To produce lead-free projectiles, iron and copper are melted at a predetermined ratio and rapidly quenched to yield a fine-grained microstructure with uniformly distributed copper and iron phases. The iron-copper alloy may be made into a powder through atomization, with the iron-copper molten metal being dispersed using a rapidly moving gas, liquid stream, or via mechanical dispersion. The step of forming the bullet may include solid-state sintering of the atomized powder, including heating at a temperature below 1083° C., the melting point of copper. Alternatively, the step of shaping the mixture into a bullet-shaped form may include casting and/or uniaxially pressing the mixture into a mold. A ceramic powder may be added to the copper-iron mixture prior to forming to produce a frangible projectile. Chromium, including chromium from recycled stainless steel, may be added to increase corrosion resistance and/or reduce manufacturing cost.

As lead-based materials continue to be undesirable for ammunition and other applications due to their intrinsic toxicity, realistic economic substitutes will become more needed. Metallic-based solutions are preferable due to potential densities and performance requirements; toughness and/or frangibility. Traditional all-metal bullets are designed to either penetrate armors or maximize energy transfer on target via hollow-point and/or expanding technologies.
Copper offers the next-best material of choice based on its physical characteristics; density, toughness, and formability. Unfortunately, despite its relative abundance, the cost of copper, is up to five times the cost of lead and therefore limits its acceptance. Iron is notably less expensive but also less dense. Iron alone is not a practical solution due to its tendency to create sparks exiting the muzzle and on impact with steel targets. Iron alone can also potentially be classified as armor-piercing.
These two common metals can be combined as separate powders and formed using typical powder metallurgy methods but the degree of mixing, and therefore performance, is notably limited due to practical particle sizes. Mechanical alloying is also a viable approach but is less attractive due to the relative cost of this high energy, batch process.

Lead-free, corrosion-resistant projectiles and methods of manufacture


Ultra low melt toner compositions with improved non-additive heat cohesion are disclosed. These toner compositions include toner particles comprising amorphous resins containing at least one unsaturated moiety, and when the toner particles are surface treated with a peroxy compound and optionally with a peroxy promoter compound, the surface of the toner particles is cross-linked to form a thin, robust shell. Processes for preparing the toner compositions are also described.

The present disclosure relates generally to toner compositions comprising a binder that comprises an amorphous polymer resin containing an unsaturated moiety, in which the surface is cross-linked to form a thin robust shell when surface treated with a peroxide. Additionally, exemplary embodiments relate to processes for forming such toner compositions. These toner compositions are particularly useful in xerographic or electrostatographic printing processes, and are described with particular reference thereto. However, exemplary embodiments are also useful in other applications.
Xerographic toners of a resin, a pigment, and a charge control agent are known. Toners useful for xerographic applications should exhibit certain performances related to storage stability, and particle size integrity; that is, the toner particles should remain intact and not agglomerate until fused on paper. The toner compositions also should not substantially agglomerate at temperatures below about 50° C. to about 55° C., because environmental conditions vary. The toner compositions should also display acceptable triboelectric properties that vary with the type of carrier or developer composition.
Another desirable property for xerographic toner compositions to possess is fusing property on paper. There is pressure to reduce the fusing or fixing temperatures of toners onto paper, for example, to fixing temperatures of from about 90° to about 120° C., to lower power consumption and to allow extended fuser system lifetimes. Non-contact fusers, which heat toner images on paper by radiant heat, usually are not in contact with the paper and the toner image. Contact fusers, on the other hand, are in contact with the paper and the toner image, and the toner compositions used with contact fusers should not substantially transfer onto the fuser roller.
Toner fixing performance can be characterized as a function of temperature. The maximum temperature at which the toner does-not adhere to the fuser roll is called the hot offset temperature (HOT). When the fuser temperature exceeds the toner's HOT, some of the molten toner adheres to the fuser roll during fixing and is transferred to subsequent substrates containing developed images. This transfer may result in blurred images. This undesirable phenomenon is called hot offset or cold offset depending on whether the temperature is below the fixing temperature of the paper (cold offset), or above the fixing temperature of the toner (hot offset).
The minimum fixing temperature (MFT) of the toner, which is the minimum temperature at which acceptable adhesion of the toner to the support medium occurs, should be as high as possible, but is always less than the toner composition's HOT. The MFT is determined, for example, by a crease test. The difference between MFT and HOT is called the fusing latitude of the toner, i.e., the temperature difference between the fixing temperature and the temperature at which the toner offsets onto the fuser.
Additionally, small-sized toner particles, such as those having average particle sizes of from about 3 to about 12 microns, such as from about 5 to about 7 microns, are desired, especially for use in high resolution xerographic engines. Small-sized toner particles can be economically prepared by chemical processes, which involve the direct conversion of emulsion-sized particles to toner composites by aggregation and coalescence, or by suspension, micro-suspension or micro-encapsulation processes.
Low temperature fixing toners comprised of semi-crystalline resins are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,026 discloses semi-crystalline copolymer resin toners, with melting points of from about 30° C. to about 100° C., and containing functional groups comprising hydroxy, carboxy, amino, amido, ammonium or halo, and pigment particles. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,477 discloses toner compositions of semi-crystalline polyolefin resin particles, with melting points of from about 50° C. to about 100° C., and containing functional groups comprising hydroxy, carboxy, amino, amido, ammonium or halo, and pigment particles. Although, some of these toners may provide low contact fixing temperatures of about 93.3° C. to about 107.2° C., the resins are derived from components with melting characteristics of about 30° C. to about 50° C., and are not believed to exhibit higher, more desirable melting characteristics, such as about 55° C. to about 60° C. The '026 and '477 patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,424, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses toners comprised of a blend of resin particles containing styrene polymers or polyesters and components selected from the group consisting of semi-crystalline polyolefin and copolymers thereof with a melting point of from about 50° C. to about 100° C. Fusing temperatures of from about 250° F. to about 330° F. are reported.
Crystalline-based toners are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,207, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Low fixing toners comprised of cross-linked crystalline resin and amorphous polyester resin are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,747 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,392, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, in which the toner powder is comprised, for example, of polymer particles of partially carboxylated crystalline polyester and partially carboxylated amorphous polyester that has been cross-linked together at elevated temperature with the aid of an epoxy resin and a cross-linking catalyst.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,725, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a process for preparing toner compositions comprising mixing an amine, an emulsion latex containing sulfonated-polyester resin, and a colorant dispersion, heating the resulting mixture, and optionally cooling.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,807, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, provides a process for preparing toner compositions comprising (i) preparing an emulsion latex comprised of sodio-sulfonated polyester resin particles of from about 5 to about 500 nanometers in size diameter by heating the resin in water at a temperature of from about 65° C. to about 90° C.; (ii) preparing a pigment dispersion in water by dispersing in water from about 10 to about 25 weight percent of sodio-sulfonated polyester and from about 1 to about 5 weight percent of pigment; (iii) adding the pigment dispersion to the latex mixture with shearing, followed by the addition of an alkali halide in water until aggregation results as indicated, for example, by an increase in the latex viscosity of from about 2 centipoises to about 100 centipoises; (iv) heating the resulting mixture at a temperature of from about 45° C. to about 55° C. to cause further aggregation and enabling coalescence to form toner particles of from about 4 to about 9 microns in volume average diameter and with a geometric distribution of less than about 1.3; and optionally (v) cooling the product mixture to about 25° C. and washing and drying the product. The sulfonated polyesters disclosed in the '807 patent may be selected for use in embodiments.
Conventional low melt toner compositions, such as those described above, generally exhibit a ratio of amorphous resin to crystalline resin of 80 to 20, and meet the crease, gloss, latitude, and charging performance requirements of high-speed production printing. These toners also meet heat-cohesion requirements when less than 10% additives are present.
However, there remains a need for ultra-low melt toners with improved heat cohesion for non-additive heat-cohesion requirements and that still provide excellent image properties. There is thus also a need to provide a process for preparing such low-melt emulsion-aggregation toners that allows for controlled particle growth and controlled morphology or shape, and provides high yields.

