A method and device for transverse dividing of a slaughtered bird, in which the carcass of the bird hanging by the legs in a conveyor is moved along with the breast in the direction of conveyance, the method comprising the steps of: placing the bird in an oblique position relative to the conveyance direction in such a way that the legs are in front of the rest of the carcass, viewed in the conveyance direction; bringing down the chest relative to the legs by exerting an essentially downward directed force on both sides thereof, so that the plane in which the transverse dividing operation takes place lies below the thighs and above the chest; and dividing the bird into a back half hanging from the conveyor and a front half. Prior to the dividing operation, the skin is cut through along the top edge of the thighs adjoining the chest.

This invention relates to a method for transverse dividing of a slaughtered bird into a back half comprising the legs and a part of the back, and a front half in which the ribs are situated, comprising the breast and the remainder of the back, in which the carcass of the bird hanging by the legs in a conveyor is moved along with the breast in the direction of conveyance, comprising the steps of: placing the bird in an oblique position relative to the conveyance direction in such a way that the legs are in front of the rest of the carcass, viewed in the conveyance direction; bringing down the chest relative to the legs in such a way that the plane in which the transverse dividing operation takes place lies below the thighs and above the chest; and dividing the bird into a back half hanging from the conveyor and a front half. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out this method, provided with a frame which is disposed along a conveyor in which slaughtered birds can be moved along hanging by the legs with the breast in the conveyance direction, in which frame a cutting device is fitted in the path of the birds, and also guide means for taking the bird into an oblique position relative to the conveyor, in such a way that the legs are situated in front of the carcass, viewed in the conveyance direction, and positioning means for bringing down the chest relative to the legs in such a way that the plane in which the transverse dividing operation with the cutting device takes place lies below the thighs and above the chest.

Method and device for dividing a slaughtered bird into a front half and a back half


Devices and methods for enhancing the healing of wounds, especially chronic wounds (e.g., diabetic wounds), involving the use of keratinocytes are described. Keratinocytes are grown on a transplantable solid support (e.g., collagen-coated beads), and the keratinocyte-coated solid support is placed in an enclosure. The enclosure, in turn, is placed in the wound for use as an interactive wound healing promoter.

The primary goal in the treatment of wounds is to achieve wound closure. Open cutaneous wounds represent one major category of wounds and include burn wounds, neuropathic ulcers, pressure sores, venous stasis ulcers, and diabetic ulcers. Open cutaneous wounds routinely heal by a process which comprises six major components: i) inflammation, ii) fibroblast proliferation, iii) blood vessel proliferation, iv) connective tissue synthesis v) epithelialization, and vi) wound contraction. Wound healing is impaired when these components, either individually or as a whole, do not function properly. Numerous factors can affect wound healing, including malnutrition, infection, pharmacological agents (e.g., actinomycin and steroids), diabetes, and advanced age [see Hunt and Goodson in Current Surgical Diagnosis & Treatment (Way; Appleton & Lange), pp. 86-98 (1988)].
Wounds which do not readily heal can cause the subject considerable physical, emotional, and social distress as well as great financial expense [see, e.g., Richey et al., Annals of Plastic Surgery 23(2):159-165 (1989)]. Indeed, wounds that fail to heal properly and become infected may require excision of the affected tissue. A number of treatment modalities have been developed as scientists' basic understanding of wounds and wound healing mechanisms has progressed.
The most commonly used conventional modality to assist in wound healing involves the use of wound dressings. In the 1960s, a major breakthrough in wound care occurred when it was discovered that wound healing with a moist occlusive dressings was, generally speaking, more effective than the use of dry, non-occlusive dressings [Winter, Nature 193:293-94 (1962)]. Today, numerous types of dressings are routinely used, including films (e.g., polyurethane films), hydrocolloids (hydrophilic colloidal particles bound to polyurethane foam), hydrogels (cross-linked polymers containing about at least 60% water), foams (hydrophilic or hydrophobic), calcium alginates (nonwoven composites of fibers from calcium alginate), and cellophane (cellulose with a plasticizer) [Kannon and Garrett, Dermatol. Surg. 21:583-590 (1995); Davies, Burns 10:94 (1983)]. Unfortunately, certain types of wounds (e.g., diabetic ulcers, pressure sores) and the wounds of certain subjects (e.g., recipients of exogenous corticosteroids) do not heal in a timely manner (or at all) with the use of such dressings.
Several pharmaceutical modalities have also been utilized in an attempt to improve wound healing. For example, treatment regimens involving zinc sulfate have been utilized by some practitioners. However, the efficacy of these regimens has been primarily attributed to their reversal of the effects of sub-normal serum zinc levels (e.g., decreased host resistance and altered intracellular bactericidal activity) [Riley, Am. Fam. Physician 24:107 (1981)]. While other vitamin and mineral deficiencies have also been associated with decreased wound healing (e.g., deficiencies of vitamins A, C and D; and calcium, magnesium, copper, and iron), there is no strong evidence that increasing the serum levels of these substances above their normal levels actually enhances wound healing. Thus, except in very limited circumstances, the promotion of wound healing with these agents has met with little success.
What is needed is a safe, effective, and interactive means for enhancing the healing of chronic wounds. The means should be able to be used without regard to the type of wound or the nature of the patient population to which the subject belongs.


Specimen carrier carousels adapted to support a plurality of specimen carriers in a radial configuration and selectively position specimen carriers at associated processing stations are disclosed. Specimen carriers mounted on the carousel are automatically tilted during rotation of the carousel to properly seat the specimens in their respective carriers and to prevent specimen movement during rotation. Specimen carrier platforms are also disclosed. A scanning assembly is provided in association with a carrier platform or at least one carrier station of a carrier carousel to monitor and verify the orientation of specimens within a carrier prior to commencement of processing operations. A subtilt assembly may be provided to correct the orientation of specimens identified as mispositioned during the scanning operation and to facilitate detection of the presence and location of specimens in a carrier. The specimen carrier carousel is especially suitable for use in connection with the storage, transfer and processing is semiconductor wafer.

High technology specimens such as electronic components including printed circuit boards, semiconductor wafers, electronic circuits, photomasks and the like, as well as mechanical assemblies or subassemblies, typically undergo processing and/or inspection operations. A specimen processing station is adapted to perform manufacturing, inspection, sorting, handling or other processing operations on a selected article or specimen.
A conventional semiconductor wafer fabrication process, for example, entails detection and inspection of defects in the patterned surface of a specimen wafer. The in-process inspection for defects is typically accomplished by means of a sophisticated, operator-controlled inspection station. Multiple specimens are typically loaded into a housing or carrier that is portable and may be conveyed to a processing or inspection station. Transport of the specimen carriers and loading and unloading of the specimens are frequently human-assisted operations that expose the specimens to both damage and contamination. Placement of specimens in the carrier and removal of specimens from the carrier are critical operations that frequently result in serious specimen damage. Small inaccuracies in carrier placement or specimen placement within the carrier may result in damage to the specimens, for example, from an associated automated handling system.

Specimen carrier platform and scanning assembly


System and methods for estimating a life of a battery pack are presented. In certain embodiments, a method for estimating a life of a battery pack may include generating cell-level test data that includes measured parameters a of battery cell included in the battery pack in response to a plurality of test conditions. One or more first thermal response parameters associated with the battery cells of the battery pack may be determined. A battery cell aging model may be generated based, at least in part, on the cell-level test data and the one or more first thermal response parameters. Second thermal response parameters associated with the battery pack may be determined, and an estimated life of the battery pack may be determined based, at least in part, on the battery cell aging model and the second thermal response parameters.

