A thermoelectric conversion device includes a Heusler alloy film having a structure of B2 or L21 in notation of A2BC and a pair of electrodes on the Heusler alloy film to output an electromotive force generated by a thermal gradient in the Heusler alloy film. The thermoelectric conversion device further includes an electrode for applying an electric field or a voltage to the Heusler alloy film to increase and control an electric conductivity and a Seebeck coefficient S of the Heusler metal film. The device can control to increase an electric conductivity and Seebeck coefficient S by applying an electric field or a voltage through an insulation film to the Heusler alloy film. The device may have a shared connection to select one of outputs of a plurality of thermoelectric conversion devices arranged in a matrix or increase an electromotive force as an output.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermoelectric conversion device and particularly to a thermoelectric conversion device including an electrode for electric field to thermoelectric conversion material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conversion of thermal energy into electric energy using Seebeck effect on a substance is called thermal conversion, and a device capable of the thermal conversion is a thermal conversion device. A material used in the thermal conversion device is called a thermal conversion material. As an index for estimating a thermal conversion effect, a performance index of Z=S2σ/κ is used where S is a Seebeck coefficient, σ is an electric conductivity, and κ is a thermal conductivity.
There are known thermoelectric conversion materials such as (1) a material made of a compound of a semiconductor such as Bi—Te, Si—Ge, and Zn—Sb or a compound having a Skutterudite structure, (2) a material made of NaCoO2 representative of oxide, and (3) compounds having a half Heusler structure such as ZrNiSn.
However, the conventional materials listed above have limitations in the electric conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient. The performance index necessary for realizing the thermoelectric conversion device is defined by ZT (T is a temperature). Generally a ZT equal to or more than one is required, and a ZT equal to or more than two is required partially.
To solve this problem, JP 2009-117430 A discloses a thermoelectric device including a pair of a source electrode S and a drain electrode D for taking out an electromotive force according to a thermal gradient generated in a semiconductor A having a carrier density equal to or smaller than 1022/cm3 and for generating the thermal gradient in the semiconductor A by conducting a current, and a gate electrode G for applying an electric field in the vertical direction to a conduction direction of the current between the source electrode S and the drain electrode D. In such a configuration, when a voltage is applied to the gate electrode G, a carrier density on a surface of the semiconductor A just under the gate electrode G varies. When the gate voltage becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, carriers are two-dimensionally confined on the surface of the semiconductor A just under the gate electrode G, a quantum effect of which generates a huge thermal electric power. Accordingly, a power factor can be maximized because both the electric conductivity σ and an absolute value |S| of the Seebeck coefficient can be increased. However, in JP 2009-117430 A there is also limitation in increase in the electric conductivity because the semiconductor is used.


A measurement device according to an embodiment includes: a light receiving element (1000) that has flow of current caused by an avalanche multiplication caused according to a photon incidence while being charged to a predetermined potential and is returned to the charged state by a recharge current, a detection unit (1002) that is configured to detect the current and invert an output signal when the current crosses a threshold value, a delay unit (2101, 2102) that is configured to delay timing of the inversion detected by the detection unit, according to a clock, and a control unit (201a) that is configured to control an operation of the light receiving element, based on the timing of the inversion delayed by the delay unit.

There is known a light receiving element that is configured to convert received light into an electric signal by photoelectric conversion to output the electric signal. As one of such light receiving elements, a single photon avalanche diode (hereinafter, referred to as SPAD) is known that is configured to obtain a large current in response to incidence of one photon by avalanche multiplication. Use of this characteristic of the SPAD makes it possible to detect incidence of one photon with high sensitivity.
The outline of a photon detection operation by the SPAD will be described. For example, a current source to which power supply voltage Vdd is supplied and whose output current is controlled on the basis of reference voltage Vref is connected to a cathode of the SPAD. An anode of the SPAD gives a large negative voltage (−Vbd) at which the avalanche multiplication occurs. When the photon is incident on the SPAD in this state, the avalanche multiplication begins, a current flows from the cathode of the SPAD toward the anode, a voltage drop occurs in the SPAD with the current flow, and the avalanche multiplication is stopped when an anode-cathode voltage drops to the voltage (−Vbd) (quenching operation). Then, the SPAD is charged with a current (referred to as a recharge current Id) from the current source, and the SPAD returns to the state before incidence of the photon (recharging operation).

Measurement device, distance measurement device, electronic device, and measurement method

SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION


A static memory apparatus and a data reading method thereof are provided. The static memory apparatus includes a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of dummy memory cells, a sense amplifier, and a discharge current adjuster. The dummy memory cells respectively include a plurality discharge ends for discharging charges on a dummy bit line. The sense amplifier is enabled for a sensing and amplifying operation according to a signal on the dummy bit line, and the sense amplifier generates readout data accordingly. The discharge current adjuster adjusts at least one discharge current on at least one controlled discharge end according to an operating voltage of the memory cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a static memory apparatus and more particularly relates to a data reading method of the static memory apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional static memory apparatus. A static memory apparatus 100 is a static random access memory apparatus, which includes a plurality of memory cells 111-11M, a plurality of dummy memory cells 121-122, and a sense amplifier 130. The memory cells 111-11M form a memory array 110 and are coupled to the sense amplifier 130 via bit lines BL1 and BL1B. A dummy bit line DBL coupled to the dummy memory cells 121-122 is connected with an input end of an inverter INV1, and an output end of the inverter INV1 is coupled to the sense amplifier 130 and provides an enable signal EN for enabling a sensing and amplifying operation of the sense amplifier 130.
When the static memory apparatus 100 executes a data reading operation, a voltage level of a signal transmitted by the dummy bit line DBL is lowered correspondingly, and the sensing and amplifying operation of the sense amplifier 130 is enabled by the enable signal EN that is raised correspondingly. Meanwhile, the sense amplifier 130 senses and amplifies a difference between signals on the bit lines BL1 and BL1B, so as to obtain readout data.
However, when a process mismatch occurs on the static memory apparatus 100, a speed of change of the signal transmitted by the dummy bit line DBL may become far faster than a speed of change of the signals on the bit lines BL1 and BL1B. As a result, when the sense amplifier 130 is enabled, correct readout data cannot be obtained because the difference between the signals on the bit lines BL1 and the BL1B is smaller than an offset voltage of the sense amplifier. The above situation becomes worse when the static memory apparatus 100 receives an operating voltage of a lower voltage value.

Static memory apparatus and data reading method thereof


The present invention relates to a modular hearing aid having a base unit and a detachable earmold. A battery, an earmold tip and a receiver can be integrated with the earmold. The earmold can also include a removably attached module. The module can have a shell, electronics, a receiver or a microphone. A hearing aid also includes a flexible hearing aid tip having a vibration isolator portion and a mushroom shaped tip portion. The vibration isolator portion mechanically decouples a receiver from a hearing aid base unit while the mushroom shaped tip portion provides an acoustic seal in the ear canal of a user. The internal components of a hearing aid can be potted to attenuate vibrations created by the receiver during operation.

Hearing aids are delicate electro-acoustical devices that are intended to perform flawlessly in the harsh environment of the human ear. Hearing aid manufacturers use hard durable earmold materials to protect the delicate electronics and transducers from adverse conditions in and out of the ear. Such durable materials are intended to survive a greater than four year usage life. The earmold can be used not only to protect the internal components of the hearing aid, but also to form an interface between the electronics and the ear canal. This interface must be created to prevent acoustical feedback, to retain the electronics in the ear and prevent irritation or fatigue of the ear canal. A design conflict for the earmold can then exist between the need to have a soft, pliant, nonirritating and comfortable material, and the need to have a durable material to protect the internal electronic components which can last more than four years.
A disposable hearing aid is one designed to have a useful life of much less than the traditional four years. The useful life of a disposable hearing aid can also be governed by the life of the battery. If the battery can be replaced, the hearing aid is no longer disposable and the advantages of the disposable aid are lost. However, a number of other variants on the disposable aid are possible. These variants look to maintain the advantages of disposability while making the system more convenient, comfortable, longer lasting or providing better performance.
"One-size-fits-all" type hearing aids generally lack a flexibility of their tips. Such a lack of flexibility prevents deep penetration into the bony region of an ear canal by the hearing aid. Such hearing aids are also unable to create an acoustic seal in the ear canal. Without such penetration or such a seal in the bony region, the hearing aid can create an occlusion effect in the wearer. Also, hearing aids lacking a proper acoustic seal are prone to feedback.
Feedback is a nagging, unsolved problem for hearing aid manufacturers and dispensers. Feedback in a hearing is present in several forms: electrical, acoustical and mechanical. While electrical feedback is more easily controllable with additional circuitry, the latter two forms of feedback in hearing aids remain significant problems that often reduce the effectiveness of hearing aid fittings. Acoustical or mechanical feedback signals from the hearing aid receiver may be transduced by the hearing aid microphone, amplified in the circuitry and output from the receiver again but with higher gain, creating a feedback loop, and potentially oscillation. A criteria by Nyquist states that a system will oscillate if the gain of the open loop transfer function at a particular frequency is greater than unity and its phase shift of the open loop transfer function is a multiple of 360 degrees. Acoustical feedback occurs through the air inside of the hearing aid housing as well as on the outside of the hearing aid while it is being worn. Mechanical feedback occurs because of the receiver vibrating the hearing aid housing. Hearing aid designers have used many techniques to prevent the creation of such feedback loops. Included are rubber isolation mounts for the microphone and receiver, stiff tubes on the receiver output port and electronically filtering the hearing aid output to suppress energy at the most likely to be troublesome feedback frequencies. Unfortunately, hearing aids frequently have feedback oscillation frequencies in the very range at which the wearer requires amplification most, such as in the frequency range between 1500 and 5000 Hz.


