The present invention provides several improvements in a slip ring (36) that is adapted to provide electrical contact between a rotor (42) and stator (40). In one aspect, a brush tube (39) is crimped around the upper marginal end portions of a plurality of individual fibers (38) inserted therein. In another aspect, a collimator tube (41) extends downwardly beyond the end of the brush tube to limit lateral movement of the fibers in the bundle when the rotor rotates. In yet another arrangement, a spring (55, 56) is arranged to bear against a current-carrying conductor to adjustably vary the force by which the lower ends of the fibers are urged to move toward the rotor.

Electrical slip rings are used to transfer electrical power and/or signal(s) between a rotor and a stator. These devices are used in many different military and commercial applications, such as solar array drive mechanisms, aircraft and missile guidance platforms, undersea robots, CATSCAN systems, and the like. In some of these applications, slip rings are used in conjunction with other rotary components, such as torque motors, resolvers and encoders. Electrical slip rings must be designed to be located either on the platform axis of rotation, or be designed with an open bore which locates the electrical contacts off-axis. Hence, the designations "on-axis" and "off-axis" slip rings, respectively. The diameter of slip ring motors may range from a fraction of an inch to multiple feet, and the angular speed may vary from one revolution per day to as much as 20,000 revolutions per minute. In all of these applications, the electrical contacts between the rotor and stator must: (1) transfer power and/or signal(s) without interruption at high surface speeds, (2) have long wear life, (3) maintain low electrical noise, and (4) be of a physical size that allows multiple circuits to be packaged in a minimum volume.
The most efficient management of the electrical and mechanical contact physics allows the most demanding requirements to be met. For example, if the application is an off-axis slip ring that allows the x-ray tube in a CATSCAN gantry to rotate about the patient's body, the electrical contacts must be designed to carry about 100–200 amps (with surges of hundreds of amps), operate at surface speeds on the order of 500 inches per second, last for 100 million revolutions, and occupy a minimal volume within the gantry. In order to meet the 100 million revolution requirement for a device that is about six feet in diameter, the brush force must be low to minimize frictional heating and to maintain a large number of contact points between brush and ring to achieve the required current density.
Four types of electrical contacts between a rotor and stator include: (1) a composite solid material brush on a cantilevered spring, (2) a monofilament metal alloy brush that tangentially engages the rotor, (3) a fiber brush having a plurality of individual fibers, with the bundle tangentially engaging the rotor, and (4) a tip-of-fiber contact between the brush and rotor. The contact force, surface speeds and type of lubrication for each contact type is summarized in Table I. Table I also shows the types of lubricants required to reduce the contact frictional heating if the brush force is above one gram.
TABLE ISurfaceType ofContact TypeContact ForceSpeedsLubricationcomposite brush0.4kg/cm2 700 in/secsacrificial graphitefilm*monofilament3–20grams 12 in/secboundary lubrica-metal alloytion**tangential fiber1–3grams 200 in/secadventitious***brushfiber-on-tip0.1–1grams1200 in/secadventitious****With a sacrificial graphite film, the brush and ring interface is lubricated by a film of graphite that is transferred from the brush to the ring. Material that is worn away is replaced by graphite from the brush.**With boundary lubrication, a boundary lubricant film supports a portion of the load between the contact members. The points of metal contact support the remaining load between the contact members, and provide the current-carrying capability.***With adventitious films, very thin films of materials that are capable of reducing the coefficient of friction between the contact members under light loads.
The tribological properties of electrical contacts and the right choice of lubricant to meet the requirements of the application are extremely important. For example, if the contacts are to be used in a space application, then the lubricant must meet all of the requirements of a ground-based application, and have a low vapor pressure. If the contacts have a long life requirement, then dust, wear debris and other contaminants may accumulate in the contact zone and create problems with life and signal transfer. However, if the electrical contact members can be brought together with a force of about one gram or less, then the lubricant and the associated complications are eliminated.
For several years, fiber brushes with a tangential orientation to the ring have been successfully used to meet high surface speeds without the use of a lubricant.
When manufacturing slip rings in the range of four to six feet in diameter, the costs of the ring material, as well as the costs associated with the equipment used to cast the dielectric material that supports the rings, the costs of equipment required to machine the support structure, and the costs of the equipment used to electroplate precious metal on a ring, rise dramatically if a continuous ring approach is used. Large-diameter rings are normally machined from plate stock or tubing of the appropriate size. Another option is to form a metal strip of the required cross-section, to bend it into an annulus or ring, and to weld the facing ends together. In this case, the dimensional tolerances that must be held for the ring I.D. and O.D. cause the continuous ring to be prohibitively expensive. In addition, the bath required to electrodeposit metal on a six foot diameter ring is five to six times more expensive than that required for a 120° length of arc used to fabricate a segmented slip ring of the same diameter.
FIGS. 12–14 illustrate some concepts that can be used to fabricate a large-diameter slip ring. FIG. 12 shows a continuous ring, with three 120° segments used to form the ring. FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate the option of using less ring material, but more brushes, to maintain continuity between the rotor and stator at all angular positions of the rotor. The support structures for these segments are representatively shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,664,697 B2, the aggregate disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,189, the aggregate disclosure of which is hereby also incorporated by reference, teaches a method of manufacturing an annular dielectric base portion of an electrical slip ring assembly having multiple electrical rings formed in the outer circumference. The rings are formed from conductive metal strips of the appropriate cross-sectional shape and configuration. When each ring is wrapped around the circumference of the base, the facing ends are intended to abut one anther. However, because of dimensional variations in the base O.D. and dimensional variations in the length of the strip used to form the conductive ring, the facing ring ends sometimes do not abut properly. In practice, the length of the ring is controlled such that a gap always exists between the facing ring ends. This gap may vary from about 0.020 inches to about 0.040 inches. The brush technology used with this ring structure is the tangential fiber brush, which can readily move over that gap without mechanical and/or electrical interference (see, e.g., FIG. 4). Over ten years of experience has shown that as the slip ring rotates, brush and ring wear debris and other particulate contaminants will accumulate in the gap. As the brushes continue to move over the gap, finely divided particles are dragged onto the ring surface, creating electrically-insulating films. Thus, problems develop with electrical signal transmission. Millions of ring revolutions may occur because these problems develop.
The intent of the improved slip ring design and manufacturing methodology disclosed herein is to reduce the width of the gap between the ring ends. This is accomplished by a process of adjusting the length of at least one of the segments such that the widths of the various affected gaps are minimized.
It would be generally desirable to provide an improved slip ring that would allow longer life, higher current densities, and higher rotor surface speeds to be achieved a lower costs that with current slip ring technology.

Electrical contact technology and methodology for the manufacture of large-diameter electrical slip rings


A system and method is provided for evaluating the effectiveness of data encryption for hiding the identity of the source of Web traffic. A signature is constructed from encrypted Web traffic for a Web page sent by a target Web site, and the signature is compared with archived traffic signatures obtained by accessing various Web pages of interest in advance. If the signature of the detected encrypted Web traffic matches a stored traffic signature beyond a pre-set statistical threshold, a positive match is found, and the source of the traffic is identified. Countermeasures for reducing the reliability of source identification based on traffic signature matching are provided.

Protecting communication privacy is an important issue for all types of electronic communication, especially when the communication data are sent over a large network, such as the Internet, where an adverse party can easily intercept the communication data. The recent rise of the World Wide Web on the Internet has triggered serious concerns about the possible threats to privacy associated with Web browsing. The browsing user's location or other types of personal information may be inadvertently disclosed if the communication data traffic is intercepted by an adverse observer. Even partial revelation of such information can cause embarrassment and/or financial detriments or even compromise safety.
One particular type of browsing-related sensitive information to be protected is the fact that the browsing user is accessing a particular Web site or Web page. For instance, a user found to be browsing Web pages containing certain types of medical or financial information may inadvertently reveal, through implied interest in that information, embarrassing or confidential financial information about himself. As another example, a user may reveal that he is out of town, thereby making his home vulnerable to burglary, simply by accessing a private home security Web server from abroad. An adverse observer need only notice that the home security Web server is being accessed, and that the originating IP address of the HTTP request is not in the same locale as the home/server, which is usually an easy thing to determine by one skilled in sniffing Internet traffic. An inference can thus be made that the resident (the most likely browsing user of the private Web server) will not return home soon.
To protect the privacy of Web browsing, a considerable amount of research has been directed at developing techniques for "anonymizing" Web browsing traffic so as to hide the connection between a particular user and the Web pages he or she is accessing. Conventionally, most proposed measures for protecting Web traffic anonymity have focused on two main tools: data encryption and the use of one or more intermediate proxies. Data encryption is applied to communication data to hide information that might reveal either the identity of the user or the content of the Web page. Intermediate proxies are used to hide from any particular routing node or an eavesdropper on the network the connection between the browsing user's network address and the Web site's address.
Even with the combination of data encryption and using intermediate proxies, Web traffic anonymity is still not guaranteed. Generally, even when multiple proxies are used, the first link on the routing chain (i.e., the link between the user and the first proxy) is the most vulnerable to attack, since an attacker (which may be the first proxy itself, the user's ISP, or perhaps an eavesdropper, especially on a wireless link) can immediately determine the user's network address. To prevent privacy attacks in such a case, data encryption is essential.
A critical question is, however, how effective the encryption of Web traffic is for hiding the source (e.g., a Web site) of the traffic from the attacker. Prior to the present invention, there has been no meaningful way to evaluate whether the encrypted Web traffic is vulnerable to privacy attacks that attempt to identify the source of the Web traffic. A related question, which can only be answered based on an understanding of the answer to the first question, is which countermeasures may be effectively used to make it more difficult for an adverse party from reliably identifying the source of the encrypted Web traffic. These questions remained largely unanswered until the present invention.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for evaluating and enhancing source anonymity for encrypted web traffic


