A touch control panel for a cathode ray tube display system that provides for a command entry device. The control panel comprise a touch sensitive panel adapted to produce different output signals depending upon where it is contacted. A processor is coupled to the panel for processing the output signals to select and then display a particular pop-up menu from a plurality of stored menus. An activation switch is provided to select the currently highlighted menu as selected via the touch sensitive panel.

The present invention is generally related cathode ray tube display control systems and more particularly to an improved man/machine interface and command entry device employed in such systems.
In many complex systems, such as a shipboard combat control system, wherein it may necessary to quickly select, actuate and then control a variety of offensive, defensive and operational subsystems under combat or other extreme conditions, one method of subsystem control is effected by creating a plurality of menus that are displayed on a cathode ray tube. Each of the menus displays the functional characteristics of a selected one of the subsystems, and the menus are stored in the memory of an associated computer. The menus are selectively called up and displayed on an output device, such as one or more cathode ray tubes. From the range of options displayed, an operator can then select one or more of these to enable and operate the selected subsystem in the manner defined by the menu option chosen. In many commercial computer systems, such functional selection is often done with a "mouse," but in many military applications, particularly in ships where violent pitch, yaw and roll motions can occur and in high performance aircraft, where such motions are compounded with cramped working spaces, the use of a mouse is often not practical.
In response to these problems, one current design for a subsystem/function selection system comprises a plurality of menu selection switches that are mounted in one or more rows along side of a cathode ray tube display. The system operator depresses one of the switches to first select and display the menu for a particular subsystem to be controlled and then depresses one or more other switches to select the function or functions to be performed from those displayed with the menu. This approach has two problems; one, it cannot be implemented in those situations that require the operator to be at more than arms distance from the display and the selector switches associated therewith; and second, particularly in horizontal summary displays, the operator often has to reach across the display to activate a particular switch and thus partially interfere with his view of the display, and the view of any others.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a command entry device that eliminates the actuation problems associated with the mechanical switch system, while providing ease of use such as is provided by a mouse device.


Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to symmetric key generation and provide a method, system and computer program product for symmetric key generation using an asymmetric private key. In one embodiment, a symmetric key generation data processing system can include a symmetric key generator configured with a programmatic interface including an input parameter for a seed, an input parameter for an asymmetric private key, and an output parameter for a symmetric key. The symmetric key generator can include program code enabled to generate the symmetric key by encrypting the seed with the asymmetric private key.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the security of confidential information, and more particularly to the generation of a secret key for encrypting confidential information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Security of confidential information remains a vital concern for those that store sensitive information or transmit sensitive information across both secure and insecure networks alike. Presently, cryptography is the preferred method of securing confidential information. In cryptography, security can be achieved through encryption. Encryption involves the conversion of a clear-text message into a data stream that appears to be a meaningless and random sequence of bits known as cipher text.
A cryptographic algorithm, also known as cipher, is the mathematical function that processes plain text input to produce a cipher text message. The cryptographic algorithm further can be configured to process cipher text messages to produce clear text. All modern ciphers use keys together with plain text as the input to produce cipher text. A key is a value that works with a cryptographic algorithm to produce specific cipher text. The same or a different key can be supplied to the decryption function to recover plain text from cipher text.
There are a number of techniques used to encrypt and decrypt information with passwords. Generally, encryption and decryption approaches can be classified as symmetric and asymmetric in nature. The most common approach for symmetric encryption involves the one-way hashing of a known password. A passphrase hash is a method of transforming a text string that can be remembered by a human user, into a result that can be used either: as an "authenticator", which can be stored and used at a later time to check whether a user knows the passphrase, and as pseudorandom data for a cipher or secret key. In the latter circumstance, the passphrase hash is referred to as a Password-Based Key Derivation Function (PBKDF). A driving characteristic of symmetric encryption is that symmetric encryption requires that a password be known and remembered. Moreover, the security of symmetrically encrypted data rises and falls with the security of the encryption key.
Keyed hashes—including hash function based message authentication codes—use a secret key in conjunction with a hash algorithm to generate a message authentication code or checksum. A similar technique for generating message authentication codes uses part of the last cipher text block resulting from encrypting the data with a symmetric key algorithm for the same purpose: to generate a checksum of the message that could only be generated by an entity with the secret key. Both of these forms of checksums rely on processing a message with a shared secret key in order to protect against undetected tampering with a message. Both require a shared secret to use and neither generates a secret.
Many public-key based authentication protocols exist, where a first user sends a challenge to a second user. The second user can encrypt the challenge with a private key associated with the second user and the second user can send the encrypted challenge to the first user. The first user can decrypt the response with the public key associated with the second user in order to confirm that the second user possesses a public key for the second user and should be deemed authentic. This general approach is used in secured sockets layer (SSL) technology and in some certificate-based workstation login schemes. The general approach, however, is suitable only for the authentication of a user, and not for the confidentiality of data.

Generating a secret key from an asymmetric private key

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and apparatus for driving a stepping motor by angularly displacing the revolvable magnetic field with respect to the rotor by a first displacement angle in a given direction of revolution and then revolving the revolvable magnetic field, preferably with linearly increasing velocity and therefore maintaining constant displacement angle between the field and the rotor until the rotor rotates at a second velocity.

This invention pertains to open-loop stepping motor controllers and methods for operating stepping motors.
In my said U.S. Application Ser. No. 872,656 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,302 and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,742 there are disclosed methods and apparatus for controlling stepping motors by coupling in an underdamped manner an elastic means (stator generated magnetic field) to a driven member (rotor and load) and utilizing the natural frequency of the system including the elasticity of the elastic means and the mass of the driven member to enhance the change of the speed of the driven member.
Such a concept has created a demand for even better controlling of stepping motors.

Method of and apparatus for operating stepping motors


A multiple frames imaging system is disclosed with capability of differential x-ray exposure of different input areas of an image intensifier or other x-ray detector. Collimators are provided to control the amount of radiation in various regions of the image and image processing is provided to provide the display of images of different qualities. Motion methods are provided to move the collimators to produce optimal image frames.

In a typical multiple frames imaging (MFI) system the x-ray tube generates x-ray radiation over a relatively wide solid angle. To avoid unnecessary exposure to both the patient and the medical team, collimators of x-ray absorbing materials such as lead are used to block the redundant radiation. This way only the necessary solid angle of useful radiation exits the x-ray tube to expose only the necessary elements.
Such collimators are used typically in a static mode but may assume a variety of designs and x-ray radiation geometry. Collimators can be set up manually or automatically using as input, for example, the dimensions of the organ environment that is involved in the procedure.
In multiple frames imaging, where typically a series of images are taken automatically one after the other, the situation is more dynamic than in a single exposure x-ray.
For such cases also collimators with partially-transparent to x-ray materials are used to manipulate the x-ray energy distribution as described in details below.
It is desired to change the distribution of the x-ray energy during the MFI session so that for at least 2 different frames of the MFI session the distribution of the x-ray beam will be different.
In MFI the x-ray radiation is active for a relatively long period and the treating physician typically has to stand near the patient, therefore near the x-ray radiation. As a result, it is desired to provide methods to minimize exposure to the medical team. Methods for reducing x-ray radiation intensity have been suggested where the resultant reduced signal to noise ratio (S/N) of the x-ray image is compensated by digital image enhancement. Other methods suggest a collimator limiting the solid angle of the x-ray radiation to a fraction of the image intensifier area and periodically moving the collimator to expose the entire input area of the image intensifier so that the Region of Interest (ROI) is exposed more than the rest of the area. This way, the ROI gets high enough x-ray radiation to generate a good S/N image while the rest of the image is exposed with low x-ray intensity, providing a relatively low S/N image or reduced real-time imaging, as per the collimator and method used. The ROI size and position can be determined in a plurality of methods. For example, it can be a fixed area in the center of the image or it can be centered automatically about the most active area in the image, this activity is determined by temporal image analysis of s sequence of cine images received from the video camera of the multiple frames imaging system.
It is desired to provide collimators solutions to enable reduction of dose during MFI.
It is also desired to provide a method to move the collimator elements so as to support best imaging results.
It is desired to provide a method to handle the effects of the motion on image quality.


A method for setting configuration data of a printer for a printer driver in a server is provided, in which the server is used in an image printing system that includes a client, the printer and the server including the printer driver for the printer. In the method, the server stores the configuration data obtained from the printer, and a configuration data obtaining part in the server reads the stored configuration data according to a request from the printer driver, and sends the configuration data to the printer driver.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to technology for reflecting configuration data of a printer on a printer driver in a server used for server-based environment (for example, "Metaframe" environment) in which applications run only in the server.
2. Description of the Related Art
To solve problems of a conventional client/server system, there is a system in which application programs run only in a server instead of in clients. A system introducing the Metaframe server is an example of such a system.
FIG. 1 shows an example of the Metaframe environment. An application program run on an Metaframe server 1, and a client 2 only displays execution results of the application program.
To use a printer 3 in the Metaframe environment, for example, a printer driver is installed in the Metaframe server 1 beforehand, and a logical printer of the printer 3 is auto-created when the client 2 that uses the printer 3 logs to the Metaframe server 1. When printing is performed from the client 2, print data is generated in the Metaframe server 1, and the print data is redirected to the printer 3 via the client 2, so that the printer 3 prints the print data. According to the printer auto-creation in the Metaframe environment, although the application is running only in the server, the user can print from the application running on the Metaframe server 1 to her local printers, just like she can print from local applications. For example, "Inside Citrix Metaframe XP" of Addison-Wesley refers to the printer auto-creation process in more detail.
In addition, US2002/0018234A1 discloses a conventional technology of a Metaframe print system. The US2002/0018234A1 discloses a universal printer driver that can be used in the Metaframe environment.
In the printer system of the Metaframe environment, there is a problem in that, although printer options are set in the client side printer driver, the option setting is not reflected on the printer driver in the Metaframe server side in the printer auto-creation process.
That is, option setting in the logical printer remains default setting. For example, even if the printer has a double-sided tray, the setting of the auto-created logical printer remains no double-sided tray. In addition, settings for paper size and paper type of tray remain default.