A lamp assembly includes a sealed lamp envelope enclosing a filament, a screw shell connected to the lower portion of the envelope, and electrical leads extending from the filament into the screw shell. The screw shell has a bottom opening, in which is mounted an electronic control module. The electronic module is retained in the screw shell by an insulator. A spring is compressed between the electronic module and an exhaust tube on the lower portion of the envelope. One electrical lead is electrically coupled from the module through the spring to the filament, allowing the module to control the filament. The insulator defines a cavity for retention of the electronic module in a fixed position.

A typical incandescent light bulb includes a sealed, light transmissive lamp envelope which encloses a filament. The filament has electrical leads which extend through a lamp stem to a base portion. The base is typically an aluminum or brass screw shell with a glass insulator and a center contact at the bottom.
An incandescent light bulb can be controlled by one of several types of electronic modules. These modules, each of which is designed for a specific purpose, have circuitry to control the light output of the lamp, causing the lamp to flash, to automatically dim over a period of time, to dim in steps, or to perform some other desired function. Suitable electronic modules are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,126,634, issued Jun. 30, 1992 to Johnson and U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,890, issued Jul. 9, 1991 to Johnson. U.S. Pat. No. 5,126,634 also discloses an incandescent lamp with integrated control circuitry.
It is desirable to provide an incandescent lamp assembly wherein an electronic module is mounted within the lamp base so that the lamp assembly can be installed in a conventional lamp socket. The lamp assembly must be low in cost, easy to manufacture and highly reliable.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a lamp assembly with an integrated electronic module.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a lamp having an electronic module mounted in the base so that the lamp can be installed and operated in a conventional lamp socket.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lamp with an electronics module which is simple in construction and easy to use.


A device for the non-contact control of a sanitary fitting comprises in an emitting/receiving unit, in addition to an emitter and a receiver and their associated detection circuit as is known, a second receiver which can be reached directly by the radiation emitted by the emitter, and with which a second detection circuit is associated. In an initialization mode in front of a stationary reflector, the operating voltage of the emitter or the amplification of the detection circuits is continuously increased by a control unit until the desired sensitivity is reached. The values of representative voltages at which the two detection circuits are triggered are stored in respective stores. The quotient of these two values is put into a third store. In an adjusting mode, which is executed at set time intervals, the control unit continuously increases the operating voltage of the emitter, or the amplification of the detection circuits, and finds the value of the representative voltage at which the second detection circuit releases an output signal. This value is passed, together with the quotient stored in the third store, to a multiplier. The output signal of the latter is representative of a desired operating voltage of the emitter or amplification of the detection circuits, which is finally set by a microprocessor.

The invention relates to a device for the non-contact control of a sanitary fitting, which can be accommodated, for example, in the wall behind a urinal or a shower, or directly in the sanitary fitting to be controlled.
A device for the non-contact control of a sanitary fitting is disclosed in DE-A-3408261. It comprises:
a) an emitting/receiving unit which includes an emitter which emits radiation into a monitoring space, and a first receiver which receives radiation reflected by an object in the monitoring space; and PA0 b) a circuit arrangement which includes a driving circuit providing a voltage for operating the emitter, the magnitude of which voltage determines the intensity of the radiation emitted, and a first detection circuit to which the output signal of the first receiver is applied and which generates an output signal when the output signal of the first receiver exceeds a certain threshold value. PA0 a) an emitting/receiving unit comprising: PA0 b) a circuit arrangement comprising: PA0 (i) in an initialisation mode, in which the control unit continuously increases the output voltage of the driving circuit, starting at a low value, and puts a value that is representative of that output voltage into the first store when the first detection circuit releases an output signal, and puts a value that is representative of that output voltage into the second store when the second detection circuit releases an output signal, such that there is stored in the third store a value that is representative of the quotient of the output voltages of the driving circuit at which the first detection circuit and the second detection circuit generate a respective output signal, and PA0 (ii) in an adjusting mode, in which the control unit continuously increases the output voltage of the driving circuit, starting at a low value, and puts a value that is representative of that output voltage into the second store when the second detection circuit generates an output signal, such that there is produced in the multiplier a value that is representative of a desired output voltage of the driving circuit, according to which the control circuit brings the output voltage of the driving circuit up to the desired output voltage. PA0 a) an emitting/receiving unit comprising: PA0 b) a circuit arrangement comprising: PA0 (i) in an initialisation mode, in which the control unit continuously increases the amplification of the detection circuits, starting at a low value, and puts a voltage value that is representative of that amplification into the first store when the first detection circuit releases an output signal, and puts a voltage value that is representative of that amplification into the second store when the second detection circuit releases an output signal, such that there is stored in the third store a value that is representative of the quotient of the amplifications of the detection circuits at which the first detection circuit and the second detection circuit generate a respective output signal, and PA0 (ii) in an adjusting mode, in which the control unit continuously increases the amplification of the second detection circuit, starting at a low value, and puts into the second store a value that is representative of the amplification at which the second detection circuit generates an output signal, such that there is generated in the multiplier a value that is representative of a desired amplification of the first detection circuit, according to which the control circuit brings the amplification of the first detection circuit up to the desired amplification.
A problem exists with devices of this kind that the electronic and/or mechanical components age, which can affect the sensitivity of the arrangement as a whole. If the sensitivity decreases during the operating period, for example over a period of years, the monitoring space in which the device responds to any objects present becomes steadily smaller.
This problem is addressed in the device disclosed in DE-A-3408261 as follows: the emitter is continuously operated at such a high output that reflections from stationary objects are received. A long-time mean value is determined from the received signals constantly registered in that manner. The instantaneous value of the received signal is compared with the long-time mean value. Only when there is a certain minimum deviation from that long-time mean value is the circuit arrangement triggered. With these measures, it is possible to achieve both an initial "self-adjustment" of the circuit arrangement to specific surroundings, and also a re-adjustment to compensate for continuous changes in the surroundings and internal ageing processes.
The arrangement of the device disclosed in DE-A-3408261 is that, in order to determine the long-time mean value, the circuit arrangement has to be powered continuously, and to a level at which reflections from stationary objects are detected by the receiver. In cases where the circuit arrangement is to be powered by a battery at all events, this involves unacceptable energy consumption. Furthermore, this known device fails to work when there are no stationary objects in the vicinity from which radiation could be reflected in order to form the long-time mean value.
A device for the non-contact control of a sanitary fitting is disclosed in DE-A-4019927, which has a special operating mode executed at set time intervals, for setting and re-adjusting the sensitivity. In this special operating mode, the output of the emitter is increased in steps until the radiation reflected to the receiver from stationary objects reaches a value at which the detection circuit is triggered. The emitter output is then reduced again slightly and thus reaches a value at which the stationary objects do not quite cause triggering. This device also achieves a self-adjustment both to internal ageing processes and to changes in the surroundings. There is no increased energy consumption with this device. Nevertheless, in this case also, suitable stationary objects that can be used for self-adjustment need to be present.

Device for the non-contact control of a sanitary fitting


A method for forming an inhalable isotope compound suitable for use in patient medical diagnosis, the method comprising the steps of: (a) electrolytic loading of a carbon crucible with the isotope; (b) sublimating any isotope carrier in the crucible; (c) ablating the isotope in a carbon crucible, forming an ablation aerosol; (d) directly delivering the aerosol for immediate use by a patient. The isotope can comprise technetium.

Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
This invention relates to a method for production of a radioactive aerosol such as carbon-encapsulated technetium-labelled nanoparticle-composites that can be used in medical diagnostics for gamma scintigraphy imaging of the interior of the lungs of a patient suffering from an airway dysfunction. Methods for production of carbon-encapsulated technetium-labelled nanoparticle-composites are well known.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,634 to Burch entitled "Method of Forming a Radioactive Metallic Vapor" and U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,444 to Burch entitled "Device for Producing a Gas-Lite Radionuclide Composition" discloses a method and apparatus for production of such inhalable radionuclide labelled aerosols. In particular, there is described a carbon crucible heated to a temperature within the range of 1500° to 2500° Celsius. The resulting aerosol product was later found to consist of the nanoparticle-composite described by Senden et al, (J. Nuclear Med. 38:1327-33, 1997) who also reported on incorporation of other isotopes. The product has been found suitable for use as a radioactive aerosol that can be used in medical diagnostics for gamma scintigraphy imaging of the interior of the lungs of a patient suffering from an airway dysfunction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,241 to Browitt entitled "Precipitator" discloses a method and apparatus for dispersing the nanoparticle-composite into an aqueous medium.
The methods of production of carbon-encapsulated technetium-labelled nanoparticle-composites in the above prior art have a number of disadvantages.                1) The method of loading of the generator's carbon crucible with radionuclide is typically limited to evaporation of a radionuclide solution or direct addition of a solid. Using vapour phase particle sizing with appropriate instrumentation it has now been unfortunately and surprisingly found that both of these methods give rise to considerable contamination of the aerosol with large (>200 nm diameter) sodium chloride particles originating from the saline solution used to elute technetium generators. Salt contamination can be particularly significant when multiple loadings of the crucible are employed to concentrate the radionuclide eluate of weaker or older technetium generators. Multiple loading (e.g. three times or more) is often used in the clinical setting, especially in countries where only low specific activity technetium generators (e.g. 60 GBq) are available. Clearly sodium chloride particles are water soluble and therefore rapidly dissolve on wet surfaces such as lung airways, and may be carriers of non-encapsulated technetium in soluble form. This can lead to poor imaging of the lungs.        2) Using the conditions as described in the prior art was found to produce aerosols contaminated with surprisingly large amounts of water-soluble free radionuclide. This is a result of the rapid sublimation of the more volatile sodium chloride expelling radionuclide from the crucible before carbon encapsulation occurs. Non-encapsulated radioactive contaminants in the aerosol can lead to the disadvantageous result that they dissolve on the surface of a patient's lungs and subsequently enter the blood circulation and lymphatics. It can be reasonably expected that contamination with soluble free radionuclide will degrade the quality of airway imaging, by diffusion of signal away from the inner surface of the lungs, thus decreasing the specific signal to noise ratio. More importantly, it also unnecessarily exposes the patient to a significant systemic dose of radionuclide that continues for some hours after the imaging procedure.        2) In U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,634, the disclosed enabling conditions for aerosol generation have been found to produce poor results. It is conjectured that resistive heating of the carbon crucible is not sufficient to yield optimal amounts of a suitable imaging product.        3) The only description given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,634 relating to the method of heating the crucible is that it should be heated "preferably to at least 2200° C.". It has been found that particles formed using this temperature range as a guide can be contaminated with free radionuclide, again leading to image degradation and systemic dosing. Further, larger particles (>200 nm diameter) of unstructured carbon were found to form at some higher temperature ranges. Larger particles can be expected to give less favourable airway imaging, penetrating less distance into the lungs before adhering to airway surfaces.        4) The duration of crucible heating in the generator is not specified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,634, nor is the time the aerosol product is allowed to reside in the apparatus before inhalation by the patient. It has been found that these factors are critical in particle production.

Process for the production of a radioactive aerosol


The projection apparatus includes a light source, optical elements and a heat dissipation assembly. The heat dissipation assembly includes a case, a heat dissipation element, a fan and a temperature controlling unit. The optical elements transmit a light beam generated by the light source, and thereby generate heat. The heat dissipation assembly is adapted for heat dissipation correspondingly. In the heat dissipation assembly, the case protects the optical elements from being polluted by the dust during heat dissipation. The temperature controlling unit senses the surrounding temperature to control the fan for cooling the heat dissipation element, and the durability of the optical elements are thereby enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat dissipation assembly, and in particular, to a heat dissipation assembly for use in a projection apparatus.
2. Descriptions of the Related Art
Because consumers have gravitated towards projection apparatuses with higher definition and more vivid colors, projection apparatuses have had to be designed to keep competitive in the market. Correspondingly, demands on the projection luminance of the projection apparatuses have also increased. However, the increase in luminance inevitably leads to a higher operating temperature of optical elements, which transmit light rays in the projection apparatuses.
More specifically, due to the residual energy remaining in the light transmission process, heat accumulates among the optical elements and leads to a temperature rise in the whole projection apparatus. An excessively high temperature would adversely affect the light transmission and reduce the service life of the optical elements, so a heat dissipation element must be provided for cooling. Accordingly, heat dissipation has become an important problem to be overcome in the development of projection apparatuses.
A conventional way to dissipate heat is to open a hole on the case of a projection apparatus and to dispose a fan in the hole. Then when the fan operates, an air flow would be driven from outside and flow into the projection apparatus to cool the optical elements in the projection apparatus. However, despite having the optical elements directly exposed to the air outside the apparatus to help in the cooling process, dust from the surroundings may be brought into the inner elements with the airflow. Consequently, the efficiency of the optical elements in transmitting the light rays might be degraded and cause a decrease in the projection luminance. In some circumstances, the optical elements might even be damaged.
Accordingly, an urgent need exists in the art to provide a heat dissipation assembly that is not susceptible to pollutants in the air and, meanwhile, improve the luminance of the projection apparatus through heat dissipation to provide consumers with better visual experiences and to improve the stability and prolong the service life of the optical elements in the projection apparatus.

Projector having heat dissipation element disposed on a case with optical elements therein


An ink storage and supply assembly includes at least one ink reservoir configured to hold a quantity of liquid ink and to communicate the ink to at least one printhead of an imaging device. A housing at least partially encloses the at least one ink reservoir and includes a top, a bottom, and a plurality of side walls extending vertically between the top and the bottom of the housing. The plurality of side walls are spaced from the at least one reservoir to define a first air gap between each of the side walls and the at least one reservoir. At least one the side walls includes an inner wall and an outer wall spaced from each other to define a second air gap therebetween.

Solid ink or phase change ink printers conventionally receive ink in a solid form, either as pellets or as ink sticks. The solid ink pellets or ink sticks are typically inserted through an insertion opening of an ink loader for the printer, and the ink sticks are pushed or slid along the feed channel by a feed mechanism and/or gravity toward a heater plate in the heater assembly. The heater plate melts the solid ink impinging on the plate into a liquid that is delivered to a melt reservoir.
The melt reservoir is configured to maintain a quantity of melted ink in liquid or melted form and to communicate the melted ink to one or more printheads as needed. Thermal energy is applied to the melt reservoir to maintain the phase change ink stored therein at a substantially constant temperature which is above the freezing point, or solidification point, of the melted phase change ink. One issue faced in maintaining the melt reservoirs of a phase change ink printer at the melted ink temperature is heat loss. Heat loss from the melt reservoir requires more thermal energy input to the reservoirs to maintain the ink at the melted ink temperature which, in turn, increases the energy consumption of the printer.


