A cabinet, which may have a drawer, is assembled within a locker having side and rear walls and converging front flanges defining a door opening. The cabinet is provided with vertical side panels and at least one horizontal shelf panel. For assembly, the side panels are positioned within the locker against the side walls of the locker, and the shelf panel is mounted between the side panels to space the side panels a sufficient distance so as to prevent the cabinet from being withdrawn from the locker because of the restricted passageway provided by the locker flanges. The cabinet may have a drawer slideable between two parallel, vertically spaced shelf panels, the drawer having a width enabling it to be withdrawn through the door opening of the locker. Disclosed also are bracket means and bracket receiving means enabling ready assembly of the cabinet within a locker.

Lockers and locker rooms habitually are messy. Lockers which are employed in schools often are found with school books, papers, clothes and the like in great disarray. Lockers which are used in connection with athletic activities, such as in the locker rooms of country clubs, swimming pools and gymnasiums, are often similarly cluttered. Lockers generally are of steel, and have rear and side walls and a flange which defines a door opening. Such lockers ordinarily are provided with a top shelf attached to its side walls, and clothes hooks are positioned immediately beneath the shelf. Shoes, rackets, gym bags and other paraphernalia generally are stored in some disarray on the floor at the bottom of the locker. Items such as reading glasses, wristwatches and other jewelry ordinarily are either stored in the pockets of clothing in a locker, or are placed on the upper shelf often together with a bag containing toilet articles, and can easily fall from the locker to be broken or lost as the toilet bag is withdrawn from the upper shelf.
To build shelves or drawers or other storage compartments into existing steel lockers would be both difficult and expensive, and would likely involve the welding or riveting or other connection of metal shelves to the walls of the locker.
It would be highly desirable to provide a storage cabinet that could be easily assembled within a locker to neatly store various articles, and that, when assembled, would be impossible to remove from the locker without disassembly of the cabinet thereby making theft of the cabinet from the locker difficult.


A pressure ratio detector having a housing with a flow channel through the housing. A plug, having helical grooves, is positioned in the flow channel. A sudden expansion region is provided in the flow channel downstream of the plug which induces a nutation in the flow. The acoustic nutational frequencies are measured with a piezoelectric transducer to provide an output signal proportional to the pressure ratio across the device. An orifice device is provided in the inlet to adapt the device for measuring pressure ratios greater than 2.0.

This invention relates to an apparatus for measuring the ratio of two pressures.
The patents to Hartig et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,881,543; Hartig, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,015,933; and 2,151,203; Wolff, U.S. Pat. No. 2,274,262; Welkowitz, U.S. Pat. No. 2,959,054; and Liston et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,443,433, disclose various types of flow meters. Devices which use fluidic signals to indicate flow are described in the patent to Beeken, U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,612, and in an article by Bernard Vonnegut, "A Vortex Whistle", in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Volume 26, Number 1, January 1954.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


Methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In an embodiment, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes providing a structure having an n-channel gate stack and a p-channel gate stack formed over a semiconductor substrate. The method includes forming halo implant regions in the semiconductor substrate adjacent the p-channel gate stack and forming extension implant regions in the semiconductor substrate adjacent the p-channel gate stack. The method further includes annealing the halo implant regions and the extension implant regions in the semiconductor substrate adjacent the p-channel gate stack. Also, the method forms extension implant regions in the semiconductor substrate adjacent the n-channel gate stack.

The fabrication of advanced integrated circuits requires the formation of a large number of circuit elements in a given chip area according to a specified circuit layout. Field effect transistors (NMOS and PMOS transistors) represent one important type of circuit elements that substantially determine performance of the integrated circuits. During the fabrication of complex integrated circuits using, for instance, MOS technology, millions of transistors, e.g., NMOS transistors and/or PMOS transistors are formed on a substrate including a crystalline semiconductor layer. A field effect transistor, irrespective of whether an NMOS transistor or a PMOS transistor is considered, typically comprises so-called PN junctions that are formed by an interface of highly doped regions, referred to as drain and source regions, with a slightly doped or non-doped region, such as a channel region, disposed between the highly doped regions source/drain regions. Improvement of the electrical performance characteristics of semiconductor devices, such as transistors, and the overall performance capabilities of integrated circuit devices that incorporate such devices is constantly sought.
Ion implantation is a technique that is employed in many technical fields to implant dopant ions into a substrate so as to alter the characteristics of the substrate or of a specified portion thereof. For example, the rapid development of advanced devices in the semiconductor industry is based on, among other things, the ability to generate highly complex dopant profiles within tiny regions of a semiconductor substrate by performing advanced implantation techniques through a masking.
When implanting specified ions into a substrate, the desired lateral implant profile may be readily obtained by providing correspondingly adapted implantation masks. A desired vertical implant profile may be achieved by, among other things, controlling the acceleration energy of the ions during the implantation process such that the majority of the ions at positioned at a desired depth in the substrate. Moreover, by appropriately selecting the dopant dose, i.e., the number of ions per unit area of the ion beam impinging on a substrate, comparably high concentrations of atoms may be incorporated into a substrate as compared to other doping techniques, such as diffusion. In the case of an illustrative transistor, ion implantation may be used to form various doped regions, such as halo implant regions, extension implant regions and deep source/drain implant regions, etc.
As device dimensions are continually reduced, it is important that the depth of the source/drain regions for a transistor be shallow and that the implanted dopants are, to the extent possible, fully activated. Thus, heating processes such as a flash anneal or a laser anneal are performed for a very short duration to limit the diffusion of the implanted ions, so as to maintain the desired shallow dopant profile, while at the same time maximizing dopant activation. In general, the higher the annealing temperature is the greater the extent of dopant activation will be. However, the millisecond anneal times performed to activate shallow implant regions are insufficient to cure all of the damage to the substrate resulting from the ion implantation processes. Further, processes for maximizing dopant activation in certain implant regions may deactivate or otherwise damage dopants in other implant regions.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods for fabricating integrated circuits with improved implantation processes. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Methods for fabricating integrated circuits with improved implantation processes


A power controller makes use of a line-voltage detection method to perform brown-out protection and brown-in mechanism. The power controller has a high-voltage node connected via a current-limiting resistor to a line voltage, and a high-voltage startup transistor connected to the high-voltage node. The input voltage at the high-voltage node is divided to provide a fraction result. An offset current flowing through the high-voltage startup transistor and the current-limiting resistor is provided in response to the fraction result. The offset current is stopped in response to the fraction result when the offset current flows through the high-voltage startup transistor and the current-limiting resistor.

The present disclosure relates generally to a line-voltage detection method for a power controller with high-voltage startup, and more particularly to brown-out protection and brown-in mechanism of a power controller with high-voltage startup.
A line voltage normally refers to the voltage generated by rectifying an alternating-current (AC) voltage from a power grid, it is a direct-current voltage (DC), and its value always provides important information to AC-to-DC power supplies or converters. For example, when a line voltage sags, a power supply powered by the line voltage might need to stop its power conversion, otherwise disasters could happen due to malfunction caused by the sag. This kind of protection is known as brown-out protection. In the other hand, based upon the detection or a line voltage recovering from sagging, a power supply equipped with brown-in mechanism could resume its power conversion automatically and supply power to its load properly. Furthermore, the awareness of the value of a line voltage could be used to compensate outcomes of a power supply that are otherwise influenced by the line voltage.
FIG. 1 demonstrates an AC-to-DC power supply 100 with a flyback topology. Bridge rectifier 12 provides to an AC voltage VAC-MAIN from a power grid full-wave rectification to generate input voltage VIN at input node IN. Power controller 18, normally a packaged integrated circuit with pins, provides pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal SPWM to control power switch 26, which in response controls a current flowing through transformer 16. When the power switch 16 is turned ON, transformer 16 energizes; and when it is turned OFF, transformer 16 de-energizes to, via diode 32, buildup output voltage VOUT over output capacitor 30 that powers load 19.
Diodes 14 together perform half-wave rectification to generate line voltage VLINE. Power controller 18 has a pin, named high-voltage node HV hereinafter, connected to line voltage VLINE via current-limiting resistor 20. Power controller 18 is equipped with high-voltage startup technology. When AC-to-DC power supply 100 is just connected to the AC voltage VAC-MAIN, a high-voltage startup procedure commences, power controller 18 pulls a charging current from high-voltage node HV, this charging current is directed to go through operating voltage source node VCC and charge operating voltage capacitor 28, so operating voltage VCC is built. Once operating voltage VCC is high or good enough, the high-voltage startup procedure concludes, the charging current stops, and power controller 18 starts providing PWM signal SPWM.
FIG. 2A shows power controller 18a that detects line voltage VLINE and is capable of performing brown-out protection. Power controller 18a could replace power controller 18, and has a high-voltage startup transistor 46, which is turned ON during the high-voltage startup procedure to provide the charging current charging operating voltage capacitor 28. External to power controller 18a, connected between high-voltage node HV and ground line GND is voltage divider 40a consisting of resistors 42a and 44a. A joint node between resistors 42a and 44a is connected to sense node SENS of power controller 18a and provides to power controller 18a fraction result of line voltage VLINE. The architecture shown in FIG. 2A provides flexibility to power supply system designers, who could easily change brown-out and brown-in references for brown-out protection and brown-in mechanism by selecting different resistances of resistors 42 and 44. Brown-out reference means the reference voltage for line voltage VLINE to goes below and to trigger brown-out protection; brown-in reference means the reference voltage that line voltage VLINE must exceed to start brown-in mechanism.
In view of bill-of-materials (BOM) cost, that architecture in FIG. 2A is expensive however, because resistors 42 and 44 are two discrete components that require extra storage management and device assembling. Furthermore, power controller 18a need dedicate an additional pin, which is sense node SENS.
Another detection method for line voltage VLINE is to embed voltage divider 40a of FIG. 2A in a power controller, as demonstrated by power controller 18b in FIG. 2B. In comparison with power controller 18a of FIG. 2A, power controller 18b in FIG. 2B has embedded voltage divider 40b inside itself, and requires no pin for sense node SENS. A power supply based on power controller 18b could be cheaper, but possibly in the expenses of the flexibility to the modification of brown-out and brown-in references. Power supply system designers could not change the brown-out and brown-in references for brown-out protection and brown-in mechanism once the power controller 18b is fabricated.