A device suited for inspecting selected positions of a nuclear power plant. The invention comprises a boom for extending to a position in a nuclear power station to be inspected, and a video camera affixed to the boom for permitting the visual inspection of the position to be inspected. In preferred embodiments, the video camera is affixed to a pan and tilt mechanism which may be adjusted by a remote joystick or by a control box situated on the boom. The video camera includes an auto-focus feature.

Nuclear power plants typically contain three major components as shown in FIG. 1: a reactor which produces superheated water which is transported to one or more steam generators; the one or more steam generators which generate steam; and a power turbine, driven by the generated steam, which produces electrical power. Nuclear power plants may have miles of pipes and ducts which must be inspected and examined for corrosion, leakage and damage. These regions include the reactor bowl, the tube sheet, support plates and the tubing within the steam generator.
It is particularly difficult to inspect all areas of the plant including the primary bowl and steam generator. These areas are often highly radioactive and may leak contaminated liquids. Typically, direct human inspection of the key areas of the steam generator and reactor bowl is limited to several minutes per six-month period.
There are a number of issued patents which disclose devices for nuclear power plant inspection and repair. U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,027 discloses a device for inspecting and repairing the tubes of a nuclear reactor steam generator. The device includes a manipulator which is insertible in the chamber and which may be locked onto the tube sheet for supporting remotely controlled and monitored inspection instruments and tools. The manipulator includes a support leg which is adjustable in length in an axial direction, a main arm connected to and movable relative to the support leg and an equipment carrier which is connected to the main arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,971 discloses a device for selectively positioning a tool carried by a vehicle which moves on a perforated plate, while the device utilizes an elbow which swings a telescoping arm into position. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,979 disclosed an improved robotic arm for effecting a tube plugging operation. The system also includes an elbow control mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,939 discloses an apparatus for remotely repairing the tubes in a steam generator. The device includes a boom pivotally mounted on a column and a system for rotating the column and the boom therewith. The disclosed device further includes a tool which is operable on the tubes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,419 discloses a manipulator for inspecting and repairing the tubes of heat exchangers. An inspection arm is inserted and removed through a lead-in nozzle and a swivel arm carries an extendable and retractable mouthpiece carrier with a mouthpiece which can be aligned into the tube openings. U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,194 discloses a method of positioning a robot for inspecting and maintaining the steam generator within a nuclear plant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,772 discloses a device for television inspection of an inner surface of a closed cylindrical vessel having vertical access and an access hole in the vessel's upper part. The device includes a television camera and at least one flood light for lighting an area to be inspected. The camera is suspended from a flexible tube which is held rigid under torsion and through which pass electricity supply cables for the camera and floodlight.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,531discloses an inspection device for inspecting internal spaces in nuclear reactor installations. The device includes a camera arranged on an adjustable tube U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,092 discloses an apparatus for optically checking the inner profile of a tube. The apparatus includes a probe which is positioned in, and movable longitudinally within, the tube.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,878 discloses a device for searching and retrieving objects on a tube sheet of a steam generator. The device includes a sled having a probe and a gripper which is connected to a flexible tube having control means.
While each of the above mechanisms have been utilized to inspect and/or repair of nuclear power plants and include the use of robotic manipulators or arms, none have been successfully utilized to facilitate the easy hand inspection of the primary bowl of the reactor by an operator or the inspection of the steam generator and associated tubing. Most of the above devices require the use of complex mechanical systems which must be controlled from a remote position.
There has been a long felt need for a versatile and all purpose nuclear power plant inspection device which can be used to inspect the reactor bowl, steam generator areas, tubing and ducts, and other areas within the nuclear power plant. There has also been a long felt need for an inspection device which is hand held and portable, which can be used to inspect large portions of the nuclear power plant, and which can be utilized for a variety of non-nuclear power plant applications.


A printing apparatus according to one aspect of this invention automatically discharges, of sheets remaining on a conveyance path when a sheet being conveyed jams, dischargeable sheets to one of a plurality of sheet retraction units. At this time, the printing apparatus detects the stacked state of sheets discharged to the sheet retraction unit. When the printing apparatus detects that the sheet retraction unit has become a predetermined state, it changes the discharge destination of sheets to be conveyed to the sheet retraction unit, thereby controlling not to further discharge a sheet to that sheet retraction unit. According to this control, when retracting sheets remaining on the conveyance path upon occurrence of a jam in the printing apparatus, occurrence of a new jam can be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a printing apparatus, when a sheet being conveyed on a sheet conveyance path jams (for example, paper jam), it is generally necessary to interrupt print processing and remove sheets remaining on the conveyance path. In this case, to resolve the occurred jam and resume the print processing, the user needs to remove not only the jammed sheet but also other sheets remaining on the conveyance path due to the interruption of the print processing. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-222794 discloses a method in which, when a sheet being conveyed jams, a sheet, feed of which has already started and which remains on the conveyance path, is discharged (retracted) to an escape tray or the like without conveying it to a downstream apparatus.
In the above-described related art, however, when a sheet retraction unit serving as the retraction destination of sheets remaining on the conveyance path upon occurrence of a jam has already been nearly in the full stacked state, if a sheet is discharged to the sheet retraction unit, the sheet retraction unit may become the full stacked state during sheet discharge. As a result, a sheet to be discharged to the sheet retraction unit may further jam.

Printing apparatus and control method thereof


A grinding machine includes: a grinding wheel of which movement in an X direction and a Z direction is controlled and that grinds a workpiece; and a truing unit that is installed at a predetermined position and that trues a machining surface of the grinding wheel. The truing unit includes: a movable table that is installed to be movable in the X direction relative to a support member; a truer that is rotatably installed in the movable table and that trues the machining surface of the grinding wheel; and an X-direction pressing mechanism that presses the truer in the X direction along with the movable table.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a grinding machine having a truing unit.
2. Description of Related Art
A grinding machine is disclosed which grinds a workpiece while controlling movement in an X direction and a Z direction of a grinding wheel (disc-like rotary grinding wheel) and which includes a truing unit so as to true a machining surface of the grinding wheel (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-253623 (JP 2010-253623 A) and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-284769 (JP 2010-284769 A)). In the grinding machine disclosed in JP 2010-253623 A, a grinding wheel and a truer are respectively rotationally driven by independent drive units. That is, the grinding wheel is rotationally driven by a grinding wheel drive motor and the truer is rotationally driven by a truer drive motor. In order to adjust surface roughness (a degree of cutting) of the grinding wheel in truing, rotational speeds of the grinding wheel and the truer are independently controlled to change a circumferential speed ratio of the grinding wheel and the truer.
In a truing unit of the grinding machine disclosed in JP 2010-284769 A, as illustrated in FIG. 11, a truer drive motor 178 and a truer 177 that is rotationally driven about a truer shaft 176 by the truer drive motor 178 are installed in a support member, for example, a spindle housing 142 of a first spindle unit. The spindle housing 142 is provided with a contact detecting mechanism 135 including a pin-like thermal displacement detector 136 that is located on a side of the truer 177 and that detects thermal displacement of a grinding wheel shaft 131 (thermal displacement of the grinding wheel shaft 131 in the Z direction) by contact and a pin-like outer circumference detector 137 that detects an outer circumferential position of the grinding wheel 132 by contact. The thermal displacement of the grinding wheel shaft 131 and the outer circumferential position of the grinding wheel 132 are detected before truing the grinding wheel 132 by the use of the truer 177, movement in the Z direction of the grinding wheel 132 is controlled on the basis of the detected thermal displacement and the detected outer circumferential position of the grinding wheel 132, and then movement in the X direction of the grinding wheel 132 is controlled. Then, the grinding wheel 132 is trued by finely moving the grinding wheel 132 in the X direction while bringing the grinding wheel 132 into contact with the truer 177 rotating by the operation of the truer drive motor 178.