Passenger vehicles often include electric batteries for operating features of a vehicle's electrical and drivetrain systems. For example, vehicles commonly include a 12V lead-acid automotive battery configured to supply electric energy to vehicle starter systems (e.g., a starter motor), lighting systems, and/or ignition systems. In electric, fuel cell ("FC"), and/or hybrid vehicles, a high voltage ("HV") battery system (e.g., a 360V HV battery system) may be used to power electric drivetrain components of the vehicle (e.g., electric drive motors and the like). For example, an HV rechargeable energy storage system ("ESS") included in a vehicle may be used to power electric drivetrain components of the vehicle.
Accurately estimating a pack life of a battery system may allow for more accurate battery system control and/or management decisions to be made based on such information and/or inform battery system engineering and/design, thereby improving overall battery performance. Accurate estimation of a life of a battery system may further allow for improved diagnostics and/or prognostic methods to identify potential battery system issues.
Conventional methods for estimating the life of a battery system at a pack level may utilize time-intensive long-term pack level testing and characterization. Such testing and characterization may involve extensive use of testing equipment such as multi-channel battery cyclers over relatively long periods of time. Conventional methods may further require individual testing and characterization of a particular battery pack configuration that may not be extendable to a variety of other pack configurations, thereby increasing the time and expense of testing and characterizing a variety of different pack configurations.

Battery system pack life estimation systems and methods


A pressure guide for an electric connection between strip conductors on a circuit board and electric contacts arranged in an edge connector is provided. The pressing device aligns a circuit board guided between two guide bars by a spring element arranged in the one of the guide bars, such that the electric strip conductors applied on the circuit board exactly conform to the contacts arranged within the edge connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a pressure guide for a printed circuit board that can be inserted between two guide bars in a circuit board connector housing in order to achieve precise contacting of the strip conductors applied to the circuit board with corresponding electric contacts arranged in an edge connector.
A device of this type is required for ensuring the exact mechanical locating of contact decks arranged on a circuit board relative to electric contacts located in an edge connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
General direct plug-and-socket connections between circuit boards and circuit board connectors provided for this purpose hardly cause any tolerance problems between the contacts on the circuit board and the electric contacts within the connector due to the relatively large contact spacing (>1 mm).
However, if the contact spacing is reduced, increased precision is required in the manufacture of the circuit boards such that the costs are inevitably increased. Otherwise, the relatively broad manufacturing tolerances of conventional circuit boards make it difficult to prevent mismating between the contacts on the circuit board and the exactly located contacts in the connector.


Isolated DNA sequences, expression vectors and transformant cells are provided which allow for the large scale production of vascular endothelial cell growth factor. The vascular endothelial cell growth factor is useful in the treatment of wounds in which neovascularization or reendothelialization is required for healing.

The invention relates to the field of wound healing. In particular, the invention relates to the production of a wound healing agent that is mitogenic for vascular endothelial cells and consequently is useful in promoting neovascularization (angiogenesis) and re-endothelialization of inner vascular surfaces. The invention provides methods and means for producing vascular endothelial cell growth factor by means of recombinant DNA technology.
Angiogenesis, i.e. the growth of new capillary blood vessels, is a process which is crucial to the proper healing of many types of wounds. Consequently, factors that are capable of promoting angiogenesis are useful as wound healing agents. Angiogenesis is a multi-step process involving capillary endothelial cell proliferation, migration and tissue penetration. A number of known growth factors, including basic and acidic fibroblast growth factor, transforming growth factor alpha and epidermal growth factor, are broadly mitogenic for a variety of cell types as well as being angiogenic and are, therefore, potentially useful in promoting tissue repair. Broad spectrum mitogenicity is desirable in many types of wound healing applications. There are, however, specific types of wound healing applications in which it would be desirable to have a more cell-specific mitogenic activity. For example, following vascular graft surgery, balloon angioplasty or to promote collateral circulation in post-myocardial infarction patients, it would be desirable to employ a wound healing agent incorporating a mitogenic factor having mitogenic activity that is highly specific for vascular endothelial cells since proliferation of other cell types along with endothelial cells could cause blockage and/or reduced blood flow. At present, no highly suitable mitogenic factor is widely available for this type of application.
Recently, a mitogen apparently specific for vascular endothelial cells was isolated from media conditioned by bovine folliculo stellate cells and its partial amino acid sequence determined (Gospodarowicz et al., PNAS (1989) 86(19):7311-7315; Ferrara and Henzel, BBRC (1989) 161(2):851-858). This factor appears to be a homodimer of two approximately 23 kD subunits. A partially homologous factor that is the mouse homolog of the bovine protein described by Gospodarowicz et al. and Ferarra et al. has also been isolated from the conditioned media of murine AtT20 cells (ATCC CCL 89) and its N-terminal amino acid sequence determined (Plouet et al., EMBO J. (1989) 8(12):3801-3806). Both factors have been demonstrated to have mitogenic activity for vascular endothelial cells and for none of the other cell types tested and are therefore useful in a number of types of wound healing applications. Unfortunately, it is not practical and economical to obtain commercial quantities of these factors by purification from their native sources.

DNA sequences encoding bVEGF120 and hVEGF121 and methods for the production of bovine and human vascular endothelial cell growth factors, bVEGF.sub.120 and hVEGF.sub.121


The application relates to a textile composite article comprising at least one textile made of fibers/filaments, especially in the form of yarns, having a partially internal discontinuous pattern of an impregnating material which penetrates at least partially a cross section of said first textile leading to impregnated areas and non-impregnated areas in accordance with the discontinuous pattern. The non-impregnated areas are air permeable and may comprise a functional coating.

Textiles for clothing with a reduced ability to absorb water after contact with it are desired. Yarns for fabrics may be comprised of multi-filaments or staple fibers. Such yarns in the form of fiber/filament bundles comprise voids between the fibers/filaments. In case the yarn comes into contact with a liquid like water, most of the liquid wicks into the voids of the yarn. This wicking process results in a textile that will be wet, heavy and it takes long to dry.
One possibility to overcome this drawback is providing the fabrics with hydrophobic finishes usually based on fluorocarbons. But these fabrics lose their water repellency after just a few washes.
Another possibility of how to treat a textile to make it water repellent is disclosed in EP 2034088 A1 in the name of W.L.Gore & Associates GmbH. EP 2034088 A1 describes a fabric comprised of yarns which are made up of multiple fibers and voids between the fibers. The fabric has a very open textile construction with interstices between the yarns which have an average width of greater than 100 μm. The voids are filled up with a polymer material wherein the interstices remain open. The filling of the voids between the fibers prevents the absorption of water into said voids and therefore leads to reduced water absorption of the fabric. Textiles with such an open construction have a very limited use in the industry, the yarns itself may protected against outside water but the open and wide interstices still allow water to pass through into the garment. Furthermore, it is difficult to add an additional function to the textile by another treatment because the yarns are filled internally with said polymer material already.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,051 A assigned to Nextec Applications, Inc., relates to a flexible porous web which contains an internal coating of a silicone polymer composition. The web can comprise fibers in the form of monofilaments, yarns, staples or the like. The web may be a fabric which is woven or non-woven with fibers that can be of any desired composition. The web contains a curable silicone polymer impregnant that is present as a film, or coating, or a layer within a web that envelopes at least a portion of the fibers of the web. The interstices in the region of the internal coating are mostly filled or plugged by impregnant. The outer surfaces of the web are substantially free of impregnant. Silicone polymer which substantially completely encapsulates a web's fibers and forms an internal layer means, that the silicone polymer is located mostly upon surface portions of the fibers in the interior of the web. Based on the internal coating layer, the fibers of the outer surfaces of the web are uncoated and therefore able to wick water into the web. In order to avoid this, a fluorochemical is used to impregnate the web before the silicone polymer is applied. It is known that such impregnated webs lose their water repellency after just a few washes. Furthermore, such webs with an internal coating layer are not air-permeable because of the internal layer or the film by the silicone polymer.
Usually protective clothing for industrial workers and law enforcement are made of polycotton dense textiles. Polycotton textiles are not expensive but have very high water absorption and a re-dry time of several hours.
Firefighters, industrial workers, law enforcement and the like need garments that protect them not only from weather conditions but also from hazardous liquids, heat and flame. In particular, protection from flame requires materials that both self-extinguish and prevent burn caused by heat transfer through a garment. In addition, liquid and flame protection clothing should have a level of breathability sufficient to reduce heat stress burden to extend their ability to perform the function or to prevent heat casualty. Flame protective materials comprising non-combustible, non-melting fabric made of, for example, aramides, polybenzimidazole (PBI), poly p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole (PBO), modacrylic blends and combinations thereof. These fibers may be inherently flame resistant but may have several limitations. Specifically, these fibers may be very expensive, difficult to dye and print, and may not have adequate abrasion resistance. Additionally, these fibers pick up more water and offer unsatisfactory comfort as compared to nylon or polyester based fabrics. Furthermore, additional hydrophobic, oleophobic or the like treatments are also difficult, based on the unique chemical structure of said flame protective material.
The present invention overcomes the deficiencies described above.
One object of the present invention is to provide for an improved textile composite having a low water absorption value, a fast re-dry time and is still air permeable.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a textile composite with a low water absorption value, high air permeability and which is flame resistant.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a textile composite that comprises an outer meltable, flammable textile which is flame resistant, air permeable and water resistant while being having a low water absorption value and a fast re-dry time.
Furthermore, for optimum user performance in environments with occasional flash fire exposure, a lightweight, water vapor permeable and water resistant garment with enhanced burn protection is desired.

