic bonding. However, during the anodic bonding, depending on an applied voltage, an electrostatic attraction force is generated between glass and Si. With this electrostatic attraction force, a part of movable section 111 may be attracted to electrode substrate 122a side, and bonded thereto.
FIG. 9A is a vertical sectional view of another conventional acceleration sensor 212. FIG. 9B is a horizontal sectional schematic view of the another conventional acceleration sensor 212. Recess 130 is provided to movable section 111 at a region facing a portion interposed between fixed electrode 112a and fixed electrode 112b (hereinafter, referred to as "facing region"). Recess 130 is formed by thinning at least a part of the facing region of movable section 111. By providing recess 130, an electrostatic attraction force can be reduced. When the electrostatic attraction force is made to be smaller than an elastic force, it is possible to suppress bonding of movable section 111 to substrate section 120a.
However, in a small chip, beams 16a and 16b are required to be made extremely thin. As a result, beams 16a and 16b may be deformed due to the electrostatic attraction force generated during anodic bonding, and beams 16a and 16b may be bonded to glass.
In the case where beams 16a and 16b are made extremely thin, when movable body 101 and electrode substrate 122a are bonded to each other by anodic bonding at a voltage about 400V, beams 16a and 16b are attracted to substrate section 120a by the electrostatic attraction force generated at the time of anodic bonding. Accordingly, beams 16a and 16b may be deformed, and beams 16a and 16b may be bonded to substrate section 120a.
That is to say, when movable body 101 and electrode substrate 122a are bonded to each other by anodic bonding, an electrostatic attraction force is generated between glass and Si by the applied voltage. With this electrostatic attraction force, a part of movable section 111 formed of Si may be attracted to glass, and thus bonded to glass. In particular, in a small chip, beams 16a and 16b are being thinned. As a result, beams 16a and 16b may be deformed due to the electrostatic attraction force generated during anodic bonding, and beams 16a and 16b may be bonded to glass. Prior art literature mentioned above includes, for example, PTL 1.

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A multifunctional juicing net structure of a juicing device includes a juice cup, a juicing net cup, a spiral pushing and extruding body and a feeding cup cover. The juicing net cup is received into the juice cup; the spiral pushing and extruding body is received into the juicing net cup, and the feeding cup cover is covered onto the juice cup. The juice cup and the juicing net cup are provided for juicing and filtering food residue and make selective adjustments according to different squeeze food to achieve the effect of separating the juice and the residue during a juicing process. No dead spot exists after the juicing net cup is detached from the juice cup to facilitate the cleaning and preventing the residue from being stuck at the corners during the cleaning process, so as to achieve the effects of good functionality and high convenience.

With reference to FIG. 6 for a conventional juicing device, the conventional juice device has a squeeze tube assembly 50 including a squeeze tube 51 and a squeeze device 52, and the squeeze tube 51 has an inlet 510, an outlet 511, and a plurality of juice output holes 512 formed on the sidewall of the squeeze tube 51, and the squeeze device 52 is installed in the squeeze tube 51, and the squeeze tube 51 is installed onto a juice container 53. When the squeeze device 52 is operated, a fruit is entered into the inlet 510 formed at the top of the squeeze tube 51, and the squeeze device 52 squeezes and presses the fruit in the squeeze tube 51, and the fruit juice flows from the juice output hole 512 into the juice container 53 (not shown in the figure), and the fruit residue is discharged from the outlet 511 which is formed at the bottom of the squeeze tube 51 to achieve the effect of separating the juice and the residue, but the size of the juice output hole 512 of the squeeze tube 51 of the squeeze tube assembly 50 is fixed. When fruits with different fiber textures are squeezed, the fruit with finer fibers will not be squeezed completely, the fruit fibers together with the fruit juice are discharged from the juice output hole 512. The fruit residue produced after the squeezing may be remained at the surrounding of the juice output hole 512, and thus making the use and cleaning inconvenient. Obviously, further improvements are required.
In view of the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience to conduct extensive research and experiment, and finally provided a feasible solution to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.

Multifunctional juicing net structure of juicing device


System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving automated driving by testing for inputs during driving. In one embodiment, a method includes testing an input from a driver in a manual driving mode of a vehicle. The method also includes adapting a fixed time interval on a condition that a test result of the input satisfies criteria used to validate driver inputs. The method also includes monitoring, via an input system of the vehicle, for driver feedback according to the fixed time interval in an automated driving mode.

Vehicles may be equipped with automated driving modules for autonomous driving as part of an automated driving system (ADS). An ADS of a vehicle may adapt to driving habits, driving behavior, the experience level of a driver, driver attention, or the like. The ADS adapting to a driver may improve the operation in certain ADS modes that sometimes may use driver feedback. Concerning driver behavior, a driver accustomed to level 1 or 2 automated driving may operate a vehicle differently than in higher-level modes of automated driving. Also, driver behavior may change after becoming too comfortable with a vehicle that provides automated or autonomous driving controls.
In various approaches, an ADS of a vehicle may learn about driver behavior in a special driving facility, a virtual training system, using special vehicle equipment, or the like. An ADS learning through these methods can be time-intensive, inconvenient, or ineffective for drivers of various experience levels. Thus, training an ADS about driver behavior may be difficult outside of the actual driving environment.
Furthermore, a vehicle system may use driver inputs within fixed time periods for the proper operation of certain ADS modes. A driver input may be touching the steering wheel, contact with the brake pedal, contact with the accelerator pedal, or the like. For example, a lane-keep assist (LKA) system may use a driver touch of a steering wheel to maintain the proper operation or engagement. The LKA system may reset a timer when a driver provides expected feedback by touching a steering wheel. The LKA system may otherwise generate a warning or notification if the timer expires before receiving a needed driver input. In addition, the vehicle system may need to determine a valid driver input from an accidental input for LKA mode, ADS mode, or the like. The LKA system may unnecessarily respond or disengage if a driver input is detected as erroneous during operation. Detecting valid driver inputs can vary according to driving habits, driving behavior, the experience level of a driver, driver attention, or the like. Current solutions for a vehicle system testing for valid driver inputs may be ineffective at adapting LKA and other ADS systems.

