A liquid developer for electrostatic latent images wherein a surface active agent and a terpene polymer are dispersed in a highly insulative carrier liquid together with a toner to encapsulate the toner particles with the polymer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with an improved liquid developer for developing electrostatic latent images in electrostatic printing, electrophotography, and so forth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various liquid developers which have so far been used in developing electrostatic latent images are of such type that an additive like resin, etc. is dispersed in a highly insulative carrier liquid. The additive serves to control the content of a pigment and charged polarity of the pigment so as to facilitate dispersion of the pigment into the carrier liquid, and at the same time, serves to secure good fixation of a tone to a developed image.
Such a liquid developer for electrostatic latent images can be prepared by, as one example, mixing and kneading of a pigment such as carbon black with vegetable oils, resins, and so on, e.g., linseed oil, soybean oil, alkyd resin, polystyrene, acrylic resins, etc. as the polarity controlling agent, dispersing agent as well as fixing agent, followed by granulation of the kneaded mixture, and then by dispersing the particles into a highly insulative organic solvent such as hydrocarbons of the isoparaffin type.
Another known method of controlling the polarity of the toner in the liquid developer for electrostatic latent images other than coating the outer surface of the toner particles with vegetable oils, resins, etc. as mentioned above, includes dissolving a surface active agent in the carrier liquid so as to cause it to absorb onto the toner particles.
Many examples of the surface active agent to be used in the abovementioned second method are known, such as heavy metal soaps like cobalt naphthenate, manganese naphthenate, etc.; alkylbenzene sulfonic acid salts like dodecylbenzene calcium sulfonate, etc.; phospholipide (or phosphatides) as lecithin, cephalin, etc. These surface active agents, however, are not necessarily consistent in their resulting effect and manners of use. Moreover, as they are of low electric resistance, they inevitably lower the electric resistance of the carrier liquid when they are dissolved in such carrier liquid. In this consequence, the addition of such a surface active agent to the carrier liquid should be done to such an extent that it does not destroy the latent images formed on a photosensitive body at the time of the image development, on account of which the adding quantity of the surface active agent to the carrier liquid undergoes considerable restriction. In view of such restriction, the aforedescribed method is considered defective in that no sufficient amount of the surface active agent to give satisfactory electric charging quantity to the toner can be added to the carrier liquid.
With respect to liquid developers for use in color electrophotography, the conventional color electrophotographic method includes first imparting an electric charge to a photosensitive body having a photoconductive layer by corona discharge, thereafter resolving the original picture image into color components by means of color filters of red, blue, and green to thereby form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive body, and then immersing the electrostatic latent image in each of the developing liquids containing therein cyan, magenta, yellow, and black toners to develop and reproduce the color image.
In the above-described color process, the multi-colored image is formed on the same photosensitive body in succession. Then the latent image formed on the photosensitive body is developed and reproduced into the colored picture image like the original. If the photosensitive body having thereon the already toned image is immersed in another developing liquid for a different color, then the toner composition of resins, polarity controlling agent, etc. elute, or the toner itself can dissolve into the developing liquid to contaminate it also, at the time of superposing the developed images one by one, non-uniformity is trapping due to the light shielding effect of the prior toned image, and other disadvantages, tend to take place.
In obtaining a color reproduction image by transferring a colored picture image deposited on the photoconductive layer onto a transfer sheet one after another, the trouble caused by the light shielding effect of the toned picture image can be advantageously prevented. However, for the purpose of this color electrophotography, there has not been available an appropriate color toner, the fixation of which is suited for the transfer process, and, if such is used, no uniform transfer of the toner onto the transfer sheet can be attained to a required standard.
Further, known liquid developers for color electrophotography, the substance added for imparting to the pigment charge polarity, the dispersibility, and the fixing property is a vegetable oil such as linseed oil, soybean oil, etc., and a resin such as acrylic resin, rosin, etc. On account of this, when the pigment particles are coated with any of these coating materials, and dispersed in the carrier liquid, a large part of the coating agent coated on the pigment dissolves out into the carrier liquid and the residual quantity of the coating agent on the surface of the pigment becomes extremely small, with the consequence that the toner becomes less fixable to the recorded image, also, toner which has once adhered to the surface of the recorded image dissolves into the carrier liquid to contaminate the developing liquid. For this reason, the coating agent tends to separate gradually from the external surface of the pigment during repeated use of the developing agent or storage for long periods to thereby obscure the polarity of the toner, or the toner tends to become agglomerated and precipitated to make it impossible to reproduce the desired color.
Furthermore, in the case of a color reproduction, a desired color is reproduced by superimposing picture images of several color phases. If the resin coated on the toner particles separates therefrom for the above mentioned reason, the image loses its luster, and the depth of the colors of the image and the mixing property of the colored picture image are in no way sufficient. As a means to supplement this defect, it has been unavoidable to coat the surface of the developed image with a layer of a resinous material.

Liquid developer for electrostatic latent image


A user input is received for accessing a page in an application. Page display element metadata is retrieved that defines how the display elements are related to other objects in the application. It is determined whether the user has license rights and user permissions to access the information represented by the related objects. If not, the display elements are removed, hidden or disabled and a remainder of the page is rendered.

Computer systems are currently in wide use. Many computer systems run applications that generate forms or pages which act as mechanisms for visualizing information within the application or accessed by the application.
Users of applications are often subject to user permissions or license rights. For example, within a computer system, a user may have certain permissions to see certain items of data, but the user may be restricted from seeing other items of data. By way of example, a sales person in a company may have permissions to see and otherwise access sales data, but may not have permissions to see or otherwise access project management data. Similarly, a project manager may have permissions to see and access project management data, but may not have permissions to see and access sales data.
The same is true of license rights. Certain users of a computer system may have purchased or otherwise obtained a license at a first level, which entitles them to access various data and/or functionality. Other users may have purchased or otherwise obtained a license at a second level that allows them to access a different set of data and/or functionality. A user with the first license may not be able to access data or functionality permitted to a user with the second license.
Some examples of computer systems that have a relatively large number of forms or pages include business systems. Business systems include, for example, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, customer relations management (CRM) systems, line-of-business (LOB) systems, among others. When a user of such a system attempts to access data that the user has no permission or rights to access, the computer system commonly throws an error, and displays only an error message for the user.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

User-specific visualization of display elements


For a combustion-powered, fastener-driving tool, a combined ignition and fuel system comprises a battery, two normally opened switches connected to the battery, namely a head switch and a trigger switch, a fuel injector including a solenoid and an associated circuit controlling the fuel injector to enable the fuel injector to inject a combustible fuel for a first time interval, a circuit for producing ignition, and a circuit for monitoring the head and trigger switches, for disabling the injector-controlling circuit if the trigger switch is closed while the head switch is opened or if both switches are opened, for enabling the solenoid if the trigger switch is closed while the head switch is closed, for enabling the ignition-producing circuit after a second time interval succeeding the first time interval, and for disabling the ignition-producing circuit when the injector-controlling circuit is disabled as mentioned. The system further comprises a circuit for monitoring the battery voltage, for comparing the monitored voltage to a reference voltage, and for enabling the injector controlling circuit and the ignition-producing circuit if the monitored voltage is not less than the reference voltage, and for disabling the injector-controlling circuit and the ignition-producing circuit if the monitored voltage is less than the reference voltage.

Combustion-powered, fastener-driving tools, such as combustion-powered, nail-driving tools and combustion-powered, staple-driving tools, are exemplified in Nikolich U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,452, Nikolich U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,162, and No. 4,483,474, Wagdy U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,473, and Nikolich U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,722.
Typically, such a tool includes switches that must be closed to enable ignition of a combustible fuel in a combustion chamber by means of a spark plug. These switches include a head switch and a trigger switch. The head switch is closed by pressing a workpiece-contacting element, which is operatively mounted to a nosepiece of the tool, firmly against a workpiece. The trigger switch is closed by pulling a trigger, which is operatively mounted to a handle of the tool.
An ignition system for such a tool, employing such head and trigger switches, is disclosed in Rodseth et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,329. The ignition system disclosed therein employs photoelectric head and trigger switches, as disclosed in Rodseth U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,209.
A fuel system for such a tool, employing a fuel injector including a solenoid and an electronic circuit for controlling the solenoid to enable a combustible fuel to flow from a source into the combustion chamber for a time interval after the head switch or the trigger switch is closed, is disclosed in a copending patent application filed Nov. 13, 1992, for FUEL SYSTEM FOR COMBUSTION-POWERED, FASTENER-DRIVING TOOL, and assigned commonly herewith.
As disclosed in the copending application noted above, the time interval is defined by a resistive-capacitive network including a thermistor responsive to ambient temperature, along with a resistor arranged to be selectively connected to condition the system for use at higher altitudes and disconnected to condition the system for use at lower altitudes. As disclosed therein, the fuel system can be well integrated with an ignition system according to Rodseth et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,329 noted above.
In such a tool, as known heretofore, a fan has been employed to produce turbulence in the fuel mixing with air in the combustion chamber. Also, a battery-powered, electric motor has been employed to drive the fan. Since the fan and the electric motor are large contributors to the weight of such a tool and to its manufacturing cost, it would be highly desirable to provide such a tool that could be effectively operated without a fan driven by an electric motor.