Abstract: Such a treated textile composite is air-permeable and water vapor permeable and has reduced water absorption and re-dry time. In one embodiment the textile composite article shows an additional enhanced flame protection.


The present invention relates to a parking brake lever of a vehicle. The parking brake comprises a supporting member adapted to be fixed to a frame of the vehicle and provided with a ratchet portion; a parking brake lever mounted on the supporting member and oscillatable between a braked position and a released position; a braking pawl oscillatably mounted on the parking brake lever and engaging with the ratchet portion to prevent the parking brake lever from oscillating when the parking brake lever is in its braked position; a toothed member having a first toothed segment and a second toothed segment and oscillatably mounted on the parking brake lever; a tension-adjusting pawl adapted to engage with the first toothed segment and oscillatably mounted on the parking brake lever; a position-locking pawl adapted to engage with the second toothed segment and having a guided member; a spool having a cable fixing portion where a parking brake cable is fixed and fixed to the toothed member; and a guiding means having a first guiding segment and a second guiding segment along which the guided member of the position-locking pawl is guided.

In general, a vehicle has a foot brake for performing a braking operation during driving and a parking brake for performing a braking operation when the vehicle is parked. The parking brake lever is generally operated by hand. Pulling the lever pulls a brake cable to carry out the braking operation.
Frequent braking operations can loosen the brake cable, causing insufficient tension, and thereby reducing the braking force. If the brake cable is loose enough, even fully pulling the parking brake lever may not perform the braking operation properly. In this circumstance, the vehicle should be repaired so that the cable length is adjusted by a repairman.
Many devices for automatically adjusting the brake cable tension have been developed.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,272,935 and 6,382,048 disclose devices for automatically adjusting the brake cable tension. The described techniques employ elastic members such as a spring for automatically adjusting the brake cable tension. However, the structure of these devices is complex and is not easy to repair or assemble because of the large number of components.

Parking brake comprising mechanism for adjusting brake cable tension

Abstract: The position-locking pawl is oscillatably mounted on the supporting member. The guided member is guided along the first guiding segment while the parking brake lever oscillates over a predetermined degree from the released position.

Abstract: The position-locking pawl engages with the second toothed segment to prevent the toothed member and the spool from rotating while the guided member is guided along the first guiding segment during oscillation of the parking brake lever to the released position from the braked position.


Provided is a biometric state determining method and apparatus. The biometric state determining apparatus may be configured to receive body data and biometric data of a user, and calculate a stress level based on an analysis of the received biometric data. The biometric state determining apparatus may calculate a biometric parameter based on a determined correlation between the calculated stress level and the received body data, and determine a biometric state of the user based on an analysis of the calculated biometric parameter.

1. Field
The following description relates to a biological state determining method and apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
According to westernization and industrialization of our modern society, obesity is increasing gradually among the population. For this reason, various methods based on, for example, a diet and fitness equipment may abound to control weight. Despite the abundance of various methods, many attempts at controlling weight or reaching a target weight end in failure.
As an example, a general weight control method may provide simple information associated with physical body changes such as weight, without providing detailed biometric information.

Biological state determining method and apparatus


A liquid crystal display apparatus is provided which includes a pixel including a storage capacitor, wherein the storage capacitor is connected to be between a pixel electrode and a storage voltage line, a light sensing unit connected to be between the storage voltage line and a first node, and a transfer unit connected to transfer a voltage from the first node to a sensing line.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention disclosed herein relate to a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus, and more particularly, to an LCD apparatus having a contact sensing function.
A liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus is currently one of flat panel display apparatuses being most widely used and includes, two sheets of display plates on which field generating electrodes are formed such as a pixel electrode and a common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer in between. The LCD apparatus applies a voltage to the field generating electrode to generate an electric field for the liquid crystal layer, and this electric field determines the directions of liquid crystal molecules on the liquid crystal layer and controls the polarization of incident light to display an image.
A touch screen panel is a device that enables a user to execute an icon so that a machine such as a computer can perform a desired command or to write a text or draw a picture by contacting a finger or a touch pen/stylus with a screen.
An LCD apparatus including the touch screen panel may find out whether a user's finger or touch pen is in touch with the screen and information on a contact location. However, such an LCD apparatus has limitations in cost increase due to the touch screen panel, yield decrease due to an additional process of bonding the touch screen panel to a liquid crystal display plate, luminescence decrease of the liquid crystal display plate and increase in product thickness.
Thus, a technology that enables a display panel for displaying an image (instead of the touch screen panel) to include a light sensing pixel including a thin film transistor in addition to a pixel (a display or light emitting pixel) has been developed. The light sensing pixel may sense a change in pressure applied to a screen by a user's finger and/or a change in light to enable the LCD apparatus to find out whether the user's finger is in contact with the screen and information on a contact location. However, since the display panel includes the light sensing pixel, there is a limitation in that the aperture ratio of the display panel decreases.


An audio device with a body configured to be worn on or abutting an outer ear of a user, wherein the body is configured to contact at least one of the outer ear and the portion of the head that abuts the outer ear, at two separate spaced contact locations, and wherein the body is compliant at a body portion that defines one of the contact locations. The device also has an acoustic module carried by the body and configured to locate a sound-emitting opening anteriorly of and proximate the user's ear canal opening when the body is worn on or abutting the ear of the user.

This disclosure relates to an audio device that is worn on the ear.
Wireless headsets deliver sound to the ear. Most wireless headsets include an earbud that is placed into the ear canal opening. Ear buds can inhibit or prevent the user from hearing the speech of others and environmental sounds. Also, earbuds send a social cue that the user is unavailable for interactions with others.


A picture frame device which allows the framing straight members to be removed from the front of the frame device by pivotally rotating the corner joints and has a space formed in a container installed behind the exhibit or the exhibit held between holding sheets, for containing many other exhibitable sheets than the exhibit such as pictures and testimonials.. The picture frame device is comprised of framing straight members, corner joints pivotally rotatably fitted at the respective both ends of the framing straight members, an exhibit or an exhibit held between holding sheets held on the front side of the framing straight members, and a container installed behind the exhibit or the exhibit held between holding sheets, and the container has a space formed, and together with the exhibit or the exhibit held between holding sheets, it is installed between the holding portions of the framing straight members and the corner joint boards, or together with the exhibit or the exhibit held between holding sheets, the flanges are held between the holding portions of the framing straight members and the partitions.

General practically used picture frame devices do not have any space for containing any other exhibitable sheets than the exhibit. So, it is practiced to keep those other exhibitable sheets behind the exhibit in layers, but many exhibitable sheets cannot be contained in this way.
There are also picture frame devices with a space for containing other exhibitable sheets than the exhibit, but most of them simply has a separate detachable container behind them. So, it is troublesome to take out the other exhibitable sheets than the exhibit for exchanging the exhibit or confirming those exhibitable sheets.
Furthermore, there is a picture frame device with an exhibit and a transparent resin sheet overlapped on a back sheet made of foam styrene surrounded on the four sides by U-shaped framing straight members connected by joints at the butt corners. The frame device allows the exhibit to be taken in and out by removing only one of the framing straight members, but if other exhibitable sheets than the exhibit are contained in layers as described above, it is troublesome to confirm the other exhibitable sheets.
If these other exhibitable sheets than the exhibit such as pictures and testimonials are kept in a cylindrical container, they are kept curled and must be straightened when exhibited.