Line-voltage detection method, power controller and power supply with brown-out protection and brown-in mechanism


The present invention relates to an autonomic network management system which includes: an active measurement unit that measures and analyzes a network state in an active measurement scheme; a passive measurement unit that measures and analyzes the network state in a passive measurement scheme; an autonomic management control unit that respectively receives the measured and analyzed results of the network from the active measurement unit and the passive measurement unit to determine the network state; and a transmission path control unit that receives a transmission path message from the autonomic management control unit to control a transmission path according to the transmission path message.

With the popularization of the Internet cable, the sharp increase in information transfer in a variety of forms using the Internet and new services based on the Internet, the volume of network traffic is drastically increasing, and the incremental trend is expected to continue. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a method of increasing network management efficiency by monitoring traffic for efficient management of a network.
Network performance measurement methods may be generally classified into active measurement (AM) method and passive measurement (PM) methods according to their characteristics. In AM method, an experimental packet is given to a network, and characteristics of delay, loss, etc. shown after the packet passes through the network are mainly measured to analyze performance of the network. In PM methods, a packet that is currently flowing through a network is monitored without exerting influence on network flow, and the amount of traffic, traffic configuration or characteristics, etc. are mainly analyzed on the basis of the collected information.
For Internet protocol (IP) networks, AM uses national Internet measurement infrastructure (NIMI), Surveyor tools, simple network management protocol (SNMP), management information base (MIB), tcpdump working on UNIX, NetFlow of CISCO Systems, and so on.
In current networks, PM is frequently used to measure traffic of the networks. However, PM and AM have their own merits and demerits. Measurement of a network state using PM alone has its limitations, and the AM methods require high cost for system construction, analysis and consulting.
Also, packet transmission of current networks uses single-path-based routing. Although there are a plurality of paths, a current routing technique uses a single path for end-to-end packet transmission, and thus transmitted packets may be concentrated in a specific link and cause congestion. To solve such a problem, current networks depend on a transmission control protocol (TCP) congestion control mechanism. However, the TCP congestion control mechanism does not operate until congestion occurs in a specific packet transmission path, merely adjusts the amount of packet transmission of a host, and cannot use a plurality of paths.
In addition, since monitoring protocols such as SNMP and NetConf for monitoring network performance of the current Internet use the same transmission packet as data packets, monitoring information for monitoring a transmission state of data packets cannot be transmitted when a data packet transmission failure occurs. This means that, when a problem occurs in a network, it is difficult to accurately diagnose the problem and find a cause of the problem. Such a problem occurs because current network monitoring information uses the same protocol, such as TCP and user datagram protocol (UDP), on the data layer, and a router or a switch handles all monitoring information in the same manner as data. It is necessary to provide a traffic monitoring method and a transmission path control method for solving these problems.


A signal is encoded by (1) generating a difference signal using a current input signal and a current reference signal, (2) transforming the difference signal to a transform domain, (3) quantizing the transformed signal, and (4) further encoding the quantized signal. The encoded signal is then transmitted, either for storage or for decoding by a remote decoding system. The quantized signal (i.e., without any further encoding) is also dequantized and the resulting dequantized signal is transformed back (i.e., inverse transformed) to the original signal domain as a reference difference signal. The reference difference signal is then added to the current reference signal to generate a next reference signal. The next reference signal may then be used to encode a next input signal. A single transform circuit implements both the forward transform and the inverse transform during encoding by configuring the circuit differently for the forward and inverse transforms.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of video processing and, in particular, to the compression and decompression of video signals.
2. Background Art Statement
It is well known to perform loop filtering within video compression and decompression these systems. For example, it is known to provide a two-dimensional spatial filter which operates on pels within a predicted eight-by-eight block. The filter is separable into two one-dimensional functions, horizontal and vertical. Both the horizontal function and the vertical function are nonrecursive with coefficients of one-quarter, one-half and one-quarter except at block edges where one of the tags would fall outside the block. In such cases the one-dimensional filter is altered to have coefficients zero, one and zero. Full arithmetic precision is retained with rounding to eight bit integer values at the two-dimensional filter output.
In addition, it is well known to provide quantization within these systems. In a typical system the number of quantizations may be one for the intrablock encoded DC coefficient and thirty-one for all other coefficients. Within a macroblock the same quantization is used for all coefficients except the intrablock encoded DC quantization. The decision levels may not be defined. The intrablock encoded DC coefficient is nominally the transform value linearly quantized with a step size of eight and no dead zone. Each of the other thirty-one quantizations is also nominally linear but with a central dead zone around zero and with a step size of an even value in the range two to sixty-two. In these systems the full dynamic range of the transformed coefficients cannot be represented for smaller quantization step sizes.
To prevent quantization distortion of transformed coefficient amplitudes causing arithmetic overflow in the encoder and decoder loops, clipping functions are sometimes inserted. The clipping functions are applied to the reconstructed image which is formed by summing the prediction and the prediction error as modified by the coding process. This clipper operates on resulting pel values less than zero or greater than two hundred fifty-five, changing them to zero and two hundred fifty-five respectively.
Values that are quantized in this manner may be dequantized in the following manner. For all coefficients other than the intrablock encoded DC quantization the reconstruction levels, REC, are in the range of -2048 to 2047 and are given by clipping the results of the following equations: ##EQU1## Where QUANT ranges from one to thirty-one. These reconstruction levels are symmetrical with respect to the sign of LEVEL except for the values 2047 and -2048.
In the case of blocks which are intrablock encoded the first coefficient is nominally the transform DC value linearly quantized with a step size of eight and no dead zone. The resulting values are represented with eight bits. A nominally black block provides the value 0001 0000 and a nominally white block yields 1110 1011. The codes 0000 0000 and 1000 0000 are not used. The reconstruction level of 1024 is coded as 1111 1111. Coefficients after the last non-zero one are not transmitted.
It is also know to provide both hardware and software forward and inverse discrete cosine transforms in these systems. When hardware is provided for this purpose space is wasted on the integrated circuit chip because only one transform is performed at a time. Thus space on the chip is always taken up by a transform circuit which is not in use.
It is common to perform these discrete cosine transforms using a number of multipliers and adders. For example it is known to perform an eight point fast discrete cosine transform in a single clock cycle using twelve multipliers and twenty-nine adders. It is also known to perform it in more clock cycles using less hardware. These different transform devices are useful for different applications. For example many high quality video applications require great speed and a great deal of space for transform hardware may be provided. In other applications, for example, video conferencing great speed is not required and it is preferred to provide more efficient use of hardware application.

Apparatus for encoding signals using a configurable transform circuit


A liquid permeable substrate for an absorbent article is disclosed. The substrate includes a first layer including a hydrophobic material and a second layer including a hydrophilic material. The first layer is joined to the second layer. The substrate includes a plurality of recesses, a plurality of projections, and a plurality of land areas. The land areas surround at least a majority of the plurality of projections and a plurality of the recesses. The plurality of recesses, the plurality of projections, and the plurality of land areas together form a first three-dimensional surface on a first side of the substrate and a second three-dimensional surface on a second side of the substrate. The substrate has an overall z-directional height in the range of about 1000 μm to about 6000 μm according to the Overall Substrate Height Test.

