Disclosed is a positive resist composition comprising a resin component (A) and an acid generator component (B), wherein the component (A) contains a polymer compound (A1) containing a structural unit (a0) represented by formula (a0) shown below and a structural unit (a2) derived from an acrylate ester containing a lactone-containing cyclic group:

Lithographic techniques include the steps of forming a resist film made of a resist material on a substrate, selectively exposing the resist film to radiation such as light or an electron beam through a mask with a predetermined pattern formed thereon, and developing the resist film to form a resist pattern having a predetermined shape on the resist film.
A resist material having characteristics which cause the exposed portions to become soluble in a developing solution is referred to as a positive resist material, whereas, a resist material having characteristics which cause the exposed portions to become insoluble in a developing solution is referred to as a negative resist material.
In recent years, in the production of semiconductor elements and liquid crystal display elements, advances in lithography techniques have lead to rapid progress in the field of miniaturization.
Typically, these miniaturization techniques involve shortening the wavelength of the exposure light source. Specifically, ultraviolet radiation such as g-line and i-line radiation has conventionally been used, but nowadays KrF excimer lasers and ArF excimer lasers have begun to be introduced in the mass production of semiconductor elements. Also, radiation having a shorter wavelength than that of these excimer lasers, for example, F2 excimer lasers, electron beams, EUV (extreme ultraviolet), and X-rays are also being examined.
It is required that the resist material has sensitivity to these exposure light sources, and lithographic characteristics such as resolution capable of reproducing a pattern of minute dimensions. As the resist material which satisfies these requirements, a chemically amplified photoresist containing a base resin which exhibits changeable alkali solubility under the action of an acid, and an acid generator component which generates an acid upon exposure is used. For example, a positive chemically amplified photoresist contains, as the base resin, a resin which exhibits increased alkali solubility under the action of an acid and an acid generator, and when an acid is generated from the acid generator upon exposure in the formation of a resist pattern, the exposed portions are changed to an alkali-soluble state.
As the base resin of the chemically amplified photoresist, polyhydroxystyrene (PHS) having high transparency to a KrF excimer laser (248 nm) and a resin (PHS-based resin) containing a hydroxyl group protected with an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group have conventionally been used. However, the PHS-based resin contains an aromatic ring such as a benzene ring and is therefore insufficient in transparency to light having a wavelength shorter than 248 nm, for example, light having a wavelength of 193 nm. Therefore, a chemically amplified photoresist containing the PHS-based resin as a base resin component has a drawback such as low resolution in a process using light having a wavelength of 193 nm.
Therefore, as the base resin used in ArF excimer laser lithography, a resin (acrylic resin) containing a structural unit derived from a (meth)acrylate ester in the main chain (see, for example, Patent Document 1) is mainly used because it is excellent in transparency at around 193 nm.
In view of a pattern forming method, in addition to a countermeasure for ultraminiaturization in view of a resist material, techniques for exceeding the limitation of resolution of the resist material have been studied and developed.
As one of these miniaturization techniques, for example, there is proposed a thermal flow process in which a resist pattern is formed by a conventional lithography technique and the resist pattern is subjected to a heat treatment thereby conducting miniaturization of the pattern size (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).
The thermal flow process is a process in which a resist pattern is once formed by a photolithography technique and the resist pattern is softened and allowed to flow in the space direction of the pattern by heating, thus decreasing the pattern size of a resist pattern, namely, the size (pore diameter of a hole pattern, space width of a line and space (L&S) pattern, etc.) of the portions on which no resist pattern is formed.
(Patent Document 1)
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2003-241385
(Patent Document 2)
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-188250
(Patent Document 3)
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-356850

Positive resist composition, positive resist composition for thermal flow, and resist pattern forming method

Abstract: (wherein R represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a lower alkyl group, or a halogenated lower alkyl group; Y1 represents an aliphatic cyclic group; Z represents an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group containing a tertiary alkyl group; a represents an integer from 1 to 3, b represents an integer from 0 to 2, and a+b=1 to 3; and c, d and e each represents, independently, an integer from 0 to 3).