A curable component composed of (A) an epoxy resin containing at least 90% by weight of a bisphenol glycidyl ether and (B) an aliphatic polyamine is blended with (C) 1-xylyl-1,3-diphenylbutane, bis(.alpha.-methylbenzyl)xylene, and/or 1-xylyl-1-(3-.alpha.-methylbenzylphenyl)ethane, and (D) a coloring pigment and/or an inorganic filler to form a coating composition adapted to be coated to the inner surface of pipes through which city water passes. The composition is cured to the pipe inner surface to form a film which provides a chlorine take-up of up to 1 ppm from city water flowing in contact with the film.

In general, water supply pipes used in buildings are often provided on the inner surface with coatings for the purposes of preventing corrosion and improving durability. If water supply pipes are corroded on the inner surface, red rust build-up resulting from corrosion would restrict water flow and in extreme cases, leakage could occur. Therefore, water supply pipes are coated on the inner surface upon installation or renewal.
In the prior art, various two-part epoxy coating compositions were used for the water supply pipe coating purpose. They are generally prepared by blending an epoxy resin containing at least 10% by weight of a reactive diluent with a polyamine curing agent, blending the resulting curable resin component with at least 5% by weight of a non-reactive compound such as benzyl alcohol, and further with a coloring pigment and an inorganic filler. The epoxy resin and the polyamine curing agent are mixed such that 1.1 to 0.9 equivalent of active hydrogen of the polyamine is present per equivalent of epoxy group. See Kakiuchi Hiroshi, "New Epoxy Resins", Shokodo, 1988.
The conventional coating compositions have the problems that active hydrogen-bearing compounds used as the curing agent consume a substantial amount of chlorine added to city water for sterilization purpose and that uncured resin component gives off odor. Long-term curing and thorough cleaning are often required in order to meet the water quality standard prescribed by the Municipal Water Supply Associate. Then the working period is extended and extra piping is needed to provide water supply over a long period of construction, resulting in increased construction cost and imposing inconvenience to the users.


A plurality of prisms 23e which make an input angle of light from an LED 21 with respect to a rear surface of a light guiding body 23 gradually small are provided on a light emission plane 23b of the light guiding body 23, and a plurality of prisms 24b which cause the light from the LED 21 to be totally reflected to front in an interface between a rear surface of a low refractive index layer 24 and an air layer are provided on the rear surface of the light guiding plate 22. The light guiding plate 22 further includes an inclined plane 30 which is inclined to an optical axis O of the light from the LED 21. The inclined plane 30 is configured so as to cause input light to be reflected in the direction which is close to the optical axis O.

In a liquid crystal display device (display device) on which a non-emission type liquid crystal display panel (display panel) is mounted, usually a backlight unit (lighting system) which supplies light to the liquid crystal display panel is also mounted thereon. It is preferable that the backlight unit is configured so as to generate sheet-shaped light which diffuses all over a planar liquid crystal display panel. For this reason, there is a case in which the backlight unit which is mounted on the liquid crystal display panel includes a light guiding plate (light guiding member) for effectively mixing light from a light source which is built therein.
As a backlight unit which includes a light guiding plate, for example, an edge light-type (side light-type) backlight unit has been known. In general, the edge light-type backlight unit has a configuration in which a light source such as a Light Emitting Diode (LED), or the like, is arranged on the side surface of a light guiding plate. In the backlight unit having such a configuration, light which is emitted from a light source is input to the inside of the light guiding plate from the side surface of the light guiding plate, and the input light is emitted to the liquid crystal display panel side by being guided in the light guiding plate.
Here, when a point light source such as an LED is used as a light source in the edge light-type backlight unit, it is difficult to make light uniformly input to a wide light guiding plate. For this reason, in a backlight unit in which the LED is used as the light source, uneven luminance easily occurs.
For this reason, in the related art, a lighting system which is capable of obtaining uniform emission light even when a point light source such as an LED is used has been proposed (for example, refer to PTL 1).
In PTL 1, a lighting system in which a trapezoidal shape is protruded at a position corresponding to a point light source in a light guiding plate, and through holes of a triangular shape or a trapezoidal shape which is symmetric are provided in the trapezoidal shape is disclosed. In the lighting system, light which is input to the light guiding plate is horizontally diffused by reflecting the light from a light source on the protruded trapezoidal side surface, or on the side surface of the through hole. In this manner, it is possible to obtain more uniform emission light.


An improved frame saw system has multiple blades for cutting slabs of masonry materials. The improved systems and methods allow for cutting masonry materials into slabs having surface small deviations. A frame saw system may include a support structure of unifying material bonded to at least one of the blades for keeping the blades in fixed relative positions. The support structure may be removable from the frame saw system as the blades are engaged in a swinging motion cutting into the block. In addition, a process for cutting masonry blocks of granite, marble, rock, and the like, includes pretreating the surface of the block with a skim coat to fill surface irregularities prior to cutting operations. A frame saw system may contain one or more spacers between the saw blades wherein a compressive force is applied across the blades connected to a frame to reduce deflection of the blades while cutting.

Frames with multiple blades are commonly used for cutting or sawing blocks of a masonry material such as concrete, marble, granite, sandstone, limestone, fired brick or a like material, as well as for cutting blocks of composite material made of stone or marble chippings bound together by a binder material. Such frames may have steel blades or steel blades equipped with diamond-containing segments, with each of the blades being maintained under tension. Such tension may be supplied, for example, by one or more tension rods.
For example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,427, a device for cutting blocks of granite, marble, stone and similar materials is provided. Such a device includes a plurality of sawing blades; a blade-carrying frame into which at least two sawing blades are fixed and having slide means for directing horizontal motion of said frame; a drive motor unit connected to said blade-carrying frame for displacing said sawing blade in a reciprocating motion, a slide-carrying frame of generally rectangular cross-section, upright supports, a guide unit on each upright support connected to said slide-carrying frame for directing vertical movement of said slide-carrying frame, said slide means of said blade-carrying frame being adapted to fit within said slide-carrying frame, and vibration damping means for creating pressure on the top, bottom, and each side of said slide means to urge said slide means away from contact with said slide-carrying frame, thus providing a vibration dampened connection between said slide-carrying frame and said blade-carrying frame, whereby vibrations to the sawing blades is minimized.
In another example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,968, a sawing machine including multiple blades in a stiff support framework is described to saw stone blocks, and particularly granite. The sawing machine uses rectilinear travel wherein, in correspondence of the abrasion zone and in addition to the conventional translatory motion, a blade frame is used with a hammering or percussion movement of the saw blades onto the stone block being cut. The machine is designed so that the blades may "jump", meaning that the blades may be lifted from the bottom of the cutting channels and then be dropped again therein in a short, rapid movement.
In another granite sawing operation employing horizontal frame saws, each frame saw has up to 250 steel blades each more than 3 meters long, 3-5 mm thick, and 50-200 mm tall. After sawing granite or marble blocks into slabs, the slabs are polished to ultimately generate finished components such as tiles and blocks. Slabs may be considered to be sufficiently flat if the surface deviates less than about 1.5 mm from a plane. Slabs of thickness variation of greater than about 2 mm cannot be sorted and polished, and often must be scrapped. In another example, a slab's thickness variation may be considered acceptable for polishing if the difference between the thickest and thinnest points in the slabs is less than about 10% of the slab's nominal thickness.
To meet finished granite/marble product quality control requirements such as those detailed above, the blades must not deviate from a substantially straight path as they cut through a block of marble or granite. Blade deviation can arise when local forces cause the blade to twist, flex, or bend out of a plane, leading to cuts deviating from a straight path and slabs exceeding the allowable thickness variation. Additionally, blade deflection causes premature blade wear due to blade flexing, buckling, and fracture.
One source of local forces causing blade flexing or deviation is the irregularities of the masonry material to be cut or sawed. Mined masonry materials typically have internal faults. Granite and marble materials, endowed with color and vein structure, are usually defective due to fracturing during geological formation. Some of the defects may be external, as caused by mining conditions with drill holes and other asperities. As saw blades are used to cut as-mined masonry materials, the blades can experience highly variable forces due to the irregularities in the materials which may cause premature wear in steel blades and deviation from a substantially parallel cut in the slab. As an additional problem in cutting or sawing masonry materials, superabrasive particles of the saw blades may be detached or pulled-out from superabrasive containing blades during operation. This pull-out of the superabrasive particles in the blades is heightened by the irregularities of the masonry material.
Because of the intrinsic defects in the raw masonry materials and the prior art cutting and sawing systems, the cutting of slabs from marble and other rock is costly due to the large amount of reject material and/or machine wear. There is a need for improved methods and systems for cutting slabs of masonry materials such as granite, marble, rock, and the like.