A direct type backlight unit includes a metal housing having a base, at least one metal supporting pin and a buffer element. The metal supporting pin is formed integrally on the base and protrudes upwardly therefrom for supporting an optical film disposed upon the backlight unit, and the buffer element is disposed between the metal supporting pin and the optical film so as to prevent the metal supporting pin from damaging the optical film.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a direct type backlight unit, and more particularly to a direct type backlight unit having a supporting pin formed integrally therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to the advance of electronic technology, especially for the popularity of portable electronic products, the requirements of light, compact and low-energy consuming display are gradually increasing. With the advantages of low-energy consuming, low-heat dissipation, light weight and non-luminescence, liquid crystal displays (LCD) have been widely used in the electronic products and even have replaced the traditional CRT displays.
In general, a liquid crystal display usually comprises a backlight unit for providing light to its liquid crystal panel. However, the liquid crystal display may use different kinds of backlight units depending on its use and size. These backlight units mainly include two types, i.e. a direct back light type (or direct type) and an edge light type. The present invention herein is related to the direct type backlight unit, and thus only the direct type backlight unit will be described in following descriptions.
Referring to FIG. 1, it shows an exploded schematic view of a liquid crystal display 100 having a direct type backlight unit in the prior art. The liquid crystal display 100 includes a backlight unit 102, a set of optical films 104, a liquid crystal panel 106 and a frame 108. The backlight unit 102 is disposed under the liquid crystal panel 106 for distributing the light from a light source uniformly over the surface of the liquid crystal panel 106. The backlight unit 102 comprises a metal housing 103 and lamps 100, such as cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL), disposed at the base of the metal housing 103. The set of optical films 104 is disposed between the backlight unit 102 and the liquid crystal panel 106 and includes a diffuser 104a disposed upon the backlight unit 102 and a plurality of optical sheets, such as a diffusing sheet 140b and a prism sheet 140c, disposed on the diffuser 104a. The frame 108 is disposed upon the liquid crystal panel 106 and the set of optical films 104 and connected to the backlight unit 102 so as to fix the liquid crystal panel 106 and the set of optical films 104 on the backlight unit 102. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the assembled liquid crystal display 100 taken along line A-A in FIG. 1.
The lamps 110 are spacedly disposed on the cavity 105 formed by the metal housing 103 and positioned under the display area of the liquid crystal panel 106 so as to distribute the light uniformly over the surface of the liquid crystal panel 106. Further, since the lamps 110 need to keep a certain distance from the diffuser 104a, at least one supporting pin 112 is required to be disposed on the base 103a of the metal housing 103 for supporting the diffuser 104a such that the lamps 110 can keep a fixed distance from the diffuser 104a.
In the prior art, the supporting pin 112 is a white or transparent conical pin, which is typically made of polycarbonate (PC) or PMMA by the injection molding process. In addition, the base 103a of the metal housing 103 is covered with an adhesive film (not shown), and the supporting pin 112 adheres to the base 103a of the metal housing 103 by the adhesive film.
However, the reliability of such an adhesion manner to fix the supporting pin 112 on the base 103a of the metal housing 103 is usually poor.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a direct type backlight unit having a supporting pin formed integrally therein so as to solve the reliability problem of the supporting pin.


Transformation rule generation and validation functionality is provided herein. Transformation rules can be generated for one or more mappings in an alignment between a source database and a target database. The transformation rules can transform instance data from the source data model to a form matching the target data model. One or more transformation rules can be generated for a mapping between fields in a source database and a field in a target database. The transformation rules can be generated based on one or more source fields and a target field of a mapping, and one or more identified functions. Evaluating the transformation rules can include generating test data based on the transformation rules applied to instance data from the source database. The test data can be evaluated against instance data from the target database. The transformation rules and the evaluation results can be provided in a user interface.

The amount of data in database and enterprise systems continues to increase at a high pace. In practice, such data is often stored in data silos that prevent full utilization. The different data silos may be matched together, identifying equivalent data or schemas between the data silos, which may allow greater integration or use of the data. However, matching data silo schemas or data silo data often requires the cumbersome, manual process of rule building by domain experts or consultants, so it is very labor-intensive and costly. Thus, there is room for improvement.


A stud for installation in a host panel and for fastening a component to the host panel includes at least one shaft, having a longitudinal axis. An annular flange extends radially from the shaft at a substantially right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. A shoulder for engagement with the host panel has a top adjacent to the shaft and a base adjacent to the flange. The shoulder extends radially from the shaft wherein the shoulder and the flange define an undercut therebetween at the base of the shoulder such that a diameter of the shoulder is smaller at the base than at the top. A forging collar has a central aperture and is received in sleeve-like fashion over the shaft and is retained therewith. The forging collar includes a forging surface at an end most proximate to the annular flange wherein the forging surface is in deformable contact with the top of the shoulder. The forging collar further includes a first forging ring extending from the forging collar end and toward the annular flange for forging the host panel into engagement with the undercut.

The invention relates to a fastener. The invention is specifically related to a self-attaching double or single ended stud.
Studs are used by the automotive industry to assemble vehicles in which many components of various kinds are attached to metal plates or panels. For example studs are used to attach lamps, brackets, modules, and sheet metal parts to the vehicle. When such parts are attached a nut is placed over the end of the installed stud and the nut is tightened with rotating tools such as an air or electric torque gun, set to the specified torque values. The self-attaching stud must therefore have the necessary and sufficient anti-torque or rotation resistance (the force that keeps the stud from rotating on the mating metal plate when the nut is tightened on the stud).
When self-attaching studs are being driven into a metal panel the studs may be continuously supplied to the installation tooling through an outlet of a supply device, such as a hopper. Studs are easily adapted to automatic feeding machines because of the large length to diameter ratio. The larger the ratio the more efficient the high-speed feeding operations become.
After a component is attached to the stud on the metal plate, external forces such as vibration and shear and tensile forces are applied to the joint (the stud and nut combination with the attached part). These forces act upon the stud from the pull through direction attempting to pull the studs from the metal plate in which they are attached. Therefore, the installed stud must have sufficient push out and pull out resistance. Previously, the only way to ensure a very high push out or pull out force was to weld the stud to the mating material. Earlier attempts to use double-ended studs that were not welded resulted in studs with very low push-in and push-out values. A low push-out value limits the number of applications in which the stud can be used, since a stud with a low push-out value can not attach parts of any significant amount of mass.
Thus, there is a need in the industry for a stud that can be attached by means other than welding where the stud also has a very high push-out force, and where the stud can be configured as either a single-ended stud or a doubleended stud.
One aspect of the present invention is a self-forging stud for installation in a host panel and for fastening a component to the host panel, which includes at least one shaft, having a longitudinal axis. An annular flange extends radially from the shaft at a substantially right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. A shoulder for engagement with the host panel has a top adjacent to the shaft and a base adjacent to the flange. The shoulder extends radially from the shaft wherein the shoulder and the flange define an undercut therebetween at the base of the shoulder such that a diameter of the shoulder is smaller at the base than at the top. A forging collar has a central aperture and is received in sleeve-like fashion over the shaft and is retained therewith. The forging collar includes a forging surface at an end most proximate to the annular flange wherein the forging surface is in deformable contact with the top of the shoulder. The forging collar further includes a first forging ring extending from the forging collar end and toward the annular flange for forging the host panel into engagement with the undercut.
Another aspect of the present invention is a self-forging stud for installation in a host panel and for fastening a component to the host panel wherein the self-forging stud includes a shaft having a longitudinal axis and a first and a second end. An annular flange coaxial to the shaft is positioned intermediate between the first and second ends of the shaft. A shoulder is positioned adjacent to a surface of the flange and is coaxial thereto wherein the shoulder has an outer peripheral face. The peripheral shoulder face and the flange surface define an acute angle therebetween. A forging collar has a central aperture and is received in sleeve-like fashion over the shaft and is retained thereto. The forging collar includes a forging surface at an end most proximate to the annular flange and is in deformable contact with the top of the shoulder. A first forging ring extends from the end of the forging collar and toward the annular flange for forging the host panel into engagement with the acute angle.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method for installing a self-forging stud in a host panel aperture wherein the stud has an annular flange with anti-rotation tabs and further has a shoulder with a crown and a shoulder face with a back-angled undercut wherein the shoulder is received in an aperture in the panel. The method for installation comprises the steps of supporting one end of the stud and the stud flange with an installation fixture and then placing a cylindrical forging collar over an opposite end of the stud wherein an end of the forging collar has a forging surface bearing on the shoulder crown and a forging ring extending from the forging collar end and bearing on the panel area proximate to the panel aperture receiving the stud. Next, a force is applied to the forging collar in a direction toward the installation fixture and thereby deforming the panel material into the back angled undercut with the forging collar forging ring and deflecting the shoulder crown radially outward with the bearing surface of the forging collar to engage the panel at the periphery of the panel aperture.
These and other advantages of the invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following written specification, claims and appended drawings.


