Two embodiments of flexible transmitter tensioning devices that afford a screw threaded operation for moving an idler pulley to vary the adjustments. The construction lends itself to incorporation in an outboard motor.

This invention relates to an outboard motor and more particularly to an improved arrangement for tightening the flexible transmitter of a drive for an accessory of the engine of an outboard motor.
Frequently the internal combustion engine of an outboard motor drives one or more accessories. These accessories may include devices such as alternators or generators, air pumps, high pressure fuel pumps and various other types of devices employed either for the engine or the associated watercraft and for their operation. Normally these devices are driven by a flexible transmitter such as a drive belt that is disposed at the upper surface of the outboard motor within the protective cowling of the powerhead. Also, as is well known, the construction of outboard motors and particularly their powerheads is extremely compact in an effort to maintain a small sizes. However, this compact construction make servicing difficult in many instances.
It is necessary not only during initial installation but from time to time to ensure that the flexible transmitters that drive the various accessories are under the proper tension. Many of these flexible transmitters tend to elongate during periods of long use and, therefore, it is desirable if not necessary to check the tension and adjust it after certain periods of running.
Conventionally, the way in which such accessory drive flexible transmitters are adjusted is to mount one of the driven elements for pivotal movement about an axis. When this element is released and pivoted, then the tension on the flexible transmitter can be adjusted. There are, however, a number of disadvantages with such an arrangement.
First, with many types of flexible transmitters it is necessary to actually measure the tension in the drive belt in some manner in order to appropriately set it. It is difficult for an operator to both measure the tension and lock the tension adjusting device in place at the same time. This is particularly true when attempts are being made to adjust the flexible transmitter when the outboard motor is attached to the transom of an associate watercraft.
Also, in order to provide sufficient tension, it is frequently necessary to utilize some form of leverage system whereby the pivoted number can be moved. The insertion of screwdrivers or other tools for levering the accessory to tension the belt can cause damage to the components. In addition, this also is an awkward operation to perform, particularly when the outboard motor is attached to the transom of the watercraft.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement for tensioning the flexible transmitter that drives an accessory of an outboard motor.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement for adjusting the tension in a flexible transmitter drive.


An optical sensor for three dimensional shapes includes a laser that produces a lamellar plane beam which illuminates the surface of an object. The lamellar plane beam produces a curvilinear luminous trace that is scanned by at least one video camera, to produce information that is then converted into digital data representing pixel coordinates. The sensor includes a lightbox having a common housing that is positioned a short distance above the object to be scanned. The lightbox housing also includes a laser source that produces a collimated rectilinear beam and an optical device for converting the rectilinear beam into the lamellar plane beam. The lightbox housing also includes a device for lengthening the optical path of the lamellar plane beam, comprising two fixed plane mirrors in face to face relationship to produce a plurality of reflections between a beam entry point and a beam exit point of the lightbox. The small physical distance between the housing and the object is compensated by a virtual optical distance so that there is a correlative increase in the depth of field of the usable region of the lamellar plane beam at the beam exit point from the housing.

1. Field of the invention
The invention concerns the acquisition and digitization in three dimensions of the shape of any object by means of systems comprising an optical sensor with a source of laser radiation and one or more cameras scanning the trace of the laser beam on the object under study.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A technique of this kind is described in detail in the documents FR-A-2 627 047, FR-A-2 642 833 and FR-A-2 629 198.
To be more precise, this technique generates a "laser plane", that is to say a sectoral lamellar beam which is very thin but whose width covers all of the object to be scanned, with one or two cameras viewing this plane at two different angles of incidence. The system is placed at the end of a mobile manipulator arm, the arm of a numerically controlled machine tool for example, to scan the laser plane over the part to acquire the surface of the part in three dimensions progressively. The scanning may be achieved by pivoting or by movement in translation of the sensor relative to the part or by keeping the sensor fixed in position and moving the part relative to it, in which case the part is mounted on a remote controlled multi-axis table, for example.
The sensors used in this technique until now have been relatively bulky, fragile and complex.
One object of the invention is to propose a sensor structure enabling the sensor to be significantly miniaturized whilst retaining or even increasing its accuracy and its resolution (the "resolution" being the pixel size of the system and the "accuracy" allowing for the digitization and reconstitution stages; it will be shown later that the accuracy of positioning can be better than one pixel given various processing operations carried out during the laser trace analysis stage).
The benefit of a miniaturized sensor, apart from its general convenience, is that it can be used in even a highly restricted space, for small parts, on surfaces that are difficult of access, etc, in other words whenever great accuracy is required in a reduced area.
However, in this case the sensor is much closer to the part to be scanned and this gives rise to a number of new problems, especially that of the depth of field, which decreases as the sensor moves closer to the object.
At present He-Ne laser sensors are adjusted with a focus about one meter from the source and therefore with significant "backoff" (which is indispensable in any event given the relatively large size of the helium-neon laser and its various associated units). As used herein, the term "backoff" refers to the distance between the laser sensor and the object to be scanned.
Combined with a long focal length, this large backoff can produce an extremely fine trace with a large depth of field, typically a lamellar beam less than 0.2 mm thick over a depth of field of 100 mm.
What is more, as the lamellar beam is produced by static means (usually a cylindrical lens), the spread of the beam in combination with the large backoff produces a relatively low local energy density (in the order of 1 .mu.W/mm.sup.2), which means that the beam is not hazardous to the operator.
On the other hand, although it is possible to miniaturize the sensor (in particular by using a laser diode in place of the He-Ne laser), if it is not possible or desirable to set back the sensor from the object the depth of field problem arises because of the focussing at a much shorter distance (typically 10 cm rather than 1 m), with a corresponding effect on the thickness of the trace and therefore on resolution and accuracy.
Because the energy density varies in inverse proportion to the distance, it increases very significantly to the point where the beam is hazardous should it impinge on the eye of an operator near the object.
An object of the invention is to retain the advantages of current sensors despite miniaturization and the much smaller physical backoff relative to the object.
The basic principle of the invention is to create a virtual backoff of the source within the sensor to procure conditions that are substantially the same as those for a long focus beam, so compensating the small physical backoff due to the configuration of the sensor-object system.

High-resolution compact optical sensor for scanning three-dimensional shapes


An address generator that provides equivalent time sampling for a time domain reflectometer generates read and write addesses for simultaneous application to an aquisition memory over an address bus. For each iteration of a repetitive input signal an excitation pulse is delayed by an amount, dt, that is an integer submultiple of a sampling period, T. Read addresses for each iteration of the repetitive input signal start from an initial address and increment by T/dt for each data sample. Corresponding write addresses are generated from the read addresses one sample time later so that the address on the address bus has a read address that is one address ahead of the write address. The acquisition memory reads out data from the read address for accumulation with corresponding sampled data while accumulated data is being input to the write address.

The present invention relates to memory address generators, and more particularly to an address generator for a high speed data averager where a repetitive input signal is sampled in an equivalent time mode.
In the digital oscilloscope arts to digitize high frequency signals an equivalent time mode is used. In this mode a sample clock is skewed from a trigger event for successive iterations of a repetitive signal. A memory control circuit adds an increment to the address for each data sample so that the samples for each iteration of the signal occur in a memory spaced apart by the increment. The clock is skewed so that for the next iteration of the signal the data samples fall into the adjacent memory addresses to the prior data samples. The clock is successively skewed for successive iterations of the signal until all the memory locations are filled to give a complete picture of the signal waveform, which may then be displayed. Such an equivalent time mode system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,951 issued to Allen L. Hollister on Jul. 5, 1988 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Digitizing a Waveform."
The Hollister patent also describes two different modes for combining equivalent time sampling with hardware averaging, a spin mode for high frequency signals and a comb mode for lower frequency signals. In the spin mode the input waveform is sampled only once per repetitive waveform at the same relative location, divided and added to the contents of the current memory address, the address remaining unchanged until all samples are acquired. Then the current memory address is incremented by one and the next sample is taken from a delayed relative location, and the process of sampling, dividing, summing and storing into the current memory address is repeated. This process occurs for several points along the waveform. In the comb mode the input waveform is sampled many times during each repetitive input waveform and each sample is digitized, divided and summed with the contents of the current address which is incremented by the sampling interval for each successive sample. The address is reset to an initial address at the beginning of each waveform and the process is repeated until the necessary number of waveforms have been sampled at several similar points.
In a time domain reflectometer there are two sets of timing pulses generated, a pulse signal and a sample signal. The pulse signal activates an energy source, such as a laser for an optical time domain reflectometer or an electronic pulse circuit for a metallic time domain reflectometer, that transmits an energy pulse into a transmission line, either optical fiber or metallic. The sample signal is used to sample reflections and backscattered energy received from the transmission line in response to the energy pulse within a predetermined acquisition window. In co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/399,663, filed Aug. 28, 1989 by William A. Trent entitled "Digital Time Base With Differential Period Delay," the sample clock is phase locked to a master oscillator and remains unchanged, while the pulse signal is delayed from pulse to pulse.
What is desired is an address generator for a high speed averager that applies equivalent time sampling techniques to a time domain reflectometer where the sample signal is not skewed.