Systems and methods for testing of driver inputs to improve automated driving


A memory access limiter for random access dynamic memory of data processing systems formed by several modules which can be independently activated in partial temporal superimposition, each by a memory start command, comprising a bidirectional counter which periodically increments at a constant period defined by a clock signal, by a value representative of the electrical charge delivered by a power supply to an output buffer capacitor and decrements, at each memory start command, by a value representative of the electrical charge drained at each memory operation activated by the memory start command, a predetermined decremented count state of the counter identifying a maximum admissible discharge condition of the buffer capacitor below which it is necessary to inhibit any further activation of the memory until the count state of the counter is no longer below the predetermined count state.

It is known that in modern data processing systems high capacity random access dynamic memories are widely used, having a high capacity of the order of tens and even hundreds of MegaBytes.
These memories are generally structured in modular banks, or simply modules, individually accessible in such a way as to be able to operate in temporal overlap with one another and generally to achieve a data processing capacity (throughput) adequate for the requirements of modern data processing systems, in particular multiprocessor systems which are intrinsically faster than the memories.
With particular memory module interleaving techniques it is possible to arrange that whilst a memory module performs an information reading or writing operation, controlled by a processor, the same processor or other processors can control and start other reading or writing operations in different modules, on the sole condition that the information to be read or written is resident or must be written in different modules from those already activated.
Therefore the joint or simultaneous use of several memory modules does not obey systematic criteria which can be determined a priori, but is variable in time in a probabilistic manner depending on the type of processes performed by the different processors and memory location of the data necessary for the performance of the different processes.
In practice, in order to achieve optimum performance of the data processing system, the number of memory modules is chosen in relation to the number and speed of the processors and to the speed of the memory, in such a way that the memory access times are minimised or nil.
Consequently on average only about 50% of the memory modules are contemporaneously active, and only exceptionally are all the memory modules contemporaneously active, but this possibility cannot be excluded nor its duration can be forecast.
This fact has serious implications for the power supply of data processing systems and associated processors and memory modules which, as is known, must be supplied from a regulated voltage power supply able to satisfy all the possible load conditions.
In fact, whilst processors have a relatively constant current consumption the memory modules, when inactive, have a negligible consumption whilst when active the current consumption is high and of the same order as that of the processors.
Thus, by way of indication, if a power supply is dimensioned to deliver the maximum instantaneous current required by a data processing system the current delivered when the memory is inactive can be of the order of 20% and reaches 100% only when all the memory modules are contemporaneously active, whilst normally it is of the order of 60%.
The power supply is therefore exploited far below its effective potential.
Power supplies constitute a not insignificant factor in terms of cost and size of data processing systems and it is therefore desirable to dimension them as a function of the normal load requirements, to allow an optimum use to be made of them, whilst containing possible exceptional overload conditions and their duration within predetermined limits such as not to prejudice the operation of the power supply.

Memory access limiter for random access dynamic memories

Bull HN Information Systems Italia S.P.A.


A method of manufacturing fibers with optical function includes spinning a thermoplastic polymer by a spinneret having an opening with first slits arranged parallel to each other and a second slit arranged perpendicular thereto, the spinneret being formed to satisfy a predetermined relation between the length of the first slits and the width of the second slit.

The present invention relates generally to a method of manufacturing fibers with optical function in accordance with a melt spinning method and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing fibers with optical function, which reflect ultraviolet (UV) or infrared (IR) ray or show colors by reflection, interference, diffraction, or scattering phenomena of visible light ray.
Conventionally, a method of adopting inorganic or organic dyes and pigments or scaterring bright members has been in general use for providing various fibers and car coatings with desired colors or improved visual quality.
Recently, with an user's tendency to a high fabric quality, etc., there are increasing demands on graceful and quality minute structures which have colors varying with a change in the angle of view and having high chromas.
Some minute structures are developed and proposed to satisfy the above demands. One is a material showing a color by reflection, interference, diffraction or scattering without using dyes and pigments. The other is a material showing a deeper and brighter color by combining the above optical action and the dyes and pigments.
JP 43-14185 and JP-A 1-139803 disclose coated-type composite fibers with iridescence which are made of two or more resins having different optical refractive indexes. A journal of the Textile Machinery Society of Japan (Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 55-62, published in 1989 and Vol. 42, No. 10, pp. 60-68, published in 1989) describes laminated photo-controllable polymer films for showing colors by optical interference, wherein a film with anisotropic molecular orientation is interposed between two polarizing films.
JP-A 59-228042, JP-B2 60-24847, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,459 disclose fabrics with iridescence conceived, e.g. from a South American morpho-butterfly which is well-known by its bright color tone varying with a change in the angle of view.
JP-A 62-170510 discloses fibers which show interference colors due to recesses with a predetermined width formed on the surface of the fibers. This document describes that formed fibers are fast and permanent in color due to no use of dyes and pigments.
With the minute structures as disclosed in JP 43-14185 and JP-A 1-139803, it is difficult to form fine fibers and minute chips or pieces, and to control the dominant wavelength (so-called "peak wavelength") of reflecting visible light ray.
On the other hand, with the minute structures as disclosed in JP-A 59-228042, JP-B2 60-24847, U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,459, and JP-A 62-170510, it is difficult to obtain desired coloring effect due to indefinite dimension (thickness, length, and refractive index) of the minute structures, etc.
For solving such inconveniences, JP-A 6-017349 (=U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,738) proposes new minute structures for showing bright and permanent colors varying with a change in the angle of view by reflection and interference of visible light ray. In this document, fibers have a cross section with parallel fin portions and a center or core portion perpendicular thereto, the parallel fin portions serving to reflect ultraviolet or infrared ray, or show colors by reflection and interference of visible light ray.
However, with the minute structures as disclosed in JP-A 6-017349 (=U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,738), it is difficult to form, e.g. the parallel fin portions of the fibers very thinly with a slight error and a reduced manufacturing cost.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing fibers having a predetermined function of reflection and interference with accuracy and a reduced manufacturing cost.

Method of manufacturing fibers with optical function


A phthalocyanine crystal of mixed pigments of oxytitanium phthalocyanine and a halogenated gallium phthalocyanine or a halogenated indium phthalocyanine is disclosed. The phthalocyanine crystal of mixed pigments is used as a charge generating material which provides an electrophotographic photoreceptor excellent in sensitivity, stability on repeated use, and environmental stability.