Ultra low melt toners having surface crosslinking


A method for separating single-wall carbon nanotubes from an aqueous slurry comprises adding a water-immiscible organic solvent to an aqueous slurry comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes, isolating at least some of the single-wall carbon nanotubes in the solvent, and removing the solvent from the single-wall carbon nanotubes to form dried single-wall carbon nanotubes. A spheroidal aggregate of single-wall carbon nanotubes is formed wherein the aggregate is approximately spherical and has a diameter in a range of about 0.1 and about 5 mm, and wherein the aggregate contains at least about 80 wt % single-wall carbon nanotubes. The spheroidal aggregates of single-wall carbon nanotubes are easily handled in industrial processes and are redispersable to single-wall carbon nanotubes and/or ropes of single-wall carbon nanotubes. This invention can also be applied to multi-wall carbon nanotubes.

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT), commonly known as "buckytubes," have unique properties, including high strength, stiffness, thermal and electrical conductivity. SWNT are hollow, tubular fullerene molecules consisting essentially of sp2-hybridized carbon atoms typically arranged in hexagons and pentagons. Single-wall carbon nanotubes typically have diameters in the range of about 0.5 nanometers (nm) and about 3.5 nm, and lengths usually greater than about 50 nm. Background information on single-wall carbon nanotubes can be found in B. I. Yakobson and R. E. Smalley, American Scientist, Vol. 85, July-August, 1997, pp. 324–337 and Dresselhaus, et al., Science of Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes, 1996, San Diego: Academic Press, Ch. 19. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes appear as multiple concentric shells of carbon nanotubes and have some properties similar to single-wall carbon nanotubes. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes generally have diameters greater than about 3.5 nm and have many more defects in their carbon walls.
Single-wall carbon nanotubes are generally made in high-temperature processes using a carbon source and a metallic catalyst, typically comprising Group VIb and/or Group VIIIb transition metals. Methods for synthesizing single-wall carbon nanotubes include DC arc processes, laser vaporization of graphite doped with transition metal atoms, high temperature, high pressure gas-phase syntheses involving a carbon-containing feedstock gas, such as carbon monoxide, and a volatile transition metal catalyst precursor, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes in which single-wall carbon nanotubes are formed from a carbon-containing gas on nanometer-scale metal catalyst particles, which can be supported on a substrate or catalyst support.
The single-wall carbon nanotube product that results from these processes generally is in the form of black soot and, typically, the soot is fluffy or powdery. Fine and fluffy powders can easily become airborne and can often be difficult to handle in industrial processes.
In addition to single-wall carbon nanotubes, the products from these processes also comprise transition metal catalyst residues and carbon not in the form of single-wall carbon nanotubes, such as amorphous carbon, partially formed single-wall carbon nanotubes, and, in some cases, multi-wall carbon nanotubes. The SWNT-containing product from supported-catalyst CVD processes can also comprise a substrate or support material. The distribution of reaction products will vary depending on the particular process used and the operating conditions used in the process.
For many applications, a purified single-wall carbon nanotube product is preferred. Procedures to purify single-wall carbon nanotubes are directed at removing carbon not in the form of single-wall carbon nanotubes, metallic catalyst residues and, in the case of CVD processes, catalyst support material. Procedures for purifying single-wall carbon nanotubes often involve acids that react with the metal residues. Such procedures can be "wet" methods, such as those involving aqueous acid solutions, or "dry" methods that employ gaseous acids, e.g. HCl in vapor form. Examples of wet and dry methods for purifying single-wall carbon nanotubes are related in International Patent Publications "Process for Purifying Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes and Compositions Thereof," WO 02/064,869 published Aug. 8, 2002, and "Gas Phase Process for Purifying Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes and Compositions Thereof," WO 02/064,868 published Aug. 8, 2002, respectively, and included herein in their entirety by reference.
Although wet and dry purification procedures can yield purified single-wall carbon nanotubes, the resulting form of the single-wall carbon nanotubes can be difficult to handle in industrial processes. Similar to the form of as-produced single-wall carbon nanotubes, gas-phase purification techniques often result in a fluffy, fine powdery product. Wet purification procedures often involve formation of an aqueous slurry of single-wall carbon nanotubes. Separation of the purified single-wall carbon nanotubes from the aqueous phase, often done by filtration or centrifugation, is typically slow and tedious, and often results in matted, compressed and dense forms of single-wall carbon nanotubes, such as mats, papers and chunks, that are difficult to redisperse in subsequent processes.
An effective method for fast, efficient separation of single-wall carbon nanotubes from aqueous slurry is, therefore, desirable. Also needed is a purified form of single-wall carbon nanotubes that is easier to handle than fine powders.

Spheroidal aggregates comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes and method for making the same


Disclosed herein are a steam generator capable of preventing water inflow into a cooking compartment and easily discharging water therefrom and a cooking apparatus having the steam generator. The steam generator includes a first part to store water therein, a second part extending from the first part and having a smaller width than the first part, a heater disposed in the first part to heat water in the first part, and a temperature sensor mounted to an outer surface of the first part to detect a temperature of the heater. Whether the steam generator lacks water is determined by detecting a temperature of the heater using the temperature sensor.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a steam generator capable of preventing water inflow into a compartment and easily discharging water therefrom and an apparatus having the steam generator.
2. Description of the Related Art
A microwave oven is an appliance in which microwaves emitted from a magnetron are radiated into a cooking compartment to change the arrangement of water molecules in food contained in the cooking compartment, thereby causing the food to be cooked. By simultaneously heating both the inside and outside of food, defrosting or cooking time may be significantly shortened. In addition, the microwave oven may have features of a small size, easy installation, convenient usage and the like, in comparison with a gas oven or a gas stove which uses gas as a heat source.
So as to enable a user to conveniently cook, microwave ovens capable of performing various cooking processes, such as a rice cooking function, fish roasting function, steaming function and the like, have been recently developed. Cooking apparatuses with an oven function using a heater as an additional heat source have been also developed. Further, in order to improve a texture of food and minimize destruction of nutrients in food, cooking apparatuses equipped with a steam generator have been developed, in which steam is supplied to a cooking compartment and food is cooked by indirect heating through steam.
Cooking food using a cooking apparatus with a steam generator may significantly reduce loss of nutrients, such as vitamin C which is easily destroyed by heat. Further, when cooking food preserved with salt, such as fish, salt in the food is reduced and the food becomes moist with a crispy skin by virtue of steam.

Steam generator and cooking apparatus having the same


In an example embodiment, a container is downloaded, the container being an application natively executable by a first operating system of the user device, the container including: a container service including one or more libraries of functions designed by a container designer to natively operate on the first operating system; a browser; container metadata defining functions of the application, the functions compatible with the container service for the first operating system and also compatible with a container service for a second operating system; and a plug-in including one or more additional libraries of functions designed by an entity other than the container designer to perform additional native operations on the first operating system. Then, the container metadata can be executed using the browser, causing function calls to the container service and plug-in and thus controlling native functions of the user device.

Mobile applications (also known as "apps") have dramatically increased in popularity with the rise of smartphones and tablets. It is common for these applications to be downloaded by end users from a central repository, sometimes referred to as an "app store" or other location where digital files can be downloaded to user devices. Software developers often create apps and upload these apps to the app store. These apps may be designed as self-contained through a process known as native application development. One drawback to native application development is that it can become difficult to develop applications that operate on multiple different mobile platforms (cross-platform solutions), thus driving up the cost of development for apps that are intended to operate on multiple different mobile platforms.


A metering container for viscous liquids has a container space enclosed by a container wall and a substantially circular mouthpiece at the lower surface of the container space having a wall with a slot opening arranged eccentrically with respect to its central axis. A rotary slide in the region of the slot opening is rotatable about the central axis and has a rotary slide wall with a slot that is substantially as eccentric with respect to the central axis as the slot opening is and is at least approximately the same size as the slot opening. The rotary slide is rotatable from an open position in which the slot opening and the slot are arranged one above the other to a closed position in which the slot opening is covered by the rotary slide wall and the slot is covered by the mouthpiece wall. The slot opening and the slot each extend as a straight line along an axis and have longitudinal edges that make an adjustable angle with one another in the manner of a scissors on rotation of the rotary slide.