System and method for cutting granite or similar materials


An interior panel for an automotive vehicle is providing including a generally rigid plastic panel; a backing material formed into a membrane and attached with the rigid plastic panel; a polyester pad providing a cushioning surface and being adjacent to the backing material opposite the plastic panel; a cloth membrane insert covering a portion of the pad and having at least one major edge; an adhesive insert placed on the cloth membrane insert generally adjacent the major edge; and a supported vinyl membrane covering a portion of the pad not covered by the cloth insert, the vinyl membrane having a portion overlapping the adhesive insert and the cloth insert, the backing material, the pad, the cloth membrane insert, the adhesive insert and the vinyl membrane being dielectrically joined to one another adjacent the major edge of the cloth membrane insert.

Many automotive interior door panels are molded to have a two-tone texture color appearance. Typically, there is a main surface covering the entire panel which is covered with a first cover of vinyl. Located within the interior of the panel is often an insert covered with an alternative color of cloth material. The cloth insert and vinyl material typically will also have underneath some type of foam or fiber padding to make the interior of the door panel soft to the touch. One method to obtain a two-tone texture color appearance is shown and described in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 08/041,109 to Stein et al, commonly assigned. The Stein et al method requires a molding operation.
An alternative to the Stein et al process which does not require a molding process is to prepare a door panel covered in vinyl and then to achieve the two-tone effect by gluing the cloth insert to the vinyl. Still another method of achieving the two-tone texture appearance is to first attach the cloth insert to a cardboard platform and then, by gluing or by some type of fasteners, attach the cloth insert to the door panel. The gluing or fastening method of attaching the cloth insert to the door panel is technically acceptable. However, from a labor standpoint, the gluing or fastening method is not desirable.
Still another process of attaching a cloth insert to a vinyl-covered interior door panel is the dielectric tear seal process. In the tear seal process, the cloth insert is positioned on the padding. The vinyl is placed over the cloth insert and the remainder of the door panel. The padding, cloth insert and vinyl are dielectrically bonded together along the edges of their interface between the cloth insert and the vinyl. At the same time that the dielectric press joins the vinyl to the cloth, the press also serrates the vinyl so that it may later be torn away, hence the term tear seal is given to the process.
The tear seal process offers four major disadvantages. The first disadvantage of the tear seal process is that two steps are involved, namely the joining of the vinyl to the cloth insert (and to its underlying padding) and a second process which requires the vinyl which had been serrated by the dielectric tool to be torn away. The above is a two-step process and requires the expense of the second operation. Additionally, the torn-away portion of the vinyl increases scrap cost and disposal cost for associated refuse.
The second disadvantage of the tear seal process is that if the serrating or tear process is not totally accurate, the door panel will have to be scrapped due to the unsightly appearance where the vinyl is torn.
Thirdly, the cutting serrations on the dielectric tool dies cause the tool to have sharp edges. The sharp edges required on this type of dielectric tool die attract the energy from the high voltage field required in the dielectric process generating sparks, thereby mandating high maintenance rams on the dielectric tools.
The fourth major disadvantage of the tear seal process is that it can only utilize an unsupported vinyl (a supported vinyl has a fabric reinforcement) since the vinyl has to stick with the cloth insert material. Therefore, the door panel does not exhibit the superior wear characteristics of a door panel that utilizes a supported vinyl.
Prior attempts to dielectrically manufacture a door panel insert with a cloth lower trim and a supported vinyl upper trim failed due to the lack of control over part alignment, adequate adhesion between the supported vinyl and the cloth insert, and the raw edge treatment to process out the exposed supported vinyl strings.


A gas-solids heat/exchanger apparatus particularly designed for cooling the particulate material such as calcined limestone or cement clinker, but may also be used as a dryer and/or material heater. The apparatus includes a casing having an upper particulate material inlet and a lower particulate material outlet. Upper and lower grates extend on an angle or a slant from the inlet to the outlet for holding a bed of material. Gas is supplied to an inlet plenum chamber on one side of the lower grate for passage through the grates and the bed of material to an outlet plenum chamber. The lower grate is perforated to permit gas to pass therethrough while supporting the bed of material. The upper grate includes a plurality of spaced apart, vertically oriented, perforated slats. Various parameters or gas flow rates, pressure drops and positioning of the upper grate slats are disclosed.

This invention relates to an apparatus for carrying out heat exchange between a gas and solid particulate material. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus designed for cooling hot particulate material such as calcined lime or cement clinker discharges from a furnace such as a rotary kiln or fluid bed reactor, or from a primary cooler such as a grate or attached tube cooler. The apparatus may also be used as a dryer or preheater for solid particulate material.
Prior to the present invention, various types of heat exchangers for gas and solid particulate material are known including reciprocating grate type coolers for hot particulate material such as cement clinker discharged from a rotary kiln; attached tube coolers for burnt lime and cement clinker discharged from a rotary kiln; and various types of shaft heat exchangers for either preheating or cooling solid particulate material. Also known are inclined type heat exchangers as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,255,130 and 4,255,131 for preheating material to be supplied to a kiln. Cross current type heat exchangers are also known and shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,284,072 and U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 06/596,882 filed Apr. 5, 1984, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.
Material heat exchangers of the type which confine a bed of material between two grates have the advantage of being able to control the pressure drop of the gas across the bed of material because the depth of material can be maintained. Many prior devices of this type have the disadvantage that they are not capable of handling various size materials.
Fines will tend to migrate towards each other causing a region of decreased porosity and resultant increased pressure drop. Many devices of this type may not be able to handle oversized particles.
As gas is passed through a bed of material, fine particles will gravitate to the top. If the top of the bed of material is confined as in prior apparatus, when the fines move to the top, because the fines will be more tightly packed, there will be less space between them than between the coarse particles. This tighter spacing will cause an increase in the pressure drop across the bed of material. According to the present invention the top of the bed of material is allowed to expend to thereby eliminate the increase in pressure drop experienced by prior apparatus.