A one-chip microprocessor, in which a built-in cache memory unit 20 has parities, and a cache parity generating & checking unit 21 checks parity of data read from the built-in cache memory unit 20, and when parity error is detected, outputs an internal cache parity error signal 50 to an instruction execution unit 23. By this, the instruction execution unit 23 suspends instruction execution and outputs a processor error signal 37. Accordingly, by checking parity errors of data of built-in memory and inputted address/data, instruction execution are immediately suspended to limit malfunction at least, thereby improving reliability. And by storing kinds of bus operation and errors in a register at the time of error generation, restoring possibility of system level is improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a one-chip microprocessor with built in memory, such as a cache, a TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer) and the like, more particularly, the invention relates to techniques which prevent using improper data generated by memory faults in the memory built in the microprocessor, and improper address/data inputted from the outside of the microprocessor. It also relates to a one-chip microprocessor wherein a restoration rate after the occurrence of internal error is improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the progress of LSI manufacturing techniques, a central processing unit (CPU) and large-scale memories can be integrated in one chip. However, on the other hand, a reliability of LSI having an improved degree of integration becomes an important problem.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a general configuration of a CPU board, whereon a one-chip microprocessor building in a cache memory and a TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer) is installed.
The CPU board 1 includes, a conventional microprocessor 2 building in the cache memory and the TLB, an interrupt controller 3 which asserts an interrupt signal to the microprocessor 2 and a system controller bus 9, an external cache memory 5, an external cache controller 4 controlling the external cache memory 5, a main memory 7, a main memory/bus controller 6 controlling the main memory 7 and a system data bus 8 and so on.
The microprocessor 2, interrupt controller 3 and external cache controller 4 are interconnected by a processor bus 10, and the external cache controller 4, external cache memory 5, main memory/bus controller 6 and main memory 7 are interconnected by a memory bus 11.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the conventional one-chip microprocessor 2 shown in FIG. 1.
The conventional microprocessor 2 includes, a built-in cache memory unit 20, a cache access control unit 22, an instruction execution unit 23, a bus snoop control unit 24, a bus control unit 27, an input/output address unit 51, an input/output data unit 52, an address translation unit 74 and so on.
The cache access control unit 22, the instruction execution unit 23, the input/output address unit 51 and the address translation unit 74 are interconnected by an internal address bus 40, and the cache access control unit 22, the instruction execution unit 23, the input/output data unit 52 and the address translation unit 74 are interconnected by an internal data bus 41.
The cache access control unit 22 controls read/write of the built-in cache memory unit 20. A cache-hit signal 47 is asserted to the instruction execution unit 23 from the cache access control unit 22. A cache access address signal 45 and an access request signal 46 are given to the cache access control unit 22 from the instruction execution unit 23, and besides, a built-in cache invalidating signal 43 is given thereto from a bus snoop control unit 24.
The instruction execution unit 23 processes data according to an instruction sequence. The cache-hit signal 47 is given to the instruction execution unit 23 from the cache access control unit 22. The cache address signal 45 and the access request signal 46 are outputted to the cache access control unit 22 from the instruction execution unit 23, and an address translation control signal 76 is received from and given to the address translation unit 74.
The bus snoop control unit 24 controls to invalidate a specific address stored in the built-in cache memory unit 20 responding to a bus snoop signal 31 inputted from the outside of the microprocessor 2. Specifically, when the bus snoop signal 31 is inputted from the outside of the microprocessor 2, the bus snoop control unit 24, by asserting the built-in cache invalidating signal 43 to the cache access control unit 22 responding thereto, invalidates the specific address stored in the built-in cache memory unit 20.
When the microprocessor 2 accesses the external bus, the bus control unit 27 controls it by inputting and outputting a bus access control signal 36.
The input/output address unit 51 controls the input and output of address between an address bus 32 outside the microprocessor 2 and an internal address bus 40.
The input/output data unit 52 controls the input and output of data between a data bus 34 outside the microprocessor 2 and an internal data bus 41.
The address translation unit 74 builds in the TLB, and translates the address while sending and receiving an address translation control signal 76 to and from the instruction receiving unit 23.
Numeral 30 designates a clock signal supplied to the microprocessor 2.
Next, the operation of the conventional one-chip microprocessor 2 having the above-mentioned configuration is described.
At first, the operation at the time of TLB access and cache memory access is described.
TLB access is performed when the instruction execution unit 23 instructs the address translation unit 74 to translate an address to be accessed. Specifically, when the instruction execution unit 23 requests the address translation to the address translation unit 74 by outputting the address translation control signal 76, and outputs the address to be translated to the internal address bus 40, the address translation unit 74 fetches the address to be accessed from the internal address bus 40 and retrieves the built-in TLB.
When the address to be translated is registered in the built-in TLB, the address translation unit 74 outputs TLB data registered in the built-in TLB to the data bus 41. The instruction execution unit 23 fetches the data outputted from the address translation unit 74 from the data bus 41 to execute the instruction. The address translation unit 74 also outputs the address translation control signal 76 to the instruction execution unit 23 to inform completion of the address translation.
Cache memory access is performed as follows.
When the access request signal 46 and the cache access address signal 45 which designates address to be accessed are asserted to the cache access control unit 22 from the instruction execution unit 23, the cache access control unit 22 retrieves whether the address designated by the cache access address signal 45 is registered in the built-in cache memory unit 20 or not. When the address designated by the cache access address signal 45 is registered in the built-in cache memory unit 20, the cache access control unit 22 asserts the cache-hit signal 47 to the instruction execution unit 23, reads corresponding cache data from the built-in cache memory unit 20 and outputs it to the internal data bus 41. The instruction execution unit 23 fetches the data outputted to the internal data bus 41 to execute the instruction.
Now, when TLB access address data is not registered in the built-in TLB or data designated by the cache access address signal 45 is not registered in the built-in cache memory unit 20 at the time of TLB access, the microprocessor 2 executes bus access to the external memory of the microprocessor 2 or the main memory 7 shown in FIG. 7. When an abnormal state has occurred at the time of bus access, this is alerted to the microprocessor 2 by a bus error (berr#: # means low active) signal which is one of the bus access control signal 36. When the bus error signal is asserted at completion of the bus access, the microprocessor 2 stores error in formation of address, data, data size, read/write and so on which have generated the error in an internal register.
Next, the bus snooping operation is described.
When DMA (Direct Memory Access) is transferred by the main memory/bus controller 6 on the CPU board 1 and data stored in a certain address of the main memory 7 is changed, there is a possibility that a consistency of data stored in the built-in cache memory unit 20 and the main memory 7 as the same address data can not be held.
In this case, it is necessary to invalidate the specific address of the built-in cache memory unit 20 to hold the consistency of data between the built-in cache memory unit 20 and the main memory 7. Such an operation is the bus snooping and is specifically described in the following.
The external cache controller 4 always monitors whether the data stored in the main memory 7 has been reloaded or not, and instructs the bus snooping operation to the microprocessor 2 according to the monitor result.
At the time of the bus snooping operation, at first, the bus snoop control signal 31 is asserted to the microprocessor 2 from the external cache controller 4, and address to be invalidated is outputted to the address bus 32. When an mreq# signal which is one of the bus snoop control signal 31 is asserted, the input/output address unit 51 suspends to output the address to the address bus 32 and inputs the address to be invalidated from the address bus 32. When ms# signal which is one of the bus snoop control signal 31 is inputted to the bus snoop control unit 24, which asserts the built-in cache invalidating signal 43 to the cache access control unit 22.
At this time, the input/output address unit 51 outputs the address to be invalidated to the internal address bus 40. When receiving the built-in cache invalidating signal 43, the cache access control unit 22 fetches the address to be invalidated outputted to the internal address bus 40 and retrieves the built-in cache memory unit 20. As a result, when the address is already registered in the built-in cache memory unit 20, the cache access control unit 22 invalidates the address.
In the above-mentioned memory access operation of the conventional microprocessor, even when memory faults such as software errors have occurred in the built-in cache memory unit, the TLB and the like, there is no way to detect it, thus there was a possibility that the instruction is executed intact by using data having the memory fault for false operation, results in data destruction.
Since a memory cell of the built-in cache, the TLB and the like can be more downsized by using an NMOS (high resistance load type) than using a CMOS, it is desirable to use the NMOS from the view point of a high integration of a chip. However, when the memory cell is constituted by the NMOS, a possibility of occurrence of memory faults is relatively high.
Since a function for checking the address to be invalid dated inputted to the microprocessor at the time of bus snooping operation is not included in the conventional microprocessor, when the bus fault has occurred on the CPU board, the wrong address caused by the bus fault is inputted to the microprocessor, thereby the built-in cache memory is invalidated at an address at which the built-in cache memory need not be invalidated and the address which was to be invalidated originally is not invalidated. In such cases, the built-in cache memory is accessed without the consistency of data between the main memory and the built-in cache memory, thus there was also a possibility that the old data which is to be invalidated originally is used to execute the instruction, results in a wrong operation and data destruction.
Furthermore, when error information related to errors generated at the time of bus access is to be saved, only read/write information related to the type of bus cycle can be saved in the conventional microprocessor. For example, as to the read bus access, it was problematic in that, conventionally, the instruction read and the address translation table read for data storage can not be distinguished.
Regarding this respect, for example, in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-143149 (1987), a memory management unit of an information processing system, having holding means for holding error information including details on failure causes when access to a storage medium has failed is disclosed. However, in the invention disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-143149 (1987), a virtual memory management method is adopted in the information processing system for pipeline processing of a decode-and-address calculating stage and an operation execution stage, and a technique coping with page fault generated thereby is disclosed, but address errors, data errors and the like in the CPU board whereon the one-chip microprocessor is installed are not considered.

One-chip microprocessor with error detection on the chip


The present invention relates to a superabsorbent polymer that not only has excellent basic absorption performance, but also exhibits more improved absorption speed, permeability, etc., and a method for preparing the same. The superabsorbent polymer includes a base polymer powder including: a first crosslinked polymer of water soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomers having acid groups of which at least a part are neutralized; and a surface crosslink layer that is formed on the base polymer powder, and further includes a second crosslinked polymer in which the first crosslinked polymer is additionally crosslinked by a C2-5 alkylene carbonate, wherein an absorption degree, SFC, an absorption speed, and a porosity fulfill specific ranges.

A superabsorbent polymer (SAP) is a synthetic polymer material that can absorb moisture of 500 to 1000 times its own weight, and is also called a superabsorbent material (SAM), an absorbent gel material (AGM), etc. according to developing companies. The superabsorbent polymer began to be commercialized for sanitary items, and currently, it is being widely used for hygienic goods such as disposable diapers and so on, water-holding materials for soil, water stop materials for civil engineering and architecture, sheets for raising seedling, freshness preservatives in the field of food circulation, a fomentation material, etc.
In most cases, such a superabsorbent polymer is being widely used in the field of hygienic goods such as for diapers, sanitary pads, etc., and for such use, it is required to exhibit high absorption power to moisture, etc., and the absorbed moisture should not escape even under external pressure, and in addition, it should properly maintain its shape even when it absorbs water and the volume is expanded (swollen), while exhibiting excellent permeability.
Recently, with increasing demand for thin diapers, there has been a tendency of decreasing the content of fiber materials such as pulp, etc., in the diapers, with a consequential relative increase in the content of the superabsorbent polymer. Thus, the superabsorbent polymer is required to compensate for the performance of fiber materials of a diaper, and for this, the superabsorbent polymer should have high absorption speed and permeability as well as high absorption capacity.
In order for a superabsorbent polymer to exhibit the above-explained high permeability, basically, superabsorbent polymer particles should absorb moisture and maintain their shape even after being swollen, thus maintaining voids between the particles. This is because the voids between particles can function as a pathway, thus securing excellent permeability of the superabsorbent polymer. For this reason, in order to provide a superabsorbent polymer exhibiting more improved permeability and excellent properties, the superabsorbent polymer should have high gel strength.
Further, in order for the superabsorbent polymer to exhibit higher absorption speed, it should have a porous structure in which multiple micropores are formed, or the internal crosslinking density should be controlled to be relatively low.
However, when a superabsorbent polymer having the porous structure or low internal crosslinking density is prepared, gel strength of the superabsorbent polymer tends to be lowered, and thus a superabsorbent polymer simultaneously having improved permeability and absorption speed has not been properly developed so far.
Further, it is generally known that basic absorption power of a superabsorbent polymer is lowered if the gel strength of the superabsorbent polymer is to be increased, and thus, there is a technical difficulty in improving gel strength and permeability while maximally maintaining excellent absorption power of the superabsorbent polymer.
Therefore, there is a continued demand for the development of a technology capable of providing a superabsorbent polymer that simultaneously exhibits more improved permeability and absorption speed while maintaining excellent absorption performance.

Superabsorbent polymer and method for preparing the same


A form has a zigzag shape, around which an associated electrical cord is wrapped over and under a plurality of times. The form preferably includes at least a portion having a shape corresponding to one of a sine wave, a square wave, a triangle wave, a continuously curved wave, and a xe2x80x9cZxe2x80x9d-shape. The form is preferably retained near an electrical device by a retaining element. The retaining element preferably includes at least one of a partially blocked conduit, a narrowing conduit, a partially blocked tube, a bent tube, and a narrowing tube. The conduit preferably receives the form therein. The interfaces of the associated cord and the form preferably effectuate a frictional locking therebetween.