Address generator for high speed data averager


In a thermostatic expansion valve having a refrigerant passage (11) for guiding a refrigerant in a predetermined direction, a seat member (209) is placed in the refrigerant passage to divide the refrigerant passage into a high-pressure chamber (10) and a low-pressure chamber (14). The seat member is movable in the predetermined direction and provided with a valve seat (200a). An urging arrangement (210) urges the seat member towards the high-pressure chamber. In the high-pressure chamber, a valve body (201) is movable for adjusting a flow of the refrigerant in cooperation with the valve seat. A control arrangement (205, 206, 207, 208) controls movement of the valve body in response to temperature of the refrigerant.

The present invention relates to a thermostatic expansion valve which is extensively but primarily used for a refrigeration cycle system such as automotive air conditioning apparatus.
Such a thermostatic expansion valve is included in a refrigeration cycle and is for expansion of a refrigerant which is contained in the refrigeration cycle. The thermostatic expansion valve in an earlier technology comprises a refrigerant passage for guiding the refrigerant in a predetermined direction, a valve seat dividing the refrigerant passage into a high-pressure chamber and a low-pressure chamber, a valve body movable in the high-pressure chamber for adjusting a flow of the refrigerant in cooperation with the valve seat, and a control arrangement for controlling movement of the valve body in response to temperature of the refrigerant.
With reference to FIG. 4, description will be made as a thermostatic expansion valve of the type described above. The thermostatic expansion valve is generally used for automotive or car air conditioning system employing a volume valuable compressor of a piston stroke controlling type such as a swash plate type compressor.
The thermostatic expansion valve has a casing 1, an expansion valve unit 2 and a closure member 3 in the casing 1. In a casing 1, there are provided a high-pressure passage 11 which serves as the refrigerant passage directing to an evaporator 4 for a high pressure refrigerant which is discharged from a compressor discharging chamber, low-pressure passages 12, 12 which serve as a passage directing to a compressor suction chamber for a low pressure refrigerant which is discharged from the evaporator 4, and a valve unit insertion portion 13 which is disposed between the low-pressure passages 12. The closure member 3 is located at an upper portion of the valve unit insertion portion 13 such that an end of the expansion valve 2 is adaptable by the use of engagement member.
The expansion valve unit 2 has a valve seat 200a which is located to form a high-pressure chamber 200a and a port 200b in the high-pressure passage 11 of the casing 1, a valve casing 200 disposed at a center of the casing 1 to close a passage between the high-pressure passage 11 and the valve unit insertion portion 13, a valve body 201 which is disposed in the high-pressure chamber 10 and contacted with, and spaced from, the valve seat 200a to open/close a passage directing to the evaporator 4 through the high-pressure passage 11, the valve seat 200a, and the port 200b, a spring 203 for biasing the valve body 201 toward a valve-closing direction (an upward direction in the illustration of FIG. 4) through a guide member 202, and an adjustment screw 204 for adjusting a pressing force of the spring 203. Further, there is disposed a temperature sensing portion 205 which is disposed in the valve unit insertion portion 13 of the casing 1 such that an end portion of the temperature sensing portion 205 is mounted to the closure member 3 and which is disposed in the midst of the low-pressure passage 12 directing from the outlet portion of the evaporator 4 to the suction (or inlet) chamber of the compressor and, in addition, a diaphragm 206 which is displaced in accordance with pressure difference between the inner pressure of the temperature sensing portion 205 and the pressure of the outlet of the evaporator 4, a transmission rod 207 which is displaceably supported to the valve casing 200 such that one end thereof is contacted with the diaphragm 206 and the other end is provided with the valve body 201 so that the valve body 201 is opened/closed in accordance with the displacement of the diaphragm 206, and a spring 208 for urging the transmission rod 207 toward the diaphragm 206. A combination of the temperature sensing portion 205, the diaphragm 206, the transmission rod 207, and the spring 208 is referred to as the control arrangement.
The expansion valve unit 2 has a passage 200c at the valve casing 200 so that the diaphragm 206 receives, or effected by, the pressure from the evaporator 4 by the passage 200c.
Within the temperature sensing portion 205 which is exposed to the refrigerant from the outlet of the evaporator 4, a refrigerant (R134a) and an adsorbent (oil) is sealed therein, and the pressure in the temperature sensing portion 205 is set to be varied in accordance with the temperature of the refrigerant from the outlet of the evaporator 4.
By the structure described above, a superheat degree characteristic is determined by a force due to a difference of the pressure added to both surfaces of the diaphragm 206 (that is, difference between a force for pressing the diaphragm 206 toward the valve body 201 and a force acting in the valve opening/closing direction of the valve body 201), and a spring force of the spring 203.
FIG. 5 shows a characteristic of temperature (.degree. C.)-pressure (kg/cm.sup.2 G) under a predetermined pressure condition of the inlet of the thermostatic expansion valve described above. In FIG. 5, the characteristic C1 with respect to the expansion valve represents a linear line which shows that a pressure proportionally increases as the elevation of the temperature, whereas the characteristic C2 with respect to the refrigerant (R134a) represents a curve which shows that a pressure gradually varies and increases as the elevation of the temperature. As seen from FIG. 5, it is prescribed that the characteristic C1 extends across the characteristic C2.
Namely, in comparison between characteristic C1 and characteristic C2, if temperatures are compared with reference to pressure elevation up to 2.0 kg/cm.sup.2 G, the temperature of characteristic C1 represents .degree. C. whereas the temperature of characteristic C2 represents a temperature value slightly higher than .degree. C. However, if temperatures are then compared with reference to pressure elevation up to 2.7 kg/cm.sup.2 G, the temperature of characteristic C1 represents 10.degree. C. whereas the temperature of characteristic C2 represents a temperature value lower than 10.degree. C. by .DELTA.T. Thus, a relationship of the temperatures relative to the pressure is reversed at a temperature above .degree. C. and around 1.2.degree. C. to form a break-even or cross-over point. This is aimed to obtain restriction of hunting of an expansion valve especially at a low and middle temperature range and returning of the refrigerant (including an oil) to the compressor, because the compressor is in a continuous operation to a low outdoor temperature range and a circulation amount of the refrigerant is extremely reduced in this region.
In case of the thermostatic expansion valve described above, the characteristic C1 of the expansion valve is located at a higher position than the characteristic C2 of the refrigerant in the region of lower temperature than the cross-point. In this state, the expansion valve is always opened, and the high pressure side and the low pressure side are not closed or cut off even in the suspended state of the compressor and, accordingly, the refrigerant which has been trapped at the high pressure side due to the change of the temperature in and out of the vehicle is moved to the low pressure side through the expansion valve so that it is likely that a great amount of the refrigerant is stored in the interior of the compressor itself and in its suction passage. If, in this state, the compressor is driven, liquid compression is generated to cause serious problems such as damage and breakage in the compressor. Accordingly, it is necessary that the cases that the liquid refrigerant is delivered from the thermostatic expansion valve side to the compressor itself and/or its suction passage must be avoided.

Thermostatic expansion valve in which a valve seat is movable in a flow direction of a refrigerant


A positive displacement machine having a set of parallel meshing rotors employed in a compression-expansion refrigeration system receives a fluid refrigerant input from a condenser and expands the fluid in a first zone and forces substantially all of the liquid in the first zone to an evaporator. The remaining fluid from the first zone of the machine is then compressed in an adjacent second zone of the machine to form a high pressure vapor, which is then routed back to the condenser. The positive displacement machine includes a first rotor having a plurality of helical lobes disposed about a rotor periphery. At least one second rotor has a plurality of helical grooves disposed about a second rotor periphery for receiving the lobes of the first rotor during rotation of the rotors in opposite directions. A housing defines a chamber for enclosing the rotors. The plural displacement machine includes an inlet port at one end, an outlet port at an opposing end, and an intermediate port in a side wall of the chamber between the inlet and outlet ports. An effectively closed expanding working chamber is formed between the inlet and intermediate ports, while an effectively closed contracting working chamber is formed between the intermediate and outlet ports.

