Ozone resistant O2/N2 gas separation membranes comprise a polymer membrane and an ozone reacting component, such as an antioxidant. The antioxidant may be included in the support layer of a composite membrane or included in the entire structure of an asymmetric membrane. The antioxidants in the separation membrane reduce oxidation and deterioration of the actual separation layer of the membrane.

The present invention generally relates to separation membranes and, more particularly, to ozone resistant separation membranes for Nitrogen Generating Systems (NGS).
Separation membranes have been used in air separation modules (ASM) of NGS, such as On Board Inert Gas Generating Systems (OBIGGS). OBIGGS have been used in aircraft to protect against fuel tank explosions by replacing the potentially explosive fuel vapor/air mixture above the fuel in the ullage space of the tanks with nitrogen enriched air (NEA). The OBIGGS passes air (e.g. bleed air) through the ASM, generating the NEA and a stream of oxygen enriched air (OEA). The resulting NEA can be used to inert fuel tanks while the OEA can be vented overboard or recaptured.
Separation membranes are based on permeable membrane (PM) technology. Permeation of a gas, such as oxygen, through a membrane is generally considered to be the product of the diffusivity of that gas through the membrane and the solubility of that gas in the membrane material. Oxygen is separated from the bleed air because the membrane is more permeable to oxygen than to nitrogen. As the bleed air travels through the ASM, the NEA flow is generated by the loss of oxygen via permeation through the separation membrane.
At cruising altitude, the ozone concentration of the air can reach 1 ppm or higher. Under such conditions, the separation membranes made of polymeric materials tend to break down due to oxidation. Membrane deterioration negatively affects the gas separating properties of the membrane. Various methods for removing ozone from the air stream have been described in the prior art.
In aircraft, ozone removal has been accomplished by passing the air through a bed of carbon granules. Unfortunately, carbon and similar ozone removal materials are not fully acceptable for some applications since these materials are consumed in the filtration process and it is often difficult to ascertain when these materials have reached the end of their useful life. Additionally, the carbon beds are heavy and they create a high pressure drop.
Ozone decomposing catalysts have been used for many applications, such as air purification systems and water disinfection applications. When compared with the ozone removal materials, catalysts have much longer operating lives and generate less waste.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,360, a catalytic converter for ozone removal in aircraft is disclosed. The described catalytic converter comprises an aluminum honeycomb core, a tubular metal shell surrounding the core and affixed thereto, metal rib support members fastened to the shell and to the honeycomb core, and a catalytic coating deposited upon the cell walls of the honeycomb core.
In lieu of the honeycomb core described in the '360 patent, other catalytic converters for ozone removal have included substrates made from fibers, pellets, or particles which are metallic or a metal coated ceramic material.
Catalytic converters for ozone removal have been used in aircraft inerting systems. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,152,635, an inerting system for an aircraft is disclosed. In the described system, an ozone converter is positioned upstream of the ASM to improve life and reliability of the ASM. If the ozone converter system fails or provides incomplete ozone conversion, ozone can pass to the ASM and damage the separation membrane.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,331, a layered catalyst composition is disclosed. The described composition contains an undercoat layer that provides adherence to substrates and an overlayer on which is dispersed one or more catalytic metal components. The composition is described as especially well adapted for use in aircraft. In air handling systems, the substrate on which the layered catalyst composition is coated need not be a honeycomb-type carrier or other substrate specifically configured to support a catalyst, but the layered catalyst composition could be applied to any portion of the air handling system in which the air sustains turbulent flow. Thus, the layered catalyst composition may be applied to the blades of an air handling fan or compressor, to a grill, louvers or other air-directing structure, or on other structures over which the air of the air handling system is forced in turbulent flow. For some applications, suitable substrates may not be available. Additionally, the reactor temperature or residence time may not be sufficient to provide complete ozone conversion. In some situations, the catalytic material applied to substrates specifically configured to support the catalyst (e.g., honeycomb carriers) or to system substrates (e.g., compressor blades) is not sufficient to provide complete ozone conversion. Furthermore, ozone conversion in the catalytic system can never reach 100%. Under these situations, ozone can damage the separation membranes of the NGS, which in turn can lead to dangerous conditions within the fuel tank.
As can be seen, there is a need for an ozone resistant membrane or an improved ozone removal system. There is also a need to improve ozone removal from the air stream and reduce separation membrane damage caused by ozone.


The headrest support for a wheelchair includes a horizontal member with a pair of slide-adjustable clamping blocks that each hold a vertical member. Spacer blocks are provided at the ends of the horizontal member for mounting the headrest support to the back of the chair while allowing the necessary clearance for adjustment of the clamping blocks that lock into position along the horizontal member. A separate locking mechanism on each clamping block provides for independent continuous vertical adjustment of each of the vertical members. Each vertical member supports a forward/rearward member which permits forward/rearward adjustment of a padded occipital support that connects to the forwardmost end of the forward/rearward members. The forward/rearward members also permit adjustment of upward/downward tilt of the occipital support. Selected points of attachment of the forward/rearward members to the occipital support determine the degree of clockwise/counterclockwise rotation and obliquity. These separate adjustments in horizontal, vertical, forward/rearward directions, upward/downward tilt, clockwise/counterclockwise rotation and obliquity, taken together, make possible great precision and versatility in adjustability of the occipital support.

This invention pertains to wheelchairs, and more particularly, to a headrest support for a wheelchair, that can be variously positioned, through a combination of horizontal, vertical, forward/rearward, tilt, rotational adjustments and oblique adjustments.
The utilization of a headrest attachment to a wheelchair offers beneficial support for the back of the head and neck which can extend the amount of time that an individual may remain comfortably seated. In cases where head control is lacking, as in individuals with brain trauma or other neuromuscular dysfunction, the support of a headrest is all the more necessary to stabilize the head and neck. To the degree that the headrest can be adjusted to accommodate the unique dimensions and posture of a given individual, it will provide the maximum benefit.
Existing wheelchair headrests are limited in their capacity to adapt to the more extreme postural dysfunctions that are known to occur. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,574 shows a headrest which is adjustable in the vertical and forward/rearward directions, only. U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,180 describes a neckrest which is adjustable horizontally, vertically, and which tilts. However, no single headrest was found to offer adjustability in the horizontal, vertical, forward/rearward, tilt, rotational and oblique directions, simultaneously.
It is thus desirable to provide a headrest support system effectively extending the range of adjustability beyond that heretofore available among prior art devices.