An automatic clutch unit for vehicle use includes a slave cylinder to engage and disengage a friction clutch, an automatically operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism to be operated by a pump, selectively connected with the slave cylinder, a manually operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism to be operated by the action of a clutch pedal, selectively connected with the slave cylinder and a change-over cylinder having a piston pushed to one side of the cylinder by a spring, arranged among a hydraulic fluid pipeline of the manually operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism, a hydraulic fluid pipeline of the automatically operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism and a hydraulic fluid pipeline of the slave cylinder, wherein the piston side of the cylinder is connected with the hydraulic fluid pipeline of the manually operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism, and the spring side of the cylinder is connected with the hydraulic fluid pipelines of the automatically operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism and the slave cylinder, and hydraulic pressure generated by depressing the clutch pedal is transmitted to the slave cylinder when the piston of the change-over cylinder is moved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in an automatic clutch unit for vehicle use which can be manually operated, too.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, an automatic transmission is well known in which the transmission is automatically controlled in accordance with an engine speed, degree of the accelerator opening and vehicle speed, and a mechanical friction clutch is automatically engaged and disengaged so that the vehicle speed can be controlled. For example, Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No. 4-8023 discloses an automatic transmission for vehicle use in which the mechanical friction clutch can be manually operated.
According to the automatic transmission disclosed in the above utility model publication, operation is conducted as follows. When a vehicle is started in a specific driving condition, for example, when a vehicle is started while it must get over an obstacle, or when a vehicle is started on a steep slope or a snow-covered road, it is difficult for a friction clutch of the automatic transmission to be appropriately engaged or disengaged, so that it becomes impossible to start the vehicle. In the above case, the automatic clutch control is stopped, and the clutch is manually engaged or disengaged in the automatic transmission disclosed in the above utility model publication. The control system of the above automatic transmission includes: a means for interrupting a clutch operation signal, which is outputted in the changing operation of a gear ratio, when a clutch pedal is depressed; a control valve for controlling the feed of hydraulic fluid to a clutch booster (actuator such as a slave cylinder) in accordance with the motion of the clutch pedal; and a double check valve for selectively feeding the hydraulic fluid to the above booster.
On the other hand, an automatic clutch unit illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 is put into practical use, in which the transmission is manually operated and only the clutch is automatically engaged and disengaged in accordance with the operating condition of a vehicle. In the above automatic clutch unit, if necessary, the driver can manually operate the clutch according to his free will when it becomes impossible to operate the clutch automatically.
This automatic clutch unit comprises a manually operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism 10 and an automatically operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism 21. The manually operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism 10 includes: a slave cylinder 4 connected with an upper end of the clutch release fork 3, the lower end of which pushes a release bearing 2, wherein the clutch release fork 3 is turned round a point "a"; a power mechanism 6 operated when a clutch pedal 5 is depressed; a master cylinder 8 having an oil tank 7; and an hydraulic fluid pipeline 9 connected with the cylinder 8. The automatically operated hydraulic fluid -feed mechanism 21 includes: a gear pump 14 connected with an oil tank 11 via a pipeline 12, driven by a motor 13; a hydraulic fluid pipeline 16 connected with the gear pump 14 via a check valve 15; a relief valve 18 arranged in a pipeline 17 from an intermediate portion between the gear pump 14 and the check valve 15, to the oil tank 11; and an electromagnetic valve 20 arranged in a return pipeline 19 provided from the above hydraulic fluid pipeline 16 to the oil tank 11. Both hydraulic fluid pipelines 9 and 16 are connected with a pipeline 23 via a change-over mechanism 22, and the pipeline 23 is connected with the slave cylinder 4.
For example, an electromagnetic change-over valve 22' illustrated in FIG. 4 is used as the change-over mechanism 22. The electromagnetic change-over valve 22' changes over between the hydraulic fluid pipeline 9 of the manually operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism 10 and the hydraulic pipeline 16 of the automatically operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism 21, so that hydraulic fluid can be fed into the slave cylinder 4.
In the above arrangement, when the frictional clutch 1 is changed over from the manual to the automatic operation, the change-over mechanism 22 (electromagnetic valve 22') is manually or automatically changed over to the automatic operation. At the same time, when the gear pump 14 is driven by the motor 13, the check valve 15 is opened by the action of pressured hydraulic fluid. Therefore, hydraulic fluid flows into the hydraulic fluid pipeline 16 and the change-over mechanism 22 (electromagnetic valve 22') and then gets into the slave cylinder 4 via the pipeline 23. Therefore, the piston 4a is pushed to the right in FIGS. 3 and 4 by the action of pressured hydraulic fluid. Due to the foregoing, the clutch release fork 3 is turned clockwise around the fulcrum "a", so that the release bearing 2 is pushed to the left, and the friction clutch 1 is disengaged. When a position sensor (not shown in the drawing) arranged in the sleeve cylinder 4 detects that the piston 4a has moved by a predetermined distance, an electric current to be fed to the motor 13 is turned off and the pump 14 is stopped.
After the electric current to be fed to the motor 13 has been turned off and the gear pump 14 has stopped, the electromagnetic valve 20 to adjust a returning speed of hydraulic fluid is opened while its being controlled, hydraulic fluid in the slave cylinder 4 is returned to the oil tank 11 by the returning motion of the piston 4a caused by the spring of the friction clutch 1, the release bearing 2 and the clutch release fork 3, via the pipeline 23, the hydraulic fluid pipeline 16, the return pipeline 19 and the electromagnetic valve 20. Due to the foregoing, the frictional clutch 1 is engaged.
When the change-valve 22 is manually or automatically changed over to the manual operation, the change-over mechanism 22, that is, the electromagnetic change-over valve 22' is changed over to the manual operation side as illustrated in FIG. 4, and then the clutch pedal 5 is depressed. Then the power mechanism 6 is operated, and the piston 8a in the master cylinder 8 is moved to the left in FIGS. 3 and 4. Therefore, hydraulic fluid is sent to the slave cylinder 4 via the hydraulic fluid pipeline 9, the change-over mechanism 22 (electromagnetic change-over valve 22') and the pipeline 23. Accordingly, the piston 4a is pushed to the right in FIGS. 3 and 4. Due to the foregoing, the clutch release fork 3 is turned clockwise round the fulcrum "a", so that the release bearing 2 is pushed to the left. Therefore, the friction clutch 1 is disengaged.
When the clutch pedal 5 is returned to its initial position, the piston 8a in the master cylinder 8 is returned to the right in FIGS. 3 and 4 by the springs in the cylinder 8 and the power mechanism 6. At the same time, by the returning motion of the piston 4a caused by the spring in the friction clutch 1 via the release bearing 2 and the clutch release fork 3, hydraulic fluid in the slave cylinder 4 flows into the pipeline 23 and the hydraulic fluid 9. Then hydraulic fluid returns to the oil tank 7 via the master cylinder 8. Due to the foregoing, the friction clutch 1 is engaged.
In this connection, in the friction clutch operated by hydraulic fluid as illustrated in FIG. 3, when the electromagnetic change-over valve 22' is used for the change-over mechanism as illustrated in FIG. 4, the following problems may be encountered.
(1) Unbalance of quantity of hydraulic fluid between both hydraulic fluid feed mechanisms:
When the above operation to change over between the automatic operation and the manual operation is conducted in the case of engagement of the friction clutch 1, that is when the above operation to change over between the automatic operation and the manual operation is conducted in the case where the piston 4a of the slave cylinder 4 is located at the left end in FIG. 3 so that no hydraulic fluid is accommodated in the slave cylinder 4, no hydraulic fluid flows between both the hydraulic feed mechanisms 10 and 21. Accordingly, no problems are caused. However, when the above operation to change over between the automatic operation and the manual operation is conducted in the case of disengagement of the friction clutch 1, that is, when the above operation to change over between the automatic operation and the manual operation is conducted in the case where the piston 4a of the slave cylinder 4 is located at a position illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 or at a right position with respect to the position illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 so that the slave cylinder 4 is filled with hydraulic fluid, hydraulic fluid flows between both the hydraulic fluid feed mechanisms 10 and 21. As a result, one of the oil tanks 7 and 11 overflows, and the other is emptied.
For example, after the friction-clutch 1 has been disengaged by depressing the clutch pedal 5, in this case the slave cylinder 4 is filled with hydraulic fluid sent from the oil tank 7, the electromagnetic change-over valve 22' is changed over to the automatic operation. Then the pipeline 23 connected with the slave cylinder 4 is disconnected from the hydraulic fluid pipeline 9 connected with the oil tank, but the pipeline 23 is connected with the returning pipeline 19 of the automatically operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism 19.
Accordingly, when the electromagnetic valve 20 is opened under the above condition, hydraulic fluid in the slave cylinder 4 flows to the oil tank 11 via the returning pipeline 19, so that the friction clutch 1 can be engaged. The above phenomenon means that hydraulic fluid flows from the oil tank 7 to the oil tank 11. When the above operation is repeated many times, the oil tank 7 is empties as described before, and hydraulic fluid overflows the oil tank 11.
(2) Fast start of a vehicle in the case of a change from automatic operation to manual operation:
When operation is changed over from the automatic operation to the manual operation under the condition that the friction clutch 1 is engaged, no problems are caused. However, when operation is changed over to the manual operation by the electromagnetic change-over valve 22' after the clutch 1 has been disengaged by the automatic operation, the following problems may be encountered. When the clutch pedal 5 is not depressed, the master cylinder 8 and the oil tank 7 are communicated with each other. Accordingly, all hydraulic fluid is returned from the slave cylinder 4 to the oil tank 7 via the pipeline 23, the electromagnetic change-over valve 22' and the hydraulic fluid pipeline 9. As a result, the friction clutch 1 is engaged. Accordingly, there is a possibility that the vehicle starts fast if the gears in the transmission are meshed with each other.
In order to prevent the occurrence of the above problems, it is possible to adopt an alternative arrangement in which the master cylinder 8 is remodeled and the hydraulic fluid passage between the oil tank 7 and the master cylinder 8 is closed under the condition that the clutch pedal 5 is disengaged. However, when the above alternative arrangement is adopted, the following problems may be encountered. For example, after a vehicle has been assembled, air bleeding is conducted so as to bleed air from the pipeline including the slave cylinder 4 and the master cylinder 8. In this case, it is impossible to bleed air that has reached the master cylinder 8.
There is another alternative arrangement in which both oil tanks 7 and 11 are integrated with each other. However, this alternative arrangement is not preferable. The reason is described as follows. In order to conduct air bleeding so as to bleed air from the manually operated hydraulic fluid feed mechanism 10, it is necessary for the oil tank 7 to be located at a position higher than that of the master cylinder 8. In order to prevent the occurrence of problems caused in the clutch when air is mixed in the hydraulic fluid or when the resistance in the pipeline is increased, it is necessary for the oil tank 11 to be located close to the pump 14. Therefore, it is not preferable to integrate both oil tanks 7 and 11.
It is possible to adopt still another alternative arrangement in which the change-over mechanism 22 of the electromagnetic change-over valve 22' is changed over when the clutch is engaged. However, the following problems may be encountered in this case.
(a) A connecting position of the friction clutch is changed when the clutch plate and other parts of the clutch are worn away. Therefore, it is difficult to conduct a positional detection by means of switches.
(b) It is possible to detect the present state of the friction clutch and the operating condition of the vehicle, and the clutch detection point is detected by using an electronic controller in which the results of the above detection is processed. However, when the above arrangement is adopted, the structure becomes complicated. Further, in the case of breakdown of the electronic system, that is, in the case where it is impossible to conduct the automatic operation, the manual operation can not be conducted smoothly.