Combined ignition and fuel system for combustion-powered tool


A method for semiconductor device fabrication that uses a mixture of SiCl.sub.4, CF.sub.4, O.sub.2, and He to selectively etch GaAs with respect to AlGaAs. Etch selectivities greater than 300:1 are obtained.

Although silicon is the most widely used semiconductor at the present time, Group III-V compound semiconductors are used in a wide variety of applications. For example, such semiconductors are widely used in microwave and opto-electronic applications. The devices used in such applications frequently have AlGaAs/GaAs present, and device fabrication frequently requires the selective etching of GaAs with respect to AlGaAs.
Accordingly, highly selective etches have been developed. Probably the most widely used is CCl.sub.2 F.sub.2 or dichlorofluormethane. It is commonly known as Freon-12 and is nontoxic, nonflammable, and noncorrosive. Selectivities range from 200: to 600:1. See, for example, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, B9(6), by Cameron et al., Nov/Dec 1991, p. 3538, and Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, B6(1), by Seabaugh, Jan/Feb 1988, p. 77, for reports of typical results. Although well suited for the etching described, it is a chlorofluorocarbon with a high ozone-depleting potential. As such, its use is undesirable and manufacture in the United States after 1995 is questionable.
He has long been used as an additive in etch chemistries. There are several reasons for adding He to a plasma. For example, it has a high thermal conductivity and may promote etch uniformity. Additionally, it may prevent or reduce polymer formation in C containing etches. For example, Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 20, by K. Hikosaka et al., November 1981, pp. L847-L850 added He to a CCl.sub.2 F.sub.2 system and observed a decrease in the GaAs etch rate. See, also, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, B9(5), by Collot et at., Sep/Oct 1991, pp. 2497-2502, for a report on etch chemistries using He.
There are, of course, many halogen-based species available. For example, hydrochlorofluorocarbons might be used, but they also have an ozone-depleting potential and are therefore undesirable. Still other alternatives mix chlorine- and fluorine-based species or oxygen- and chlorine-based species to obtain selectivity.


The present disclosure is concerned with a novel transparent polyurethane polyurea which is particularly suitable for lamination to glass and glasslike transparent plastics. The polymer is the reaction product of high molecular weight diols, optionally low molecular weight diols, dihydroxy carboxylic acids, diisocyanates with only aliphatically and cycloaliphatically bound isocyanates and organic diamines having aliphatically and cycloaliphatically bound primary amino groups. It has specified contents of carboxyl groups and urea groups, and it has a minimum shear modulus at both 20.degree. and 60.degree. C.. The present disclosure is also concerned with a process for synthesizing such polymers. A preferred method is to react the diisocyanate and hydroxyl bearing compounds to prepare an isocyanate terminated prepolymer and chain extend with the diamine.. Also discussed are the production of film from these polymers by extrusion and solution casting, the production of laminates with glass and glasslike plastics and the laminates so produced. The solution cast or extruded films can be laminated to these substrates by the application of heat and pressure.

Laminated safety glass is widely used in motor vehicle windscreens, as bullet-proof glass, for example for protecting bank and post office counters, and as window glass, for example for reducing the danger of injury in the event of breakage and also, for example, as a safeguard against burglary and theft.
The interlayers used in these laminated glasses have to satisfy numerous, very stringent requirements. The following properties, in particular, are of considerable importance, especially for the use of laminated glass in motor vehicles:
1. A high energy-absorbing capacity in the event of sudden stressing as encountered on impact with blunt, but also sharp-edged bodies.
2. Adequate glass adhesion which is intended to prevent the glass from shattering to any significant extent and causing injuries in the form of cuts in the event of accidents.
3. High translucency; no hazing or clouding should occur.
4. A high degree of light stability, in other words the windscreens should not turn yellow, even after prolonged exposure to sunlight.
5. High edge stability so that, when stored before fitting, the windscreens should not undergo any delamination from the edges through the absorption of water.
These properties in general and those mentioned under (1) and (2) in particular should be retained over as wide as possible a temperature range in which these materials are used.
In modified form, these requirements also apply to the use of the interlayers in armoured glass and in safety glass of the type used in building construction. Armoured glass is above all required to be bullet proof to a large extent. This makes it necessary to use an extremely tough interlayer.
Polyurethane interlayers for laminated safety glass are already known. Thus, according to German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,302,400 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,823,060 and 3,900,446), polyurethane interlayers for laminated safety glass are produced from 4,4'-methylene-bis-(cyclohexylisocyanate), a polyester containing terminal hydroxyl groups and having a melting point above 42.degree. C. and a molecular weight of from 500 to 4,000, being the condensation product of a dicarboxylic acid and a diol compound, and a chain extender which is an aliphatic or alicyclic diol containing from 2 to 16 carbon atoms.
Unfortunately, conventional polyurethanes have the serious disadvantage of poor adhesion to glass. However, glass-plastics laminates are intended to be of a structure such that no splinters of glass can be released from the plastics interlayer of the laminated glass in the event of a collision. This requirements is not satisfied by conventional polyurethanes (cf. Example 7).
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to obviate the above-mentioned serious disadvantage of conventional polyurethanes and, in addition, to provide polyurethane polyaddition products of the type which, in addition to excellent adhesion to glass, show outstanding impact strength over a wide temperature range, are free from hazing and local swellings, do not discolor on exposure to sunlight and show excellent edge stability with respect to penetrating water.
This object is achieved by the polyurethane polyureas provided by the invention.

Novel transparent polyurethane polyurea films for lamination of glazing materials and their method of production


A method and apparatus for measuring the cooling efficacy of air comprising coupling a resistive element to a temperature sensing element, applying a voltage across the resistive element, adjusting the voltage across the resistive element so that the temperature indicated by the temperature sensing element is nearly proportional to the temperature of a locally disposed heat sensitive component for a change in environmental parameters, and coupling the output of the temperature sensing element to a control circuit wherein the control circuit controls a space cooling element.

Contained herein is material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent disclosure by any person as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights to the copyright whatsoever.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of thermal management. In particular, the present invention is related to a method and apparatus for measuring cooling efficacy of a fluid medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Power supplied to electronic equipment produces heat. Too much heat causes electronic components to deteriorate and eventually fail. Hence, some means of cooling the electronic components is necessary. Many methods and devices are employed to cool electronic components. Movement of a fluid medium, such as air, over the electronic components is one of the most common methods. Heat sinks, fans, heat exchangers, and coolant pumps are some of the most commonly used devices for facilitating the removal of heat. In a system that uses air as the cooling fluid, heat from an electronic component is transferred to the air surrounding the component. The heated air is moved away from the electronic component and is replaced by fresh air, resulting in the cooling of the electronic component.
The cooling efficacy of a fluid is a measure of how well a fluid cools a particular mass. The efficacy of a fluid depends on several parameters. The most significant of these parameters are the temperature of the fluid (air), and the quantity of the air moved over the mass. The temperature of the air commonly depends on the ambient environment. The quantity of air moved is controlled by any of several devices. Typically, these devices are fans and blowers. Thus, the quantity of air moved depends upon how fast a fan turns.
The quantity of air moved by a fan or blower also depends on the density of the air. At lower altitudes air is more dense, and therefore for a given fan speed more air is moved at lower altitudes that at higher altitudes. This means that the cooling efficacy of air depends, in part, on altitude. The simplest solution to guarantee sufficient cooling of electronic components under any conditions is to move enough air by simply running the fans at full speed. However, this mode is not efficient since more cooling effort is expended than is necessary. Also, moving air generates acoustic noise. Acoustic noise generation is undesirable especially when generated by a fan in a projector such as a movie-projector or a data-projector.
In some instances when a fan is used to cool heat sensitive electronic elements, such as to cool a lamp in a projector, using a fan controlled by a temperature sensor mounted on a circuit board is not the optimum solution. The fan speed, when controlled by a temperature sensor mounted on a circuit board, could be variable. This means that for various modes of operation, as different components on the circuit board are turned on, the variation in heat generated causes the fan speed to fluctuate. This variation in fan speed is undesirable, as a high-speed fan with continually changing speeds may generate disagreeable noise. Moreover, in the situation described above, the speed of the fan changes in response to the heat generated by components on the circuit board rather than in response to the changes in cooling efficacy of the air.
A heat sensitive element such as a lamp in a movie or data projector may be located some distance away from the circuit board. In other instances, due to the variability in the design of the circuit boards for different models of the same product, the location of the temperature sensor on the circuit board may be at varying distances away from the heat sensitive element. This variability complicates engineering predictions and increases development time.
Moreover, since air density changes with altitude, any product used to cool electronics at random altitudes most cope with this variability. This means that a cooling system that uses a temperature transducer on a circuit board for its input may not operate efficiently enough in order to cool a heat sensitive element operating at random altitudes. What is needed, therefore, is a method and apparatus to directly measure the cooling efficacy of air.