First and referring to FIG. 1, a known refrigeration system 10 for a heat pump, refrigerator, chiller or air conditioner is shown schematically for background purposes. The known refrigeration system 10 includes a compressor 11, driven by an electric motor 12 or other known means, that compresses vapor. The compressor 11 discharges compressed vapor, at high pressure and high temperature, into a condenser 13 where heat is extracted from the working fluid, causing condensation of the high pressure vapor into high pressure liquid. The high pressure liquid then flows from the condenser 13 into a throttling valve 14 which reduces the pressure of the liquid, causing partial flashing. This lower pressure fluid is then routed into an evaporator 15 in which the fluid absorbs heat, thereby converting the working fluid from the liquid to the vapor state. The vapor from the evaporator reenters the compressor 11 on the intake side.
FIG. 2 shows a vapor compression cycle PH (pressure v. enthalpy) diagram for the conventional refrigeration system shown in FIG. 1. with pressure (P) represented along the ordinate and enthalphy (H) appearing along the abscissa. The vapor/compression cycle shows an adiabatic compression of vapor along line A, superheated cooling of the vapor occurring along line B1, followed by biphase isothermal condensation along line B2, and liquid subcooling along line B3. When the working fluid passes through a throttling valve, the working fluid undergoes isoenthalpic expansion, as indicated by vertical line C. Isobaric evaporation of the liquid in the evaporator is shown by horizontal line D.
As should be apparent from the preceding diagram, and with isoenthalpic expansion, the quality of the expanded refrigerant is increased because some of the compression energy of the condensed working fluid is consumed in transforming the liquid into vapor at the low pressure side of the system. For efficient operation, the quality of the working fluid; that is, the vapor fraction of the expanded refrigerant, should be as small as possible.
Referring to FIG. 3, an improved system has been developed, as described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,613, in which a turbine expander 17 is substituted for the throttling valve expander. The turbine expander 17 receives the high pressure liquid from the condenser and drives a turbine rotor with the kinetic energy of the expanding working fluid. In other words, a portion of the energy imparted to the working fluid by the compressor is recovered in the expander as mechanical energy. Therefore, the turbine expander relieves some of the compressor load on the drive motor, so that the refrigeration cycle operates more efficiently than is possible with a throttling type of expander.
Typically, the turbine expander is either mechanically or electrically connected with the main compressor. A typical mechanical arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 3. A disadvantage of the direct coupling arrangement is that the turbine/expander must be placed in close proximity with the main compressor. This results in the need for additional piping in the system and consequently increases the implementation cost of the two-phase flow expander.
Another possible solution to the above problem, shown in FIG. 4, is to provide a stand alone turbine/expander which locally transfers its recovered mechanical power into electrical power through the use of a generator 18. This transferred electrical power supplies a portion of the electrical power that is required to drive the motor 12 of the compressor 11. The disadvantage with this system is the need for the additional electric generator, as well as the additional losses associated with the generator.
In addition, each of the systems shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 require turbine/expanders which are run at fixed speeds. In actual system applications, however, fixed speed operation requires additional hardware to prevent hot gas by-pass from the condenser to the evaporator during part load conditions. As a consequence, the efficiency of existing throttle loss recovery systems deteriorates under part-load conditions. For example, for a system running at or below 50% capacity with reduced temperature lift, it has been found that power recovery of the turbine/expander is typically reduced to almost negligible amounts.

Single rotor expressor as two-phase flow throttle valve replacement


The present invention relates to problems how to keep cable arrangement functional, or at least make the damage as little as possible, after being exposed to different types of mechanical overloads. The problems are solved by methods and arrangements in which the securing means and the contact material of the securing means are arranged so that the cable can slide through the securing means when it is exposed to mechanical overloads.

One common way to route a cable, e.g. cables for electrical power, in a landscape is to hang them between poles. The cables, such as self-supporting overhead cables, cables reinforced with helically wound reinforcements, transmission lines, etc., are normally secured to the poles with the aid of suspension devices.
One problem with this arrangement is that it is exposed to e.g. falling trees. This could heavily damage the arrangement and might, as a consequence of the damage, cause interruptions in the functions of the cable system. Repair of the system and interruptions, e.g. in electricity supply, can be very costly.
One feature of the cable suspension arrangement is that it should be resistant to different circumstances that can affect the system, e.g. weather and falling air-planes. Heavy wind or snowfall can cause trees to fall down on the arrangement and cause mechanical overloads. The cable suspension arrangement should also be easy to mount or repair in a short period of time and be cost-effective. It is desirable to have a cable suspension arrangement that will eliminate the need of repair, and when repair is necessary, make the repair cost-effective with minimal use of tools and spare parts.
One way to solve the problem with falling trees is so make broad roads where the cable is hanging, by cutting down all the trees around it. If possible at all, it is very costly and it does not solve the problem if an air-plane crash on the arrangement.
The French patent application no 2798 783 describes a cable suspension device that will detach the cable when it is exposed to mechanical overload. This causes the cable to fall down on the ground. To repair, it will be necessary to have advanced tools for putting the cable up on the pole again. This could be costly. It could also be so that the function of the cable arrangement must be cut if the cable is situated on the ground, e.g. for security reasons. It is also very critical to have the right configuration of the cable suspension device so that the cable detach at the right moment.


A method of treating textiles in order to increase the water absorptivity of the textiles involving contacting the textiles with an effective amount of a dioxolane functional organosilicon compound. Representative of the dioxolane or ketal functional organosilicon compounds employed are sym(2,2-dimethyl-4-methyloylpropyl-1,3-dioxolane) disiloxane and sym(2,2-dimethyl-4-methyl-oylpropyl-1,3-dioxolane) polydimethylsiloxane.

The present invention relates to organosilicon compounds containing dioxolane radicals and to methods for their preparation and use. More specifically, the present invention relates to organosilicon compounds, containing one or more silicon-bonded dioxolane radicals, which are prepared from silicon hydride compounds, and to the use of those organosilicon compounds to provide a substrate with a hydrophilic character.
Ketal or dioxolane functional organosilicon compounds are not new. For example, the prior art discloses such compounds in U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,908, issued July 22, 1980. Specifically, the '908 patent describes a ketal functional silane prepared by the addition of 4-alloxymethyl-1,3-dioxolane onto trialkoxy hydrogen silane or monoalkyl dialkoxy hydrogen silane, using platinum compounds as the catalyst. The addition is said to take place at temperatures of about seventy degrees Centigrade. No utility for such ketal or dioxolane functional organosilicon compounds is disclosed except that the compounds are employed in the preparation of glycidyl products which are said to be useful as adhesives.
In contrast to the '908 patent, the dioxolane compounds of the present invention have been found to have utility in imparting a durable hydrophilic characteristic to textiles such as cotton and polyester fabrics.

Dioxolane functional silicon compounds and method for their preparation and use


A water treatment system for a fuel cell stack, wherein a degassifier provides for interaction between an oxidant and a coolant which has circulated throughout the fuel cell stack so that dissolved gases within the circulated coolant are removed.

Electrochemical fuel cell assemblies are known for their ability to produce electricity and a subsequent reaction product through the interaction of a fuel being provided to an anode and an oxidant being provided to a cathode, thereby generating a current flow between these electrodes. Such fuel cell assemblies are very useful and sought after due to their high efficiency, as compared to internal combustion fuel systems and the like. Fuel cell assemblies are additionally advantageous due to the environmentally friendly chemical reaction by-products that are produced, such as water. In order to control the temperature within the fuel cell assembly, a coolant is provided to circulate about a fuel cell assembly, usually water. The use of reformed fuels within fuel cell assemblies makes them particularly sensitive to possible water contaminants.
Electrochemical fuel cell assemblies typically employ hydrogen as the fuel and oxygen as an oxidant where, as noted above, the reaction by-product is water. Such fuel cell assemblies employ a membrane consisting of a solid polymer electrolyte, or ion exchange membrane, disposed between the two electrodes formed of porous, electrically conductive sheet material--typically carbon fiber paper. The ion exchange membrane is also known as a proton exchange membrane (hereinafter PEM), such as sold by DuPont under the trade name NAFION.TM., and has a catalyst layer formed thereon at the membrane-electrode interface so as to promote the desired electrochemical reaction.
In operation, hydrogen fuel permeates the porous electrode material of the anode and reacts with the catalyst layer to form hydrogen ions and electrons. The hydrogen ions migrate through the membrane to the cathode and the electrons flow through an external circuit to the cathode. At the cathode, the oxygen-containing gas supply also permeates through the porous electrode material and reacts with the hydrogen ions and the electrons from the anode at the catalyst layer to form the by-product water. Not only does the ion exchange membrane facilitate the migration of these hydrogen ions from the anode to the cathode, but the ion exchange membrane also acts to isolate the hydrogen fuel from the oxygen-containing gas oxidant. The reactions taking place at the anode and cathode catalyst layers are represented by the equations: EQU Anode reaction: H.sub.2.fwdarw.2H.sup.+ +2e EQU Cathode reaction: 1/2O.sub.2 +2H.sup.+ +2e.fwdarw.H.sub.2 O
Conventional fuels cells have the ion exchange membrane positioned between two gas-permeable, electrically conductive plates, referred to as the anode and cathode plates. The plates are typically formed from graphite, a graphite-polymer composite, or the like. The plates act as a structural support for the two porous, electrically conductive electrodes, as well as serving as current collectors and providing the means for carrying the fuel and oxidant to the anode and cathode, respectively. They are also utilized for carrying away the reactant by-product water during operation of the fuel cell.
When flow channels are formed within these plates for the purposes of feeding either fuel or oxidant to the anode and cathode plates, they are referred to as fluid flow field plates. These plates may also function as water transfer plates in certain fuel cell configurations. When these plates simply overlay channels formed in the anode and cathode porous material, they are referred to as separator plates. Moreover, the plates may have formed therein reactant feed manifolds which are utilized for supplying fuel to the anode flow channels or, alternatively, oxidant to the cathode flow channels. They also have corresponding exhaust manifolds to direct unreacted components of the fuel and oxidant streams, and any water generated as a by-product, from the fuel cell. Alternatively, the manifolds may be external to the fuel cell itself, as shown in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,748 issued to Kunz et al. and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The catalyst layer in a fuel cell assembly is typically a carbon supported platinum or platinum alloy, although other noble metals or noble metal alloys may be utilized. Multiple electrically connected fuel cells consisting of two or more anode plate/membrane/cathode plate combinations are referred to as a fuel cell stack. A fuel cell stack is typically electrically connected in series.
Recent efforts at producing the fuel for fuel cell assemblies have focused on utilizing impure hydrogen produced from the chemical conversion of hydrocarbon fuels, such as methane, natural gas, gasoline or the like, into hydrogen. This process requires that the hydrogen produced must be efficiently converted to be as pure as possible, thereby ensuring that a minimal amount of carbon monoxide and other undesirable chemical byproducts are produced. This conversion of hydrocarbons is generally accomplished through the use of a steam reformer. Reformed hydrocarbon fuels frequently contain quantities of ammonia, NH.sub.3, as well as significant quantities of carbon dioxide, CO.sub.2. These gases tend to dissolve and dissociate into the water which is provided to, and created within, the fuel cell assembly. The resultant contaminated water supply may cause the conductivity of the water to increase to a point where shunt current corrosion occurs in the coolant channels and manifold leading to degradation of fuel cell materials, as well as reducing the conductivity of the PEM and thereby r educing the efficiency of the fuel cell assembly as a whole.
As disclosed above, the anode and cathode plates provide coolant channels for the circulation of a water coolant, as well as for the wicking and carrying away of excessive water produced as a by-product of the fuel cell assembly operation. The water so collected and circulated through a fuel cell assembly in the coolant channels is susceptible to water contamination and may therefore damage and impair the operation of the fuel cell assembly as the contaminated water circulates throughout the fuel cell assembly.
It is therefore necessary to provide a system which may protect the fuel cell assembly from water contamination, such as is described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,850 issued to Grasso and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Grasso's system for treating the coolant supply of a fuel cell assembly, as illustrated in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,850, utilizes a filter and demineralizer for purifying a portion of the coolant supplied to the fuel cell assembly. A deaerator is also utilized to process the condensed water obtained from a humidified cathode exit stream. As discussed in Grasso, the heat exchange occurring between the coolant stream and the body of the fuel cell assembly is accomplished according to commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,369 issued to Breault et al., incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. It is important to note that Grasso's coolant system does not provide for the cleansing of the coolant stream as a whole. This is due to the fact that the coolant conduits in Grasso, being fashioned from copper or the like, are not in diffusable communication with the body of the fuel cell assembly and as such, the coolant stream does not receive contamination from, inter alia, the CO.sub.2 or NH.sub.3 present in the reformed fuel stream. The burden of cleansing the coolant stream in Grasso is therefore born solely by the filter and demineralizer and results in greater wear on these components and hence greater repairs and replacements. Grasso also utilizes two distinct coolant pumps for circulating the coolant.
With the forgoing problems and concerns in mind, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell assembly with a water treatment system which overcomes the above-described drawbacks.

