A polishing inhibiting layer forming additive for a slurry, the slurry so formed, and a method of chemical mechanical polishing are disclosed. The polishing inhibiting layer is formed through application of the slurry to the surface being polished and is removable at a critical polishing pressure. The polishing inhibiting layer allows recessed or low pattern density locations to be protected until a critical polishing pressure is exceeded based on geometric and planarity considerations, rather than slurry or polishing pad considerations. With the additive, polishing rate is non-linear relative to polishing pressure in a recessed/less pattern dense location. In one embodiment, the additive has a chemical structure: [CH3(CH2)xN(R)]M, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of: Cl, Br and I, x equals an integer between 2 and 24, and the R includes three carbon-based functional groups, each having less than eight carbon atoms.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductor wafer polishing, and more particularly, to a polishing inhibiting layer forming additive for a slurry, the slurry so formed, and a method of chemical mechanical polishing.
In the semiconductor industry, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is used to smooth, planarize, and/or remove layers during the fabrication process. During CMP, a slurry is dispersed over the surface to be polished as a polishing pad rotates in contact with the surface to smooth, planarize and/or remove the surface. One problem with conventional CMP processes and slurries is that they do not perfectly planarize a surface, especially those that have a variety of pattern densities or have an uneven topography. For example, FIG. 1 shows an illustrative surface topography of a semiconductor wafer 8 including a raised location A that is higher than a recessed location B. Typically, a polishing rate of a surface is considered equivalent to a slurry's coefficient of friction (k) times polishing pressure (sometimes referred to as downforce) (P), i.e., polishing rate (PR)=k*P. That is, polishing rate is linear with polishing pressure P. The local polishing pressure, however, is proportional to the localized planarity and pattern density of the location. In the FIG. 1 topography, polishing pressure for location A is greater than the polishing pressure for location B, and planarity is ideally achieved by the rate differential for the locations A, B. In this case, recessed location B is preferably not polished until raised location A is planar therewith. In the topography illustrated in FIG. 1, however, a number of factors result in a non-zero polishing rate in recessed location B even though polishing pad 10 never contacts the surface. One factor that causes this problem is slurry above recessed location B still provides a modicum of polishing, which may destroy recessed location B. Another factor is the flexibility of a polishing pad 10, which causes recessed location B to be polished even though not desired.
Another factor is the geometric lengthscales of the features to be polished as compared to the "planarization length" (Lp) of the process. "Planarization length" can be thought of as the lengthscale of the pad that can bend and conform. If a pad is very rigid, it is flat and will tend to flatten things over a very long distance relative to a chip wire dimension (microns). If the polishing pad is very flexible this length is much shorter and the pad can bend and conform to items that are closer together. Accordingly, if, for example, two large, dense supporting features (e.g., points A in FIG. 1) are provided on a wafer at a distance (L) apart and one or more less dense random structures (e.g., structure B in FIG. 1) fill the space(s) between them, it is advantageous to know at what lengthscale L those inner structures will be protected by the large structures. That length of protection varies with the pad to the first order (slurry and other things to 2nd order) and is called the "planarization length." When Lp>L, those features would be protected from detrimental polishing.
Referring to FIGS. 2A-2H, the above-described problems are further illustrated relative to a wafer 18 (FIG. 2A only) including a location A having a somewhat less dense pattern formation than a location B. As illustrated, through time=0-2 (FIGS. 2A-2C), polishing progresses non-uniformly due to the pattern density differences between location A and location B. In particular, as shown in FIG. 2G, due to the different densities, localized pressure at location A (PA) and B (PB) are different, which results in different polishing rates (PR), i.e., PA>PB, PRA>PRB. As polishing progresses through time=2, 3 and 4 (FIGS. 2C-2E), the disparity between polishing rates of location A and B, results in a much faster removal of material for location A. As shown in FIG. 2D, eventually, the low-density location A is planarized such that location A becomes 100% filled. At this point, the polishing pressure becomes uniform and equal to the total applied pressure. However, the pressure at higher points, e.g., location B, remains high. As shown in FIG. 2H, this results in PA<PB, PRA<PRB. Note, however, that PRA is non-zero. The result of this polishing is shown in FIG. 2E, in which location A is rutted and nonplanar with location B. In contrast, FIG. 2F illustrates the intended result in which location A and B are planar, i.e., PA=PB, and PRA=PRB. This structure is obtained through conventional polishing only after long time periods of polishing, where the planarity is achieved at the expense of thinning the thickness of the total film stack.
Surfactants have been added to slurries to improve removal selectivity. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,862 to Lee et al., discloses a wafer polishing slurry and CMP method in which a surfactant is added. In this case, however, the surfactant is meant to form a non-removable layer, which does not address the above-described problems.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a way to address the problems of the related art.

Method of forming a polishing inhibiting layer using a slurry having an additive

International Business Machines Corporation


Single-use packaging for a dose of liquid, semiliquid, or powder substance, includes a protective cover having two separable parts of leakproof material together with a breakable blister containing the substance and attached to the inside face of one of the two parts.

The present invention relates to single-use packaging for a liquid, semiliquid, or powder substance offered for sale in the form of doses. The preferred field of application of the invention is that of applying cosmetic, medical, or antiseptic compositions, in particular any composition for application to the skin.
When traveling or engaging in sport, it can be desirable to have a cosmetic, medical, or antiseptic substance available that is packaged in the form of one dose for single use, with the packaging being discardable after use.
For example, it is known to enclose such a dose of substance in a small blister having a flexible wall made from two sheets of plastics material that are heat-sealed together around a closed outline. For example, blisters can be made from such sheets in strip form that are united to form a succession of blisters. Doses of substance are injected between the sheets prior to forming the heat seals and the blisters are subsequently separated from one another. Such a method is described by way of example in French patent application FR 99/14729, which also shows how such blisters can be integrated in an applicator-forming pouch. The applicator-forming portion is protected by a leakproof capsule. At the time of use, the pouch is flattened so that the substance wets the applicator thus enabling it to be applied to the skin, or to a wound if the substance is a disinfectant.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Disposable pharmaceutical or cosmetic product applicator


Pop-up facial tissue dispensing cartons are provided with a paper dispensing window to replace the typical poly window for environmental reasons. The paper dispensing window is provided with an elongated opening having 2 or more slits emanating from each of its two ends which provide a means for holding the tissues in a pop-up position. Preferably the paper dispensing window is a coated paper having a reduced-friction coating which reduces noise during tissue removal.

Facial tissue cartons are available in a wide variety of designs. A popular design is one known as the "pop-up" carton, in which the user removes a tissue through a restricted opening in the top of the carton such that the next tissue partially comes along with it and is held so that it may be readily grasped by the user when another tissue is needed. The means commonly used for holding the next tissue in a ready position is a slit plastic film through which the tissues ate dispensed and which gently pinches the next tissue between the two sides of the slit. Such plastic films were particularly effective in eliminating "tissue fallback", which occurs when the next in line tissue is not held in a partially exposed condition and falls back into the carton. This is inconvenient for the user, who must reach through the dispensing opening into the carton to grasp the tissue. While such slit plastic films have, performed well, there is a need to replace plastic films with other means due to an increasing general environmental desire to replace plastics with degradable or otherwise more "environmentally friendly" materials.


An inkjet recording material that contains a supporting substrate and an image-receiving layer formed on at least one side of the supporting substrate, said layer including at least one inorganic pigment, and a latex binder having the formula (I). Also disclosed herein are the method of making said inkjet recording material and a method for producing printed images that encompasses using said recording material.

Inkjet technology has expanded its application to high-speed, commercial and industrial printing, in addition to home and office usage. In this printing method, print media play a key role in the overall image quality and permanence of the printed images. Thus, it has often created challenges to find media that can be effectively used with such printing techniques. Coated recording materials (or media) are available for inkjet technology to produce high image quality comparable to that of offset printing. It is desirable to make these recording material low cost to enable inkjet printing to be cost-efficient and to compete with traditional analog printing or other digital printing technologies, like laser printing or liquid electrophotography technologies.
In view of obtaining a superior image quality, coated recording materials have been developed for inkjet technology process, especially, for high-speed printers. Such materials have single or multiple image-receiving layers that are disposed onto a media substrate, i.e. layer onto which ink droplets are deposited.
The image-receiving layer is often made of a coating composition that includes inorganic or organic pigments as the filler and polymeric materials as the binder, along with other optional functional materials. The image-receiving layer often promotes performance of the ink receiving properties of the media such as image quality and durability. It also improves the sheet quality of the printing media. For example, coated media show superior physical properties over uncoated media in terms of paper physical appearance such as gloss and surface smoothness.
Though the above list of characteristics provides a worthy goal to achieve, there are difficulties associated with satisfying all of the above characteristics. Accordingly, investigations continue into developing coating formulations that provides high quality recording materials.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company L.P.