In addition to the thixotropic liquids, viscous liquids form an important group among the liquids with non-Newtonian behavior, which require special measures and means for their handling. This also applies to the design of metering containers.
The invention relates to a metering container for viscous liquids having an opening in a container space for the viscous liquids and means for closing the container opening.
A metering container has been disclosed in, for example, DE-C-1 206 141 for the application of glue. Two closing means are provided for closing the container, namely a slide for separating the container space from the applicator roller and two slides which can be moved toward one another in the manner of a gate, overlap the applicator roller and are intended to prevent drying out.
On the one hand, the inner slide which closes the container space presented a problem since it had to be operated from the outside, which made sealing difficult, especially since one section of the slide was always outside the container and one section inside, and there was always displacement between these parts during opening and closing. During these movements, the adhering glue was conveyed to the outside and could drip freely there, so that the work was not clean.
On the other hand, operation of the two outer slides with the aid of a cord pull against the force of a spring was not only rather complicated in design and susceptible to faults, but it did not prevent drying out during long periods of standing, which--owing to the large number of parts--then led to complicated cleaning work.
For non-adhesive substances, various metering containers have been proposed, for example in US-E-28 120. However, these are sector-like slots which extend parallel to the circumference of the rotary slide and on the one hand permit only a limited application width and on the other hand could not completely prevent thread formation when tacky substances were used, since both slots are located on the same radius and there would be a thread-cutting shearing effect only when their edges curved with respect to a chord plane relative to their curvature result in nonuniform glue application so that for this reason alone they are unsuitable for this purpose.
FR-A-1 197 509 adopted another approach to the solution of the problem. There, a metering roller acting on the actual applicator roller itself defines two metering gaps on its two sides in that this metering roller is arranged exactly in the bottom opening of the container and projects partly into the container space and partly outside. To close the two gaps remaining at its two sides, a thin spindle is inserted in each case between the metering roller and the concave container bottom and is intended to cover the gap.
A precondition of this solution is that the two spindles are produced very precisely in order to avoid leaving a cavity, and that the glue (or another viscous liquid) contains no lumps or impurities which could become lodged between the spindles and the container wall and thus prevent the sealing effect of the two spindles. In addition, during operation the metering roller continuously rubs against one of the spindles, which therefore impairs the functioning and the rotation of this roller, while the spindle on the other side of the metering roller is constantly raised from its sealing position as a result of its rotation, after which a return to the sealing position within the viscous medium is not ensured by anything.
However, if leaks occur in the known embodiments, the viscous liquid flows out in thin threads which are deposited everywhere and are difficult to remove. It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a metering container of the type stated at the outset so that it is easy to seal, does not carry viscous liquid, such as glue, together with surface sections pushed outside, and that the seal holds it securely in its closed position without there being any danger of contaminating thread formation.

Metering container and support construction for this purpose


A holding device for vertically positioning a window pane in the window frame of a motor vehicle, including a retaining part adapted to be secured in a transverse part of the frame, a supporting part moveable with respect to the retaining part and adapted to engage with an edge of the window pane, and a spring acting between the supporting part and the retaining part for urging the supporting part in the direction of the plane of the window pane towards the edge. The retaining part has a pawl pivotally connected to it for movement between a holding position where it engages the supporting part and holds it and the spring in an initial tensioned position and a release position where it is located in a recess in the retaining part and allows the spring to urge the supporting part against the edge of the window pane. The pawl is resiliently biased toward the holding position and located so that it will be pushed into the release position by the window pane as it is being inserted into the window frame.

This invention relates to a holding device for the vertical positioning of a window pane which can be adhesively bonded in the window frame of a motor vehicle.
Windows which can be adhesively bonded for example windshields or rear windows of motor cars, are usually inserted or laid in place automatically by a free-arm robot. During this operation, the window must be placed at a constant distance from the window frame and temporarily positioned and held in place by holding devices until the adhesive sets or cures. For this purpose, in motor vehicle construction, use is often made of holding devices having supporting parts that are adjustable in the plane of the window. The devices can be inserted in the lower transverse frame of the window and have retaining legs on the supporting parts on which the lower edge of the window rests that are guided for displacement in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the window.
Such a holding device is shown for example, in German Patent No. 34 42 299 C1. The supporting part of this device is provided with a locking device, so that the retaining leg of the supporting part is automatically locked in any desired vertical position once the device has been pressed against the edge of the window.
In the course of increasing automation, a disadvantage of this device is that the supporting parts in each case have to be pressed manually up against the edge of the window, and this involves additional work.
An object of the present invention therefore to design a holding device in such a way that, when laying the window in place, the supporting part of the device will automatically come to bear against the lower edge of the window without the need for any manual step and will then perform its supporting function until the window is held permanently in place by the adhesive.

Holding device for vertically positioning a window pane


A pulse discharge laser is provided having a pair of electrodes disposed within a laser chamber pressurized with a high-pressure gas. A preionizer generator intermittently produces preionization energy to preionize the high pressure gas in the laser chamber. A pulse forming network intermittently supplies a ramping voltage to the pair of electrodes. When the high pressure gas in the laser chamber is not properly preionized by the preionization energy a damaging arc may occur and lasing will not occur by discharge of the ramping voltage on the electrodes. A passive electrode arc protector is provided connected across the pair of laser electrodes to discharge the ramping voltage across the electrodes when the high pressure gas is not properly preionized to protect the laser electrodes from a damaging arc between them.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pulse discharge laser with a passive element to prevent damaging arcs between laser electrodes, and particularly relates to a pulse discharge laser having a passive electrode arc protector to prevent arcing between laser electrodes due to improper preionization of a high pressure gas between the laser electrodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art pulse discharge laser having a high pressure gas within a chamber 110. Electrodes 120 and 130 are contained within the chamber 110. X-rays are radiated into the chamber 110 to provide preionization energy to preionize the high pressure gas in the chamber 110. The x-rays are emitted from an x-ray generator 140 disposed adjacent to the chamber 110. A pulse generator 150 and a delay circuit 160 command the x-ray generator 140 to generate the x-rays after a power supply 170 is commanded to begin applying power to a water line capacitor 180. The water line capacitor 180 increases its charge voltage by the energy applied from the power supply 170 while the gas in the chamber 110 becomes preionized by the x-rays emitted from the x-ray generator 140. Preionization refers to the creation of a uniform electron density of at least 10.sup.6 electrons per centimeter cubed (cm.sup.3) in the discharge region prior to the application of the main discharge used for pumping the laser. When the voltage on the water line capacitor 180 reaches a predetermined voltage, the charge on the water line capacitor 180 passes through a rail gap switch 190 and appears across the electrodes 120 and 130. After the voltage on the water line capacitor 180 is applied to the electrodes 120 and 130, discharge occurs between the electrodes. Assuming the high pressure gas in the chamber 110 is properly preionized by the x- rays emitted from the x-ray generator 140, the voltage on the electrodes 120 and 130 uniformly discharges through the preionized gas between an entirety of the surfaces of electrodes 120 and 130, thus causing pulsed lasing to occur in the high pressure gas.
However, the high pressure gas in the chamber 110 is not always properly preionized when the voltage is applied across the electrodes 120 and 130. Sometimes proper preionization will not occur because of a timing error in the control signals received by the x-ray generator 140 and the power supply 170. Other times the high pressure gas will not be properly preionized when the x-ray generator 140 fails or has an intermittent delay. When proper preionization does not occur, the voltage arcs across the electrodes 120 and 130 and can cause severe damage to the laser. These arcs are particularly damaging inside of the chamber 110 where they can damage the surfaces of the electrodes 120 and 130. The metal electrodes 120 and 130 are typically plated with a second metal, and halides of the metal surface can form as a result of the arcing. These halides form a suspended dust in the optical path and deposit on window openings in the chamber 110. Arcing can also pit the plating on the electrodes 120 and 130, exposing the metal underneath to attack by the halogen gas in the chamber and causing halide dusts. Additionally, the arcing can cause impurities in the high pressure gas.
Prevention of arcing is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,828 issued to Rowe et al. In the Rowe et al. Patent, an arc is detected in a continuous wave gas laser by sensing the voltage between electrodes in the laser. Upon sensing a voltage at which arcing occurs, a power supply to the electrodes is disconnected. Rowe et al. take about 5 to 10 milliseconds to shut down the power supply to the continuous wave gas laser. However, the technique employed by Rowe et al. is not fast enough for a pulse discharge laser because a pulse discharge laser requires response times of about 10 nanoseconds. Furthermore, the sensing circuit of Rowe et al. is subject to failure and difficult to adapt to different types of laser gasses.