A blowing lance for refining metals by blowing a gas onto a surface of a metal bath is presented. This lance has an adjustable tuyere for generating a supersonic refining gas flow and a blowing head with a set of fixed tuyeres opening into a front dome of the blowing head and dividing the supersonic gas flow into individual free jets. A cyclic modulator modulates a flow rate through the set of fixed tuyeres so that the flow rate in a first subset of tuyeres does not vary synchronously with the flow rate in a second subset of tuyeres, i.e., the flow rates in both subsets of tuyeres increase or decrease at the same time and they do not reach their minimum value or their maximum value at the same moment.

The present invention relates to blowing lances, and more particularly to blowing lances used in the refining of a metal by blowing a gas onto the surface of a molten metal bath.
During a refining process, for example during the refining of cast iron or of an iron compound, a refining gas, mostly oxygen, is blown from above onto a molten metal bath.
A blowing lance for blowing from above onto the molten metal bath during a refining process is known. The lance includes a head with nozzles which generate up to 4 or 6 supersonic refining gas jets which impinge on the bath surface at predetermined impact spots. Such a lance is generally characterized by a gas flow rate, which is dependent on the supply pressure of the gas, and by a supersonic gas outflow speed, which is a function of the same supply pressure. In the course of the following description, a lance of this type will be designated by the expression "a conventional lance".
Different techniques have been developed for intensifying the stirring of the metal bath, and bringing continuously new molten metal into contact with an oxidizing gas, avoiding the occurrence of an oversaturation of the oxidizing gas in the bath and for avoiding a local overheating at the impact of the jets.
One such technique is disclosed in Luxembourg Patent No 87 855 (corresponding to U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 803,167, both of which are assigned to Paul Wurth S.A., a Corporation of Luxembourg and which are incorporated herein by reference) which discloses a blowing lance for generating an even number of gas jets where the impingement spots on the surface of the molten metal bath can be rotated in a continuous manner along a circular path during the refining operation. If compared to the above-mentioned conventional lance, this lance distinguished itself by providing a better stirring of the metal bath, by an improved spreading of the oxidizing gas and by a better repartition of the reaction heat in the vicinity of the impact spots of the jets. A head of this lance, according to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 803,167, includes a rotating part or rotor, which is exposed directly to the heat and to the splashes of the bath, but which, presently can not be integrated into the cooling circuit of the lance. As a result, this blowing lance head has a substantially shorter lifetime than the head of a conventional blowing lance, for which the cooling of the static terminal dome section, with fixed tuyeres therein, can easily be achieved.
Another technique, well known in conjunction with the LD-CL Process (CL=Circulating Lance), makes use of an inclined lance body able to circulate around a vertical axis, so as to sweep or scan the surface of the bath with one jet or with a plurality of jets. This LD-CL lance shows advantages which are similar to those mentioned for the lance with rotating jets of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 803,167. The implementation of the circulating lance requires however important mechanical means as well as a complete transformation of the suspension equipment for the lances.
Luxembourg Patent No 87 353 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,691), both of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses an adjustable Laval tuyere which allows, generating within a blowing lance, a supersonic gas flow where the speed and the flow rate are adjustable independently of one another. It is therefore possible to obtain with this device jets of varying hardness (or penetration) for different flow rates.
A conventional lance, equipped with such an adjustable Laval tuyere, provides of course the possibility of increasing the flow rate of the oxidizing gas during the refining operation and to thus intensify the stirring of the bath. However, a conventional lance used in combination with a Laval tuyere has several drawbacks, e.g., during use, an overconcentration of the oxidizing gas in the bath may result and/or a local overheating of the bath at the impingement points of the jets on the bath may also result.

Blowing lance with cyclic modulator means for varying flow rate


Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method for forming a semiconductor device structure. The method includes forming a dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate. The method also includes applying a carbon-containing material over the dielectric layer. The method further includes irradiating the dielectric layer and the carbon-containing material with a light to repair the dielectric layer, and the light has a wavelength greater than about 450 nm.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. Technological advances in IC materials and design have produced generations of ICs where each generation has smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while feature size (i.e., the smallest component that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. Such advances have increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing ICs. For these advances, similar developments in IC processing and manufacturing are developed.
As the density of semiconductor devices increases and the size of circuit elements becomes smaller, the resistance capacitance (RC) delay time increasingly dominates circuit performance. To reduce the RC delay, there is a desire to use low-k dielectrics. The low-k dielectrics are useful as intermetal dielectrics (IMDs) and/or as interlayer dielectrics (ILDs).
However, the low-k dielectrics may present problems during processing. It is desirable to have improved manufacturing methods for forming reliable low-k dielectrics.

Method for forming semiconductor device structure

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


An active device array substrate is provided. The active device array substrate includes a plurality of pixel units. Each of the pixel units includes a first active device, a first scan line, a second active device, a second scan line, a data line, a common line, and a pixel electrode. The first scan line is electrically connected to a first gate of the first active device. The second scan line is electrically connected to a second gate of the second active device. The data line is electrically connected to a first source of the first active device. The common line is electrically connected to a second source of the second active device. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to a first drain of the first active device and a second drain of the second active device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and a method for driving the same, and more particularly, to an active device array substrate and a method for fabricating the same.
2. Description of Related Art
As the display technology being progressively developed, human's daily life becomes more convenient assisted by displays. Lightness and thinness are features desired for the displays, and correspondingly flat panel displays (FPD) have gradually become the mainstream of the display market. There are many kinds of FPDs provided in the market, among which liquid crystal displays (LCD) are more favorite to the consumers because of the advantageous features such as more efficient space utilization, lower power consumption, non-radiance, and low electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Conventionally, in typical hold type LCD displays, the pixel unit is designed to hold to display an image data until a next image data is input in pixel unit. However, when such a hold type LCD display is used in displaying dynamic images, a problem of image blur may occur. Addressing to this problem, many solutions have been proposed. One of the solutions is called "black insertion".
The black insertion technologies can be divided into data black insertion technology and dynamic backlight (DBL) technology. The DBL technology utilizes a backlight module in the LCD display to achieve the black insertion. As such, the DBL technology increases the manufacturing cost of the backlight module, and unfortunately shortens the lifetime of the backlight module. The data black insertion (DBL) technology can be achieved by alternately providing an image data frame and a black image frame. However, the pixels in the LCD panel require sufficient time for charging, which cannot traded off for inserting the black frame. In other words, inserting the black frame disadvantageously decreases the time for charging the pixels. Further, the data black insertion technology requires source drivers for transmitting image data of the black frame to the LCD panel via data lines, and therefore the data black insertion technology unfortunately complicates the fabrication and the design of the source drivers.