There are provided a grinding machine and a grinding method that make it possible to achieve a high degree of accuracy of the roundness of a workpiece. As at least one of a coolant dynamic pressure and a grinding efficiency varies depending on a phase of the workpiece, a pressing force in the cut-in direction, which an eccentric cylindrical portion of the workpiece receives from a grinding wheel, varies and a degree of deflection of the eccentric cylindrical portion also varies. In the grinding machine, the degree of deflection during grinding is acquired based on the coolant dynamic pressure and the grinding efficiency, a first correction value for a command position of the grinding wheel relative to the eccentric cylindrical portion is computed, and the command position is corrected based on the first correction value.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a grinding machine and a grinding method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-218479 describes that, in external cylindrical grinding, the roundness of a workpiece is measured, a correction value is derived from a roundness error, and the workpiece is ground with a correction. In the case of grinding a crankpin, the degree of deflection of the crankpin varies because the stiffness of the crankpin varies depending on the rotational phase of a crankshaft. Therefore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-107902 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-90800 each describe deriving a correction value based on the degree of deflection of a crankpin depending on the rotational phase a crankshaft and performing grinding with a correction. Thus, it is possible to achieve a high degree of accuracy of the roundness of the crankpin.
However, even if variations in the degree of deflection of the crankpin due to variations in the stiffness of the crankpin depending on the rotational phase of the crankshaft are taken into account, there is still room for improvement in the degree of accuracy of the roundness of the crankpin.


A holding mechanism includes a box body for providing a space for accommodating an X-ray mask, at least one opening formed at the side of the box body and a holding mechanism for holding the X-ray mask within the space by a kinematic mount system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holding apparatus capable of stably holding an original such as a mask, for example, without employing a magnet or a vacuum chuck in a semiconductor exposure apparatus, and an electron beam(EB) writing apparatus or a pattern dimension measuring apparatus, etc.
2. Related Background Art
An original such as a mask, for example, of a semiconductor exposure apparatus advancing in terms of a hyperfine structure with X-rays serving as exposure light beams, is generally manufactured by steps shown in FIGS. 8A-8F. To be specific, as illustrated in FIG. 8A, an SiC film M is deposited on at least one side of a substrate S composed of silicon. Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, a central portion of the substrate S is removed by back-etching, thereby forming an opening R covered with the SiC film (membrane) M. Thereafter, as depicted in FIG. 8C, an undersurface of the substrate S is bonded to a mask frame H, and, as shown in FIG. 8D, a pattern P of heavy metal is formed on the SiC membrane M at the opening R by a known EB writing method or by plating. Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 8E, a magnetic ring G is mounted on the undersurface of the mask frame H. When the thus manufactured mask is fixed to a mask stage T of the semiconductor exposure apparatus, as shown in FIG. 8F, the magnetic ring G on the undersurface of the mask frame H is adsorbed by a permanent magnet or an electromagnet W on the mask stage T.
Incidentally, in a step of forming the pattern P of the mask, or alternatively in a step of measuring a pattern dimension after completely manufacturing the mask, electron beams are used, and hence, a mask chuck involving the use of the permanent magnet and the electromagnet cannot be employed. Instead, the mask is fixed by use of a known vacuum adsorption device, a spring clamp and so forth.
When the mask is thus fixed by employing the vacuum adsorption device and the spring clamp, however, a distortion different from a case of being fixed to the mask stage of the exposure apparatus by the magnet or the electromagnet is caused, enough to produce a large change in the shape of the mask.
Under such circumstances, to obviate this problem, as illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, there was developed a mask holding method based on a so-called kinematic mount system, by which the mask is clamped by three clamp forces Fa-Fc acting perpendicularly on the mask.
This method is that three pieces of balls Ba-Bc are applied onto the backsurface (or the upper surface) of a mask frame 102 of a mask 100; unillustrated clamp members are respectively made to approach the balls Ba-Bc; and the mask frame 102 of the mask 100 is clamped in between the respective balls Ba-Bc and the clamp members. Then, a position of the mask 100 in a perpendicular direction (a Z-axis direction) by the clamping forces Fa-Fc, respectively, and the first ball Bb engages with a conic groove 102a formed in the undersurface of the mask frame 102, thereby fixing only this portion within an X-Y plane perpendicular to the Z-axis. Subsequently, the second ball Ba slidably engages with a V-shaped groove 102b radially extending with respect to the conic groove 102a, thereby fixing a rotating position thereof. Note that the third ball Bc, brought into contact with a flat portion of the undersurface of the mask frame 102, is rollable in arbitrary directions, and is constructed so as not to unnecessarily restrain the mask 100.
More specifically, the construction is such that the mask 100 is positioned in totally hexa-axes directions of X-, Y- and Z-axes, and .omega.X-, .omega.Y- and .omega.Z-axes of the mask 100 by making use of only the clamping forces Fa-Fc acting respectively through the three balls Ba-Bc. This kind of kinematic mask can be stably held without applying an unnecessary restraining force to the mask, and, besides, the exposure apparatus, the EB writing apparatus and the mask holding apparatuses such as a pattern inspecting apparatus can be all constructed the same, thereby making it possible to prevent the change in shape of the transfer pattern. Accordingly, this is suited to the high-accuracy X-ray exposure apparatus and EB exposure apparatus as well.

Holding mechanism, and exposure apparatus using the mechanism


A support apparatus configured to support a person is provided. The support apparatus includes a top surface including one or more predetermined areas, one or more conduits located inside the support apparatus which are located proximate to the one or more predetermined areas, and an air supply configured to provide air to the one or more conduits for delivering to the one or more predetermined areas. The air supply includes a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the air provided by the air supply, a cooling element, and a controller communicatively coupled to the temperature sensor and the cooling element. The controller determines whether the measured temperature of the air is higher than a predetermined temperature, and controls the cooling element to cool the air to the predetermined temperature if it is determined that the temperature of the air is higher than the predetermined temperature.

Conventionally, a person confined to a hospital bed for an extended time may develop pressure ulcers. For example, when a person is in a supine position on the support surface, portions of the person's posterior skin, such as the person's sacral area, shoulder blades, and heels, may be subject to relatively high, localized pressure due to the person's own body weight. The areas of relatively high localized pressure may be prone to the development of pressure ulcers due to the localized increased pressure. The development of pressure ulcers may be further exacerbated by the presence of moisture, such as perspiration, trapped between the skin and the support surface for extended periods of time.
Accordingly, a need exists for patient support apparatuses that mitigate the development of pressure ulcers in persons positioned on the support apparatus.

Support apparatuses comprising cooling elements


The present invention discloses a sensing device for measuring the three dimension shape and its measuring method. The said sensing device includes a projecting device, an observing device, a projecting localizer, an observing localizer and a computer for data processing. The optic axis of the projecting device and the optic axis of the observing device are crossed on the surface of the object by the relative motion and the focusing of the projecting device and the observing device, such that the viewing field of the whole field measurement and the position of the zero-order fringe are determined. The projecting device and the observing device are focused automatically by means of the object distance and the image distance of the projecting device in this viewing field, and the object distance and the image distance of the observing device in this viewing field. The camera in the observing device records the fringe patterns respectively after phase shifting and the computer calculates the three dimension surface shape of the object. The present invention achieves whole-field high accuracy and high speed absolute measurement of the three dimension object shape in the variable viewing field.