Pulse discharge laser with passive arc protection

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


The present invention discloses a light emitting device control circuit with dimming function and a control method thereof. The light emitting device control circuit includes: a dimmer circuit, a rectifier and filter circuit, a power converter circuit, and a headroom voltage regulation circuit. The dimmer circuit generates an AC dimming voltage according to an AC voltage. The rectifier and filter circuit generates an input voltage according to the AC dimming voltage. The power converter circuit operates according to a control signal to convert the input voltage to an output voltage which is supplied to a light emitting device circuit. The headroom voltage regulation circuit generates the control signal according to a reference value and a difference between the input voltage and the output voltage, and regulates the difference at a level corresponding to the reference value by a feedback control loop.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting device control circuit with dimming function and a control method thereof; particularly, it relates to such a light emitting device control circuit which has a headroom regulation function to avoid a flicker of the light emitting devices, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1A shows a conventional light emitting device control circuit 10. As shown in FIG. 1A, the light emitting device control circuit 10 receives an AC voltage (AC) and converts it to a DC output voltage Vout which is supplied to a light emitting device circuit 1. The light emitting device circuit 1 for example includes plural light emitting diodes (LEDs). The light emitting device control circuit 10 includes a TRIAC (TRI-electrode AC switch) dimmer circuit 11, a rectifier and filter circuit 13, and a power converter circuit 19, wherein the power converter circuit 19 includes a power stage control circuit 191 and a power stage circuit 192. The TRIAC dimmer circuit 11 receives the AC voltage (AC) (as indicated by a small sinusoidal signal waveform in the figure). When the AC voltage (AC) reaches a predetermined trigger phase, the TRIAC dimmer circuit 11 fires (starts-up), i.e., it is turned ON to generate an AC dimming voltage Vdim (as indicated by a small phase-cut sinusoidal signal waveform in the figure). The rectifier and filter circuit 13 rectifies and filters the AC dimming voltage Vdim to generate an input voltage Vin (as indicated by a small DC signal waveform with ripples in the figure). FIGS. 1B and 1C show schematic waveforms of the AC voltage and AC dimming voltages Vdim1 and Vdim2 with different trigger phases, wherein the AC voltage is indicated by a dash line and the AC dimming voltages Vdim1 and Vdim2 are indicated by solid lines. The rectifier and filter circuit 13 receives the AC dimming voltage Vdim, and rectifies them to generate an input voltages Vin which is inputted to the power converter circuit 19. The power converter circuit 19 is coupled to the rectifier and filter circuit 13, for converting the input voltage Vin to an output voltage Vout according to a control signal ACTL1, and the output voltage Vout is provided to the light emitting device circuit 1. In the aforementioned circuit, the TRIAC dimmer circuit 12 is provided for determining the trigger phase of the AC dimming voltage to adjust an average brightness of the light emitting device circuit 1. The power converter circuit 19 includes a power stage circuit 192 which has at least one power switch. The power stage circuit 192 may be a synchronous or asynchronous buck, boost, or inverting power stage circuit as shown in FIGS. 2A-2F.
To further explain, as an example, let us assume that the power converter circuit 19 includes a buck power stage circuit. FIG. 1B shows that the AC dimming voltage Vdim1 has an earlier trigger phase, and FIG. 1C shows the AC dimming voltage Vdim2 has a later trigger phase. The rectifier and filter circuit 13 rectifies and filters the AC dimming voltages Vdim1 and Vdim2, and correspondingly generates a DC input voltage Vin1 with a higher level and a DC input voltage Vin2 with a lower level Vin2. The control signal ACTL1 is direct proportional to the input voltage Vin (the control signal ACTL1 is a divided voltage of the input voltage Vin), so it indicates the brightness of the light emitting device circuit 1 that a user intends to set. The power stage control circuit 191 controls the power stage circuit 192 according to the control signal ACTL1, such that the conduction time of the power switch in the power stage circuit 192 is controlled according to the level of the input voltage Vin, and the current flowing through the light emitting device circuit 1 is adjusted accordingly, that is, the brightness of the light emitting device circuit 1 is adjusted according to the control signal ACTL1 which is direct proportional to the input voltage Vin.
The aforementioned prior art has the following drawback. Ideally, the output voltage Vout follows the control signal ACTL1 which is direct proportional to the input voltage Vin, so when the input voltage Vin increases, the output voltage Vout also increases, and when the input voltage Vin decreases, the output voltage Vout also decreases. However, in a real case, a power mismatch happens because of various conditions, such as unstable AC voltage frequencies, inconsistent phase-cut angles, etc., and therefore as shown in FIG. 1D, sometimes the input voltage Vin2 may be lower than the output voltage Vout. In this case, the buck power stage circuit can not operate, and a perceivable flicker occurs in the light emitting device circuit 1.
To overcome the drawback of the prior art, the present invention provides a light emitting device control circuit with dimming function and a control method thereof. The present invention provides a headroom regulation function to avoid a flicker of the light emitting device circuit.

Light emitting device control circuit with dimming function and control method thereof


An in-vehicle structure for an inverter includes a bracket, a damping bush, and a braided wire. The bracket is made of a metal plate, and serves as a metal fitting for fixing the inverter to a transmission (a vehicle). The damping bush is fitted between the bracket and either one of a case of the inverter and the transmission. The damping bush is made of an insulator. The braided wire electrically connects the case of the inverter to the transmission. The braided wire is wired along the metal plate of the bracket.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an in-vehicle structure for an inverter configured to supply electric power to a drive motor, and a bracket unit configured to fix an inverter to a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
An automobile including an electrically-driven vehicle is generally configured such that a potential of its body is often set to an electric ground potential of an in-vehicle electric apparatus. The in-vehicle electric apparatus is electrically connected to the body, and is maintained equipotential (a ground potential) with the body. Since a case of the electric apparatus is made of a conductive metal in general, if the electric apparatus is fixed to the body or a frame of the vehicle, the electric apparatus is automatically maintained equipotential with the body. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-240396 A describes that it is preferable that a case of an electric apparatus be electrically connected to a body via a wire in addition to conduction by the contact of the case with the body. Note that an "electric apparatus" in the present specification encompasses an engine unit including a sensor operating by electricity, a transmission, a drive motor (and its case), and a battery. Further, in the present specification, in a case where an electric apparatus has been provided in a vehicle such that its case is electrically connected to a body of the vehicle, and another electric apparatus is fixed to the electric apparatus, the another electric apparatus should be electrically connected to the case of the electric apparatus that has been already provided in the vehicle. Hence, the electric apparatus that has been already provided in the vehicle is considered as a part of the body electrically.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-122871 (JP 2004-122871 A) describes that it is preferable to connect a battery or an engine to a body of a vehicle by use of a braided wire rather than a thin wire. In the following description, a "body of a vehicle" is just referred to as the "body."

In-vehicle structure for inverter and bracket unit for inverter


A turbo-compressor being driven by an electric motor has an inlet guide vane and a blow-off valve. The surge limit line of the compressor is amended depending upon seasonal changes of temperature and pressure of a working gas to be sucked into the compressor. Upon the basis of the surge limit line amended, the minimum opening of the inlet guide vale is altered, thereby reducing the driving power or force of the compressor.