Method and apparatus for measuring cooling efficacy of a fluid medium


A vehicular air bag installation arrangement for a passenger includes an instrument panel having an elongated recessed compartment formed therein. The recessed compartment includes a front side open to a front side of the instrument panel and dimensioned to act as a unit case for an air bag module. The air bag module is sub-assembled and includes a base member shaped to act as a bracket within the recessed compartment, an inflater mounted within the base member and an air bag, which is folded in front of the inflater, and includes two extending edge portions wrapped around the outside of the base containing the inflater. The extending edge portions include bolt holes that engage weld bolts projected from the outer side of the base member. The weld bolts are then used to mount the base member within the recessed compartment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an air bag installation arrangement for a passenger of an automotive vehicle. Specifically, the present invention relates to an installation arrangment having an instrument panel, which may be adapted for vehicles with or without a passenger air bag.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been proposed, for installation of air bags for a passenger of an automotive vehicle, to install the air bag unit (i.e. an air bag and inflation device therefor operably mounted) in a recess provided in the instrument panel of the vehicle.
However, although the above arrangement provides favorable mounting characteristics for the passenger air bag, there is a drawback in that not every unit of a particular make of vehicle is designated to be equipped with a passenger air bag. Thus, assembly of vehicles having a passenger air bag requires a certain number of parts and assembly procedures different from those of vehicles of the same make and model to be delivered without a passenger air bag. Provision of different parts raises costs and impedes smooth assembly of such vehicle.
Accordingly, the present invention proposes an air bag installation arrangement for a vehicular passenger in which the same instrument panel may be used in assembly of vehicles with passenger air bags and those without.
In addition, in the case of certain vehicles, it is desirable that an instrument panel made of synthetic resin or the like, be molded in a single process. However, according to the related art, it is necessary to install an air bag unit separately of the instrument panel since an air bag inflation device generates heat levels high enough to damage or deform the synthetic resin.
Thus, it has been required to provide an air bag installation arrangement having major components adapted for both vehicles with and without passenger position air bags. It is further desirable to provide an air bag installation arrangement in which an inflation device and an air bag may be integrally installed with molded components.

Adaptable vehicular air bag installation arrangement


Fully automated method and apparatus are provided for labelling containers, including supplying and applying labels. A supply provides a web of preprinted labels which may be pre-perforated for easy separation. This web of labels is fed past a sensing device and an adhesive applicator. A clamp temporarily clamps the web in response to signals from the sensor during separation of the leading label from the web. The leading edge of each label is fed to a label-engaging station with the adhesive-coated surface facing the container to which it is to be applied. Conveyor means continually transport a sequence of individual containers to said station where the respective container contacts the adhesive-coated label end. Immediately, the container begins to be rolled in a labelling channel defined between a continuously revolving belt having a friction surface and an opposed stationary wall for wrapping the label firmly around the container rolling along this channel. Pinch means at the upstream end of this channel drive the respective container into firm contact with the adhesive-surface of the label end while pressing the outside of the label against the revolving belt, thereby commencing rolling the container within the channel. After a predetermined amount of wrapping, the web is temporarily clamped, and the label is separated from it. Following the label separation, the container continues to be rolled along the channel for completely wrapping the label securely. In an alternative embodiment, the label so wrapped may be heat sealed.

This invention relates to method and apparatus for automatically labelling containers, and more particularly to such method and apparatus for automatically applying labels to containers having a generally circular cylindrical body such that the containers can be rolled along a channel.
Labelling of containers particularly of the molded plastic variety having a generally circular cross-section is time-consuming and costly. Many labels in use today are supplied with pressure-sensitive adhesives which deteriorate with time and accordingly lose their adhesive qualities. In other words, the pressure-sensitive labels have a "limited shelf life". Such pressure-sensitive adhesive labels also cause problems in storing, are expensive and normally require a throw-away peelable backing strip for transporting and protecting the pressure-sensitive adhesive on the labels before use. When applying such labels, the backing strip must be removed before the label is mounted on the container, which is both time-consuming and a waste of the backing material and labor.
Another method employed in labelling cylindrical containers having circular cross-sections involves slightly stretching and slipping a pre-formed tubular label over the cylinder to be held thereon frictionally by being stretched around the cylinder. This type of labelling requires a difficult and time consuming manual operation as well as requiring pre-formed tubular labels of the proper critical size. If the tubular label is slightly too large, it is loose and slack and useless. If it is slightly too small, the exertion involved in stretching it around the container usually results in tearing or rupture of the label.

Method and apparatus for automatically labelling containers


A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a cell transistor; a bit line provided above the cell transistor; a magnetoresistive element provided above the bit line, a first end portion of the magnetoresistive element being electrically connected to the bit line; an intracell local interconnection provided above the magnetoresistive element, the intracell local interconnection coupling one of source and drain regions of the cell transistor to a second end portion of the magnetoresistive element; and a write word line provided above the intracell local interconnection, a portion between the write word line and the intracell local interconnection being filled with an insulator alone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device and a method of manufacturing the same and, more particularly, to a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a memory cell including a magnetoresistive element and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 73 is a sectional view showing a typical magnetic random access memory.
As shown in FIG. 73, a memory cell of a magnetic random access memory has a cell transistor and an MTJ (Magnetic Tunnel Junction) element 118 connected between a bit line 113-1 and one of source and drain regions 105 of the cell transistor. The other of the source and drain regions 105 of the cell transistor is connected to a source line 109-1 through a contact 107. A gate electrode 104 functions as a read word line.
The MTJ element 118 is connected to one of the source and drain regions 105 through an intracell local interconnection 121-1, contact 120, intracell via 113-2, contact 111, intracell via 109-2, and contact 107.
Conventionally, the MTJ element 118 is formed on the intracell local interconnection 121-1. A write word line 124-1 is formed under the intracell local interconnection 121-1. The bit line 113-1 is formed on the MTJ element 118.
However, the typical magnetic random access memory has some problems to be described below.
FIG. 74 is a sectional view for explaining the first problem of the typical magnetic random access memory.
As shown in FIG. 74, the write word line 124-1 is formed under the intracell local interconnection 121-1. For this reason, a thickness t1 of the intracell local interconnection 121-1 and a thickness t2 of a dielectric interlayer that insulates the intracell local interconnection 121-1 and write word line 124-1 from each other are present between the MTJ element 118 and the write word line 124-1. Hence, a distance D between the MTJ element 118 and the write word line 124-1 is large. When the distance D is large, it is difficult to efficiently apply the magnetic field from the write word line 124-1 to the MTJ element 118. This makes it hard to, e.g., write data.
To reduce the distance D, for example, the intracell local interconnection 121-1 is thinned. However, it is difficult to thin the intracell local interconnection 121-1 due to the following reason.
FIGS. 75A, 75B, and 75C are sectional views for explaining the second problem of the typical magnetic random access memory.
As shown in FIG. 75A, to form an MTJ element, a magnetic tunnel junction is formed from a ferromagnetic layer 114, insulating layer 115, and ferromagnetic layer 116. Then, a mask layer 117 corresponding to the formation pattern of the MTJ element is formed.
Next, as shown in FIG. 75B, the magnetic tunnel junction is etched using the mask layer 117 as a mask. At this time, a metal layer 121 that forms an intracell local interconnection functions as, e.g., an etching stopper. In this etching, if the metal layer 121 is thin, it may vanish, as shown in FIG. 75C. When the metal layer 121 vanishes, the intracell local interconnection cannot be formed.
Due to, e.g., the above reason, the intracell local interconnection 121-1 is hard to thin.
Even if the metal layer 121 does not vanish, it is etched, as shown in FIG. 75B. For this reason, the thickness of the metal layer 121 varies. The etching amount of the metal layer 121 is not always uniform in, e.g., the chip or wafer. Hence, the thickness of the metal layer 121 varies in a wide range. The wide-ranging variation in thickness of the metal layer 121 causes, e.g., a variation in resistance value of the intracell local interconnection 121-1.
If the resistance value of the intracell local interconnection 121-1 varies, the resistance value of a resistor 200 between the bit line 113-1 and the cell transistor also varies, as shown in the equivalent circuit diagram shown in FIG. 76. Such a variation in resistance value may influence, e.g., the reliability related to a data read.

Semiconductor integrated circuit device and method of manufacturing the same


A preformed lead frame includes a plurality of lead frame units and intersecting cutting paths extending between two adjacent rows of said lead frame units, and a molding layer. Each of the lead frame units includes a die pad, and a plurality of spaced-apart leads. Each of the cutting paths has a plurality of metallic connecting portions and etched grooves. The molding layer embeds the lead frame units and the connecting portions. Each of the etched grooves is indented from the top surface of the molding layer. A top open end of each of the etched grooves includes two opposite curved edges respectively meeting an adjacent one of the leads of one of the lead frame units and an adjacent one of the leads of the other one of the lead frame units.