Printer configuration data setting method and server using the printer configuration data


A method and system for detecting a leak in a high vapor-evolving hydrocarbon liquid underground storage tank filled incompletely with the liquid, wherein there is a projecting fill pipe connected with the ullage which is filled with hydrocarbon vapor and air. A vacuum source is connected to the fill pipe for withdrawing the atmosphere of the ullage and imposing a prescribed negative pressure. While some of the drawn off vapor and much of the air is exhausted to atmosphere, a significant portion of the ullage content is recirculated to build the relative proportion of hydrocarbon vapor to air in the ullage. The ullage is then isolated from the vacuum source and atmosphere, and allowed to stabilize over a predetermined time period with a reduced rate of hydrocarbon vapor release into the ullage. The recirculation and stabilization are then repeated to achieve further saturation of the ullage with gasoline vapor and vacuum is applied to the ullage to reach a predetermined threshold negative pressure in the ullage. Over a predetermined time period successive negative pressure readings are taken to determine if there is a rate of decay which indicates the existence of a leak in the tank.

This invention relates to leak detection systems and methods of the type employed with underground tanks for storing highly vaporous liquids such as gasoline at gasoline service stations. Such storage tanks, which may consist of, for example, a twenty-six foot long cylindrical tank having a diameter of eight feet, and holding perhaps ten thousand gallons of gasoline, are conventionally buried in the earth below the frost line, and it is necessary to periodically test such storage tanks for leaks. Normally, unaffiliated private equipment operators with portable equipment are employed by station operators to perform leak tests. The methods of testing have varied widely. Typical commercial methods of testing today do so by measuring the changes in volume of the liquid contained in the tank over a period of time by various methods and typically also it is necessary to compensate for temperature change, because changes in temperature effect changes in volume. Because the temperature of the various strata of liquid in a tank differs, any temperature reading taken at one location in a tank is not accurate for all of the liquid in the tank and thus taking an average temperature and correcting for temperature change creates considerable problems for the testing equipment, and may not always provide the accuracy which is deemed necessary for safety. The methods and equipment described in some of the following prior art patents, which I incorporate herein by reference, are exemplary of testing methods which have been proposed:
______________________________________ 2,853,874 Mennesson 2,912,852 Trinneer 3,580,055 White 4,281,534 Hansel 4,462,249 Adams 4,386,525 Mooney 4,474,054 Ainlay 4,571,987 Horner 4,618,268 Horner 4,646,560 Maresca 4,649,739 Horner 4,885,931 Horner ______________________________________
Previously, it has been possible to test storage tanks for heavier hydrocarbon liquids such as diesel fuel by applying a vacuum or negative pressure to the tank ullage, isolating the tank, and then simply measuring the decay of the negative pressure over a time period. The Trinneer Pat. No. 2,912,852 discloses such a tank testing device. This method has, to my knowledge, not been sufficiently feasible, in my view; with highly vaporous, volatile products such as gasoline which, when placed under a sufficient negative pressure for measuring, react to the negative pressure by vaporizing at a high rate which decreases the negative pressure so rapidly that sensitive tests cannot be performed.

Methods and systems for the negative pressure testing of underground storage tanks containing highly vaporous hydrocarbon liquids


A tank closing device for a container includes a filler neck at the container and a closing member received in the filler neck. A closing cap is securable at the filler neck by a bayonet fitting. A sealing element is arranged at the closing member. A spring rests at the closing cap and biases the sealing element against the filler neck. The closing cap has a top face and a gripping member projecting upwardly from the top face. The bayonet fitting includes at least three socket elements at a circumferential surface of the closure cap or the filler neck and includes at least three dogs cooperating with the at least three socket elements and arranged on an opposing circumferential surface of the closing cap or the filler neck. The socket elements or the dogs or both the socket elements and the dogs are unevenly distributed over the circumferential surface, respectively.

The invention relates to a tank closing device for a filler neck of a container, in particular of an operating liquid or fuel tank of a transportable work tool such as a disk grinder, a motorised chain saw, an independent cutting tool or similar.
A closing device for a radiator is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,027,043. In this device, a closing member is biassed against the filler neck by a spring and a sealing member is arranged between the closing member and the filler neck. The spring biassing the closing member is braced against a closing cap which can be secured on the filler neck by means of a bayonet fitting. In this design, the closing cap has two radial shoulders, which are used for handling purposes when opening or closing the cap. These shoulders can be used to apply increased torque.
In many cases, however, the mounting design of containers and their filler necks is so restricted in terms of space that radial shoulders can not always be provided on closing caps.
Furthermore, a design which provides only two oppositely lying locking members for the bayonet fastening causes the filler cap to be tilted transversely, which means that the force applied to the filler cap is very uneven. This can cause the closing member to lift at a point on the circumference of the filler neck so that a momentary look is caused in this manner.
The object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a tank closing device for a filler neck of a container of the aforementioned kind, which is easy to operate even if the design is restricted in terms of space, as well as functionally safe and provides a reliable seal under the most varied of operating conditions.

Tank closing device for a filler neck of a container


The present invention relates to: —use of a 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline compound, or of a pharmaceutical composition containing same, as a sole active agent, or of a combination of a) said compound or a pharmaceutical composition containing said compound and b) one or more further active agents, for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment or prophylaxis of cancer; —combinations of a) said compound and b) one or more further active agents; —a pharmaceutical composition comprising said compound as a sole active agent for the treatment of breast cancer; —a pharmaceutical composition comprising a combination of a) said compound and b) one or more further active agents; —use of biomarkers involved in the modification of Bel expression, HER family expression and/or activation, PIK3CA signaling and/or loss of PTEN for predicting the sensitivity and/or resistance of a cancer patient to said compound and providing a rationale-based synergistic combination as defined herein to increase sensitivity and/or to overcome resistance; and —a method of determining the level of a component of one or more of Bcl expression, HER family expression and/or activation, PIK3CA signaling and/or loss of PTEN.