Gas and solid particulate material heat exchanger


A visible light communication apparatus enables an operator to visually recognize a communication state during visual light communication. The apparatus includes a light emitting section which emits visible light and which includes a modulator, a visible light emitter, a light emitting element and an emission control section which includes a controller and which controls an emission state of the visible light from the light emitting section. The apparatus controls the emission state according to the communication state. It is hence possible for the operator to visually perceive the communication state during the visible light communication.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, a system, a method, and a program for conducting communication of information by using visible light visible for human beings.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the conventional information communication, there have been employed infrared rays and radio waves invisible for the human beings for the following reasons. For example, there does not exist a light emitting device that radiates light with high efficiency, and the visible light is visually uncomfortable and/or visually troublesome for the human beings.
However, with visible light, the human can visually recognize an area or a zone in which the visible light can be received. Therefore, when compared with the infrared rays and the radio waves, the visible light is superior in usability and is more suitable for entertainment depending on purposes of the use thereof. The visible light is the same kind of wave as the radio waves and hence can transmit information.
Recently, as a light source for illumination, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) has rapidly come to broad use in place of the luminescent lamp and the light bulb. By blinking the LED at a high speed at which the blinking cannot be perceived by the human being, it is possible to transmit a large amount of data at an ultra high speed. Thanks to the information communication using the visible light, it is hence possible during the communication to remove various problems occurring in the radio communication and the infrared ray communication. That is, the ubiquitous, omnipresent and ultra high speed communication can be carried out without affecting human bodies and electronic devices.
The articles on techniques associated with and filed before the present invention include, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-218066 describing a positional information communication apparatus including a positional data section to generate positional information, a modulator section to modulate an electric signal on a power line according to the positional information from the positional data section, and an illumination section to emit illumination light using the electric signal obtained through the modulation. The apparatus communicates the positional information through optical wireless communication by use of illumination light, i.e., visible light.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-260380 describes a cellular phone terminal including a visible light receiving module and a visible light emitting module which are disposed side by side to face the same direction. The terminal carries out visible light communication so that the user visually perceives the visible light employed for the communication.
Additionally, various possibilities of the visible light communication have been described in, for example, "Ubiquitous Visible Light Communications" described by Masao Nakagawa on pages 351 to 359 of the Transactions on Communications of IEICE 2005, B Vol. J-88-B No. 2.
Although Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2005-218066 and 2005-260380 and "Ubiquitous Visible Light Communications" describe the visible light communication to communicate information using visible light including information, consideration has not been given to an operation to control the light emission state of the visible light depending on the communication state.
That is, according to the technique described in these articles, it is not considered that one of the features of the visible light, namely, "visibility, is efficiently utilized.

Apparatus, system, method, and program for visible light communication


An electronic component package includes an electronic component, a redistribution layer electrically connected to the electronic component and having terminal connection pads, a passivation layer disposed on one side of the redistribution layer and having openings exposing at least portions of the terminal connection pads, and connection terminals disposed in the openings of the passivation layer and connected to the terminal connection pads. At least one of the openings of the passivation layer has a plurality of protrusion parts.

An electronic component package refers to a type of package technology for electrically connecting an electronic component to a printed circuit board (POP), for example, a main board of an electronic device, or the like, and protecting the electronic component from external impacts, which is distinguished from a technology of embedding an electronic component in a printed circuit board, for example, an interposer substrate. Meanwhile, a major recent trend in the development of technology related to electronic components has been to reduce the size of electronic components. Therefore, in the field of package technology, in accordance with a rapid increase in demand for a small electronic component, or the like, implement an electronic component package having a small size and including a plurality of pins has been demanded.
As a type of package technology suggested in order to satisfy the technical demand as described above, a wafer level package (WLP) using a redistribution wiring of an electrode pad of an electronic component formed on a wafer has been suggested. An example of such a wafer level package includes a fan-in wafer level package and a fan-out wafer level package. Particularly, the fan-out wafer level package has a small size and is advantageous in implementing a plurality of pins. Therefore, recently, the fan-out wafer level package has been actively developed.
Meanwhile, generally, in a case in which the electronic component package is mounted on the main board of the electronic device, or the like, since a difference between coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) of the electronic component and the main board is significantly high, difference between effective coefficients of thermal expansion of the electronic component package and the main board is intensified. As a result, in a case in which the electronic component package mounted on the main board is exposed to a harsh environment, a crack may be generated in a connection terminal, for example, a solder ball, connecting the electronic component package and the main board to each other.

Electronic component package and electronic device including the same


A semiconductor device includes a conductivity type drain layer, a conductivity type drift layer, conductivity type base regions located in an upper surface of the drift layer, a conductivity type source region which is disposed inside each of the base regions and is spaced apart from the periphery of the base region, and a channel region is formed between the source region and the periphery of the base region. The semiconductor device further includes a gate insulating layer covering the channel region, a gate electrode which is located on the gate insulating layer and faces the channel region, a plurality of conductivity type column regions, each extends from the plurality of base regions to the drain layer in the drift layer, a trap level forming region in the drift layer, a drain electrode electrically connected to the drain layer, and a source electrode electrically connected to the source region.

Conventionally, in an inverter circuit for driving a motor, an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) has been widely used as a switching element. The IGBT has the characteristic in which an on-resistance is lowered by conductivity modulation of injected electrons and holes and accordingly has an advantage of a small loss in a high voltage/high current operation. However, in the IGBT, since both of electrons and holes contribute to conduction, there are a problem that the IGBT is unsuitable for fast switching due to a tail current generated when a switching element is turned off, and another problem of a large loss in a low voltage/low current operation.
In recent years, in equipment such as an air conditioner with a motor as a load, in order to increase an annual performance factor (APF), there has been a strong demand for reduction in loss which occurs not only in a high power load operation such as a start-up or the like but also in a low power load operation in the stationary conditions. For the purpose of meeting such a demand, it has been examined that a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) having a smaller loss in low voltage/constant current than the IGBT is used as a switching element. In particular, an MOSFET having a super junction structure (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an "SJ-MOSFET") can realize a higher breakdown voltage (e.g., a drain-source voltage of 500 volts or higher) with a lower on-resistance than the existing MOSFET, as will be described later. In addition, the SJ-MOSFET is suitable for high frequency switching since it is a unipolar device. Therefore, the SJ-MOSFET is expected to replace a part of an IGBT in an inverter.
However, a conventional SJ-MOSFET has a problem of a large reverse recovery current (hereinafter denoted by "Irr") occurring in an internal parasitic diode (body diode), which extends a reverse recovery time (hereinafter denoted by "Trr"). This problem causes the convention SJ-MOSFET to be used less in an inverter circuit for driving a motor of an air conditioner, in practice. This is because, in such an inverter for motors, for example, when a reflux diode of a lower arm side switching element constituting each leg (half bridge) of a bridge circuit flows a current in a forward direction in a reflux mode, there is a timing at which an upper arm side switching element is switched from a turn-off state to a turn-off state, and, at that timing, a reverse recovery current Irr occurs in the reflux diode and a short-circuit current flows through the upper and lower arms. When the reverse recovery current Irr is large, a switching loss becomes excessive due to such a short-circuit current. Therefore, in the conventional SJ-MOSFET, the body diode with the large reverse recovery current Irr cannot be used as the reflux diode and there is a need to connect a fast recovery diode (FRD) element functioning as the reflux diode in parallel between drain and source.
For the purpose of overcoming this problem, there has been proposed an SJ-MOSFET which is capable of significantly reducing a reverse recovery current Irr by forming a local trap level in a semiconductor and controlling lifetime of minor carriers.
However, in a case where such an SJ-MOSFET is used in an inverter for motors, when the SJ-MOSFET has a miniaturized structure, it has been found that there may occur a "self-turn-on" effect, i.e., "shooting-through," in which the SJ-MOSFET, which should be originally in a turn-off state, is conducting with no intention.

Semiconductor device and inverter including the semiconductor device


A package is formed of a plurality of laminated insulation plates respectively having windows formed in the central portions thereof. Metallized patterns are formed on the surface of at least one of the insulation plates. The semiconductor chip is received in a space defined by the windows of the insulation plates. The semiconductor chip and the metallized patterns are electrically connected to each other via bonding wires. Bumps are arranged as external terminals of the semiconductor chip in a grid form on the surface of one of the insulation plates which lies on the rear surface side of the package. The bumps are electrically connected to the metallized patterns via through holes formed in the insulation plates.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the construction of a package of a semiconductor device, and more particularly to a package on which a large number of external terminals are arranged.
2. Description of the Related Art
A Pin Grid Array (PGA) package is known as a package having a large number of external terminals arranged therein. The PGA package is a package having pin-shaped external terminals arranged at regular intervals in a grid form on the rear surface of the package body and formed to vertically project from the rear surface thereof. The semiconductor device using the PGA package is mounted on a printed circuit board having through holes formed therein. In an actual case, the external terminals (external pins) of the PGA package are inserted into the through holes of the printed circuit board and soldered.
In recent years, in the PGA package, the number of external pins has been increased in order to attain more complicated multifunctions and a larger added value of the semiconductor device. When the number of external pins becomes as high as several hundreds, the size of the PGA package becomes significantly large. When the size of the PGA package becomes large with an increase in the number of pins, there may occur problems in that the cost of the package body is raised, the weight thereof is increased, and the electrical characteristics are degraded (for example, the signal transmission distortion and the power source noise are increased) by an increase in inductance, capacitance and resistance components with an increase in the length of wirings in the package.
In a case where the size of the package body is reduced in order to suppress the influence of the above problems, it becomes important to reduce the pitch of the external pins. Since it becomes necessary to reduce the pin diameter with a decrease in the pitch, the external pins are liable to be bent at the time of the mounting of the package body on the printed circuit board, the mounting precision of the external pins cannot be enhanced, and the mounting operation becomes difficult. Further, when the pin diameter is reduced, it becomes, necessary for the manufactures of the packages to effect visual inspection of all of the products so as to check whether or not the external pins are bent or the products satisfy the specification, giving a bad influence on mass-productivity and increasing the manufacturing cost. When the pin diameter is reduced, a bridge of the solder may be made at the time of mounting of the external pins on the printed circuit board.
Thus, the conventional PGA package has various problems when the number of external pins is increased. Further, in a case where the PGA package is inserted into the through hole formed in the printed circuit board and mounted on the printed circuit board, it becomes difficult to reduce the size of an electronic instrument using the printed circuit board and it becomes difficult to apply the package to a portable type electronic instrument.