The structured light 3-D shape measurement is a kind of technique available for whole-field measurement of object shape. It can adopt parallel optical axes structure or cross-optical axes structure. The structured light in question includes projected grating and projected moire. These two are often used as the same owing to indefinite difference other than the quantity of gratings between them.
Takade and other persons publish the "Fourier Transform Profilometry For The Automatic Measurement Of 3-D Object Shapes" on Applied Optics (vol.22, No.24, Dec. 15, 1983,P3977-3982), and Opton Company shows these two structures in the Moiré Report issued on its website. Drawing 1 is sketch of parallel optical axes structure, in which the ray from light source 1 is on grating 2, projective imaging lens 3 projects the grating line image onto object surface 5, 4 is virtual reference plane. CCD camera images object surface 5 with deformed grating fringes onto CCD target 7 by observer imaging lens 6. The key point of this structure is that projection device 8's optical axis 9 is coplanar with and parallel to CCD camera's optical axis 10, so the projected grating lines received by CCD camera are coplanar contours, which can facilitate to provide intuitional information about height, but the grating must be placed far away from the optical axis of projector so as to image the grating within the field range of observe camera. Parallel optical axes structure has following problems: (1) It is difficult to keep optical axes parallel; (2) the central parts of optical components of projector and camera are out of work, for the large aberration on their edges will bring about large measuring error.
Cross-optical axes structure is showed in Drawing 2. Its components are same to parallel optical axes structure. The ray from light source 1 is on grating 2, projective imaging lens 3 projects the grating line image on object surface 5, CCD camera images the object surface 5 with grating fringes on it onto CCD target 7 by observer imaging lens 6. The difference lies in that projection device's optical axis 9 crosses CCD camera's optical axis 10 at the point 0 on virtual reference plane 4 to form conjugate image of grating line. Because the image of grating on virtual reference plane 4 are not uniformly spaced fringes, unless pupil is at infinite distance, i.e., telemetric optical system. The projected grating lines received by CCD camera is non-coplanar contours. Cross-optical axes structure is easy to be produced and it utilizes effectively projection device and CCD camera's field of view to decrease measuring error.
American U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,601 declares a high-speed 3-D surface measurement, surface inspection and reverse CAD system. It uses cross-optical axes projected grating to measure 3-D object shape in a fixed field of view.
3-D shape phase measurement technique often adopts FFT and phase-shift methods to deal with data. In the case of FFT, the initial phase modulation on reference plane can be removed automatically, so FFT is applicable for both parallel optical axes structure and cross-optical axes structure. However, because the high-frequency components are filtered with FFT, the resolution of small shape changes at hole or edge is lower.
The phase-shift method of technique above, compared with FFT, has a higher depth resolution and horizontal resolution, and also can measure small shape changes such as hole and edge of surface. But phase-shift method is only applicable for parallel optical axes structure.
There are two puzzles in the application of phase-shift method on cross-optical axes 3-D shape measurement technique. (1) Like that in Scanning moiré method and automatic measurement of 3-D shapes by Masanori Idesawa on Applied Optics (vol. 16, No.8 August1977, pp2152-2162), the contours described by grating fringes on object surface form a function of fringe order, and the difference in height of contours is not equidistant, instead, it is also a function of fringe order. Therefore, in order to get absolute measurement of 3-D object shape, the absolute fringe order of grating lines must be measured accurately, that is to say, to determine the position of zero-order fringe. But at present we have not the equipment or method to determine the position of zero-order fringe. (2) As a whole-field-of-view measuring device, its optical system shall have a variable field of view. Under a certain field of view, the distances from projection optical system and viewing optical system to object (object distance) and to projected grating and observation plane (image distance) need be measured accurately. But all these can't be settled by technology of today. As a result, the existing cross optical axes measuring device takes a field of view with a certain operating distance as fixed field of view, and gives parameters under the said field of view and marks corresponding relationship between phase and height. Because the calibrated error will influence measurement accuracy, the high-precision whole-field measurement of 3-D object shape is impossible.

Sensing device for measuring the three-dimension shape and its measuring method


A color-tunable plasmonic device is provided with a partially modulated refractive index. A first dielectric layer overlies a bottom electrode, and has a refractive index non-responsive to an electric field. A second dielectric layer overlies the first dielectric layer, having a refractive index responsive to an electric field. An electrically conductive top electrode overlies the second dielectric layer. A plasmonic layer including a plurality of discrete plasmonic particles is interposed between the top and bottom electrodes. In one aspect, the plasmonic layer is interposed between the first and second dielectric layers. In a second aspect, the plasmonic layer is interposed between the first dielectric layer and the bottom electrode. In a third aspect, a first plasmonic layer is interposed between the first dielectric layer and the bottom electrode, and a second plasmonic layer of discrete plasmonic particles is interposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to electronic visual display devices and, more particularly, to a color-tunable plasmonic display device that relies upon both modulated and non-modulated refractive index layers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Reflective display or color-tunable device technology is attractive primarily because it consumes substantially less power than liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays. A typical LCD used in a laptop or cellular phone requires internal (backlight) illumination to render a color image. In most operating conditions the internal illumination that is required by these displays is in constant competition with the ambient light of the surrounding environment (e.g., sunlight or indoor overhead lighting). Thus, the available light energy provided by these surroundings is wasted, and in fact, the operation of these displays requires additional power to overcome this ambient light. In contrast, reflective display technology makes good use of the ambient light and consumes substantially less power.
A number of different reflective display technologies have been developed, such as electrophoretic, electrowetting, electrochromic displays, and interference-based MEMS display. These display technologies all have disadvantages or challenges that must be overcome to obtain greater commercial success. Many existing technologies rely upon phenomena that are intrinsically slow. For example, electrophoretic or electrochemical techniques typically require particles to drift or diffuse through liquids over distances that create a slow response. Some other technologies require high power to operate at video rates. For example, many reflective displays must switch a large volume of material or chromophores from one state to another to produce an adequate change in the optical properties of a pixel. At video switching rates, currents on the order of hundreds of mA/cm2 are necessary if a unit charge must be delivered to each dye molecule to affect the change. Therefore, display techniques that rely on reactions to switch dye molecules demand unacceptably high currents for displaying video. The same holds true for electrochromic displays.
A second challenge for reflective displays is the achievement of high quality color. In particular, most reflective display technologies can only produce binary color (color/black) from one material set. Because of this, at least three sub-pixels using different material sets must be used when employing a side-by-side sub-pixel architecture with fixed colors. This limits the maximum reflected light for some colors to about ⅓, so that the pixel's of this type cannot produce saturated colors with a good contrast.
Finally, some reflective displays face reliability problem over a long lifetime. In particular, to sustain video rate operation for a few years requires at least billions of reversible changes in optical properties. Achieving the desired number of cycles is particularly difficult in reflective displays using techniques based on chemical reactions, techniques that involve mixing and separation of particles, or MEMS technology that involves repeated mechanic wear or electric stress.
It would be advantageous if a low power color display existed that overcame all of the above-mentioned problems.

Color-tunable plasmonic device with a partially modulated refractive index


The present disclosure provides a polarizer having a transmittance of about 45% or more and a transmittance distribution of about 0.3% or less.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a polarizer and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are among the most widely used flat panel displays. The LCD includes an LCD panel, which includes two display panels each having electric field generating electrodes and a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. The LCD displays an image by applying voltage across the electrodes to generate an electric field in the liquid crystal layer so as to determine orientations of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer while controlling polarization of incident light.
A polarizing plate is disposed outside the LCD panel. The polarizing plate can control polarization of light by selectively transmitting a light component in a specific direction therethrough among light emitted from a backlight unit and light having passed through the liquid crystal layer.
Generally, a polarizing plate includes a polarizer capable of polarizing light in a specific orientation and a protective layer for supporting and protecting the polarizer.

Polarizer having high durability and method of fabricating the same


A lifting apparatus is provided. The lifting apparatus includes a lifting cable supported relative to the ceiling structure, the lifting cable extending along a vertical direction and attaching to a lift point on the flexible divider. The lifting cable is retractable in the vertical direction to lift the flexible divider from a lowered configuration to a raised configuration. The lifting apparatus further includes a guiding element for guiding a position of the lifting cable along a horizontal direction while the flexible divider moves between the lowered configuration and the raised configuration. The guiding element is movably mounted to the ceiling structure to move between a first horizontal position when the flexible divider is in the lowered configuration, and a second horizontal position when the flexible divider is in the raised configuration.

Products exist for dividing large spaces that have a non-parallel ceiling to floor profile. These divider walls can partially or completely fill the vertical space from floor to ceiling. When lowered, they split the existing space into smaller sections, and when stored in the raised position, they match the ceiling profile and restore the space to full size.
Current products available for this application use either excessive fullness that matches the dimension of the ceiling profile, or they use angular lift cables so that the rising divider meets the ceiling profile at a narrower width (lift cables are normally vertical). These solutions are less than ideal, as they create excessive stresses on the materials and lift systems and also permanently distort the divider wall materials.
Most manufacturers install a standard space divider wall used for parallel ceiling to floor profiles, even when the ceiling to floor profile is non-parallel, due to the lack of current solutions for the change in geometry. This can limit the divider wall and/or not allow the divider wall to be raised above the lowest point of the non-parallel ceiling. However, this situation is unacceptable for many facilities, since these structures are often designed to provide higher clearance when the space is not divided. In these cases, the manufacturer will specify and supply multiple smaller divider walls to increase the final opening height when the many divider walls are stored in the raised position, which still may not provide full potential clearance.