In recent decades the concept of developing anti-cancer medications which target abnormally active protein kinases has led to a number of successes. In addition to the actions of protein kinases, lipid kinases also play an important role in generating critical regulatory second messengers. The PI3K family of lipid kinases generates 3′-phosphoinositides that bind to and activate a variety of cellular targets, initiating a wide range of signal transduction cascades (Vanhaesebroeck et al., 2001; Toker, 2002; Pendaries et al., 2003; Downes et al., 2005). These cascades ultimately induce changes in multiple cellular processes, including cell proliferation, cell survival, differentiation, vesicle trafficking, migration, and chemotaxis.
PI3Ks can be divided into three distinct classes based upon differences in both structure, and substrate preference. While members of the Class II family of PI3Ks have been implicated in the regulation of tumor growth (Brown and Shepard, 2001; Traer et al., 2006), the bulk of research has focused on the Class I enzymes and their role in cancer (Vivanco and Sawyers, 2002; Workman, 2004, Chen et al., 2005; Hennessey et al., 2005; Stauffer et al., 2005; Stephens et al., 2005; Cully et al., 2006).
Class I PI3Ks have traditionally been divided into two distinct sub-classes based upon differences in protein subunit composition. The Class IA PI3Ks are comprised of a catalytic p110 catalytic subunit (p110α, p110β or p110γ) heterodimerized with a member of the p85 regulatory subunit family. In contrast, the Class IB PI3K catalytic subunit (p110γ) heterodimerizes with a distinct p101 regulatory subunit (reviewed by Vanhaesebroeck and Waterfield, 1999; Funaki et al., 2000; Katso et al., 2001). The C-terminal region of these proteins contains a catalytic domain that possesses distant homology to protein kinases. The PI3Kγ structure is similar to Class IA p110s, but lacks the N-terminal p85 binding site (Domin and Waterfield, 1997). Though similar in overall structure, the homology between catalytic p110 subunits is low to moderate. The highest homology between the PI3K isoforms is in the kinase pocket of the kinase domain.
The Class I PI3K isoforms associate with activated receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) (including PDGFR, EGFR, VEGFR, IGF1-R, c-KIT, CSF-R and Met), cytokine receptors, GPCR5, integrins, or with tyrosine phosphorylated adapter proteins (such as Grb2, Cbl, IRS-1 or Gab1), via their p85 regulatory subunits resulting in stimulation of the lipid kinase activity. Activation of the lipid kinase activity of the p110β and p110γ isoforms has been shown to occur in response to binding to activated forms of the ras Oncogene (Kodaki et al, 1994). In fact, the oncogenic activity of these isoforms may require binding to ras (Kang et al., 2006). In contrast, the p110α and p110δ isoforms exhibit oncogenic activity independent of ras binding, through constitutive activation of Akt.
Class I PI3Ks catalyze the conversion of PI(4,5)P2 [PIP2] to PI(3,4,5)P3 [PIP3]. The production of PIP3 by PI3K affects multiple signaling processes that regulate and coordinate the biological end points of cell proliferation, cell survival, differentiation and cell migration. PIP3 is bound by Pleckstrin-Homology (PH) domain-containing proteins, including the phosphoinositide-dependent kinase, PDK1 and the Akt proto-oncogene product, localizing these proteins in regions of active signal transduction and also contributing directly to their activation (Klippel et al., 1997; Fleming et al., 2000; Itoh and Takenawa, 2002; Lemmon, 2003). This co-localization of PDK1 with Akt facilitates the phosphorylation and activation of Akt. Carboxy-terminal phosphorylation of Akt on Ser473 promotes phosphorylation of Thr308 in the Akt activation loop (Chan and Tsichlis, 2001; Hodgekinson et al., 2002; Scheid et al., 2002; Hresko et al., 2003). Once active, Akt phosphorylates and regulates multiple regulatory kinases of pathways that directly influence cell cycle progression and cell survival.
Many of the effects of Akt activation are mediated via its negative regulation of pathways which impact cell survival and which are commonly dysregulated in cancer. Akt promotes tumor cell survival by regulating components of the apoptotic and cell cycle machinery. Akt is one of several kinases that phosphorylate and inactivate pro-apoptotic BAD proteins (del Paso et al., 1997; Pastorino et al., 1999). Akt may also promote cell survival through blocking cytochrome C-dependent caspase activation by phosphorylating Caspase 9 on Ser196 (Cardone et al., 1998).
Akt impacts gene transcription on several levels. The Akt-mediated phosphorylation of the MDM2 E3 ubiquitin ligase on Ser166 and Ser186 facilitates the nuclear import of MDM2 and the formation and activation of the ubiquitin ligase complex. Nuclear MDM2 targets the p53 tumor suppressor for degradation, a process that can be blocked by LY294002 (Yap et al., 2000; Ogarawa et al., 2002). Downregulation of p53 by MDM2 negatively impacts the transcription of p53-regulated pro-apoptotic genes (e.g. Bax, Fas, PUMA and DR5), the cell cycle inhibitor, p21Cip1, and the PTEN tumor suppressor (Momand et al., 2000; Hupp et al., 2000; Mayo et al., 2002; Su et al., 2003). Similarly, the Akt-mediated phosphorylation of the Forkhead transcription factors FKHR, FKHRL and AFX (Kops et al., 1999; Tang et al., 1999), facilitates their binding to 14-3-3 proteins and export from the cell nucleus to the cytosol (Brunet et al., 1999). This functional inactivation of Forkhead activity also impacts pro-apoptotic and pro-angiogenic gene transcription including the transcription of Fas ligand (Ciechomska et al., 2003) Bim, a pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member (Dijkers et al., 2000), and the Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) antagonist, Ang-2 (Daly et al., 2004). Forkhead transcription factors regulate the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p27Kip1. Indeed, PI3K inhibitors have been demonstrated to induce p27Kip1 expression resulting in Cdk1 inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis (Dijkers et al., 2000). Akt is also reported to phosphorylate p21Cip1 on Thr145 and p27Kip1 on Thr157 facilitating their association with 14-3-3 proteins, resulting in nuclear export and cytoplasmic retention, preventing their inhibition of nuclear Cdks (Zhou et al., 2001; Motti et al., 2004; Sekimoto et al., 2004). In addition to these effects, Akt phosphorylates IKK (Romashkova and Makarov, 1999), leading to the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB and subsequent nuclear translocation of NFκB, resulting in the expression of survival genes such as IAP and Bcl-XL.
The PI3K/Akt pathway is also linked to the suppression of apoptosis through the JNK and p38MAPK MAP Kinases that are associated with the induction of apoptosis. Akt is postulated to suppress JNK and p38MAPK signaling through the phosphorylation and inhibition of two JNK/p38 regulatory kinases, Apoptosis Signal-regulating Kinase 1 (ASK1) (Kim et al., 2001: Liao and Hung, 2003; Yuan et al., 2003), and Mixed Lineage Kinase 3 (MLK3) (Lopez-Ilasaca et al., 1997; Barthwal et al., 2003; Figueroa et al., 2003;). The induction of p38MAPK activity is observed in tumors treated with cytotoxic agents and is required for those agents to induce cell death (reviewed by Olson and Hallahan, 2004). Thus, inhibitors of the PI3K pathway may promote the activities of co-administered cytotoxic drugs.
An additional role for PI3K/Akt signaling involves the regulation of cell cycle progression through modulation of Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 (GSK3) activity. GSK3 activity is elevated in quiescent cells, where it phosphorylates cyclin D1 on Ser286, targeting the protein for ubiquitination and degradation (Diehl et al., 1998) and blocking entry into S-phase. Akt inhibits GSK3 activity through phosphorylation on Ser9 (Cross et al., 1995). This results in the elevation of Cyclin D1 levels which promotes cell cycle progression. Inhibition of GSK3 activity also impacts cell proliferation through activation of the wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway (Abbosh and Nephew, 2005; Naito et al., 2005; Wilker et al., 2005; Kim et al., 2006; Segrelles et al., 2006). Akt mediated phosphorylation of GSK3 results in stabilization and nuclear localization of the beta-catenin protein, which in turn leads to increased expression of c-myc and cyclin D1, targets of the beta-catenin/Tcf pathway.
Although PI3K signaling is utilized by many of the signal transduction networks associated with both oncogenes and tumor suppressors, PI3K and its activity have been linked directly to cancer. Overexpression of both the p110α and p110β isoforms has been observed in bladder and colon tumors and cell lines, and overexpression generally correlates with increased PI3K activity (Benistant et al., 2000). Overexpression of p110α has also been reported in ovarian and cervical tumors and tumor cell lines, as well as in squamous cell lung carcinomas. The overexpression of p110α in cervical and ovarian tumor lines is associated with increased PI3K activity (Shayesteh et al., 1999; Ma et al., 2000). Elevated PI3K activity has been observed in colorectal carcinomas (Phillips et al., 1998) and increased expression has been observed in breast carcinomas (Gershtein et al., 1999).
Over the last few years, somatic mutations in the gene encoding p110α (PIK3CA) have been identified in numerous cancers. The data collected to date suggests that PIK3CA is mutated in approximately 32% of colorectal cancers (Samuels et al., 2004; Ikenoue et al., 2005), 18-40% of breast cancers (Bachman et al., 2004; Campbell et al., 2004; Levine et al., 2005; Saal et al., 2005; Wu et al., 2005), 27% of glioblastomas (Samuels et al., 2004; Hartmann et al., 2005, Gallia et al., 2006), 25% of gastric cancers (Byun et al., 2003; Samuels et al., 2004; Li et al., 2005), 36% of hepatocellular carcinomas (Lee et al., 2005), 4-12% of ovarian cancers (Levine et al., 2005; Wang et al., 2005), 4% of lung cancers (Samuels et al., 2004; Whyte and Holbeck, 2006), and up to 40% of endometrial cancers (Oda et al., 2005). PIK3CA mutations have been reported in oligodendroma, astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, and thyroid tumors as well (Broderick et al., 2004; Garcia-Rostan et al., 2005). Based upon the observed high frequency of mutation, PIK3CA is one of the two most frequently mutated genes associated with cancer, the other being K-ras. More than 80% of the PIK3CA mutations cluster within two regions of the protein, the helical (E545K) and catalytic (H1047R) domains. Biochemical analysis and protein expression studies have demonstrated that both mutations lead to increased constitutive p110α catalytic activity and are in fact, oncogenic (Bader et al., 2006; Kang et al., 2005; Samuels et al., 2005; Samuels and Ericson, 2006). Recently, it has been reported that PIK3CA knockout mouse embryo fibroblasts are deficient in signaling downstream from various growth factor receptors (IGF-1, Insulin, PDGF, EGF), and are resistant to transformation by a variety of oncogenic RTKs (IGFR, wild-type EGFR and somatic activating mutants of EGFR, Her2/Neu)(Zhao et al., 2006).
Functional studies of PI3K in vivo have demonstrated that siRNA-mediated downregulation of p110β inhibits both Akt phosphorylation and HeLa cell tumor growth in nude mice (Czauderna et al., 2003). In similar experiments, siRNA-mediated downregulation of p110β was also shown to inhibit the growth of malignant glioma cells in vitro and in vivo (Pu et al., 2006). Inhibition of PI3K function by dominant-negative p85 regulatory subunits can block mitogenesis and cell transformation (Huang et al., 1996; Rahimi et al., 1996). Several somatic mutations in the genes encoding the p85α and p85β regulatory subunits of PI3K that result in elevated lipid kinase activity have been identified in a number of cancer cells as well (Janssen et al., 1998; Jimenez et al., 1998; Philp et al., 2001; Jucker et al., 2002; Shekar et al., 2005). Neutralizing PI3K antibodies also block mitogenesis and can induce apoptosis in vitro (Roche et al., 1994: Roche et al., 1998; Benistant et al., 2000). In vivo proof-of-principle studies using the PI3K inhibitors LY294002 and wortmannin, demonstrate that inhibition of PI3K signaling slows tumor growth in vivo (Powis et al., 1994; Shultz et al., 1995; Semba et al., 2002; Ihie et al., 2004).
Overexpression of Class I PI3K activity, or stimulation of their lipid kinase activities, is associated with resistance to both targeted (such as imatinib and tratsuzumab) and cytotoxic chemotherapeutic approaches, as well as radiation therapy (West et al., 2002; Gupta et al., 2003; Osaki et al., 2004; Nagata et al., 2004; Gottschalk et al., 2005; Kim et al., 2005). Activation of PI3K has also been shown to lead to expression of multidrug resistant protein-1 (MRP-1) in prostate cancer cells and the subsequent induction of resistance to chemotherapy (Lee et al., 2004).