Water treatment system for a fuel cell assembly


An electroplating system and components thereof facilitate an efficient electroplating process which in part reduces or eliminates the number of clips used on electroplating racks. Some electroplating racks may use skewers on which multiple plastic pieces are typically mounted. The plastic pieces may also be configured to be joined to form an assembly which is mounted on an electroplating rack. The configurations help reduce the time spent loading and unloading pieces on the racks.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the electroplating on plastic process, system and components thereof including plastic parts which are electroplated. More particularly, the present invention relates to electroplating racks and plastic parts configured for mounting thereon whereby the racks substantially reduce or eliminate the use of clips and reduce the time required for loading and unloading the plastic pieces from the rack.
2. Background Information
Electroplating is a plating process that uses electrical current to reduce cations of a desired material from a solution and coat a conductive object with a thin layer of the material, such as a metal. Electroplating is primarily used for depositing a layer of material to bestow a desired property (for example, abrasion and wear resistance, corrosion protection, lubricity, aesthetic qualities, etc.) to a surface that otherwise lacks that property.
The process used in electroplating is called electrodeposition. It is analogous to a galvanic cell acting in reverse. The part to be plated is the cathode of the circuit. In one technique, the anode is made of the metal to be plated on the part. Both components are immersed in a solution called an electrolyte containing one or more dissolved metal salts as well as other ions that permit the flow of electricity. A power supply supplies a direct current to the anode, oxidizing the metal atoms that comprise it and allowing them to dissolve in the solution. At the cathode, the dissolved metal ions in the electrolyte solution are reduced at the interface between the solution and the cathode, such that they "plate out" onto the cathode. The rate at which the anode is dissolved is equal to the rate at which the cathode is plated, vis-a-vis the current flowing through the circuit. In this manner, the ions in the electrolyte bath are continuously replenished by the anode.
Plastic parts can be plated with many finishes such as nickel, chrome or other metals. The raw plastic part is attached to a metal rack that is immersed into various tanks. In some of these tanks, the racks are supplied with electric current. The rack with the plastic parts go into an acid bath that chemically etches the surface of the part. After various cleaning tanks, the rack goes into a bath with a suspension of copper that attaches to the rough surfaces—this process is called deposition. Once enough copper is on the part surface and the rack clips are in electrical connection with the part surface, the part is electrically conductive and the rack can go into the electrodeposition tanks and receive the final metallic coating or coatings of nickel, chrome or other metals.
Most high volume applications use dedicated plating racks which in today's market can cost well over $1000 each and last only 1000 cycles before needing to be replaced or rebuilt. Once welded together with all the clips in the correct locations, the rack is immersed in a plastic material such as Plastisol to coat the part of the rack that will be immersed in the tanks. The plastic material around the clip jaws is mechanically removed so that the end of the clip is exposed, conductive and can mechanically grab the part.
For large parts sold at relatively higher prices, manually loading and unloading the racks is a small aspect of the overall part cost, but for small parts, one of the larger costs involved is the manual loading and unloading. In addition, the longer it takes for loading and unloading, the more racks will be needed to keep up with the processing speed of the plating system.

Electroplating process, system and components thereof


The invention relates an electronic switch for switching on and off high AC voltage between two connecting terminals. The switch includes two series-connected MOS floating gate transistors (20, 30; 20xe2x80x2, 30xe2x80x2), that can block and establish the transmission path between the applied high AC voltage connecting terminals. A charge storage device (24, 27, 34, 37; 24xe2x80x2, 34xe2x80x2, 60) stores charges and is connected to each gate of the MOS transistors. Each charge storage device (24, 27, 34, 37; 24xe2x80x2, 34xe2x80x2, 60) is assigned a charge feeding device (40, 50; 50) for applying a predetermined quantity of charge to the charge storage device (24, 34; 24xe2x80x2, 34xe2x80x2), which corresponds to a first switching state, and for removing a predetermined quantity of charge from the charge storage device, which corresponds to a second switching state. In this way, very low energy sensor outputs control high power AC voltage applied to the connecting terminals. This switch has utility in the automotive and other industries.

The invention relates to an electronic AC voltage switch according to claim 1.
In order to switch large AC voltages (e.g. 60 V) or high AC currents (greater than 1 A), use is primarily made of mechanical AC voltage switches. However, since electronics have successfully been adopted in numerous sectors, thus including the automotive sector, there is a need to develop electronic AC voltage switches for high powers.
The invention is based on the object, therefore, of providing an electronic AC voltage switch which is designed for high powers and can be operated with the least possible energy.
The invention solves this technical problem by means of the features of claim 1.
Charge-dependent MOS transistors which can be driven without any power are appropriate for this purpose. According to the invention, the electronic AC voltage switch has two series-connected MOS transistors, such that the latter can block and transmit an applied AC voltage. In other words, the series-connected MOS transistors can be controlled to assume a high-impedance state and a low-impedance state. At least one device for storing charges is connected to the gate connections of the MOS transistors. Furthermore, a charge feeding device is assigned to each charge storage device for applying a predetermined quantity of charge to the charge storage devices, which corresponds to a first switching state, and for removing a predetermined quantity of charge from the charge storage devices, which corresponds to a second switching state.
Advantageous developments are specified in the subclaims.
In order to be able to produce an electronic AC voltage switch cost-effectively, it is possible to have recourse to componentsxe2x80x94known per sexe2x80x94which are constructed with a floating gate as charge storage device, such as a floating gate field-effect transistor for example. In this case, the floating gate is embedded in an oxide, so that it serves as a charge store for charges which are applied by way of the tunnel effect for example. Floating gate field-effect transistors are used, inter alia, in large numbers as memory cells in electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs). In this way, the switching state of the electronic AC voltage switch can be held or stored even without the permanent application of an external voltage source.
In one embodiment, two MOS transistors of the n-channel type are connected in series in opposite directions such that the source connections of the MOS transistors form the connecting terminals of the electronic AC voltage switch. Accordingly, the MOS transistors have a common drain connection. Furthermore, each MOS transistor is assigned a separate floating gate which is respectively assigned a charge feeding device.
In order to be able to further simplify the construction of the AC voltage switch and thus to reduce the production costs, two n-type MOS transistors are connected in series such that the drain connections of the MOS transistors form the connecting terminals of the electronic AC voltage switch. As a result, the MOS transistors have a common source connection and can be produced with a common oxide. Accordingly, it is also the case that only one charge feeding device is required.
Customary voltage sources which can be connected externally can be used as charge feeding devices.
However, since only small quantities of charge are necessary for switching the electronic AC voltage switch in MOS technology and the duration of the switch-on processes is insignificant, it is possible to use charge feeding devices which only generate small currents.
Such a device may be designed as an optoelectronic component which converts incident light into an electric current.
By way of example, the optoelectronic component comprises at least one first photodiode, such as e.g. a PIN diode, having a first wavelength-dependent sensitivity, and at least one second photodiode connected in parallel with the first photodiode and having a second wavelength-dependent sensitivity, the first photodiode and the second photodiode being connected with opposite polarity. Depending on the wavelength of the incident radiated light, charges are applied to the floating gates or removed therefrom and the switching state of the electronic AC voltage switch is thus defined. Laser diodes or LEDs which generate light at the corresponding wavelengths can be used as light sources. By using photodiodes as charge feeding devices, it is possible to produce the electronic AC voltage switch together with the charge feeding device as an integrated module.
As an alternative, the charge feeding device can also be embodied by a mechanical/electrical device comprising a number of piezoelectric elements for example. The piezoelectric elements are connected in parallel with one another and with opposite polarity and are connected in series with the MOS transistors. Two zener diodes which are connected in opposite directions are connected in parallel with the piezoelectric elements for the purpose of voltage limiting and thus for the purpose of protecting the gate. In this embodiment, the switching state of the AC voltage switch is controlled by mechanical deformation of one of the two piezoelectric elements.
The switching state is controlled as follows: charges pass to the floating gates as a result of mechanical pressure on one piezoelectric element, and charges are removed from the floating gates as a result of the action of force on the other piezoelectric element.
This possibility for supplying charge is in turn opened up by the low demand of the electronic AC voltage switch for charge carriers. A piezoelectric element can only provide very small currents, but this is sufficient for this application.