Lifting apparatus for a flexible divider


Organic materials being indirectly heated via hot air having the temperature required for their treatment, the process consists in the recycling of the vapours and gases evolving from the organic materials into a hot air circuit by forcing them into contact with the flame of a burner in order to burn the organic gases contained therein. The apparatus for executing the process comprises a double wall sealed tank; the outer wall being insulating and the inner wall being heat-conducting, the space, created by the walls, defines the hot air circuit.

Numerous processes and systems have been provided for the thermal treatment of organic substances and, especially, for the thermal conversion of organic wastes into preferably useful products by a process involving dehydration, cooking and sterilization.
For example, sludges obtained from municipal sewage treatment are commonly dewatered and subjected to some type of sterilization treatment involving heating if the organic matter is to be used subsequently, e.g. in soil enrichment. The organic materials may thus be cooked and a variety of plants have been provided for this purpose.
Similar systems are used for the thermal treatments of other organic wastes and materials.
However, one of the disadvantages of conventional systems is the evolution of vapours and gases which carry with them odorific components and frequently even toxic substances and which are generally directly discharged into the atmosphere. The conventional systems also have the disadvantage that they are generally complex, require much manpower and are thermally uneconomical.
Moreover, these systems are generally not adapted to neutralize and/or sterilize organic materials which are contaminated with bacteria and/or virus (i.e. egg residues from vaccines production) and/or other pathogens.
There is thus a need for an apparatus which obviates the aforementioned problems.

Apparatus for the thermal treatment of organics materials and method therefor


A method of expanding the contact pitch for un-diced chips in an array by pre-slicing the array in a first direction, attaching a lead frame to the chips' contacts, and then slicing the array and attached lead frame in the second direction. The lead frame has leads mechanically connected one another such that slicing the frame in the second direction along the mechanical connections separates the leads. Each lead has a first terminal which is conductively attached to a chip contact and a second terminal extending beyond the boundaries of the chip to which the first terminal is attached. In this manner, the contact pitch is effectively expanded to the terminal pitch of the leads.

Current trends call for increasingly restrictive chip design rules that call for the chip size to decrease, while also requiring the number of connections to a chip to stay the same or increase. Thus, as chip sizes decrease and the number of connections stays the same or increases, the density of connections to the chip must likewise increase.
For purposes of this application, the distance between a point on a chip (die) and a corresponding point on an adjacent chip lying in a row or column of an array of die on a wafer is referred to as the die pitch. Note, chips and die are referred to interchangeably herein. The contact pitch (CP) of a chip is the distance between adjacent electrical contacts on the chip. Often, fan-outs (leads) are attached to the contacts of a chip. The electrical connections of the fan-out are referred to as terminals. The terminal pitch (TP), or ball pitch (BP) when solder balls are placed on the terminals, is the distance between adjacent terminal connection points. The pad pitch (PP) is the distance between adjacent pads on a chip package or printed wiring board (PWB).
Conventional solutions to this connection density problem are usually directed to modifying the wire bonding between the chip and its packaging, or prepackaging the chip for later assembly on a printed wiring board. However, these solutions are inadequate to continue addressing this problem; particularly as chip designs evolve.


A object of the present invention is to provide an immunochromatography method that makes it possible to rapidly detect an ultratrace amount of an analyte that has been impossible to analyze by conventional immunochromatography methods. The present invention provides an immunochromatography method, which comprises developing an analyte and a labeling substance which is modified with a first binding substance against the analyte in a mixed state on a porous carrier and capturing the analyte and the label at a reaction site on the porous carrier having a second binding substance against the analyte or a substance capable of binding to the first binding substance against the analyte, so as to detect the analyte, wherein the labeling substance having an average particle size of 1 μm or more and 20 μm or less is detected.

Among bioactive substances or environmental pollutants such as natural products, toxins, hormones, or agricultural chemicals, numerous substances act in ultratrace amounts. Accordingly, instrumental analytical methods capable of performing high-sensitivity analysis have conventionally been widely used for qualitative and quantitative measurement of these substances. However, instrumental analytical methods are poor in specificity, require excessive time for analysis including pretreatment of samples, and are troublesome in operation. Thus instrumental analytical methods are inconvenient for the purpose of rapid and convenient measurements that have been required in recent years. Meanwhile, immunoassays are highly specific and much easier in terms of operation than instrumental analytical methods. Therefore immunoassays have gradually spread in the field of measurement of bioactive substances and environmental pollutants. However, conventional immunoassays such as enzyme immunoassays using 96-well plates and latex agglutination assays do not always provide satisfactory rapidness and convenience for measurement or detection sensitivity.
Another need expected to be enabled is as follows. Achievement of higher sensitivity of tests that currently use relatively invasive samples such as swabs and blood makes it possible to detect very small amounts of analytes contained in relatively low-invasive samples such as snot, mouth wash, and urine. Thus, less burdensome tests of patients can be realized.
In recent years, test kits using an immunochromatography method (hereinafter referred to as an immunochromatography kit) have been used more often in examination of infections that require particularly rapid diagnosis. According to the spread of these kits, patients with infections can be identified by a rapid and convenient method, and subsequent diagnosis and therapy can be conducted immediately and accurately. For example, in an immunochromatography method using the sandwich method, a labeled second antibody capable of specifically binding to an analyte (for example, an antigen), and a sample solution which may possibly contain the analyte are developed on an insoluble thin film-shaped support (for example, a glass fiber membrane, a nylon membrane, or a cellulose membrane) on which a first antibody capable of specifically binding to the analyte has been immobilized in a specific region. As a result, an immune complex with the analyte is formed at the region of the insoluble thin film-shaped carrier, on which region the first antibody has been immobilized. The analyte can be measured by detecting a signal such as color development or coloring of a label. The label to be used herein may be, for example, a protein such as an enzyme, colored latex particles, metal colloids, or carbon particles.
The immunochromatography method requires neither massive facilities nor instruments for determination and measurement. Furthermore, the immunochromatography method is simple in operation and promptly gives measurement results by introducing a sample solution dropwise which may possibly contain an analyte and leaving it for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. For this reason, this technique is used widely as a convenient, rapid, and highly specific method for determination and measurement in many scenarios, such as for clinical examination in hospitals and in assays in laboratories.
Among bioactive substances or environmental pollutants such as natural products, toxins, hormones, and agricultural chemicals, and specimens of early infection stage of virus disease, many substances exert effects in ultratrace amounts that are undetectable by conventional common immunochromatography methods. Therefore, there are demands for development of rapid, convenient, and highly sensitive immunochromatography methods for such substances.
JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-202307 A discloses that gold colloids were amplified using a silver sensitizer, "Silver Enhancing Kit (Cat. SEKB250); produced by British BioCell International." However, the relevant method requires 10 or more minutes for amplification, lacking the rapidness that is a characteristic of immunochromatography methods. Furthermore, JP Patent Publication (Kohyo) No. 10-513263 A (1998) discloses that gold colloids are amplified using an optical microscope silver enhancing kit (SELK15; produced by British BioCell International). Since the amount of labeling substance at detection site can not be specified by the disclosure of JP Patent Publication (Kohyo) No. 10-513263 A (1998), a makeup experiment was carried out using an amplification kit for photomicroscope, SEKL15 (British Biocell International), wherein the amount of the labeling substance at the detection site was changed. As a result, although amplification was confirmed, the particle size was only 350 nm. From this result, it was considered that a particle of 1 nm which cannot be observed visually is amplified and very small amount of analyte cannot be detected in JP Patent Publication (Kohyo) No. 10-513263 A (1998).


It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanical blocking device by means of which the user will only be able to initiate an event by activating a stroke of the button or lever past the activation point of the event. Should the movement of the button or lever be stopped or the direction changed before reaching the activation point, retaining means will hinder further movement in the first direction before the lever or button has been brought back to its starting position.