Semiconductor device including a package having a plurality of bumps arranged in a grid form as external terminals


Architecture and techniques for testing mobile devices within a secondary radio frequency (RF) signal isolation unit with respect to various wireless communication protocols. One or more of the secondary RF signal isolation units is located within a larger, primary RF signal isolation unit. Testing arrangements within the primary RF signal isolation unit may include input panels, switching arrangements, attenuator arrangements and/or output arrangements, in addition to the one or more secondary RF signal isolation units.

In recent years, mobile telecommunication devices have advanced from offering simple voice calling services within wireless communication networks to providing users with many new features. Mobile telecommunication devices now provide messaging services such as email, text messaging, and instant messaging; data services such as internet browsing; media services such as storing and playing a library of favorite songs; location services; and many others. In addition to the new features provided by the mobile telecommunication devices, users of such mobile telecommunication devices have greatly increased. Such an increase in users is only expected to continue and, in fact, it is expected that there could be a growth rate of twenty times more users in the next few years alone.
Various components within a wireless communication network need to be tested when there are various updates and/or potential "fixes" to problems within the wireless communication network. Thus, testing rooms are generally utilized to test signals among various components within the testing rooms. For example, servers functioning as base stations may provide to the radio station broadcasting instructions to the radio frequency (RF) signals to mobile communication devices, e.g., mobile devices or user equipment. In order to avoid interference and/or cross-contamination with respect to the RF signals being transmitted between base stations and mobile communication devices, the mobile communication devices, and possibly servers functioning as base stations, may be placed within RF signal isolation units in the testing rooms. However, due to the number of servers functioning as base stations and mobile communication devices being tested in a testing rooms, the RF signal isolation units may not be enough to prevent interference and/or cross-contamination of RF signals between servers functioning as base stations and mobile communication devices that are under test.

Primary RF insulated units including secondary RF insulated units for testing multiple wireless technologies


Linear aromatic polymeric species, particularly oligomers and polymers are produced under mild conditions in good yield by reacting an at least binuclear aromatic compound with an alkylidene bisphenol in the presence of a non C-alkylatable hydroxy substituted aromatic compound effective to stabilize a generated carbonium ion intermediate; the alkylidene bisphenol may be formed in situ from a ketone or aldehyde in the presence of a catalytic amount of a hydroxy substituted aromatic compound effective to generate a carbonium ion with the ketone or aldehyde; carrying out the reaction under reduced pressure, particularly high vacuum permits direct production of high polymers; the oligomers are useful in the manufacture of high molecular weight engineering or industrial plastics; the polymers may be used directly as such plastics.

(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to linear aromatic polymeric species, particularly polymers and oligomers and a process for their preparation.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
High molecular weight linear aromatic polymers which consist of aromatic groups joined by isopropylidene groups have attractive physical and chemical properties for use as engineering plastics. The preparation of such polymers from simple, readily available aromatic compounds such as cumyl chloride has not been successful as a result of side condensation reactions which terminate the polymerization.
High molecular weight polymers have been synthesized by a Friedel-Crafts alkylaticnreaction of 2-chloroisopropyl substituted aromatic compounds with other aromatic compounds; for example p-bis(2-chloroisopropyl) benzene has been condensed with diphenyl ether to yield a high molecular weight linear polymer. This polymerization, however, requires stringent reaction conditions including use of a special Friedel-Crafts catalyst typically consisting of nitrobenzene, tritylhexafluoroarsenate and aluminum chloride, low temperatures and a restricted group of solvents. The reaction must also be carried out in the absence of water and oxygen. The stringent reaction conditions required and the difficulty in obtaining highly purified monomers for the reaction have precluded further work on the process.
Transalkylation processes have also been developed employing perfluorinated resin sulfonic acids such as Nafion-H (trade mark) as catalysts. Thus dealkylation of a t-butyl substituted bisphenol in the presence of toluene as acceptor molecule produces t-butyl toluene and unsubstituted bisphenol.
Bisphenol A (4,4'-isopropylidenebisphenol) is manufactured by direct condensation of acetone with a large excess, typically 6 to 10 fold, of phenol in the presence of an acid catalyst, preferably an ion exchange resin. However, this condensation reaction is not quantitative enough to employ as a polymer forming reaction because side polyalkylation reactions and indane forming reactions act as terminating reactions, especially when the stoichiometry approaches 1:2 in the reaction. The synthesis is only successful when a large excess of phenol is used; but even when a large excess is used significant amounts of by-products are formed.


Embodiments of the present invention disclose a signal transmission method, user equipment, and a base station. The method includes: determining a feature parameter of UE; and according to the feature parameter of the UE and a preset correspondence, determining a coverage enhancement technology used to transmit a first signal, and/or determining a second signal that the UE supports transmitting, and/or determining a function, supported by the UE, of a third signal. The present invention can optimize resource utilization of a system, decrease processing complexity, and reduce power consumption.

In a Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE Advanced, LTE-A) system, user equipment (UE) generally has different values of a feature parameter at different moments. Herein, the feature parameter of the UE refers to: a value or information used to measure quality of communication between the UE and a base station, and/or a value or information used to measure quality of a channel between the UE and a base station, and/or information used to reflect a service feature of the UE.
For example, when the UE communicates with the base station under a poor channel condition at a particular moment, greater coverage enhancement is required for signal transmission between the UE and the base station; in this case, more resource overheads may be used to improve reliability of service transmission. When the channel condition is good, less coverage enhancement is required for signal transmission between the UE and the base station; in this case, reliable service transmission can be performed by using fewer resource overheads. However, in the prior art, for example, when coverage enhancement is performed for signal transmission between the UE and the base station, a current coverage enhancement value is not considered; instead, a uniform coverage enhancement technology is used to perform coverage enhancement. Besides, during coverage enhancement, the UE or the base station may support transmission of same signals, and support same functions of the signals.
That is, in the prior art, when the feature parameter of the UE changes, the UE or the base station uses a uniform coverage enhancement technology to perform coverage enhancement, supports transmitting same signals, and supports same functions of the signals, which produces a large quantity of system resource overheads, results in low resource utilization, and increases complexity of service processing by the UE or the base station. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new method to resolve the foregoing problem.