Absorbent articles for personal hygiene, such as disposable diapers for infants, training pants for toddlers, adult incontinence undergarments, and/or sanitary napkins are designed to absorb and contain bodily exudates, in particular large quantities of urine, runny BM, and/or menses (together the "fluids"). These absorbent articles may comprise several layers providing different functions, for example, a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, among other layers, if desired.
The topsheet is generally liquid permeable and is configured to receive the fluids being excreted from the body and aid in directing the fluids toward an acquisition and/or distribution system and/or towards the absorbent core. In general, topsheets are made to be hydrophilic via a surfactant treatment applied thereto so that the fluids are attracted to the topsheet to then be channeled into the underlying acquisition and/or distribution system and/or the absorbent core. One of the important qualities of a topsheet is the ability to reduce ponding of the fluids on the topsheets before the fluids are able to be absorbed by the absorbent article. Stated another way, one design criteria of topsheets is to reduce the amount of time the fluids spend on the topsheets prior to being absorbed by the absorbent article. If the fluids remain on the surfaces of the topsheets for too long of a period of time, wearers may not feel dry and discomfort may increase.
To solve the problem of the wearer's skin feeling wet during, for example, a urination event, because of prolonged fluid residency on topsheets, apertured topsheets have been used to allow for faster fluid penetration into the absorbent article. Although apertured topsheets have generally reduced fluid pendency on topsheets, topsheets can still be further improved by providing three-dimensional substrates that further reduce skin/fluid contact and/or skin/fluid contact time during, for example, a urination event.


A high-speed rheometer includes a base, a driving device disposed on the base, a lower sample assembly connected with the driving device, an upper sample assembly disposed above the lower sample assembly, a torsion bar disposed on the upper sample assembly and being torsional upon the rotation of the upper sample assembly, and an optical torque measuring assembly. The lower sample assembly is rotatable under the driving of the driving device, and the upper sample assembly is rotatable under the driving of the fluid. The optical torque measuring assembly is used to measure a torsion angle of the torsion bar so as to obtain a torque generated during shearing the fluid to be tested.

Currently, rheological behaviors of fluids and characteristic parameters thereof are mainly measured by rheometers. The main object of a commercial rheometer is to test rheological behaviors of a medium, to optimize parameters of the medium in different operation conditions, and to verify a rheological constitutive equation theory. Traditional rheometers include capillary type rheometer, rotating rheometer, oscillating rheometer, stable state rheometer, and solid state rheometer. However, an existing rotation rheometer generally has a highest rotation speed of 5000 rpm, and a shearing rate thereof is hard to achieve 1×104/s. Although a capillary type rheometer may have a shearing rate up to about 1×104/s, it cannot test influences of different surfaces on the movements. Therefore, both rheometers cannot test in high shearing rate conditions. The ultra-shear viscometer from PCS company may measure shearing rates ranging from 1×106/s to 1×107/s, however, it cannot measure viscosities under relatively lower shearing rate conditions. Consequently, a rheometer having a relatively wider measuring range and being accurate at high shearing rates is needed.
The measuring method of a traditional rheometer generally uses stress-strain sensors or torque motors, which is limited by the accuracy of the sensor and has relatively lower measuring accuracy and relatively narrower measuring range, for example, two or three orders of magnitude. The gap control of a conventional rheometer is generally achieved by using a motor, which not only has large noise, but also has low control accuracy. Worse still, relatively smaller gaps are hard to obtain.


A light distribution characteristic measurement apparatus includes: a detecting unit for detecting light from a light source; a mirror for reflecting the light from the light source to direct the light to the detecting unit; a movement mechanism for moving the detecting unit and the mirror relatively to the light source; a rotation mechanism for rotating the mirror while maintaining an optical path length from the light source to the detecting unit; and a processor adapted to calculate the light distribution characteristic of the light source, based on a plurality of measurement results that are detected by the detecting unit under a condition that the detecting unit and the mirror are arranged at a plurality of measurement positions relative to the light source and the mirror is oriented at different rotational angles for each measurement position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light distribution characteristic measurement apparatus and a light distribution characteristic measurement method for measuring the light distribution characteristic of a light source.
2. Description of the Background Art
The light distribution characteristic is known as one of the characteristics of light emitted from a light source. The light distribution characteristic means a spatial distribution of the luminous intensity (or luminance) of a light source. As such a light distribution characteristic, both the absolute-value-based light distribution and the relative-value-based light distribution are used. The absolute-value-based light distribution is a measurement of the spatial distribution of the absolute value of the luminous intensity and is used in such a case where the total luminous flux generated by a light source is to be determined. In contrast, the relative-value-based light distribution is a measurement of the spatial distribution of the relative value of the luminous intensity, and is used in such a case where the light distribution pattern is to be determined. Generally, it is not easy to measure the light distribution characteristic of light sources such as a light source having a complicated light distribution pattern and a light source whose characteristics are not known. Regarding the method and apparatus for measuring such light distribution characteristics, the following related arts are known.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 62-250325 discloses a light distribution measurement apparatus based on a system in which an object to be measured is fixed, a mirror is revolved around the object, and the light reflected from the mirror is measured with an optical receiver.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-247888 discloses a light distribution measurement device including a first rotating stage which is rotatable about a first rotational axis, a second rotating stage which is rotatable about a second rotational axis orthogonal to the first rotational axis and held on the first rotational stage in such a manner that the second rotating stage is spaced from the first rotational axis, and a light source provided so that the center of its light emission surface is located at the intersection of the first and second rotational axes.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 09-203691 discloses a method for measuring a light distribution pattern or the like. Specifically, a light receiving unit in which a plurality of optical receivers are arranged linearly at predetermined intervals is moved in front of a source of irradiation and along the direction orthogonal to the direction along which the optical receivers are arranged, to thereby measure the light distribution pattern.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-174251 discloses a measurement apparatus including a first unit enabling an object-to-be-measured to perform a vertical linear operation and a horizontal rotational operation, and a second unit causing a measurement device to perform a horizontal linear operation, a vertical linear operation, and a revolving operation revolving on a plane defined by these two directions.
Possible light sources whose light distribution characteristic is to be measured range from a small lamp like mini light bulb to a large lamp like vehicle's headlight. In the case where the light distribution characteristic of a light source having a relatively large light emission surface is to be measured, it is necessary that the distance between a detecting unit and the light source (measurement distance) be sufficiently long for the detecting unit to have its field of view which is large enough to encompass the whole light source therein. The above-described related arts have confronted a problem of increased complexity and increased size of an apparatus in the case where the apparatus is designed to measure the light distribution characteristic of a light source whose light emission surface is relatively large.

Light distribution characteristic measurement apparatus and light distribution characteristic measurement method


A blowout preventer is disclosed that includes a housing defining a central passage. The central passage is configured to receive a tubular string therethrough. In addition, the blowout preventer includes a packing element disposed in the central passage. The packing element includes an elastomeric member, and a rigid insert mounted to the elastomeric member. The insert includes an extendable tip assembly configured to extend a movable member away from the rigid insert.

This disclosure generally relates to annular blowout preventers for use in connection with subterranean drilling and/or production operations. In particular, this disclosure relates to packing elements disposed within annular blowout preventers.
A blowout preventer (hereinafter "BOP") is a device that, when actuated, is configured to close off a wellbore during subterranean drilling or production operations (e.g., oil and gas drilling and production operations) to prevent an uncontrolled release or "blowout" of formation fluids at the surface (e.g., such as during a "kick" of uncontrolled, high pressure fluid migrating into the wellbore from the subterranean formation). One specific type of BOP, known as an annular blowout preventer ("annular BOP"), is designed to close off the annulus that exists between the borehole wall and any tools or tubing strings extending through wellbore, such that any fluid flow paths extending through the tools or tubing string remains open even after the annular BOP has been actuated.


A coating apparatus includes a jig supporting a guide vane equipped with a metal sheath covering a leading edge portion; a nozzle spraying paint onto a vane body; a robot moving the nozzle; and a control unit controlling a spraying operation of the nozzle and robot. The jig includes a movable covering body adapted separably covering the metal sheath and covering an exposed portion of adhesive between a lateral edge portion of the metal sheath and the vane surface of the vane body, and a covering body drive unit moving the movable covering body between a state in which the movable covering body covers the metal sheath and a state in which the movable covering body is separated from the metal sheath while covering the metal sheath. The control unit performs control to make transition from a sheath cladding coating mode to a finish coating mode.