Active device array substrate, liquid crystal display panel, electro-optical device, method for fabricating the same, and methods for driving the same


The present disclosure relates to a double-acting linear actuator for moving an inner part and an outer part of a cowl relative to a fixed frame. The linear actuator includes a first tubular body housing a first drive shaft and a second tubular body housing a second drive shaft. In particular, the first and second tubular bodies are mounted in series by the second drive shaft which is mounted on the first tubular body. The second drive shaft translates the second tubular body relative to the first tubular body when a lock of the first tubular body is in a locked position, and the first drive shaft translates both the first tubular and second tubular bodies when the lock is in an unlocked position.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
An airplane is moved by several turbojet engines each housed in a nacelle also housing a set of related actuating devices connected to its operation and performing various functions when the turbojet engine is running or stopped.
These related actuating systems in particular comprise a thrust reverser actuating system.
A nacelle generally has a tubular structure comprising an air intake upstream from the turbojet engine, a middle section intended to surround a fan of the turbojet engine, and a downstream section housing thrust reverser means and intended to surround the combustion chamber of the turbojet engine, and generally ends with a jet nozzle whereof the outlet is situated downstream from the turbojet engine.
This nacelle is generally intended to house a dual flow turbojet engine capable of using rotating fan blades to generate a flow of hot air (also called primary flow) coming from the combustion chamber of the turbojet engine, and a flow of cold air (secondary flow) that circulates outside the turbojet engine through an annular tunnel formed between the fairing of the turbojet engine and an inner wall of the nacelle.
The two flows of air are discharged from the turbojet engine through the rear of the nacelle.
During landing of an airplane, the role of a thrust reverser is to improve the braking capacity of said airplane by reorienting at least part of the thrust generated by the turbojet engine forward.
During this phase, the reverser obstructs the cold flow tunnel and orients said cold flow toward the front of the nacelle, thereby generating a counterthrust that is added to the braking of the wheels of the airplane.
The means used to carry out that reorientation of the cold flow vary depending on the type of reverser.
However, in all cases, the structure of a reverser comprises moving cowls that can be moved between a deployed position in which they open a passage in the nacelle that is intended for the deflected flow on the one hand, and a retracted position in which they close that passage on the other hand. These cowls may serve for deflection or simply to activate other deflecting means.
In the case of a grid reverser, also known as a cascade reverser, the flow of air is reoriented by cascade vanes, the cowl then serving only to slide so as to expose or cover said vanes, the translation of the moving cowl being done along a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of the nacelle.
Additional blocking doors, activated by the sliding of the cowl, generally allow the tunnel to be closed downstream from the vanes so as to optimize the reorientation of the cold flow.
Aside from its thrust reversal function, the sliding cowl belongs to the rear section and has a downstream side forming a jet nozzle with a variable section intended to channel the discharge of the flows of air.
This nozzle may supplement a primary nozzle channeling the hot flow, and is then called secondary nozzle.
To respond to the issues of adapting the section of the nozzle to the various flight phases, in particular the takeoff and landing phases of the airplane, a thrust reverser has in particular been proposed like that illustrated in FIG. 1.
This thrust reverser comprises cascade vanes 11 for at least part of the airflow of the turbojet engine on the one hand, and at least one cowl 10 translatable in a substantially longitudinal direction of the nacelle able to move alternatively between a closed position, in which it provides the aerodynamic continuity of the nacelle and covers the cascade vanes 11, and an open position, in which it opens a passage in the nacelle and exposes the cascade vanes 11, on the other hand.
The moving cowl 10 comprises an outer part 10a and an inner part 10b each mounted translatably; the outer part 10a (downstream side of the cowl 10) forms a jet nozzle intended to channel the discharge of the flows of air.
By dividing the moving cowl 10 into an inner part 10b and an outer part 10a that are at least partially movable independently from one another, it is possible to adapt the relative positions of the outer part 10a and the inner part 10b to the flight conditions so as to vary the section of the jet nozzle formed by the moving cowl 10 by varying the length of the inner aerodynamic line of the moving cowl 10, both when the moving cowl 10 is in the closed position and exposes the cascade vanes 11, and when the moving cowl 10 is in the open position.
One recurring problem lies in the actuating system proposed to provide maneuvering of the nozzle, during the different flight phases, both when the thrust reverser device is in the direct jet phase and when it is in the reverse jet phase. In fact, such a system must be able to command a variable jet nozzle section when the thrust reverser is locked in the closed position, the variable nozzle reciprocally being in a maximally deployed position when the thrust reverser is deployed.
Telescoping electric cylinders have already been proposed in which a first rod moves the inner part 10b of the cowl and a second rod, slidingly mounted in first rod, moves the outer part 10a of the cowl.
However, this solution is not optimal: such an electric cylinder generally presents actuating difficulties.
In fact, the second rod being movable relative to the base of the cylinder, it is difficult to group the actuating means together in said base of the cylinder, and the second rod must generally be equipped with its own motor, which will therefore also be movable.
To resolve these actuating difficulties, application FR 2,922,059 proposes a double-acting telescoping linear actuator comprising a base, intended to be attached to a stationary element of the reverser, and serving as a housing for a first rod whereof the rotation is blocked and which can be translated by means of a drive shaft intended to be connected to means for rotational driving, the first rod being intended to be attached by one end to the end part of the nozzle-forming cowl, the first rod supporting a second rod positioned in the extension thereof and intended to be attached by one end to the rest of the cowl to be moved, said second rod being able to be blocked in rotation and translated by means of a second drive shaft passing through the base and connected to rotational driving means.
In this actuator, the means for driving the rods comprise a motor capable of driving an input shaft by at least one differential, said differential on the one hand having a first output shaft connected to one of the first or second drive shafts, and on the other hand, a second output shaft connected to the second or first drive shaft.
A differential refers to any mechanical means making it possible to distribute a drive speed to several output shafts by distributing the kinematic force.
Such an actuator makes it possible, by driving the rods of the actuator by means of the differential, to move one or the other of the moving parts of the cowl through a single motor means.
Furthermore, such an arrangement makes it possible to group the actuating means of the two rods of the actuator together in the base of the latter.
However, the presence of the differential involves having two distinct drive chains, one for each of the drive shafts of the two parts of the cowl.
Consequently, the mass, bulk, and therefore cost of the actuating system are still affected.
This excess mass is additionally detrimental to the performance of the turbojet engine(s) and deteriorates them.
Furthermore, such a solution with multiple drive chains is complex to implement.