With a conventional turbo-compressor used, for example, in a chemical plant, in many cases, a discharge pressure is set to be almost constant. In such a turbo-compressor, however, the discharge pressure changes if temperature and/or pressure of a suction gas is changed, even when the rotational speed is constant. As a result it may be impossible to reach a predetermined discharge pressure. Then, as is described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Sho 56-121898 (1981), for example, detection is made of the intake temperature and pressure of a working gas, as early as possible, so as to change the rotational speed of a driving machine in response to the intake temperature and pressure detected, thereby controlling the turbo-compressor so that the discharge pressure thereof arrives at the predetermined pressure.
Another example of a conventional turbo-compressor is described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 1-200095 (1989), for example. Within the multi-staged centrifugal compressor described in that publication, the minimum rotation speed of the driving machine is changed or altered in response to changes of temperature of the suction gas, so as to prevent it from an unstable phenomenon, i.e., so-called surging, so that the compressor is operated over a wide range with stability. As is also described, for example, in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 10-89287 (1998), the temperature of a working gas sucked into a turbo-compressor is detected so as to change the rotational speed of the compressor in relation to about ⅓ power of a ratio between the detected temperature of the suction gas and a reference temperature thereof, thereby lowering the power of a shaft under a constant gas pressure and keeping the discharge pressure from the turbo-compressor constant.
In contrast to those conventional turbo-compressors, in each of which the constant gas pressure control is obtained by changing the rotational speed of the compressor, in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Sho 62-96798 (1987), for example, a change is described as made upon an angle of a vane of an inlet guide vane, which is provided at a suction side of the compressor, corresponding to the temperature of the gas sucked into the turbo-compressor so as to adjust a flow rate with high accuracy.
However, within turbo-compressors such as those which are described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Sho 56-121898 (1981), Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 1-200095 (1989) and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 10-89287 (1998) mentioned above, although the rotational speed of the compressor is controlled depending upon the temperature of the suction gas, in order to change the rotational speed within the turbo-compressor, which is driven by an electric motor, there is a need to provide an electric motor with an inverter drive, resulting in a high price. Also, with a compressor such as that described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Sho 62-96798 (1987), no consideration is paid to the idea of expanding or widening the stable operation region of the compressor when conducting a capacity control thereupon but escaping from surging.
An object of the present invention, accomplished by taking the drawbacks of the conventional technologies mentioned above into consideration, is to provide a turbo-compressor driven by an electric motor, thereby enabling maintenance of a wide operation range or region without generating the surging and while keeping the discharge pressure thereof about constant. Another object, according to the present invention, is to provide a turbo-compressor having a simple structure which is able to maintain a wide operation range or region. According to the present invention, it is also another object to accomplish any one of those objects mentioned above.

Turbo compressor and method of operating the turbo compressor


An optical scanner which includes a rotating polygonal mirror and a series of adjustable mirror assemblies which provide an adjustable X pattern. Adjustment of the X pattern permits the scanner to be optimized to different scanning applications.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to laser scanning systems utilizing laser light sources for reading coded symbologies of different light reflectivity. More particularly, the invention pertains to laser scanning systems wherein adjustment of the intensity or spatial coverage of the beam is utilized to effect the detection and reading of coded symbologies.
2. Description of Related Art
Coded symbologies, such as bar code symbols, are commonly used in a number of applications to uniquely identify an item or group of items. Bar code symbols typically comprise a combination of black bars of varying widths alternating with white spaces of varying widths. A unique combination of bars and spaces represents the encoded information. Bar code symbols are typically affixed to an item using a label, or imprinted directly upon the item. The reading and decoding of bar code symbols is used to yield information concerning the item, such as a description of the item's destination, origination or particular characteristics such as color, price or quantity. Due to their inherent efficiency in tracking items, bar code symbols have been widely used for document tracking, inventory control, manufacturing control and employee identification.
Bar code symbol scanners are the devices used to read the bar code symbols to retrieve the desired information. The bar code symbol is illuminated by a beam of coherent light, such as a laser, that sweeps across the bar code symbol. The scanner detects the light reflected from the bar code symbol and determines contrasts between the bars, areas having a lower reflectivity, and the spaces, areas having a higher reflectivity.
An important consideration in using scanning systems of this type is the optimal orientation of the scanning beam with respect to the bar code symbol. It is preferable to have the scanning region cover the entire bar code symbol to ensure high accuracy. However, in many prior art scanning systems, the scanner provides only a single scan line and the bar code symbol must be precisely oriented in relation to the defined scanning region. Many current laser scanners of this type are adequate for bar code symbols which are presented in a "ladder" orientation wherein the bar code symbol resembles a vertical ladder as it moves by the scanner. In this configuration, the laser repeatedly scans from the top of the bar code symbol to the bottom as it passes the scanner. Even though the scan beam repeatedly scans vertically, the bar code symbol must still be oriented within the field of the view of the scan beam. The time consumed in precisely aligning the bar code symbol delays scanning and prevents high-speed bar code symbol scanning.
Bar code symbols may also be oriented in a "picket fence" orientation wherein the bar code symbol resembles a picket fence as it moves by the scanner. In applications where the bar code symbol is oriented as such, the scanner may be rotated 90 degrees to scan horizontally across the bars of the coded symbol. However, one problem with this approach is that the same horizontal portion of the bar code symbol is repeatedly scanned. Accordingly, a "no read" may result if the printing quality suffers at that portion of the code. Additionally, the bar code symbols must still be precisely aligned with the scanner.
Although there are some prior art systems that do not require as precise orientation, these systems have not proven to be wholly satisfactory. These systems have incurred various problems, including gaps in the scanning pattern, the requirement of a large minimum bar height, and a limited range of orientation. One such scanning technique includes redundant sweeps across the entire bar code symbol by the laser to assure an accurate reading of the bar code symbol. The redundant scanning avoids misreading of a bar code symbol due to possible localized width inaccuracies in the bar code symbol. However, no reconstruction of the bar code symbol is done. This method is best suited for reading bar code symbols which have been pre-positioned along the scan line of the sweeping laser beam.
It is not always possible to control the orientation or location of the bar code symbol with respect to the scan line of the scanning device. In applications where the orientation or location of the bar code symbol is not constant, two other scanner type options are available: the raster mirror wheel and the vibrating vane.
A scanner employing a raster mirror wheel projects multiple parallel scanning lines instead of a single scanning line. As a result, the raster mirror wheel scans more than one part of the bar code symbol and information corresponding to a part of the label which has poor print quality may be ignored. The raster mirror wheel is also beneficial when there is inconsistent placement of the codes since it provides a larger scanning region.
However, the scanning region for raster mirror wheels is still substantially limited. Raster lines are evenly spaced over a predefined area and the number of raster lines is limited to the number of facets on the mirror wheel. To prevent bar code symbols with small heights from passing between the raster lines, the distance between them must remain small. As a result, the scanning region, while larger than a single scan line, remains fairly small.
Use of a vibrating vane which is attached to a line scanner to create a variable raster can alleviate this limitation to some extent. The vibrating vane includes an additional mirror positioned in the beam path after the mirror wheel. The additional mirror continuously rotates a certain number of degrees, then reverses direction and rotates back to its origin. As a result, the number of scan lines is not limited to the number of facets on the mirror wheel and the vibrating vane has essentially an infinite number of raster lines. This makes the scanner more reliable in many picket fence applications and applications having inconsistent placement of the codes.
The vibrating vane, however, has substantial limitations. Bar code symbols with small bar heights require the scan lines to be close together. To compensate for this, either the sweep distance of the vane must be reduced or the frequency of the sweep must be reduced, thereby reducing the maximum conveyor speed. The orientation range of the bar code symbol is also limited to allow a scan line to pass through the entire code. As a result, tradeoffs must be made between minimizing bar code symbol height, maximizing conveyor speed and minimizing placement variation.
One current scanning system that requires less precise orientation is an "X" pattern scanner. An X pattern scanner with reconstruction software permits bar code symbols to be read in an omni-directional (i.e. 360.degree.) orientation, although the symbols are somewhat limited in that the scan pattern is fixed in size.
Thus it is desirable to have a scanning system which solves the numerous shortcomings associated with current scanning systems.

Bar code laser scanner having a plurality of adjustable mirrors


An emergency escape apparatus for elevator is disclosed. In response to power outage manually pulling an actuation rope will pivot a pivot bar counterclockwise to rotate front and rear cams, press front and rear cams onto front and rear actuation members respectively, lower a pinion to be in mesh with a gear on a front of a drive sheave, press pressing rollers onto hoist ropes, activate a bar member to deactivate a brake, close a switch, and activate a backup motor to turn the pinion and the drive sheave through the gear, thereby lowering a car until a safe floor is reached. In another operation speeding the car will automatically enable an electromagnetic actuator to pull the actuation rope and activate a main motor to lower the car.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to emergency escape arrangements for an elevator and more particularly to such an emergency escape apparatus for an elevator with improved characteristics.
2. Related Art
Elevators are requisite equipment for high rise buildings. It is known that an elevator is required to incorporate a safety device in order to satisfy stringent safety requirements and stricter safety codes.
One typical safety device is brake which is provided between a car and a car guide rail. The brake is adapted to stop the car from falling freely in case of emergency such as power outage or overspeed of the car because of faulty speed regulation. Typically, should an emergency situation arises and after activating the brake, an elevator technician is called to go to a panel room to manually activate a drive sheave to lift or lower a car to a desired floor. Thereafter, reset the brake and thus return the elevator to its ready state. However, this procedure is very inconvenient. Further, it involves technician. Unfortunately, this is not practical since all persons trapped in an elevator car may have died before an elevator technician arrives. Furthermore, after activating the brake, a main motor may rotate without load due to insufficient friction between hoist ropes and a drive sheave. In addition, conventional elevators rely on the main motor as drive source (i.e., no backup motor). This means that escape is impossible in case of power outage or the main motor malfunctioning. Thus, a need for improvement still exists.