A conventional flat no-lead package has no pins extending beyond edges of the package. Thus, it is beneficial for the flat no-lead package to have a size smaller than that of a leaded chip carrier package including a plurality of pins extending outwardly. However, exposed surfaces of the pins along the edges of the package may not provide sufficient wettable flanks to provide reliable electrical and mechanical connections to an external component, such as a printed circuit board (PCB) during a subsequent reflow soldering process.
Referring to FIG. 1, in order to improve the connection between the pins of the flat no-lead package and the external component, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0148877 A1 discloses a method for manufacturing an integrated circuit (IC) device in a quad flat no-lead (QFN) package and an IC device in a QFN package made from the same. The method includes encapsulating a lead frame formed with a rib connecting a plurality of pins 12 and an IC chip mounted on the leadframe, cutting a step cut into the encapsulated leadframe to form a groove 13 using a first saw width without separating a bonded IC package from the rib, forming an electroplated coating 14 on the exposed pins 12, and cutting the bonded IC package free from the rib using a second saw width less than the first saw width.
Formation of the step cut may increase the wettable flanks to enhance electrical and mechanical connections of the IC package to the external component during the reflow soldering process but involves the two cutting steps that are carried out posterior to the encapsulating operation of the lead frame and the IC chip. The manufacturing cost is relatively high and the manufacturing process is relatively complicated.


A tennis stoke practice device comprises a tube comprising a first end, a second end and a hollow interior. The first end and the second end are operable for joining of accessories. A grip-bud is removably joinable to the first end. The grip-bud is configured to close the hollow interior at the first end. A grip is joined to the tube to abut the grip-bud. The grip-bud and grip comprise an octagonal shape. A movable insert is configured for projectile movement through the hollow interior in which, during a desired swing of the device, a longitudinal axis of the movable insert is substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the hollow interior. During an undesired swing of the device, the longitudinal axis of the movable insert rotates out of alignment with the longitudinal axis of the hollow interior.

The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. In a game of tennis the ball typically travels very fast (i.e., one or two seconds to travel from one side of the court to the other side), and in many situations a player has no time to take a big swing or step. Taking a short and powered stroke and step while keeping the hands in front of the body is often an effective technique, which is contemplated to become a prominent feature in future games of tennis. It is believed that correct racquet and body position during a swing is best practiced without a ball and with some distinctive point of attention to give the player opportunity to learn, practice, remember and use the practiced techniques in an actual game. By way of educational background, an aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is that some currently existing devices for practicing a tennis swing comprise a movable object within a closed housing that creates a sound, for example, without limitation, by striking the interior of the housing or by pushing air through openings in the housing to create a whistling sound. Other current devices do not include a movable object and instead create a sound when a portion of the device vibrates or when air moves across particular areas of the device such as, but not limited to, holes or corrugated tubes.
In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.


This invention relates, e.g., to a method for enhancing exon skipping in a pre-mRNA of interest, comprising contacting the pre-mRNA with an effective amount of a small molecule selected from the compounds shown in Table 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, solvate, or isomer thereof, and, optionally, with an antisense oligonucleotide that is specific for a splicing sequence in the pre-mRNA Methods for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are disclosed.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal X-linked recessive disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness over a patient's lifetime [1]. It is the most common childhood form of muscular dystrophy affecting about 1 out of 3500 live male births worldwide [2]. DMD is primarily caused by out of frame multi-exon deletions in the DMD gene that ablate dystrophin protein production [3]. Dystrophin is an essential component of the dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC), which functions in linking the actin cytoskeleton to extracellular matrix to provide sarcolemmal stability in the context of muscle contraction. The DGC also plays a role recruiting and organizing signal transducers at the sarcolemmal membrane. Both of these activities are required for muscle cell health, and thus the absence of dystrophin leads to progressive loss of muscle function. Dystrophin binds to actin via N-terminal sequences and to b dystroglycan within the DGC via carboxyl terminal domains, whereas the central portion of the protein consists of a rod domain containing multiple spectrin repeats. Deletions within the central rod domain that preserve the reading frame can produce an internally deleted dystrophin protein that retains some functionality and localizes to the membrane within the DGC [4]. Typically, the more mild allelic disorder, Becker muscular dystrophy, results from DMD mutations in the rod domain which remain in—frame 3′ of the deletion and produce a functional dystrophin protein [5]. There are no curative therapies for DMD, and the only demonstrated pharmacological treatment is corticosteroids, which may prolong ambulation for up to 3 years, but with substantial side effects [6]. An emerging therapy, exon skipping, targets individual exons with antisense oligos (AOs) for exclusion from mRNA based on an individual's known genomic DNA mutation with the goal to change out-of-frame mutations into in-frame DMD deletions that restore the reading frame in dystrophin mRNA and allow translation of dystrophin protein. FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of antisense-mediated therapeutic exon skipping. AOs have been successfully demonstrated to promote DMD exon skipping and restore dystrophin protein expression in mice, dogs and humans in recent clinical trials [7-12]. High dose, chronic administration of an exon 23 directed AO in the mdx mouse demonstrated substantial disease reduction highlighting the tremendous promise of this therapy for DMD in humans [13]. A series of AOs are under development for human use and about half of all DMD patients could be treated with the targeting of 6 different exons (51, 45, 53, 44, 52, 50) in the most frequently deleted portion of the gene between exons 45-53 [14]. For instance, DMD exon 51 skipping will be appropriate for about 13% of all DMD patients, and is the first in clinical trials with two different backbone chemistries, 2′-O-methyl phosphorothioate and morpholino phosphorodiamidate (PMO), both of which have shown promising results [8-10]. These studies are paving the way in personalized genetic medicine.
Recent phase 1-2a clinical trial results utilizing systemic 2′-O-methyl modified AO directed against DMD exon 51 (Pro051) rescued dystrophin protein at levels ranging from 1.8-15.6% of normal [8]. A modest improvement in the 6 minute walk test at 48 weeks was observed with weekly subcutaneous dosing of 6 mg/kg in a non-placebo controlled extension trail, but it remains to be determined if the levels of dystophin produced are sufficient to impart substantial functional utility or longterm protection of muscle [15]. Morpholino AO directed against exon 51 (AVI-4658) resulted in dystrophin rescue with up to 55% of myofibers induced to be dystrophin positive after 12 weeks of therapy in humans. However, the total amount of dystrophin induced was generally low, at 0-27% of normal [16]. Further, DMD exon skipping efficacy and dystrophin expression varies across patients, and muscle types.
There is a need for an improvement in exon skipping therapy that would result in more total dystrophin expression and broader effect in multiple muscle groups. For example, synergistic treatments that would permit equal efficacy with reduced AO dose, accompanied by lower toxicity, could substantially impact the practicality of the chronic administration of expensive to produce oligonucleotides [17].

Identification of small molecules that facilitate therapeutic exon skipping

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA


An automatically reversing, self-cleaning electric switch preferably for use in miniature, electronic aggregates such as hearing aids comprises a box (1) manufactured from electrically insulating material with a pushing rod (2) also from electrically insulating material mounted in the upper end of the box, a U-formed spring (4) fastened in a hollow space within the pushing rod and spring legs (5,6) which depending on the position of the pushing rod may rest against one or more end terminals (7,8,9) mounted in the lower part of the box for disconnecting or connecting a current through the switch. The resilient force of the U-formed spring causes the pushing rod to revert automatically to a center or zero position when no outer force is applied to the rod and a self-cleaning effect is obtained through the spring legs (5,6) resting slidingly against the terminals (7,8,9).

Electric, automatically reversing switches are known from for example German Patent Publication Nos. 2636632 and 3338452 and from U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,062 and 3,408,463, and although none of these publications seems to disclose switches intended for use in miniature electronic devices. The automatically reversing effect is imparted to the thus known automatically reversing switches either by a resilient force produced by constructing the end terminals as spring elements with which the lower end of the push rod is brought into contact when moved from its neutral position, or by use of a particular additional spring mechanism mounted in the upper part of the switch box, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,688,062 and 3,408,463. This is especially the case in the switch according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,463, which discloses a double-pole, double-throw electric switch for the reversing operation of a permanent magnetic motor and where the size of and clearance required by the springs or spring mechanisms in the switch box makes the switching mechanism as a whole relatively complex and space consuming, and a minimization, if any, for use in electronic miniature devices would thus encounter major problems when faced with the requirement to provide a simple and safely operating mechanism of very small outer dimensions the size of which should be comprised within about 3-4 min.
A hitherto use volume control in hearing aids is known from Danish Patent Publication No. 134876 wherein in a rotating potentiometer of very small outer dimensions is provided by a particular construction comprising a circular potentiometer resistance sheet divided into material sections having mutually different specific resistance and across which sections a sliding contact may be conductively connecting that portion of the sheet which corresponds to a desired volume control. Despite this minimized construction the rotating potentiometer in question and the accessory adjusting button are too large for incorporating into another unit, for example, the amplifier unit of a hearing aid, and consequently it should be included as a separate unit which contributes undesirably to an increase in the outer dimensions of the hearing aid aggregate.