The importance of PI3K signaling in tumorigenesis is further underscored by the findings that the PTEN tumor suppressor, a P1(3)P phosphatase, is among the most commonly inactivated genes in human cancers (Li et al., 1997, Steck et al., 1997; Ali et al., 1999; Ishii et al., 1999). PTEN dephosphorylates PI(3,4,5)P3 to PI(4,5)P2 thereby antagonizing PI3K-dependent signaling. Cells containing functionally inactive PTEN have elevated levels of PIPS, high levels of activity of PI3K signaling (Haas-Kogan et al., 1998; Myers et al., 1998; Taylor et al., 2000), increased proliferative potential, and decreased sensitivity to pro-apoptotic stimuli (Stambolic et al., 1998). Reconstitution of a functional PTEN suppresses PI3K signaling (Taylor et al., 2000), inhibits cell growth and re-sensitizes cells to pro-apoptotic stimuli (Myers et al., 1998; Zhao et al., 2004). Similarly, restoration of PTEN function in tumors lacking functional PTEN inhibits tumor growth in vivo (Stahl et al., 2003; Su et al., 2003; Tanaka and Grossman, 2003) and sensitizes cells to cytotoxic agents (Tanaka and Grossman, 2003).
The class I family of PI3Ks clearly plays an important role in the regulation of multiple signal transduction pathways that promote cell survival and cell proliferation, and activation of their lipid kinase activity contributes significantly to the development of human malignancies. Furthermore, inhibition of PI3K may potentially circumvent the cellular mechanisms that underlie resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. A potent inhibitor of Class I PI3K activities would therefore have the potential not only to inhibit tumor growth but to also sensitize tumor cells to pro-apoptotic stimuli in vivo.
Signal transduction pathways originating from chemoattractant receptors are considered to be important targets in controlling leukocyte motility in inflammatory diseases. Leukocyte trafficking is controlled by chemoattractant factors that activate heterotrimeric GPCR5 and thereby trigger a variety of downstream intracellular events. Signal transduction along one of these pathways that results in mobilization of free Ca2+, cytoskelatal reorganization, and directional movement depends on lipid-dervied second messengers producted by PI3K activity (Wymann et al., 2000; Stein and Waterfield, 2000).
PI3Kγ modulates baseline cAMP levels and controls contractility in cells. Recent research indicates that alterations in baseline cAMP levels contribute to the increased contractility in mutant mice. This research, therefore, shows that PI3Kγ inhibitors afford potential treatments for congestive heart failure, ischemia, pulmonary hypertension, renal failure, cardiac hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, thromboembolism, and diabetes.
PI3K inhibitors would be expected to block signal transduction from GPCR5 and block the activation of various immune cells, leading to a broad anti-inflammatory profile with potential for the treatment of inflammatory and immunoregulatory diseases, including asthma, atopic dermatitis, rhinitis, allergic diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), septic shock, joint diseases, autoimmune pathologies such as rheumatoid arthritis and Graves' disease, diabetes, cancer, myocardial contractility disorders, thromboembolism, and atherosclerosis.
Breast cancer is a world health problem, and in the United States this disease is the second most common cause of cancer death in women. About 1 in 8 women in the United States (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2010, an estimated 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed, along with 54,010 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. About 39,840 women were expected to die in 2010 from breast cancer. The classification and treatment options are usually based on the receptor status. The three most important in the present classification are estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2/neu. Cells with or without these receptors are called ER positive (ER+), ER negative (ER−), PR positive (PR+), PR negative (PR−), HER2 positive (HER2+), and HER2 negative (HER2−). Cells with none of these receptors are called basal-like or triple negative. Recently, DNA-based classification is also used in the clinic. As specific DNA mutations or gene expression profiles are identified in the cancer cells, this classification may guide the selection of treatments, either by targeting these changes, or by predicting from the DNA profile which non-targeted therapies are most effective.
The PI3K/PTEN/AKT pathway has been found to be frequently activated and/or mutated in human breast cancer, which contributes to the development and progression of breast cancer, as well as drug resistance. As genetic alterations of PIK3CA and PTEN, as well as PI3K pathway activation are observed in almost all breast cancer subtypes, such as HER2 positive, hormone receptor positive, or triple negative breast cancers, it is important to define the strategy for the development of PI3K pathway inhibitors in breast cancer. The present invention is thus to identify molecular markers predicting the sensitivity and/or resistance of the cancer patients toward the PI3K inhibitors described herein. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to the identification of resistance mechanisms and therefore provides a rationale-based synergistic combination to overcome the resistance.
To the Applicant's knowledge, no specific disclosure in the prior art is known that 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline compounds would be effective in the treatment or prophylaxis of inflammatory breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer, Her2 receptor positive breast cancer, hormone receptor positive breast cancer.
It has been found, and this is the basis of the present invention, that 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline compounds, as described and defined herein, show a beneficial effect in the treatment or prophylaxis of breast cancer, in particular inflammatory breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer, Her2 receptor positive breast cancer, hormone receptor positive breast cancer.
Thus, in accordance with a first aspect, the present invention relates to the use of 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline compounds, or a physiologically acceptable salt, solvate, hydrate or stereoisomer thereof, as a sole active agent, or of pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds or a physiologically acceptable salt, solvate, hydrate or stereoisomer thereof, for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment or prophylaxis of cancer, e.g. breast cancer, in particular inflammatory breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer, Her2 receptor positive breast cancer, hormone receptor positive breast cancer.
In accordance with a second aspect, the present invention relates to combinations of:
a) a 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline compound, or a physiologically acceptable salt, solvate, hydrate or stereoisomer thereof; and
b) one or more further active agents, in particular an active agent selected from an anti-angiogenesis, anti-hyper-proliferative, antiinflammatory, analgesic, immunoregulatory, diuretic, antiarrhytmic, anti-hypercholsterolemia, anti-dyslipidemia, anti-diabetic or antiviral agent, more particularly one or more further active agents selected from the group consisting of:                a Bcl inhibitor, such as ABT-737, ABT-263 (Navitoclax), EM20-25, YC137, GX-015-070 (Obatoclax), Tetrocarcin A, UCB-1350883, AT-101 ((−)-Gossypol), SPC-2004 (Beclanorsen), IG-105, WL-276, BI-97C1, I-VRL (Immunovivorelbine), DATS (Allitridin), CNDO-103 (Apogossypol), D-G-3139 (Genasense), Evotec, PIB-1402, EU-517;        a Bcl binding peptide;        a Bcl siRNA, such as PNT-2258;        an antisense therapy oligonucleotide, such as BclKlex; and        an inhibitor of the mTOR pathway, such as rapamycin or a rapamycin analogue, such as Rapamycin (Sirolimus), Everolimus (RAD-001, Afinitor), Zotarolimus (ABT-578, Endeavor), Temisirolimus (CCI-779, Torisel), Ridaforolimus (AP-23576, MK-8669), TAFA-93, or an inhibitor of mTOR kinase, such as WYE-132, OSI-027, INK-128, OSI-027, AZD-2014, AZD-8055, CC-223, ABI-009, EXEL-3885, EXEL-4451, NV-128, OXA-01, PKI-402, SB-2015, WYE-354, KU-0063794, X-387, BEZ-235.
In accordance with a third aspect, the present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising a 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline compound, or a physiologically acceptable salt, solvate, hydrate or stereoisomer thereof, as a sole active agent, for the treatment of cancer, e.g. breast cancer, in particular inflammatory breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer, Her2 receptor positive breast cancer, hormone receptor positive breast cancer.
In accordance with a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising a combination of:
a) a 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline compound, or a physiologically acceptable salt, solvate, hydrate or stereoisomer thereof; and
b) one or more further active agents, in particular an active agent selected from an anti-angiogenesis, anti-hyper-proliferative, antiinflammatory, analgesic, immunoregulatory, diuretic, antiarrhytmic, anti-hypercholsterolemia, anti-dyslipidemia, anti-diabetic or antiviral agent, more particularly one or more further active agents selected from the group consisting of:                a Bcl inhibitor, such as ABT-737, ABT-263 (Navitoclax), EM20-25, YC137, GX-015-070 (Obatoclax), Tetrocarcin A, UCB-1350883, AT-101 ((−)-Gossypol), SPC-2004 (Beclanorsen), IG-105, WL-276, BI-97C1, I-VRL (Immunovivorelbine), DATS (Allitridin), CNDO-103 (Apogossypol), D-G-3139 (Genasense), Evotec, PIB-1402, EU-517;        a Bcl binding peptide;        a Bcl siRNA, such as PNT-2258;        an antisense therapy oligonucleotide, such as BclKlex; and        an inhibitor of the mTOR pathway, such as rapamycin or a rapamycin analogue, such as Rapamycin (Sirolimus), Everolimus (RAD-001, Afinitor), Zotarolimus (ABT-578, Endeavor), Temisirolimus (CCI-779, Torisel), Ridaforolimus (AP-23576, MK-8669), TAFA-93, or an inhibitor of mTOR kinase, such as WYE-132, OSI-027, INK-128, OSI-027, AZD-2014, AZD-8055, CC-223, ABI-009, EXEL-3885, EXEL-4451, NV-128, OXA-01, PKI-402, SB-2015, WYE-354, KU-0063794, X-387, BEZ-235.
In accordance with a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to the use of combinations of:
a) a 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline compound, or a physiologically acceptable salt, solvate, hydrate or stereoisomer thereof;
or of a pharmaceutical composition containing such a compound or a physiologically acceptable salt, solvate, hydrate or stereoisomer thereof,
and
b) one or more further active agents, in particular an active agent selected from an anti-angiogenesis, anti-hyper-proliferative, antiinflammatory, analgesic, immunoregulatory, diuretic, antiarrhytmic, anti-hypercholsterolemia, anti-dyslipidemia, anti-diabetic or antiviral agent, more particularly one or more further active agents selected from the group consisting of:                a Bcl inhibitor, such as ABT-737, ABT-263 (Navitoclax), EM20-25, YC137, GX-015-070 (Obatoclax), Tetrocarcin A, UCB-1350883, AT-101 ((−)-Gossypol), SPC-2004 (Beclanorsen), IG-105, WL-276, BI-97C1, I-VRL (Immunovivorelbine), DATS (Allitridin), CNDO-103 (Apogossypol), D-G-3139 (Genasense), Evotec, PIB-1402, EU-517;        a Bcl binding peptide;        a Bcl siRNA, such as PNT-2258;        an antisense therapy oligonucleotide, such as BclKlex; and        an inhibitor of the mTOR pathway, such as rapamycin or a rapamycin analogue, such as Rapamycin (Sirolimus), Everolimus (RAD-001, Afinitor), Zotarolimus (ABT-578, Endeavor), Temisirolimus (CCI-779, Torisel), Ridaforolimus (AP-23576, MK-8669), TAFA-93, or an inhibitor of mTOR kinase, such as WYE-132, OSI-027, INK-128, OSI-027, AZD-2014, AZD-8055, CC-223, ABI-009, EXEL-3885, EXEL-4451, NV-128, OXA-01, PKI-402, SB-2015, WYE-354, KU-0063794, X-387, BEZ-235;for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment or prophylaxis of cancer, e.g. breast cancer, in particular inflammatory beast cancer, triple negative breast cancer, Her2 receptor positive breast cancer, hormone receptor positive breast cancer.
In accordance with a sixth aspect, the present invention relates to use of biomarkers involved in the modification of Bcl expression, HER family expression and/or activation, PIK3CA signaling and/or loss of PTEN for predicting the sensitivity and/or resistance of a patient with cancer, e.g. breast cancer, in particular inflammatory breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer, Her2 receptor positive breast cancer, hormone receptor positive breast cancer, to a 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline compound as defined herein, thus providing a rationale-based synergistic combination as defined herein to overcome the resistance (patient stratification).
In accordance with a seventh aspect, the present invention relates to a method of determining the level of a component of one or more of Bcl expression, HER family expression and/or activation, PIK3CA signaling and/or loss of PTEN, wherein:                in said Bcl expression, said component is Bcl, for example,        in said HER family expression and/or activation, PIK3CA signaling, said component is EGF-R, for example, and        in said loss of PTEN, said component is PTEN, for example.
In accordance a particular embodiment of any of the above aspects of the present invention, said breast cancer is inflammatory breast cancer.
In accordance a particular embodiment of any of the above aspects of the present invention, said breast cancer is triple negative breast cancer.
In accordance a particular embodiment of any of the above aspects of the present invention, said breast cancer is Her2 receptor positive breast cancer.
In accordance a particular embodiment of any of the above aspects of the present invention, said breast cancer is hormone receptor positive breast cancer.