A figurative toy missile in animal-like or humanoid soft form defined by a head and a torso having appendages extending therefrom. The missile structure is such that when the missile is thrown by a player, it will spin, or execute other excursions in flight, depending on how the appendages are grasped by the player. The torso is formed by an outer fabric casing enclosing a rubber balloon inflated with water, whereby the torso functions as a weighted ball. The head is formed by a shaped, stuffed fabric bag attached to the upper end of the torso casing. The legs and feet are formed by a pair of soft appendages attached to the lower end of the torso casing, and the arms and hands are formed by a pair of soft appendages attached to opposite sides of the torso casing. To alter these flight characteristics so that the missile can do flips and execute other special movements, attached as a removable accessory to the figure is a weighted backpack or other weighted object to impart asymmetrical flying characteristics thereto.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to soft play figures having an animal-like or humanoid soft form, and more particularly to a figure of this type capable of functioning as a missile which when thrown by a player will spin, do flip-flops or execute other excursions in flight, depending on how the appendages of the figure are grasped by the player.
2. Status of Prior Art
The typical inflatable beach ball of the type in commercial use at outdoor swimming pools and beaches is made from 6 to 8 mil polyvinyl film material, the ball being provided with a valved air inlet so that it can be inflated by mouth.
Such thin-skinned beach balls are usually made in a diameter greater than that of a basketball or soccer ball, and they are relatively very light in relation to their surface area. As a consequence, the typical light-weight beach ball offers a much greater surface area to air than smaller balls, and little resistance to wind deflection, so that the ball cannot be thrown very far, and on a windy day it is almost impossible to play with on a beach.
Because even a light wind deflects the beach ball, when the ball is thrown from one player to another, it is more likely to land in the water rather than in the hands of a player, and when blown into the water, the ball may be propelled to a distant point from which it cannot readily be recovered. Children often lose beach balls because of wind conditions. But apart from the difficulty of playing with a light-weight play ball under windy conditions is that its lack of weight imposes other limitations on the ball.
My prior U.S. Pat. No., Spector, 4,834,352, discloses a pneumatic play ball having an outer casing formed of non-stretchable material which when fully expanded assumes a ball configuration. Within the casing is an inflatable balloon whose stem initially projects through a small port in the casing. When the balloon is inflated, it expands to engage and conform to the inner surface of the casing, after which the stem is tied and pushed within the port whereby the balloon is then fully encased. While a ball of the type disclosed in this prior patent has distinct advantages over conventional beach balls, it is still lacking in weight and subject to wind deflection.
To overcome this drawback, my later prior Spector U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,381 discloses a variable weight play ball in which weight is imparted thereto by a layer of water which is uniformly and symmetrically distributed throughout the ball regardless of the thickness of the layer, whereby the play characteristics of the ball are comparable to those of conventional heavy balls of high quality.
This variable-weight play ball has an inflatable inner bladder of elastomeric material disposed within a non-stretchable outer casing of flexible material to create a water region therebetweeen. The outer casing is provided with a valved water inlet through which water is introduced into the water region in an amount which depends on the desired weight of the ball. The inner bladder is provided with a valved air inlet which projects through the outer casing and is accessible from the ball exterior, thereby making it possible to blow up the inner bladder to the degree necessary to cause the water in the region to become evenly distributed therein to create a spherical water layer pressed between the bladder and the casing, the thickness of the layer determining the weight and play characteristics of the ball.
Balloon balls of the type disclosed in my prior patents have a form which is strictly utilitarian, and the flight characteristics of these balls are not very different from conventional light-weight or weighted balls. And while it is possible for the thrower to impart a spin to a conventional ball so that it rotates in the course of its flight, we cannot usually see this spin.
It is not uncommon for children in playing with plush or other soft dolls and figures to throw these toys in play activity. Children also engage in pillow fights in which they attack each other with soft pillows. But soft figures or pillows can be thrown only short distances, for they lack the flight characteristics of a ball.
In my copending application Ser. No. 840,022, entitled Figurative Toy Missile, there is disclosed a figurative toy missile in animal-like or humanoid soft form defined by a head and a torso having appendages extending therefrom. The missile structure is such that when the missile is thrown by a player, it will spin, or execute other excursions in flight, depending on how the appendages are grasped by the player. The torso is formed by an outer fabric casing enclosing a rubber balloon inflated with water, whereby the torso functions as a weighted ball.
The head is formed by a shaped fabric bag attached to the upper end of the torso casing, the bag being filled with soft stuffing. The appendages which constitute the legs and feet are formed by a pair of shaped, elongated fabric sleeves attached to the lower end of the torso casing and filled with soft stuffing. And the appendages which constituted the arms and hands or the forelegs are formed by a pair of shaped, elongated fabric sleeves attached to opposite sides of the torso casing and filled with soft stuffing. When the player grasps the missile by one or more of its appendages and then throws it, the missile will then spin or execute other movements in flight, depending on how the appendages are grasped.
The normal flying characteristics of this figurative toy missile are essentially similar to those of a weighted spherical ball in which the weight is symmetrically distributed, for the stuffed head and appendages attached to the ball-like torso have relatively little weight. Thus the weighted spherical torso in flight exhibits both horizontal and vertical spins, causing it to fly in a more or less steady plane. This limits the movements which the missile is capable of executing in the course of its flight.


A selecting apparatus for selecting cell/tissue mass includes a base, a feeding mechanism and a dividing mechanism. The base has a platform for placing the cell/tissue mass. The feeding mechanism, disposed on the base, moves relative to the platform. The dividing mechanism, disposed on the feeding mechanism, includes a first cutting set and a second cutting set connected therewith. The second cutting set reciprocally moves between a first position and a second position, toward the first cutting set. The feeding mechanism moves the dividing mechanism above the platform, aligning the dividing mechanism with a portion of the cell/tissue mass, and moves the first cutting set toward the cell/tissue mass, cutting into the portion of the cell/tissue mass. The second cutting set moves from the first position to the second position, limiting the portion of the cell/tissue mass between the first cutting set and the second cutting set.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cell/tissue mass selecting apparatus, and in particular, to a cell/tissue mass selecting apparatus utilizing a clamping-type dividing mechanism to complete multi procedures such as auto-selecting, cutting and transferring the cell/tissue mass.
2. Description of the Related Art
The cultivation of human embryonic stem is carried out by cultivating a cell mass on feeder cells or extracellular matrix. When proceeding in subculture, the cell mass is first divided into pieces, and then the selected piece is transferred to new feeder cells or extracellular matrix for further cultivation. However, the subculturing procedure is mostly accomplished by manual operation, resulting in inefficient use of time and increased possibility for cell differentiation and contamination.
A mechanical tool has been disclosed and is utilized for subculturing of cells, such as a cell subculturing device of Taiwan patent application No. 93141042. However, shortcomings are also noted. Cell mass is divided into pieces by a cutting mechanism, and a piece is then selected by a transferring mechanism. The transferring mechanism comprises a collecting stitch aligning with the selected piece and picking up the selected piece by suction.
The conventional cell subculturing device divides the cell in matrix and selects the divided piece from the cell mass. In other words, the cell subculturing device cannot select and cut an appointed area of the cell mass. Additionally, the cutting mechanism and the transferring mechanism have to work in cooperation to accomplish the subculture.