An organic electro luminescence device includes an array device having a thin film transistor formed in each of sub-pixel regions on a first substrate, a first electrode of an organic electro luminescence diode formed on a second substrate, the first electrode including a metallic material having light transmittance, a second electrode and an organic electro luminescence layer of the organic electro luminescence diode formed on the first electrode, and a thin film type absorbent formed on one of the first substrate and the second substrate, the first and second substrates being attached to each other with a predetermined distance therebetween having the array device facing the organic electro luminescence diode, and including a conductive spacer for electrically connecting the thin film transistor and the second electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly, to a dual panel type organic electroluminescence device and method for fabricating the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, an organic electro luminescence device, which also is referred to as an organic light emitting diode (OLED) device, is a self-emission type display and includes a plurality of pixels and an organic light emitting diode in each of the pixels. Each of the organic light emitting diodes emits light by injecting electrons from a cathode and holes from an anode into an emission layer, combining the electrons with the holes, generating an exciton, and transitioning the exciton from an excited state to a ground state. Accordingly, the organic electro luminescence does not require an additional light source and has a light weight, thin profile, and compact size.
In addition, the organic electro luminescence generally is manufactured using a relatively simple process including a deposition process and an encapsulation process. Thus, an organic electro luminescence has a low production cost. Further, the organic electro luminescence can operate using a low DC voltage, thereby having low power consumption and fast response time. The organic electro luminescence also has a wide viewing angle, and high image contrast. Moreover, the organic electro luminescence is an integrated device. Thus, the organic electro luminescence has high endurance from external impacts and a wide range of applications.
A passive matrix type organic electro luminescence that does not have a switching element has been widely used. In the passive matrix type organic electro luminescence, scan lines intersect signal lines to define a matrix shape device, and the scan lines are sequentially driven to excite each pixel. However, to achieve a required mean luminescence, a moment luminance needs to be as high as the luminance obtained by multiplying the mean luminescence by the number of lines.
There also exists an active matrix type organic electro luminescence, which includes thin film transistors as switching elements within each pixel. The voltage applied to the pixels are charged in a storage capacitor Cst so that the voltage can be applied until a next frame signal is applied, thereby continuously driving the organic electro luminescence, regardless of the number of gate lines, until a picture of images is finished. Accordingly, the active matrix type organic electro luminescence provides uniform luminescent, even when a low current is applied.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a pixel of an active matrix type organic electro luminescence device according to the related art. In FIG. 1, a scan line 2 is formed along a first direction, and a signal line 3 is formed along a second direction intersected with the scan line 2, thereby defining a pixel region. A power line also is formed along the second direction and spaced apart from the signal line 3. A switching thin film transistor 5 in the pixel region, and a storage capacitor (CST) 6 is connected between the switching thin film transistor 5 and the power supply line 4. A driving thin film transistor 7, which is a current source element, is connected to the storage capacitor 6 and the power supply line 4.
In addition, an organic electro luminescence diode 8 is connected to the driving TFT 7. When a current is applied to an organic light emitting material of the organic electro luminescence diode 8 in a forward direction, electrons and holes are recombined, moving through a P-N junction between an anode electrode as a hole donor and a cathode electrode as an electron donor. Therefore, the energy of the organic electro luminescence diode 8 becomes lower, thereby generating an energy difference and causing light emission.
The organic electro luminescence may be classified into a top emission type and a bottom emission type based on its light emission direction. FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a bottom emission type organic electro luminescence device according to the related art. In FIG. 2, an organic electro luminescence device 10 includes a first transparent substrate 1. A thin film transistor T, a first electrode 12, an organic luminescent layer 14 and a second electrode 16 are formed on the first substrate 1. The first and second electrodes 12 and 16 form an electric field. If the first electrode 12 is an anode electrode and the second electrode 16 is a cathode electrode, the first electrode 12 includes a transparent conductive material and the second electrode 16 includes a metal material having a low work function. The organic luminescent layer 14 includes a hole injection layer 14a, a hole transporting layer 14b, an emission layer 14c including one of red, green and blue organic luminescence material R, G, B to corresponding to a sub-pixel, and an electron transporting layer 14d.
In addition, the first substrate 1 is adhered to a second substrate 30 by a sealant 40. The first and second substrates 1 and 30 are formed of a transparent insulating material, such as glass or plastic. The second electrode 16 and the second substrate 30 are separated by a distance. A desiccant (not shown) for absorbing moisture from an external and a semi-transparent tape (not shown) for attaching the desiccant to the second substrate 30 are included in the second substrate 30.
FIG. 3 is a detailed sectional view of a sub-pixel region shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, a semiconductor layer 62, a gate electrode 68, source and drain electrodes 80 and 82 are sequentially formed on the first substrate 1 in a thin film transistor portion. A power electrode 72 and an organic electro luminescence diode (E) are respectively connected to the source and drain electrodes 80 and 82. The power electrode 72 connects to a power supply line (not shown), and overlaps a capacitor electrode 64 with an insulator therebetween in a storage capacitor portion. Elements provided at the thin film transistor region and the storage capacitor region, except the organic electro luminescence diode E, form an array device A. The organic electro luminescence diode E includes the first electrode 12 and the second electrode 16 facing each other and sandwiching the organic electro luminescence layer 14. The organic electro luminescence diode E is disposed at an emission region where self-emitting light is emitted outside.
FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a fabrication method of an organic electro luminescence device according to the related art. As shown in FIG. 4, at step ST1, an array device is formed on a first substrate. Forming the array device includes forming a scan line, a signal line, a power line, a switching thin film transistor and a driving thin film transistor.
Then, at step ST2, a first electrode is formed. Forming the first electrode includes connecting the first electrode to the driving thin film transistor. In addition, at step ST3, an organic electro luminescence layer is formed. When the first electrode is an anode electrode, forming the organic electro luminescence layer includes forming, in sequence, a hole injection layer, a hole transporting layer, an emission layer and an electron transporting layer.
At step ST4, the second electrode is formed. The second electrode is formed on the entire surface of the substrate as a common electrode. Then, at step ST5, the first substrate is encapsulated with a second substrate to protect the first substrate from an external impact and to prevent the organic electro luminescence layer from being damaged by an introduction of an external air. A desiccant is included in the second substrate.
However, the organic electro luminescence device according to the related art has a drawback. Since a yield of the array device is multiplied by a yield of the organic electro luminescence diode to determine an overall yield of the organic electro luminescence device, a total yield is greatly limited by a fabrication process of an organic electro luminescence diode. For example, even if the array device is formed with a good quality, the organic electro luminescence device is determined as a failure when the organic electro luminescence layer having a thickness of about 1000 Å is degraded due to a foreign material. As a result, the process and material costs in fabricating the good array device is wasted, and an overall production yield is decreased.
In addition, the bottom emission type device has a limited aperture ratio, thereby limiting its application in high-resolution displays. Thus, a top emission type device is more advantageous because it has an easy design of the thin film transistor and an improved aperture ratio. However, since the top emission type device generally has the cathode electrode disposed on the organic electro luminescence layer, there are limited choices in material for forming the cathode electrode. Thus, the transmittance of the top emission type device is limited by this narrow material selection range, thereby reducing light efficiency. Further, when a thin film type passivation film is used for minimizing a reduction in the light transmittance, external air is not sufficiently cut off from the interior of the top emission type device. Moreover, a problem exists in placing a desiccant in a top emission type device because the array device and the organic electro luminescence layer are formed on different substrates.

Organic electroluminescence device with absorbent film and fabrication method thereof


A catheter for selective coronary arteriography has an elongated tubular member with an interior channel. The catheter includes a shank and a specifically configured end part curved in such a way so that a portion of it seats against a wall of the aorta and another portion is seated in a coronary cusp when the catheter is in place.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a catheter for selective coronary arteriography of a coronary artery. More particularly, it concerns such a catheter which is inserted through an artery in the arm.
2. General Discussion of the Background
Many heart diseases are caused by occlusion of one or more of the coronary arteries that supply oxygen to the heart. The proper diagnosis and treatment of these diseases requires an accurate evaluation of the condition of the coronary arteries. One frequently used technique for making such a diagnosis is coronary arteriography, a procedure in which a catheter is inserted into the aorta of the heart and positioned adjacent or within the ostium of a coronary artery. A radiopaque dye is then injected through the catheter into the coronary artery while an X-ray is taken. The pattern of movement of the dye, which can be detected on a flouroscopic screen, helps provide an assessment of the condition of the artery being examined.
The catheters are inserted into the aorta either through the femoral artery adjacent the groin or through the brachial artery in the arm. The catheters shown in U.S. Pat. Nos 4,033,331, 4,117,836 and Canadian Patent No. 930636 are specifically configured for insertion through the femoral artery. There are several disadvantages, however, to this approach In the first place, femoral catheterization is suffiently traumatic that the patient's leg must remain flat for about four hours after the procedure to avoid bleeding. A secondary problem is that the surge of blood pressure within the femoral artery makes it difficult to control bleeding after the procedure.
Catheterization through the brachial artery in the arm avoids these problems. During the procedure and afterwards, the surge of arterial pressure can be more easily controlled by putting a pressure cuff around the upper arm. Subsequent to brachial catheterization, only about 11/2 hours of rest are required since stresses on the arm are not great when the patient starts walking.
In spite of the advantages of brachial catheterization, there are no catheters which are specifically configured for insertion through the brachial artery for secure placement within the aorta. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,935,857 and 4,531,936 disclose catheters which can be inserted into an artery in the arm or leg. The '857 catheter, however, is simply a continuous curve having a pair of legs disposed at an angle of about 85.degree.. Such a configuration does not allow the catheter to be securely seated in the aorta with the open end of the catheter inserted into an ostium of the coronary artery which is being catheterized. The catheter is therefore relatively free to move about in the aorta, which can allow the tip to become dislodged from the arterial ostium. This problem can cause serious delays in arteriography which increase the duration of the procedure and the risk of side effects.
It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a catheter which is specifically configured for insertion through an artery in the arm.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a catheter having an end portion which is shaped to seat firmly within the aorta such that the open tip of the catheter can be easily and securely placed in the ostium of the artery being examined.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a catheter which is not easily dislodged once in place.
Even yet another object of the invention is to provide such a catheter which can minimize damage to the brachial, axillary and subclavian arteries through which it is inserted.