Use of substituted 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-C]quinazolines


An improved process for coating sheet substrates with thermoplastic polymer is disclosed. In the process the sheet substrate forms one die lip of the extrusion coating die. The sheet substrate is passed from face-to-face contact with the metal block of the extrusion coating die into a spaced apart relationship with one die lip of the extrusion coating die, the sheet substrate forming the second die lip. Molten thermoplastic polymer is extruded into the space between the one die lip and the sheet substrate, thereby coating the sheet substrate with polymer. The preferred polymer is a poly-.alpha.-olefin, especially polyethylene or a copolymer of ethylene and butene-1. The preferred sheet substrate has orifices in the surfaces thereof. The process may be used to coat sheet substrates with a thermoplastic polymer, e.g. in the manufacture of form boards for the construction industry.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for coating sheet substrates with thermoplastic polymer and in particular to an improved process for coating sheet substrates with a relatively thick coating of thermoplastic polymer in which the sheet substrate forms one die lip of the extrusion coating die employed in the coating process.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Techniques for the coating or lamination of a sheet substrate with thermoplastic polymer to form coated panels are known. For example the substrate and the thermoplastic polymer in the form of film or sheet may be brought into contact and laminated by the application of heat and pressure. Alternatively, the sheet substrate may be coated with thermoplastic polymer in a heated, and especially in a molten form. Adhesion of the thermoplastic polymer to the substrate is usually enhanced by applying pressure to the coated substrate before the thermoplastic polymer cools. Adhesives may be applied to the substrate before the substrate is coated with the thermoplastic polymer. Alternatively, adhesion-promoting compounds may be applied to the substrate or incorporated into the thermoplastic polymer.
Thermoplastic polymer-coated sheet substrate in the form of coated panels may be used in a variety of end uses. For example, polyolefin-coated wooden panels may be used as concrete form boards, as is disclosed by D. H. Dawes and J. P. van den Steen in Canadian Pat. No. 931,486 which issued Aug. 7, 1973. Coated panels may also be used in the conconstruction industry in interior and exterior applications. Techniques for coating wooden structures so as to obtain products of improved properties are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,544,669 of F. Schock which issued Dec. 1, 1970.
Coated panels having a coating of thermoplastic material of a thickness of at least 0.25 mm on a substantially inflexible substrate are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,774 of A. J. Houston which issued Jan. 25, 1977. In the coated panels disclosed by A. J. Houston, the coating of thermoplastic material is mechanically attached to the substrate. The substrate has a plurality of orifices in the surface thereof that is to be coated, the orifices being of a shape such that at least in part, the cross-sectional area of the orifice increases as the distance from the surface of the substrate increases. The coating of thermoplastic material is applied so that the thermoplastic material extends into the orifices at least as far as the portion of the orifices of increasing cross-sectional area.
An improved process for the coating of sheet substrates with thermoplastic polymer so as to form coated panels, especially the coated panels disclosed by A. J. Houston, has now been found.

Process for coating sheet substrates with thermoplastic polymer


A capacitor with Enhanced capacitance per cell area is provided. A container supported by a substrate is formed, followed by a first layer of undoped substantially amorphous silicon. Next, a layer of heavily doped amorphous silicon is formed on the first layer. A second layer of undoped amorphous silicon is formed on the doped layer. The layers are formed in a non-oxidizing ambient so that no oxide is formed between the layers. The structure formed is planarized to form separate containers made from the doped and undoped amorphous silicon layers. Any remaining oxide is then removed from the exterior sidewalls. Selected ones of the first and second undoped layers are seeded and annealed to convert the first and second layers to HSG. A dielectric layer and second electrode are formed to complete the cell capacitor.

The present invention relates to a method for fabricating integrated circuits, and in particular, to a method of manufacturing stacked capacitors for a dynamic random access memory (DRAM).
Dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) are a widely used form of semiconductor memory. DRAMs are composed of a memory cell array and peripheral circuitry. Each memory cell array is formed of a plurality of memory cells for storing information. Typical memory cells are formed with a transistor for accessing a capacitor that stores charge. Of primary concern is maximizing the storage capacitance of each memory cell capacitor. This need is particularly acute in light of the demand for high density DRAMs, without increasing the chip area required to form the cell and, preferably, allowing a decrease in the chip area per cell.
One way to achieve greater capacitance per cell is to increase the surface area of the capacitor electrodes without increasing the respective cell area. As can be seen from the following equation, capacitance, C, is roughly determined by the thickness of the capacitor insulator (tox), the surface area of the capacitor electrodes (A), and the dielectric constant of the capacitor insulator (∈).
C=(∈xc2x7A)/tox
Increasing the surface area of the capacitor electrodes by forming the storage capacitor in a container like shape is well known in the art. To further increase circuit density in DRAMs stacked capacitors are used. These capacitors are actually stacked on top of the substrate, which may or may not include access devices. Two or more layers of a conductive material called electrodes are formed of polysilicon or poly are deposited over the substrate with dielectric layers sandwiched between each electrode.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,765 to Dennison et al., herein incorporated by reference, describes a method for further increasing the capacitance of a bottom electrode of such capacitors by forming the electrode surfaces with hemispherical grained polysilicon (HSG) which increases the surface area of the electrodes. First, a portion of an oxide layer covering access circuitry on a semiconductor wafer is removed to form a container. A bottom electrode is then formed by growing a first amorphous silicon layer. A first insulating layer is then formed on the first amorphous silicon layer. Then, a doped silicon layer is formed on the first insulating layer. Subsequently a second insulating layer is formed on the doped silicon layer. Finally, a second amorphous silicon layer is formed on the second insulating layer.
The insulating layers may be formed of oxide or nitride, and freeze the grain boundaries during deposition of the layers. Both the first and second amorphous silicon layers, and the insulating layers are formed relatively thin in relation to the doped silicon layer.
After formation of the layers, the wafer is planarized and the oxide etched to form standing containers which are then annealed to form HSG on both sides of the doped silicon layer. The insulating layers keep the doped silicon layer intact such that the silicon atoms do not penetrate silicon interfacing layers. Formation of a dielectric layer and top capacitor plate complete the capacitor formation.
There is a need for an improved stacked capacitor which may be etched better. There is a further need for a stacked capacitor container with improved HSG formation and better migration of dopants during HSG formation. There is yet a further need to improve the formation of multiple layers of silicon in a stacked capacitor container. There is also a need to enhance the capacitance of stacked capacitors, and provide a capacitor with higher breakdown voltage which is less susceptible to charge depletion.
A capacitor for a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) is formed by depositing a first layer of undoped silicon supported by a substrate, followed by a heavily doped silicon layer and a second layer of undoped silicon. The depositions are performed to minimize or eliminate formation of oxide layers between the layers. Etch back of the oxide leaves a capacitor bottom electrode having a layer of doped silicon with a xe2x80x9cpaintedxe2x80x9d layer of undoped silicon. Hemispherical grained polysilicon (HSG) is then formed in the painted layers by seeding and annealing.
Enhanced capacitance per cell area is provided by this roughening of the surfaces of the bottom electrode of a capacitor. HSG formation is enhanced by forming it in initially undoped layers of silicon. By limiting the formation of oxide between the silicon layers, dopants from the middle, heavily doped layer freely migrate during the formation of the HSG in the painted layers without significantly adversely affecting the HSG formation.
Many different types of capacitors may be formed using the above method. If stacked capacitors are formed, a xe2x80x9cpillarxe2x80x9d of doped silicon with xe2x80x9cpaintedxe2x80x9d layers of undoped silicon on either side form side walls. Following a planarization and an etch step, HSG formation then occurs on all exposed sides of the pillar electrode. Formation of a trench capacitor is formed in much the same way, with layers of undoped silicon sandwiching a layer of doped silicon in a trench formed in the substrate. At least one of the layers of undoped silicon is then selectively converted to HSG after the layers have been subjected to lithography and etching.
When forming a stacked capacitor cell, a first layer of BSG, PSG or undoped oxide is formed to a desired depth with respect to the pillars of silicon. This layer provides support to the pillars, allowing taller, and hence larger capacitors structures to be built. The first layer may be followed by a nitride layer to provide an etch stop for a BPSG layer which if formed on top of the nitride layer.
In one embodiment, the formation of the bottom electrode of a capacitor cell is accomplished in a single wafer tool capable of the depositions and seeding and annealing steps. This provides a process that is more efficient and less costly then the prior art since wafers need not be moved between steps. The undoped silicon layers are formed in a low pressure hydrogen environment by flowing silane or disilane while maintain total pressure below 1 atmosphere so that the layers are relatively smooth and exhibit minimal trapping of oxides. Therefore, it is also an advantage of the present invention that the containers of the present invention can be more closely spaced than prior art methods since it is easier to remove such oxides from the undoped silicon layers.
During annealing, the dopants of the doped silicon layer freely migrate into the undoped layers to dope those layers. This provides a further benefit in that the fabricated capacitors are less susceptible to depletion than their prior art counterparts. Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Method to form hemispherical grained polysilicon