Known charge generating materials having sensitivity in the near infrared region which can be used in electrophotographic photoreceptors include squarylium pigments, bisazo pigments, and phthalocyanine pigments. Of these materials, oxytitanium phthalocyanine has recently been attracting particular attention because of its high sensitivity, and various species thereof having different crystal forms have hitherto been proposed for use as a charge generating material of electrophotographic photoreceptors. For example, the .alpha.-crystal form is disclosed in JP-A-61-217050; the .beta.-crystal form in JP-A-59-49544; the C-crystal form in JP-A-62-256865; the D-crystal form in JP-A-62-67094; the Y-crystal form in JP-A-64-17066; the .gamma.-crystal form in JP-A-1-299874; and the .omega.-crystal form in JP-A-2-99969, respectively (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"). Further, the D-, Y-, and .gamma.-crystals forms are known to have an X-ray diffraction peak at a Bragg angle (2.theta..+-.0.2) of around 27.2.degree..
On the other hand, gallium phthalocyanine (see JP-A-1-221459) and indium phthalocyanine (see JP-A-60-59355 and JP-A-61-124951) were also reported to be effective as a charge generating material for electrophotographic photoreceptors.
Additionally, JP-A-1-142658, JP-A-1-221461, JP-A-2-70763, JP-A-2-170166, JP-A-2-272067, and JP-A-2-280169 proposed use of a crystal of mixed pigments or mere mixture of oxytitanium phthalocyanine and other phthalocyanine as a charge generating material.
However, a crystal of mixed pigments of oxytitanium phthalocyanine and a halogenated gallium phthalocyanine or a halogenated indium phthalocyanine has not yet been reported.
While the above-described known oxytitanium phthalocyanine species and crystals of mixed pigments thereof are useful as a charge generating material, they are still unsatisfactory. For example, the oxytitanium phthalocyanine having the maximum diffraction peak at a Bragg angle (2.theta..+-.0.2.degree.) of 27.3.degree., disclosed in JP-A-62-67094 supra, exhibits very high sensitivity but is still insufficient in stability on repeated use, crystal form stability in a coating composition, and dispersibility in a coating composition. In order to settle these problems, it has been proposed to mix oxytitanium phthalocyanine with a small amount of a substituted phthalocyanine as described, e.g., in JP-A-3-9962, JP-B-55-27583, and JP-B-54-44684 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined Japanese patent publication"). In this case, however, since a substituted phthalocyanine is markedly different from unsubstituted phthalocyanine in crystal form, mixing them gives rise to another problem, such as reduction in electrophotographic characteristics.

Phthalocyanine crystal of mixed pigments and electrophotographic photoreceptor using the same


To provide a highly reliable and easy-to-manufacture ink jet head connection unit, in which ink supply paths are formed by gluing a substrate on which head component is formed to other components, that is free of ink ejection failure and ink leakage. A head component and case component 240 equipped with opening 241 on the bottom of which supply port 257 for supplying ink to head component 210 and concave area 243 to be filled with an adhesive are formed, are provided. Space 248 to be filled with an adhesive for joining head component 210 and case component 240 when case component 240 and head component 210 are coupled, is formed inside the joined case.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an ink jet printer for printing data on a recording medium by ejecting ink from ink jet heads, and more particularly to an ink jet head connection unit for connecting ink supply paths for supplying ink to the ink jet heads.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional method of connecting an ink jet head to an ink supply path has been to use an adhesive to join the substrate constituting the ink jet head and the component constituting the supply path, thereby forming an ink supply path and supplying ink to the ink jet head.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,895 discloses an example of forming an ink supply path that supplies ink to an ejection mechanism (mechanism for providing ejection force to ink) by using an adhesive to join a glass or ceramic substrate possessing an jet feed hole to a recess of a plastic backing plate possessing a groove and a feed hole.
Multiple thin-film thermal jetting resistors are formed on the surface of this substrate, and the jet feed hole to a thermal jetting resistor area is formed through the substrate. A groove is provided in the recess of the backing plate, in the position corresponding to the jet feed hole of the substrate. Furthermore, the feed hole is also provided in the backing plate to connect the groove to a flexible ink reservoir. A capillary supply path for supplying ink from the ink reservoir to the ink jet resistor area is formed by joining the substrate with the back plate.
However, this conventional method had the problems described below.
It is difficult to evenly apply an appropriate thin coat of adhesive to the substrate and the backing plate used for forming ink jet heads. Especially, if the amount of adhesive is excessive, the adhesive flows into the ink supply path, clogging the capillary supply path and preventing ink supply to the ejection mechanism, and as a result, thus preventing ink droplet ejection. On the other hand, if the amount of adhesive is in sufficient, a gap is created in the junction surface, leaving the potential of ink leakage from the gap.
Furthermore, because the surface on which the adhesive has been applied is exposed during the assembly of the ink jet, foreign materials such as dust may adhere to the adhesion surface, leaving the risk of creating gaps in the junction surface as described above. Moreover, since the substrate on which an ejection mechanism has been formed is adhered to the surface to which the adhesive has been applied, it is difficult to precisely position the substrate against the backing plate for adhesion.

Ink jet head connection unit, an ink jet cartridge, and an assembly method thereof


An arrangement for interrupting the flow of force between a camshaft and a valve in the valve gear of an internal combustion piston engine comprises a camshaft with a cam, a rocking lever which is mounted fixedly with respect to the engine casing and the rocking movement of which is actuated by the cam and an actuating member mounted on the rocking lever and guided on the rocking lever movably relative thereto, for actuation of the valve. A movable coupling member is mounted on the rocking lever and is movable by means of an actuating device into a first position in which for actuation of the valve it provides a rigid connection between the rocking lever and the actuating member and into a second position in which the actuating member is movable relative to the rocking lever so that actuation of the valve is interrupted.