A turbofan engine conventionally includes rotor blades adapted to introduce air into an engine body and guide vanes, which are stator vanes adapted to straighten flow of air introduced by the rotor blades.
To meet a demand for an increased bypass ratio intended to improve fuel economy of recent turbofan engines, fan diameter tends to become larger, and consequently it is urgent to reduce weight of the turbofan engines.
For example, there are attempts to reduce the weight of the guide vanes themselves, which are stator vanes adapted to straighten flow of air, by using composite vanes made of a composite material of a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy resin and reinforcement fibers such as carbon fibers or light-metal vanes made of a light metal such as aluminum.
The guide vanes made of a composite material or a relatively soft metal such as aluminum are inferior in erosion resistance and shock resistance. Thus, to avoid wear, a metal sheath of hard material is bonded with adhesive to leading edge portions (leading edges and their vicinities) especially subject to wear due to head-on collisions with particles such as sand or pebbles (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Of the guide vanes made of such a composite material or light metal, vane surfaces (vane surfaces excluding a metal sheath bonded to the leading edge portions) of vane bodies hit obliquely by particles such as sand or pebbles at shallow angles are coated, for example, with a soft polyurethane paint which has excellent erosion resistance against collisions of particles at shallow angles and is lighter than metal.


A semiconductor structure includes a starting semiconductor substrate having a recessed portion. A semiconductor material is formed in the recessed portion, and has a higher resistivity than the starting semiconductor substrate. A body region extends in the semiconductor material, and has a conductivity type opposite that of the semiconductor material. Source regions extend in the body region, and have a conductivity type opposite that of the body region. A gate electrode extends adjacent to but is insulated from the body region. A first interconnect layer extends over and is in contact with a non-recessed portion of the starting semiconductor substrate. The first interconnect layer and the non-recessed portion provide a top-side electrical contact to portions of the starting semiconductor substrate underlying the semiconductor material.

The present invention relates in general to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a method and structure for making a top-side contact to a semiconductor substrate.
In some semiconductor devices (e.g., vertically-conducting power devices), the substrate forms a bottom terminal of the device, and various techniques have been used to form a low resistance contact to the bottom terminal. FIG. 1A shows a cross-sectional view of a conventional device structure with a back-side contact. As shown, a p− region 101 is formed over a p+ substrate region 102. A conductive interconnect layer 103 formed at the bottom of the substrate is used as a back-side contact. For certain applications, it may be desirable to contact the substrate from the top-side of the device. FIGS. 1B-1C show cross-section views illustrating two conventional techniques for contacting the bottom terminal of a device through the top-side.
In FIG. 1B, a heavily doped diffused region 105 extends through p− region 101 to reach p+ substrate region 102. A conductive interconnect layer 107 is formed over diffused region 105, which together with diffused region 105 forms a top-side contact to p+ substrate region 102. In FIG. 1C, a deep trench 108 is formed through p− region 101 to reach p+ substrate region 102. Then a conductive material 109 is used to fill the trench, thus forming a top-side contact to p+substrate region 102.
Even though these conventional techniques have been used for making top-side contact to the bottom terminal, there are limitations associated with these techniques. For example, diffused region 105 in FIG. 1B requires a high temperature drive-in process after a diffusion or implant step. This leads to wide lateral out-diffusion and high thermal budget. In FIG. 1C, the process of making a deep trench and then filling it with a conductive material is often complicated. If polysilicon is used to fill the trench, it is often difficult to obtain highly doped polysilicon to form a low resistivity top-side contact.
Thus, there is a need for a technique whereby a low resistance top-side contact is made to the substrate while maintaining a simple manufacturing process.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a semiconductor structure includes a starting semiconductor substrate having a recessed portion. A semiconductor material is formed in the recessed portion, and has a higher resistivity than the starting semiconductor substrate. A body region extends in the semiconductor material, and has a conductivity type opposite that of the semiconductor material. Source regions extend in the body region, and have a conductivity type opposite that of the body region. A gate electrode extends adjacent to but is insulated from the body region. A first interconnect layer extends over and is in contact with a non-recessed portion of the starting semiconductor substrate. The first interconnect layer and the non-recessed portion provide a top-side electrical contact to portions of the starting semiconductor substrate underlying the semiconductor material.
In one embodiment, the recessed portion is substantially filled with an epitaxial layer.
In still another embodiment, the semiconductor structure further includes a dielectric spacer vertically extending between the semiconductor material and a non-recessed portion of the starting semiconductor substrate.
The following detailed description and the accompanying drawings provide a better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention.

Structure for making a top-side contact to a substrate


An antenna board includes a first dielectric layer, a strip conductor, a ground conductor layer, a second dielectric layer, a first patch conductor, a third dielectric layer, a second patch conductor, a through conductor, and a waveguide including upper and lower ground conductors and a ground through conductor. The upper and lower ground conductors are disposed so as to hold therebetween at least one of the first, second, and third dielectric layers. The ground through conductor is disposed in such a manner that at least one lies on each of both sides in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the strip conductor, and extends through the dielectric layers lying between the upper and lower ground conductors.

1. Field of the Invention
An embodiment of the present invention relates to an antenna board obtainable by laminating dielectric layers and conductor layers into a multilayer.
2. Description of Related Art
Frequency bands used for wireless personal area networks differ from country to country. It is therefore necessary to widen antenna frequency bands in order to use an antenna board in different countries. This type of antenna board is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 5-145327. In recent years there has been a demand for an antenna board having a still wider frequency band (57-66 GHz) as an antenna board usable all over the world.