Signal transmission method, user equipment, and base station


An apparatus designed to facilitate the unrolling of baled hay has a main frame mounted onto a tractor or other vehicle. An upstanding arm attached to the frame carries a hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly, which assembly supports and selectively positions an axle and wheel. The axle is positioned so that the wheel contacts a tire of a vehicle. As the vehicle causes the tire to rotate, the wheel is also rotated but in the opposite direction from that of the tire. The wheel is driven by the vehicle against a rolled bale of hay. As the vehicle is driven, the wheel abuts the bale of hay and causes it to unroll.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for unrolling baled hay and the like. Particularly this invention relates to an apparatus which is mounted preferably on the front of a vehicle, such as a tractor, and which utilizes the rotation of the tractor tire to unroll the bale of hay.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the advent of large, rolled bales of hay instead of the smaller rectangular bales, various devices have been developed to facilitate the handling and transporting of the large, rolled bales. Specifically, as related to the present invention, the devices for unrolling baled hay developed to date have been constructed in various manners with a complex arrangement of elements which are interconnected to support either a drum or a set of wheels that are positioned to abut the bale of hay to unroll the bale. U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,940 to Southard et al. discloses such a device which utilizes a relatively complex, interconnected frame and lifting assembly that supports two wheels which are spaced and journaled by an axle. This type of rolled bale handler has no independent means to power the wheels, and as a result depends upon the forward movement of the tractor pushing the wheel against a bale of hay to impart rotational force to the wheel and the bale. In practicality, rolled bales become weathered or wet at their outer peripheries after being exposed to rain, snow, or sleet, and may become flat on the bottom and lose their tendency to unroll easily. An apparatus without powered wheels will often push the bales without unrolling them and thus do not function in a desirable manner. A bale handler which utilizes a complex interconnected support frame can further cause hay to become unceasingly entangled on the frame as the bale unrolls, possibly producing an undesirable result.
Another bale handling apparatus is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,208 issued to Gay. Gay discloses another relatively large frame, which supports a drum instead of wheels. Rotational force is imparted to the drum by a cog and chain arrangement. This arrangement can also provide a source for hay to become increasingly entangled during operation.
Other rolled bale handling devices include the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,498,830 to Seymour et al.; 4,428,707 to Cockle et al.; 4,280,777 to Gray; and 3,861,616 to Dubberke. None of the known prior art discloses an apparatus for unrolling baled hay which is as simple in design and as efficient in operation as the present invention and which utilizes the direct contact between the tire of a vehicle and the driven wheel of the apparatus to impart rotational force to the driven wheel and ultimately to the bale.


An appliance defining a vertical direction includes a door, a catch, and a door assembly. The door defines a cavity accessible through an opening. The catch may be spaced apart from the door along the vertical direction. The door assembly may include a latch assembly and a trigger. The latch assembly may include a latch movable along the vertical direction. The trigger may be coupled to the latch assembly. In addition, the trigger may be movable between a first position and a second position. When the trigger is in the first position, the latch may engage the catch. In contrast, when the trigger is in the second position, the latch may be spaced apart from the catch along the vertical direction.

Oven appliances generally include a cabinet that defines a cooking chamber for receipt of food articles for cooking and an opening for accessing the cooking chamber. Oven appliances also include a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet at the opening to permit selective access to the cooking chamber through the opening. In addition, oven appliances also include a gasket extending between the door and the cabinet at the opening of the cabinet when the door is in a closed position. The gasket can assist with insulating the cooking chamber and/or with containing cooking fumes within the cooking chamber. To ensure the door remains compressed or sealed against the gasket, certain oven appliances include a spring roller assembly that holds the door in the closed position through the engagement of, e.g., a roller and a strike plate.
However, opening the door can be a rather difficult task, because, for example, a user must pull a handle on the door with an amount of force sufficient to disengage the roller from the strike plate. More specifically, the spring roller assembly includes a spring, and the amount of force must be sufficient to compress the spring by a predetermined amount in order to disengage the roller from the strike plate. In addition, the amount of force must be sufficient to break the seal between the gasket and the door. Thus, opening the door may require a substantial amount of force.
Accordingly, an oven appliance with features for assisting with opening the door of an appliance, such as an oven appliance, would be useful.


A filling device for use in a bottling machine, which device is provided with a sealing member for closing the opening of a bottle, a filling tube for supplying the bottle with a filling liquid and an exhaust tube for discharging the air from the bottle to the outside during the filling operation. When the opening of the bottle is closed by the sealing member, the filling liquid is fed into the bottle through the filling tube and the air in the bottle is simultaneously discharged outside. The filling device is provided with a valve mechanism which receives the pressure of the air remaining in the bottle as an indication pressure when the filling liquid in the bottle blocks the lower end of the exhaust tube. The valve mechanism closes the exhaust tube or the filling tube when the indication pressure exceeds a predetermined value.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a filling device for use in a bottling machine. More particularly, the invention relates to a filling device which is able to fill a bottle with a predetermined quantity of liquid product.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional bottle filling machine, it is well known that the opening of a bottle to be filled is closed by a sealing member and, under such a state, a filling liquid is fed into the bottle from a filling tube and at the same time, the air in the bottle is discharged through an exhaust tube. In a filling machine of this type, when the surface of the liquid that is supplied into the bottle reaches the lower end of the exhaust tube, the liquid is allowed to enter into the exhaust tube after that, and the filling operation is automatically stopped when the liquid surface level in the exhaust tube coincides with the surface level of the liquid in a reservoir tank. Further, the closing of the bottle with the sealing member is then released by closing the filling tube and the liquid in the exhaust tube is fed into the above bottle, thereby accomplishing the filling of a constant quantity of the liquid.
However, in the above-described filling system, since the filling liquid is introduced into the exhaust tube until the surface level thereof reaches the surface level of the liquid in the tank, the liquid surface in the tank must be maintained at a fixed level. Therefore, the filling takes a long time and some device to maintain the liquid surface level constant is required.


A computer-implemented method, a computer program product, and a computer system for parallel task management. A computer system receives a new task that requests to access a resource may be received. In response to an access workload being above a first threshold, the computer system dispatches the new task to at least one predefined processing unit, wherein the access workload may be associated with the resource that is in parallel accessed by a plurality of existing tasks.

The present invention relates generally to task management, and more particularly to methods, systems and computer program products for managing parallel tasks.
Modern computer systems are getting increasingly large and complex, such that these systems often contain hundreds of resources and support parallel access by a large number of users. As the number of access requests to a resource from the users grows, there is an ever-expanding workload for scheduling the parallel accesses in the computer system. If the computer system continuously receives from users a huge amount of data access requests to the resource, then the workload might be increased further and the response speed of the computer system could no longer satisfy users' requirements.

Task management based on an access workload

International Business Machines Corporation


This invention is directed to aqueous redox flow batteries comprising ionically charged redox active materials and separators, wherein the separator is about 100 microns or less and the flow battery is capable of (a) operating with a current efficiency of at least 85% with a current density of at least about 100 mA/cm2; (b) operating with a round trip voltage efficiency of at least 60% with a current density of at least about 100 mA/cm2; and/or (c) giving rise to diffusion rates through the separator for the first active material, the second active material, or both, of about 1×10−7 mol/cm2-sec or less.

There exists a long-felt need for safe, inexpensive, easy-to-use, and reliable technologies for energy storage. Large scale energy storage enables diversification of energy supply and optimization of the energy grid. Existing renewable-energy systems (e.g., solar- and wind-based systems) enjoy increasing prominence as energy producers explore non-fossil fuel energy sources, however storage is required to ensure a high quality energy supply when sunlight is not available and when wind does not blow.
Electrochemical energy storage systems such as flow batteries have been proposed for large-scale energy storage. But existing flow batteries suffer from a variety of performance and cost limitations, including, for example, optimal separators, decoupling energy and power, system scalability, round trip energy efficiencies (RTEff), cycle life, and other areas.
Despite significant development effort, no flow battery technology has yet achieved widespread commercial adoption, owing to the materials and engineering hurdles that make system economics unfavorable. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved flow batteries.
Separators allow mobile ions, such as sodium or potassium, to flow between different electrolyte solutions while restricting the flow of active materials, such as vanadium or iron. Current efficiency of the flow battery is lost due to a variety of factors, including diffusive crossover of active materials, transference crossover of active materials, electrical shorting, parasitic side reactions, and shunt currents. Prior attempts to maximize mobile ion flow while minimizing active material crossover has involved the use of various types of polymers, separator thicknesses and other various techniques. Herein described is a novel solution to the problems associated with separators wherein current and voltage efficiencies are maximized, while separator thickness is minimized for a given current density.

Electrochemical energy storage systems and methods featuring optimal membrane systems

Lockheed Martin Advanced Energy Storage, LLC