A non-metallic ladder for use in a manhole in which permanent manhole steps have been installed and spaced relation from the top of the manhole to a position above the bottom and there being a pair of spaced side members on said ladder connected transversely by spaced steps to form corners at the top in which there are spaces to fit over a respective side members on the step. The spaces may be in the shape of a rectangular cross-section or other configuration. The ladder is "hung" from the step to resist dislodgment therefrom. There may be provided a wall bumper member at the bottom of the ladder to engage the inside wall of the manhole.

1. Field of the Invention
Ladders for use in manholes such as molded plastic (e.g. high density polyethylene) for use in manhole construction.
2. Description of Prior Procedures
The prior ladders are constructed from metal and use "shepherd books" hanging from the bottom step of the bottom riser section (riser section immediately above the manhole base) by hanging the ladder on the rung of the manhole step which places a hazard in the climber's way as well as reducing the space needed by the climber. Metallic ladders which are constructed from galvanized steel, are subject to rust in the manhole sewer environment; whereas the present ladder may be constructed from non-metallic materials, such as being molded from high density polyethylene (HDPE). Also, in the metallic ladder construction the contractors often cut the ladder verticals in order to shorten the ladder if it s too long, which damages a galvanized (i.e. rust resistant) coating thereby increasing the risk of corrosion and/or breaks into the coating or covering of the metal thereby exposing the metal to rapid corrosion. The present non-metallic ladder is not subject to corrosion, especially if cut to shorten the ladder or otherwise. In addition, the present ladder does not interfere with the path of the climber, nor does it interfere with the use of the ladder rung because the present ladder is placed on the leg of the step thereby increasing the load bearing capability of the step and the ladder as well. Where the prior "shepherd hooks" bang from the rung, the present ladder snaps and locks into place at an attachment point which may be shaped and contoured to fit securely on the step legs thereby reducing the possibility of the ladder being dislodged Therefore, almost a full tread width of the step is usable and available without obstacles which would endanger the climber. The present ladder attachment method provides for much higher degree of worker safety and security realizing that there's always danger that a workman will slip and fall to the bottom of the manhole.
Other and further objects and advantages of the present ladder will become apparent upon reading the ensuing specification in conjunction with the drawings.


A garbage bin includes a base. A barrel is installed on the base and defines two apertures. A cover is pivotally installed on the barrel. A pedal is pivotally installed on the barrel and includes an external member and an internal member. The external member of the pedal is put outside the barrel and formed with two ends inserted in the barrel through the apertures. The internal member of the pedal is put in the barrel and formed with two ends connected with the ends of the external member. Linkage is provided between the cover and the internal member of the pedal.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a garbage bin and, more particularly, to a pedal of a garbage bin.
2. Related Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 9, a conventional garbage bin includes a barrel 110 that includes a rear half 111 and a front half 111. Two connecting assemblies 200 are used to hold the halves 111 together. A bottom 120 is provided below the barrel 110. A semi-circular protector 130 is installed on the upper edge of each half Ill by fasteners 132 and tabs 3. A cover 140 is pivotally installed on the barrel 110. An arched pedal 160 includes an intermediate portion formed between two terminal sections. A shaft 161 transversely extends from each terminal section of the arched pedal 160. The rear half 111 defines two apertures 115 for receiving the shafts 161. The front half 111 defines two slots 116 for encompassing the pivotal movement of the terminal sections of the arched pedal 160. Linkage 150 is used to connect the cover 140 with the pedal 160. A pad 170 is attached to the barrel 110 below the arched pedal 160. The slots 116, however, entail degradation of the rigidity of the barrel 110.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.


An apparatus and method for distinguishing a particular button operation from among multiple button operations on a sensing device having multiple sensor elements that are electrically coupled together. The apparatus may include a sensing device having a first sensor element and a second element that are electrically coupled to detect a presence of a conductive object on the sensing device. The method may include detecting a presence of a conductive object on a sensing device having multiple sensor elements that are electrically coupled, each sensor element corresponding to a button operation, and distinguishing between the multiple button operations.