The invention relates to the electrical power arts. It is especially applicable to strain relief of electrical cords used in home appliances such as lamps, toasters, blenders, radios, coffee makers, and the like. However, the invention will find application in other situations where a cord or supply line provides a consumable element, such as electricity, a fluid, pressurized air, or the like, to a device or apparatus.
Electrical appliances typically receive electrical power via an electrical cord that connects the appliance to an electrical outlet. In the most common situation, a two-wire or three-wire electrical cord is permanently connected to the appliance at a first end and has a two-prong plug or a three-prong grounded plug a second end that connects to an electrical wall receptor to receive electrical power. The attachment of the first end of the cord to the appliance must be physically restrained to prevent the cord from detaching therefrom. Detachment disadvantageously interrupts power to the appliance and requires repair of the cord attachment. Furthermore, physical cord detachment or less drastic damage of the electrical connection of the first end to the appliance due to inadequate strain relief can pose serious electrical shock and fire safety hazards. For these reasons, cord strain relief mechanisms are typically required to meet regulatory agency pull requirements.
A strain relief apparatus for use in conjunction with an electrical cord should meet several additional criteria. Because electrical cords usually connect to an appliance through an electrical conduit, hook, or tube, the strain relief apparatus should be capable of being installed into the conduit, hook, or tube prior to assembly of the unit. This means that the strain relief apparatus should be smaller than the hole that the threaded conduit, hook, or tube is inserted into, and should not interfere with the installation thereof. However, the strain relief apparatus should also be large enough to prevent passage of the apparatus through the exposed end of the conduit, hook, or tube.
Several methods have been used in the past to provide strain relief for electrical cords. A simple method is to place a knot into the cord whereby the end of the cord is prevented from passing through the conduit. Other strain relief devices include a clamping mechanism that restrains the cord. Yet another approach is to use a series of posts to restrain the cord. These prior art approaches have the disadvantage of not always being easily incorporated into a given design because they are not easily applied to the inside of a conduit.
The present invention contemplates an improved electrical cord strain relief apparatus that overcomes the above-mentioned limitations and others.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a strain relief apparatus is disclosed for providing strain relief near the connection of an associated electrical cord with an associated electrical device. A form has a zigzag shape, around which the associated electrical cord is wrapped over and under a plurality of times.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an electrical apparatus is disclosed. An electrical device has an electrical cord with a first end of the cord connected to the electrical device. The cord has a second end adapted to connect with a source of electrical power. A strain relief device is operatively connected with the electrical cord and the electrical device. The strain relief device includes a conduit attached by an end thereof to the electrical device, and a zigzag shaped form disposed inside the conduit and around which the electrical cord is wrapped over and under a plurality of times.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a strain relief apparatus for providing strain relief at an exit point of an associated cord from an associated body is disclosed. A conduit is attached to the associated body. A frictional locking element is disposed inside the conduit and frictionally locks onto the associated cord.

Adjustable electrical cord strain relief apparatus


A contact pin, for insertion into a connector housing, which includes a longitudinal body having a first end and a second end, a retention portion located between the first and second ends, wherein the retention portion includes fins extending outwardly from the longitudinal body, each fin having a side surface and serrations, located on each side surface of each fin.

The invention is described in further detail below with reference to the Figures, wherein like elements are referenced by like numerals throughout.
Electrical contacts, otherwise referred to as terminals or contact pins, are used in the electronics industry in conjunction with printed circuit boards (PCB's), electrical panels, connector cables and other devices, for making electrical connections. As used herein, the terms "electrical" and "electronic", and conjugations thereof, are synonymous and interchangeable, and refer to any component, circuit, device or system which utilizes the principles of electricity in its operation.
A plurality of the contact pins are frequently mounted in an insulative male connector housing, with one end of the contacts extending from the connector housing so as to make mechanical and electrical contact with a female mating connector. In a typical high pin count (HPC) header, for example, which is a commercially available male connector, contacts or wire pins which normally have a circular or square cross section are staked into round holes in a housing. Retention of the pins in the housing is achieved by a press fit, otherwise known as "negative clearance", between the contact pins and the holes of the connector housing. The contact pins are typically made from bronze, brass, steel, stainless steel or copper alloy and the connector housing is typically made from a plastic or resin type material. During the staking process, the holes of the connector housing can become enlarged and deformed due to the negative clearance between the pin and the perimeter of the holes. This degrades the ability of the connector housing to securely hold the contact pins in their proper position and alignment. As used herein, the terms "connector", "header", "housing", and any combination and/or conjugation thereof, are synonymous and interchangeable, and refer to any body, panel, board, device or structure having secured contact pins therein for providing electrical and/or mechanical connections.
It is well known to provide recesses and fins, otherwise known as "stars", on the longitudinal side surface of contact pins to form a retention portion on the contact pins. These star retention portions provide extra holding power when the contact pin is inserted into a connector housing. The recesses and their corresponding fins are formed by stamping technology in which the fins are forced or extruded outwardly as the recesses or grooves are stamped into the retention portion of the contact pin.
Typically, contact pins are formed from square or round wire, or strip metal, made from either steel, stainless steel, bronze, brass or copper alloy. The star feature is a section of the pin that has been expanded by striking the square section, or diameter, of the wire or strip with chisel-like tools on four sides at the same time. This action causes four "V" shaped depressions to be produced in the wire. Between the depressions, a fin is raised above the original diameter or in the case of a square wire, above the diagonal dimension of the wire. Therefore, the star feature is an enlarged portion of the contact pin and is used to provide increased press fit between the contact pin and a hole of a connector housing.
Even with the utilization of these star retention features, however, the connector industry is plagued by defective connectors due to inadequate retention of the contact pins in their connector housings. Many problems occur in connectors due to loose contact pins. These pins may fall out or move partially out of their intended position causing mechanical and/or electrical failure. Past solutions that have been proposed to solve this problem have included increasing the amount of press fit, or negative clearance, between the holes of a connector housing and the contact pins. This is accomplished by making the star feature larger or the hole smaller. However, this approach has not been effective because it has caused cracking or warpage of the connector housing. Similarly, contact headers on PC boards, or the PC boards themselves, have been known to break or crack if a pin, or the star feature of a pin, is too large.


A dosimeter and method of measuring an absorbed dose of ionizing radiation using the dosimeter comprising at least one first region containing a radiation sensitive material, and a second region containing an identification mark are described, wherein the method includes the steps of: providing a first region including a radiation sensitive material capable of measuring an absorbed dose of ionizing radiation; providing a second region bearing an identification mark; exposing at least the first region to a dose of ionizing radiation; and reading the signal from the first region. The dosimeter can be used to track location and irradiation of an associated good.