A carrying case having a pair of opposed base members each having a parallel spaced apart wall when said case is closed. Lip members associated with each wall are formed in planes intersecting the walls respectively. The walls and the lip member defining an enclosed department. A rib member is secured to one of the walls and is formed in a plane perpendicular thereto. The rib member abuts the other wall when the case is closed.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of art to which the invention pertains includes the field of carrying cases, particularly, with respect to a carrying case which contains a built-in support extending the height of the case for preventing crushing of the case opposed walls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional carrying cases utilize the structure of the wall to prevent crushing thereof. It has been found that when an item is carried in the interior of the case, the large wall expanse enables some flexing to occur which can damage items contained in the carrying case. Where the item in the case is a piece of sports equipment or other instrument, it is necessary to provide large amounts of additional support material in the carrying case which adds both weight and bulk to the case and minimizes the useable space therein.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,931,967; 3,604,706; 3,079,156; 2,767,758; 1,620,072; and 2,270,049.
The present invention provides a rib member which is positioned between the opposed parallel walls of a carrying case and defines an outline of the device to be carried therein. The rib member prevents the opposed walls from collapsing onto the device being carried in the carrying case while minimizing the amount of space utilized for support.


A memory device provides a control circuit attached to a parity bit position of a memory array. When a selected single bit within an array entry has its value changed without affecting the remaining bits of the entry, the control circuit senses the previous value of the parity bit and internally stores the complement of that value into the parity bit position for that entry. This complementing of the parity bit occurs during the same memory cycle in which the selected bit is changed. Complementing of the parity bit to ensure proper parity function occurs without communication off of the device, and so is completely transparent to the outside world.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to integrated circuit memory devices, and more specifically to a circuit and method for preventing false parity errors in certain types of memory devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known, occasional errors can occur in data stored in semiconductor memory devices. These errors can be caused by, for example, the malfunction of marginal active devices in an integrated circuit chip, electronic perturbations such as caused by power supply problems, and events such as ionization caused by alpha particle strikes. In most cases, the occurrence of these errors is essentially random. One common method used to detect the occurrence of such random errors is the generation and detection of a parity bit.
In its most common form, 1 parity bit is provided for each eight data bits, or for some other relatively small group of bits. Parity is defined as being odd or even, with the parity bit being assigned a value of 1 or 0 so that the number of ones in the data-plus-parity bits is either odd or even according to the defined parity scheme. This parity scheme allows for the detection of single bit errors, but will not detect two bit errors. In addition, no error correction is provided. Such a single bit parity detection scheme provides a good tradeoff between low cost and adequate error protection for most applications. This is true primarily because of the high reliability of semiconductor memory devices.
One type of memory used in computer systems is a cache memory. This is a relatively small, fast memory which resides in the system between the central processor and main system memory. Cache memory includes data memory fields for storing data cached from system memory, and tag memory fields for storing the addresses corresponding to the data stored in the data cache. Like other memories, cache memories typically include parity checking.
Some cache tag memory devices, such as that described in the application entitled DUAL-PORT CACHE TAG MEMORY, cited above, have two ports which can access a memory array asynchronously. In devices designed specifically for use as cache tag memories, one of the data ports can write data to a single bit of an entry in the array. This can cause the parity checking scheme to fail, since changing the value of a single bit would require the value of the parity bit to also be changed. In order to avoid this problem, it is possible to leave the single changeable bit out of the parity checking scheme, but this is undesirable since it does not provide for full parity checking of the memory.
In a dual port memory in which one port can change the value of a single bit of an entry in the memory, it would be desirable to provide a means for properly adjusting the parity bit of the entry so that parity checking remains valid, so that such single changeable bit can be included in the protection offered by the parity checker.


A method and apparatus are provided. A user equipment is supported at a first access node. The first access node receives an indication of an offload status from a second access node and makes a determination relating to the handover of the user equipment from the first access node to the second access in dependence on the received indication.

A communication system is a facility which facilitates the communication between two or more entities such as user equipment (UE), network entities and other nodes. In the cellular systems a network entity in the form of a base station provides a node for communication with user equipment in one or more cells or sectors. It is noted that in certain systems a base station is called 'Node B'. Examples of cellular access system technologies include in order of their evolvement: GSM (Global System for Mobile) EDGE (Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution) Radio Access Networks (GERAN); Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Networks (UTRAN); and Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN).
Communication systems providing wireless access typically enable at least some mobility for the users thereof. Examples of these include wireless communications systems where the access is provided by means of an arrangement of cellular access networks. Other examples of wireless access technologies include different wireless local area networks (WLANs) and satellite based communication systems.
Due to the continuously growing traffic demand, mobile network operators (MNOs) are currently investigating ways of steering user traffic from the cellular to the WLAN network in order to boost the coverage and capacity of their systems. In traffic steering, some traffic may be offloaded from one network to another.
In the cellular network a user equipment (UE) may be handed over from one base station to another if it is determined that the other base station would provide better service for the user equipment (UE). This is often the case when the user equipment (UE) is moving from the coverage cell of a first base station to the coverage cell of a second base station. This handover becomes more complicated when traffic steering (such as the steering of traffic from the cellular to WLAN network) is in place.
It is the aim of the present application to take the offloading of traffic into account when carry out handover procedures.


The invention provides a semiconductor integrated circuit preventing an electrostatic breakdown due to a surge voltage applied to a power supply wiring or a ground wiring and preventing noise interference between a digital circuit and an analog circuit. By providing a first electrostatic breakdown protection diode and a first electrostatic breakdown protection bipolar transistor in a first island region, the first electrostatic breakdown protection diode and the first electrostatic breakdown protection bipolar transistor turn on when a surge voltage is applied to a first ground wiring and protect a digital circuit against an electrostatic breakdown. Furthermore, a first isolation layer is contacted with the first ground wiring in a position that is more adjacent to a first ground pad than the digital circuit, and a second isolation layer is contacted with a second ground wiring in a position that is more adjacent to a second ground pad than an analog circuit. This prevents noise interference between the digital circuit and the analog circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit, in particular, a technique for preventing an electrostatic breakdown of a multi-power supply semiconductor integrated circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrostatic breakdown protection device is provided in a semiconductor integrated circuit in order to prevent a breakdown (an electrostatic breakdown) due to a surge voltage such as a static electricity, an overvoltage, electromagnetic noises emitted from peripheral devices and so on. In particular, as a countermeasure for a case where a surge voltage is applied to a power supply wiring or a ground wiring, an electrostatic breakdown protection diode is connected between the power supply wiring and the ground wiring. Such a semiconductor integrated circuit is described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 7-058289.
In recent years, a semiconductor integrated circuit where an analog circuit and a digital circuit are mounted together has been developed. In most of such semiconductor integrated circuits, the power supply voltage of the analog circuit and the power supply voltage of the digital circuit are different. In such a multi-power supply semiconductor integrated circuit, an electrostatic breakdown protection diode is connected between the power supply wiring and the ground wiring in each of the analog circuit and the digital circuit. However, depending on the position of the electrostatic breakdown protection diode, there is a problem that interference due to noises (hereafter, referred to as noise interference) occurs between the analog circuit and the digital circuit, leading to a malfunction or breakdown of the semiconductor integrated circuit.


A bag opener and dispenser device for emptying quantities of dry pourable material from bags which are hoisted above reactor vessels. The device has a funnel-shaped side wall with a lower annular surface adapted to be mounted to a manway opening leading to the reactor vessel. An apparatus centered within the funnel has an upwardly pointing hollow tip for piercing the bag. The device further includes a horizontal dust containment plate on which the bag is supported. The bag is lowered over the tip which cuts a flap in the bottom of the bag for pourable material to fall through the tip and also through a surrounding region covered with a mesh. In order to facilitate egress of the pourable material from the bag, elongated holes are formed in the side wall of the hollow tip. The dust containment plate sealingly mates with the sides of the bag to prevent the formation of dust.