In the automatic photogrammetric 3D digitization of a body or body part marked e.g. by an envelope provided with photogrammetric target markers, the camera employed for image recording has additional light pattern projectors added thereon which are fastened to the camera body and project geometrically simple structures such as points or lines onto the body. These structures, which are visible optically without the viewing image, facilitate the manual alignment of the camera and the positioning of the camera at the correct distance from the body in obtaining the numerous overlapping individual images required for photogrammetric evaluation. This manually predefined alignment facilitates the automatic association of the photogrammetric markers in the individual image pairs with the aid of image processing methods and allows it to be carried out more reliably on an automated basis. According to a preferred embodiment, the projectors are turned off in the actual image recording process.

Numerous products need to be adapted to the individual shape of the object for which they are intended, such as e.g. a body part. For instance, many products that are in contact with the human body, such as footwear, shirts, pants, gloves, orthopedic articles such as elastic stockings and bandages, sport supports, spectacle frames, etc., need to fit well, i.e. their three-dimensional geometry must correspond to the three-dimensional shape in space of the respective part of the body. These fitting requirements do not only apply to products which need to be adapted to the human body but, in a broader sense, also to products or components which need to be adapted to technical bodies. To mention an example, a plastic casing is to be adapted to the mechanical base frame of a household appliance.
The sensing of the 3D shape, i.e. the three-dimensional geometry, of bodies is nowadays done by means of so-called 3D scanners, for example, which usually operate using methods based on stripe projection, laser triangulation, stereo measurement, photogrammetry, and the methods of point-by-point scanning of the distance of the object of the body to be sensed using a distance measuring device. Where these devices serve to measure the human body, they are often referred to as "body scanners", while they are called "3D digitizers" for more technical applications. In all of these methods, relatively complex and, hence, expensive electrooptical systems are employed. For instance, currently used body scanners cost between £100,000 and £250,000.
In European Patent EP 0 760 622, "Digitized Sensing Process and Arrangement for the Three-Dimensional Shape in Space of Bodies or Body Parts", the inventor, R. Massen, describes an extremely low-cost way of sensing the 3D shape of body parts which is based on multiple camera or single camera photogrammetry. In this process, the body part to be digitized is covered with a tight-fitting elastic envelope which is provided with target markers adapted to be evaluated photogrammetrically. The body part is imaged from different spatial positions which need not necessarily be known or fixed in space, and the space coordinates of the target markers are determined from the overlapping individual images with the aid of photogrammetric methods of reconstruction, which allows to determine the three-dimensional shape of the body.
In German Patent Application 100 25 922.7, the inventor, R. Massen, describes various methods of how an automatic registration, i.e. an association of the punctiform target markers in image pairs, can be carried out more easily by way of encoding the background between punctiform target markers in the form of area markers. For instance, it is described how corresponding regions in two images can be determined in a simple manner using the methods of digital color image processing, by a colored marking over an area of background regions of the punctiform target markers based on a simple color classification.
For a photogrammetric reconstruction of an object to be possible, it is necessary that pairs of image recordings overlap to a sufficient extent, i.e. that as many identical target markers as possible are contained in two corresponding image recordings which have an at least partially overlapping image area.
The 3D coordinates of the target markers can be calculated the more easily and accurately the better the camera positions that were assumed by the camera while recordings of a pair of images with overlapping image areas were obtained are aligned in relation to each other. Since, as a rule, the inner parameters of the camera such as the focal length, the number and size of the pixels (in the case of a digital camera), the position of the optical axis in relation to the focal plane, etc., were determined by a previous calibration and need to be constant throughout the recordings, the focal length needs to be kept constant. This means that no zoom functions may be used and that autofocus means must also be switched off. Accordingly, sharply focused images can only be attained if the distance of the camera to the body part to be scanned is approximately constant in all positions in space.
This condition is only very difficult to fulfill for an operator who leads the camera free-handed around the body part to be sensed while obtaining the image recordings to be evaluated photogrammetrically, which makes it considerably more difficult, especially for a layman, to obtain the image recordings in a simple manner.
The background markings that combine a plurality of punctiform target markers to form an area as described in German Patent Application 100 25 922.7 are already very useful to the automatic photogrammetric evaluation of the image recordings of the body part marked by e.g. a tight-fitting envelope. However, the demands made on the image processing methods are still high if the corresponding target markers from image pairs have to be found, where nothing is known about the orientation of the camera in space while the recordings are obtained. Search procedures are then required which are involved and, hence, prone to error, in order to prevent that target markers in the respectively analyzed pair of image recordings are associated with each other which in fact do not correspond.

Arrangement and method for producing photogrammetric image records


A motorcycle front lighting apparatus structure includes a headlight and a position light provided adjacent to the headlight. In this structure, the position light is disposed in a condition protruding downwardly from a lower edge of the headlight. This structure allows the position light to be made larger, and makes any needed repair easy and cost effective.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a front lighting apparatus structure for a motorcycle, including a headlight and a position light provided according to the headlight.
2. Description of Background Art
A known motorcycle front lighting apparatus structure includes a position light integrated into a case for a headlight (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-57807).
A headlight mounting structure is known, in which a meter unit is mounted on a headlight, the headlight is attached to housing by tightening, and the housing is rotatably supported on a stay of the headlight (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2005-324703).
In the abovementioned known front lighting apparatus structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-57807, however, making the position light large for improving indication performance and appearance calls for making the entire headlight case large. This is not desirable from a design viewpoint.
If the headlight fogs or a related problem occurs as a result of water entry in the case because of a defective position light, the position light cannot be replaced with a good one individually. This makes it necessary to replace the entire headlight, requiring a large amount of repair cost.
Further, in the known headlight mounting structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2005-324703, the housing needs to be made larger in order to enhance rigidity of the housing (headlight cover) supporting the meter unit and the headlight. Further, a headlight aiming procedure also moves the meter unit mounted in the headlight. This results in the meter unit being moved out of an optimum position for a rider.

Motorcycle front lighting apparatus structure


A device for hanging an object on a wall includes a crossbar, a knuckle, an arm, and an end cap. The crossbar includes a track extending between two opposing ends of the crossbar. The knuckle is slidably coupled to the crossbar such that the knuckle is slidable in a first direction. The knuckle includes a projection that has a pair of parallel sides. The arm has a marking pin that projects generally perpendicular from a forward surface of the arm. The arm is coupled to the crossbar via the knuckle such that the arm is slidable along the pair of parallel sides of the projection in a second direction. The end cap is coupled to one of the two opposing ends of the crossbar. The end cap includes an “L” bracket that provides an engagement surface for engaging a corner of a second object previously hung on the wall.

Walls of a room are typically decorated by retaining and/or hanging objects thereon. The objects can be in the form of photographs, paintings, mirrors, and the like, which are generally rectangular in shape. In decorating the wall, it is desirable that the objects are positioned on the wall in an aesthetically pleasing manner. To be aesthetically pleasing, it is desirable that objects having a rectangular shaped outer frame are retained with the vertical edges of the frame parallel to the vertical edges of other adjacent objects hanging on the wall and to the vertical edges of the wall itself, and that the horizontal edges of the objects are parallel to the horizon and parallel to the horizontal edges of other adjacent objects hanging on the wall. That is, for objects to be positioned on a wall in an aesthetically pleasing manner, it is desirable for the objects to be hung square to the floor and/or ceiling.
Where a rectangular object, such as a photograph, painting, or mirror is to be retained on the wall by a plurality of retainers (e.g., loops) mounted to a rearward surface of the object, a corresponding plurality of hooks (e.g., nails, picture hooks, etc.) must be positioned on the wall to engage the retainers and retain the object in its desired orientation.
Unfortunately, most of the retainers on the rearward surface of an object to be mounted on a wall are not positioned along a line parallel to an upper edge or surface of the object. That is, in most instances, retainers on the rearward surface of an object are not attached to the object at the same distance from the upper edge of the object. Accordingly, if an installer of an object attaches two hooks (e.g., nails) to a wall such that the hooks are attached on a level line (e.g., a line connecting the hooks is level and/or parallel to the floor/ceiling) with a spacing therebetween sufficient to engage the retainers of the frame, it is likely that the edges of the frame will not be square with the floor and/or ceiling. In order to position a rectangular frame having a number of loops thereon against a wall, it is therefore necessary to make numerous, tedious, and highly accurate, measurements to find the proper positioning for the retaining hooks to hold the frame if the mounted frame is to be properly (e.g., square) oriented on the wall. The present disclosure is directed towards satisfying these and other needs.