A possible way of reducing the level of fuel consumption of internal combustion piston engines used in particular in private motor vehicles involves temporarily taking individual cylinders out of operation so that the remaining cylinders operate in the part-load range under an increased mean pressure and thus involve a lower level of specific consumption. For taking the cylinders out of operation, it is not only necessary to interrupt the feed of fuel thereto, but desirably the charge flow through the corresponding cylinders is also interrupted. To achieve that it is advantageous to stop operation of at least the inlet valves of the corresponding cylinders.
An arrangement for interrupting the flow of force from a camshaft to a valve is described in WO 95/02116. That arrangement has a rocking lever which is overall of a two-part structure, wherein its first part is actuated by the camshaft or camshafts and the second part which is mounted coaxially with the first part and which serves to actuate the valve can be coupled to the first part by way of a pin which is linearly slidably guided in the first part and which can be brought into engagement with or brought out of engagement with the second part of the rocking lever, by means of an actuating device which for example operates hydraulically. That thus provides for selective interruption of activation of the valve. A particularity of that arrangement is that, because of the coaxial mounting of the two-part actuating member, the arrangement is comparatively bulky.

Arrangement for interrupting the flow of force between a camshaft and a valve


In a conveyor or other foundry equipment having surfaces protected by a wear plate secured to a structural part of the equipment, the wear plate is detachably secured by means of studs permanently secured to a structural part of the equipment. Heads of the studs cooperate with engagement flanges in keyhole-like recesses in the wear plate, all in such a manner that the wear plate can be detached by sliding it in a direction to disengage the flanges from the heads. With this arrangement, the wear plate can be attached and detached without the use of tools other than possibly a soft mallet, and without the use of screws exposed at the wear face of the wear plate. The arrangement can also be used to detachably secure a wear plate to other structural parts of foundry equipment such as a moulding chamber or a clamp.

In previously known foundry equipment of this kind, wear slats or wear plates are detachably secured to the structural parts of the equipment by means of threaded fasteners, e.g. screws countersunk in such a manner, that the top surface of their heads lie flush with the surface of the slats or plates. In the present specification and claims, the term "wear plate" is intended to include wear slats.
In order to make it possible to unscrew the threaded fasteners, the heads of the latter must necessarily be provided with some kind of screwdriver recess or the like. Even if the tops of the heads of the fasteners lie perfectly flush with the surface of the wear plate concerned, the screwdriver recesses will unavoidably constitute discontinuities in the surface. In the case of wear plates in moulding chambers, tiny protrusions on the sand moulds will be produced by the screwdriver recesses, and these protrusions will, when "scrubbed off" during the subsequent handling of the moulds, contaminate the moulds and/or the equipment with small quantities of sand which, although small are still capable of causing problems.
Further, if the countersunk screw heads do not lie perfectly flush with the surface of the wear plate concerned, relative movement between the wear plate and the sand moulds in contact with them may cause damage to the moulds, at the same time liberating small quantities of sand with the consequent problems.
A further disadvantage of using screwed fasteners is that they generally have to be screwed or unscrewed individually, thus requiring considerable time for attaching or detaching the wear plate concerned, also implying a risk of damage to the latter by inadvertent contact with the screwdriver bit.

Detachable wear plate suitable for foundry equipment and for conveying green sand moulds


An LED-filament includes a light-transmissive substrate; a first array of LED chips on a front face of the substrate; a second array of LED chips on the front face of the substrate; a first photoluminescence arrangement covering the first array of LED chips; and a second photoluminescence arrangement covering the second array of LED chips; where the first array of LED chips and the first arrangement generate light of a first color temperature and the second array of LED chips and the second arrangement generate light of a second color temperature.

White light emitting LEDs ("white LEDs") include one or more photoluminescence materials (typically inorganic phosphor materials), which absorb a portion of the blue light emitted by the LED and re-emit light of a different color (wavelength). The portion of the blue light generated by the LED that is not absorbed by the phosphor material combined with the light emitted by the phosphor provides light which appears to the eye as being white in color. Due to their long operating life expectancy (>50,000 hours) and high luminous efficacy (1001 m/W and higher), white LEDs are rapidly being used to replace conventional fluorescent, compact fluorescent and incandescent lamps.
Recently, LED-filament lamps have been developed comprising LED-filaments whose visual appearance closely resembles the filament of a traditional incandescent lamp. Such an appearance is highly desirable to consumers and sales of LED-filament lamps have grown rapidly. The LED-filaments, which are typically about 2 inches (52 mm) long, comprise COG (Chip-On-Glass) or COC (Chip-On-Ceramic) devices having a plurality of low-power LED chips mounted on one face of a light-transmissive (transparent) glass or ceramic substrate. Front and back faces of the light-transmissive substrate are coated with a phosphor-loaded encapsulant, such as silicone. Typically, the phosphor comprises a mixture of green and red light emitting phosphors for generating warm white light and to increase General Color Rendering Index (CRI Ra) of light generated by the filament. The same phosphor-loaded encapsulant is applied to both faces of the substrate to ensure that the filament generates the same color of light in forward and backward directions.
A perceived shortcoming or characteristic of white LEDs, especially LED-filaments and LED-filament lamps, compared with traditional incandescent bulbs, is that as they are dimmed (i.e. the intensity of generated light decreased by decreasing power to the device) the color temperature (CCT—Correlated Color Temperature) of their light emission does not change; that is, it remains substantially constant and only the intensity varies. By contrast—for an incandescent lamp—the CCT can change from a warm white (2700K) at full power to a warm orange glow (900K) when fully dimmed; a range of 1800K. The property of a light emitting device whose color temperature of emitted light decreases on dimming is referred to "warm dimming". Warm dimming would be highly desirable for many applications, especially for LED-filaments. To implement an LED-filament that exhibits warm dimming requires color/color temperature tunable LED-filaments.
Color temperature tunable white LED lamps, for example LED bulbs and downlights, are known that comprise a combination of "cool white" and "warm white" packaged white LEDs enabling tuning between cool white and warm white and CCTs in between. To achieve a uniform color of emitted light requires adequate mixing of the light of different color temperatures and LED bulbs/downlights include a diffuser. In contrast, for an LED-filament lamp that includes LED-filaments of different CCTs the LED-filaments are spaced apart too far to achieve adequate mixing. While it is possible that the bulb envelope could include a diffuser, such a feature is undesirable since it would prevent viewing of the LED-filaments that reduce visual appeal of LED—the filament lamp. Without a diffuser the different color temperature LED-filaments would be clearly visible and this would further degrade the appearance of the lamp.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tunable LED-filament that at least in part addresses the limitations of known LED-filaments and whose emitted light is color/color temperature tunable. Moreover, it is desirable to provide an LED-filament that exhibits warm dimming.