Computing devices, such as notebook computers, personal data assistants (PDAs), and mobile handsets, have user interface devices, which are also known as human interface device (HID). One user interface device that is common is a touch-sensor button. A basis touch-sensor button emulates the function of a mechanical button. Touch-sensor buttons may be embedded into different types of operational panels of electronic devices. For example, touch-sensor buttons may be used on operational or control panels of household appliances, consumer electronics, mechanical devices, and the like. Touch-sensor buttons may also be used in conjunction with, or in place of, other user input devices, such as keyboards, mice, trackballs, or the like.
FIG. 1A illustrates a conventional sensing device having three touch-sensor buttons. Conventional sensing device 100 includes button 101, button 102, and button 103. These buttons are conventional touch-sensor buttons. These three buttons may be used for user input using a conductive object, such as a finger.
FIG. 1B illustrates a conventional sensing device of three touch-sensor buttons 101-103 coupled to a processing device 110. Processing device 110 is used to detect whether a conductive object is present on either, or none, of the touch-sensor buttons 101-103. To detect the presence of the conductive object, the processing device 110 may include capacitance sensors 104-106, which are coupled to buttons 101-103, respectively. The capacitance sensors of the processing device are coupled to the touch-sensor buttons in a one-to-one configuration. Accordingly, the processing device 110 scans the touch-sensor buttons 101-103 using the capacitance sensors 104-106, and measures the capacitance on the touch-sensor buttons 101-103.
Each of the conventional touch-sensor buttons 101-103 may be made of a sensor element of conductive material, such as copper-clad. The conductive material may be form shaped in a circular shape (illustrated in FIG. 1A), or even in a rectangular shape (illustrated in FIG. 1B). The touch-sensor buttons may be capacitance sensor buttons, which may be used as non-contact switches. These switches, when protected by an insulating layer, offer resistance to severe environments.
It should be noted that the conventional configuration of FIG. 1B includes a one-to-one configuration of touch-sensor buttons to capacitance sensors. There are other conventional configurations that may use less capacitance sensors to measure the capacitance on the three touch-sensor buttons. These conventional configurations, however, still require a one-to-one configuration of pins to touch-sensor buttons. Accordingly, by adding more buttons, the processing device needs to have more pins to correspond to the one-to-one configuration of pins to touch-sensor buttons. Similarly, by increasing the pin count, the scan time to scan the sensor elements increases. In addition, the memory of the processing device, which may be used to store program data and/or temporary data (e.g., raw measurement data, differential counts, baseline measurement data, and the like), increases by increasing the pin count.
Another conventional button is a one-pin resistor configuration. The one-pin resistors configuration includes a resistor for each button. As the button is pressed, the resistor is introduced into the circuit, as a voltage divider, dropping a reference voltage to a lower voltage level. When the button is pressed, the voltage on the pin is changed (e.g., lowered) due to the change in voltage introduced by the resistor. The one-pin resistor configuration may be used in a keyboard of multiple keyboard keys. The keyboard keys each include a resistor coupled to each button. The voltage changes based on which key has been pressed, allowing the controller to determine which key has been pressed.
Another conventional one-pin-per button configuration is a resistance matrix of a conventional keyboard. The resistance matrix includes multiple rows and columns. All the rows are each connected to a pull-up resistor, and all the columns are each connected to a pull-down transistor. Above the resistance matrix there are multiple buttons (e.g., keyboard keys). Upon pressing a button, the corresponding row and column (X, Y) will be shorted together. These conventional resistance scan matrix designs have large pin counts because every row and every column is connected to a pin. The pin count for these conventional resistance matrix keyboards is the sum of the number of rows and the number of columns. Having a large pin count, may increase the die area of the circuit, or alternatively, or may decrease the robustness of the circuit by decreasing the possibility of additional functionality in the same circuit with limited pins. Also, the resistance scan matrix keyboards cannot be built in very small areas because it is limited by the pull-up resistor and mechanical button for each keyboard key. For example, the mechanical button of each keyboard key may have an area of about 0.5 centimeters (cm)×0.5 cm, the total keyboard area will be at least 25.25 cm2 for a keyboard having 101 keyboard keys (e.g., 101×0.5 cm×0.5 cm=25.25 cm2).

Apparatus for detecting conductive material of a pad layer of a sensing device


An illumination system includes a surface configured to have an imaging target placed thereon, a light source, a beam splitter and at least a first mirror. The beam splitter is configured to split the beam of light from the light source and the first mirror is configured to reflect a first beam from the beam splitter onto the surface with the imaging target. An imaging system includes an imaging surface configured to have an imaging target placed thereon, a mirror, and a capturing device. The capturing device is configured to capture an image of the imaging target through a path of emitted light that extends from the imaging target, reflects off of the mirror, and to the capturing device. The mirror, the capturing device, or both are configured to move in a diagonal direction with respect to the imaging surface to reduce a length of the path of emitted light. Systems and methods to calibrate an imaging system to remove or reduce non-uniformities within images of samples due to imaging system properties.

There is a need for imaging devices, systems, and methods that provide high resolution images of an object that do not rely on approaches such as digital magnification or use of a zoom lens. Digital magnification can often lead to image pixilation as an image is magnified. The use of a zoom lens is difficult to implement in many circumstances as the ability to satisfy various requirements such as large aperture, focal length, working distance, distortion, field curvature, and signal attenuation in a robust manner is often difficult.
There is also a need for illumination devices, systems, and methods that can provide two or more beams of light to illuminate an imaging target, particularly in a uniform illumination approach, without the use of two or more light sources at the same time. The use of multiple light sources often leads to the multiple beams of light of differing optical power being applied to the imaging target given the use of two light sources that have to be maintained separately and may have had different optical properties after manufacturing or as configured within the device or system. Furthermore, the use of multiple light sources often leads to greater non-uniformity of the overall illumination of the imaging target and also greater mechanical complexity of the illumination system, which in turn increases maintenance requirements and increases the likelihood of non-uniform illumination. Another common problem during imaging (irrespective of imaging mode) is image non-uniformity. For example, when identical samples are placed at different locations of an imaging surface or a field of view, the corresponding image appears to be non-uniform based on the location, even though the identical samples emits identical signal. There is a need in the art to address image non-uniformity.

Systems and methods for illuminating and imaging objects


A method and apparatus for ventilation of a vehicle interior which can be switched between an incoming air operating mode and a circulating air operating mode as a function of harmful substances. The incoming-air concentrations of several harmful gases are measured and are separately evaluated. In each case either an incoming air operation request or a circulating air operation request is generated. A circulating air operation adjustment command is generated if the analysis for at least one of the harmful gases results in a circulating air operation request. The incoming air operation the vehicle-interior concentration of each harmful gas is estimated continuously as a function of the pertaining measured incoming-air concentration and of an incoming air rate, and a circulating air operation adjusting command is generated if the estimated interior concentration of at least one harmful gas rises at a rate which exceeds a definable threshold value.