A connector functioning as an endoscope connector includes an outer cylinder member, an inner cylinder member, and an urging member. The outer cylinder member includes a channel, an inner circumferential section provided in an inner circumference of the channel, and an inner circumferential section provided further on the outflow port side than the inner circumferential section. The inner cylinder member includes an advancing/retracting section disposed to be capable of advancing and retracting along the channel and having an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the inner circumferential section, an O-shaped ring disposed in an outer circumference of the advancing/retracting section and configured to fill a gap between the advancing/retracting section and the inner circumferential section when the advancing/retracting section is disposed in the inner circumferential section, and a through-path that pierces through the advancing/retracting section along the channel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope connector and an endoscope reprocessor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscopes have been widely used for in-vivo tests and treatments. Since an endoscope is inserted into a body, the endoscope is cleaned after use. An endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus for cleaning the endoscope has also been widely used.
In the cleaning of the endoscope by the endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus, not only a surface of the endoscope but also insides of respective conduits provided on an inside of the endoscope are cleaned. Therefore, respective pipe sleeves communicating with the respective conduits in the endoscope and the endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as cleaning apparatus as well) are connected by a cleaning tube, which is an endoscope connector, a cleaning solution, a disinfecting solution, a rinsing solution, and the like are fed into the respective conduits of the endoscope, whereby the insides of the respective conduits are cleaned and disinfected.
The endoscope connector, which connects the cleaning apparatus and the pipe sleeves of the endoscope, and the cleaning apparatus explained above are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-299697.
The cleaning apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-299697 includes a flow-rate measuring section that measures a flow rate of fluid delivered to the endoscope connector and includes a configuration that notifies, when a measurement result of the flow rate is outside a range of a set value, a user of the measurement result.
The cleaning apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-299697 measures the flow rate of the fluid delivered to the endoscope connector making use of a phenomenon in which a difference occurs in the flow rate of the fluid delivered from the cleaning apparatus to the endoscope connector when a pipe sleeve coupling section, that is, a connector section of the endoscope connector is correctly attached to the pipe sleeve of the endoscope and when the connector section of the endoscope connector is off the pipe sleeve. The cleaning apparatus compares the flow rate with the set value to thereby determine whether the connector section of the endoscope connector is correctly attached to the pipe sleeve of the endoscope.
In order for the cleaning apparatus explained above to correctly determine that the connector section of the endoscope connector is off the pipe sleeve, the difference in the flow rate is desirably large.

Endoscope connector and endoscope reprocessor


A technique is provided for pumping fluid in subsea applications, such as booster pumping applications. A self-contained pumping module has a pump and a motor mounted on a skid. The self-contained pumping module also includes electrical connections by which electrical power can be provided to the motor and hydraulic connections for connecting suitable hydraulic lines with a pump intake and a pump discharge. The self-contained nature of the pumping module enables easy deployment to a sea floor in a variety of applications.

In a variety of subsea applications, fluids are pumped from one region to another. For example, fluid can be produced upwardly from a subsea well, or fluid can be directed through subsea flowlines or injected into subsea wells. Sometimes existing pumping equipment is not adequate for a given task, and boosting pumps and equipment are added to the subsea equipment to facilitate the pumping applications. However, existing subsea pumping equipment used for boosting pumping capacity can be difficult and expensive to construct and/or use in the subsea environment.

Subsea pumping system including a skid with wet matable electrical and hydraulic connections


PCT No. PCT/SE78/00092 Sec. 371 Date Aug. 10, 1979 Sec. 102(e) Date Aug. 10, 1979 PCT Filed Dec. 11, 1978 PCT Pub. No. WO79/00375 PCT Pub. Date June 28, 1979. A bulk material is treated in a drum rotating in a bulk of the bulk material to be treated. The drum (16, 68) is provided with feeding-in openings (28, 70) in the cylindrical face of the drum. The bulk material tumbles around in the drum and is conveyed towards a discharge part in one end of the drum by means of a worm conveyor in the drum rotating in opposite direction to the drum. A treatment fluid is introduced into the drum through apertures (11a, 85) in the shaft of the worm conveyor. After the fluid has treated the bulk material in the drum it is led away through the same openings (28, 70) as those through which the bulk material is continuously being fed into the drum. Further the fluid advances up into the bulk of bulk material which therethrough also is treated before the material is fed into the drum. The method and the apparatus is particularly intended for treating pulp wood chips, e.g. for presteaming chips and for washing chips. In the former case one or more drums are provided horizontally in a container for the chip material, closely above the bottom of the container. In the latter case the drum is provided slopingly for conveying the chip material up through the container at the same time as the chip material is being washed.

The Swedish Pat. No. 221 188 discloses a method and an apparatus for cleaning chopped cellulose chip material from accompanying foreign particles. The apparatus comprises a dewatering device equipped with a worm conveyor which suitably is inclined and surrounded by a perforated wall. During the course of the chip being fed upwards in the worm conveyor finer impurities such as sand particles are separated. The separated particles pass through the perforated wall together with the water and are fed through a conduit to a sand trap. The perforations of the partition wall are adapted to the size of the impurities which shall be removed, which means that the size of the perforations is chosen such that the chips essentially cannot pass therethrough but substantially proceed upwards and are delivered to an outlet. Due to the fact that the chip material is fed in at one end and discharged at the other end without being able to pass through the perforated wall the bulk of chip material in the helicoidal passage-way through the worm conveyor will be comparatively compact. Nor does the worm to any significant extent tumble around the bulk of chips in the conveyor, and therefore the washing of the chips during the transportation of same through the conveyor will not be highly efficient.
The Swedish Pat. No. 171 489 discloses an apparatus for drying malt or other lump material. The apparatus comprises a rotatable cylindric drum through which the material to be dried is brought to pass from one gable to the other. The rotating drum is surrounded by a fixed drum so that a sectioned annular space is formed between the drums. Air for drying the material in the inner drum is fed in and led away through the semi-circular channels in the annular space. Further there is provided a central worm in the inner drum for conveying the material. The apparatus has i.a. the limitation that the outer drum excludes the possibility of treating material also outside the rotating drum simultaneous with the treatment of material inside the drum. The apparatus also is based on the principle that the apertures in the perforated drum are so small that only the treatment fluid, in this case air, can pass through the apertures but not the material to be treated. The latter therefore cannot pass in or out through the cylindrical wall of the drum during the treatment which renders any homogenous feeding-in of new material along the perforated length of the drum impossible at the same time as finished material is discharged through the end of the drum.
In certain respects similar but in still higher degree closed systems are shown in the Norwegian Pat. No. 27 159 and the Danish Pat. No. 15 876.
Further there is disclosed in the Swedish Pat. No. 398 633 an apparatus for discharging vessels. The apparatus comprises a vertical fixed non-perforated drum with a central worm conveyor. The shaft of the worm conveyor is perforated so that compressed air or other fluid can be injected through the shaft into the helicoidal passage way of the conveyor which facilitates the transportation through the drum. But due to the fact that the drum is fixed it is nor by means of this apparatus as in the apparatus according to the Swedish Pat. No. 221 188 achieved any tumbling action, and as the apparatus moreover is totally encased, i.e. non-perforated, there is nor achieved any interaction with or affect upon the environment of the drum.

Method for treating a bulk material with a fluid

162
FSC 366
FSC 8
FSC 34
FSC 209
FSC 426


An electrostatic discharge (ESD)-triggered protection apparatus includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit includes an ESD trigger circuit to sense an ESD pulse and to generate a switching pulse responsive to the ESD pulse; a first ESD discharge device communicatively coupled to the ESD trigger circuit and responsive to the switching pulse to transfer a current generated by the ESD pulse to the ground rail; a control circuit that generates a control signal in response to the switching pulse. The second circuit includes at least one trigger cell buffer that is configured to receive the control signal and to control a second ESD discharge device such that the current generated by the ESD pulse is transferred to the ground rail.

Semiconductor integrated circuits utilizing high impedance transistor technologies such as metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) technologies are known to be vulnerable to ESD. ESD "events" may include the so-called "human body model" (HBM) type of event. See e.g., JEDEC Standard JS-001-2012, JOINT JEDEC/ESDA STANDARD FOR ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE SENSITIVITY TEST-HUMAN BODY MODEL (HBM)-COMPONENT LEVEL (2012) for additional information about HBM. A person may accumulate static electrical charge on the surface of his or her body, generally through the rubbing together of dissimilar articles of clothing, shoes rubbing against carpet, clothing rubbing against a car seat when entering or exiting a vehicle, etc., particularly at times of low relative humidity. An HBM ESD event occurs when the person subsequently touches a conductor, including perhaps an electronic circuit and discharges the accumulated charge to and through circuit components. Such components may be subject to damage by a resulting discharge pulse of 1000 volts or more with a discharge time of several hundred nanoseconds.
In an integrated circuit, different chip applications may require different levels of ESD protection for ensuring adequate reliability through the manufacturing process. ESD protection devices utilizing a metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) as a discharge device between voltage rails are known. A MOSFET designed for such purpose typically includes a wide, short current channel that is able to conduct several amperes of current produced by a typical ESD event. The transistors (also known as clamps) are triggered with an ESD transient and shunt the ESD current between the power rails. The current handling capability of the MOSFET should be changed to handle the currents associated with different ESD levels. These MOSFETs can be sized to handle the expected ESD current. Less current allows the clamp width to be reduced. The general practice is to design a single ESD solution for the highest level of ESD protection required, but this means that applications with less stringent requirements have inefficient use of layout area. Thus, it is desirable to have an ESD protection apparatus that caters to varying levels of ESD protection.