Tunable LED-filaments and tunable LED-filament lamps


Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. A base station may configure a system bandwidth of shared spectrum partitioned into a plurality of bandwidth parts based on interference associated with each of the plurality of bandwidth parts. The base station may then transmit the configuration of the system bandwidth to a plurality of devices. A UE may receive, from a base station, a configuration of a system bandwidth of shared spectrum. The system bandwidth may be partitioned into a plurality of bandwidth parts based on interference associated with each of the plurality of bandwidth parts. The UE may then communicate with the base station on at least one of the bandwidth parts.

The following relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to methods, apparatuses, and systems for configuring bandwidth parts in a shared radio frequency spectrum (or shared spectrum).
Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, (e.g., a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, or a New Radio (NR) system). A wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of base stations or access network nodes, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE).
In NR, it has been contemplated that the system will support much larger bandwidths (400 MHz or more) as compared to previous generations of cellular systems. However, there may be UEs that are not capable of supporting these higher bandwidths during the initial deployment of the NR system or there may be UEs that do not need these higher bandwidths for their application. Furthermore, the NR system may also enable communication between base stations and UEs in a shared spectrum. Accordingly, the base stations and UEs may be required to implement good coexistence mechanisms to avoid interference to other users' who may have ongoing active transmissions and who may utilize other radio access technologies (RATs). These RATs may employ various bandwidth configurations which may make it challenging to efficiently share the medium across all users of the spectrum. Improved techniques for configuring bandwidth parts in shared spectrum may thus be desired.

Methods, apparatuses and systems for configuring bandwidth parts in shared spectrum


Prepare a thermoplastic polymer foam having a porosity of 70% or more and at least one of: (i) an average cell size of 200 nanometers or less; and (ii) a nucleation density of at least 1×1015 effective nucleation sites per cubic centimeter of foamable polymer composition not including blowing agent using a foamable polymer composition containing a thermoplastic polymer selected from styrenic polymer and (meth)acrylic polymers, a blowing agent comprising at least 20 mole-percent carbon dioxide based on moles of blowing agent and an additive having a Total Hansen Solubility Parameter that differs from that of carbon dioxide by less than 2 and that is present at a concentration of 0.01 to 1.5 weight parts per hundred weight parts thermoplastic polymer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to thermoplastic polymer foam having nanometer sized cells and a process for making such foam.
2. Introduction
Polymeric foam articles (or simply "polymeric foams") are common in thermal insulation applications. Many characteristics of polymeric foam affect the thermal conductivity through the foam and, hence, the effectiveness of the foam as a thermal insulator. For instance, it is known that heat transfer through polymeric foam insulation can occur by conduction, radiation and convection (see, for example, teachings in United States patent application publication 2009/0148665). In typical polymeric foam insulation the dominant mode of heat transfer is cell gas conduction, which contributes approximately 75% of the total thermal conductivity. Hence, reducing conduction of cell gas can significantly reduce heat transfer through polymeric foams.
One characteristic affecting thermal conductivity contribution of cell gas is cell size. Cell size has little influence on gas thermal conduction when the cell size is between about one micron and one millimeter in size. Above one millimeter convection behavior tends to increase thermal conductivity. However, when the cell size of foam is less than about one micron the gas conductivity decreases due to what is known as the Knudsen Effect (see, for example, the relationship illustrated in FIG. 1. The curve follows the methodology in Lee, et al., "Determination of a mesopore size of aerogels from thermal conductivity measurement", Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, March 2002, Vol. 298, pages 287-292). The Knudsen Effect is a phenomenon that results in a decrease in thermal conductivity as fewer cell gas molecules are available within each cell to collide and transfer heat within each single cell. The Knudsen Effect becomes significant as the cell size and connectivity between cells becomes on the same order of magnitude as the mean free path of the gas filling the cells. Thermal conductivity due to cell gas reduces almost in half when the cell size reduces from one micron to 300 nanometer (nm), and reduces by almost ⅔ when the cell size reduces from one micron to below 100 nm. Therefore, it is desirable to achieve cell sizes of 300 nm or less, preferably 100 nm or less to minimize thermal conductivity through foam.
It is further desirable to achieve a homogeneous cell size distribution. Even occasional large cells can reduce the thermal insulation effect of the small (300 nm or less, preferably 200 nm or less, still more preferably 150 nm or less) cells. Therefore, all things being equal, reducing the average cell size of foam to 300 nm or less and particularly to 200 nm or less is desirable to achieve lower thermal conductivity through the foam, especially in foam having a homogeneous cell size distribution. However, it is difficult to reduce the cell size without affecting other properties of a polymeric foam article.
Porosity, the ratio of void volume to foam volume, also affects the thermal conductivity of polymeric foam. Porosity can be expressed as a ratio with a value less than one or as a percentage, which is the ratio multiplied by 100. Generally, decreasing porosity results in an increase in thermal conductivity. That is because thermal conductivity through the polymer network that makes up the walls defining cells of foam is typically greater than thermal conductivity across gas within the cells.
Polymeric foam having an average cell size of 300 nm or less and a porosity of greater than 0.50 is highly desirable but difficult to achieve with known blown foam technology heretofore. Notably, blown foam technology is desirable because unlike aerogel technology, for instance, blown foam technology does not require large volumes of solvents to manufacture.
In developing a process for producing foam having a particular cell size it is useful to consider the number of effective nucleation sites. Effective nucleation sites are the number of sites in a foamable polymer composition that form voids, or cells, when the foamable polymer composition expands into foam (also known as "cell density" in, for example, a paper entitled "A Process for Making Microcellular Thermoplastic Parts" by Kumar and Suh, Polymer Engineering and Science, October 1990, Vol. 30 No. 20, pages 1323-1329). By controlling the number of effective nucleation sites and the porosity one controls the average cell size of the foam. In order to achieve a desirable thermally insulating foam it is desirable to prepare polymeric foam having at least 3×1014, and preferably 1×1015 or more, effective nucleation sites per cubic centimeter of non-foamed polymer matrix material (nucleation density) and expand that to have a porosity that is greater than 0.70 (or 70% when as expressed as a percentage). It can be a challenge to induce the necessary number of nucleation sites and achieve the stated porosity when preparing foam having nanometer sized cells.
It would be a desirable advancement in the art of thermally insulating polymer foam to be able to prepare blown polymeric foam having a thickness of at least one millimeter and having a nucleation density of at least 3×1014, preferably at least 1×1015 effective nucleation sites per cubic centimeter of non-foamed polymer matrix material and that has expanded to have a porosity that is greater than 70%. Even more desirable would be such polymeric foam that has an average cell size of 300 nm or less, preferably 200 nm or less, more preferably 150 nm or less and yet more preferably 100 nm or less.
Polymeric foam achieving at least part of these desired features has been developed containing nanometer-sized filler particles (nanofiller) as reported in published patent application WO 2011/066060. However, such additives can increase viscosity of a polymer composition as their concentration in the polymer composition increases. As a result, there is a practical limit to the amount of nucleating particles that can be added and efficiently dispersed into a polymer composition for foaming. It is desirable to be able to prepare such a foam without requiring a nanometer-sized filler (that is, in an absence of nanofillers).
Polymeric foam achieving at least part of the aforementioned desired features has also been developed without requiring a nanofillers provided a particular thermoplastic polymer is present as the primary component in the thermoplastic polymer matrix, as reported in WO 2011/112352. Despite the advancements reported in WO 2011/112352, it is yet desirable to find a way to achieve a porosity that is greater than 70%, while further increasing the nucleation density and/or achieving smaller cell sizes over the particular polymer technology disclosed in WO 2011/112352. This is particularly desirable when using a carbon dioxide blowing agent.
Other nanofoam art further illustrates room for advancement in the art field.
Ruiz et al., in Journal of Supercritical Fluids 57(2011) 87-94, disclose a two-step method for making microcellular foam having a cell size in a range of 0.3-300 micrometers using a polymer composition that requires a triblock copolymer. It would advance the art to have a process for preparing nanofoam without requiring a triblock copolymer
US2009/0130420 provides a method for preparing polycarbonate nanofoam provided the polymer comprising structural units derived from 2-hycrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyphenyl)phthalimidine compounds. It is desirable not to have to use this specific polymer or be limited to polycarbonate technology.
Foaming processes utilizing extremely high pressures of carbon dioxide (see for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,555,589 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,555,590) or explosive depressurization at rates of 15,000 to 200,000 MegaPascals per second (see for example US20110287260) have also been taught as useful to produce polymeric nanofoam. However, the engineering requirements to achieve the required high pressures of carbon dioxide and/or explosive pressure release rates are too extreme to be of practical interest in producing large foam specimens.
It would provide an advance in the art of nanofoam technology to identify a process for preparing thermoplastic polymer nanofoam that has a porosity that is greater than 70%, while further increasing the nucleation density and/or achieving smaller cell sizes over the technology disclosed in WO 2011/112352 and without requiring a triblock copolymer, nanofillers, special polycarbonate polymers or extreme depressurization rates.