A tunable receiving apparatus, includes a variable capacitative member, a tunable antenna having a resonant frequency controlled by the variable capacitative member, a tuner outputting a control signal related to a receiving-sensitivity of the tunable antenna, and a control circuit processing the control signal and controlling the variable capacitative member. The variable capacitative member is controlled automatically by the control circuit to optimize the receiving-sensitivity.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an antenna module incorporated in a mobile wireless terminal or a wireless apparatus such as a mobile phone, personal data assistant (PDA), notebook computer, or a game machine, and to a receiving apparatus mounting the antenna module. Especially, this invention relates to the antenna module allowed to change a frequency characteristic of the antenna depending on a receiving frequency channel, and the receiving apparatus mounting the antenna module.
2. Description of the Related Art
A monopole antenna is proposed in Japanese Patent Publication JP-A-2001-251131, as a conventional antenna to be applied to a wireless system receiving a radio wave in a terrestrial analog broadcasting system or a terrestrial digital broadcasting system, in which a lower frequency than that of a mobile phone is used.
Such an antenna has a broadband characteristic and can be applied to the entire frequency band which is used in the system. However, for instance, since a wavelength received by the antenna is 64 cm in a terrestrial digital broadcasting system of Japan, there is a problem that the monopole antenna is difficult to be incorporated in a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone, PDA, etc. receiving apparatus which have a maximum size of about 20 cm.
Presently, it is thought that the mobile phone will be combined with a receiving function for television broadcast or radio broadcast, in addition to a calling function. These broadcasting systems (i.e., television and radio) are assigned a different frequency band respectively and use a channel dividing the band by a frequency. For example, a terrestrial digital television broadcasting system of Japan is assigned a broad frequency band which is a UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band from 470 MHz to 770 MHz. Each broadcasting station is assigned a band, the bands being determined by dividing the broad frequency band by each 6 MHz (e.g., every 6 MHz). In such a system, a viewer needs to select a desired channel in order to watch a television broadcasting.
It is preferable that receiving the entire broad frequency band used by each wireless system is prevented, thereby to reduce an interfering wave (e.g., interference). Additionally, when an antenna size is sufficiently smaller than a wavelength of an electromagnetic wave adapted by the antenna (e.g., less than 1/10), an antenna having a narrower receiving frequency band is expected to have better antenna sensitivity. For the first reason, to prevent a signal of another wireless system, which is an interfering wave for the television broadcast, from being received, an unnecessary frequency channel other than a desired frequency channel is sometimes eliminated by, for example, a tracking filter circuit which is disposed in a subsequent stage of the antenna.
Meanwhile, since the mobile wireless terminal is required to be downsized for improving portability, the antenna is also required to be downsized. In view of the above, a wireless terminal including a tunable antenna in which a center wavelength matching an impedance thereof with a calling frequency can be controlled, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication JP-A-2003-298341.
When the tunable antenna which has a sufficiently smaller size than a wavelength of a received electric wave is used and incorporated into the mobile phone, a Q-value of the antenna is much higher than an external antenna (i.e., such as a rod antenna). Thus, when the tunable antenna is incorporated in the mobile phone and so on, a resonant frequency of the antenna is changed a few MHz by manual approximation (e.g., by hand). Since the antenna having a very high Q-value has a narrow band and a reactive power accumulated around the antenna is large, a resonant frequency of the antenna may be changed slightly by manual approximation to the antenna, so that the receiving characteristic of the antenna about the desired frequency may be degraded.
Additionally, since the tunable antenna includes a variable capacitative member therein, a characteristic variation of each component, such as the variable capacitive member (e.g., variable capacitance diode), cannot be prevented in a mass production. Thus, when the receiving apparatus is mass-produced by a cheap component having a large characteristic variation, it is difficult to keep a uniform characteristic in any receiving apparatus, and a yield is degraded thereby.
Thus, prior to the present invention, there has been no conventional system or method which can provide an antenna module or a receiving apparatus which can receive an entire radio wave band used in a terrestrial analog broadcasting system or a terrestrial digital broadcasting system, and which includes a small size antenna which can be incorporated in a mobile wireless terminal such as a mobile phone or a PDA, by controlling automatically the resonant frequency of the antenna which has a high Q-value, a narrow band, and a high sensitivity. Additionally, there has been no antenna module or receiving apparatus which can prevent the degradation of the receiving characteristic by manually touching a package and the degradation of yield by the characteristic variation of the component.

Tunable receiving apparatus and method therefor


The present invention relates to a method of removing a gate remnant from a casting comprising the steps of: providing a gating including a casting and a gate remnant, the gate remnant including a riser and at least two in-gates, wherein the at least two in-gates are attached to the riser and to the casting; weakening one of the at least two in-gates; and applying a first force to one of the at least two in-gates, wherein the first force severs the one of the at least two in-gates and thereby urges the riser away from the casting such that the other one of the at least two in-gates is severed, thereby separating the gate remnant from the casting.

This invention relates in general to metal casting and in particular to an improved method of separating a gate remnant from a casting.
As used herein, metal casting is a method of delivering molten metal to a die or sand mold to form a casting or castings. A gating system, which is used to bring molten metal to a mold cavity, includes an arrangement of sprues, risers or feeders and gates or in-gates. The sprue is the part of the gating system that connects the molten metal to the risers. The riser is the part of the gating system that forms the reservoir of molten metal necessary to compensate for losses due to shrinkage as the metal solidifies and is located between the sprues and the in-gates. The in-gate is the part of the gating system that connects the riser to the mold cavity. The casting is the product that results from the solidification of molten metal in the die or mold. The gate remnant is the portion of the gating system that is separated from the casting by a degating process.
A known method of separating the gate remnant from the casting includes saw cutting through the in-gates. In the case of a sand mold, the sand from the sand casting process can produce excessive wear on the saw blades, requiring frequent and costly replacement of the saw blades. The saw cutting process also produces undesirable metal chips. Additionally, the in-gates are often difficult to access with a saw blade. It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved method of separating a gate remnant from any casting.

Method of removing a gate remnant from a casting


A sputter ion pump including an anode assembly comprising a plurality of hollow anode cells and cathode surfaces having open spirals disposed at each end of said anode cells.

In sputter ion pumps a glow discharge produces positive ions which are accelerated by an electric field and bombard or react with a cathode structure to sputter off cathode particles. The sputtered particles condense on other surfaces of the cathode, anode or other surfaces of the ion pump. The condensed cathode material entraps ions through the various entrapment mechanisms; as a result pressure within the pump is reduced. The entrapment mechanisms include: 1. Chemical combination for chemically active gases such as oxygen and nitrogen; 2. Burial and diffusion for small gas molecules such as hydrogen and helium; 3. Burial and covering over with further sputtered deposits. The ion covering or capturing mechanism is particularly suitable for pumping noble gasses such as argon, neon, krypton and the like.
The structure and operation of sputter ion pumps is well known. U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,638 relates to an ion pump in which the sputtering is enhanced by employing closely spaced louvers which are disposed at grazing or glancing angles with respect to the incident impinging ions. U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,875 discloses a sputter cathode composed of a number of concentrically disposed frusto-conical members of increasing radius opposite and coaxial with cylindrical anodes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,091,717 discloses a sputter cathode grid formed by affixing one or more spiral tapes onto a cathode plate as, for example, by spot welding or brazing. A plug is disposed at the center of the spiral cathode for providing sputter particles at the intense region of the glow discharge, thereby increasing the life of the cathode structure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,002 discloses a sputter ion pump which includes a plurality of cylindrical hollow anode cells arranged between two cathodes. The cathodes are formed with inwardly extending blades arranged radially adjacent each of the anode cells, and provide an increased sputter surface. In addition, the construction is such that the cathodes can be easily manufactured by punching and the like.
Two electrical configurations of sputter-ion pumps are disclosed in these patents. One, the "diode" configuration, applies positive high voltage to the anode structure and maintains the cathode plates at ground potential. The other, the "triode" configuration, applies a negative high voltage to the cathode plates and maintains the anode structure at ground potential.
It is desirable to provide cathode structures which have large sputtering areas; which are arranged for grazing incidence of ions for high sputtering rates; which generate substantial areas shadowed from sputtering, which are useful in both "diode" and "triode" configurations and are easy and inexpensive to fabricate.


A new miniature rose plant which has abundant, salmon flowers and attractive foliage. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for year round production in commercial glasshouses. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation.