Electrostatic discharge protection apparatus


A pivot joint includes two mounting plates respectively fixedly fastened to two parts of an apparatus and coupled together by a rivet for enabling the two mounting plates to be turned relative to each other, an axle sleeve mounted on the rivet between the two mounting plates, a first washer and a second washer respectively mounted on the rivet and attached to one mounting plate at two opposite sides, wherein the axle sleeve has an embossed end edge at one end disposed in contact with the second mounting plate and a recessed coupling hole at an opposite end; the rivet is a stepped rivet having a shoulder from the head thereof and fitted into the recessed coupling hole at the axle sleeve, an annular groove at the head around the shoulder, and a plain end axially extended from the shoulder and inserted through the axle sleeve and the first and second mounting plates and hammered down to form another head; the second washer is made of friction rubber and mounted in the annular groove at the head of the rivet, having a plurality of raised portions raised from one side thereof and disposed in close contact with the first mounting plate.

The present invention relates to a pivot joint for use in a computer, and more particularly to such a pivot joint which can be positively positioned at any of a series of angles.
FIGS. 1A and 1B show a prior art pivot joint for use in for example a notebook computer. This structure of pivot joint comprises a first mounting plate 1 fixedly fastened to the mainframe of the notebook, a second mounting plate 2 fixedly fastened to the cover of the notebook, an axle sleeve 5 coupled between the first mounting plate 1 and the second mounting plate 2, two metal washers 4 attached to the first mounting plate 1 at two opposite sides, a rivet 6 mounted in respective holes 7 at the second mounting plate 2, the axle sleeve 5, the metal washers 4 and the first mounting plate 1, and a locating ring 3 fastened to the end of the rivet 6. The plain end of the rivet 6 is hammered down to form a head after installation of the locating ring 3. This structure of pivot joint is still not satisfactory in function because of the following drawbacks. One drawback of this structure of pivot joint is that the metal washers 4 wear gradually with the use of the pivot joint. When the metal washers 4 start to wear, the connection between the first mounting plate 1 and the second mounting plate 2 become unstable. Another drawback of this structure of pivot joint is its complicated structure. Because this structure of pivot joint consists of a number of parts, its manufacturing cost is relatively high. Furthermore, because the metal washers 4 are rigid and not flexible, they do not provide sufficient resisting force to positively support the second mounting plate 2 on the first mounting plate 1 at a particular angle.


Certain embodiments of the disclosure include planers with side plates which may be adjusted independently or simultaneously. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a planer with adjustable side plates is comprised of a planer housing enclosing a grinding drum with grinding tools to be moved over a surface to be ground in a direction of travel and a pair of side plates are arranged substantially parallel to the direction of travel and mounted substantially adjacent the housing. The side plates are mechanically linked to the housing and are hydraulically controlled to be adjustably raised and lowered relative to the housing.

In normal use, a skid-steer loader has a loader bucket pivotally attached to two front lift arms. Optionally, the loader bucket of a skid-steer loader may be removed and alternate or auxiliary implements such as a cold planer may be attached to grind hard surfaces such as road surfaces of concrete or asphalt. In some embodiments it is desirable for the planer to have side plates to minimize the projection of cut material or debris from the grinding portions. In certain uses, it is desirable to have adjustable side plates to adjustably control the cutting depth, to minimize the discharge of debris during use and to maintain a desired cutting alignment. Adjustable side plates also allow for compensation to maintain the side plates in close alignment with the surface when and/or if the support vehicle alignment changes. In certain embodiments it may be desirable for the side plates to automatically compensate to maintain a close alignment with the surface when the planer grinding depth is adjusted.
Certain embodiments of the present invention address these issues.


A device for separating air entrained in, and associated with, liquid being pumped. The device comprises a tank member communicating with the intake chamber of a liquid pump and with a vacuum pump. Disposed within the tank member is an open container member having a liquid conduit connected with the intake chamber of the liquid pump. Integrally connected with the top of the tank member is a baffle member which extends downwardly into the container member in such manner that liquid flowing into the container from the tank member flows downwardly between the inner surface of the container and the outer surface of the baffle. Disposed within the container are means responsive to the level of the liquid within the container member. A first valve member responsive to the movement of the liquid level is provided for the discharge of gases into a gas exhaust chamber and out of the device through the vacuum pump. A second valve connected with the atmosphere is disposed in the exhaust chamber and operatively connected to the first valve member in such manner that said second valve is open to the flow of air from the atmosphere when the first valve is closed.

The invention relates to a device for separating gases entrained with liquids being pumped. More specifically, the invention relates to a device for use in connection with well-head pumps for separating gases from the liquid being pumped. Still more particularly, the invention is concerned with a device for use in wellpoint dewatering systems.
Liquids pumped from below ground level generally contains an amount of air entrained with the liquid. Pumps designed to pump liquids from underground wells are hindered by the problem of separating gases present with the liquid to permit non-aerated liquid to reach the pump. Most well-head pumps are of the centrifugal type which can only reach maximum efficiency when gas free liquids are pumped since the denser liquid enables the pump to move a greater volume of fluid in a given period of time. In any pumping system, the capability of handling large volumes of gases is extremely desirable, for example, a ground dewatering wellpoint system often encounters a situation where the volume of water to be pumped is relatively small compared with the volume of gases extracted. In such systems, i.e., low water volume, it is desirable to connect a number of wellpoints by means of a manifold to a single well-head pump system. The limiting factor, however, is the volume of air that the pumping system can handle. Accordingly, the larger the number of wellpoints that can be handled by a single pump system, the more efficient and economical the operation.
Prior art liquid pumping systems have generally included some method and/or device for separating gases entrained in, and gases present with, the liquid being pumped. Heretofore, none of the known methods and devices have been completely successful in removal of the gases prior to the liquid entering the pump. One of the prior art techniques is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,318,251 to Moore, wherein a centrifugal pump is employed to drive water and a vacuum pump to effect discharge of air entrained in the water. A float member is disposed in a pipe which controls a valve. The valve, responsive to the rise of water in the pipe, controls introduction of air at atmospheric pressure into the pipe, thus reducing the vacuum provided by the vacuum pump.
Other techniques include such systems and devices as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,303 to Allen et al and U.S. Pat. No. 2,322,910 to Adney et al which disclose modifications of the system taught in Moore (supra) wherein a double valve structure carried by a water-operated float member and disposed within a water-containing chamber is used to seal the chamber from the intake of liquid and vent the vacuum source to air at atmospheric pressure when a rise in the water level causes the float member to rise.
A serious disadvantage of prior art gas and liquid handling valves and pumps resides in the fact that when the air handling pump uses oil to effect a seal, as is common in most vacuum pumps used today, droplets of water and moisture laden air from prior art wellpoint valves will tend to mix with the oil thereby creating sludge and contaminating the oil feed to the air handling pump. While the techniques, devices and systems heretofore proposed and used in the art have ameliorated the situation to some extent, none have provided a simple device which substantially completely separates all gases entrained in, and with, the liquid well ahead of where the gas enters the intake of the air handling and liquid pumps and includes means for automatically controlling the level of liquid within the device so as to prevent the liquid from entering the air handling pump.