There are various processes that utilize radiation, for example, sterilization of materials; radiation therapy of biological subjects, including blood, people, and animals; food and crop irradiation for keeping properties or removal of pests, for example, pasteurization; alteration of material properties, for example, polymerization or cross-linking; quality checking, such as for cables, gel used in electrode surgery, and curing of inks in food labeling; and security scanning. These processes have a need to verify the administration of radiation, and/or the dosage of radiation administered.
There are a large number of different methods available to determine a dosage of radiation received by a subject or emitted from a material or machine, which methods are referred to as dosimetry. For example, methods of determining radiation doses can include, but are not limited to, ion dosimetry (ionization in air), calorimetry (for example, the determination of radiation-induced heat in carbon or metals), thermoluminescence dosimetry (luminescence in solids), and amino acid dosimetry.
The formation of radicals in solid organic substances on irradiation has been observed and the concentration of these radicals is proportional to the absorbed dose of radiation over a wide range of radiation doses. The radical concentrations can be determined easily by means of electron spin resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Amino acids, for example, alanine, have been widely used for this purpose due to availability and the relative simplicity of incorporating amino acids into practical dosimeters.
Amino acid dosimetry is an accepted method to determine the radiation dose of different irradiation processes. On irradiating with ionizing radiation, radicals are produced in amino acids like alanine, for example, L-alanine or L-methylalanine, and the radicals are stable for long periods of time. The stability of the radicals is mainly due to the inhibition of radical-radical recombinations in the crystalline structure of the amino acid material, which prevents the migration of large molecule fragments. Non-destructive evaluation of the radical concentration in the amino acid can be done using EPR spectroscopy.
The use of EPR to determine an amount of radiation dose received by an amino acid requires a sensitive, robust and reliable instrument that can be serviced by a laboratory worker. A useful instrument provides such features as automated procedures for calibration and measurement of radiation dosages. Careful adjustment of an EPR spectrometer and the selection of suitable dosimeters allow the determination of dose rates in a range from 2 Gy to 200 kGy with a total uncertainty of 3.5% (confidence level of 95%).
Amino acid dosimeters are small, stable, and easy to handle. They are characterized by their large measuring range and a low sensitivity to temperature and humidity. This allows for their application in all types of radiation therapy, including the irradiation of blood, as well as in industrial facilities for irradiation of food and other goods. An advantage of the use of alanine dosimeters over inorganic dosimeter systems when measuring dosages applied to such organic materials is that the radiation absorption in the alanine-based dosimeters is closer to the radiation absorption in the organic materials being irradiated. This allows for improved dose measurement in such circumstances.
An amino acid dosimeter system can be used for reference and routine dosimetry due to its high quality and low costs. An example of an amino acid dosimeter is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,107, wherein the dosimeter includes amine salts or organic acids.
Alanine dosimeters are well known in the art. For example, in the reference: T. Kojima et al., "Alanine Dosimeters Using Polymers As Binders," Applied Radiation & Isotopes, vol. 37, No. 6 (1986), Pergamon Journals Ltd., pp. 517–520, there are numerous references to alanine dosimeters made in pellet, rod, and film formats. Dosimeters have been made both by industrial laboratories and at academic institutions. These dosimeters can be in the form of molded pellets or rods. The alanine is generally blended with a synthetic or natural rubber, compounded, and molded under pressure to form a variety of shapes, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,714, JP 203276B, JP 01-025085A, and JP 61-578788. There are also references in the literature to extruded alanine films, as in JP 01-102388A. These extruded products, while working well, have several deficiencies. Their manufacture often requires the use of high pressures and temperatures during the molding process, requiring molding equipment that limits the sizes and shapes of available products. Molded dosimeters are also limited in that only moldable polymeric binders may be used. The use of molded dosimeters is also somewhat restrictive, as the size of the dosimeters tends to be very small, leading to difficulties in handling, and possibly loss during irradiation or subsequent handling of associated irradiated materials.
A potential solution to these difficulties would be an amino acid dosimeter formed of a length and width that allow easy handling, for example, coated onto a flexible support wherein the support serves to hold the amino acid and provide the user with a material that is easy to handle. Such a coated dosimeter has been described in DE 19637471A, wherein the alanine is coated from one of two specific binders, a polyoctenamer or polystyrene. Both of these binders are brittle materials and make the coating of thick alanine layers with good mechanical properties very difficult, especially when the thickness of the dosimeter layer is >100 microns. The ability to bend and shape the amino acid dosimeter coated on a support can be very important in some applications, and the lack of flexibility is a significant limitation of the coated dosimeters described in the art.
The response of an alanine dosimeter to ionizing radiation is proportional to the amount of alanine coated on the dosimeter. While within a given manufacturing batch the coated coverage may be very uniform, batch-to-batch variation makes it very important that dosimeters from a given batch be identifiable so calibration standards can be developed and used. Identification of one dosimeter from another can also be important, in case the dosimeter is separated from the goods with which it is meant to be associated. Such identification information for film dosimeters has been placed on film holders, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,610.
Radiation processing and dose traceability are an integral part of the quality assurance of many fields, for example, medical products, including blood processing; food products, including tobacco, milk, and grains where the radiation is used for sterilization or pest control; and adhesives and inks, where the radiation is used for cross-linking or drying processes. Accurate quantitative dosimeters are important in optimizing radiation processing as well as in providing quality assurance for an item or product that has been irradiated. There is a further need to link the dosimeter to the irradiated product throughout manufacture, shipping, and possibly even usage by the consumer.
It would be useful to have a reliable method of measuring an absorbed dose of ionizing radiation, such as a dosimeter, wherein the dosimeter bears an identification mark that identifies the source and origin of the dosimeter, uniquely identifies the dosimeter from all other dosimeters, or both. It would further be useful to have a dosimeter that is flexible, easily handled, and reliably associated with a particular irradiated good.

Method and element for measuring radiation


Techniques for handling events are provided. In one embodiment, a computer system can create a plurality of I/O handles for receiving events. The computer system can further partition the plurality of I/O handles into one or more subsets, where events received via I/O handles in the same subset are correlated and events received via I/O handles in different subsets are uncorrelated. The computer system can then delegate each I/O handle in the plurality of I/O handles to a poll thread in a plurality of poll threads, where I/O handles in the same subset are delegated to the same poll thread.

Many types of server applications and system-level services operate according to an event-driven paradigm; in other words, they monitor for events from one or more event sources and then process the events using event handling logic. In recent years, there has been an increasing need to scale the performance of such applications/services in order to handle very large numbers of concurrent events. This need, along with the proliferation of multiprocessor computer systems, has led many developers to implement multithreading for parallelizing event processing across multiple threads/processors.
One common approach for implementing multithreading in an event-driven application involves reserving a single thread as a poll thread and a pool of threads as worker threads. The poll thread monitors for incoming events on all of the active connections between the application and event sources, where each active connection is represented by an I/O handle (e.g., a network socket, a file descriptor, etc.). The set of monitored I/O handles comprise the poll thread's poll list. The poll thread typically implements this monitoring functionality using an event de-multiplexer, such as the select( ) or poll( ) system call available in UNIX. When the poll thread detects an event via the event de-multiplexer, the poll thread reads the event from its corresponding I/O handle and schedules a task to be performed for the event in a task queue. One of the worker threads thereafter picks up the task from the task queue and processes the task using an appropriate event handler.
While the foregoing approach is functional, it also suffers from a number of inefficiencies and disadvantages. First, traditional event de-multiplexers (e.g., the UNIX select( ) and poll( ) system calls) generally do not scale well with the number of concurrent I/O handles being monitored. Thus, if the size of the poll thread's poll list grows to be very long, the poll thread can become a bottleneck for overall application throughput and performance. Second, multiple worker threads may require access to the same resource (e.g., file, database table, etc.) simultaneously. This may occur if, for example, back-to-back tasks in the task queue require invocation of the same event handler. To account for this, the application developer must write synchronization code in order to avoid resource deadlocks and race conditions between worker threads, which significantly complicates application design and testing. Third, threads tend to block on synchronization primitives. This means that, in order to avoid running out of free worker threads (which are synchronized as mentioned above), the worker thread pool size must be fairly large. This, in turn, can lead to reduced performance due to context switching, cache thrashing, and other problems that occur when a large number of threads are constantly loaded and unloaded on a smaller number of processors.

Multithreaded event handling using partitioned event de-multiplexers


An epoxy resin adhesive composition has excellent adhesive properties such as impact resistance, tensile shear strength and T-peel strength as well as excellent semi-gelling property. An epoxy resin adhesive composition comprising ionic crosslinking in a polymer utilized as the impact resistance modifier has not only excellent semi-gelling property and mechanical properties of cured products but also excellent storage stability for a long time and it is advantageously utilized when the application occasionally requires storage or standing of the material for one month to one year at the room temperature. The epoxy resin adhesive composition comprises an epoxy resin, a powder core/shell polymer and a heat activation type hardener for epoxy resins. The powder core/shell polymer is composed of a core comprising an acrylate polymer or a methacrylate polymer having a glass transition temperature of -30.degree. C. or lower and a shell comprising an acrylate polymer or a methacrylate polymer comprising crosslinking monomer units having a glass transition temperature of 70.degree. C. or higher and weight ratio of the core to the shell is in the range from 10/1 to 1/4.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel epoxy resin adhesive composition. More particularly, it relates to an epoxy resin adhesive composition comprising a powder core/shell polymer in which the core and the shell comprise an acrylate polymer or a methacrylate polymer and having excellent impact resistance and semi-gelling property simultaneously.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Epoxy resins have various excellent properties and have been widely utilized in various applications such as adhesives, adhesive films, bulk resins, resins for casting, resins for powder molding, coating materials, sealing materials for electronic circuits, base materials for various composites and the like other applications.
However, epoxy resins have a problem that impact resistance is insufficient and naturally various improvements have been made to solve the problem. The methods of improving the impact resistance of epoxy resins can be divided into two major kinds, which are improvement by modifying chemical structure of the epoxy resin itself and improvement by addition of an impact resistance modifier prepared separately to the epoxy resin. Methods of the former kind alone cannot provide an epoxy resin having satisfactory impact resistance.
As methods of the latter kind, the following methods have been known: (1) addition of a soluble elastomer monomer to the epoxy resin before curing, followed by polymerization of both components; (2) addition of a compatible elastomer polymer to the epoxy resin before curing; and (3) dispersion of fine particles of an impact resistance modifier polymer in the epoxy resin before curing. As an example of the method (1), a method of forming rubber domains of 0.1 to 0.2 .mu.m in an epoxy resin by forming SIPN (Simultaneous interpenetrating networks) of n-butyl acrylate in the resin was reported (Journal of Polymer Science, Symposium, volume 46, pages 175.about.190 (1974). This method has the problems that softening point of the resin is generally decreased and that consistent mechanical strength cannot be obtained. As the method (2), various methods have been known about rubber modification of the resin by addition of an elastomer component such as butadiene acrylonitrile copolymer rubber having a carboxyl group and an amino group as the terminal groups of the molecule. Some of these methods have been practically applied but the adhesives prepared by these methods do not have satisfactory impact resistance or toughness for use as a structural adhesive. As the method (3), various kinds of impact resistance modifier have been proposed but none of them have sufficient semi-gelling property.
It is generally known that addition of a rubber component having a glass transition temperature of -30.degree. C. or lower as an impact resistance modifier of a plastic improves the impact resistance of the plastic remarkably by absorption of external stress by the modifier. However, when many of the rubber components of this kind are mixed with a matrix of an epoxy resin in a liquid state, the dispersion tends to be affected by the conditions of mixing and viscosity of the composition prepared is unstable during storage. Thus, this kind of material is not practical for use as an adhesive for automobiles to which storage stability for a long time is required.
Semi-gelling property is another important property for epoxy resin adhesives. It is known that a core/shell type modifier comprising (meth)acrylate polymer is effective for providing an epoxy resin composition with the semi-gelling property (Japanese Laid Open Patent Application Heisei 2-80483). The semi-gelling property is the property whereby an adhesive in a liquid form or a paste form solidifies to a non-adhesive or adhesive solid form by heating at a temperature lower than the heat curing temperature and, in this form, the adhesive is still in a fragile condition because the epoxy resin component is not hardened yet. The semi-gelling property has the following advantage. In the automobile industry, a metal substrate is sometimes subject to workings such as folding, cutting, degreasing and acid treatment after it has been applied with a heat curing adhesive composition based on an epoxy resin. During the workings, problems are likely to arise that adhesives may be separated from the substrate or scattered, that excess adhesive material sticking out of the part of adhesion must be removed to deteriorate the working environment and that a pretreatment solution of coating is contaminated by elution of the adhesive material. The semi-gelling of the adhesive composition by heating for a short time after application of the adhesive composition on the substrate makes removal of the excess adhesive material from the substrate easier and the problem of the contamination of the pretreatment solution of coating can be solved at the same time.