A reservoir for use in an extracorporeal blood circuit including a rigid shell forming an enclosed reservoir. A filter unit divides the reservoir into an inlet chamber and outlet chamber. Cardiotomy blood filtering and defoaming means and venous blood filtering and defoaming means are located within the inlet chamber.

In various surgical procedures, an extracorporeal blood circuit is created to bypass the surgery site. In a cardiopulmonary surgical procedure, a bypass circuit is created where venous blood bypasses the heart and is reintroduced into an artery. Also, cardiotomy blood is scavenged from the surgical site, combined with the venous blood, and reintroduced into the patient. The extracorporeal bypass circuit performs numerous functions, including removing emboli and particulate matter entrained in the blood, regulating the carbon dioxide and oxygen content of the blood, and regulating the blood temperature.
In prior art extracorporeal bypass circuits, the venous blood is filtered and collected in a venous reservoir and the cardiotomy blood is filtered and collected in a hard shell cardiotomy reservoir. Examples of such devices include a venous reservoir as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,236 and a cardiotomy reservoir as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,371. Also, integrated venous/cardiotomy reservoirs are known, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,089.
Some of these prior art reservoirs have blood flow paths that either cause blood stagnation or trap gas bubbles in the blood. Further, prior art cardiotomy reservoirs typically include a defoaming element that includes an antifoam agent to eliminate blood foam. Exposing blood to the antifoam agent continually is unnecessary. The present invention is directed to a combined venous and cardiotomy reservoir that provides a simpler and more efficient blood storage, filtration, and defoaming system for both venous and cardiotomy blood. Further, the present invention provides a blood reservoir that minimizes areas where blood may stagnate, and enhances the escape of gas emboli from the blood. Also, the present invention is configured so that blood defoaming filters treated with an antifoam agent are positioned above the standard operating fluid level of the reservoir so that blood foam contacts the defoaming filters and fluid blood contact with the filters is minimized.

Combined cardiotomy and venous blood reservoir


Methods for detecting irregularities in a composite vehicle can include cooling the composite vehicle to a substantially uniform first temperature, heating a surface of the composite vehicle to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature, and obtaining temperature data from the composite vehicle after the surface has been heated. An irregularity in the composite vehicle is detected based on the temperature data.

Many personal, commercial, and industrial structures and devices are made from composite structures because composite structures can have high strength and/or stiffness at a low weight. One composite structure configuration, which is present in a variety of applications including unmanned aerial vehicles, includes a lightweight core (e.g., a foam core, balsa core, honeycomb aramid core, and the like) and an overlying composite skin, such as a carbon fiber laminate. The composite skin can include any suitable number of composite plies. Each of the composite plies typically includes composite fibers embedded in a matrix. The composite plies in the composite skin can be oriented to orient the composite fibers in suitable directions. Composite structure can be very strong and very light, but may also be susceptible to in-service damage (e.g., impact damage). In many instances, a damaged composite structure many not show obvious visible signs of damage. Additionally, in many instances, a composite structure many not show obvious visible signs of manufacturing defects (e.g., voids, delaminated areas, resin starved areas).
Because composite structures may not show obvious visible signs of damage and/or manufacturing defect, a variety of inspection methods have been employed to detect the damage and/or manufacturing defect. Common forms of damage include the development of voids, delamination or debond, buckling, and cracks in either (or both of) composite plies and/or composite core. Existing inspection methods include tap testing, ultrasound testing, and radiographic means. Tap testing can include systematic tapping a surface of a composite structure and searching for damage by listening for dead sounds or resonant sounds. Ultrasonic testing can include using an ultrasound scanner that emits ultrasonic pulses and processes resulting return ultrasonic pulses to detect faults in a composite skin or in a composite core. Existing composite inspection methods, however, may have drawbacks in terms of labor, materials (e.g., ultrasound gel) and the potential for operator error. Thus, improved inspection methods for detecting damage and/or manufacturing defects in composite structures are of interest.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Thermographic inspection process for composite vehicle and components


In the case of an objective arrangement (1) having a deflection unit (4) which guides an imaging beam path (9) from a light entrance (2) to a light exit (3) via a first reflection surface (6) and a second reflection surface (7), it is provided to embody a region (8) of total internal reflection at least in the second reflection surface (7), with this region being configured for total internal reflection in the imaging beam path (9) and this region forming part of a transmission region (5) that is disposed upstream of the first reflection surface (6), through which imaging rays from the light entrance (2) are incident on the first reflection surface (6).

The invention relates to an objective arrangement for an endoscope comprising a light exit that is angled in relation to a light entrance and comprising a deflection unit which guides an imaging beam path proceeding from the light entrance to the light exit. Here, the imaging beam path, in particular the marginal rays of the imaging beam path, defines a transmission region, a first reflection surface, and a second reflection surface within the deflection unit. If the imaging beam path is followed through the objective arrangement proceeding from the light entrance, said imaging beam path initially passes through the transmission region in order to be respectively reflected subsequently at the first reflection surface and, thereafter, at the second reflection surface. Consequently, the imaging beam path finally emerges at the light exit of the objective arrangement.
Such objective arrangements are known and used, for example, in endoscopes for imaging an object field which is angled in relation to a shaft axis of the endoscope such that the viewing direction on the object field extends at an angle of e.g. approximately 30° in relation to a longitudinal axis of the endoscope. Here, the endoscope can be embodied either as an endoscope, for example with a relay-lens system, eyepiece lens system or an attached optical fiber bundle, or else as a video endoscope with an integrated image sensor, the latter for example arranged at the distal end of the endoscope (a so-called "chip-in-tip endoscope").
For the purposes of the beam deflection, the deflection unit in the objective arrangement in such endoscopes is typically embodied with two reflection planes, wherein the reflection planes may be arranged parallel to one another or in a manner extending in a convergent fashion and wherein reflection surfaces are embodied in the reflection planes.
Thus, known objective arrangements are often configured in such a way that the incident light initially passes through a first reflection plane in a transmission region in order subsequently to be reflected at a second reflection plane in a first reflection surface. Subsequently, the light that was reflected by the first reflection surface experiences a second reflection in a second reflection surface at a side of the first reflection plane that is facing away from the original direction of incidence of the light. Additionally, objective arrangements in which more than two reflections are used for the beam deflection are also known.
Until now, it has been conventional to embody the respective reflection surfaces on the reflection planes completely by reflective coatings in order to securely steer the light into a downstream image-side optical unit.


A method and apparatus is provided for the joining of sheets or panels of material. Joint strips are provided having sheet or panel connection slots defined by spaced integral connection flanges or portions. The joint strip is also provided with a yieldable wall typically of concave or convex configuration which is moved by centrally oriented jack screws, bolts or by other force developing devices. As the yieldable wall is moved, force moments are imparted to yieldable connection flanges causing the connection flanges to close the connection slots to the extent that the sheets or panels are tightly and securely gripped along the edges thereof between the connection flanges and the strip base or between spaced flanges. The joint strips may be manufactured by extrusion from any suitable metal or non-metal material and may be actuated for both connection and releasing sheets or panels of material thus permitting them to be reusable.