Cell/tissue mass selecting apparatus and dividing mechanism thereof

Industrial Technology Research Institute


In a MOS transistor and a method of manufacturing the same, a gate structure including a gate insulating layer and a gate electrode is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A first insulating layer is formed to cover the gate structure. A second insulating layer is formed on the substrate that is spaced apart from the first insulating layer. A lightly doped source/drain region is formed in the surface portions of the substrate between the second insulating layer and the gate structure. A source/drain extension layer are formed on the lightly doped source/drain region. A heavily doped source/drain region is formed on the second insulating layer so as to connect with the source/drain extension layer. The short channel effect is suppressed and the source/drain junction capacitance is reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the invention relates to a semiconductor device capable of suppressing a short channel effect and reducing a source/drain junction capacitance, and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As semiconductor devices are developed having a high degree of integration, an active region becomes smaller in size. Thus, a gate length of a MOS transistor formed on the active region becomes shorter. As the gate length decreases, the influence of the source/drain upon the electric field or the potential in the channel region of the MOS transistor correspondingly increases. This is known as the "short channel effect" and a lowering of the threshold voltage is a typical result. This is because the channel region is greatly influenced by the depletion charge, the electric field, and the potential distribution of the source/drain regions as well as the gate voltage.
In addition to lowering the threshold voltage, a "punchthrough effect" between the source/drain is a severe problem accompanying the short channel effect.
Specifically, the drain depletion layer is widened in proportion to the increase in the drain voltage, so that the drain depletion layer comes close to the source region. Thus, the drain depletion layer and the source depletion layer are completely connected to each other when the length of the gate electrode is decreased. The electric field of the drain may eventually penetrate into the source region and thus reduce the potential energy barrier of the source junction. When this occurs, more major carriers in the source region have enough energy to overcome the barrier, and then, an increased current flows from the source region to the drain region. This is known as the "punchthrough" phenomenon. When the punchthrough occurs, the drain current is not saturated but dramatically increases in the saturation region.
The short channel effect becomes more severe as the source/drain junction depth is increased and the channel doping concentration is decreased. Various methods have been developed to form a shallow source/drain junction depth, whereby the short channel effect can be suppressed to some degree.
In general, the shallow source/drain junction is obtained with a low energy ion implantation process that lessens the physical junction depth in a silicon substrate, resulting in a decrease in the transistor current.
Furthermore, methods in which metal silicide layers are formed on the surface of the source/drain regions through a self-aligned silicide (i.e., salicide) process so as to reduce parasitic resistances in the source/drain regions, e.g., sheet resistance and contact resistance, with the decrease in the gate length have been used. However, as the source/drain junction depth becomes shallower, it becomes more difficult to apply the salicide process.
Accordingly, in order to obtain a high-performance transistor, the parasitic resistances in the source/drain regions should be minimized to increase the transistor current, while also suppressing the short-channel effect. The typical method is one where the MOS transistors are formed on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. In the SOI transistor, a buried oxide layer is located under the source/drain junctions to remove a depletion capacitance of the source/drain junctions. However, the SOI transistor has a floating body because no body contact is formed on the SOI substrate. Therefore, a layer of accumulated holes is formed at the interface in the rear of the SOI layer, thereby generating floating body effects such as parasitic bipolar breakdown, latch-up, etc.

Semiconductor device with source/drain extension layer


A hybrid electric propulsion system for powering a vehicle using a natural fuel engine and an electric motor. The hybrid electric vehicle is comprised of a drive train; an electric motor for driving the drive train; an auxiliary power unit (APU); an electric energy storage system electrically coupled to the electric motor; and wherein the auxiliary power unit and the electric energy storage system provide energy for powering the vehicle. An electric bus is directly connected to both the auxiliary power unit and the electric energy source and the voltage across the electric bus is substantially the same as the voltage across the electric energy source so that a change in voltage of the electric bus results in the same change to the voltage across the electric energy source. A power management controller is programmed to control output power of the power unit to maintain the energy storage system between a predetermined high voltage set-point and a predetermined low voltage set-point.

The present invention relates to an environmental friendly vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV).
The HEV of the present invention uses an engine in combination with an electric motor. An energy storage device is also used to store energy for driving the electric motor. The engine, preferably in conjunction with a generator (for series drive embodiment or without for a parallel embodiment), and the energy storage device work in combination to provide energy for powering the vehicle motor. A series HEV uses an engine with a generator (APU/PPU) to supply electricity to the motor and the energy storage system. A parallel HEV has a direct mechanical connection between the engine and the wheels. The use of electric power substantially cuts down on chemical emissions and vastly improves fuel economy. Although HEVs have been previously known, the HEV technology of the present invention provides significant advantages of providing a viable HEV technology that allows for a high performance HEV with a unique power management and distribution system.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention is based on the assembly and modification of hardware components and incorporation of control logic to produce a hybrid vehicle drive system that can utilize capacitive energy storage devices without addition of buck-boost or other similar electronic hardware between capacitor and electrical drive components to convert variable voltage power to fixed voltage power. The present invention is applicable to both series and parallel hybrid drive configurations and can utilize conventional batteries, flywheels, as well as ultra-capacitors.
Traditional electric hybrid vehicle drive systems have been set up using batteries for storage. Batteries are designed to operate at or near constant voltage as they are discharged and charged. Battery hybrid components are sized to operate at this nominal voltage. Control strategies for the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), also referred to as the Primary Power Unit (PPU), are designed to hold the voltage within narrow values or set-points near the nominal voltage. When one tries to replace batteries directly with capacitors, the battery control system strategy, which is designed to maintain the voltage level, cannot take full advantage of capacitor storage. This under-utilization results in poor fuel economy, and for undersized APU/PPUs, poor vehicle performance will result.
To store energy in a capacitor, voltage must be allowed to vary up and down. The greater the variation, the more energy can be stored and extracted. Electrical components designed for constant voltage (battery) operation cannot deliver rated power when operated below narrow voltage parameters or set-points. These components will also overheat if operated at low voltage for extended periods. Control strategies set to protect these components will cut back output, reducing vehicle performance or cause a safety trip out. When voltage begins to rise above the nominal set-point, as during regenerative braking, the battery system control strategy tapers back APU/PPU output and reduces regeneration effect. If voltage was allowed to rise as would be needed to properly charge a capacitor bank, the control system will cause an over-voltage trip out, or if left unchecked, will damage components.
Even if the control over-voltage trip is removed, and components were sized to take the over-voltage condition, typical battery-type traction inverter drives produce unstable performance. This is usually because inverters set up for battery systems are not equipped with the control logic and high-speed data sampling needed to deal with the transient current spikes developed by low-inductance motors operating at low motor speeds and at higher-than-rated voltage. This is the condition that exists with a fully charged capacitor bank when a vehicle is starting up from rest.
Furthermore, constant voltage APU/PPUs will not deliver power to the traction drive when voltage is above the nominal set-point. This strategy does not allow it to share part of the initial load when accelerating the vehicle until voltage is near nominal. An optimally sized capacitor bank will become depleted before the acceleration event is completed.
This situation would require the APU/PPU to operate in an uneconomical peaking mode to finish the acceleration cycle or require a larger and proportionally costly and heavier capacitor bank. Conversely, during braking, a constant voltage APU/PPU will work to add power to the storage system. In an optimally sized capacitor bank, the capacity for capturing the braking energy would be reduced. Again, this would require a larger capacitor bank to accommodate this situation.
One solution to overcoming the variable voltage requirement for capacitor storage is to install an electronic device between the drive system set up for batteries and the capacitor bank. This device, usually of the buck-boost design, would convert the variable voltage power required to take advantage of the capacitor storage to the near constant voltage needed by the battery traction system. In other words, make the capacitor look like a battery. This solution adds expense and complexity to the system and lowers the efficiency of a capacitor storage system.
In the present invention, components and control strategies have been designed to allow for a wide fluctuation in voltage without performance loss or nuisance trip outs. APU/PPU performance is optimized with the least amount of capacitor bank requirement. The present system does not require additional devices between the drive and capacitor bank. In other words, the system electric bus is preferably connected to the ultracapacitor so that the electric bus voltage equals the capacitor voltage. The capacitor voltage varies directly with the variance of the electric bus voltage.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention is comprised of four major components:
One or more low inductance traction motor(s), capable of delivering rated torque and power at the low voltage set-point;
One or more traction inverter(s) capable of delivering rated power at the low voltage set-point. Components sized to operate at the high voltage set-point. Control set up to eliminate instability at high voltage when using a low inductance motor.
One or more APU/PPUs, comprised of a generator for a series embodiment, powered from an engine of any variety. This APU/PPU is designed to deliver rated power between high and low voltage set-points, peak vehicle power when energy in capacitor bank is depleted, and average power during acceleration. The engine can be mechanically connected in a parallel hybrid configuration and utilize the induction motor as the generator.
One or more capacitor bank(s) sized to deliver traction power above average requirement for accelerating the vehicle to rated speed and capturing braking energy from regeneration.
The control strategy of the preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes the following:
Input parameters used in the control calculation preferably include engine speed, motor speed, vehicle speed, temperature, electrical bus voltage, motor current, generator current, positive or forward (acceleration) command, direction, and negative (deceleration) command. Other inputs may also be included depending on application.
Control output commands preferably include motor torque, generator voltage and current, engine speed, engine power, and shift command for transmission equipped vehicles. Other outputs may be included depending on application.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electric vehicle power management system is comprised of:
an electric motor;
an auxiliary power unit (APU) electrically coupled to the electric motor;
an ultracapacitor electrically coupled to the electric motor and the auxiliary power unit; and
where the auxiliary power unit and the ultracapacitor provide energy to the electric motor for powering said vehicle;
a power management controller is programmed to control the auxiliary power unit to vary output power to maintain the ultracapacitor between a predetermined high voltage set-point and a predetermined low voltage set-point;
where the power management controller runs the output of the auxiliary power unit up to the predetermined average power level when the ultracapacitor is at a predetermined range between the high and low voltage set-points, the range having a low threshold point and high threshold point;
where the power management controller is adapted to increase the output of the auxiliary power unit when the energy level of the ultracapacitor falls below the low threshold point of the range; and
wherein the power management controller is adapted to decrease the output of the auxiliary power unit when the energy level of the energy storage system reaches the high threshold point of the range.
In the preferred embodiment, the power management controller maintains the system within a predetermined vehicle speed to capacitor voltage ratio by controlling the output power of the auxiliary power unit.
In addition to the features mentioned above, objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent upon a reading of the following description.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A FinFET device includes a gate dielectric layer on a substrate, a fin on the gate dielectric layer having a middle section and source and drain regions at opposite ends, and a gate structure on the middle section of the fin. The FinFET device also includes a trench in a portion of the source and drain regions and a multi-layered epitaxial structure in the trench. The multi-layered epitaxial structure includes a first epitaxial layer in direct contact with the bottom of the trench, a second epitaxial layer on the first epitaxial layer, and a third epitaxial layer on the second epitaxial layer. The first epitaxial layer is a carbon-doped silicon layer having a carbon dopant concentration of less than 4 percent by weight, the second epitaxial layer is a barrier metal layer, and the third epitaxial layer is a metal layer.