The present invention relates to a mechanical return blocking device and further a device where such a mechanical return blocking device is incorporated.
Return blocking devices may be used for a multitude of purposes.
An example of a return blocking device for maintaining a window or door in an open position is known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,129,412. In particular in the second embodiment of this document, a return blocking device is described where a ratchet is arranged inside a housing. Through a slit in the housing, a second movable member is inserted. The movable member comprises an engagement section which is adapted for engagement with the ratchet. As the second member moves in a first direction, counter movement will be hindered by the triangular shape of the ratchet. When the second member comes to the end of the ratchet, it will, due to the influence of a spring, be pushed downwards, whereby travel is allowed in the opposite direction under the ratchet. Due to the further provision of a second spring member, the second member will be guided upwards towards the beginning of the ratchet such that forward movement may be possible again. This construction comprises a number of drawbacks, for example the entire construction is placed in a housing, whereby debris or other foreign objects stuck inside the housing eventually will hamper the proper working of the device. For example, if foreign matter has become wedged between the second spring device and the bottom of the device, it will not be possible to push the engagement section back up on the second track. Furthermore, foreign matter stuck under the ratchet, i.e. between the second track and the first track, will likewise hinder the proper functioning of the device. Also, as it is evident from further embodiments of the present invention, this device does not allow for the movable member to return to the first position halfway through the ratchet, but needs to continue all the way to the end in order to fall down to the first track provided underneath the ratchet in order to travel backwards to the original beginning position. Furthermore, the proper workings of the device is wholly dependent on the ability of the second spring member to force the engagement section back up at the level of the ratchet means, otherwise the device will be completely useless.
From the prior art document FR 2169664 is known a device for use in order to maintain a window in a more or less open position in relation to a frame. The device comprises two co-axially arranged and mutually displaceable arm parts as well as a locking member which is pivotally and biasly arranged in the outer member of the two co-axially arranged members such that a notch on the locking member may engage a centrally located displaceable member. The locking notch will travel on inclined surfaces and will be guided from one track to the opposite track on the inclined surfaces in relation to different retaining possibilities arranged on the interior member along the locking members' travel. In order to allow movement, the pivotal locking member must be pivoted manually onto one or the other track in order to decide whether the window shall be more or less open.
In a further embodiment in this prior art invention, the locking member is provided with a spring biasing means such that accidental relative movement of the two co-axially arranged parts does not cause the window to move in relation to the frame without actively and forcefully bringing the locking member out of engagement with the co-axially internal member.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a mechanical return blocking device which alleviates these disadvantages, and at the same time provides a number of further advantages, which provides for a wide range of applications, wherein the device according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,129,412 would not be considered suitable.
In a number of applications a certain task is performed or carried out by manually depressing a button or lever, which in turn causes one or more events to happen.
In a number of these applications it is desirable to assure that either a stroke of the button or lever has been performed or at least that the stroke of the button or lever was sufficient in order to activate the event in question.
Below as an example of devices where this situation is important will be discussed an example relating to an asthma inhalation device.
These types of asthma inhalation devices function in a way whereby the user/patient when needing to inhale the medication places the asthma inhalation device with a mouthpiece in the patient's mouth and thereafter activates a button. By depressing the button a canister inside the device is activated such that a medication dose stored in the valve system in the canister is dispensed through the mouthpiece to the patient.
Often these types of devices comprise a dose counter such that the patient will be able to keep track of how many doses are left in the device such that a new device or canister can be provided in due time. It is therefore important that when the patient dispenses a dose, only one dose is dispensed and at the same time only one dose is counted.
Due to inherent tolerances in production in order to keep production costs of these types of devices as low as possible, and furthermore as a consequence of the play arising from a number of mutually cooperating parts, it is sometimes possible to activate the bottom either from the non-depressed state or from the semi-depressed state, whereby the dose counter may be activated without an actual dose being dispensed or a dose may be dispensed without activating the dose counter.
For this type of device as for many other types of devices it is undesirable that depression of a button/lever, which is intended to effect a function, i.e. initiate an event, where said function may have more than one result, i.e. the example mentioned above, the activation of the button shall result in the dispensation of a dose and at the same time counting/registration of said dose. It is paramount that both these events happening by depressing the bottom are reliable registered and carried out without the possibility of unintended or intended tampering with the device.


An optical bench in a wavelength selective switch (WSS) is mounted using a combination of fixed mounts and stress-free mounts. The WSS is packaged in an enclosure including a base, a sidewall, and a lid. The optical switching engine is attached directly to the base. The optical bench is attached to the base and the optical components supported thereon are aligned with the array of switching elements of the switching engine. The optical bench is attached to the base with at plurality of mounts, which include at least one movable mount supporting movement of the optical bench in a plane parallel to the optical bench and at least one fixed mount maintaining optical alignment between the dispersive element and the array of switching elements.

In an optical communication network, optical signals having a plurality of optical channels at individual wavelengths, called "wavelength channels", are transmitted from one location to another, typically through a length of optical fiber. An optical cross-connect module allows switching of optical signals from one optical fiber to another. A wavelength-selective optical cross-connect module, or a reconfigurable optical add-drop module (ROADM), allows wavelength-dependent switching, that is, it allows certain wavelength channels to be switched from a first optical fiber to a second optical fiber while letting the other wavelength channels propagate in the first optical fiber, or it allows certain wavelength channels to be switched to a third optical fiber. The new generation of ROADMs, which can switch any input wavelength to any output port, are often referred to as wavelength selective switches (WSSs).
Of the WSS architectures presently available, an architecture based on free-space optics, and including a switching engine such as a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) array or a liquid crystal (LC) array, is one of the most versatile and high-performance architectures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,959 to Ducellier et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 7,162,115 to Brophy et al, which are incorporated herein by reference, both disclose high performance optical switches.
Since WSSs are generally deployed at various nodes of an optical network, they must perform reliably in harsh environments characterized by a wide range of temperature and humidity. Accordingly, each WSS is typically packaged using a hermetic enclosure. Unfortunately, due to the relatively large footprint of the free-space optics, and due to the large number of electrical connections to the optical switching engine, mechanical packaging of WSSs represents a considerable technical challenge.
One approach to providing the required electrical connections within a hermetic enclosure has been to use a flexible printed circuit board (flex-PCB). The flex-PCB provides the electrical connection between the switching engine and the control system installed outside the enclosure, while mechanically de-coupling the switching engine from an internal multi-pin hermetic electrical connector mounted on a wall of the enclosure. Unfortunately, it takes a long time and considerable operator skill and effort to fit all the fiber feed-through, flex-PCBs, and to fit and align the optical elements inside the package, which increases the cost of the assembly and reduces manufacturing yields. Furthermore, a WSS enclosure built using this technology has a relatively large footprint since the optics, the flex-PCB, and the multi-pin hermetic connector need to be accommodated inside the package. The large size of prior art WSS enclosures is considered a drawback because telecom system providers are strongly motivated to increase the element density of their circuit cards, to facilitate a decrease in the system size and cost.

Stress free mounting of optical bench for WSS


A removable device for positioning a user's forearm and hand in relation to a guitar is provided. The removable device comprises: (i) a first strap overlying a first portion of the guitar and having attached thereto a first pad and a second pad; (ii) a second strap overlying a second portion of the guitar and joined to the first strap via a first connector, wherein the first connector is coupled to the guitar at a first point; and (iii) an adjustment mechanism overlying a third portion of the guitar and joined to the first strap, the second strap, the first connector, and a second connector, wherein the second connector is coupled to the guitar at a second point.

Novice guitar users and some that have been playing for many years, alike, tend to incorrectly position their strumming/picking hand and forearm in relation to the guitar. This improper positioning leads to a number of other issues when these guitar users play the guitar as well, including hitting the guitar itself, starting and stopping their strumming/picking hand and forearm unnecessarily, and playing the guitar rigidly, overall, by keeping their strumming/picking hand and forearm too stiff—among other such issues.
Accordingly, the present disclosure relates to a removable, portable, cost-effective, and convenient devices for positioning a guitar user's strumming/picking hand and forearm to improve forearm, wrist, and hand dexterity and competence, as well as overall playing ability and form.


A method for transmitting data includes mapping a first coded information bit stream intended for a first transmit antenna onto at least one first spreading sequence of a plurality of first spreading sequences to generate a first data stream, mapping a second coded information bit stream intended for a second transmit antenna onto at least one second spreading sequence of a plurality of second spreading sequences to generate a second data stream. The method also includes transmitting the first data stream and the second data stream on respective transmit antennas.

Code division multiple access (CDMA) is a multiple access technique in which data symbols are spread out over orthogonal and/or near orthogonal code sequences. Traditional CDMA encoding is a two step process in which a binary code is mapped to a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) symbol before a spreading sequence is applied. While traditional CDMA encoding can provide relatively high data rates, new techniques/mechanisms for achieving even higher data rates are needed to meet the ever-growing demands of next-generation wireless networks. Low density spreading (LDS) is a form of CDMA used for multiplexing different layers of data. LDS uses repetitions of the same symbol on layer-specific nonzero position in time or frequency. As an example, in LDS-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) a constellation point is repeated (with some possible phase rotations) over nonzero frequency tones of a LDS block. Sparse code multiple access (SCMA) is a generalization of LDS where a multidimensional codebook is used to spread data over tones without necessarily repeating symbols.