Rosa hybrida xe2x80x98POULra002xe2x80x99.
The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of miniature rose plant which originated from a controlled crossing between xe2x80x98POULhappyxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,483 dated Mar. 26, 1996) and xe2x80x98KORkleivaxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,232 dated Feb. 22, 2000). The two parents were crossed and the resulting seeds were planted in a controlled environment. The new variety is named xe2x80x98POULra002xe2x80x99.
The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, xe2x80x98POULhappyxe2x80x99, by the following combination of characteristics:
1. The flower color of xe2x80x98POULhappyxe2x80x99 is red, whereas xe2x80x98POULra002xe2x80x99 is salmon orange.
2. The petalage of xe2x80x98POULhappyxe2x80x99 is semi-double whereas the petalage of xe2x80x98POULra002xe2x80x99 is double.
3. The size of the blooms of xe2x80x98POULhappyxe2x80x99 is smaller than xe2x80x98POULra002xe2x80x99.
The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent, xe2x80x98KORkleivaxe2x80x99 by the following combination of characteristics:
1. The color of xe2x80x98KORkleiva""sxe2x80x99 blooms is creamy white, while the flower color of xe2x80x98POULra002xe2x80x99 is salmon.
2. The pollen parent has 1-3 blooms per flowering stem, whereas xe2x80x98POULra002xe2x80x99 has 3-5 blooms per flowering stem.
The objective of the hybridization of this rose variety for commercial culture was to create a new and distinct variety with unique qualities, such as:
1. Uniform and abundant salmon flowers;
2. Vigorous and compact growth;
3. Year-round flowering under glasshouse conditions;
4. Suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots;
5. Durable flowers and foliage which make a variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry.
This combination of qualities is not present in previously available commercial cultivars of this type and distinguish xe2x80x98POULra002xe2x80x99 from all other varieties of which we are aware.
As part of their rose development program, L. Pernille Olesen and Mogens N. Olesen germinated the seeds from the aforementioned hybridization in winter 1997 and conducted evaluations on the resulting seedlings in a controlled environment in Fredensborg, Denmark.
xe2x80x98POULra002xe2x80x99 was selected by the inventors as a single plant from the progeny of the bybridization in spring 1998.
Asexual reproduction of xe2x80x98POULra002xe2x80x99 by cuttings and traditional budding was first done by L. Pernille and Mogens N. Olesen in their nursery in Fredensborg, Denmark in July, 1998. This initial and other subsequent propagations conducted in controlled environments have demonstrated that the characteristics of xe2x80x98POULra002xe2x80x99 are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

Miniature rose variety xe2x80x98POULra002xe2x80x99


An apparatus for sealing the substrates of a field emission device and a method therefor are provided. The sealing apparatus according to the present invention includes an optical fiber arranged between two substrates near their edges, frit attached to the outer surface of the optical fiber for sealing a space between the two substrates with the optical fiber, a vacuum chamber, a thermal control gauge for controlling the temperature of the substrates during sealing, a plurality of substrate supporting holders having sharp pointed head portions for supporting the substrates on a minimal area, a plurality of heaters spaced from the two substrates by a predetermined distance, a gas injecting hole and a gas exhausting hole provided in one of the two substrates, and an Ar and H.sub.2 gas injector contacting the gas injecting hole.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for sealing two substrates of a field emission device and a method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional field emission device. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of cathodes 2 are formed on a rear surface substrate 1 in the conventional field emission device. A plurality of microtips 2' are formed on the cathodes 2 in an array pattern. The microtips 2' are formed in throughholes 3a of an insulating layer 3 formed on the cathodes 2. Gates 4 having an opening 4a corresponding to the throughhole 3a are stacked on the insulating layer 3. A front surface substrate 6 is provided on the gates 4, supported by spacers 8 spaced from each other by a predetermined distance. A plurality of anodes 5 are formed on the front surface substrate 6 so as to oppose the microtips 2'. Fluorescent films 7 are formed on the anodes 5. Each microtip array of the rear surface substrate (one of these is circled in the drawing) corresponds to a cathode of an electron gun of a CRT. The portion coated with a fluorescent film of the front surface substrate corresponds to an anode formed on the glass screen of a CRT.
When the microtip array of the field emission device is grounded and a uniform voltage is applied between the gates 4 and the anodes 5, electrons are emitted into a vacuum towards the anodes 5. The electrons are accelerated by the voltage of the anodes 5 and collide with a fluorescent film 7 with a predetermined kinetic energy. The kinetic energy of the electrons is transmitted to the fluorescent film 7. The fluorescent film 7 receives the kinetic energy of the electrons and is excited, emitting light.
In the field emission device having such a structure, the edges of the two substrates 1 and 6 are sealed to maintain a vacuum therebetween. FIG. 2 shows the two substrates before sealing. Here, optical fibers 9 are arranged near the edges of the rear surface substrate 1 in order to seal the two substrates. A getter tubulation hole 11 is formed near an edge of the rear surface substrate 1. As shown in FIG. 3, frit is sealed on the inner surface of the optical fiber 9 in a chamber (not shown).
However, in such an apparatus for sealing the substrates, the surfaces of the electrodes (cathodes and anodes) of the two substrates are not effectively outgassed, since pumping is performed through only the getter tubulation hole 11. The life of the field emission device is shortened since a surface processing is hard to perform. Also, since a thermal control (TC) gauge (not shown) is spaced from the surface of the anodes 5 without being attached thereto, a thermal control is not correct. Accordingly, a sealing condition is not good. The substrates are easily broken when tipping is performed, since a supporting holder for supporting the substrates is not provided.

Apparatus for sealing substrates of field emission device


A hydraulic steering unit (1) is described, said hydraulic steering unit (1) comprising a supply port arrangement having a pressure port (P) connected to a main flow path (3) and a tank port (T) connected to a tank flow path (4), a working port arrangement having a left working port (L) connected to a left working flow path (5) and a right working port (R) connected to a right working flow path (6), a bridge arrangement (14) of variable orifices having a first left orifice (A2L) connected to the main flow path (3) and to the left working flow path (5), a first right orifice (A2R) connected to the main flow path (3) and to the right working flow path (6), a second left orifice (A3L) connected to the left working flow path (5) and to the tank flow path (4), and a second right orifice (A3R) connected to the right working flow path (6) and to the tank flow path (4). Such a hydraulic steering unit should be operated together with a pressure source of fixed displacements. To this end an idle flow path (15) branches off the main flow path (3), wherein a variable idle orifice (An) is arranged in the idle flow path (15), the idle orifice (An) being open in neutral position and closing out of neutral position.

Such a hydraulic steering unit is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,334.
The variable orifices are arranged in a kind of Wheatstone bridge. One diagonal of the bridge is arranged between the pressure port and the tank port. The other diagonal is arranged between the two working ports. When, for example, a vehicle equipped with such a steering unit should be steered to the left, the first left orifice and the second right orifice are opened. Hydraulic fluid flows from the pressure port through the first left orifice to the left working port and from there to a steering motor connected to the working port arrangement. Hydraulic fluid displaced from the steering motor enters the steering unit at the right working flow path and flows through the second right orifice back to the tank port.


An adapter assembly for operably connecting an end effector to a handle assembly includes a first drive assembly. The first drive assembly includes a first connector drive shaft configured to be rotated at a first speed, a first proximal worm gear in operable engagement with the first connector drive shaft, a first distal worm gear in operable engagement with the first proximal worm gear, and a first drive connector in operable engagement with the first distal worm gear. The first proximal worm gear and the first distal worm gear are configured to rotate the first drive connector at a second speed which is less than the first speed. The adapter assembly may include a second drive assembly which is substantially similar to the first drive assembly.

Powered devices for use in surgical procedures are known. To permit reuse of the handle assemblies of these powered surgical devices and to allow use of the handle assembly with a variety of end effectors, adapter assemblies and extension assemblies have been developed for selective attachment to the handle assemblies and to a variety of end effectors. Following use, the adapter and/or extension assemblies may be disposed of along with the end effector. In some instances, the adapter assemblies and extension assemblies may be sterilized for reuse.


A vesicle in a liquid composition including an amphiphilic diblock copolymer of the PMOXAa-b-PDMSc-d type as vesicle membrane forming material, further including as an additive from about 0.05% to about 1% v/v of reactive end group functionalised PDMSe-f, and a transmembrane protein. The vesicle optionally includes about 1 to about 12% v/v of triblock copolymer of the PMOXAa-b-PDMSc-d-PMOXAa-b type as membrane forming material.

The use of amphiphilic lipids and block copolymers for forming self-assembled vesicles having bilayer or bilayer-like structures is well known in the art, in particular for immobilising amphiphilic membrane proteins, such as aquaporin water channels (AQPs). Vesicles comprising AQPs can then be used to make membranes having immobilised AQPs for applications such as the purification of water (WO2006/122566) or the generation of salinity power (WO2007/033675), in general by depositing the vesicles as a layer or in a film on a supporting substrate, which allows the selective passage of water molecules through the membranes by nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, forward osmosis or pressure retarded osmosis.
WO2013/043118 discloses thin film composite (TFC) membranes in which aquaporin water channels (AQPs) are incorporated in the active layer of the membrane. In addition, it discloses a method of producing thin film composite membranes and their uses in filtration processes, such as nanofiltration and osmotic filtration processes. The TFC membranes comprise lipid-AQP/copolymer-AQP vesicles that are incorporated in the TFC active layer. WO2010/146365 describes preparation of TFC-aquaporin-Z (AqpZ) filtration membranes that use an amphiphilic triblock copolymer as a vesicle forming substance for incorporating immobilised AQPs. WO2014/108827 discloses a hollow fiber (HF) module having fibers modified with a thin film composite (TFC) layer comprising aquaporin water channels in which the aquaporin water channels are incorporated in lipid or block copolymeric vesicles before incorporation into the TFC layer.
However, typically in the prior art, the amphiphilic lipids and block copolymers used in vesicle production are solids that need to be dissolved in harsh solvents, such as tetrachloromethane (CCl4) or chloroform (CHCl3), to solubilise their predominantly hydrophobic portions. In the membrane synthesis, this solvent is evaporated to allow film formation which is then rehydrated to bring the amphiphile into various emulsion forms (such as vesicles), with simultaneous incorporation of the AQP membrane protein. However, in practice, it is often difficult to control the final vesicle size, resulting in disperse emulsions having vesicles ranging in diameter of from about 60 to 80 nm to about 1000 nm or more. There may also be limits to the number of AQPs that can be incorporated in each vesicle, because the membrane proteins need to be aligned according to their amphiphilic structure in the bilayer structure and to match the thickness of the hydrophobic part of the protein and vesicle membrane.