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for ventilating a vehicle interior, which can be switched between an incoming-air operating mode and a circulating-air operating mode, in reference to detection of harmful gases.
For simplicity, the term "circulating-air operation" as used herein also includes an operating situation with a switched-off fresh-air operation without active circulation of the air of the vehicle interior. That is, the invention is also suitable for vehicles which do not have devices for active circulation of the air of the vehicle interior with the incoming air blocked (when the fresh-air supply is blocked).
U.S. Patent Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,577 discloses a method and apparatus of this generic type, in which a first gas sensor based on WO.sub.3 is used to measure the concentration of diesel exhaust gas (specifically nitrogen oxides), and a second gas sensor based on SnO.sub.2 is used to measure the concentration of flammable fuel vapors (specifically of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide) contained therein. The two sensor output signals are analyzed in a special manner based on a calculation of the first and the second time derivatives. Circulating air operation is adjusted when the second derivative of the output signal of the CO and HC sensor is at least as large as a first threshold value, or when the second derivative of the output signal of the NO.sub.x -sensor is smaller than or equal to a negative second threshold value and simultaneously the second derivative of the CO and HC sensor is at least as large as a third threshold value. In each case, circulating air operation is maintained for a time period which is determined as a function of the absolute value of the height and width of the pertaining maximum of the time derivative of the CO and HC sensor signal, or analogously of the value, the height or the width of the pertaining minimum of the time derivative of the NO.sub.x, sensor signal.
German Patent Document DE 29 41 305 A1 discloses an arrangement for ventilating a vehicle interior which contains an outside (that is, an incoming-air) sensor, as well as a vehicle-interior sensor for measuring the harmful-substance concentrations of the outside air and of the inside air. The two measured harmful-substance concentration values are compared with respective threshold values, and the ventilation of the interior is control based thereon.
German Patent Document DE 42 17 394 A1 describes a process for ventilating a vehicle interior in which the harmful-substance concentration of the outside air is determined by a sensor, while the harmful-substance concentration of the inside air is computed by means of a model equation. The air quantity in the vehicle interior, the CO.sub.2 entering from the outside, the CO.sub.2 entering from the occupants and the CO.sub.2 exiting to the outside are taken into account in a special manner. Alternatively, the CO.sub.2 concentration in the interior is measured by means of a CO.sub.2 -sensor. As far as the occurrence of different harmful gases is discussed there, a weighting of the latter is suggested according to their effect on the human organism, and a single weighted harmful substance concentration value which represents the different harmful gases is then obtained.
An interruption of the fresh air supply (that is, a switch-over from incoming air operation to circulating air operation) in the sense of the present invention is triggered when the time variation of the sensor signal has reached or has fallen below a threshold value. The fresh air supply can then be re-opened as soon as the difference between the actual sensor signal value and the sensor signal value during the interruption of the fresh air supply, divided by the last-mentioned signal value, has reached or exceeded a second definable negative threshold value. The two threshold values vary as a function of the harmful-substance concentration of the inside air determined by way of the model equation, and are used to adjust the air.
One object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus of the initially mentioned type for ventilating a vehicle interior, which permit, at relatively low expenditures, a switch-over between incoming air operation and circulating air operation, which can be individually adapted to various harmful gases, and can also respond to low concentrations of specific harmful gases.
This and other objects and advantages are achieved by the method and apparatus according to the invention, which provides several sensors, one for measuring the incoming-air concentrations of each one of various harmful gases. Operating mode control devices determine the interior concentration of each of these harmful gases individually, without requiring interior harmful gas sensors. The latter determination is made by continuous estimation, based on the harmful gas concentrations measured on the incoming air side, and on the incoming air flow rate (that is, the fresh air quantity per unit time which is guided into the vehicle interior). In this manner, the expenditures for the vehicle-interior-side harmful gas sensors can be eliminated.
The operating mode control devices evaluate the harmful gas concentration, measured on the incoming air side, separately for each of the harmful gases, and generate either an incoming air operation request or a circulating air operating request. The latter signals are evaluated in a logical OR-addition, and a circulating air operation adjustment command is generated if the evaluation of at least one of the harmful gases results in a circulating air operation request. The circulating air operation adjustment command, which is optionally linked to the existence of additional conditions, will then trigger an adjustment of the circulating air operation. Specifically, during an incoming air operation phase the operating mode control devices will generate the circulating air operation adjustment command if the estimated vehicle-interior concentration of at least one of the harmful gases rises at a rate which is above a definable threshold value. This switch-over criterion implicitly also takes into account the incoming-air concentration of the concerned harmful gas, because it enters into the estimation of the vehicle-interior harmful gas concentration.
By evaluating the harmful gas concentrations individually for each harmful gas, those specific harmful gases can also appropriately be taken into account which, compared with other harmful gases, occur in a lower concentration but have a comparably damaging influence. The logic combination of the evaluation results for the individual harmful gases ensures that a switch to circulating air operation is performed even though it is indicated by only one of the several harmful gases.
In one embodiment of the invention the operating mode control devices are designed so that, during circulating air operation, they continuously increase the vehicle-interior concentration of the respective harmful gas by a definable increment in order to estimate the deterioration of the air quality of the vehicle interior, in a simple and appropriate manner and without the requirement that it be detected by sensors. A switch-over command to incoming air operation is generated by the operating mode control devices when all estimated incremented harmful gas concentrations during a definable suitable waiting period are higher than the associated measured incoming-air harmful gas concentrations. The suitable waiting period prevents undesired brief switch-overs to incoming air operation followed by an immediate back to circulating air operation.

Arrangement and process for the ventilation of a vehicle interior as a function of harmful gases


According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a surgical instrument for operating on tissue is provided. The surgical instrument includes an end effector including a first tissue engaging member and a second tissue engaging member in juxtaposed relation to the first tissue engaging member; a gap determination element operatively associated with each of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member for measuring a gap distance between the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member; and a tissue contact determining element operatively associated with a respective tissue contacting surface of at least one of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member. The present disclosure also relates to methods of using the surgical instrument.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to surgical instruments and, more particularly, to mechanical, electromechanical and energy-based surgical instruments and systems.
2. Background of Related Art
Surgical instruments used in open and minimally invasive surgery are limited in their ability to sense and/or control conditions and/or parameters and factors critical to effective operation. For example, conventional surgical instruments cannot measurably detect the amount of tissue positioned between tissue contacting surfaces of an end effector of the surgical instrument, the clamping force being exerted on the tissue, the distance between juxtaposed tissue contacting surfaces, and/or the viability of the tissue clamped therebetween.
Accordingly, a need exists for surgical instruments and/or systems that can sense a multitude of parameters and factors at the target surgical site, such as, for example, the distance between juxtaposed tissue contacting surfaces of the surgical instrument, the amount of tissue positioned between tissue contacting surfaces of an end effector of the surgical instrument, the clamping force being exerted on the tissue, and/or the viability of the tissue clamped therebetween.
A need exists for surgical instruments and/or systems which can, according to the conditions sensed and/or measured at the target surgical site, utilize, display, record and/or automatically control the position of the tissue contacting surfaces of the surgical instrument and/or system, alert a surgeon prior to operation of the surgical instrument and/or system, and/or operate the surgical instrument and/or system.