System and method for open-loop MIMO communications in a SCMA communications system


Disclosed is a combination image-capturing apparatus and method. A combination image-capturing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a main body, a combination image-capturing unit installed on the main body to be location-changeable that include first and second signal processing units, and first and second recording media. The combination image-capturing apparatus further comprises a mode selection switch unit for generating an operation mode signal corresponding to a selected image-capturing unit according to position changes of the combination image-capturing unit, a photo switch for generating an image-capturing trigger signal, and a control unit for controlling storage of the first and second formatted signals in the first recording medium and the second recording medium if the image-capturing trigger signal is received. Accordingly, the present invention enables one photo-switch to store images in a recording medium corresponding to each of the image-capturing units independently driven to capture the images, thereby eliminating inconvenience arises from using separate photo-switches, as well as reducing the volume of the image-capturing apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination image-capturing apparatus and a method of operation thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a combination image-capturing apparatus and a method of operation thereof capable of storing images in first and second recording media, respectively, corresponding to first and second image-capturing units independently driven to capture the images.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, digital still cameras convert images captured through lenses into digital signals, and store the digital signals in a recording medium such as a hard disc or a memory card. The digital still cameras do not record captured images on film, but store them in the recording medium, and can input digital images directly to a computer without using a scanner or the like. Digital pictures generated by such digital still cameras are convenient to edit and modify due to the high compatibility with personal computers, as captured images can be sent to the personal computers by connecting the digital camera to an external computer. Furthermore, digital still cameras are easy to carry due to the similarity in structure as general cameras. Digital still cameras typically each have a lens unit, a memory unit, a signal conversion unit, a display unit, and so on. Digital still cameras are mainly used to capture still images due to the capacity of the recording medium for storing the images. While some digital still cameras have the capability of capturing moving pictures, it is difficult or impossible to take such moving pictures for a long period of time with digital still cameras. In particular, since there is no device for storing and reproducing sound, it is not appropriate to capture, store, and reproduce moving pictures with most digital still cameras. In order to satisfy consumer demands, recording/reproducing devices, such as camcorders, are widely and generally available for recording and reproducing images and sounds of a subject stored on a recording medium such as tapes.
The camcorder is provided with a lens unit, a signal conversion unit, and a deck unit for recording images taken as pictures, and reproducing images on a display unit. Such a camcorder mainly employs a cassette tape as a recording medium, and has the cassette tape loaded in the deck unit to record moving pictures. Further, the camcorder is provided with a microphone and a speaker, and can take and stores pictures in the loaded cassette tape for more than one hour. Some camcorders also have the function of capturing still images, but the camcorder is mainly used to take moving pictures since they typically have poor still image quality compared to the digital still camera. Further, the camcorder has a complicated structure with more functions than the digital still camera, so the camcorder is relatively large and expensive.
As stated above, however, in order to utilize the respective functions of both the digital still camera and the camcorder, a user has to purchase both of the products. Accordingly, such purchases are financially burdensome on consumers. Further, after the purchase, there is a troublesome problem of having to carry two products due to the individual characteristic functions of each of the two products.
In order to solve these problems, a digital camera-combined camcorder, which unites a camcorder and a digital still camera into one case, has been developed, which is referred to as "digital camera/camcorder" or "DuoCam".
In order to capture and store images in a storage medium with the DuoCam, extra and separate buttons from each other are generally required. One set of buttons are separately provided for the digital camera to capture and store images in a memory and a second set of buttons are provided for the digital camcorder to take and record pictures on a tape. When performing the image-capturing operations with the separate buttons, however, a user must check to determine if the DuoCam is in the digital camera mode or in the digital camcorder mode, and use the appropriate buttons that correspond to the particular mode of an image-capturing operation. This causes a great deal of inconvenience as well as increasing the amount of buttons required, therefore making a combined digital camera-camcorder product larger in size.
Thus, a need exists for a combined digital camera-camcorder product that does not require a dual set of buttons to operate the different functions of the digital camera and camcorder.

Combination image-capturing apparatus and method for efficiently combining a digital still camera with a digital video camera


A curable organopolysiloxane composition which comprises an organopolysiloxane having at least two vinyl groups each joined to silicon atoms in the molecule and a defined viscosity, an organohydrogenpolysiloxane of a defined formula having at least two hydrogen atoms joined to silicon atom or atoms, and a catalytic amount of a platinum group catalyst is described. This composition has good curability and is capable of yielding a cured film which has good adhesion to plastic film or paper substrates.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to organopolysiloxane compositions and more particularly, to curable organopolysiloxane compositions whose curing speed is high and which are capable of yielding a cured silicone release composition having good adhesion to a variety of substrates. The invention also relates to a cured product of the composition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For the purpose of preventing adhesion or cohesion between substrates such as paper sheets or plastic films and self-adhesive sheets, usual practice is to impart release properties to the surface of the substrate by formation of the film of a silicone composition on the substrate surface.
Several procedures of forming the silicone film on the substrate surface are known including:
(1) a method wherein a release film is formed by addition reaction of organopolysiloxanes having an aliphatic unsaturated bond or bonds and organohydrogenpolysiloxanes in the presence of platinum compounds; and
(2) a method wherein a release film is formed by condensation reaction of organopolysiloxanes by use of organic metal salt catalysts such as organic tin compounds.
The silicone compositions used in these procedures can yield films by application of heat and are thus of a thermally curable type. Depending on the nature of the composition, these compositions can be classified into a solvent type where the ingredients are dissolved in organic solvents such as toluene, an emulsion type where the ingredients are emulsified, and a solvent-free type which makes use of silicones alone.
From the standpoint of industrial production, the first method wherein the curing speed is significantly higher than the second method has been widely employed. As an organohydrogenpolysiloxane serving as a crosslinking agent in the addition-reactive siloxane composition used in the first method, methylhydrogenpolysiloxane of the following formula (1) wherein m and n are, respectively, a positive value has been widely used ##STR1##
In order to enhance the curability, there has been proposed, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 61-235461 an organohydrogenpolysiloxane of the formula, (R.sup.1 SiO.sub.1.5).sub.m (R.sup.2.sub.2 HSiO.sub.0.5).sub.n, wherein each R.sup.1 and each R.sup.2 may be the same or different and represent an unsubstituted or substituted monovalent hydrocarbon group except for aliphatic unsaturated hydrocarbon groups and m and n satisfy the relation of 0.1<n/m<3. As will be apparent from the above, the above organohydrogenpolysiloxane is of the type which consists of the trifunctional siloxane units and the monofunctional siloxane units.
Although the curability is enhanced, adhesion to substrates is lowered. This makes it difficult to use the organohydrogenpolysiloxane singly, thus leading to the drawback that this siloxane has to be used in combination with the siloxane of the above-indicated formula.


According to one embodiment, a turbo circuit for increasing an output of a voltage regulator having a several power stages includes an activation sub-circuit coupled to a feedback signal of the voltage regulator, the activation sub-circuit being configured to generate a multi-stage ON signal for turning on the power stages substantially concurrently. The turbo circuit further comprises a deactivation sub-circuit coupled to the feedback signal, the deactivation sub-circuit being configured to cancel the multi-stage ON signal when the feedback signal reaches an extremum value. In one embodiment, the turbo circuit may be implemented in a multi-phase buck converter fabricated as part of an integrated circuit on a semiconductor die. In another embodiment, the turbo circuit can be implemented in a multi-phase boost converter as part of an integrated circuit on a semiconductor die.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally in the field of electrical circuits and systems. More specifically, the present invention is in the field of voltage regulation in electrical circuits and systems.
2. Background Art
Voltage regulators are widely used in a variety of modern electronic devices and systems. Many integrated circuit (IC) applications, for example, require conversion of a DC input signal to a lower, or higher, DC output, in order to drive one or more circuit components. For example, a buck converter may be implemented as a voltage regulator to convert a higher voltage DC input to a lower voltage DC output for use in low voltage applications in which relatively large load currents are required.
One conventional approach to implementing a voltage regulator, such as a buck converter, for example, includes utilizing several power stages in a multi-phase arrangement. In that arrangement, each power stage is sequentially activated in a phase delayed manner by a control circuit of the voltage regulator, thereby distributing current production across the several output power stages. Because voltage regulators are increasingly called upon to provide stable voltage outputs to electronic systems, such as a microprocessor for example, having a wide range of current requirements, the ability to provide effective transient response is an important performance parameter of voltage regulators.
A conventional approach to providing transient response in a multi-phase voltage regulator includes using a feedback circuit with an error amplifier to compare the output voltage of the voltage regulator with a reference voltage. When the load demands on the voltage regulator require an increase in output, for example, the error amplifier may respond by increasing the power stage duty cycle in order to provide more energy to the output capacitors. However, this conventional approach suffers from several drawbacks.
One disadvantage of the conventional approach is latency owing to the delay between the occurrence of the load transient and the next phased switching pulse. In addition, the amount of energy transferred in a single switching pulse is typically inadequate to meet the output demands on the voltage regulator. As a result, the conventional approach typically relies on several output capacitors to store the energy necessary for effective transient response. As the transient requirements on voltage regulators become ever more stringent, progressively more output capacitors are required under the conventional arrangement. However, incorporation of additional output capacitors is expensive and inefficient, both in terms of monetary cost and the circuit area required for their implementation.
Thus, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art. There is a need in the art, for example, for a voltage regulator that can provide a transient response meeting or exceeding transient requirements, while reducing the number of output capacitors compared to conventional voltage regulators providing a comparable transient response.