A method of forming a shallow trench isolation (STI), region in a semiconductor substrate featuring a process sequence that results in desired rounded corners for the sides of active device regions located butting the STI region, has been developed. The process sequence features formation of, followed by removal of, a silicon dioxide layer which was thermally grown in a top portion of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the top portion of semiconductor was subjected to an ion implantation procedure prior to the oxidation procedure. The above process sequence results in a recessed portion of semiconductor located adjacent to unoxidized portions of semiconductor which underlay an oxidation resistant shape, and feature rounded corners. Insulator spacers are then formed on the sides of the oxidation resistant shape, overlying and protecting the rounded comers of subsequent active device regions from a dry etch procedure used to selectively define a shallow trench shape in the exposed semiconductor region. Insulator filling and planarization procedures result in the formation of an STI region, located adjacent to active device regions which feature the desired rounded corners.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods use to fabricate semiconductor devices, and more specifically to a method of forming shallow trench isolation (STI), regions, with improved comer rounding at the STI-semiconductor interface.
(2) Description of Prior Art
The advent of micro-miniaturization, or the ability to fabricate semiconductor devices with sub-micron features, has resulted in the migration from LOCOS, (local oxidation of silicon), isolation technology to an STI isolation technology. Narrow active device regions, comprised with sub-micron features become difficult to maintain when isolation regions are formed via LOCOS technology. Birds beak formation, or encroachment of the silicon dioxide isolation region obtained via thermal oxidation procedures, into the adjacent silicon regions result in undesirable consumption of the designed active device region. The use of STI allows the design dimensions of the active device region to be maintained due to the absence of a thermal oxidation procedure used to grow a thick silicon dioxide isolation region. The STI regions are formed via definition of shallow trench shapes in a top portion of a semiconductor substrate, followed by insulator filling and planarization procedures.
The STI technology while not consuming adjacent silicon of an active device region, however presents other unwanted phenomena, again at the isolation region-semiconductor interface. The dry etch procedures used to define the shallow trench shapes in a top portion of the semiconductor substrate, create a sharp corner in the active device region at the STI-semiconductor interface. The sharp corner can result in an unwanted high electric field region for the active device region, translating to deleterious device parameters such as sub-threshold leakage.
This invention will describe a novel process sequence for fabrication of STI regions, in which corner rounding of adjacent active device regions is reduced. This is accomplished via use of a combination of process steps, such as formation and removal of a thin LOCOS region, and insulator spacer formation performed prior to definition of the shallow trench shapes. Prior art, such as Gambino et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,276, Reinberg, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,265,281 B1, Jang et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,018, and Lin et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,532 B1, describe methods of forming STI regions as well as methods addressing corner rounding. None of these prior art however describe the novel process sequence used in the present invention, in which a combination of steps such as thin LOCOS formation and removal and formation of sidewall spacers, are employed prior to definition of the shallow trench shapes.
It is an object of this invention to form STI regions in a top portion of a semiconductor substrate, wherein the STI regions are located adjacent to active device regions which feature rounded comers at the active device regionxe2x80x94STI interface.
It is another object of this invention to form and then remove, a thin, LOCOS region from a top surface of a first region of semiconductor to be used to accommodate an STI region, resulting in rounded corners for an adjacent, second region of semiconductor to be used for an active device region.
It is still another object of the invention to form insulator spacers on the sides of an insulator shape overlying the active device region, with the insulator spacers overlying a portion of the rounded corners of the active device region.
It is still yet another object of this invention to define the shallow trench shapes in a top portion of the first region of semiconductor, in an area in which the first region of semiconductor is not covered by the insulator spacers.
In accordance with the present invention a method of forming an STI region in a top portion of a semiconductor substrate, in which corner rounding of the portion of active device region located adjacent to the STI region is obtained, is described. After formation of an opening in a oxidation resistant material exposing a first region of semiconductor, an ion implantation procedure is performed to prepare the first region of semiconductor for an oxidation procedure. Formation of a thin LOCOS region in the implanted, first region of semiconductor is followed by removal of the thin LOCOS region, resulting in a recessed first region of semiconductor featuring rounded corners in an adjacently located second region of semiconductor, the subsequent active device region now underlying the oxidation resistant shape. Insulator spacers are formed on the sides of the oxidation resistant shape, overlying the rounded corners of the recessed, first region or semiconductor. Definition of a shallow trench shape is next accomplished in the portion of the recessed, first region of semiconductor, not covered by the insulator spacers. After thermal growth of an insulator liner layer on the exposed surfaces of the shallow trench shape, additional insulator layer is deposited completely filling the shallow trench opening. Selective removal of unwanted portions of the deposited insulator layer from the top surface of the oxidation resistant shape, results in an STI region located adjacent to an active device region, wherein the active device region in turn features rounded corners overlaid by insulator spacers.

Method of forming shallow trench isolation regions with improved corner rounding

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.


A means for placing freshly mixed concrete on the ocean floor at great des. A pipeline is grossly positioned by a ship whereas the position of the submerged end is controlled by guide wires, water jets, props, etc. The discharge device at the end of the pipeline includes a slip joint, a tank flooded with seawater to maintain the pipe end submerged a certain distance in the concrete, and an expansion chamber where the velocity of the concrete being discharged is reduced. Deflector means at the pipe end directs the concrete laterally and negates the vertical lift component of the discharging concrete.