Nanocellular thermoplastic foam and process for making the same


An inkjet head includes a flow path unit and a reservoir unit. The reservoir unit stores ink and includes an ink flow path, a reservoir flow path and an ink drop flow path. The reservoir flow path includes a main flow path formed with plural tributary communication ports, and plural tributary flow paths. A section area of the main flow path taken along a width direction of the reservoir unit is larger than each of section areas of the tributary flow paths taken along a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of ink. The ink drop flow path drops ink onto a substantially center of the main flow path as viewed in a plan view. The tributary communication ports are substantially equal to each other in an opening area.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an inkjet head, which ejects ink to a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
US 2005/0083379 A1 discloses an inkjet head, which ejects ink from nozzles to a recording medium such as a printing sheet. Specifically, US 2005/0083379 A1 discloses an inkjet head having: a flow path unit, a reservoir unit and an actuator unit. The flow path unit is formed with a common ink chamber and a plurality of individual ink flow path each of which communicates with the common ink chamber and extends to a nozzle through a pressure chamber. The reservoir unit is formed with a reservoir for supplying stored ink to the common ink chamber. The reservoir unit is joined to the flow path unit. The actuator unit imparts ejection energy to the ink in the flow path unit. A plurality of ink supply ports are formed in the flow path unit. A plurality of tributary flow paths, which communicate with the common ink chamber through the respective ink supply ports, are formed in the reservoir. The ink stored in the reservoir is supplied to the common ink chamber through the respective tributary flow paths and the corresponding ink supply ports, which communicate with the respective tributary flow paths (see FIGS. 4 and 5 of US 2005/0083379 A1).


A digital recording and reproducing method and system by which a desired control code can be recorded onto and reproduced from an analog record tape to improve the operability in reproduction of such analog record tape. A fixed head unit is used which has a first track face on which an analog head is provided and a second track face on which a plurality of digital heads are provided. Upon analog reproduction or recording onto or from one of a pair of analog tracks of a tape by means of the analog head, a desired control code is digitally recorded onto a non-recorded gap portion of the other analog track using a particular one of the digital heads. Then, upon analog reproduction by the analog head, the digitally recorded control code is read out from the tape using the digital heads.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording and reproducing method of a digital tape recorder of the fixed head type for digitally recording and reproducing a desired control code onto and from an analog record tape.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital tape recorders of the fixed head type have been proposed recently which can record digitally while maintaining the compatibility with a compact cassette of the analog recording type.
An exemplary one of fixed head units employed in digital tape recorders of the fixed head type mentioned is shown in FIG. 5. Referring to FIG. 5, the fixed head unit generally denoted at 1 has a magnet head face which is divided into two track faces. Up to nine digital recording heads 2.sub.1 to 2.sub.9 and digital reproducing heads 3.sub.1 to 3.sub.9 of the 9-channel construction are provided in line, i.e., in two columns in a direction perpendicular to a tape feeding direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 5) on an upper side one of the two track faces of the fixed head unit 1 in FIG. 5.
Meanwhile, the other track face on the lower side in FIG. 5 of the fixed head unit 1 has a pair of analog reproducing heads 4.sub.L and 4.sub.R provided thereon for reproducing a conventional compact cassette of the analog recording type. The fixed head unit 1 is connected to be rotated or turned over by 180 degrees around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 5 by a changing over mechanism not shown so that a tape not shown may be reproduced whether the tape is fed in one direction or the other direction.
With such digital tape recorder of the fixed head type, upon digital recording, various sub codes can be digitally recorded together with music or the like, and a very high operability is obtained similarly to a compact disk (CD) player or a digital audio tape player (DAT) by making use of such sub codes. However, as regards an analog record tape, the digital tape recorder of the fixed head type is equivalent to a conventional cassette deck, and it is hard to say that its operability is satisfactory comparing with a digital record tape.