Turbo circuit for providing voltage regulation and related method


Methods, systems, and devices are described for orthogonal modulation of signals using maximal length sequences and Hadamard transforms. Modulation symbols to be transmitted are arranged into sequences indexed from 1 to 2n−1 for some integer n. A constant is added to the beginning of each sequence, which is then multiplied by a Hadamard matrix of size 2n×2n. The resulting sequences will be orthogonal and will have a first value of zero. The first value is discarded, and the sequence are reordered and associated with m-sequences. The signal is then transmitted. A cyclic prefix may also be transmitted. Upon receiving the transmission, a receiver may discard the cyclic prefix or use it for channel equalization. The receiver may then reorder the received signal, insert a zero, apply the 2n×2n Hadamard transform, discard the zero, and order the sequences again according to the index to retrieve the data.

The following relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to orthogonal modulation of signals using maximal length sequences (m-sequences) and Hadamard transforms. Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time-division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) systems. The following description may be used in conjunction with one of these technologies, or it may be used in a new system. A wireless system using these techniques may be referred to as orthogonal sequence division multiple access (OSDMA).
Generally, a wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of base stations, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple mobile devices. Base stations may communicate with mobile devices on downstream and upstream links. Each base station has a coverage range, which may be referred to as the coverage area of the cell. In some cases, a base station may transmit data to more than one mobile device at a time. A base station may also receive data from more than one mobile device. This may result in interference between communications with the different mobile devices. Interference may also arise when transmissions take more than one path to a receiver. Multipath propagation may result in a delayed and/or distorted version of a signal interfering with the signal that arrives via the most direct path. Communication between a base station and a mobile device may be one directional (e.g., broadcasting information from a base station to a mobile device) or two-directional (e.g., transmitting information back and forth between a base station and a mobile device).
In some cases, data may be processed so that different communication channels or different devices use orthogonal resources to reduce interference. The amount of processing power required may depend on the method used to transform the signal. For example, OFDMA systems apply a Fourier transform to create signals using orthogonal frequency resources. A fast Fourier transform (FFT) processor may perform on the order of N·log N multiplication operations to transform a modulation symbol consisting of N elements. A cyclic prefix may be appended to the signal to reduce inter-symbol interference (ISI) due to multipath propagation. Alternatively, a fast Hadamard transform (FHT) may be used to generate a signal consisting of orthogonal sequences. An FHT processor may transform a signal of size N using on the order of N·log N addition or subtraction operations, which may be more efficient than using multiplication operations. However, using an FHT produces a signal that may not be compatible with the use of a cyclic prefix, and may not have desirable cross-correlation and auto-correlation properties.

Orthogonal modulation using M-sequences and Hadamard transforms


A polymer for a prolonged release preparation which comprises. (A) a polylactic acid and PA1 (B) a copolymer of glycolic acid and a hydroxycarboxylic acid of general formula ##STR1## wherein R stands for an alkyl group having 2 to 8 carbons, wherein the weight ratio of (A) and (B) is in the range of 10/90 to 90/10. The drug is released at a constant rate from the preparation over the total release period without a large burst at the initial state. Furthermore, the drug release period of the preparation can be freely controlled by varying the blending ratio of (A) and (B).

Biodegradable polymers can be used as bases for pharmaceutical preparations such as microcapsules. Such a biodegradable polymer is disclosed in Japanese Kokai Patent Application No. 61-28521 (the corresponding U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,677,191 and 4,683,288) which teaches that the polycondensation reaction of tactic acid and/or glycolic acid, in the presence or absence of a catalyst, gives rise to such a polymer or copolymer.
Japanese Patent publication No. 1-57087 (the corresponding U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,652,441, 4,711,782 and 4,917,893) discloses a method of manufacturing sustained-releasing microcapsules employing such biodegradable polymers.
Japanese Kokai Patent publication No. 62-54760 (the corresponding U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,728,721 and 4,849,228) mentions that the initial drug release Pattern of microcapsules can be improved by washing a biodegradable polymer solution with water to remove the water-soluble low molecular fraction.
Japanese Kokai Patent publication No. 2-212436 describes a prolonged release pharmaceutical polymer available on direct dehydrative polycondensation of lactic acid and/or glycolic acid with a hydroxycarboxylic acid.
In a prolonged release preparation comprising a dispersion of a drug substance in a biodegradable macromolecular compound, it is preferable that the rate of drug release can be controlled as desired. Generally the period of release of such a prolonged release preparation is controlled by adjusting the monomer composition and molecular weight of the biodegradable polymer used for the preparation. The rate of d-rug release is preferably constant over the entire period of release. As mentioned hereinbefore, many proposals have been made for improving the initial release Pattern of this type of preparation. However, when the designed release period is comparatively short, it is frequently encountered that the drug is released encased in the second half of the release period. Furthermore, the composition and molecular weight of the biodegradable polymer must be optimized for each drug used and each designed release period and this optimization requires much time and effort.
Furthermore, it is difficult to obtain a constant drug release Pattern by using a preparation mixing two kinds of microcapsule which have different release periods, since the drug release Pattern of the mixed preparation is apt to change discontinuously in the course of the drug release.
The inventors of the present invention explored into this field of technology for overcoming the above-mentioned disadvantages and found that when the period of drug release is controlled using a simple blend of a biodegradable polymer having a comparatively low degradation rate and a biodegradable polymer having a comparatively high degradation rate, the release characteristic of the system in the second half of the release period is remarkably improved over that of a system employing a copolymer of the same monomer composition. The present invention is predicated on the above finding.

Prolonged release preparation and polymers thereof


An organic material consisting of a π-conjugated molecule which is in a liquid form at ambient temperature and use thereof are provided. The ambient temperature liquid-form organic material according to the present invention consists of a π-conjugated molecule having 2 or more side chains, the 2 or more side chains are same or different side chains selected from the group consisting of a branched alkyl chain, an alkyl chain having a polymerization site at a terminal, an oligosiloxane chain, a fluorocarbon chain, an oligoethylene glycol chain and derivatives thereof, and each of the 2 or more side chains is bound directly or via a substituent to the π-conjugated molecule.

Recently, porphyrin derivatives which are in a liquid form at ambient temperature were developed (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). Patent Literature 1 discloses porphyrin derivatives represented by the formula shown below:

According to Patent Literature 1, in the formula shown above, M denotes an atom or a compound capable of forming a covalent bond or a coordinate bond with 2H (hydrogen atoms) or tetraphenyl porphyrin. Each of R1, R2 and R3 denotes, independently from each other, a hydrogen atom, or an alkoxy group having 7 to 15 carbon atoms represented by OR4, R4 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 7 to 15 carbon atoms, identical meanings are applicable within all R1s, all R2s and all R3s, respectively. Each of R2 and R3 is an alkoxy group having 7 to 15 carbon atoms represented by OR4 and R1 is a hydrogen atom, or each of R1 and R3 is an alkoxy group having 7 to 15 carbon atoms represented by OR4 and R2 is a hydrogen atom, or each of R1 and R2 is an alkoxy group having 7 to 15 carbon atoms represented by OR4 and R3 is a hydrogen atom, or, each of R1, R2 and R3 is an alkoxy group having 7 to 15 carbon atoms represented by OR4.
Since the porphyrin derivatives in Patent Literature 1 have 3 to 5 alkoxy groups having a certain number of the carbon atoms in a certain position on the phenyl ring, they have a liquid property at room temperature (25° C. to 40° C.) without containing any solvent and also have a high thermostability.