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor devices having a fin structure and a method of manufacturing the same.
As the size of semiconductor devices is steadily scaled down, the performance of semiconductor devices is continuously improved. From a structural point of view, single-gate transistors have been replaced by multi-gate transistors. Fin field-effect transistors (FinFETs) are widely used in integrated circuits for their increased gate widths over planar transistors.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fin field effect transistor (FinFET). As shown in FIG. 1 for illustrative purposes, the FinFET includes a semiconductor substrate 10′, a fin structure (alternatively referred to as "fin") 14′ disposed on substrate 10′, a dielectric layer 11′ covering substrate 10′ and a portion of side surfaces of fin structure 14′, and a gate structure disposed across fin structure 14′. The gate structure includes a gate electrode 12′ and spacers 13′ disposed on opposite sides of gate electrode 12′.
Similar to a planar transistor, the source/drain regions in fin structure 14′ may be formed adjacent the gate electrode. However, since the fin structure of the FinFET is typically narrow, current crowding may occur. In addition, it is difficult to place contact plugs onto the source/drain regions of the fin structure. Epitaxial layers are thus formed on the fin structure to increase the volume of the fin structure using epitaxial growth processes.
Epitaxial growth processes have drawbacks. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an epitaxial layer grown from the semiconductor fin along the vertical direction of the line A-A′ of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, an epitaxial layer 22′ is grown on the source and drain regions in the fin structure 14′. Compared with a conventional planar transistor, the volumes of source/drain regions are not confined by shallow trench isolation (STI) and can be adjusted according to semiconductor device design requirements. However, because epitaxial layer 22′ is typically formed of pure silicon, and the growth rate of the epitaxial layer is smaller on the (111) crystal plane than on other crystal planes, epitaxial layer 22′ may extend laterally and form multiple facets 8′ having substantially a rectangular profile or shape, whose corners reduce the air gap (lateral distance) between epitaxial layers grown from adjacent fins structures. Further, since the lateral distance between the grown epitaxial layers of adjacent fin structures can be reduced excessively, voids 30′ will be undesirably formed when the laterally growing epitaxial layers of adjacent fin structures 14′ merge together, as shown in FIG. 3.

Fin-type field effect transistor and manufacturing method thereof

SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION


The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to protect data in a storage device. In one aspect, a method includes (1) powering a power control processor (PCP) (also sometimes called a storage-level microcontroller) using a first input voltage, (2) while the PCP is powered using the first input voltage: (a) operating the PCP in a first mode, and (b) enabling charging of an energy storage device, (3) after achieving a predefined internal state, which includes the energy storage device charged to a predefined level, powering the PCP using a power supply voltage distinct from the first input voltage, and (4) while the PCP is powered using the power supply voltage, operating the PCP in a second mode, where the PCP operates at a higher performance level in the second mode than in the first mode.

Semiconductor memory devices, including flash memory, typically utilize memory cells to store data as an electrical value, such as an electrical charge or voltage. A flash memory cell, for example, includes a single transistor with a floating gate that is used to store a charge representative of a data value. Flash memory is a non-volatile data storage device that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. More generally, non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, as well as other types of non-volatile memory implemented using any of a variety of technologies) retains stored information even when not powered, as opposed to volatile memory, which requires power to maintain the stored information.
Data hardening, the saving of data and mission critical metadata held in volatile storage, is an integral part of a storage device. When there is a power failure, mission critical data may reside in volatile memory in a number of sub-system components. Coordinating and managing multiple sub-system components to ensure that volatile data is saved successfully is important for safeguarding data integrity of a storage device. Storage devices with data hardening functionality sometimes use energy storage devices (e.g., holdup capacitor banks) to store energy for later use, if and when input power is lost. In these devices, power management is important to manage power demands on the host system during power-on conditions.


A control device of a vehicle with a stepped automatic transmission has: a gradient acquiring part; a driving force calculating part; a future change estimating part; and a shift control part. The shift control part prohibits change of the gear stage when the speed of change of the speed or acceleration of the vehicle in the future if the maximum driving force applied, is within a reference range of speed of change where the occupants would not notice a change in speed or acceleration, and permits change of the gear stage when the speed of change of the speed or acceleration of the vehicle in the future if the maximum driving force applied, is outside the reference range of speed of change.

Known in the art is a control device of a vehicle detecting a gradient angle of a road on which a vehicle is driven, calculating a gradient angle which a vehicle can climb based on an output torque of an engine, a total gear ratio, and a carrying capacity of a vehicle, and notifying that the vehicle cannot be driven up a slope on a road if a climbable gradient angle is smaller than the gradient angle of the road being driven on (for example, PTL 1).


A semiconductor device includes a rectifier coupled between a circuit ground and a terminal for coupling to an external circuit, a transistor-enhanced current path coupled to the rectifier, and a switching circuit coupled to the transistor-enhanced current path and coupled between the terminal and the circuit ground. The switching circuit is configured to turn off the transistor-enhanced current path during normal operation, and turn on the transistor-enhanced current path when an electrostatic discharge occurs at the terminal.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is a natural phenomenon occurring frequently in daily life. ESD can generate a large current in a short period of time. When the large current generated by the ESD passes through an integrated circuit in a short period of time, it may result in a power consumption much higher than what the integrated circuit can bear, causing physical damage to the integrated circuit and, possibly, circuit failure. In fact, ESD has become a major factor that causes failure of integrated circuits during their manufacture and use.
One approach to reduce or avoid damage caused by ESD is to use an ESD protection device or circuit to protect the integrated circuit. A silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) is one of the devices suitable for use in ESD protection, because of its high current capability and small layout area. However, a conventional SCR has several disadvantages, such as high trigger voltage (Vtr, the voltage above which the SCR is turned on), low holding voltage (Vh, the voltage below which the SCR is turned off), and slow turn-on speed.
As an alternative to the conventional SCR, a diode triggered SCR (DTSCR) has recently been developed. Compared to the conventional SCR, the DTSCR can turn on at a relatively faster speed. However, the DTSCR may only be used with relatively low operating voltage, such as an operating voltage lower than about 1.5 V.