A dual orientation connector assembly for mating with a mating connector in two directions, including: an insulative housing defining a side wall, a printed circuit board (PCB) received in the housing, a mating member soldered on the PCB, a cable extending from an end of the insulative housing, and a magnetic component disposed in the insulative housing to provide a retaining force for retaining to the mating connector. The mating member includes a mounting portion received in the insulative housing, a mating portion extending out of the side wall of the insulative housing for mating with the mating connector, and a number of terminals mounted in the mating portion. The mating portion includes a first surface and an opposite second surface. The first surface and the second surface have the same number of the terminals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dual orientation connector assembly, and more particularly to magnetic components of the dual orientation connector assembly.
2. Description of Related Arts
U.S. Pat. No. 8,790,120, issued on Jul. 29, 2014, discloses a receptacle and an electric connector. The receptacle of the portable electronic device has at least one magnetic component, and the electric connector includes at least one magnetic component. The magnetic component may be adhered to the contact surface of the sliding base through an adhesive tape. A magnetic polarity of the magnetic component of the electric connector is different from a magnetic polarity of the magnetic component of the receptacle.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0210244, published on Aug. 15, 2013, discloses a magnetic connector system including portions of connector insert and connector receptacle. Connector receptacle may include one or more magnets, which may be covered by label. Connector insert may include an attraction plate. Magnetic field lines originating in first magnet may pass through the label and the attraction plate and terminate in second magnet. Magnetic field lines originating in a North pole of magnet may pass through label and attraction plate and terminate at a South pole of magnet. The attraction force between the first and the second magnets makes the connector insert and connector receptacle engage to each other.
An improved dual orientation connector assembly is desired to offer advantages over the related art.

Dual orientation connector assembly with interior magnetic component


This invention relates to a process for applying a stabilization layer to at least one side of copper foil comprising contacting said side of said copper foil with an electrolyte solution comprising zinc ions, chromium ions and at least one hydrogen inhibitor. This invention also relates to copper foils treated by the foregoing process, and to laminates comprising a dielectric substrate and copper foil treated by the foregoing process adhered to said dielectric substrate.

Copper foil is used in the production of printed circuit boards. Although an excellent electronic conductor, there are problems inherent with the use of such foil. Copper is easily oxidized and corroded. In the production of printed circuit boards, it is generally necessary to bond the copper foil to a dielectric substrate to provide the foil with dimensional and structural stability. As plated or rolled, the adhesion of copper foil to such substrates is generally insufficient. Copper is also known to accelerate or catalyze the decomposition of dielectric substrates. For these reasons, copper foil is typically sold with one or more protective layers applied to its surface.
The current practice for applying adhesion enhancement and protective layers to copper foil typically involves the following sequence of steps. (1) A nodularized or dendritic copper layer is deposited on the foil surface. This dendritic layer can be applied to either the matte side or the shiny side of the foil, or to both sides of the foil. The dendritic layer is applied to roughen and thereby increase mechanical interlocking between the dielectric substrate and foil surface in order to increase the adhesion strength of the foil. (2) A barrier layer is then deposited on the dendritic layer of copper from step (1). This barrier layer is added to prevent thermal degradation of the metal-resin interface, thereby maintaining adhesion of the foil to the resin. (3) A stabilization layer of zinc and chromium is then applied to both sides of the foil. The stabilization layer aids in oxidation resistance, shelf-life and humidity durability. (4) A silane layer is applied over the stabilization layer to enhance adhesion and to improve humidity durability.
In copper foils having a metallic stabilization layer deposited from an electrolyte solution containing no hydrogen inhibitor, two weaknesses have been noted. The first such weakness is the problem of high temperature oxidation ("HTO"), which generally exists at some temperature for any copper foil. The stabilization layer is intended to reduce the HTO problem, but the benefit obtained is limited in known systems.
The second such weakness results from evolution of hydrogen at the metal surface during electrodeposition of the stabilization layer onto the metal surface. Hydrogen evolved at the surface causes local increases in pH, which in turn cause precipitation of dissolved species onto the metal surface, resulting in spots on the finished copper foil.
The prior art has failed to adequately address these weaknesses.

Zinc-chromium stabilizer containing a hydrogen inhibiting additive


A vehicle proximity switch and method are provided having lockout control for controlling a movable panel on a vehicle. The switch includes a proximity sensor such, as a capacitive sensor, installed in a vehicle and providing a sense activation field. The proximity switch also includes control circuitry for processing the sense activation field to sense user activation of the switch and controls functionality when one or more lockout sensors are activated.

Automotive vehicles are typically equipped with various user actuated switches, such as switches for operating devices including powered windows, moonroofs or sunroofs, and various other devices. Generally, these types of switches need to be actuated by a user in order to activate or deactivate a device or perform some type of control function. Proximity switches, such as capacitive switches, employ one or more proximity sensors to generate a sense activation field and sense changes to the activation field indicative of user actuation of the switch, typically caused by a user's finger in close proximity or contact with the sensor. Proximity switches are typically configured to detect user actuation of the switch based on a comparison of the sense activation field to a threshold. Inadvertent contact or proximity with the switch may cause a non-intended operation, such as closure of a moonroof. It is desirable to provide for an enhanced proximity switch that reduces or prevent inadvertent activations.