Diblock copolymer vesicles and separation membranes comprising aquaporin water channels and methods of making and using them


A vapor deposition method and apparatus including at least two vessels containing a same first source chemical. A controller is programmed to simultaneously pulse to the reaction space doses or pulses of a gas from the vessels, each of the doses having a substantially consistent concentration of the first source chemical. The apparatus may also include at least two vessels containing a same second source chemical. The controller can be programmed to simultaneously pulse to the reaction space doses or pulses of a gas from the vessels containing the second source chemical, each of the doses having a substantially consistent concentration of the second source chemical. The second source chemical can be pulsed to the reaction space after the reaction space is purged of an excess of the first source chemical.

1. Field
The present application relates generally to substrate fabrication and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for using multiple source chemical vessels to deliver the same source chemical in a vapor deposition process.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the fabrication of integrated circuits on substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, the vapor deposition of chemicals, such as chemical vapor deposition ("CVD") and atomic layer deposition ("ALD"), is often desirable. The expansion of suitable source chemicals has increasingly led to the use of precursor materials that are naturally liquid or solid at room temperature and atmospheric pressures.
Typically, an ALD process employs alternating surface reactions whereby a substrate on which deposition is to be conducted is maintained at a temperature above the condensation temperature for the vapor phase reactants and below the thermal decomposition temperatures. ALD is a chemically self-limiting process in which alternating pulses of source chemicals saturate the substrate and leave no more than a monolayer of material per pulse. The source chemicals are selected to ensure self-saturating reactions because at least one pulse per cycle leaves a chemisorbed species with a surface termination that is non-reactive with the gas phase reactants of the same pulse. Such a termination is left by "tails" or ligands of the source chemical, such as organic tails or halide tails. A subsequent pulse of a different reactant reacts with the tails left on the chemisorbed layer of the previous pulse to enable continued deposition. Thus, each cycle of alternated pulses leaves no more than about one monolayer of the desired material on the substrate. The principles of ALD type processes have been presented by T. Suntola, e.g., in the Handbook of Crystal Growth 3, Thin Films and Epitaxy, Part B: Growth mechanisms and Dynamics, Chapter 14, Atomic Layer Epitaxy, pp. 601-663, Elsevier Science B.V. 1994.
ALD facilitates the formation of thin films monolayer by monolayer. The skilled artisan will understand that control exists on a smaller than monolayer scale, due to steric hindrance of bulk source chemical molecules producing less than one monolayer per cycle. The capability of layering atomically thin monolayers enables forming more precise concentration gradients from the lower surface, for example, at the gate dielectric/silicon substrate interface, to the upper surface, for example, at the gate electrode/gate dielectric interface.
Accordingly, each discrete monolayer, or partial monolayer, can be tailored by selectively introducing the desired chemistry for each monolayer to be deposited. For example, by means of ALD, a particular combination of introduced gases react with, deposit or adsorb on the substrate until, by the nature of the deposition chemistry itself, the process self-terminates. Regardless of the length of exposure, the process gases do not contribute significantly to further deposition. To deposit subsequent monolayers, different chemical combinations are introduced into the process chamber that will react with or adsorb on the previously formed monolayer. Desirably, the second chemistry or a subsequent chemistry forms another monolayer, also in a self-limiting manner. These self-limiting monolayers are alternated as many times, by repeating cycles, as desired to form a film of suitable thickness.
Each cycle of an ALD process includes a plurality of pulses. In an ALD process, sequential reactant pulses of two different source chemicals are separated in both time and space to avoid gas phase reaction, as the reactants are typically highly mutually reactive, as described above. For example, after a first reactant pulse, excess reactant and by-product is purged from the reaction chamber with an inert gas, such as nitrogen. In a first pulse, the reactant adsorbs on the substrate in a self-saturating process, leaving no more than about one monolayer of reactant. The reactant typically includes termination ligands that are not reactive with the gas phase of the same reactant pulse. After purging with an inert gas, a second reactant pulse take place and the second reactant reacts with the termination ligands, either stripping or replacing the ligands with another element or molecule of interest for the deposited layer. Excess of the second reactant and by-products are then purged and the cycle starts again with the first reactant, or, alternatively, a third reactant can be introduced. Accordingly, no more than a molecular monolayer of the desired material is formed per cycle. In fact, typically less than a monolayer will form, due to steric hindrance by bulky source chemicals blocking possible reactive sites on the surface or due to limited number of reactive sites on the surface.
In accordance with general trends in semiconductor manufacturing, integrated circuits are continually being scaled down in pursuit of faster processing speeds and lower power consumption. As die area for each device decreases with each technology generation, some circuit designs are using more structures with high aspect ratio features in order to better use available chip area. For example, certain dynamic random access memory (DRAM) capacitors employ deep trenches. Such trenches can be very narrow and deep, having aspect ratios of 40:1 or greater. As the packing density of devices increases, each semiconductor device must still meet certain requirements. For example, each DRAM capacitor must still maintain a certain minimum charge storage to ensure reliable operation of the memory cell without excessive refresh cycling. Further, future DRAM trench capacitors require high-k dielectric films, which are more effective when the films are conformally formed. Other examples of devices requiring high step coverage or high aspect ratio features include microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, in which surfaces to be coated often entail reaching through holes to cavities with reentrant profiles, such as MEMS pressure sensors, microfluidic ejection heads, etc.
As used herein, conformality refers to substantially complete coverage of a target surface. However, it is not straightforward to uniformly deposit materials directly over high aspect ratio structures in order to create thin films that meet certain specifications for a desired application.
ALD processes, similar to those described above, have yielded inconsistent results in forming conformal thin films directly over high aspect ratio features. For example, as presented in Schroeder et. al., "Recent Developments in ALD Technology For 50 nm Trench DRAM Applications," ECS Transactions, 1 (5), pages 125-132 (2006) 10.1149/1.2209261 (hereinafter referred to as "Schroeder"), ALD growth of HfO2 (hafnium oxide) from precursors HfCl4 (hafnium chloride) and H2O (water) was not successful in achieving acceptable "step coverage" in high aspect ratio trenches, while ALD processes with TEMAH (Tetrakis ethyl methyl amino hafnium, also referred to as "TEMAHf" or "TEMAH") and O3 (ozone) produced better results. As used herein, step coverage of a substrate feature having a given aspect ratio, such as a trench, refers to the ratio of deposited film thickness at the bottom of the feature to the deposited film thickness on the top surface of the substrate. It is understood that the bottom of a feature has a deposited film thickness that is typically less than or equal to that of the top surface of the substrate, and that a high step coverage is typically less than but close to 1.0. Schroeder hypothesized that the poor step coverage achieved from the use of HfCl4 and H2O was due to high or low sticking probability of the precursors.
ALD has been used to form thin films directly over trenches in DRAM capacitors, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,704 issued to Raaijmakers et al. This prior art achieved high step coverage in creating a thin film over a DRAM capacitor during an ALD process operating at a temperature of 150-350° C.
FIG. 1 illustrates undesirable results in attempting to form a conformal thin film directly over a high aspect ratio feature, such as efforts to form HfO2 from HfCl4 and H2O in Schroeder. The substrate 166 contains a deep, narrow trench 190 with a thin film 192 achieving 0% step coverage. A skilled artisan will recognize FIG. 1 as exhibiting depletion effects more typically associated with CVD or PVD. In the lower part of the trench 190, there is no thin film to serve as a dielectric, which will not result in a usable DRAM capacitor.
Even some successful processes, such as ALD with precursors TEMAH and O3, have undesirable limitations. For example, TEMAH decomposes at high temperatures, exhibiting deposition and depletion effects sometimes associated with CVD, instead of self-limiting ALD surface reactions and uniform deposition over high aspect ratio features. This decomposition can be minimized or prevented by lowering the temperature of the precursor source vessel, delivery system, and reactor temperature. For example, for TEMAH, the precursor delivery system temperature can be maintained at about 90-150° C. and the reactor temperature can be lowered to about 200-300° C., depending on reactor design. However, these limitations on temperature have drawbacks. Lowering the temperature of the precursor delivery system can reduce the efficiency of bubblers or vaporizers, and lowering the reactor temperature often results in lower quality films with more contaminants and higher leakage current.
Even for applications where the aspect ratio is not extreme, it can sometimes be challenging to supply vapor phase reactant consistently pulse after pulse (for ALD) or wafer after wafer (more generally), particularly where a high volume of the reactant is needed, such as when each wafer receives a very thick film and/or a very large surface needs to be coated. Examples include large format deposition tools for flat screen applications, batch deposition reactors or roll-to-roll coating on flexible substrates.
Accordingly, there is a need for achieving high film quality in an economical way while producing high quality semiconductor devices and associated structures.