Method and apparatus for selective coronary arteriography


A diode suited for absorbing a surge which includes a semiconductor substrate, a pn junction defined in the semiconductor substrate, and an exothermic body adjacent to the pn junction which leads the pn junction to the Zener breakdown under an overcurrent is disclosed. This diode is improved in a characteristic against a surge utilizing the secondary breakdown and prevents the yield from lowering due to inconstancy in resistivity of the wafer used.

Hitherto, it has been a conventional practice to use a Zener diode suited for a surge absorber. For example, when a Zener diode is reversely connected to the input side of an electric circuit to be protected, the Zener diode serves as a high resistance against a low voltage of usual signals, and the Zener breakdown occurs in the diode under a high voltage applied to the circuit, which leads the overcurrent flow to the Zener diode to protect the circuit or the semiconductor devices used there from breaking down due to the heavy current.
There are two conventional methods for manufacturing a Zener diode; the first one is to employ a semiconductor substrate having impurity concentration corresponding to the aimed Zener breakdown voltage, and the second one is to grow on a semiconductor substrate an epitaxial semiconductor layer having impurity concentration corresponding to the aimed Zener breakdown voltage.
In manufacturing a Zener diode according to the first method, as shown in FIG. 6, impurities such as boron or indium are diffused into an n-type semiconductor substrate 31 having a thickness of about 130 .mu.m and a resistivity of about 5 to 600 m.OMEGA..multidot.cm corresponding to the aimed Zener breakdown voltage to form a p.sup.+ -type diffusion region 32 and a pn junction 33. Further, an insulating film 34 made of silicon oxide or the like is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 31 by a CVD process, followed by the formation of a contact hole 35 in a portion of the insulating film 34 for an upper electrode. An n.sup.+ -type diffusion layer 36 is formed over the entire lower surface of the semiconductor substrate 31 so as to provide an ohmic contact between a lower electrode and the semiconductor substrate 31. Then a metal like aluminum is deposited by, for example, sputtering on the p.sup.+ -type diffusion region 32 on the upper side of the substrate 31 and on the n.sup.+ -type diffusion layer 36 on the lower side respectively to form upper and lower electrodes 37 and 38. Finally, the semiconductor substrate 31 is diced into individual chips to complete a Zener diode 39. This method tends to lower the yield because inconstant resistivity of the semiconductor substrate affects Zener characteristics.
On the other hand, in manufacturing a Zener diode according to the second method, as shown in FIG. 5, an n.sup.+ -type semiconductor substrate 40 is used which has a thickness of 110 .mu.m and a low resistivity of about 1/1000 to 20/1000 .OMEGA..multidot.cm. In view of an ohmic contact with the electrodes, the semiconductor substrate 40 is selected to have a low resistivity with impurities of 10.sup.18 atm/cm.sup.3 or more. On the surface of the semiconductor substrate 40 n-type semiconductor layer 41 is epitaxially grown upto a 20 .mu.m-thick which has a resistivity of about 5 to 600 m.OMEGA..multidot.cm corresponding to a desired Zener breakdown voltage. In a manner similar to the first method a p.sup.+ -type diffusion region 32, insulating film 34 and upper electrode 37 are formed. Finally a metal is deposited directly on the lower surface of the semiconductor substrate 40 to form a lower electrode 38, thus completing a Zener diode 42.
When the reverse voltage is applied to the diode manufactured by either of the first or second method to increase the reverse current, the characteristic curve with respect to voltage V.sub.R and current I.sub.R is shown in FIG. 7. A current begins to flow at the Zener breakdown voltage depending on the diode, and a breakdown occurs when the input reaches the breakdown withstand power (allowable loss point C), that is I.sub.2 .times.V.sub.2, of the diode. Therefore, it is a problem that the diode tends to be broken down under a noise with a large surge current.


An assemblage and method for covering the terminal end of an insulated pipe.

Protection for piping from the elements is necessary in a number of applications. More specifically, pipe insulation, when not covered and protected, is susceptible to water and insect infiltration and deterioration.
When applying insulation to pipes, it is desirable to cover the end portion of the insulation at unions, valves, specialty fittings and the terminal ends of pipes. Finding a satisfactory way to cover the end portion of insulation has been a persistent and long term problem in the pipe insulation industry.
Raw ends of pipe insulation have been covered in various ways including cementing and canvasing, cementing and painting with a mastic coating, or covering the insulation with a thermoformed rigid PVC end cap. Although currently in use, none of these methods are entirely satisfactory for all applications due to the relatively high cost of either labor or the manufacture of materials.
Further, in cases of cementing and canvasing over or painting with mastic coating, the canvas and mastic coating materials tend to shrink and ultimately disintegrate when exposed to high pipe temperatures, weathering, or washdowns.
Ends caps made of PVC have received much attention in recent years. These PVC end caps are shaped over molds made of two sections, each greater than a half circle. The thermoformed cover, therefore, has a slightly ovoid shape. After thermoforming, the PVC end cap is cut through one side and along the centerline of the base, but not through the side opposite to the cut side thereby forming two sections which are connected solely by the side wall which has not been cut. The end cap is then placed over the terminal portion of the insulation and the above-described sections are overlapped until the cover fits securely around the insulated pipe. A PVC end cap of this type has been manufactured by Proto Corp., Clearwater, Fla., and is more fully described in the 1986 product catalog of Proto Corp., page 6.
In light of the limitations of the cited methods, efforts have thus been made to form end caps out of metals, especially soft metals, such as aluminum. These material offer resistance against deterioration at much higher temperatures than PVC and similar plastics.
However, the drawback to the use of metals is their inability to be drawn in oversized half-sections, as can be done for PVC, without the use of expensive individual dies. For this reason, metal end caps have been made by forming two separate and identical half sections. The two half-sections are then fitted around the insulated pipe and fastened by rivets, screws, etc. Metal end caps of this type and methods of manufacture are described in Holt, U.S. Pat. No. 276,044. Disadvantages associated with such methods include difficulty in fitting and fastening the two half-sections over pipes of small diameters, providing watertight seals and the difficulty for one person to install the cover about the pipe.
A particularly good end cap is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,293 (Botsolas, Sep. 26, 1989) but represents a different and more expensive approach to the termination of insulation than the present invention.


The embodiments of the present application provide a network configuration method, apparatus, network element, and system. The method includes: receiving, by a first network element, a service attribute of a terminal sent by a second network element, wherein the first network element is a network element in a mobile communication network, and the second network element is a network element in an external network; and configuring, by the first network element, a network operation parameter of the terminal according to the service attribute of the terminal.

With the continuous development of communication technologies, the 5th generation (5G) network will support more diverse business needs and scenarios, such as enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC), ultra reliable Machine Type Communication (uMTC), and so on.
Because the application layer of the 5G network includes all applications in three scenarios: eMBB, mMTC and uMTC, the future 5G network will be coupled with a variety of external vertical networks. These external vertical networks include networks in vertical industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, transportation, living services, public services, education, finance, healthcare and energy.
There is no mature solution for how to perform the optimization between 5G networks and external vertical networks.

Network configuration method, apparatus, network element, and system

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


A multi-mode multi-parallelism data exchange method and the device thereof are proposed to apply to a check node operator or a bit node operator. The proposed method comprises the steps of: duplicating part or all of an original shift data as a duplicated shift data; combining the original shift data and the duplicated shift data to form a data block; and using a data block as the unit to shift this data block so as to conveniently retrieve shift data from the shifted data block. With a maximum z factor circuit and duplication of part of data, specifications of different shift sizes can be supported. The functions of shifters of several sizes can therefore be accomplished with the minimum complexity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a low density parity check (LDPC) decoding technique applied in channel coding and, more particularly, to a multi-mode multi-parallelism data exchange method applied to communication systems and the device thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Because low density parity check (LDPC) code has a powerful decoding performance close to the Shannon limit and has a characteristic of low complexity in the decoding process, it has been more and more employed in recent years, and has been widely used in many different communication applications.
The LDPC code is one kind of block codes, and defines a parity check matrix to systematically generate code words and also regulates the relationship between message bits. In algorithm, the LDPC decoding is one that transmits messages, and utilizes different algorithm to perform message reliability exchange between check node and bit node. In hardware realization, this algorithm needs to use memory for storing exchanged messages, and the required amount of memory depends on the number of 1's in the H matrix. In other words, the larger the length or the size of the H matrix, the more the required amount of memory.
Especially, in an LDPC decoder, random and large amount of message exchanges between operands cause much difficulty in realization. The quasi-cyclic LDPC coding simplifies message exchange into data shift, and therefore accomplishes a better way of circuit realization. In a quasi-cyclic LDPC decoder, shift circuits can be used for data exchange between bit node and check node because of the simplified parity check matrix. Therefore, when the length of the quasi-cyclic LDPC coding is large, in order to achieve higher data processing speed, a considerable number of shift circuits are required for data exchange actions. Because existent communication specifications need to support circuits of different shift sizes, it is possibly necessary to provide one shift circuit for each specific shift size. Moreover, because existent communication specifications have also to support different multi-mode shift sizes and multi-rate shift circuits, the shift size or hardware circuit control complexity of the quasi-cyclic coding will increase substantially, and the critical path delay of hardware circuit will increase at the same time. Besides, an ordinary shift circuit can only perform shift and exchange of a piece of data each time. Therefore, the decoding speed of the LDPC decoder cannot be enhanced for small exchange size.
A quasi-cyclic LDPC decoder requires a highly flexible shift device to provide the functions of shifters of different sizes. Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide a multi-mode multi-parallelism data exchange method and the method thereof to improve the above problems in the prior art.