The term "panel" as used in this application is intended to encompass sheets of material such as metal, polymer or vitreous substances or other materials which can be compressed without substantial damage. This term is also intended to encompass multi-sheet structures which can be assembled at their edges to form various articles of manufacture. The term "sheet stock" is also intended to be encompassed within the term, "panel". Sheets or panels of material such as sheet metal are joined in many different ways to define articles of manufacture such as housings, containers, cabinetry etc. In the case of metal sheet material, joining is often accomplished by means of welding or by riveting overlapped edges or edges that are joined by suitable joint strips. Sheet stock is often joined by screws, bolts, rivets or the like to define objects of manufacture. In all of these cases however it is necessary to prepare the edges of the sheet stock for welding or to drill holes in the edges of the sheet stock to prepare it to receive rivets, bolts or screws. It is desirable to provide a system for joining the edges of sheet stock wherein the sheet stock needs no other preparation other than the formation of straight edges.
In most cases where sheet stock is prepared at its edges for the purpose of being joined, the edges are permanently altered for the joining process. If the sheet stock is disassembled and then reassembled, often the sheets must be further altered or reprepared for joining if tight joints are to be achieved and if a positively secured relationship is to be established between adjacent panels. It is desirable therefore to provide a system for joining panels of sheet stock wherein the edges of the sheet stock are not altered and therefore may be disassembled and reassembled at the joints as many times as desired without any significant alteration of the sheet stock.
In most cases panels of sheet stock are joined at the edges by means of mechanical interconnection with other sheet stock components of the article of manufacturer or by means of joint strips. It is desirable to provide a system for joining panels of sheet stock which achieves such joining by frictional retention to secure the sheet like panels in integrated assembly to thus define an article of manufacture.


A method of starting up a system clock that has been generated by a phase-locked loop and correcting edge placement errors during coasting periods of the phase locked loop, and circuitry for accomplishing those methods. A low frequency master clock signal is distributed to circuits that generate high frequency local clock signals. These circuits generate the high frequency local clock signals using phase-locked loops in a frequency multiplier configuration. Lock indicator circuitry determines when the phase-locked loop has locked onto the master clock signal and then enables output buffers that then provide the high frequency clock signals to components in the system which need those local clocks. An intermediate frequency signal is fed back to the input of the voltage controlled oscillator in the phase locked loop to correct edge placement errors. A slightly earlier or leading version of the signal is used to correct cycle length variations without inducing duty cycle variations.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to computer clocking systems, and more particularly, to methods of and devices for correcting edge placement errors, both positive and negative, during the coasting phases in multiplying phase-locked loops to generate local system clock signals from master clock signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
In efforts to realize greater computing power, microprocessor developers have continuously pushed the clock speeds ever higher. As few as ten years ago, microprocessor clock frequencies of 16 MHz were rare. Today, one sees microprocessors running at frequencies of 50 MHz and even higher.
With these higher clock frequencies have come concurrent problems. Distribution of a 50 MHz clock to the various components of a digital computer system can present difficulties associated with electromagnetic interference (EMI), clock skew, and reflections of the higher harmonics of the system clock signal. Transmission of high frequency clock signals over connectors to companion boards exacerbates these problems.
Developers have sought creative solutions to these problems. One approach has been to rely on a lower frequency system clock, and then generate, on the microprocessor or peripheral chip itself, a higher frequency clock signal from that lower frequency system clock. A number of current microprocessors and peripheral chips implement such a technique, for example, the 80486DX2 by Intel Corporation. This technique has the advantage of increasing a chip's internal processing rate without requiring a corresponding increase in system clock frequency, thus avoiding the problems associated with those higher clock rates.
To generate these higher frequency internal clock signals, these chips typically use a phase-locked loop (PLL) configured as a frequency multiplier. A block diagram of such a frequency multiplier circuit is shown in FIG. 1. As is shown, a phase detector (or phase comparator) drives, through a filter, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). The output of that VCO, which becomes the output signal, is then divided by the desired multiplication factor, and then the phase detector compares that divided reference signal with the input signal. This feedback arrangement compensates for shifts in the phase and frequency of the input signal by a level shift to the VCO, and the output signal is thus synchronized to the input signal. Examples of PLLs that can be configured as frequency multipliers include the CD4046A by RCA Corporation and the 74LS297.
The phase detector has two main purposes. First, it forces the VCO to shift frequencies when the reference signal and the input signal are of different frequencies. Second, it forces slight corrections to the VCO output when the reference and input signals are of the same frequency but are slightly out of phase. Both of these functions are accomplished by adjusting the frequency of the VCO; it is simply a difference of the magnitude of the adjustment.
Multiplying PLL's, however, have certain characteristics that can cause their own problems. In a multiplying PLL the synchronizing frequency is less than the clock signals used as outputs of the PLL. For example, in a multiply by four PLL, the input and synchronizing frequency may be 12.5 MHz, but a 50 MHz output frequency may be used. This means that four cycles of the output signal will pass before the next synchronizing edge. During this period the PLL is considered to be coasting. The synchronizing signal may be exactly locked onto the input signal, but the output signal may have some drifts during the coasting period. For example, while the total number of cycles in the coasting period may be the multiplying factor, the location of the particular rising and falling edges defining the output signal cycles during the coasting period may not be exactly the same. For example, some cycles may be slightly longer than others, resulting in a slight wobble or dither during the coasting period. These errors are referred to as edge placement errors. Additionally, there may also be duty cycle variations. These problems increase, relatively, as the multiplying factor and PLL frequency increase. As an example, in the PLL of the preferred embodiment, a 12.5 MHz input clock is used, with 25 and 50 MHz outputs. Referring to the 50 MHz output, the 80 ns coasting period results in four 20 ns cycles of the 50 MHz signal. In certain observations without the use of the present invention, the four cycles actually had lengths of slightly more than 20 ns, slightly more than 19 ns, slightly more than 20 ns and slightly more than 19 ns, the total being 80 ns, but the individual cycles varying from the ideal 20 ns by as much as 3-5%.
Microprocessors and their support chips typically have minimum and maximum allowable clock input frequencies, duty cycles and cycle to cycle tolerances. For example, the 80486DX-50 microprocessor from Intel Corporation requires the clock period stability to be within 0.1%. The duty cycle is similarly critical, with a minimum time of 7 ns at high and 7 ns at low signal levels, with transitions being less than 2 ns each. This means that the duty cycle variability in a 50 MHz system having a 20 ns cycle time is very minor and must be very close to 50%.
This very tight tolerancing, particularly the adjacent clock 0.1% value, results in problems when used with a multiplying PLL such as the one described above where the adjacent clock variations may reach 5%. Some solution is needed to reduce the adjacent clock variations to acceptable levels.

Method of and apparatus for correcting edge placement errors in multiplying phase locked loop circuits


A dental cleansing device includes an elongated hand grip member with an internal space that has a closed end and an open end, an elongated cover member with an insert end that can be connected detachably to the open end of the hand grip member, a holding end that is located opposite to the insert end, and a brush unit. The brush unit is provided on the holding end of the cover member and includes a brush seat which is fastened detachably to the holding end, a brush body integrally formed with the brush seat, and a plurality of hard and soft threads mixed together and wound along the brush body.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cleansing device, more particularly to a dental cleansing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
After eating food, most people have a habit of cleaning their teeth so as to remove the bits of food which are stuck in the gaps between the teeth in order to prevent tooth decay and in order to maintain oral hygiene. Until now, conventional dental cleansing devices, such as toothpicks and dental flosses are generally used to clean the teeth after each meal.
Some of the drawbacks resulting from the use of the conventional dental cleansing devices are as follows:
(1) The cleansing operation is time-consuming since the toothpick or dental floss can only extend into or slide between a particular gap between adjacent two teeth. PA1 (2) Constant prodding or picking at the gaps between the teeth would eventually expand the sizes of the gaps. PA1 (3) The user of the toothpick may accidentally pick into the flesh adjacent to the gap he is cleansing, thereby resulting in unnecessary injury. PA1 (4) The string of the dental floss may break off while cleaning the gap between adjacent two teeth, thus accidentally hurting the mouth of the user.

10F, No.207-3, Wu-Miao Rd., Ling-Ya Dist.


A disposable diaper formed of biodegradable materials includes an outer fabric sheet coextensively and adherably mounted to a fibrous underlying sheet, with a fluid absorbing fabric matrix mounted medially of the fibrous sheet and an inner porous sheet mounted coextensively to the fabric matrix web utilizing heat activated adhesive for securement of the layers together. Side edge recesses are formed medially of each side of the outer fabric sheet and the fibrous sheet, with an elastomeric heat shrinkable thread directed through the outer fabric sheet and fibrous sheet between the recess and the inner porous sheet and the heat activated adhesive.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to diaper construction, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved disposable diaper construction wherein the same is formed of biodegradable materials permitting reuse or safe disposal thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Contemporary use of polymeric type diaper construction has provided associated disposal problems with many land fills contemplating restriction of such material. The instant invention attempts to provide a convenient and readily formed diaper construction wherein the same permits ease of disposal thereof.
Examples of the prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,026 to Richardson providing for a diaper construction of contemporary design utilizing various layering techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,836 to Brecher sets forth a plurality of layers mounted within a diaper construction utilizing a polymeric fluid impermeable outer layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,084 to Ternstrom, et al. sets forth a diaper construction wherein perimeter sides are utilized.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,528 to Suzuki sets forth a disposable diaper utilizing a water impervious back sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,737 to Kahn sets forth a diaper with a removable absorbent pad mounted medially and longitudinally of the diaper.
As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new and improved disposable diaper construction as set forth by the instant invention which addresses both the problems of ease of use as well as effectiveness in construction and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


Embodiments include methods, systems and computer program products for monitoring a user of a helmet for cumulative concussions. Aspects include monitoring one or more sensors in the helmet and receiving an output from the one or more sensors corresponding to an impact experienced by the helmet. Aspects also include calculating a cumulative concussion score based on the output of the one or more sensors and displaying an indication of the cumulative concussion score via an indicator on the helmet.