Multiple vapor sources for vapor deposition


An example power system for supplying AC output power to an AC load includes: a variable-speed generator configured to be driven by a prime mover, the generator comprising a first winding and a reference tap in the first winding; a rectifier configured to rectify an input voltage from the first winding to output a positive DC signal with respect to the reference tap and a negative DC signal with respect to the reference tap; a first boost converter configured to convert the positive DC signal to generate a positive DC bus voltage with respect to the reference tap; a second boost converter configured to convert the negative DC signal to generate a negative DC bus voltage with respect to the reference tap; and an inverter circuit configured to convert the positive DC bus voltage and the negative DC bus voltage to an AC output signal with respect to the reference tap.

This disclosure relates generally to welding systems and, more particularly, to systems, methods, and retrofit kits to provide output power with asynchronous generator speeds.
Engine-driven power systems provide power based on a desired load. When there is no or low load on the engine, the engine controller may reduce the engine speed to an idle speed or shut down the engine. Conventional generator systems that provide AC power at standard frequencies (e.g., 50 Hz, 60 Hz) rely on predetermined generator speeds based on the winding configuration. In such conventional generator systems, changes in the generator speed change the resulting AC output frequency, which can cause problems for attached electrical equipment.

Systems, methods, and retrofit kits to provide output power with asynchronous generator speeds


A complete mattress moving system which includes a horizontal strap with two detachable, rotating and adjustable handles, a pair of vertical straps each with an expandable, detachable and position adjustable castered platform. The horizontal strap wraps around and is secured to the mattress lengthwise while the handles are positioned on opposite mattress end edges, the vertical straps extend from the horizontal strap on opposite sides of the mattress and wrap halfway around the mattress widthwise, while the castered platforms are positioned on the mattress side edges and slidably attached to each vertical strap. Quick-release buckles allow the horizontal and vertical straps to be adjusted to fit any size mattress, box springs or other similarly shaped object to be moved. The system allows a mattress to be moved by a single worker, helps prevent injuries, and provides a quick and easy device for handling and moving a mattress.

Moving mattresses is difficult because a mattress is heavy, hard to get a good grip on, and cumbersome to handle because they sag or droop when stood on edge. Moving personnel usually employ two workers to handle the task of moving a mattress. The present invention provides a system which allows a single worker to quickly move a mattress, provides a means for handling a mattress so the mattress can be quickly moved and provides a system for moving a mattress which helps prevent worker injuries.
Prior devices have been patented which help moved mattresses, these devices are useful for their disclosed purposes however they do not provide a complete system for moving a mattress as the present invention which allows a mattress to be move by a single worker and also helps prevent worker injuries. The prior patents which are relevant are as follows:
Dewey U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,448 discloses a strap apparatus for hauling large objects.
Staats, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,178 discloses a carrying device.
Strachan U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,780 discloses a mattress carrying harness.
Heart U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,045 discloses a mattress carrier.
Weilert U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,226 discloses a large mattress carrying device.
Brutlag U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,250 discloses a mattress carrying device.
Brown U.S. Pat. No. 3,214,072 discloses a mattress carrying sling for use by two men in carrying a mattress to restricted areas, such as doors.
Nielsen U.S. Pat. No. 2,508,795 discloses a mattress carrying harness which is readily adaptable to a bed mattress or other bulky article.
Nelson U.S. Pat. No. 1,689,960 discloses a mattress carrier useful for carrying a rolled mattress.
Welch U.S. Pat. No. 1,579,420 discloses a mattress carrier.
Younglove, U.S. Pat. No. 958,347 discloses a tool bag.
Although numerous prior devices have been developed which disclose a harness system for carrying bulky items such as mattresses, these prior devices do not provide a complete system for moving a bulky mattress as the present invention which utilizes a pair of castered platforms which are attached to vertical straps which in turn are attached to a horizontal strap member which also includes a pair of detachable and adjustable rotating handling. The present device provides a complete system for not only handling a mattress but also moving a mattress on the castered platforms with ease.


A thermal monitoring sheet measures surface temperature distributions of large areas, even over large, contoured surfaces. The sheet incorporates conduits that terminate or intersect at temperature measurement locations with a fixed relative arrangement to form a two-dimensional grid for sensing temperature distributions.

For therapeutic use of heat in cancer therapy, it is critically important to monitor and control tissue temperature within a narrow window (˜40-45° C.) to ensure adequate therapy without complications. Hyperthermia clinics including, but not limited to, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) operate equipment such as, but not limited to, a Sonotherm 1000 (Labthermics Technologies, Champaign Ill.) 16 transducer 4×4 planar array 3.4 MHz ultrasound heating device and a Microtherm 1000 (Labthermics Technologies, Champaign Ill.) 16 antenna 4×4 planar array 915 MHz microwave heating device for applications such as, but not limited to, treating superficial tissue regions up to 15×15 cm square and as much as 4 cm deep (ultrasound) or 1.5 cm deep (microwave) below the skin.
Recently a 32 channel 915 MHz Conformal Microwave Array hyperthermia system has been approved for use in the patient clinic at University of California San Francisco and use on the first 14 patients demonstrated the ability to deliver highly adjustable heating patterns to much larger surface areas than ever before, even when the disease is spread across contoured portions of the anatomy such as the human torso.
The common problem in administering treatments with multi-element array-heating devices is gaining sufficient feedback about the tissue temperature under each independently powered heat source. The planar array microwave applicator comes with a small number of fiber-optic sensors, often less than the number of power sources, which are placed at a small number of points under the multi-element array applicator to sample the tissue temperature distribution. This small sampling of temperature is inadequate for real-time feedback control of multiple power amplifiers. For a better assessment of temperature distribution under such heating arrays, sensors may be pulled manually within special thermal mapping catheters lying on the tissue surface and temperatures recorded at 5-10 mm spaced positions across the surface. This thermal mapping procedure significantly increases the number of surface temperature measurements by providing one or more linear profiles of surface temperature under the heating array, but is tedious and time consuming to generate, and does not provide a true two dimensional characterization of surface temperature distribution.

The Regents of the University of California


A cold crucible induction melter includes a wall formed of a plurality of metal sectors insulated by an insulator. Each metal sector includes an outer curved portion which forms an outer surface of the wall and is convex outward relative to the wall, an inner planar portion which forms an inner surface of the wall, and two side planar portions which connect the inner curved portion to the outer planar portion. The metal sector further includes a cooling passage longitudinally formed inside the metal sector, and an insulation layer covering the inner curved portion and the two side planar portions.

Generally, a cold crucible induction melter (CCIM) has a cylindrical melting chamber which comprises a plurality of metal sectors along which coolant circulates. The metal sectors are insulated by insulators interposed therebetween. A high-frequency induction coil is provided outside the melting chamber to provide power required to melt a substance contained in the melting chamber.
Representative examples of cold crucible induction melters in which metal sectors form a wall of a melter and electrical insulators are interposed between the metal sectors were proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,668 (Date of patent: Nov. 15, 1977), U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,508 (Date of patent: May 8, 1990), U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,713 (Date of patent: Apr. 19, 1988), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,996,153 (Date of patent: Feb. 7, 2006).
In such a cold crucible induction melter, high-frequency current is applied to an induction coil to melt a substance in the melter. The wall of the melter includes a plurality of metal sectors which are insulated by the insulators to restrict induced current and ensure relative penetrability of an electromagnetic field.
Furthermore, each metal sector is cooled by circulation of coolant to maintain the wall of the melter at a predetermined temperature. During a vitrification process of waste, molten glass which makes contact with the wall of the melter is solidified, thus forming a thin layer so that the sealing performance of the melter is ensured.
As such, the metal sector is made of metal which has electromagnetic field penetrability, but metal causes generation of heat from induction current, resulting in a reduction of operational efficiency of the melter.
To avoid these problems, the metal sector must restrict induced current and prevent an electric arc from being generated between the metal sectors.
Given this, the shape of the metal sector is designed such that the size thereof is as small as possible to minimize generation of induced current, or to prevent an electric arc from being generated. Typically, the cross-sectional shape of the metal sector is rhomboidal or trapezoidal, and corners of the metal sector are rounded.

Metal sector having curved outer surface and cold crucible induction melter having the same