Proximity switch having lockout control for controlling movable panel


A drill pipe screen transporter device rotatably couples a drill pipe screen to a transporter for its insertion and/or extraction into and out of a derrick assembly. A first plate assembly has a first base plate; and first and second spacer plates have arcuate notches for engaging the transporter. U-shaped bolts secure the first plate assembly to the transporter. A second plate assembly rotatably connected to the first plate assembly, has an aperture for supporting the screen. A collar assembly, spacer collar and pivot pin rotatably attach the second base plate to the first base plate for rotation of the screen relative to the transporter. A swivel stopper engages the first base plate of the first plate assembly when the second plate assembly is rotated a predetermined amount. A counterweight located opposite to the swivel stopper returns the second plate assembly to its initial horizontal positioning.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of well drilling, and more in particular to the field of transporting well drilling accessories. More particularly, the present invention relates to a drill pipe screen transporter device, which is fixedly attached to a transporter, and which drill pipe screen transporter device supports a drill pipe screen for inserting and/or extracting the drill pipe screen into and out of a derrick assembly.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
During bore hole forming and completion operations, it is necessary to make up and/or break down long strings of tubular articles, such as drill pipes and casings. A string of drill pipe may be thousands of feet long. It may, therefore, be necessary to transport pipe joints which have a length ranging from between approximately 28 to 32 feet from a pipe rack, which is generally located away from the rig up to the rig floor. When being tripped out of the derrick, the string of drill pipe is generally broken into separate joints and returned to the pipe rack.
The handling of oil well pipe is one of the most dangerous jobs on a drilling rig. Some of the pipe joints may weigh thousands of pounds, making it difficult to move the pipe from a horizontal position below and away from the rig into a vertical position overlying the center of the hole in the rig.
In drilling wells of this type, it is common practice to provide a derrick of suitable height in order to accommodate the handling of drill pipes, casing tubing, and other types of pipes used in the drilling of the well and in producing oil from the well. For example, presently a derrick is constructed which is approximately 135 feet high and which is provided with suitable hoisting devices for handling drill pipe in approximately 80 foot sections. These sections are commonly known as "fourbles" and generally are comprised of four standard drill pipes. Each of the drill pipes are about twenty feet long, and are coupled together as a unit.
The use of drilling fluids for the drilling of oil and gas wells is well known. The drilling fluid serves many purposes, such as, for example, suppression of reservoir pressure; lubrication of the drill pipes; and cooling of the bottom hole assemblies. The bottom hole assemblies may contain components such as, for example, bits, stabilizers, and drilling tools. Often times, the bottom hole assemblies contain electronic devices, such as, for example, microprocessors and sensors. The microprocessors are used to collect and/or transmit data which are collected by the sensors located in the bottom-hole assemblies.
Fluids used in drilling may contain different components, such as, for example, mud, chemicals, drill cuttings, and metal shavings. The particle size of these components may vary from one micron to several inches. Additionally, the rig crew may inadvertently drop tools, gloves, rags and other undesired objects into the well bore. The undesirable debris is generally detrimental to the derrick and/or the transporters. For example, this debris can cause failures in the electrical components located in the bottom aperture assemblies of the derrick. Therefore, the derrick operators may find it highly desirable to filter the drilling fluid in order to remove the debris.
In the drilling of a subterranean rock formation, tubing, such as a drill stem assembly or a drill pipe string, conducts drill mud or drilling fluids down hole to the tools in the derrick. These tools may be a mud motors or drill bits. Drilling fluids are circulated down hole through the tubing for a several reasons, one of which, for example, involves the carrying of the drill cuttings up an annulus about the tubing of the derrick, and to the surface for screening, reconditioning and recirculation. In drilling with coiled tubing, mud motors are powered by the flow of drilling fluids and are used to rotate the bit. In conventional rotary drilling, the drill pipe string is used to rotate the drill bits. In either case, there are one or more connections in which a drill pipe screen can be installed in order to intercept the debris and other oversize material which are carried by the drilling fluids and which material could interfere with the down hole tools. Ideally, a retrievable drill pipe screen is used such that the drill pipe screen may be occasionally removed, cleaned, and reinstalled without having to extract the tubing from the derrick hole.
In the drilling of subterranean wells, it is often desirable to filter the drilling fluid so that the drilling fluid does not contain any solids which can plug or damage any of the down-hole tools. It, therefore, has been common practice to install a filter at the mud pump. However, this filter has often proved to be inadequate, providing no protection for debris that may be accidentally dropped into the tubular drill string, especially during the process of assemblage of the tubular drill string on the rig floor. To alleviate this potential problem, mud screens have been inserted into the tubular drill string. However, these mud screens have had the disadvantage of being cumbersome to install and even more difficult to remove and/or to clean. In most instances, the removal of the mud screens can only be accomplished by tripping the pipe out of the hole, which may be impossible if the pipe is stuck. If left in place, the down-hole screen will generally act to block any tools, such as, for example, survey instruments, string shots and other devices which may be necessary for the drilling operation. In some instances, the down-hole screen may become plugged, thereby resulting in limiting the flow of fluid until the down-hole screen is removed and cleaned. Down-hole screens, heretofore, have not been able to be removed from the derrick without running the risk of the debris captured by the down-hole screen escaping from the during its removal, resulting in plugging the down-hole devices that were initially meant to be protected.
Sand control screens are utilized for various reasons in subterranean wells. The term "sand control screen" derives from it early use in preventing the production of sand along with fluids from formations. A sand control screen is typically suspended from the production tubing extending in to the earth's surface and positioned in a wellbore opposite a productive formation. In this way, the sand control screen excludes the produced sand while permitting the valuable fluids to enter the tubing for transport to the earth's surface.
Other operations in which sand control screens are utilized include fracturing and gravel packing operations. In fracturing and gravel packing operations, material referred to as "proppant" or "gravel" is usually suspended in slurry, and pumped down the tubing and into the annular space between the sand control screen and the metal casing lining the wellbore. This material typically accumulates in the annular space and eventually fills the annular space to completely cover the exterior surface of the sand control screen. The sand control screen prevents this material from being pumped back to the earth's surface.
It is well known to those skilled in the art that a screen be retrievably attached to and suspended from production tubing. Such screens provide a means of retrieval and replacement of the screens adjacent to a productive formation.
In the past, choker straps or cinch straps have been used to insert and extract a drill pipe screen from a derrick. However, these straps tend to become loosened or unconnected thereby dropping the drill pipe screen.
These prior art devices generally include a cylindrical screen that has an external fishing neck. However, these types of devices have many disadvantages. For instance, the openings contained in the top have a limited flow-through area. Additionally, the external fishing neck has an inherent weak point at the stem, thereby making it possible for the stem to break off while in the tubular members, which would be highly undesirable and/or dangerous, as those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize.
There is, therefore, a need in the art to provide a device for handling a drill pipe screen in a more efficient and safer manner compared to the prior art devices.


A headrest cover for a headrest frame wherein the headrest cover has a connector with clips for securing the headrest cover to the headrest frame to prevent torsional motion of the headrest cover with respect to the headrest frame. The connector on the headrest cover further has stop members in contact with the ends of the headrest frame to prevent longitudinal motion of the headrest cover with respect to headrest frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the area of medical equipment, and more particularly, to a cover for a surgical headrest which is removably mounted to a headrest frame.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Various pieces of therapeutic or other medical equipment require support for the patient's head. Such support is typically provided by a metal headrest frame for supporting the head and a headrest cover removably attached to the frame for receiving the head. One cover, manufactured and sold by the assignee of the present invention, is comprised of a gel filled pad having a VELCRO.RTM. strip on the back of the pad which joins with a mating VELCRO.RTM. strip attached to the headrest frame. In use, the forces applied to the headrest cover by the head of a patient during use have an undesirable tendency to rotate or shift the headrest cover with respect to the headrest frame. The tendency of the headrest cover to rotate or shift represents a potential disruption to the procedure being undergone by the patient, and further represents a potential discomfort to the patient. In addition, the VELCRO.RTM. strips have a disadvantage of being difficult to clean and sterilize for subsequent use.


A synchronizer apparatus for a transmission includes: first and second shifting gears rotatable on an output shaft; a hub spline-coupled with the output shaft and having a slope portion having slanted surfaces; a sleeve spline-coupled with the hub; a key coupled with a recess of a slope portion; first and second clutch gears disposed between the hub and shifting gears; first and second outer rings and first and second inner rings disposed between the hub and clutch gears; first and second synchronizer cones disposed between the first inner and outer rings and the second inner and outer rings; a poppet ball unit disposed at the sleeve and contacting the key through a poppet ball; first and second push blocks disposed at the slanted surfaces; and first and second push springs inserted in spring holes formed at the push blocks to force push blocks to the slanted surfaces.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A synchronizer apparatus for a transmission of a vehicle is typically a device for synchronously coupling a shifting gear (i.e., a speed gear) to an output shaft by an operation of a shift fork.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a typical synchronizer apparatus for a transmission.
Referring to FIG. 1, in a typical synchronizer apparatus for a transmission, a hub 3 is spline coupled with an output shaft 1, and a sleeve 5 is arranged on teeth on an exterior circumference of the hub 3 and movable in an axial direction.
A shifting gear 7 is arranged on the output shaft 1 and a bearing B is interposed between the shifting gear 7 and the output shaft 1 such that the shifting gear 7 may rotate relatively to the output shaft 1. A clutch gear 9 is arranged in an interior side of the shifting gear 7 to integrally rotate with the shifting gear 7.
A synchronizer ring 11 is disposed between the clutch gear 9 and the hub 3, to synchronously couple the clutch gear 9 and the hub 3 by a movement of the sleeve 5.
Key balls 13 are disposed between the hub 3 and the sleeve 5 at three circumferential locations such that the sleeve 5 may have a principal location.
The key balls 13 are elastically abutted by a spring 17 installed in a key ball housing 15 formed at the hub 3, and thereby maintaining contact with a groove G formed on an interior circumference of the sleeve 5.
When the sleeve 5 moves in the axial direction during the shifting operation, the synchronizer ring 11 is coupled with a cone portion 9a of the clutch gear 9 by a conical clutch operation.
During a shifting operation, the shift fork 21 activated by an actuator 20 pushes the sleeve 5 in the axial direction.
Then, the sleeve 5 moves with the key ball 13 in the groove G, thereby also moving the key ball housing 15, and therefore the synchronizer ring 11 is engaged with the cone portion 9a of the clutch gear 9.
When the synchronizer ring 11 and the clutch gear 9 are engaged, the hub 3 and the shifting gear 7 are rotationally synchronized. In this state, the sleeve 5 further moves in the axial direction to be engaged with the clutch gear 9 as well as the synchronizer ring 11.
Since the hub 3 and the shifting gear 7 are mechanically engaged, the shifting gear 7 is synchronously coupled with the output shaft 1 to rotate at a same rotation speed.
According to such a synchronizer apparatus, a neutral period, during which torque transmission is cut off, is involved during the shifting process, thereby deteriorating shift feel and increasing a shifting time.
According to such a conventional synchronizer apparatus, it is notable that only an engaged synchronizer ring 11 is synchronized with a speed gear, and a disengaged synchronizer ring 11 is not synchronized with a speed gear.
We have discovered that when the shift fork moves fast during the shifting operation, the sleeve 5 may collide with a stopper of the clutch gear 9 so that an impact noise is generated, thereby deteriorating shift feel.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