Multi-mode multi-parallelism data exchange method and device thereof


A replaceable fluid container carrying a spray pump with a nozzle which directs spray directionally in which an arrangement is provided for orientating the nozzle into a desired orientation on insertion of the container into a dispenser.

Fluid dispensers such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,309 issued Jul. 11, 1995 are known in which a liquid to be dispensed is contained in a disposable container which incorporates a pump assembly. Typically, the pump assembly includes a reciprocally movable piston which, when moved, dispenses a quantity of liquid from the container. The containers are fitted within a permanent dispenser housing which includes a movable actuator assembly which secures and reciprocally moves the movable element to dispense the fluid. Once the fluid in the disposable container has been exhausted, the disposable container is replaced by another disposable container incorporating an identical pump assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,309 provides a construction which permits simplified replacement of a fluid container incorporating a pump assembly with a piston movable between extended and retracted positions. The patent provides an arrangement whereby whether the piston is in an extended or a retracted position, after insertion of the container into the permanent housing, cycling of the movable actuator assembly secures the piston in a desired coupled arrangement with the movable actuator assembly. The patent provides that when inserted such that the piston may not initially be in the desired coupled arrangement that after an initial cycling of the movable actuator assembly, the piston comes to be properly coupled.
Liquid dispensers such as the type illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,304 are known as adapted for dispensing a wide variety of fluids including fluids of relatively low viscosity such as water-like fluids, aqueous alcohol solutions and alcohol and in which a nozzle is provided at the end of the pump so as to provide a spray pump which emits an atomized cone of the liquid onto a user's hand. The present applicant has appreciated disadvantages with such spray pumps in that the atomized cone of the liquid being dispensed may be directed in directions which are not desired. For example, a cone of spray may spray liquid onto a wall on which the dispenser is mounted or onto a movable actuator, typically a presser bar, which is manually moved to dispense the liquid. This has been appreciated to cause a liquid build up on the wall or presser bar which can be messy and can drip off after use. This has a disadvantage that the dripping can cause a user to assume that the dispenser is leaking. As well, the dripping is messy and can cause unsightly build up on a surface onto which the liquid is sprayed or dripped and, as well, can cause slippery conditions if the liquid drips onto a floor surface.

Self-orientating pump nozzle for fluid dispenser


Compositions of and methods for using synthetic retinal derivatives as retinoid replacements and opsin agonists are provided.

A diminished visual acuity or total loss of vision may result from a number of eye diseases or disorders caused by dysfunction of tissues or structures in the anterior segment of the eye and/or posterior segment of the eye. Disease or disorders of the posterior segment of the eye in general are retinal or choroidal vascular diseases or hereditary diseases such as Leber Congenital Amaurosis. Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the specific diseases associated with the posterior portion of the eyeball and is the leading cause of blindness among older people. AMD results in damage to the macula, a small circular area in the center of the retina. Because the macula is the area which enables one to discern small details and to read or drive, its deterioration may bring about diminished visual acuity and even blindness. The retina contains two forms of light receiving cells, rods and cones, that change light into electrical signals. The brain then converts these signals into the images. The macula is rich in cone cells, which provides central vision. People with AMD suffer deterioration of central vision but usually retain peripheral sight.
Slightly blurred or distorted vision is the most common early symptom of AMD. Visual loss with dry AMD usually progresses slowly while visual loss with wet AMD proceeds more rapidly and may occur over days or weeks. Patients who have wet AMD in one eye are at increased risk of developing choroidal neo-vascularization (CNV) in the other eye. The magnitude of the risk varies, depending on the appearance of the second eye. The risk is greater in eyes with numerous large drusen, with abnormal pigment changes in the macula, and in patients with a history of high blood pressure. Reactions that go on in the RPE lead to oxidative products leading to cell death and neovascularization. This excess metabolism leads to the formation of drusen under the RPE.
Other eye diseases also affect photoreceptor function in the eye. Retinitis Pigmentosa represents disease caused by defects in many different genes. They all have a final common pathway of night blindness and peripheral vision loss that can lead to narrowing of the visual field and eventual loss of all vision in many patients. The rod photoreceptors are usually primarily affected and most of the gene defects leading to the disease occur in genes that are expressed predominantly or only in the rod cells.
One autosomal dominant form of Retinitis Pigmentosa comprises an amino acid substitution in opsin, a proline to histidine substitution at amino acid 23. This defect compromises 10-20% of all Retinitis Pigmentosa cases. This abnormal opsin protein forms a protein aggregate that eventually leads to cell death.
Leber Congenital Amaurosis is a very rare childhood condition that affects children from birth or shortly thereafter. It affects both rods and cones. There are a few different gene defects that have been associated with the disease. These include the genes encoding the RPE65 and LRAT proteins. Both result in a person's inability to make 11-cis-retinal in adequate quantities. In the RPE65-defective individuals, retinyl esters build up in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). LRAT-defective individuals are unable to make esters and subsequently secrete any excess retinoids.
Retinitis Punctata Albesciens is another form of Retinitis Pigmentosa that exhibits a shortage of 11-cis-retinal in the rods. Aging also leads to the decrease in night vision and loss of contrast sensitivity due to a shorting of 11-cis-retinal. Excess unbound opsin is believed to randomly excite the visual transduction system. This can create noise in the system, and thus more light and more contrast is necessary to see well.
Congenital Stationary Night Blindness (CSNB) and Fundus Albipunctatus are a group of diseases that are manifested as night blindness, but there is not a progressive loss of vision as in the Retinitis Pigmentosa. Some forms of CSNB are due to a delay in the recycling of 11-cis-retinal. Fundus Albipunctatus until recently was thought to be a special case of CSNB where the retinal appearance is abnormal with hundreds of small white dots appearing in the retina. It has been shown recently that this is also a progressive disease although much slower than Retinitis Pigmentosa. It is caused by a gene defect that leads to a delay in the cycling of 11-cis-retinal.
Currently, there are few treatments for retinoid deficiency. One treatment, a combination of antioxidant vitamins and zinc, produces only a small restorative effect. Thus, there is a need for compositions and methods of restoring or stabilizing photoreceptor function and ameliorating the effects of deficient levels of endogenous retinoids.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Retinal derivatives and methods for the use thereof for the treatment of visual disorders


A method and system for storing and retrieving alphanumeric (83) and binary data values (78) includes storing in a tabular data archive (60) an open tabular format XML file (62) containing a plurality of alphanumeric data values (83) and meta-information (84). Meta-information (84 and 80) describes a predetermined set of characteristics of the alphanumeric data values (83) and binary data values (78). The method and system store in the tabular data archive (60) a plurality of individual binary files (64) each comprising exactly one binary data value (163, 164, 165, 166) and further describe the binary files (64) using the predetermined set of characteristics (80). The method further includes storing in the open tabular format XML file (62) a plurality of references (90) to the individual binary files (64). Thereafter, the open tabular format XML file (62) may be parsed for selectably retrieving at least one predetermined subset of the plurality of alphanumeric data values (83) and of the plurality of binary data values stored in individual binary files (64).

In the operation of computer software applications, oftentimes a need arises to store and share tabular data. For present purposes, tabular data includes collections of data values organized in rows and columns. Each element or table cell of such a collection represents an individual data value and is formed using a sequence of bytes. Such data values may be alphanumeric (i.e., text), in which case the contents of the bytes making up the value are limited to a subset of the possible values that bytes may store. Alternatively, such data values may be binary (image, sound, program etc), in which case the bytes of the value may store any possible value. Conventionally, however, it is not possible to store both alphanumeric data values and binary data values in the same tabular data collection.
One of the reasons for tabular data collections to not include both alphanumeric data values and binary data values relates to the need of computer software applications using such tabular data to parse such a hybrid collection. Parsing the tabular data collection, usually a sequential process involving analyzing or separating the data into more easily processed components, permits precise data values retrieval.
In addition, the physical format storing tabular data must support random access to the data. Unfortunately, stored binary data may be quite voluminous, making the act of parsing all stored binary data difficult and tedious. Moreover, for many uses of binary data, no need exists to parse all of the data for its retrieval. For many binary data values sequentially accessing the data may result in high retrieval times, especially when the tabular data collection includes large binary values. At the same time, inconsistent retrieval times may arise, depending on the position of the value in the collection.
There is no known data format that supports all these requirements. A format known as the "comma separated values" or CSV format attempts to support rapid sequential parsing of tabular data format. Unfortunately, such a format is more suitable to store only alphanumeric data and fails to permit easily the parsing of binary data together with alphanumeric data. Furthermore, the CSV format requires sequential data access and does not provide for meta-information storage or use.
Accordingly, there is the need for a method and system that permits the flexible storage and unequivocal retrieval of both binary and alphanumeric data, which also supports random access to the binary data.
There is a need for a self-descriptive data format that supports the storage of information about the data together with the data itself. Such a format may reduce the level of dependency of particular software applications residing in associated computing platform or network for using such data.
Still further a need exists for a method and system for communicating both alphanumeric and binary data together with associated meta-information, in an open and flexible single package or format that changes according to the dynamics of particular use situation or programming environment.
Finally, in order to transfer such a tabular collection of alphanumeric and binary data values together with its meta-information between computer software applications (potentially over computer networks), the physical storage of all data and meta-information has to be a standalone structure.