A super lightweight ceramic panel for a non-bearing wall utilizing an expandable clay mineral and a process for preparing the same are provided. The super lightweight ceramic panel is comprised of a clay composition containing 90 to 98% by weight of an expandable clay mineral, 1.5 to 5% by weight of a flux (glass), and 0.5 to 5% by weight of silicon carbide, and is prepared by mixing and pressing the clay composition, followed by firing at a temperature of 1100 to 1200° C. The super lightweight ceramic panel in accordance with the present invention is a material having a light weight and exhibiting improvement in physical properties such as water resistance, flame retardancy, heat insulation and rigidity, via formation of closed pores inside the ceramic material.

Ceramic panels suitable for industrial applications should meet requirements such as convenient and simple constructability upon structural changes of buildings, and should be light weight in compliance with a trend toward scale-up and higher stories of buildings. In addition, panels should have effects such as heat conservation/insulation in order to cut down on consumption of energy, and sound absorption/insulation against a variety of noises due to high densities of buildings in cities.
Conventional autoclaved lightweight concrete (ALC) panels or blocks, domestically produced by some manufacturers, have been partially adopted on construction sites by building companies, but suffer from problems associated with water permeability, incongruence of wiring and piping work and excessive weight, thereby making it difficult to acquire popularity in the related art.
Dry walls, a type of building material which is used by assembling and constructing individual members on construction sites utilizing gypsum boards, glass wool and steel studs, also suffer from disadvantages such as significant error and variation during or after installation, weak impact strength and weak nail-bearing strength, thus resulting in inferior housing quality. Additionally, due to their poor water resistance, water absorption of glass wool resulting from water leakage leads to growth of fungi, thereby failing to acquire popularity and application thereof.
Foam glass, a glass having a pore structure inside thereof, is an amorphous material exhibiting heat insulation and light-weight characteristics due to physical properties of the pore structure in combination with inherent physical properties of glass itself. Foam glass is widely used as a heat-insulating material, a cold-insulating material and a corrosion-resistant material in various applications such as petrochemical plants, bottoms of LNG tanks, freezing warehouses and chimney linings.
In addition to those panel materials as mentioned above, there is an extrusion lightweight aerated concrete panel such as Acotec panel, but such a panel also suffers from disadvantages such as heavy weight and poor processability, thereby resulting in very little application.
Such conventional lightweight panels are susceptible to many problems such as risk of bacterial proliferation in seasons of high-humidity resulting from their high water-permeability, excessive weight and low nail-bearing strength upon installation thereof in large-sized buildings, and poor sound-insulation and flame retardancy characteristics in densely built-up city buildings.
Meanwhile, sandwich panels, in which plate-like materials such as steel plates are attached to both sides of core materials such as heat insulating materials, are used as interior and exterior work materials for buildings such as temporary buildings, non-residential buildings, partition wall structures and exterior wall structures.
Conventional sandwich panels may be broadly divided into an expandable polystyrene panel (EPS), an expanded polyurethane panel, a polyisocyanurate (PIR) panel and a glass wool panel, depending upon species of internal heat-insulating materials.
Among these panels, the EPS panels and expanded polyurethane panels cannot secure fire-resistant performance, and thus cannot be applied to sites which are required to be fireproof. Further, these panels cannot secure incombustibility performance, thereby being applicable to very limited sites and cannot be applied to sites that can be seen from inside, thus limiting practical uses and applications thereof.
The PIR panel exhibits incombustibility performance of flame retardancy grade 3, but is incapable of securing fire-resistant performance. Therefore, this panel cannot be applied to sites requiring incombustibility performance of flame retardancy grade higher than 2 or fire-resistant performance, and is also disadvantageously expensive.
The glass fiber panel can ensure fire-resistant performance and thus can be applied to various sites, while exposure of the panel to water cause fatal damage thereof due to its vulnerability to water, thus reducing the functions of the sandwich panel. In addition, due to dust of glass fibers occurring when cutting and installing the panel, there is a disadvantage such as avoidance of construction by workers.
Korean Patent Publication Laid-open No. 1992-0017801 and Korean Patent Registration No. 135439 disclose a sandwich panel comprising a heat-insulating material composed of a foam resin as an intermediate inserting material and a polymer concrete as an exterior wall material. Korean Patent Publication Laid-open No. 2001-0003718 discloses a thin stone sandwich panel for a prefabricated partition manufactured by making a multi- or mono-layer block having a cavity formed inside thereof using a stone plate material, filling the cavity with materials such as concrete waste and then cutting and trimming the stone material, and a boundary stone for sidewalks and roadways. Korean Utility Model Registration No. 344475 discloses a sandwich panel in which an internal space of a hollow hexahedron-shaped sandwich panel skin is filled with lightweight aerated concrete via an injection process. However, such conventional sandwich panels have disadvantages such as heavy weight and poor processability due to the use of concrete or stone materials.
As such, conventional sandwich panels suffer from a variety of problems such as potential risk of bacterial proliferation in seasons of high-humidity due to their high water-permeability, excessive weight and weak nail-bearing strength upon installation thereof in large-scale buildings, and poor sound insulation and flame retardancy characteristics in densely built-up city buildings.
In order to ensure that sandwich panels are free from many limitations associated with their application, the panels should have incombustibility and fire-resistance performance, and in order to achieve the desired degree of customer satisfaction for products, the panels should provide superior sound insulation, bending strength, impact strength, nail-bearing strength, water resistance and durability characteristics.