The present disclosure relates to monitoring an individual for cumulative concussions, and more specifically, to methods, systems and computer program products for using sensors in a helmet to monitor a user for cumulative concussions.
Generally speaking, safety is a primary concern for both users of helmets and manufacturers of helmets. Helmets are used by individuals that participate in activities that have risk of head trauma, such as the area of sports, biking, motorcycling, etc. While helmets have traditionally been used to provide protection from blunt force trauma to the head, an increased awareness of concussion causing forces has motivated a need for advances in helmet technology to provide increased protection against concussions. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head that shakes the brain inside the skull due to linear or rotational accelerations. Recently, research has linked concussions to a range of health problems, from depression to Alzheimer's, along with a range of brain injuries. Unlike severe traumatic brain injuries, which result in lesions or bleeding inside the brain and are detectable using standard medical imaging, a concussion is often invisible in brain tissue, and therefore only detectable by means of a cognitive change, where that change is measurable by changes to brain tissue actions, either neurophysiological or through muscle actions caused by the brain and the muscles resulting effects on the environment, for example, speech sounds.
Currently available helmets use accelerometers to measure the forces that the helmet, and therefore the head of the user, experiences. These accelerometers can be used to indicate when a force experienced by a helmet exceeds a threshold level that indicates that the impact was sufficiently large enough to cause a traumatic brain injury to the user. However, currently available helmets are not configured to track the cumulative effects of impacts that fall below the threshold used to indicate possible traumatic brain injuries to the user.

Helmet having a cumulative concussion indicator

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


Embodiments relate to concepts for providing information on a mobile terminal to a Radio Resource Management entity (210; 220; 320) of a wireless communication network. Thereby, it is provided, upon an establishment of a Radio Resource Control connection between the mobile terminal (310) and the wireless communication network, information (112; 212) indicative of an estimate of a radio resource utilization for the Radio Resource Control connection to be established.

Demands for higher data rates for mobile services are steadily increasing. At the same time modern mobile communication systems, as 3rd Generation (3G) systems and 4th Generation (4G) systems, provide enhanced technologies, which enable higher spectral efficiencies and allow for higher data rates and cell capacities. Moreover, new services and service types are being continuously introduced, such that the range and variety of services and/or applications in current and future mobile networks are expanding.
These services or applications, which may be run on modern smartphones, for example, typically have quite diverse data traffic characteristics. For example, some services/applications may be characterized or classified as background traffic. Such background traffic may, for example, be characterized by long periods of traffic inactivity (e.g. several minutes), where no user plane data is exchanged between a mobile terminal, which may also be referred to as User Equipment (UE) according to the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) terminology, and the wireless network it is attached to, followed by relatively short bursts of traffic activity (few second), wherein data is exchanged between the mobile terminal and the wireless network. Other popular services/applications include instant messaging between multiple mobile terminals, wherein instant messaging may be characterized by a moderate period of data packet inter arrival time (e.g. few seconds) and low data rates (e.g. 30-100 Bytes/s in average). Mobile terminals in current and future wireless networks may have enabled diverse data application and most of the time will only be communicating with the network for delivery or reception of user traffic originating from diverse data applications. In order to handle a large number of mobile terminals with diverse data application, a wireless communication network's Radio Resource Management (RRM) could take into account the respective application characteristics.
In various wireless communication networks, a mobile terminal stays in a so-called idle mode until a request to establish an RRC (Radio Resource Control) connection is transmitted to the wireless network. In idle mode a Radio Network has no information on an individual mobile terminal, and can only address, for example, all mobile terminals in a radio cell or all mobile terminals monitoring a paging occasion. A mobile terminal may transit from idle mode to connected mode when an RRC connection is established, wherein the RRC connection may be defined as a point-to-point bidirectional connection between RRC peer entities in the mobile terminal and the wireless network, as, for example, the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) or the evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (eUTRAN) which is the air interface of 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) Long Term Evolution (LTE).
For example, the wireless network may keep a mobile terminal is RRC connected mode while configuring RRC-connected-mode-long Discontinuous Reception (DRX) functions which enable the mobile terminal to turn off the downlink receiver while not monitoring the established RRC connection. The DRX procedure allows a battery power saving at the mobile terminal. Thereby, the mobile terminal and the network negotiate phases or time-intervals in which data transfer occurs. During other times the mobile terminal may turns its receiver off in order to enter a low power state. For example, the network may configure a DRX period to match data traffic or packet inter-arrival times of the diverse applications. An application or data traffic trace is normally built up over time at the wireless network. Therefore, it may take some time to identify the data traffic profile of a particular mobile terminal and, hence, configure the radio resources (e.g.: DRX configuration) after an RRC connection has been established for the service/application. Mobile terminals being in RRC connected mode create signaling traffic in particular due to the mobile terminal's mobility (e.g. handover signaling, measurement reports, etc.). Additionally, a large number of connected mobile terminals create network signaling. A server capacity requirement for handling the signaling traffic also increases with the number of connected mobile terminals. Therefore, mobile terminal battery consumption, radio resource configuration and signaling load should be carefully taken into account when making a decision to keep a mobile terminal in RRC connected mode.
The network may release the RRC connection of a mobile terminal if a so-called dormancy timer running at the network expired for the mobile terminal after a given period of data traffic inactivity, or, due to the network's decision to release the connection. For example, a mobile terminal may initiate a RRC connection for a Voice over IP (VoIP) call and upon the ending of the VoIP call the network may release the RRC connection of the mobile terminal. Releasing the RRC connection for mobile terminals with frequent data traffic will lead to frequent idle-connected transitions, which may lead to a significant amount of network signaling.
Even though the network may trace a mobile terminal's data traffic and may have knowledge on the data traffic characteristics, any mobile terminal specific information at the radio network is removed upon, i.e. shortly before or after, the RRC connection release. That is to say, if a UE establishes a new connection after a period of inactivity, even though the mobile terminal's supported software applications have not been changed between a RRC connection release and a subsequent RRC connection setup, the network does not have any knowledge of the mobile terminal's traffic characteristic and, hence, an optimal configuration of radio resources is not possible until the network traces the user traffic again in order to identify the traffic profile.

Providing information on a mobile terminal to a radio resource management entity of a wireless communication network


A hydraulically operated braking system including a master cylinder (12; 300: 500; 600) having a pressurizing piston (34; 322, 324; 504, 506) operatively connected to a brake operating member (10), to pressurize a fluid in a pressurizing chamber (30, 32; 302, 304; 508, 510), so that a brake cylinder (22–28), is actuated by the pressurized fluid, and an assisting device (81; 260–272; 109; 538; 612) for applying to the pressurizing piston an assisting drive force which is other than a primary drive force to be applied to the pressurizing piston on the basis of a brake operating force acting on the brake operating member. The assisting device is electrically controllable to control the assisting drive force.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a hydraulically operated braking system, and more particularly to a hydraulically operated braking system including an assisting device for boosting a drive force to be applied to a pressurizing piston of a master cylinder.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An example of a hydraulically operated braking system including such an assisting device as described above is disclosed in JP-A-4-328064. This braking system includes (1) a master cylinder having a pressurizing piston operatively connected to a brake operating member to pressurize a working fluid in a pressurizing chamber, (2) a brake cylinder for actuating a brake device based on the pressure of the pressurized fluid, and (3) an assisting device for applying to the pressurizing piston an assisting drive force which is different than a primary drive force to be applied to the pressurizing piston on the basis of a brake operating force acting on the brake operating member. In this braking system wherein the primary drive force and the assisting drive force are both applied to the pressurizing piston, the fluid pressure in the pressurizing chamber can be boosted, permitting the brake device to produce an increased braking force for a given value of the brake operating force. However, the assisting drive force to be generated by the assisting device is simply proportional to the brake operating force. That is, the assisting device disclosed in the above-identified publication is not capable of producing the assisting drive force which is not proportional to the brake operating force.

Hydraulic braking system wherein electrically controllable assisting drive force is applied to master cylinder piston upon brake pedal operation


An electrical system comprises an electrical circuit board for mounting electrical components and a circuit board sub-rack. The board includes a pivotally mounted ejector member which pivots to insert and eject the board from the sub-rack. The ejector member carries two grounding contact surfaces for engagement with the ground plane of the board and chassis area of the sub-rack when the ejector member is pivoted to its closed position. The contact surface of the ejector member mates with the board to frictionally hold the board in fully inserted position. The ejector member also includes a retaining arm which mates with the sub-rack for providing an insertion or ejection force to facilitate insertion or ejection of the board relative to the sub-rack.

Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention generally relates to an emission reducing ejector for an electrical system, and more particularly, to an ejector for an electrical system that both ejects the electrical circuit board and provides enhanced shielding of the electrical system.
Typically, electrical systems make use of electrical circuit boards, such as printed circuit boards, to perform various functions. The boards support electrical components and provide for electrical connection into the system. Additionally, the boards may be used to distribute heat dissipation, for modularity and ease of replacement.
Printed circuit boards are typically mounted onto shelves and/or sub-racks. The circuit boards are slid into the sub-rack and interfaced to the system via an electrical connector. Removal of a board may be difficult where the board is closely spaced to another board, or where the printed circuit board has become fused to the connector, or where internal friction with the connector impedes removal.
Another problem with these systems is that the circuit boards are often insufficiently shielded. This results in electromagnetic emissions, which may cause electrical interference. Further, the boards may become more susceptible to outside influences including static discharge transients, and electromagnetic fields generated by other equipment. These problems are exacerbated when multiple printed circuit boards are used together in sub-racks.
Thus, there is a need for an improved circuit board that facilitates easy removal from an electrical system as well as provides sufficient shielding of the system to reduce the electronic emissions, and susceptibility to electrostatic discharge, transients, and external electromagnetic fields.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved circuit board.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved circuit board and sub-rack for housing the improved circuit board.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved shielding between a circuit board and its associated sub-rack.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide ejection apparatus that facilitates ejection of a circuit board from its associated sub-rack.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide insertion apparatus that facilitates insertion of a circuit board into its associated sub-rack.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in a circuit board having an ejector member which pivots relative to the board so as to perform either one or all of an ejection function, an insertion function and a shielding function. An associated sub-rack is configured to cooperate with the ejector member.
In one embodiment, the ejector comprises contact areas which engage during insertion or ejection of the board from the sub-rack. The ejector comprises contact areas which electrically mate with the board and the sub-rack.

Circuit board having an emission reducing ejector


The present invention relates to a method for reducing the amount of substances inhibitory to nucleic acid hybridization in samples. The method is practiced prior to release of target nucleic acid from cells of interest and involves contacting the sample with an agent which solubilizes the inhibitory substances and does not effectuate release of nucleic acids from cells in the sample, and then the cells from the agent.

The field of the present invention broadly relates to nucleic acid hybridization. More specifically, the present invention relates to the reduction of substances in samples which inhibit nucleic acid hybridization events. Such events include nucleic acid probe hybridization to determine the presence and/or amount of a target nucleic acid, and nucleic acid primer hybridization for the initiation of a nucleic acid amplification process.
Nucleic acid amplification processes such as strand displacement amplification (SDA), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), ligase chain reaction (LCR), nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA), transcription mediated amplification (TMA) and others are used to create multiple copies of a particular nucleic acid sequence(s) of interest (target sequence) which is present in lesser copy number in a sample. However, a number of substances commonly found in such samples cause inhibition of nucleic acid amplification processes, because of inhibition of the hybridization of primers to initiate the amplification process. Similarly, such substances inhibit direct nucleic acid probe hybridization reactions used for the detection of unamplified target nucleic acids.
An example of such nucleic acid hybridization inhibitory substances are porphyrin compounds derived from heme and hematin which are both commonly found in blood samples and inhibit PCR. (PCR Technology, Stockton Press, Henry A. Erlich, Ed. pp 33-34, 1989). Protocols using osmotic lysis and pelleting of nucleic and cell debris have been used to reduce the amount of these inhibitors.
Salivary samples have also been reported to contain PCR inhibitory substances. Ochert et al., PCR Methods and Applications 3, 365-368 (1994). Although the inhibitory substances were not identified, it was found that extended microwaving or boiling of the salivary sample totally removed PCR inhibition.
Frickhofen and Young, J. Virol. Methods 35, 65-72 (1991), report that heating of serum samples for 45 seconds at 70.degree. C. improves PCR amplification of viral nucleic acid sequences. This improvement is theorized to be due to heat inactivation of serum enzymes such as aprotinin, leupeptin PMSF and pepstatin which are believed to be inhibitory to PCR processes.
Another approach for removing PCR inhibitory substances from serum prior to amplification of a viral nucleic acid sequence is taught by Zeldis et al., J. Clin. Invest. 84, 1503-1508 (1989). This approach involves adsorbing the virus to antibody coated microparticles, washing the microparticles, and then destroying the remaining proteins which may be inhibitory to PCR with proteinase K.
In attempting to detect Treponema pallidum in amniotic fluid, fetal and neonatal sera and cerebrospinal fluid by PCR, four different processes were attempted to remove PCR inhibitory compounds. Grimprel et al, J. Clin. Microbiol. 29, 1711-1718 (1991). Briefly, the four processes for removal of PCR inhibitory compounds were: (1) a boiling method wherein sample in a tube was placed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, cooled on ice, and then centrifuged; (2) a low-spin separation method wherein sample was added to sterile phosphate buffered saline and subjected to a series of centrifugations, then the pellet was resuspended and boiled for 10 minutes, after which it was cooled on ice; (3) an alkaline lysis extraction method wherein sample was boiled for 1.5 minutes in 1 M NaCl, 1 N NaOH and 0.1% SDS, then neutralized with 0.5 M Tris-HCl (pH 8.0), and then subjected to a series of extractions with phenol and chloroform-isoamyl alcohol, and precipitated with isopropyl alcohol; and (4) a spin extraction method wherein sample was subjected to low-spin separation as described in (2) above, followed by 10 minutes of boiling and one phenol-chloroform extraction before precipitation in cold absolute ethanol. The authors reported varying success of these methods dependent on the type of samples used.
With stool samples, polyethylene glycol precipitation was found to remove a significant amount of small particles and soluble substances which could be inhibitory to a reverse transcriptase-PCR process. Jiang et al, J. Clin. Microbiol. 30, 2529-2534 (1992). Following the precipitation, an extraction process was performed using the cationic detergent, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in a high salt concentration in conjunction with phenol-chloroform extraction.
A different approach to removal of PCR inhibitory substances from stool samples is reported by Wilde et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 28, 1300-1307 (1990). Before using PCR to detect rotavirus nucleic acid from stool samples, the extraction process was modified with an added step that utilized chromatographic cellulose fiber powder (CF11 powder) to purify the rotavirus RNA during a series of rapid washing and elution steps.
When performing a study to detect cytomegalovirus (CMV) in urine using PCR, it was found that urea is inhibitory to PCR. Khan et al., J. Clin. Pathol. 44, 360-365 (1991). This reference reports that the PCR inhibitory effects of urea in urine are effectively removed by simple dialysis or ultracentriftigation.
Another process to remove PCR inhibitory substances from urine before detection of CMV nucleic acid is reported by Buffone et al., Clin. Chem. 37, 1945-1949 (1991). This process occurs subsequent to release of the nucleic acid from the CMV organisms and uses fine glass beads to adsorb nucleic acid such that protein and other substances can be selectively eluted before recovery of the nucleic acid for amplification.
As evidenced by the references described above, most of the publication regarding nucleic acid amplification inhibition has related to PCR. However, these same substances which are inhibitory to PCR, as well as a number of other substances commonly found in clinical samples such as proteinaceous substances, EDTA, human DNA and iron have been found to be inhibitory to SDA, and other nucleic acid amplification processes as well.
Also, most of these methods to reduce or remove nucleic acid hybridization inhibiting substances involve rather time-consuming complicated steps which must be added to the sample processing methodology. Another problem with methods which utilize relatively severe processing steps or conditions, and/or require separation of target nucleic acid from other substances is the loss of some target nucleic acid sequence. Despite the ability of nucleic acid amplification processes to make multiple copies of target sequence (amplicons) from very few original targets, amplification efficiency and detection ability are improved if there are greater numbers of original targets in the sample. The greater detection ability can be very important when processing particularly difficult to detect samples such as acid fast Bacillus (AFB) smear negative Mycobacterium tuberculosis samples.

Method for reducing inhibitors of nucleic acid hybridization


An LDMOS device in FinFET technology is disclosed. In one aspect, the device includes a first region substantially surrounded by a second region of different polarity. The device further includes a first fin in the first region, extending into the second region, the first fin including a doped source region connected with a first local interconnect. The device further includes a second fin in the second region, including a doped drain region connected with a second local interconnect. The device further includes a third fin parallel with the first and second fins including a doped drain region connected with the second local interconnect. The device further includes a gate over the first fin at the border between the first and second regions. A first current path runs over the first and second fins. A second current path runs over and perpendicular to the first fin towards the third fin.

Field
The disclosed technology relates to the field of laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) devices. More specifically it relates to LDMOS devices implemented using FinFET technology.
Description of the Related Technology
High voltage applications such as microwave or RF power amplifiers require high voltage tolerant devices. Laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) transistors have a breakdown voltage which is higher than the breakdown voltage of a traditional FET. For example, the breakdown voltage of an LDMOS device may be above 12 V.
FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of a prior art LDMOS device with a P-well adjacent to an N-well, an N+ source region in the P-well and an N+ drain region in the N-well. A gate is present between the source region and the drain region. A shallow trench isolation (STI) region is present in the N-well between the source region and the drain region. In such LDMOS devices a drift region is created to withstand high electric fields. Moreover, by providing the STI region, the breakdown voltage of the LDMOS device can be increased.
These LDMOS devices may be implemented in FinFET technology. Care should be taken to design an LDMOS device which has a small ON resistance and which is resistant against electrostatic discharge (ESD). There is room for improvement in the design of high voltage tolerant LDMOS devices which are implemented using FinFET technology.