Digital recording/reproducing method in which digital control codes are simultaneously recorded/reproduced with analog info to enhance analog recording/reproduction


A method for measuring and representing the level of local irradiation doses, in at least two dimensions, comprises: a step of positioning N probes Si sensitive to irradiating radiation, each corresponding to a local zone Zi according to a known topology; a step of acquiring, by each of the probes, the level of radiation ISi detected and periodically recording numerical values ISi(t); and a step of converting the numerical values ISi(t) into values DSi(t) corresponding to the radiation dose applied to each of the Z zones associated with a probe Si, according to a calibration table. The method further comprises, during the measurement sequence, steps of spatial interpolation calculation of at least one estimated irradiation level value ISiv(t) of at least one virtual zone Ziv that is not associated with a probe. A measurement device for implementing this method is also described.

It is important to know in real time the dose received by a patient during examinations, for example, during interventional radiology procedures, because skin irradiation can cause deterministic effects.
In radiation protection, the absorbed dose, or, more concisely, the dose, is the energy deposited per unit of mass by ionizing radiation. Reference is also made to radiative dose or radioactive dose in nuclear physics.
Knowing the dose makes it possible to quantify the energy deposited in a biological tissue in order to predict the deterministic and stochastic effects of irradiation: cancer care planning in radiotherapy or brachytherapy, prediction of disease risks in the event of accidental or voluntary exposure (radiology), definition of safety standards in the nuclear industry, etc.
Interventional radiology includes all diagnostic and/or therapeutic medical procedures guided by radioscopy, including:                diagnostic and/or therapeutic invasive radio-guided acts; and        surgical procedures using ionizing radiation per-operatively.
Digitization, the evolution of implants, the ease of obtaining images, all contribute to the increase in the number of these procedures.
In 2002, more than 70 million radiological procedures were performed in France. 1.5% of these procedures concern interventional radiology but 20% of the total dose is delivered by medical radiology. It should be noted that this is a low hypothesis. On the other hand, some of these procedures deliver doses equivalent to a session of radiotherapy. It is therefore particularly important to know and optimize the doses delivered in interventional radiology.
To strengthen dose control, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has requested that radiological facilities should display dosimetric data, at the console, for each examination and each sequence of this examination (IEC Standard 60601-2-43:2010 March 2010 "Medical Electrical Equipment—Part 2-43: Specific Requirements for Basic Safety and Essential Performance of X-ray Equipment During Procedures"). This may include the Surface Dose Product (PDS) in interventional radiology.
The absorbed dose can be (more or less precisely) calculated using computer simulation tools. In clinical practice, the most important application of these calculation methods is the optimization of distribution of the dose delivered to the patients during radiotherapy through processing planning systems.
However, in interventional radiology, dose calculations do not have the simplicity of those of conventional radiology, particularly because of the multiplicity of irradiation angles and real-time changes in acquisition parameters during the same examination.
To objectify the irradiation dose in interventional radiology, the following indicators are available:                The surface dose product (PDS): essential for monitoring the delivered dose. Attention: the ionization chamber that measures and cumulates all of the incidences.        The scopy time that is also essential, but poorly correlated to the skin dose.        The number of images (informative but insufficient to monitor the doses delivered).        Air kerma at the interventional reference point (IRP): installations display an air kerma value (or air dose) at the IRP (often located 15 cm upstream of the isocenter, on the beam axis, i.e., about 60 cm from the tube focus). This value is calculated from the PDS measurement. It does not take into account the contribution of the radiation backscattered to the patient's skin and produced by the patient, the attenuation of the table and the mattress, and cumulates the value of each exposure (graphy and scopy) by considering the beam as fixed throughout the procedure (not/taking into account the different incidences).
The Surface Dose product is equal to the average dose absorbed in air integrated on the surface of the X-ray beam in a plane perpendicular to its axis, in the absence of a medium diffusing through the surface of this section, and is noted D(x, y) so that:PDS=∫AD(x,y)dxdy
If the dose is constant over the entire transverse section of the beam, which is generally accepted, the PDS can be expressed as the product of the dose and the transverse surface S of the beam:PDS=D·S
Unit: Gy·m2, mGy·cm2, . . .
This index can be directly measured, in the air or in a phantom, thanks to an ionization chamber of the "transmission chamber" type.
The dosimetry of the beams of particles with no charge (photons or neutrons) is characterized by the great physics called kerma (acronym of Kinetic energy released per unit mass). Kerma can be defined as follows:                considering an ionizing beam of particles with no charge passing through any medium (air, water, a wall, an organ, etc.); and        considering a small element of this environment, having the mass dm;        let dEtr be the energy lost by the beam in this small element of matter (the transfer of energy, in the form of kinetic energy transferred to charged particles in this medium).
The kerma K is then the ratio between the energy transfer in this small element and the mass of this element: K=dEtr/dm.
The kerma unit is the gray, noted Gy: 1 Gy=1 J/kg.
Estimating the dose absorbed by the skin is recommended. It is not available during the operation, but can be carried out afterwards. Mapping the dose distribution at the skin level is desirable.
Another solution is to use probes placed on the patient's skin to provide a measurement of irradiation doses by dosimeters having the specificity to directly and locally measure the X-ray dose delivered to the patient during an examination. The dosimeter consists of doped fibers forming a scintillator that produces photons during irradiation with ionizing radiation. It forms a matrix of measuring points organized according to a topology defined by the position of the probes relative to the patient. By default, the probes are placed in predefined locations.
French patent FR2981757 describes the general principle of a method for determining an irradiation dose deposited in a scintillator by ionizing radiation. This method consists in:                irradiating the scintillator for a predetermined time;        detecting a moment of scintillator excitation with a first photodetector; then        detecting a moment of reception of a scintillation photon with a second photodetector, operating in single photon counting mode;        identifying each sequence consisting of an excitation time detection by the first photodetector, and a reception time detection by the second photodetector at a coincidence event;        counting the number of coincidental events; and        obtaining the irradiation dose deposited during the irradiation time as a function of the number of coincidence events counted and a predetermined proportionality factor.
European patent application EP 1581824 describes a method for measuring in real time a dose of radiological radiation absorbed by a region to be inspected subjected to a flow of radiological radiation, including the steps of:                (a) detecting incident radiation at at least one point in the region to be inspected using at least a first bundle of measuring optical fibers containing at least one fiber placed in the region to be inspected and adapted to generate a light signal when it receives radiological radiation,        (b) measuring the light signal outside the region to be inspected after transmission along the measuring optical fiber; and        (c) determining the radiological radiation dose received by the measuring optical fiber from the light signal.
The device used is a piece of equipment for the real-time measurement of a radiological radiation dose absorbed by a region to be inspected subjected to a flux of radiological radiation, comprising:                a dosimeter comprising at least a first bundle of measuring optical fibers, containing at least one fiber placed in the region to be inspected and adapted to generate a light signal when it receives radiological radiation, in order to detect incident radiation at least one point in the region to be inspected,        means for measuring the light signal outside the region to be inspected after transmission along the measuring optical fiber; and        means for determining the radiological radiation dose received by the measuring optical fiber from the light signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,480,448 describes an image acquisition system, a patient support table and a computer processor that calculates the angle of a beam of radiation directed at the patient in the angiography imaging procedure with respect to the table.
The method consists in calculating an angle of the table; calculating the intersection of the radiation beam with respect to a two-dimensional grid; calculating the radiation dose applied at the intersection of the radiation beam to each of the predefined areas of the two-dimensional grid; calculating the patient's orientation with respect to the two-dimensional grid of predefined areas; and creating a graphical display illustrating an aggregation of the radiation dose applied to each of the predefined areas of the two-dimensional grid for viewing purposes by a user.
This prior art solution makes it possible to determine the irradiation dose on the patient's skin, calculated from the dose measured on the table according to the arm/table angulation. This dose to the skin depends on the distance, angle, density/nature of the skin and corresponds to the dose measured in air.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,649,079 describes another known example of a system for determining a radiation dose applied to different organs of a subject exposed to diagnostic image acquisition by a scanning imaging device. From a register image, a computer processor makes it possible to calculate a boundary of one end of the exposed subject from the two-dimensional register image; calculate a boundary of a first organ depending on the intensity of the grey scale of the plurality of pixels that include the two-dimensional register image; calculate a boundary of at least one anatomical stage according to a predefined geometric orientation with respect to the boundary of the first organ; and apply predefined auxological criteria to calculate a boundary of a second organ dependent on a predefined geometric orientation with respect to the boundary of the anatomical stage(s); and create a display illustrating the dose measurement applied at the area defined by the boundary of the anatomical stage.
The principle of this known solution is to determine off-field organs according to the organs in the field and according to the knowledge of dimensional ratios between organs.
Chinese Patent 1736333 provides for a CT scanner, including an X-ray gantry supporting an X-ray source located opposite a beam detector assembly. A logical part includes a mechanism for controlling the scanning of the object to generate a first scanned detection image. A first elliptical patient model is generated from the scanned image.
The patient's ellipsoidal model is an approximation of the corresponding diameter for dose calculation and display in relation to the control means.
US Patent Publication No. 2010/0320819 is also known in the state of the art.
1. Nishikido, F., Moritake, T., Ito, H. & Yamaya, T. A prototype real-time dose distribution monitoring system using plastic scintillators connected to optical fiber for interventional radiology. (2013).
2. Chida Phd, K. et al. Real-time patient radiation dosimeter for use in interventional radiology. (2016). doi:10.1016/j.ejmp.2016.10.013
The solutions proposed in the prior art have several drawbacks.
First, the data provided by the prior art solutions lacks the resolution to fully map the irradiation levels of a patient's different body areas, including those areas and organs that are not directly located in the radiation beam exposure area.
Secondly, the solutions of the prior art require additional information that is not easy to collect, or otherwise lack precision.
Thirdly, the solutions known in the art at the present time do not allow the maximum dose delivered to the skin to be determined in real time or to provide 3D measurements or lack precision. This aspect is important in, for example, neuro-intervention where a wide range of angulation may be used.
Some solutions require the use of a very large number of detection fibers, and their integration on the table supporting the patient can be relatively constraining, making the system quite difficult to set up.