Numerous industries, such as oil and gas production and refining, chemical, food processing and water treatment industries, utilize dry, dusty materials which are packaged in bags. The bags may be made of paper, plastic or fabric, and typically weigh one ton, or more. Many applications for such bags require the bag to be lifted to a great height to be dispensed into an opening at the top of a container. For example, the use of bags of a consumable material to clean up various natural gases in H.sub.2 S reactors is known. Such reactor vessels typically have an upwardly extending column terminating in a manway into which the consumable material is added.
In order to put the contents of the bag into such reactor vessels, the bag is hoisted by a crane above the open manway on top of the reactor vessel column--sometimes as much as 40-50 feet above ground level. Two workers on a walkway, one to hold the bag steady and one to pull a release string and retrieve a plastic spout, empty the bag into the manway while it is being held in place by the crane. The plastic spout is typically very short--12-22 inches--which requires that the bag must be held very close to the opening before the spout is released. The release of the spout above the manway produces dust. Moreover, should the crane falter or fail during the time a worker's arms are under the bag, serious injuries could result. For that reason, safety inspectors have curtailed this operation and have required that a better way of handling the bags during the dumping operation be found.
Several prior patents disclose apparatus and/or methods for breaking bags for emptying into a container. U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,334, issued to Mian, shows a relatively complex, dustless bag breaker having a square box-shaped container covered with a hinged lid. The bag breaker includes an annular flange with bolt holes for mounting to the receptor vessel. A rotatable blade-like cutter is provided within the container and rotates on a shaft which also turns one or more flappers for striking the bag to urge the material out. This assembly is quite bulky and detrimentally requires power, a motor and a drive train to operate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,716, issued to Haas, et al., an apparatus for dispensing material from a bag utilizing a discharge tube having a pointed end is shown. The tube includes a flange for ostensibly forming a seal around the hole created by the pointed end and the material then is dispensed from the bag through the tube. However, this apparatus is not dust-free, and the time required for fully emptying the bag through the tube is quite long. Furthermore, a certain amount of the consumable material remains around the pointed end of the tube at the bottom of the bag, prior to withdrawing the tube, and is thus wasted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,825, issued to Wittes, et al., shows a bag breaking device which mounts to the top of a tank into which abrasive material is dispensed. The device includes two connected V-shaped bars with their apexes pointing up onto which the bag is dropped. A bolt extends through the bars at the apex to facilitate puncturing of the bag. A grate covering a hole in the vessel is mounted below the bars so that the bag will be torn open and the contents dispensed through the grate into the container. This design does not provide for positioning of the bag over the bag breaking device, which can be a difficult operation for heavy bags hoisted with a crane high above a vessel. Additionally, due to the settling of abrasive material around the hole, it is likely that some remains in the bag and does not enter the vessel. The remaining material will then be lost when the bag is lifted off the tank, undesirably producing dust in the process.
Prior arrangements for emptying bags of material into vessels share another disadvantage in that the time required to locate the bag over the vessel opening and dispense the material is excessive and thus costly. Specifically, a crane is commonly used to hoist the bag over the vessel, the crane being rented or leased. The present bags having a drawstring and integral plastic spout must be precisely located over the vessel opening by the crane operator and then the drawstring released and spout unfurled by a worker on the vessel to dispense the material. The entire operation may take three to five minutes to empty the bag, which is costly when a large number of bags are being emptied into the vessel at once. In some instances, fifty bags may be emptied at once resulting in a total crane rental time of more than four hours.
With these and other disadvantages of the prior art in mind, the present invention discloses a novel bag opener and dispenser for mounting onto container openings located at heights requiring a crane to lift the bag.


The invention includes a one-piece plastic molded box having an open face member, an open back, flanges coplanar with and extending from the face member, and four wings extending from the inward side of the face member. The extender can be inserted slidably into an existing electrical box with the four wings flexing toward each other to accommodate the box with flanges flush with the surface of newly installed sheet rock to form a box extender or with flanges flush with the existing electrical box to form a device insulator.

Electrical boxes are commonly used to provide electrical service at convenient locations within buildings. The electrical boxes are commonly formed of plastic or metal and are usually securely fastened by screws or nails to the framework within the building. In newly constructed buildings, the open face of the electrical box, in which an electrical device such as an outlet or switch will be mounted, is usually flush with the surface of the wall or ceiling in which it is installed.
When existing buildings are renovated or restored, it is common for renovators to lay down new sheet stock such as sheet rock, paneling, etc., over the existing ceilings or walls. This causes the existing electrical boxes to become recessed within the wall by the thickness of the new sheet stock.
To solve this problem, box extenders of several different types have been developed. One type relies on a friction fit to hold the box extender in the existing electrical box. This extender has the disadvantage of not providing a secure attachment to the existing box, and the electrical device may slide further within the box making it hard to reach.
Another type of extender consists of an extension having walls of approximately the same configuration as the existing box and of fixed thickness. The extender is available in several thicknesses to accommodate several different sheet stock thicknesses. Although there are many thicknesses available, the extender sometimes is not of a proper thickness to bring the existing box flush with the new surface, and this creates an aesthetically undesirable appearance.
Another type of extender includes a body portion having at least one wall and open faces and a second open face. The extender includes side flanges having holes that align with brackets that are connected to the electrical box. This extender is difficult to use and install as brackets must be firmly attached to the electrical box and then two screws are used to attach each flange of the extender to the electrical box.
A supplemental part which is a variation of the electrical box extender can be used as a device insulator in those locations where an electrical device does not need to be extended to a new wall surface but rather where there is a limited amount of space to create a secure device which is not prone to shorting out. A typical example would be the installation of a GFCI device in an electrical box. The GFCI device is a bulky device that fits with little clearance into an electrical box. The terminals on the side of a GFCI are close fitting to the side of the metal electrical box and frequently the GFCI will be tripped when the terminals contact the side of the box. The supplemental part is inserted within an existing electrical box to act as a device insulator and keep bulky electrical devices insulated from the surrounding electrical box.
As described by these several limitations, extenders and supplemental parts of the present art have not proven fully satisfactory for extending electrical boxes flush with the new walls or ceilings in a renovated or restored building.

Electric box extender and supplemental parts


An artificial fishing lure is described having a hollow transparent body formed from transparent plastic. Within the body is a sealed compartment containing an antifreezing liquid in which is suspended a multiplicity of small reflective flakes that shimmer when the lure is pulled through the water to attract fish.

In the past, attempts have been made to improve the ability of an artificial fishing lure to attract fish by enhancing its light-reflective properties. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,288,595 describes an artificial fishing lure which has a chamber loosely filled with small discs made of metal or plastic. During use, water enters the lure and moves the discs somewhat to simulate the shimmering appearance of the scales of a bait fish as it darts about when the lure is pulled through the water. Because the lure described therein relies on inflow of outside water to impart movement to the discs, it is subject over time to the accumulation of deposits, films, molds and/or algae from lake or sea water on the inside surface of the chamber. This can coat or dull the inside walls of the chamber, the discs, or both, thus reducing or eliminating the light-reflective properties that attract fish. Furthermore, the artificial fishing lure described therein is subject to rupture or freezing if used for ice fishing, thus reducing its usefulness during the winter months. The present invention provides an improved artificial fishing lure which overcomes these deficiencies.


A light emitting device includes a pixel defining layer including a plurality of pixel defining layer elements, on a substrate; a first electrode in a space defined by the substrate and the pixel defining layer; a light emitting layer in a space defined by the first electrode and the pixel defining layer; and a second electrode on the light emitting layer and the pixel defining layer. The second electrode includes a plurality of layers, and an insulating layer between the plurality of layers, overlapping the light emitting layer, and exposing a layer among the plurality of layers in an area corresponding to the pixel defining layer.

The invention relates to a light emitting display and an organic electroluminescence device, and a method for manufacturing the same.
The field of display devices has been rapidly developed, and various flat panel display devices having excellent performance characteristics such as a having a slim profile, being lightweight and having a low power consumption have been developed in response thereto to replace an existing cathode ray tube ("CRT") display device.
Specific examples of the flat panel display device may include a liquid crystal display device ("LCD"), a plasma display panel device ("PDP"), a field emission display device ("FED"), an organic electroluminescence device, and the like.
Among them, the organic electroluminescence device has come into the spotlight because the organic electroluminescence device does not use a separate light source, has a compact structure and displays a clear color.