Ambient temperature liquid-form organic materials and use thereof

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE


A caster includes a wheel, and a connecting shaft mechanism for holding the wheel in position; the shaft mechanism includes a sleeve consisting of two half parts, and a supporting shank member, which is held in the sleeve at an upper end, and with which the wheel is connected; the supporting shank member is formed with two flat portions, which face outwards in opposite directions; the sleeve half parts are connected together by means of bolts with inward sides thereof facing each other; each of the sleeve half parts has a flat portion on the inward side thereof; the flat portions of the sleeve half parts touch respective ones of the flat portions of the supporting shank member for preventing angular displacement of the supporting shank member relative to the sleeve.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a connecting shaft mechanism of a caster assembly, more particularly one, which is easy to manufacture and assemble, and which is structured such that various parts thereof are securely connected together.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Casters that are used on trolleys and hospital beds, such as is shown in FIG. 7, usually include a wheel, an immobilizing mechanism for the wheel, a connecting shaft mechanism, by means of which the wheel is held in position, and a control mechanism usable for activating the immobilizing mechanism; both the immobilizing mechanism and the control mechanism are connected with the connecting shaft mechanism.
Referring to FIG. 5, a conventional connecting shaft mechanism of a caster assembly includes a connecting shank member 82, and a sleeve, which consists of two sleeve half parts 81, 81. The supporting shank member 82 has an axial hole, annular recesses 821, annular protrusions 822 adjacent to the annular recesses 821, and a radial through hole 823. The sleeve half parts 81 have fitting posts 811 and fitting cavities 812 on upper portions of inward flat sides thereof, radial through holes 814, holding recesses 813 on upper portions, lengthwise extending recesses 816 under and communicating with the holding recesses 813, inward semicircular protrusions 817 and semicircular recesses 818 at lower portions, and stopping protrusions 815 adjacent to uppermost portions of the holding recesses.
The sleeve half parts 81, 81 are coupled to become the sleeve with the fitting posts 811 being respectively fitted in the fitting cavities 812, and the supporting shank member 82 is connected with the sleeve with the annular protrusions 822 thereof being fitted in the semicircular recesses 818 of the sleeve half parts 81, and the annular recesses 821 thereof being fitted over the semicircular protrusions 817 of the sleeve half parts. And, a metallic ring 83 is tightly fitted around upper extensions of the coupled sleeve half parts 81, 81 for holding the same together. Furthermore, the radial through holes 814, 823 of the sleeve half parts 81 and the shank member 82 are aligned with each other, and pins are inserted into the radio through holes 814 and 823; thus, the sleeve half parts 81, 81 are more firmly held together, and the supporting shank member 82 can't be separated from or angularly displaced relative to the sleeve.
The control mechanism is connected with the sleeve with a turning element 84 thereof being held in both of the holding recesses 813 of the sleeve half parts, the angular displacement of which turning element 84 is limited by means of the stopping protrusions 815 of the sleeve half parts.
The connecting shaft mechanism has advantages as followings:
1. The pins are used to prevent angular displacement of the shank member relative to the sleeve half parts, therefore in assembly, the assembler has to move the shank member carefully to such a position that the radial through holes are aligned with corresponding through holes of the sleeve half parts for allowing insertion of the pins into the through holes. Consequently, the connecting shaft mechanism takes much labor and time to assemble.
2. Because the sleeve half parts have to be formed with upper extensions for connection with the metallic ring, which is used to hold the sleeve half parts together besides the pins, the sleeve half parts have increased length, and more materials have to be used in manufacturing them. Consequently, the material cost increases. And, there will be an additional step in assembling the connecting shaft mechanism.
3. The pins and the metallic ring need to be manufactured with their respective processes therefore there are too many steps in manufacturing the caster assembly. Consequently, the manufacturing cost of the whole caster assembly will increase significantly.
4. Because of the stopping protrusions of the sleeve half parts, which are used to limit the angular displacement of the turning element in the holding recesses, the sleeve half parts will be more difficult to manufacture.
Referring to FIG. 6, another conventional connecting shaft mechanism of a caster assembly includes upper and lower hollow supporting shanks 91 and 92, and a sleeve, which consists of two sleeve half parts 93, 93. The upper supporting shank 91 is held in an upper end of the lower supporting shank 92 at a lower end thereof, and has a holding room in an upper portion thereof, and two radial through holes, which oppose each other, on two sides of the holding room. The sleeve half parts 93 have holding recesses 931 on inward sides thereof, stopping protrusions 932 adjacent to uppermost portions of the holding recesses 931, and through holes communicating with the holding recesses, and they are coupled with the holding recesses 931 facing each other. A turning element 94 of a control mechanism is held in the holding recesses 931, and the sleeve is closely fitted in the holding room of the upper supporting shank 91, and a lever (not shown) of the control mechanism is connected with the turning element 94 after having been passed through the through holes of the sleeve half parts 93 and the upper supporting shank 91. Furthermore, an adjusting element of an immobilizing mechanism (not shown) is passed into both the lower and the upper supporting shanks 91 and 92 to be right under the turning element 94 of the control mechanism. And, the upper end of the upper supporting shank 91 is folded inwards by means of pressing rollers such that it is pressed against the sleeve half parts 93, 93. Consequently, the sleeve half parts 93 are firmly held in the holding room of the upper supporting shank 91.
The second connecting shaft mechanism has advantages as followings:
1. The upper supporting sank has be formed with the radial through holes for allowing the lever to be connected with the turning element held in the sleeve, and in assembly, the assembler has to position the sleeve carefully such that the through holes of the sleeve half parts are aligned with the radial through holes of the. Therefore, the connecting shaft mechanism takes more labor and time to assemble.
2. The upper supporting shank will be reduced in the length after the upper end thereof is inwards folded onto the top of the sleeve by means of pressing rollers. Therefore, the pressing process has to be carefully performed otherwise the upper supporting shank can't be formed with proper length. Furthermore, owing to the pressing process with rollers, the connecting shaft mechanism will be more difficult to manufacture no matter which one of both the sleeve and the immobilizing mechanism is connected with the upper supporting shank first.
3. The pressing process with rollers isn't relatively easy, and in turns, it will cause increase to the cost and time needed to manufacture the caster assembly.
4. The sleeve half parts also have to be formed with the stopping protrusions, which are used to limit the angular displacement of the turning element held in the holding recesses. Therefore, the sleeve half parts are as difficult to manufacture as those of the first conventional shaft mechanism.

Structure of a connecting shaft mechanism of a caster assembly


There is provided a composite copper alloy having a copper alloy core and a modified surface layer containing a nitride or carbide film. Alternatively, the modified surface layer may contain a carbo-nitride film. The alloy is formed by reacting a copper alloy with nitrogen, carbon or a nitrogen/carbon mixture at elevated temperatures. The resultant surface layer improves the tribological and mechanical properties of the alloy while maintaining useful electrical conductivity.

Copper alloys are widely used in electrical, electronic and architectural applications. The alloys have excellent electrical characteristics but the mechanical properties are less than ideal. The alloys are soft and subject to frictional and erosive wear. The alloys readily oxidize and because copper oxide is a poor conductors of electricity, the oxide causes an increase in contact resistance.
Oxidation can be minimized by coating the alloy with a second metal such as tin or gold. However, the coatings do not improve the hardness or wear resistance of the substrate.
Various alloying elements may be added to molten copper to increase wear resistance and hardness as well as to improve oxidation resistance. The additions usually cause a decrease in electrical conductivity.
As disclosed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/563,766, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, the surface of a copper alloy may be modified by nitriding. The process changes the characteristics of the surface to a depth of from a few angstroms to about 1 micron.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,760 issued to Sioshansi discloses modifying the surface of a titanium alloy with carbon or nitrogen by ion-implantation. An article by Oliver et al entitled The Wear Behavior of Nitrogen-implanted Metals details how the wear characteristics of titanium alloys, hard chromium plate and ferrous metals are improved by nitriding the surface by ion-implantation.
Elemental copper has low reactivity with nitrogen and carbon and nitriding or carbiding by conventional means, such as used to nitride steel, does not produce a significantly improved surface.
A boride modified copper surface is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,560 to Fujita et al. A copper substrate is alloyed with a metal which reacts with boron. Boron is brought into contact with the alloy by immersion in a molten boron salt, fluid bed deposition or vapor deposition. The resultant surface has a dispersion of fine boride particles in a copper matrix. The dispersoids occupy from 1 to 50% of the surface volume.
The technique of U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,560 is only suitable when the precipitate former (boron) is soluble in the host matrix (copper). Both carbon and nitrogen are not significantly soluble in copper and the process is not suitable for forming nitride or carbide precipitates at the surface of a copper alloy.
A method of modifying the surface of alloy steels is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,191 to Maeda et al. The patent discloses immersing the substrate in an oxidizing acid or salt and irradiating selected surface areas with a laser pulse. The irradiated surface formed a passive oxide surface layer. The oxide may be a different color than the base metal and by irradiating selected portions of the substrate, a polychromatic surface is obtained.