A spring-powered toy gun ejects small disks, of the type children collect, giving the ejected disks a spin to improve their flight. The disks are first loaded into a separate spring-operated magazine which is then inserted into an aperture on the gun. A transparent window in the gun allows a user to view the magazine's top disk and any insignia thereon. The top of the magazine bears two retaining members that hold the top disk in place. These retaining members are spaced apart from the magazine by the thickness of one disk and, thus, set the thickness of the disks that can be fired from the gun. The top disk is ejected from the gun by a planar propulsion lever driven by a main spring. Pulling back on a trigger moves the main spring and the propulsion lever away from a rest position. When the trigger is pulled fully, the main spring is automatically released and snaps forward causing the propulsion lever to move forward and strike the top disk propelling it from the gun. Because the tip of the propulsion member is angled, it strikes the disk off-center imparting a spin to the disk.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns the area of toy guns and, more specifically, a gun-like device that shoots substantially flat disks of the type that children collect and use to play games.
2. Description of Related Art
Much of children's play is actually made in imitation of adult activities and helps children learn to be adults. Favorite items of play are toy replicas of adult possessions, especially various tools that adults use in work and play. For example, cars, trucks, and other vehicles are favorite toy items, since adults spend so much time with these machines. In television programs and motion pictures and, to a lesser extent in real life, adults make extensive use of assorted weapons, especially guns. Therefore, toy guns and other weapons are highly favored as toys.
Because toys frequently emulate adult items, many toy guns closely imitate the features of real guns. Cap guns use a small charge of gun powder to produce both the sound and the smoke of real weapons. Other toy guns shoot some type of projectile. Play with these projectile-shooting toys is more exciting as the toys are actually capable of "shooting" something and games of marksmanship, etc. are possible.
Many projectile-shooting toy guns use pellets, darts, or similar projectiles. Because safety has become an increasingly important concern with toys, significant efforts have been expended to ensure that projectiles fired from toys do not injure an eye or cause similar physical damage. Generally, this means that the speed of the expelled projectiles should be kept low and that the projectiles be made of soft material and/or be generally too large to readily strike a child's eye (if the projectile is of sufficient diameter, the eye socket and the cheek bone will prevent the object from entering the eye).
There is often a conflict between safety and features that most children desire. Generally, the farther a projectile travels after being shot from a toy gun, the more children will enjoy the results. But safety demands often limit the speed with which projectiles leave the toys, limiting the distance the projectiles will travel.
One type of "safe" toy gun fires suction cup-tipped darts that are capable of sticking to a wall or target. Other toys avoid safety concerns by firing water rather than a solid projectile. Some toy guns shoot disk or ring-shaped projectiles. Generally disk-shaped projectiles can be made to travel at a relatively slow speed. This would tend to limit their distance of travel. However, if disk-shaped projectiles are given a rapid spinning motion as they leave a toy gun, they will tend to fly like a FRISBEE.TM. (disk-shaped "flying saucer" toy) and, hence, travel a considerable distance. Furthermore, disks are devoid of sharp points and can be made of a soft material and/or of a sufficiently large diameter to prevent direct entry into a child's eye.
Some disk-firing guns have been developed to propel spinning disks in a vertical orientation. Typical of this type is the disk gun disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,824 to Profitt. In this device vertically oriented rings or disks are fed into a chamber from a spring-loaded magazine. A trigger-activated spring propels the disk from the barrel of the device, imparting a spin at the same time. The spin probably provides gyroscopic stabilization to the flying disk; however, spinning disks tend to fly farther, if oriented in a horizontal plane.
A toy gun that fires horizontally-oriented disks from a magazine is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,458,828 to Boese. However, this device does not impart a spin to the projectiles. Instead, it uses rather small disks that might constitute a safety hazard. U.S. Pat. No. 2,019,894 to Clauss uses larger disks that are given a spin to ensure significant periods of flight. The disks in this device are intended as advertisements and so bear attractive graphics. However, this device spins the disks by engaging the disk with a projecting member inserted through an eyelet in the disk. The eyelets tend to mar the overall appearance of the disks and complicate their manufacture. The device requires hand-loading of each disk possibly because the need to orient the disks so that they will be engaged by the projecting member complicates the construction of an auto-feeding magazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,114 to Carbonneau discloses a disk-firing toy gun in which the projectile disks are automatically fed into a firing position from a spring-loaded magazine integral with a lower portion of the gun. In the firing position, the disk can be expelled from the gun by being struck off center by a spring-driven plunger. The plunger propels the disk down a barrel which contains a guideway to keep the disk oriented horizontally. Because the plunger strikes the disk off center, a considerable spin is imparted to the disk, thus ensuring that the disk will fly a maximal distance after leaving the barrel.
This type of disk gun suffers from difficult disk loading since the integral magazine must be loaded by inserting the disks one at a time through a slot in the side of the gun. Also, since the magazine is integral to the gun, it is not possible to have preloaded magazines available to exchange for an emptied magazine. The guideways in the barrel of the gun also limit the gun to firing disks of a particular thickness; thicker disks will, of course, jam in the barrel.
Children also like to collect objects and to play games in which they show off their collections and possibly win additional items for the collection. The classic game of marbles operates in this manner. The children make collections of different marbles and then play a game in which they may win marbles from the other players. Baseball trading cards are another extremely popular collectible. Baseball cards take advantage of the popularity of sports heroes and their teams. The cards show players and team logos. Children collect and trade these cards, but there is not really a universal game played with the cards. Other types of trading cards that show other sports figures or even fictional heroes are also quite popular.
Recently, a new type of collectible with some of the properties of both trading cards and marbles has appeared. Paper or plastic disks with various insignias or logos are collected. In addition, a game is played in which a special heavier disk often called a "slammer" is launched into a pile of the regular disks. Depending on how the disks land after being scattered the owner of the slammer may also win some or all of the disks.
The popularity of the collectable disks is already spreading across the country. If other play uses for the disks could be developed, their overall popularity would be augmented. One possibility is a toy gun that is capable of shooting the disks. Thus, children could play target and other games with their disk collections. If the gun could also accommodate the thicker and heavier "slammers," then the classic disk game could also be played by shooting a slammer into the pile of disks. Since the insignia on the disks are central to their collectability, it would also be highly desirable if the disk gun were constructed in such a way that the insignia on each disk could be readily determined before the disk was shot from the gun.


Described herein are systems and methods from delivering prosthetic devices, such as prosthetic heart valves, through the body and into the heart for implantation therein. The prosthetic devices delivered with the delivery systems disclosed herein are, for example, radially expandable from a radially compressed state mounted on the delivery system to a radially expanded state for implantation using an inflatable balloon of the delivery system. Exemplary delivery routes through the body and into the heart include transfemoral routes, transapical routes, and transaortic routes, among others.

Prosthetic cardiac valves have been used for many years to treat cardiac valvular disorders. The native heart valves (such as the aortic, pulmonary and mitral valves) serve critical functions in assuring the forward flow of an adequate supply of blood through the cardiovascular system. These heart valves can be rendered less effective by congenital, inflammatory or infectious conditions. Such damage to the valves can result in serious cardiovascular compromise or death. For many years the definitive treatment for such disorders was the surgical repair or replacement of the valve during open heart surgery, but such surgeries are prone to many complications. More recently a transvascular technique has been developed for introducing and implanting a prosthetic heart valve using a flexible catheter in a manner that is less invasive than open heart surgery.
In this technique, a prosthetic valve is mounted in a crimped state on the end portion of a flexible catheter and advanced through a blood vessel of the patient until the prosthetic valve reaches the implantation site. The prosthetic valve at the catheter tip is then expanded to its functional size at the site of the defective native valve such as by inflating a balloon on which the prosthetic valve is mounted. Alternatively, the prosthetic valve can have a resilient, self-expanding stent or frame that expands the prosthetic valve to its functional size when it is advanced from a delivery sheath at the distal end of the catheter.
A prosthetic valve that has a relatively large profile or diameter in the compressed state can inhibit the physician's ability to advance the prosthetic valve through the femoral artery or vein. More particularly, a smaller profile allows for treatment of a wider population of patients, with enhanced safety. Thus, a need exists for delivery devices that can minimize the overall crimp profile of the prosthetic valve for the delivery of the prosthetic valve through the patient's vasculature.
Relatively long delivery devices, such as used for transfemoral delivery of a prosthetic valve, can inhibit the physician's ability to position the prosthetic valve precisely at the desired implantation site because the forces applied to the handle at one end of the delivery device can cause unwanted movement of the prosthetic valve at the opposite end of the delivery device. Thus, a need exists for delivery devices that allow a physician to accurately control the positioning of the prosthetic valve at the desired implantation location.
When introducing a delivery device into the body, an introducer sheath typically is inserted first and then the delivery device is inserted through the introducer sheath and into the body. If the prosthetic valve is mounted on a balloon catheter, the prosthetic valve can contact the inner surface of the introducer sheath and may become dislodged from its preferred location on the balloon catheter, depending on the size of the crimped valve. Thus, a need exists for delivery devices that can better retain the crimped valve at its desired location on the balloon catheter as it is advanced through an introducer sheath.

Delivery systems for prosthetic heart valve


A heat resistant washer for a heat resistant fastening system and a heat resistant fastening system is provided. The heat resistant washer includes a fire retardant material, and a housing that includes a base and a flange, with a throughbore defined through the base to receive a fastener. The housing defines a cavity adjacent to the throughbore and at least one guide. The fire retardant material is disposed within the cavity and the at least one guide directs the fire retardant material in an active state out of the cavity.

Generally, mechanical fasteners may be used in a variety of assemblies to join adjacent components together to create an assembly. For example, one or more casings, in a vehicle, such as an engine casing for an aircraft, may be fastened together at a joint with the aid of one or more mechanical fasteners. In certain instances, regulatory standards may require that the joint withstand high or extreme temperatures in the case of a thermal event. In order for the joint to withstand high or extreme temperatures, the one or more mechanical fasteners may need to withstand the high or extreme temperatures to maintain the joint between the joined components during the event.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide heat resistant fastening systems, which include heat resistant washers that shield or protect an associated mechanical fastener during extreme temperatures, such as during a thermal event. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.