A work cutting apparatus comprises a bed. The bed has an upper surface provided with a column including a rail slidably mounted with a slider. The slider has a front surface mounted with a supporting portion supporting two end portions of a rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is mounted with a plurality of cutting blade blocks. Each of the cutting blade blocks includes a plurality of cutting blades and a thicker cutting blade at each end of the cutting blade block. A table provided with a recess having a V-shaped section is disposed on the bed right beneath the cutting blade blocks. A plurality of works are disposed in the recess, each fixed by a fixing member. The cutting blades lowered while rotating, thereby cutting the works. During this operation, coolant is discharged from a plurality of supplying ports of a coolant supplying portion as well as from a supplying port of a coolant supplying path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a work cutting apparatus and a method for cutting a work, and specifically to a work cutting apparatus and a method for cutting a sintered compact such as a magnet.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 22 shows a conventional work cutting apparatus for obtaining a magnet used in a voice coil motor for example. This work cutting apparatus 1 is an overhang model of a so-called cantilever type. A rotating shaft 2 is mounted with a plurality of cutting blades 3 spaced from each other by spacers (not illustrated). The rotating shaft 2 has an end portion supported by a support arm 4. The work cutting apparatus 1 includes an X-slider 6 slidably placed on rails 5. The X-slider 6 has an upper surface provided with a chuck table 7. The chuck table 7 has an upper surface provided with a pasting board 8. The pasting board 8 has an upper surface placed for example with a plurality of works 9 fixed by an adhesive. Then, the X-slider 6 is slid in a direction shown by an arrow A (along an X axis), so that the works 9 are moved at a constant speed toward the cutting blades 3 rotating in a direction shown by an arrow B, thereby cutting the works 9 into a predetermined thickness. Since the works 9 are cut by the plurality of cutting blades 3, a plurality of magnet pieces are obtained in a single cycle of cutting operation.
In the work cutting apparatus 1, the cutting blades 3 should ideally be mounted at exact right angle to the rotating shaft 2. In such a case, a cutting reaction will only develop within surfaces of the cutting blades, or no force causing the cutting blade 3 to deform vertically to a rotating plane of the cutting blade 3 is generated. Actually however, as shown in FIG. 23, there is involved a cutting blade mounting error xcex8 (xcex8=0.02-0.04 degree approx.), and therefore the cutting reaction f. The cutting reaction f includes a tangential component force f1, which includes a component force f2 corresponding to the mounting error (f2=f1xc3x97sin xcex8) acting as the force to deform the cutting blade 3. As a result, the cutting blade 3 is deformed, and cutting accuracy is reduced.
Further, according to the convention, as shown in FIG. 24, a stroke L2 of the cutting blade 3 necessary for the cutting is long, and therefore a long time is required for the cutting operation, posing a problem of poor operability.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a work cutting apparatus and a method for cutting a work capable of improving the cutting accuracy and productivity.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a work cutting apparatus for cutting a work by rotation of a cutting blade, comprising: a first driving portion rotating the cutting blade, and a second driving portion moving at least either one of the cutting blade and the work relative to the other in the vertical direction when cutting.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for cutting a work, comprising: a first step of placing the work at a predetermined position; a second step of preparing a cutting blade; and a third step of rotating the cutting blade, moving at least either one of the cutting blade and the work relative to the other in the vertical direction, whereby cutting the work with the cutting blade.
According to the present invention, by a cutting through lowering the rotating cutting blade for example down to the work disposed at a predetermined position, it becomes possible to reduce the force that deforms the cutting blade than in the convention. Thus, load acting on the cutting blade becomes smaller, deformation of the cutting blade becomes smaller, resulting in improved accuracy of a cut surface. Further, since a stroke of the cutting blade necessary for the cutting can also be reduced, cutting time can be reduced, and productivity is improved.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a work cutting apparatus for cutting a work by rotation of a cutting blade, comprising: a first driving portion rotating the cutting blade, and a second driving portion moving at least either one of the cutting blade and the work relative to the other along a normal line passing the point of contact between the cutting blade and the work when cutting.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for cutting a work, comprising: a first step of placing the work at a predetermined position; a second step of preparing a cutting blade; and a third step of rotating the cutting blade, moving at least either one of the cutting blade and the work relative to the other along a normal line passing the point of contact between the cutting blade, whereby cutting the work with the cutting blade.
In this case again, in which the cutting is made along a normal line passing the point of contact between the rotating cutting blade and the work disposed at a predetermined position, the load to the cutting blade becomes smaller. Therefore, deformation of the cutting blade becomes smaller, resulting in improved accuracy of the cut surface. Further, since the stroke of the cutting blade necessary for the cutting can also be reduced, the cutting time can be reduced, and productivity is improved.
According to the present invention, preferably, the cutting blade is mounted to a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft has two end portions supported by a supporting portion mounted to a unit. By supporting at both end portions of the rotating shaft, it becomes possible to hold the cutting blade more stably, thereby reducing the deflection of the cutting blade during the cutting operation. Therefore, when cutting a brittle work such as a sintered compact, chipping can be reduced, and cutting accuracy can be improved. Further, since the deflection of the cutting blade can be reduced, the number of cutting blades to be mounted to the rotating shaft can be increased. As a result, the number of pieces obtained by a single cutting operation can be increased, and therefore productivity can be increased. Further, since the supporting portion supporting both end portions of the rotating shaft is mounted to one unit, holding accuracy of the cutting blade, particularly horizontal accuracy can be improved.
Further, preferably, the supporting portion includes a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion respectively supporting the two end portions of the rotating shaft. The first supporting portion is mounted movably to the second supporting portion.
Further, preferably, the rotating portion includes an arbor having two tapered end portions, and rotation supporting portions each having a receiving portion mated with one of the tapered end portions of the arbor. By forming the taper at each end portion of the arbor of the rotating shaft, and by mating each tapered end portion to the receiving portion, fixing accuracy of the cutting blade can be improved.
Further, preferably, the first driving portion includes a belt for rotating the cutting blade by belt transmission, and a tension adjusting portion for adjusting tension of the belt. By maintaining the tension of the belt always at a constant level by the tension adjusting portion, slippage of the belt can be prevented, and rotation of the belt can be stabilized. This is particularly effective in an arrangement in which the cutting is made by moving the cutting blade toward the work.
According to the present invention, preferably, a plurality of works are disposed on a recess of a work disposing portion. With such an arrangement, a large number of works can be cut at one time.
Further, preferably, the recess has a V-shaped section in at least either one of a plane including the cutting blade and a plane parallel thereto. By making the recess to have the V-shaped section, cost of machining the work disposing portion can be reduced, and applicability to a variety of kinds of works is achieved. Especially, a plate-like work can be positioned stably without rattling.
Further, preferably, the cutting blade include a disc-like substrate having a Young""s modulus of 441,315 N/mm2xcx9c686,490 N/mm2, and a cutting edge formed in an outer circumference of the substrate. By using a super hard metal for example, having the Young""s modulus of 441,315 N/mm2xcx9c686,490 N/mm2, as the substrate of the cutting blade, a cutting blade which is thin, hard and cuts well can be obtained. Therefore, margin allowed for the cutting blade can be narrowed, yield of products can be improved, and productivity can be improved.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a fixing member for fixing the work to the recess. The fixing member has a comb-like portion pressed to a surface of the work facing the cutting blade. According to this arrangement, since the work is fixed by the comb-like portion pressed from above to the surface of the work facing the cutting blade, differing from the convention, there is no need for bonding the work by adhesive and so on or un-bonding the adhesive after the work is cut, leading to reduced operation time and improved productivity.
Further, preferably, a plurality of the cutting blades are included into a cutting blade block. The cutting blade block have two end portions each mounted with a cutting blade having a thickness greater than a thickness of the other cutting blades. By increasing the thickness of the cutting blades at the ends, each end margin of the work potentially becoming a dimensionally inferior product can be ground into dust. Therefore, inclusion of the inferior products can be prevented, and yield and productivity can be improved.
Further, preferably, a plurality of cutting blade blocks are mounted axially thereof. According to this arrangement, a mounting error in each of the cutting blades will not adversely affect adjacent cutting blade blocks, or the error will not accumulate. Therefore, a plurality of cutting blade blocks can be axially disposed, and as a result, a greater number of works can be cut in a single cutting operation. Further, since the cutting blade block can be set for each of the works, mounting accuracy of the cutting blade can be improved, and inclusion of dimensionally inferior products can be reduced. Therefore, yield is increased, and productivity is improved.
According to the present invention, preferably, the apparatus further comprises a first coolant supplying portion including a first supplying port and a second supplying port each supplying a coolant to the works. By providing the first supplying port and the second supplying port each discharging the coolant from a position different from the other, thereby supplying the coolant to the works from the plurality of locations, the coolant can be supplied reliably even if the work disposing portion having the recess is used and the cutting blade has an increased area of contact with the works. Therefore, the cutting blade can be abraded efficiently, making possible to cut the works productively.
Further, preferably, the first supplying port is formed near the works, whereas the second supplying port is formed on an upstream side of rotation of the cutting blade than is the first supplying port. According to this arrangement, since the coolant is supplied to the cutting blade and the works from the same side thereof and from the plurality of locations, sludge can be discharged smoothly.
Further, preferably, the plurality of works are disposed on an upstream side and an downstream side of the rotation of the cutting blade, and the coolant from the second supplying port is directed toward the work on the downstream side of rotation of the cutting blade. According to this arrangement, the coolant can be supplied also to the work located on the downstream side of rotation of the cutting blade. Further, the coolant from the second supplying port interrupts an accompanying stream of air which follows the turning of the cutting blade. Therefore, the coolant from the first supply port becomes less affected by the accompanying stream of air, and therefore the coolant from the first supplying port can be supplied more reliably to the works.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a second coolant supplying portion including a supplying port formed in the recess for supplying the coolant. According to this arrangement, the coolant can be supplied to portions where the first coolant supplying portion can not efficiently supply the coolant such as a side surface of the work. Thus, cutting accuracy of the work is improved further. This arrangement is especially effective if the work has a large thickness.
Further, preferably, the apparatus further comprises an enclosing member enclosing the recess. According to this arrangement, it becomes possible to hold the coolant in the recess. Thus, the work can be cut while the work is being bathed in the coolant. Thus, the cutting accuracy of the work can be further improved.
Further, preferably, the cutting blade includes resin-bound diamond. If the cutting blade includes resin-bound diamond, insufficient amount of supply of the coolant will cause abnormal friction in the cutting blade, deteriorating the cutting accuracy. Thus, the present invention is especially effective.
Preferably, a discharge pressure of the coolant is 196,140 Paxcx9c471,050 Pa. According to this arrangement, the cutting blade including the resin-bound diamond can be abraded efficiently, making possible to cut the work smoothly.

Working cutting apparatus and method for cutting work