A method and apparatus for authentication of data includes inputting of data into a first layer of a hashing function for rotation based hashing, then inputting results from the first layer to a second layer of the hashing function for substitution based hashing. Feedback is provided from the second layer to the first layer and digests are output from the first and second layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data security, and more particularly to authentication of data. Data may need to be authenticated, for example, for securing it against attacks during transmission or transportation over a data network. Authentication may also be required when data is stored in a database that is accessible by users who may not be authorized to access the data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data security can be provided by means of encryption and ciphering. The purpose of these functions is to shield data so that unauthorized users cannot read the content of the data. Another security feature is known as authentication. The authentication functions are for verifying that the data is authentic, for example, that the data is correct and has not been altered by unauthorized parties.
Authentication can be provided, for example, by means of hashing. The hashing may sometimes be referred to by the term signing. A hash function generates an output known as the digests. The results, i.e. the digests, can then be used to authenticate data. In a possible operation, a sender of data uses a hash function to generate data-related digests. The digests are then sent along with the data. Before using the data, a receiver may then first authenticate it based on the digest. That is, the receiver ensures that the received data is correct. In order to do so, the receiver may use the same hash function as the sender to hash the data and to get the data-related digests. The receiver may then compare the hashed digests with the received digests. If they are the same, then data is correct.
Hash functions are used in various applications. For example, hashing can be used to authenticate data in communication and to generate session keys. Another example is the use of hashing to hash a password. The digests may be used such that in the login the system, for example a computer or a network, hashes the password and compares the digests with the digests stored in the system. Even if an attacker could catch the digests, the attacker would still need to find a way to break the digests.
Examples of conventional hashing algorithms include various versions of algorithms known by the names SHA and MD5. Both MD5 and SHA hash messages to produce message related digests. The conventional hash functions only support a fixed length of digest. For example, SHA-1 can only generate a 160-bit digest. One SHA-2 implementation can only generate a 256-bit digest, a 384-bit digest or a 512-bit digest. That is, an SHA-2 implementation can still generate only a fixed length digest.
A number of data processing applications use SHA-1 as the authentication function. Should the SHA-1 be broken into by an attacker, then all of those applications would need to be updated or even re-implemented. This may cause a lot of trouble. An entirely new authentication implementation may be needed, including a lot of coding and debugging. The hash functions are typically categorised as security issues, and thus new codes cannot usually be downloaded from open networks or from free areas, as there is a risk, for example, that the code contains "Backdoors". Furthermore, a variety of platforms exists and the coding has to be platform-specific. Finally, the new hash implementation has to be installed. The installation may need to be done in a number of locations. User may need to be trained for the new hash functions, and so on.
This extensive amount of extra work might be avoided were it possible to extend the digest. Extendable digests might be useful since it might enable addressing the situation where the initial short digest is broken by extending the initial digests rather than updating or replacing the entire algorithm.

Method and apparatus for authentication of data using different hash functions and feedback


A device (1) fills a flexible pouch (100) with medicinal fluids. The pouch is mounted with its distal end (113) upward and attached to a filling infuser (110) which is supported in a supporting bore (121). A neck end of the supply container (200) which carries a resilient cap (202) is inserted into the bore such that the filling infuser pierces the cap. A flexible bladder (31) or a squeeze bulb (33) is connected with an air inlet (116) of the filling infuser to inject pressurized air into the supply container and accelerate the transfer of medicinal liquids from the supply container to the flexible pouch.

The present invention concerns a filling apparatus for a flexible pouch.
The invention finds particular advantage, but not exclusive, in the field of the injection of liquids in medicine.
In medicine, the injection of liquids is currently employed notably during giving transfusions, perfusions, artificial nutrition vascularly or digestively, injections of contrast agents, etc. Of all the known techniques, the high pressure injection of liquid contained in flexible pouches constitutes one of the best in medicine for achieving satisfactory hygiene.
The principle consists of using a flexible pouch which, like its name indicates, is typically made of a pouch of flexible material containing in one part a medical liquid for injection and equipped at another part with a reusable fitting. This fitting is for connection, possibly by an intermediate tube of adequate length, to a detachable injection conduit, such as a catheter or a hypodermic needle. The flexible pouch is then placed in an enclosure containing an inert liquid capable of being put under pressure for the purpose of compressing the pouch, forcing the liquid to flow out through the injection conduit, possibly through the intermediate tube.
If the injection of liquid contained in the flexible pouch constitutes a technically satisfactory operation, the refilling of the pouch properly is a time consuming operation since it is carried out just by gravity. One uses generally a filling device constituted by simply a refilling infuser that is put in place manually removable from the end of the reusable fitting of the flexible pouch.
The refilling infuser typically includes two conduits. The first conduit connects its distal end, that is intended to be connected to other external devices, to its proximal end that is intended to be connected to the internal volume of the flexible pouch. The second conduit connects the same distal end to an air inlet leading to the exterior and typically coupled to a filter that is impermeable by liquids.
When refilling the flexible pouch, the refilling infuser is simply maintained vertically, such that its distal end is oriented toward the top such that the later can be forced through the cap of a supply container that is oriented such that it is toward the bottom. The air inlet can then play its role of permitting the entrance of air to the interior of the supply container via the second conduit and consequently the out flow of liquids out of the supply container by the first conduit. The liquid then is going to be forced to flows out through the connection to refill the flexible pouch.
This type of filling device functioning just by gravity presents many times the inconvenience of rendering the filling operation particularly long.
The technical problem to be resolved, by the object of the present invention, is to propose a filling device for a flexible pouch, intended to introduce a liquid into a flexible pouch connected to a filling infuser by pressurizing an air inlet, filling device that will permit the avoidance of the problems of the prior technique permitting an acceleration just of the out flow of liquid into the flexible pouch and hence rapid refilling.


A system and method for transmitting DS3 signals over long distances over a plurality of twisted pair conductors is provided. A DS3 interface is provided. The DS3 signal is inversely multiplexed into a plurality of data streams. Overhead is added to the data streams to generate packets having stream identifiers and packet number identifiers. At the receive end, received packets are synchronized using the stream and packet number identifiers, and multiplexed back into a DS3 signal. Systems according to embodiments of the invention are compatible with existing loopback codes, passing through a first loopback code received, and optionally entering a loopback mode where more than one loopback code is received consecutively without an intervening loop down code being received. The incorporated technology permits very small packaging and thereby permits use in small outdoor enclosures. Connection interfaces adapt automatically to the application and provide further conveniences for use in telephone company outdoor cabinets.

DS3 is a high speed data transport format which has been defined and used internally by the U.S. phone companies for many years. Recently, the need for high speed service to businesses has increased the demand for DS3 service, but in many cases the service cannot be delivered. DS3 signals are carried over coaxial cable, but have a range of only 450 feet, and the interface is only suitable for indoor use. Typically, the solution is to multiplex the DS3 onto a fiber optic signal and install fiber in the ground to provide service. However, the fiber optic equipment is expensive and the fiber installation is very expensive. Unless these expenses are justified, and the rights to install the cable are available, DS3 service has not been available.
At present, there are three ways to deliver a DS3 to a business. First, the DS3 can be multiplexed into a Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) stream, typically at the OC3 rate of 155.52 Mbps. The equipment to perform this function is typically very expensive and ⅔rds of the bandwidth is wasted if only one DS3 is needed. Second, the DS3 can be divided into 28 DS1 signals with a rate of 1.544 Mbps each. The DS1s are hardened for outdoor application and have a reach of 6000 feet. Repeaters are readily available to extend the reach. However, this solution requires 56 twisted pairs, and furthermore not all DS3 signals are formatted in a way which allows them to be broken into DS1s. Finally, devices are known which can carry a DS3 over copper pairs, but these require up to 22 pairs. In addition, these devices are physically large, and require more power than embodiments of the present invention. Also, these devices are incapable of transmitting high speed data, such as a DS3 data stream, over a small number of twisted pair conductors.