A nacreous pigment containing a dye comprising a nacreous pigment having an interference color which surface is coated with an insoluble salt of an acid dye and a basic aluminum salt is disclosed. A cosmetic composition comprising said nacreous pigment containing a dye is also disclosed. The nacreous pigment containing a dye has an excellent brightness, a high chroma, a wide variety of color, a high color concentration, and also possesses high safety and excellent stability.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a nacreous pigment containing a dye, which has an excellent brightness, a high chroma, a wide variety of color, a high color concentration, and also possesses high safety and excellent stability. The invention also relates to a cosmetic composition comprising said pigment.
2. Description of the Background
Nacreous pigments have widely been used in order to provide various products with gloss such as pearl- or gold-like gloss and the like. Such products include cosmetics, paints, plastics, inks, colors, miscellaneous goods for daily use, ornaments, and the like. Natural fish scale leaves, bismuth oxychloride, titanium mica, and the like are usually used as a nacreous pigment. From the view point of light resistance, stability, safety, dispersibility, gloss effect, cost performance, and the like, titanium mica is widely used.
Titanium mica can be prepared, for example, by the method described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 25644/1968. The titanium mica disclosed therein is such that is coated with titanium dioxide on the surface of mica particles. Interference colors of silver, gold, red, blue, green, or the like can be obtained depending on the amount of titanium oxide coated. Nevertheless, the external color actually observed is almost white, and different from these interference colors. In the method of this publication, externally distinct color cannot be obtained, although excellently pearly luster is obtainable.
There have been some attempts to obtain various external colors by using general organic or inorganic color pigments mixed with titanium mica. However, since titanium mica has a scaly form and its particle size is much larger than that of ordinary pigments, simple mixing of these pigments with titanium mica entails various problems. For instance, it is difficult to mix titanium mica uniformly with an ordinary pigment because of the differences in their particle size, specific gravity, shape, and surface properties. When mixed, separation is apt to take place, resulting in color bleeding.
To obtain a nacreous pigment having an excellent external color, therefore, a method of making a complex of titanium mica and an ordinary inorganic or organic pigment has been developed.
For making a complex of an inorganic pigment and a nacreous pigment, there are known methods including: (1) the surface of a nacreous pigment is coated with iron oxide, nickel oxide, cobalt oxide, copper oxide, chromium oxide, or the like, which possesses its own color (Japanese Patent Publication No. 25644/1968); (2) a nacreous pigment is coated with a precursor material of Prussian blue, which is then treated to convert into Prussian blue on the surface of the nacreous pigment (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 46331/1978). These methods, however, have drawbacks including limitation to the color of the inorganic pigment, insufficient distinctness, unavailability of a color of high concentration, and the like.
On the other hand, for making a complex of an organic pigment and a nacreous pigment, there are conventionally known methods such as a method of causing an aluminum hydroxide layer to adhere to the surface of a nacreous pigment, followed by fixing of a dye on the surface of the nacreous pigment using the dye having a chelating agent and a group capable of forming a salt of very low solubility (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 17910/1976; a method of fixing D & C Red No. 30 on the surface of a nacreous pigment using various methods (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 169716/1987), and the like. These methods, however, have drawbacks including limitation to the color of the inorganic pigment, insufficient coloration, unavailability of a color of high concentration, and the like.
The present inventors made extensive and earnest studies to solve the above problems and, as a result, found that a nacreous pigment containing a dye, which has an excellent distinctness, a high color concentration, and which does not entail color bleeding when used, could be obtained by coating an insoluble salt of an acid dye and a basic aluminum salt on the surface of a nacreous pigment having an interference color. The inventors also found that a cosmetic composition comprising said nacreous pigment containing a dye possessed excellent external distinctness and luster. These findings have led to the completion of the invention.

Nacreous pigment containing a dye and cosmetic composition comprising the same


This invention relates to a pn-junction device, especially a blue light-emitting diode and a method of the manufacturing thereof. The pn-junction is formed between a superlattice region and a n-type semiconductor region, the superlattice region consisting of a plurality of stacked pairs of ZnSe semiconductor layer and acceptor-impurity-doped ZnS.sub.0.12 Se.sub.0.88 mixed crystal semiconductor layer formed on a part of a buffer layer of ZnS.sub.0.06 Se.sub.0.94 etc. which is formed on a crystalline substrate of GaAs etc., the n-type semiconductor region being formed on the part of the buffer layer, where the superlattice is not formed, and the side wall of the superlattice region contiguous to the n-type region to form pn-junction being made clean by etching, so that a pn-junction of n-type semiconductor and p-type semiconductor having high carrier-density resulted.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pn-junction device of a II-VI group compound semiconductor, and in particular to a LED (Light Emitting Diode) for blue light and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, LEDs of II-VI group compound semiconductor have been comprised, as is shown in FIG. 4, of layers of n-type ZnSe and p-type ZnSe stacked on a n-type GaAs substrate. This has been described, for example, in Abstract, The 6th International Conference on Molecular Beam Epitaxy, Aug. 8, 1990, San Diego School, California University, No. PIV-31. In such a device, electric current flows from p-type ZnSe and through n-type ZnSe to reach an n-type GaAs substrate.
With the structure as described above, however, sufficient light emission is not obtained due to incoincidence of the junction surface of the conduction band of n-type ZnSe and n-type GaAs. In addition, sufficient light emission is not obtained due to the low carrier-density of Li-doped p-type ZnSe.

Method of manufacturing pn-junction device II-VI compound semiconductor

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


CD player apparatus comprising a case having a front opening and side walls, and a slider in the case to carry a CD or DVD, and forwardly movable toward and partly through the front opening; a release at one side wall to be actuated to release the slider for forward movement relative to the front opening; an arm at the outer side of the side wall and supported to pivot toward and away from the release; and an actuator carried by the arm to be manually moved to pivot the arm toward the release to activate the release, whereby the slider can then move forward relative to the front opening.

This invention relates generally to apparatus having a slider carrying an element to be stored in a case, and retrieved, in an improved and simple way; and more particularly concerns compact apparatus wherein the part to be stored and retrieved is an information disc, such as a digital video disc, or a compact disc.
There is need for improved apparatus of the type referred to, since known apparatus is complex, bulky and expensive. Also, typical known apparatus lacks the unusual advantages in structure, function and results provided by the present invention.
It is a major object of the invention to provide improved apparatus that overcomes the above problems, and that is compact and simple in functioning and operation. Basically, the improved apparatus comprises:
a) a case having a front opening and side walls, and a slider in the case to carry a CD or DVD, and forwardly movable toward and partly through said front opening,
b) a release at one side wall to be actuated to release the slider for forward movement relative to said front opening,
c) an arm at the outer side of said side wall and supported to pivot toward and away from the release,
d) and an actuator carried by the arm to be manually moved to pivot the arm toward the release to activate the release, whereby the slider can then move forward relative to the front opening.
The invention has particular application to storage and retrieval of information discs such as CD""s and DVD""s.
It is another object of the invention to provide the release to be carried by the slider, the case side wall having a through opening, the release projecting toward that through opening to lock the slider to the case prior to actuation of the release by the actuator.
A further object is to provide a pusher on the arm, movable toward said opening, at the outer side of the side wall.
Yet another object is to provide a second arm at the inner side of said side wall carrying the release to resiliently pivot toward and away from said opening.
Another object is to provide the slider to have a pivotally supported front portion carrying the release, to pivot downwardly. That portion is typically blocked against pivoting prior to pivoting of the release away from said opening. Further, the release typically projects into said opening prior to pivoting of the release away from said opening.
An added object is to provide for multiple exterior arms and buttons, to enable selective release of different sliders carried in the case. Those arms may be protectively concealed behind a flange or flanges associated with the case.
A yet further object is to provide a slider having a forward portion that drop-tilts downwardly in forward position of the slider, away from an information disc carried by the slider. The release may be carried by the tilting portion, so as not to interfere with information disc placement onto the slider, as well as disc retrieval from the slider.
An additional object is to provide two bracket plates one attached at its forward end to one of the flanges and the other plate attached at its forward end to the other of the flanges, whereby the two bracket plates then extend rearwardly, and sidewardly of the case in spaced and protective relation to said arm. As will be seen, two mounting plates may be provided to be respectively attached to the bracket plates, each mounting plate carrying or having structure attachable to a vehicle dashboard frame, whereby the case front opening is then presented at the dashboard toward the vehicle interior. In addition, an electronics unit chassis such as a CD player chassis or a vehicle radio chassis may be located above the case, to extend between the two mounting plates which may also be attached to that chassis. A highly compact, stabilized and multi-use assembly is provided.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which:


A method and apparatus for enhancing the resolution of an analog-to-digital converter. The method uses the addition of a second analog waveform to a first analog signal which is to be converted. When the composite signal is converted to digital form, this enhances the effective resolution of the A/D converter with respect to the first signal. Integration of the composite digital signal causes the effects of the second waveform to average to zero. The result is an enhanced resolution signal without undesired effects of the added second signal.

The invention relates generally to analog-to-digital (A/D) converters having a limited number of quantization levels.
Digital quantization of analog signals may be accomplished using standard A/D conversion techniques. However, in some instances an existing A/D converter having a fixed number of quantization levels can not provide adequate resolution when used with certain input signals.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method for enhancing the signal resolution of an A/D converter without undesirably affecting the resulting digital signal.

Method and apparatus for enhancing the signal resolution of an analog-to-digital converter


A stabilization bar and a stabilization method for stabilizing patients during radiation therapy treatment.