Method for measuring and representing the level of local irradiation doses


A stage apparatus including: a movement member movable with a plate member placed on a placement surface; and a fixing apparatus that fixes said plate member to said placement surface in parallel with said movement member passing through a prescribed first region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stage apparatus that moves precisely in one dimension or two dimensions over a flat table onto which is placed a mask or substrate onto which a pattern is described, and to an exposure apparatus or the like using such a stage apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In the past, in a microlithography apparatus in which a circuit pattern of a semiconductor device or a liquid-crystal device is formed by shining illumination light (an energy beam such as an ultraviolet beam, an X-ray beam, or an electron beam or the like) onto a mask or the like on which a circuit pattern is described so as to perform exposure of a sensitized substrate (a semiconductor wafer or glass plate or the like onto which a resist layer has been applied) by projection through a projection image forming system that is full-size or that has a reduction or magnification ratio, a stage apparatus is provided, onto which the mask or sensitized substrate is placed, and which moves in one dimension or in two dimensions within a plane (XY plane), under position servocontrol by a laser interferometer.
In such a stage apparatus, the mask or substrate is generally vacuum chucked by a vacuum chucking force. In particular, because the surface area that is held by the vacuum chucking is small and scanning is done at a speed that is approximately 4 or 5 times that of the wafer, there is a tendency for the mask holding force to be insufficient, so that the mask position shifts during the scanning of the mask stage. For this reason, there is a technology, as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H10-149979, of pressing a member serving as a positioning reference up against the mask, so as to prevent offset.
In recent years, in order to improve the productivity of exposure apparatuses, there is a desire to increase the speed of the reticle stage apparatus or wafer stage, so that the acceleration to which the wafer is subjected reaches 5 to 6 G.
In the above-described technology, however, because the force that holds the mask is only the vacuum chucking force that acts on the bottom surface of the mask, if the stage apparatus is moved with a high acceleration, there is the problem of insufficient holding force, resulting in mask offset and a deterioration of the transfer precision.

Stage apparatus, fixation method, exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device-producing method