Apparatus and method for transmitting a DS3 signal over multiple twisted pair conductors


To recover multiple data streams transmitted simultaneously, a first channel estimate is derived for a wireless channel based on received pilot symbols. Detection is performed on received data symbols using the first channel estimate to obtain detected symbols for a first data stream. These detected symbols are decoded to obtain a decoded first data stream, which is re-encoded to obtain remodulated symbols. A second channel estimate is derived based on the remodulated symbols. The first and second channel estimates are combined to obtain a third channel estimate having higher quality. Interference due to the first data stream is estimated using the third channel estimate and canceled from the received data symbols. Detection is performed on interference-canceled symbols using the third channel estimate to obtain detected symbols for a second data stream. These detected symbols are further decoded to obtain a decoded second data stream.

I. Field
The present invention relates generally to communication, and more specifically to channel estimation for a wireless communication system that simultaneously transmits multiple data streams.
II. Background
A wireless communication system may provide voice, packet data, broadcast and/or other services. Broadcast service typically entails transmitting broadcast data to all users in a designated broadcast area instead of to specific users. Since a broadcast transmission is intended to be received by multiple users within the broadcast area, the broadcast data rate is normally determined by the user with the worst channel conditions. Typically, the worst-case user is located far away from a transmitting base station and has a low signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio (SINR).
The users in the broadcast area typically experience different channel conditions, achieve different SINRs, and are capable of receiving data at different data rates. Hierarchical transmission may be used to improve broadcast service. With hierarchical transmission, the broadcast data is divided into a "base stream" and an "enhancement stream". The base stream is transmitted in a manner such that all users in the broadcast area can recover this stream. The enhancement stream is transmitted in a manner such that users experiencing better channel conditions can recover this stream. Hierarchical transmission is also referred to as hierarchical coding, where the term "coding" in this context refers to channel coding rather than data coding at the transmitter.
In one method of implementing hierarchical coding, the base station processes (e.g., codes, interleaves, and modulates) the base stream and enhancement stream separately to obtain two data symbol streams. The base station then scales and combines (e.g., adds) the two data symbol streams and transmits the combined symbol stream. A receiver with a high SINR first detects and recovers the base stream by treating the enhancement stream as noise. The receiver then estimates and cancels the interference due to the base stream and thereafter recovers the enhancement stream with the interference from the base stream canceled. The receiver also estimates the response of the wireless channel and uses the channel estimate for three processing steps—to detect for the base stream, to estimate the interference due to the base stream, and to detect for the enhancement stream. The quality of the channel estimate directly impacts system performance. Thus, techniques that can provide a high quality channel estimate are highly desirable.

Channel estimation for a wireless communication system with multiple parallel data streams


A testing device applies time-varying electrical excitation to a cell or battery and senses the resulting time-varying electrical response. Computation circuitry within the device uses voltage and current signals derived from the excitation and response signals as inputs and computes values of elements of an equivalent circuit representation of the cell or battery. The relative charge (SOC) of the cell or battery is calculated from the value of the conductance component G of a particular parallel G-C subcircuit of the equivalent circuit. The absolute charge (Ah) contained in the cell or battery is calculated from the value of the capacitance component C of a different parallel G-C subcircuit. Relative or absolute charge values are then either displayed to the user or are used to control an external process such as charging of the battery.

Stored charge is an important parameter in many applications of electrochemical cells and batteries. With traction batteries, stored charge represents an electric vehicle""s fuel supply and thus determines how far the vehicle can travel before recharging. With stationary standby batteries, the level of stored charge determines how long a critical load can continue to function in the event of a power failure or disconnection from the ac mains. In automotive applications, stored charge determines the length of time that the lights and accessories can be operated when the engine is off, or when the charging system has malfunctioned.
With lead-acid batteries, relative stored charge, or state-of-charge (SOC), has been traditionally evaluated by observing either the battery""s open-circuit voltage, or the specific gravity of the battery""s electrolyte. However, neither of these measurements yields an absolute determination of the amount of stored charge. Furthermore, specific gravity measurements are messy and altogether impossible to perform on sealed lead-acid cells; and open-circuit voltage is difficult to determine under load conditions, and is imprecisely related to SOC since it is greatly affected by both xe2x80x9csurface chargexe2x80x9d and temperature.
Because of these problems, several techniques for correcting the voltage of lead-acid batteries to obtain SOC have been proposed. These include the techniques described by Christianson et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,299, by Reni et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,968, and by Hirzel in U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,096. However, such voltage correction methods are not very accurate. Furthermore, with electrochemical systems other than lead-acid, they may be of little help since battery voltage often bears very little relationship to stored charge.
Because of the problems with traditional methods for determining relative charge (SOC), many techniques based upon measuring ac impedance have been suggested. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,762 to Dowgiallo purports to determine SOC directly from the phase angle of the complex impedance at a single frequency. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,855, Randin et al. assert that SOC can be determined from the argument (i.e., phase angle) of the difference between complex impedances measured at two different frequencies. Bounaga, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,937, reportedly determines SOC from measurements of the imaginary part of the complex impedance at a single frequency. Finally, Basell et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,336 purport to determine SOC from the rate of change of impedance with frequency at low frequency. However, the fact that none of these ac impedance methods has gained wide acceptance suggests that they may not be altogether satisfactory methods for determining SOC.
The absolute stored charge or amp-hour capacity of batteries has been traditionally measured by timed-discharge tests. However, because of the expense and the time involved in performing such tests, ac techniques for determining amp-hour capacity have been proposed. Sharaf, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,522, teaches a method for determining the capacity of a lead-acid battery from measurements of its ac internal resistance. Yang, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,126,675, also uses measurements of internal resistance to determine battery capacity. Muramatsu reports, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,998, that he can determine both the remaining amp-hour capacity and the remaining service life of a battery from measurements of the ac impedance magnitude at two different frequencies. Fang, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,275, teaches a method for determining remaining capacity from complex impedance measured at two or three frequencies in the range from 0.001 to 1.0 Hz. Finally, Champlin, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,269, has shown that percent capacity can be determined from the measured dynamic conductance at a single frequency if the dynamic conductance of a reference, fully-charged, identically constructed, new battery is known. This method, although quite accurate, requires that aprioi data be available.
A testing device applies time-varying electrical excitation to a cell or battery and senses the resulting time-varying electrical response. Computation circuitry within the device uses voltage and current signals derived from the excitation and response signals as inputs and computes values of elements of an equivalent circuit representation of the cell or battery. In one aspect, the relative charge (SOC) of the cell or battery is calculated from the value of the conductance component G of a particular parallel G-C subcircuit of the equivalent circuit. In another, the absolute charge (Ah) contained in the cell or battery is calculated from the value of the capacitance component C of a different parallel G-C subcircuit. In other aspects, relative or absolute charge values are then either displayed to the user or are used to control an external process such as charging of the battery.

Method and apparatus for evaluating stored charge in an electrochemical cell or battery


Polymer fibers having a novel cross-sectional geometry are used as stationary phase materials for liquid chromatography separations. Fibers of 20 to 50 micrometer diameters have surface-channel structures extending their entire lengths. Bundles of fibers having this novel cross-sectional geometry are packed in columns. Different polymer compositions permit the “chemical tuning” of the separation process. Channeled fibers composed of polystyrene and polypropylene have been used to separate mixtures of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), Pb-containing compounds and fatty acids. Use of channeled fibers allows a wide range of liquid flow rates with very low backing pressures. Applications in HPLC, cap-LC, prep-scale separations, analytical separations, single fiber separations, waste remediation/immobilization, extraction of selected organic molecules/ions from solution, purification of liquid streams (process waste, drinking water, pure solvents), selective extraction of cell matter and bacteria from growth media, and immobilization of cell matter and bacteria are envisioned.

The present invention relates to chemical analysis and cleansing of liquid streams and more particularly to liquid chromatography and wastewater treatment.
At present, liquid-phase chemical separations are usually performed in "columns" prepared by the packing of metal tubes with spherical beads that are composed of either silica or polystyrene and have diameters of 10 to 50 μm. The more or less inert beads provide solid supports that are chemically modified to produce a surface having targeted chemical characteristics. For example, in performing reverse-phase liquid chromatography, long carbon chains (C-18) are affixed to the surfaces of the beads to produce a hydrophobic surface for the separation of non-polar organics.
Effective separations require dense packing of the beads into these columns to avoid dead-volume, which is any location within the column where turbulence can occur and interactions between molecules in the liquid and the surfaces of the beads are absent. As a consequence of dense packing, high driving pressures (2,000 to 10,000 psi) are required to overcome the backing pressures that otherwise would prevent the liquid phase from moving through the densely packed columns.
Alternatively, highly porous "monoliths" are formed within the columns to generate high surface areas for interaction with the species that flow through the columns. Here, the high backing pressures and a limited set of stationary phase chemistries can be restrictive. In the case of so-called "prep-scale" separations, the capital costs associated with producing large volume columns and the demands on the system hydraulics (i.e. pumps) are very high.

Channeled polymer fibers as stationary/support phases for chemical separation by liquid chromatography and for waste stream clean-up