This invention deals with a stabilization method for stabilizing patients during radiation therapy treatment.
Computed tomography, also called CT or CT scan, is a process that uses X-rays and computer technology to make cross-section images of the body. The equipment is also used for cancer radiation therapy treatment.
The totality of equipment used for this technique is very complex, but this invention deals with immobilization of a patient during use of the equipment and thus, this specification will only discuss the immobilization equipment aspect.
The patent is usually immobilized on a table which is especially constructed to accommodate immobilization devices. There are notches in the edges of the table that accommodate locator bars that can be locked in the notches of the table to help with immobilization of the patient. Such locator bars are, for example QFix, manufactured by WFR Aquaplast, Wychoff, N.J. and Exact, manufactured by Med-Tec, Orange City, Iowa.
In addition, rigid or semi-rigid foam immobilization devices are used on top of the locator bars to accommodate the person being examined, such foam immobilization devices being actually formed around the back of the patient's body prior to use in the examination or treatment.
Thus, to prepare such a device, plastic bags are filled with foam ingredients and allowed to foam within the bag around the back of the patient's body so that the patient's body form makes up the front part of the foam immobilization device. Obviously, the plastic of the plastic bag protects the patient from the foam material.
In another embodiment, there is used "vacuum bags" which are essentially a bag containing pelletized or granular material. Also, bean bags can be used in this invention. The bag is placed under a patient, formed up around the patient, and then the air is suctioned out and the air way is capped off so air stays out.
In use, the locator bar is placed underneath the bag and patient during foaming or suctioning, leaving indentions that are formed in the back of the device by protrusions that are located on the locator bar.
After the foam hardens or cures, or after the bag is capped, the device is removed from the patient with the locator bar staying with the table.
Thereafter, the device is utilized on a table for the examination by locking the locator bars into the notches of the table.
Even though these locator bars are adequately locked in the notches of the examining table, and the protrusions protrude into the bag immobilization device, the immobilization device does not do an adequate job of immobilization.
The quality of the treatment and/or the images generated by tomography equipment depends substantially on maintaining the patient's body stable, and in an exact position.
Thus, what is needed is a device and a method of assuring that the patient's body can be stable and in an exact position. The devices of this invention assure that the patient's body can be stable and in an exact position during treatment.

Immobilization device for radiation therapy treatment


A condensation product of naphthalenesulfonic acid and linear alkyl benzenesulfonic acid having an alkyl moiety of from about 4 to about 20 carbon atoms with formaldehyde or salt thereof is useful as a secondary emulsifier and co-emulsifier in synthetic polymer latex processes. From about 0.05 to about 5 parts by weight of the condensation product per 100 parts by weight of latex monomer is used as a secondary emulsifier and from about 0.5 to about 5 parts by weight of the condensation product per 100 parts by weight of latex monomer is used as a co-emulsifier. Additionally, products can be prepared which have been found to be biodegradable. Use of these condensation products eliminates pollution caused by a secondary emulsifier or co-emulsifier in polymer manufacture effluent.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a secondary emulsifier and co-emulsifier for a synthetic polymer process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Salts of condensation products of formaldehyde and naphthalenesulfonic acid have been used as a secondary emulsifier and as a co-emulsifier in the preparation of synthetic polymer latex via free radically initiated emulsion polymerization. Use of a secondary emulsifier in an emulsion polymerization system greatly enhances the stability of the latex during synthesis, i.e., eliminates or minimizes the formation of precoagulum during the reaction. A co-emulsifier such as a nonionic surfactant is used to stabilize the latex.
Formaldehyde condensed naphthalene sulfonates of the Lomar.RTM., Tamol.RTM., Daxad.RTM. and Darvan.RTM.--types have been used in emulsion polymerization as secondary emulsifiers since the adoption of GR-S recipes during World War II. Because of the uniqueness of this class of chemical compounds, no substitutes have been discovered for the past thirty years.
The primary function of a secondary emulsifier is to permit addition of electrolyte to a polymerization recipe without subsequent instability during reaction. Without a secondary emulsifier, a typical emulsion polymerization recipe, containing added electrolyte, produces an unstable latex.
As the conversion from monomer to polymer increases, destabilization, as evidenced by precoagulum formation, occurs without the aid of a secondary emulsifier. Elimination of electrolyte from the recipe results in unacceptable viscosity increases during the reaction. An electrolyte is necessary to maintain fluidity during the polymerization reaction. A secondary emulsifier is required to offset the deleterious side affects of the electrolyte.
The term secondary emulsifier is a misnomer as the formaldehyde-condensed naphthalene sulfonates are not emulsifiers according to the definition of the term. For example, Lomar.RTM. PW has no affect on lowering surface tension and would, therefore, have no definable (infinite) critical micelle concentration (C.M.C.). A formaldehyde-condensed naphthalene sulfonate is neither an emulsifier nor a surfactant. It behaves more like an in-situ protective colloid during polymerization. By not having surfactant characteristics, this sulfonate has no effect on particle size and particle formation during polymerization. This is why formaldehyde-condensed naphthalene sulfonates are unique. They are the only class of compounds that enhance latex stability without affecting particle size during emulsion polymerization. Formaldehyde-condensed naphthalene sulfonates are excellent products for this application.
A major drawback of formaldehyde-condensed naphthalene sulfonates has recently been emphasized. These sulfonates are not biodegradable. Major rubber companies, which use these sulfonates in polymerization, have been cited by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for pollution of major waterways throughout the United States, primarily in the Gulf states. Formaldehyde-condensed naphthalene sulfonates are extremely difficult to precipitate from aqueous solutions as all common alkali salts as well as the free acid form are soluble in water. During rubber coagulation, whether by salt-acid, aluminum, calcium or magnesium salts, formaldehyde-condensed naphthalene sulfonates remain soluble in water and do not coprecipitate with the polymer. They, therefore, evolve as plant effluent into settling ponds. Water treating techniques are fruitless. Flocculents cannot be economically employed to precipitate formaldehyde-condensed naphthalene sulfonates. Aeration or oxidation is ineffective as these sulfonates are not susceptible to biological degradation. Formaldehyde-condensed naphthalene sulfonates have been cited as a major contributing factor in pollution caused by polymer plant effluent. Because of this there is a definite need for an alternate product which is functionally equivalent to formaldehyde-condensed naphthalene sulfonates, but is either biodegradable or precipitatable.

Synthetic polymer emulsifier from condensation of naphthalene sulfonic acid, alkyl benzene sulfonic acid and formaldehyde


CPVC compositions, pipe, and a method of preparing a pipe are disclosed and comprise CPVC having 63% to 70% by weight chlorine and preferably 65% to about 69% chlorine; a high rubber impact modifier comprising a graft copolymer of a rubbery polydiene and one or preferably more than one hardening monomer selected from a group consisting of a vinyl aromatic monomer, a (meth)acrylate, and a (meth)acrylonitrile monomer including mixtures. Said graft copolymer exhibits a Shore D hardness of less than about 64, and preferably between about 35 and 45; and a chlorinated polyethylene containing between 30% and 40% chlorine by weight, compression molded placques derived from the powder composition exhibit a minimum tensile strength, modulus, izod impact strength, Tg and dynamic thermal stability specified herein. A pipe extruded directly from said composition meets ASTM-D2846 and exhibits unexpected ductility down to 20.degree. F. (-6.6.degree. C.) under fixed drop dart impact testing. The invention is useful for example in articles such as hot and cold water distribution system components installed in seasonal environments.