Method and system for storing self-descriptive tabular data with alphanumeric and binary values

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A method in a mobile communication terminal, which operates alternately in an idle mode and a connected mode, includes maintaining a count of mobility events in which the terminal switches to camp on a cell. The count is retained irrespective of transitions of the terminal into and out of the idle mode and the connected mode. A mobility state is selected for the terminal depending on the count, and operation of the terminal is configured based on the selected mobility state.

Some wireless communication systems modify operation parameters of mobile communication terminals, e.g., cellular phones, depending on a level of mobility of the terminals. The Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) specifications, for example, define normal, medium and high mobility states for User Equipment (UE).
Mobility states for E-UTRA UEs are addressed, for example, "3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); User Equipment (UE) procedures in idle mode (Release 8)," TS 36.304, version 8.10.0, June, 2011; and in "3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); Radio Resource Control (RRC); Protocol specification (Release 8)," TS 36.331, version 8.10.0, June, 2010, which are both incorporated herein by reference.
Section 22.214.171.124 of the TS 36.304 specification, for example, specifies mobility states in idle mode. Section 126.96.36.199 of the TS 36.331 specification, for example, specifies speed-dependant scaling of measurement-related parameters.
The description above is presented as a general overview of related art in this field and should not be construed as an admission that any of the information it contains constitutes prior art against the present patent application.

Enhanced mobility state detection in mobile communication terminals


Provided is a tracheostomy tube having a freely openable/closable fenestration without substantially narrowing an inner cavity of the tracheostomy tube. It has been found that each of two tracheostomy tubes having the configurations (A) and (B) has the fenestration that is freely openable/closable with use of a shutter without substantially narrowing the inner cavity of the tracheostomy tube.

(Related-Art Tracheostomy Tube Having Fenestration)
For a patient having some kind of stenosis in the upper airway (such as the nasal cavity, the oral cavity, and the glottis) or a patient who requires frequent suction of sputum in the trachea, a tracheal opening is surgically formed in the anterior neck region so that a tracheostomy tube is inserted into the trachea from the tracheal opening and placed therein.
The patient who has undergone a tracheostomy and has the tracheostomy tube placed therein respires from the anterior neck region through the tracheostomy tube without via the upper airway, and hence cannot produce phonation. However, the patient who is not able to produce the phonation is forced to be significantly inconvenienced. Thus, there exists the tracheostomy tube which has been devised to enable the phonation. For example, a tracheostomy tube having a fenestration formed on aback surface side of a tube part is sometimes used to cause expired air to pass through the upper airway. Further, a speech valve for allowing the expired air to more reliably pass through the upper airway is sometimes connected to a proximal end of the tracheostomy tube. With the speech valve, a full amount of expired air passes through the fenestration into the upper airway without leaking from the proximal end of the tracheostomy tube. Hence, clear sounds can more easily be produced (see Non Patent Literature 1).
The fenestration is necessary for phonation. Meanwhile, when a suction tube is inserted from an inner cavity of the tracheostomy tube into the trachea, there are the following risks. For example, a distal end of the suction tube may project from the fenestration. Accidentally aspired sputum may flow into the inner cavity of the tracheostomy tube from the fenestration to reach the lungs to be likely to cause aspiration pneumonia. A granulation tissue may penetrate into the fenestration to prevent the tracheostomy tube from being removed therefrom.
Specifically, the fenestration is required at the time of phonation. However, the fenestration is not otherwise required.
As a method of solving the problem described above, there exists the tracheostomy tube using a system of closing the fenestration with insertion of a dedicated inner cylinder into the inner cavity of the tracheostomy tube and opening the fenestration with removal of the inner cylinder. With the above-mentioned method, however, when the inner cylinder is inserted, the inner cavity of the tracheostomy tube is narrowed correspondingly. Thus, the above-mention method has a disadvantage in difficulty of use for a patient having a weak ventilation function (see Non Patent Literature 1).

Tracheotomy tube having freely openable/closable lateral hole


An electron gun includes a cathode including an electron emitting portion, an extraction electrode for extracting electrons emitted from the electron emitting portion, and a focusing electrode for focusing the electrons extracted by the extraction electrode. The focusing electrode includes an outside electrode having a tubular shape, and an inside electrode arranged inside the outside electrode. The inside electrode defines a first space having a columnar shape, and includes a first surface on a side of the cathode, and a second surface on an opposite side of the first surface. An inside surface of the outside electrode and the second surface of the inside electrode define a second space. The inside electrode includes an electron passage hole, and a communicating portion which makes the first space and the second space communicate with each other.

An electron gun is used in, for example, an X-ray generation apparatus that generates X-rays. The electron gun can include, for example, an extraction electrode that extracts electrons, and a focusing electrode that focuses the electrons extracted by the extraction electrode. PTL 1 describes an X-ray tube incorporating an electron gun. The X-ray tube described in PTL 1 includes a cathode, a target, a first control grid arranged between the cathode and the target, and a second control grid arranged between the first control grid and the target. The cathode, the first control grid, and the second control grid are understood as the constituent elements of the electron gun. The second control grid includes an opening limiting element. When the opening limiting element is provided, a small beam dimension can be obtained.

Electron gun, X-ray generation apparatus, and X-ray imaging apparatus


The bag includes at the area of a corner or a projection a pouring structure which is in part enclosed by a seam. The pouring structure includes a channel and a tube located in the channel in order to prevent a collapsing of the channel and to channel the discharging of the contents of the bag.

The present invention relates to a bag made of a foil material and having two sidewalls and a bottom, which sidewalls are interconnected at their edges by a longitudinal seam, having further a pouring channel structure located at one corner area of the bag and arranged inside a seam which closes the corner area off in such a manner that by a severing at the corner area the contents of the bag can be discharged, which seam closing the corner area off is structured at the corner area in such a manner that the pouring channel structure is at least partly surrounded by the seam in order to keep the pouring opening at the pouring channel structure after a severing at the corner area at a stable position.
It also relates to a bag made of a foil material and having two sidewalls and a bottom, which sidewalls are interconnected at their edges by a longitudinal seam, having further a pouring channel structure located at an edge area of the bag and arranged inside a seam which closes the edge area off in such a manner that by a severing at the edge area the contents of the bag can be discharged, which seam at the edge area is structured in such a manner that the pouring channel structure is at least partly surrounded by the seam in order to keep the pouring opening at the pouring channel structure after a severing at the edge area at a stable position.
The invention relates further to a method of producing a bag made of a foil material and having two sidewalls and a bottom, which sidewalls are interconnected at their edges by a longitudinal seam, having further a pouring channel structure located at one corner area of the bag and arranged inside a seam which closes the corner area off in such a manner that by a severing at the corner area the contents of the bag can be discharged, which seam closing the corner area off is structured at the corner area in such a manner that the pouring channel structure is at least partly surrounded by the seam in order to keep the pouring opening at the pouring channel structure after a severing at the corner area at a stable condition, which pouring channel structure includes a channel formed in at least one of the sidewalls as a pre-shaped groove like recess, and includes a tube located in the pre-shaped channel, whereby a collapsing of the pouring channel structure is prevented and the discharging of the contents of the bag is channelled through the tube, and which bag is made of a thermoplastically deformable material.
It relates further to a method of producing a bag made of a foil material and having two sidewalls and a bottom, which sidewalls are interconnected at their edges by a longitudinal seam, having further a pouring channel structure located at an edge area of the bag and arranged inside a seam which closes the edge area off in such a manner that by a a severing at the edge area the contents of the bag can be discharged, which seam at the edge area is structured in such a manner that the pouring channel structure is at least partly surrounded by the seam in order to keep the pouring opening at the pouring channel structure after a severing at the edge area at a stable condition, which pouring channel structure includes a channel formed in at least one of the sidewalls as pre-shaped groove like recess, and includes a tube located in the pre-shaped channel, whereby a collapsing of the pouring channel structure is prevented and the discharging of the contents of the bag is channelled through the tube, and which bag is made of a thermoplastically deformable material.

Bag made of foil material and a method of producing such a bag


A road inclination estimating apparatus is configured to acquire power spectrum density of vertical vibration by a frequency analysis based on the detected vertical acceleration of the sprung mass of a vehicle. The apparatus is configured to determine that a first estimation condition is satisfied, when the power spectrum density has two of the acquired peak frequencies, wherein, one of the two of the peak frequencies is within a predetermined first frequency range, and the other one of the two of the peak frequencies is within a predetermined second frequency range.

There have been known apparatuses configured to estimate an inclination/gradient of a road on which a vehicle is running. Hereinafter, the inclination of the road may sometimes referred to as a "road inclination (or road inclination/gradient angle)".
One of such apparatuses is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2008-185418 (see. FIG. 5). The disclosed apparatus, referred to as a "first conventional apparatus", is configured to estimate/extrapolate the road inclination based on a longitudinal acceleration (fort-rear acceleration) of a sprung mass of a vehicle, a lateral acceleration of a vehicle, a slip angle, a pitch angle, and a rolling angle.

Road inclination estimating apparatus of vehicle