This invention relates to a system and means for placing concrete on the ocean floor at great depths.
Applications for placing concrete in the deep ocean are basically in three areas: in situ construction of anchors and foundations for fixed ocean facilities, in situ hardening of structures or objects on the seafloor, and containment of hazardous or polluting substances for environmental protection. Such applications require portland cement concrete to be placed underwater in quantities of hundreds and thousands of cubic yards in water depths as great as 20,000 feet.
Presently available prior art methods for placing concrete on the seafloor only provide the following capabilities: concrete can be placed on the seafloor or in open forms in water depths to about 400 feet; grouts, which are cement slurries or cement-sand slurries, can be placed underwater in open forms to similar depths; also grouts can be placed underwater at much greater depths, thousands of feed, but only if placed in confined spaces where the flow can be controlled by back pressure, as in an oil well. In general, for most structural applications concrete is superior to grout and costs less. Concrete, which contains larger aggregates than grout, has better structural properties, is heavier and in some cases can be placed without forms which would result in major cost savings.
The most practical way to provide for large holding capacities on the order of 2 to 20 million pounds for fixed ocean facilities in most deep ocean seafloors is to use very large deadweight anchors. In certain hard seafloors, large anchor forces may be best provided by clusters or piles drilled into the bottom and connected together with large pile caps.
A 20 million pound capacity deadweight concrete anchor would have a submerged weight of about 40 million pounds and thus be about 160 feet in diameter by 20 feet thick. This is comparable to the quantity of concrete in a large building mat foundation or a bridge pier but is small compared to a concrete offshore oil platform or a deadweight anchorage for a suspension bridge cable.
Prior methods do not exist for the deployment of large deadweight anchors since the loads are beyond the capacity of existing heavy lift equipment. A number of drill ships exist that can lift about one million pounds in deep water, and a few crane barges are available rated at 6 million pounds for surface or shallow water lifts. One ship in the world, the Glomar Explorer, has had the capability to lift a design load of 8 million pounds from a depth of 17,000 feet. Two or three other recently developed mining ships have deep water lift capacities greater than the drill ships' but much less than the Glomar Explorer's. Outfitting barges or mining ships or re-outfitting the Glomar Explorer for multi-million pound anchor deployment would be very expensive.
A method has been proposed for free-fall emplacement of large deadweight anchors in deep water where seafloor site conditions are favorable. However, this method is designed for applications in which precise positioning is not critical, such as a single point deep ocean mooring but is not appropriate for cases where more precise positioning is important, for example, placing an object at a predetermined seafloor position or placing objects in close proximity to each other. Free-falling is not an appropriate emplacement technique for all sites at which very large deadweight anchors would be used but only for those sites with a soft seafloor at a fairly flat slope.
An alternative to lowering or free-falling a massive anchor is a combination of pre-fabrication and in-situ placement of the present invention as hereinafter described below.
If an object of strategic significance is lost on the seafloor, a decision to salvage the object could be expensive, particularly if the object is lost in deep water and is very large, such as a ship or craft that is too heavy to lift in toto.
Concrete placement makes another option available for consideration. Rather than salvaging the object it can be encapsulated in place on the seafloor by covering it with concrete (FIG. 1). The purpose is to sequester the object in such a way as to deny observation, access or removal of portions of it by others. The operational cost savings for encasing a ship-sized object is substantial compared to a recovery operation.
For many smaller-sized objects, in situ hardening has application where concrete encasement is faster and costs less than recovery.
Another application of hardening is the stabilization of ocean cables and pipelines on firm seafloors in deep water. The purpose is to prevent accidental damage which is caused mostly by trawlers and, importantly, to preclude purposeful damage. At the present time, cables and pipes are protected by burial in those seabottoms soft enough to be trenched. In bottoms not suitable for trenching other protective methods are needed. In some cases, pre-cast concrete covers have been placed over seafloor cables to stabilize them on a firm bottom.
Still another application of placing concrete on the seafloor is to cover or contain hazardous substances for the purpose of isolating them from the environment. Again, this is an alternative to recovery. A hazardous material incident could involve radioactive materials from a nuclear power source. Another example is containment of hazardous materials dumped in the ocean in the past and presenting a potential problem in the present. Leakage problems if they arose could be resolved in many instances by encasement in concrete.
A number of state-of-the-art methods exist for transporting concrete and similar materials by pipeline and for placing them underwater as are discussed briefly, below.
Tremie Method: The construction industry regularly places large quantities of concrete underwater by tremie methods at depths of tens of feet to one or two hundred feet in protected waters for bridge piers and other waterfront type structures. Concrete falls by gravity through open pipes and is placed in forms or confined space. Flow rate is controlled by depth of burial of the lower end of the tremie in the concrete. Good quality concrete is regularly produced using established mix designs and operating procedures. Maximum depth of placement underwater to date is about 400 feet. Major limitations on going deeper are difficulties in starting the flow and maintaining control of the flow without runaway of the high slump concrete in the typically 12-inch or greater diameter pipe. Special approaches have been tried such as foot valves and pipe-within-pipe methods but these do not promise an order-of-magnitude increase in depth capability without considerable development of relatively complex methods. Also, the total weight of tremie pipes filled with concrete becomes very great with increasing depths.
Bucket Method: Large and small quantities of concrete have been successfully placed underwater by covered, bottom-opening buckets of up to several cubic yard capacity. Bucket-placement is used primarily in relatively shallow water although depth is restricted more by operational considerations than by technical limitations. Stiffer concrete, with larger aggregate (up to several inches diameter), can be placed by bucket than by tremie. Specially designed bucket methods have been proposed that would be suitable for placing small but not large quantities of concrete in the deep ocean.
Concrete Pumping: Pumping concrete through pipelines of 2-inch to 8-inch diameter is a well-established practice on land or horizontal distances of 1,000 feet or greater and vertical distances of several hundred feet upward. Reliable equipment and experienced operators are available; mix design is well known to produce pumpable, good quality concrete. Difficulties that do occur are usually due to not following standard procedures, for example, attempting to save costs by using borderline materials, equipment or practices, or are due to operational delays.
Pumping downhill is often troublesome and is not frequently done. However, in some instances, concrete has been pumped down for placement underwater in water depths to about 200 feet. In pumping downhill, it is important to avoid the formation of air pockets and voids in the pipeline. Both large air bubbles and voids can disrupt the flow and cause segregation of the mix which in turn causes blockage of the pipeline. A bleed valve at the high point at the pipeline is used to vent air during initial filling of the pipe with concrete, after which the valve is closed. Flow is then maintained under continuous positive pressure to prevent formation of voids.
Pumping methods offer the potential for an order-of-magnitude increase in water depths at which concrete can be placed provided that means are used to maintain a positive pressure continuously throughout the fully-filled pipe and to control the flow rate, and the characteristics of the fresh concrete required for the controlled flow in the pipeline is compatible with the concrete characteristics required after the concrete is discharged from the pipe at the seafloor. The placement method discussed herein uses a closed system, pumping approach.
Pumping Grouts and Mortars: Grouts is a mixture of either cement and water (neat cement grout) or cement, water, and sand (sand grout), both having a fluid consistency. Mortar is a mixture of cement, water, and sand usually of a stiffer consistency than grout. Grouts and mortars often contain admixtures to control setting, minimize bleeding, or otherwise affect the material characteristics. Grouts and many mortars are readily pumped.
Grouts are regularly pumped through small (e.g., 1-inch) diameter pipes and placed in confined spaces for many construction applications, such as repair of concrete, encasement of post-tensioning tendons, and construction of water cut-off curtains under dams.
Grout pumping is also used for underwater concreting by the preplaced aggregate method by which large quantities of concrete have been successfully placed to depths greater than 100 feet for construction of large bridge piers and other purposes. The coarse aggregate is placed in forms and then intruded with a fluid grout through pre-positioned grout pipes. This method might be adapted to deep ocean placement but probably would require a complex operation since separate placement system would be needed for the forms, the aggregate and the grout. Such a method would be limited to applications using forms or other confined space.
Large quantities of grout, on the order of 10,000 cubic yards, have been placed under offshore gravity-type structures located in water depths to 450 feet. The purpose is to provide uniform bearing on the seafloor and to minimize settlement, especially differential settlement. Grouts used for this purpose develop low strengths and are placed in confined chambers.
Probably the largest deep placement operation was one in which more than 1,300,000 cubic yards of 3/8-inch maximum size aggregate mortar were pumped downward about 1,000 feet into a large water-filled cavity under a dam. The purpose was to fill an enclosed void. Structural grade concrete was not required.
Cementing Oil Wells: Sophisticated above-ground and down-hole equipment, materials and procedures have been developed to cement oil wells to depths of 20,000 feet or more under conditions of high pressure and high temperature. Practices are limited to placing cement slurries in confined holes using the back pressure of the drilling fluid to control flow. Concrete is not used. Cement slurries are typically water, cement and various specialized admixtures. For certain purposes, such as increasing the unit weight of the grout, fine sand is sometimes used. The maximum sand grain size that can be accommodated by pumps and down-hole equipment is about 1/8-inch diameter. Sand, when used, is typically smaller than number 20 size; i.e., about 1/30-inch in diameter.
Well cementing methods have been adapted to some offshore platform construction: grouting platform pin-piles to the seafloor and grouting in anchor piles. On one occasion a number of bell-bottomed reinforced concrete piles of 31/2-foot diameter belled out to 9- to 15-feet diameter at the bottom end were constructed in a total depth of about 500 feet. A grout with maximum sand size of 1/30th of an inch was pumped into a drilled hole (which contained the steel reinforcing cage) to displace a weighted mud slurry.
Combined theoretical and empirical methods are used to predict the flow behavior in a pipeline of cement slurry treated as a non-Newtonian fluid. Flow calculations utilize experimentally determined coefficients related to slurry viscosity in laminar flow. This method is not directly applicable to plug flow of concrete in a pipe.
The major aspect of construction grouting and oil well cementing technology that is adaptable to deep ocean concrete placement is the control of material properties, particularly prevention of water loss from grouts and slurries under high pressures and pressure differentials. These properties are controlled primarily by careful selection of materials, control of mix proportions, control of procedures and use of specialized admixtures. Pumps and other equipment for grouting and cementing are not adaptable for concreting.
Mine Construction: Concrete for shaft and tunnel lining and other underground construction has been transported to the deep depths by dropping the freshly mixed concrete down long vertical pipes. Copper mines in the U.S. and gold mines in South Africa have shafts that are several thousand feed deep. The concrete segregates during the fall and is usually remixed at the bottom before being placed. This method is not applicable to underwater placement.
Slurry Transport: Particulate matter such as coal is transported long distances in "slurry pipelines." Similarly, spoil from hydraulic dredges and many materials in processing plants are transported in pipelines by two-phase flow with the suspended solid particles propelled by the drag forces of the faster moving water or other fluid. Usually turbulent flow is maintained to prevent particles from settling out. This technology is not applicable to pipeline transport of concrete.

System for placing freshly mixed concrete on the seafloor

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


An anionic polymerization is carried out by polymerizing a monomer for anionic polymerization in a solvent in the presence of a polymerization initiator after preparing a polymerization system by an operation (I) adding a solution of an organometallic compound in a polymerization system of a solvent or a combination of a solvent and an inert gas and an operation (II) removing excess of the unreacted organometallic compound, before charging the monomer and the polymerization initiator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel anionic polymerization for polymerizing a monomer in a solvent in the presence of a polymerization initiator. More particularly, it relates to an anionic polymerization for producing a polymer having an average molecular weight being substantially the same with the predetermined one, in high reproducibility by substantially removing a polymerization inhibitor in the polymerization system by a special manner before charging the monomer and the polymerization initiator.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
A living anionic polymerization is a significantly important polymerization process for producing a block or graft copolymer for a thermoplastic elastomer; an oligomer having both terminal functional groups being useful as a liquid elastomer or a polymer having uniform molecular weights useful as a macromolecular standard for determining molecular characteristics.
In an ideal living anionic polymerization in the absence of any side reaction beside the initiation and the propagation reaction, a molecular weight M of a polymer corresponds to a ratio of an amount of a charge monomer m(g) to an amount of a polymerization initiator I(mole). That is, the molecular weight of the polymer M is given by the equation (1): EQU M=m/I (1)
However, in general, it has been difficult to remove completely a polymerization inhibitor which deactivates a polymerization initiator and an active living end from a solvent for polymerization, a monomer for polymerization and a polymerization atmosphere.
In such case, a molecular weight of the polymer M is given by the equation (2): EQU M=m/(1-.alpha.) (2)
wherein .alpha. (mole) represents an amount of the polymerization inhibitor; which is a sum of .alpha.sa of an amount of the polymerization inhibitor remained in the solvent and the atmosphere and .alpha.m of an amount of the polymerization inhibitor remained in the monomer.
When an anionic polymerization is carried out in a small scale in a laboratory, the solvent and the monomer used for the polymerization are small enough to attain a complete purification of the solvent and the monomer. A purification process is carried out in high vacuum so as to remove substantially the polymerization inhibitor remained in the solvent and the monomer by repeatedly contacting with a metal hydride hydrate, an alkali metal and an organometallic compound whereby the value .alpha. can be remarkably reduced. Therefore, in such case, it is possible to obtain a polymer having a molecular weight being substantially the same with the molecular weight given by the equation (1) so far as the molecular weight is not too high.
On the other hand, in a case of a bench scale or a factory scale of the polymerization, an amount of the solvent is too much to carry out in high vacuum and accordingly, the polymerization is carried out in an inert gas and it is impossible to purify completely the solvent as in high vacuum. The value .alpha. can not be negligible in comparison with an amount of the polymerization initiator I. Therefore, a molecular weight of the resulting polymer is higher than a predetermined molecular weight given by the equation (1).
When a predetermined molecular weight of the object polymer is high, such as higher than 500,000, the molecular weight of the resulting polymer is remarkably higher than the predetermined molecular weight given by the equation (1). Sometimes, a polymerization does not proceed.
In a large scale process, it is difficult to maintain constant of the amount of the polymerization inhibitor .alpha.sa remained in the solvent and the atmosphere for polymerization in polymerization batches whereby it is difficult to expect a reproducibility on the relation of the predetermined molecular weight and the molecular weight of the resulting polymer.