Post chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) excels in higher heat deflection temperature (HDT) compared to polyvinyl chloride and is a starting material for thermoplastic compounds for hot water pipes, and particularly pressure pipes, waste gas pipes, ducts, storage tanks, construction materials among other uses.
CPVC, in order to perform adequately for the intended use is generally formulated with impact modifiers, and flow enhancing additives among other ingredients to arrive at a balance of properties. Each additive chosen for one particular advantage often is accompanied by a corresponding undesired effect on another property. Antagonistic relationships have been observed between the following additives and properties.
______________________________________ impact modifiers vs melt flow rate impact modifiers vs heat deflection temperature impact modifiers vs tensile modulus impact modifiers vs dynamic thermal stability impact modifiers vs weathering flow enhancers vs tensile modulus flow enhancers vs low temperature brittleness flow enhancers vs tensile strength flow enhancers vs heat deflection temperature ______________________________________
Various attempts to overcome the observed limitations to modification of CPVC are evident in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,299,182 discloses a blend of halogenated polyolefin and CPVC, in particular, chlorinated substantially linear polyethylene (CPE). The preferred CPE contains about 30% to 40% by weight chlorine, and is present at from about 2 to less than 10 parts by weight per 100 weight parts of CPVC (pbw), and preferably 5 to 8 parts. It has been observed that blends of CPE with CPVC do not meet the requirements of ASTM-D1784 under cell classification 2-3-4-4-7. The minimum requirements for meeting cell classification 2-3-4-4-7 under ASTM-D1784 for a CPVC composition are a notched izod impact strength of at least 1.5 ft.cndot.lbf per inch not (80.1 J/m of notch), a tensile strength of at least 7,000 psi (48.25 MPa), a modulus of elasticity of at least 360,000 psi (2,481 MPa), a heat deflection temperature (HDT) under a 264 psi (1.82 MPa) load of at least 100.degree. C. Specifically, CPE alone in combination with CPVC fails to meet tensile modulus and, izod impact per ASTM-D1784, long term hydrostatic design strength per ASTM-D2846, and a desired low temperature ductility.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,453,347 discloses impact strength improved CPVC on addition of amorphous rubbery polymerized alkylene monoepoxides and CPE. The particular oxirane monomers found to produce a rubber amorphous polymer contain at least 3 consecutive carbons, for example butene-1-oxide. CPE is present at from 5 to about 10 parts and the polyepoxide is present at from about 0.25 parts to about 2.5 parts per hundred weight parts CPVC. The inherent viscosity of the parent PVC from which the chlorinated PVC is derived has a preferred level of greater than about 0.55. The blends disclosed are powder mixed and ready for injection molding.
CPVC powder compound which is in use today is required for high output extrusion processes. Higher output pounds per hour are attained with powder compound and under certain expertly operated, larger extrusion machines, output per hour has exceeded 900 lbs./hr. This narrower processing window places a high demand on a powder extrusion compound in terms of processability. In the short amount of residence time and under high temperature and controlled shear, a powder compound must achieve complete fusion and resist decomposition in contact with surface temperatures which could otherwise break-down CPVC in a matter of minutes, rendering the fabricated article unsalable.
A high strength blend of CPVC and a styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) copolymer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,646. The blend exhibits preferably a single homogeneous phase wherein the preferred embodiment consists essentially of CPVC having between 60.5% and 64.5% chlorine and styrene-co-acrylonitrile (SAN) containing between 18% and 24% acrylonitrile. The blend exhibits improved tensile strength, however a particularly high tensile strength in the absence of improved impact resistance and in particular, an absence of low temperature ductility is not useful for hot and cold water distribution system (HCWD) components such as plumbing pipes and fittings or in drain-waste-vent systems. A combination of properties is required. Upon impact modification of this blend, a loss in HDT and modulus is predicted.
An improved melt processible CPVC composition is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,349 ('349) comprising a CPVC polymer having chlorine content of between about 60% and 66% in combination with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). The blends exhibit a substantially single phase morphology and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the blends was higher than the Tg for the CPVC and PMMA separately. Tg for amorphous polymers is highly correlated with HDT. In some applications, achieving a HDT higher than CPVC is desirable. High Tg and improved melt flow are achieved in '349, however compositions with high HDT and melt flow alone are not entirely acceptable for HCWD uses without additional properties, particularly, tensile strength, modulus, impact properties and low temperature properties. Attempts to balance all of the desired properties particularly for powder extrusion processing are met with sacrifices in at least one property such as HDT or tensile strength when pursuing improvements in another property. There is considerable art and less science demonstrated both for formulating a composition and in processing that composition to develop all required properties for improved HCWD components.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,533 ('533) discloses CPVC blends comprising a combination of a flow enhancing amount of alpha-methyl styrene polymers and/or alpha-methyl styrene-co-acrylonitrile, an impact modifier of ABS or MBS, lead stabilizer(s), acrylic processing aid and lubricant(s). The blends exhibit good thermal stability, impact strength and melt viscosity, however, an HDT of no higher than 91.5.degree. C. is achieved. HDT is a critical property for HCWD uses, however a minimum value of 100.degree. C. is required for cell class 2-3-4-4-7. In addition, unacceptable low temperature impact performance and tensile modulus for the compositions of '533 would be expected. Addition of impact modifier might improve somewhat the impact strength but would not correct the deficiency in HDT.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to obtain a CPVC composition which meets cell class 2-3-4-4-7 or higher, and a pipe derived therefrom exhibiting a minimum 180.degree. F. (82.2.degree. C.) hydrostatic design stress of 500 psi (3.5 MPa) or higher per ASTM-D2846 and has improved low temperature ductility. Such a composition and article derived therefrom which exhibits this desired combination of properties not been heretofore disclosed and represents a long felt need in the art pertaining to HCWD components. With regard to this balance of properties it would be preferable, moreover a practical necessity, for achieving this combination in an extruded or molded article directly from a powder compound. The compound must also exhibit adequate dynamic thermal stability for use in commercial extrusion and injection molding processes.

Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride rigid pipe and method of forming such pipe


An electrostatically charged animal barrier for the protection of electrical bushings and other types of electrical equipment which utilizes a plurality of radially extending spokes fabricated from conducting material. These spokes may be secured within the bushing material itself, or may be carried by an annular support of non-conducting material which is removably secured about the longitudinal axis of the bushing. The inner side of the annular support includes a number of small projections to space the support from the bushing so as to provide a passageway for condensation and rainfall. Current flow through the conductor within the bushing creates an electrostatic charge on the spokes sufficient to discourage an animal from attempting to climb around the barrier.

Equipment such as transformers, circuit breakers, capacitors, fused cutouts, conductor insulators, underground cable terminators and other equipment utilizing insulators is commonly used in electrical power supply systems. Such equipment is frequently damaged or even destroyed if an animal contacts a ground source and an energized conductor or terminal. This usually causes a power outage with the resultant disruption of service to numerous customers.
Several prior art devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,840,631, 3,192,311, and 4,201,883 have attempted to solve this problem by providing physical or electrical barriers to discourage or prevent animals from coming into contact with the equipment. However, the prior art devices do not eliminate tracking or flashover because of inadequate gaps which still results in the destruction of the device and equipment. Also, in none of the prior art devices can installation or removal of the insulator guard take place while the equipment is energized. This results in outage time during installation or removal of the guard.

Electrostatic animal barrier for electrical equipment


Compositions for topical application of erythromycin and derivatives of erythromycin, comprising an erythromycin compound and a member selected from the group consisting of lauryl alcohol, diisopropyl sebacate, dibutyl sebacate, dioctyl adipate, propylene glycol dipelargonate, ethyl laurate, butyl laurate, ethyl myristate, butyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, oleyl alcohol, diethyl sebacate, dioctyl sebacate, dioctyl azelate, hexyl laurate, ethyl caprate, butyl stearate, isopropyl isostearate, 2-ethyl-hexyl pelargonate, butyl benzoate, benzyl benzoate, benzyl salicylate, and dibutyl phthalate, and mixtures thereof, are especially useful as a treatment for acne.

French Pat. No. 2,383,667, S. Desjonqueres, bearing the legend "Date de la mise a la disposition du public de la demande . . . B.O.P.I.-"Listes" n. 41 du 13-10-1978" describes topical erythromycin compositions in which rapid penetration of the antibiotic into the sebaceous follicles is achieved. The excipient base include alkyl esters of fatty acids such as lauric, linoleic, myristic and oleic acids.
Compositions for topical treatment of acne are known. Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,099, issued Apr. 20, 1976, discloses compositions for treating acne lesions by topical application of tetracycline antibiotics in a skin penetration vehicle comprising sucrose monooleate, decyl methyl sulfoxide and alcohol.
Stoughton, U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,516, issued July 13, 1976, and Arch. Dermatol., 84 182 (1976), discloses a method for topically treating acne by applying formulations containing various antibiotics in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. The data presented are said to indicate that tetracycline in a pyrrolidone-based penetrating vehicle does not effectively control the inflammatory lesion of acne. In addition to tetracycline, compositions of erythromycin, erythromycin derivatives and clindamycin in the same vehicle were studied. The combination of erythromycin and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone gave results which were assertedly better than tetracycline in the same vehicle, whereas the antibiotic lincomycin gave superior results in controlling the inflamed lesions.


A method for filtering a transmission signal transmitted in a vehicular ad hoc network, the signal carrying at least position data of participants in data packets. The method includes the following steps: receiving the transmission signal; filtering the data packets from the transmission signal based on a receive filter having a predetermined receive filter specification for demodulating the data packets from the transmission signal, and an additional predetermined condition; and distributing the filtered data packets to a data processing unit superordinate to the receive filter.

WO 2010/139 526 A1, which is incorporated by reference, discloses a mobile ad hoc network referred to as a car2X network, the nodes of which network are specific road users such as vehicles, or other objects in the road traffic such as traffic lights. The road users participating in the car2X network can be provided with information about road-traffic situations such as accidents, traffic jams, hazardous situations, etc. via these networks.

Reducing received data in a V2X network based on received signal strength