Super light weight ceramic panel and process for preparing the same


A bonding pad structure comprises an interconnect layer, an isolation layer over the interconnect layer, a conductive pad, and one or more non-conducting stress-releasing structures. The conductive pad comprises a planar portion over the isolation layer, and one or more bridging portions extending through at least the isolation layer and to the interconnect layer for establishing electric contact therewith, wherein there is a trench in the one or more bridging portions. The one or more non-conducting stress-releasing structures are disposed between the isolation layer and the conductive pad. The trench is surrounded by one of the one or more non-conducting stress-releasing structures from a top view.

Semiconductor image sensors are used to sense radiation such as light. Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors (CIS) and charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors are widely used in various applications such as digital still camera or mobile phone camera applications. These devices utilize an array of pixels in a substrate, including photodiodes and transistors that can absorb radiation projected toward the substrate and convert the sensed radiation into electrical signals. A back side illuminated (BSI) image sensor device is one type of image sensor devices. These BSI image sensor devices are operable to detect light from its backside.
The conventional sensor, called the "front side illumination (FSI)" image sensor for these CMOS chips, is constructed in a fashion similar to the human eye, and has a lens at the front, layers of metal having wiring in the middle, and photo detectors on a silicon substrate (which absorbs the light) at the back. These metal layers may not only deflect the light on the sensor, they could also reflect it, reducing the incoming light captured by the photo detectors. By contrast, the back side illuminated sensor has the same elements as FSI, but orients the wiring behind the photo detectors layer by flipping the silicon wafer during manufacturing and then thinning its reverse side so that light will hit the silicon first, and the photo detectors layer without passing through the wiring layer. This change can improve the chance of an input photon being captured from about 60% to over 90%, and the sensitivity per unit area to deliver better low-light shots.
A BSI image sensor device typically has a device region of a wafer and a bond pad region. One of the failure mechanisms known for the bond pad is cratering, which is a mechanical damage to the bonding pad. Cratering happens when the bond pad is peeled off, by some upwardly pulling force, along with a chunk of silicon and in many cases part of active circuit underneath the bond pad, thereby creating a 'hole' or 'crater' on the silicon substrate. It causes a partial or total fracture of the silicon material underneath the bond pad. Bonding time, force and power are critical parameters when dealing with cratering.
Such cratering or bonding pad peeling not only degrades, but seriously damages BSI image sensor device performance. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method of designing and manufacturing a bond pad structure in an image sensor device, such as BSI, such that any excess stresses that might be potentially applied to the silicon substrate layer may be adequately released or redistributed to prevent the cratering or bond pad peel-off problem.

Bonding pad on a back side illuminated image sensor

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD


A data processing system includes a memory channel and a data processor coupled to the memory channel. The data processor is adapted to access at least one rank and has refresh logic. In response to an activation of the refresh logic, the data processor generates refresh cycles to a bank of the memory channel. The data processor selects one of a first state corresponding to a first auto-refresh command that causes the data processor to auto-refresh the bank, and a second state corresponding to a second auto-refresh command that causes the data processor to auto-refresh a selected subset of the bank. The data processor initiates a switch between the first state and the second state in response to the refresh logic detecting a first condition related to the bank, and between the second state and the first state in response to the refresh logic circuit detecting a second condition.

A variety of techniques have been developed to increase the overall processing speed of computer systems. Vast improvements in integrated circuit processing technologies have contributed to the ability to increase computer processing speeds and memory capacity, thereby contributing to the overall improved performance of computer systems. The ability to produce integrated circuits with sub-micron features enables the amount of electrical components, such as capacitors, per integrated circuit to also increase.
Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips, comprised of large arrays of capacitors with sub-micron features, are utilized for main memory in computer systems. DRAM is typically inexpensive and high density, thereby enabling large amounts of DRAM to be integrated per device. Due to the inherit nature of capacitors, DRAM must continuously be refreshed or the data stored within the capacitor will be lost. Each capacitor slowly leaks charge, and if the DRAM is not refreshed, eventually the capacitors will leak enough charge and encounter irreversible data corruption.
Most DRAM chips sold today are compatible with various double data rate (DDR) DRAM standards promulgated by the Joint Electron Devices Engineering Council (JEDEC). The standards provided by JEDEC provide a refresh cycle time that prevents the access of data for a period of time. Increasing DDR DRAM device density within a computer system increases the amount of time required for refresh, and thereby increases computer processing latency.
In order to address these issues, JEDEC adopted a feature in the DDR version four (DDR4) standard known as 1×, 2×, and 4× refresh mode. In these modes, a DDR4 memory can refresh a selected bank, one half of the selected bank, or one fourth of the selected bank, respectively, in response to a single refresh (REF) command. A mode register, mode register 3 (MR3), is used to select between these modes. Moreover, MR3 can also be programmed to support "on-the-fly" modes in which the choice of 1× or 2×, or the choice of 1× or 4×, can be performed dynamically and indicated by an unused address bit.
In the following description, the use of the same reference numerals in different drawings indicates similar or identical items. Unless otherwise noted, the word "coupled" and its associated verb forms include both direct connection and indirect electrical connection by means known in the art, and unless otherwise noted any description of direct connection implies alternate embodiments using suitable forms of indirect electrical connection as well.


A method for simulating the behavior of a flexible medium which is conveyed along a conveying path constructed of a pair of conveyor rollers includes the steps of dividing the surfaces of the conveyor rollers into a contact region and a non-contact region and setting a first peripheral speed and a second peripheral speed for the contact region and the non-contact region, respectively, and performing a simulation under a condition that a conveying force corresponding to the difference between the second peripheral speed and a moving speed of the flexible medium is applied to the flexible medium when the flexible medium reaches the non-contact region of the conveyor rollers and a condition that the flexible medium is conveyed at the first peripheral speed when the flexible medium reaches the contact region of the conveyor rollers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for the optimal design of a conveying path for a paper sheet based on a computer-simulation analysis of the paper sheet's behavior in a copy machine, a printer, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the design of a conveying path for paper sheets in a copy machine, a laser beam printer (LBP), or the like, the number of processes required for manufacturing test products and performing tests and the time and cost of development can be reduced by analyzing the functions of the conveying path under various conditions.
As an example of a technique for simulating the behavior of a flexible medium (a sheet-shaped recording medium such as a piece of paper and a film) in a conveying path, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 11-195052 and 11-116133 disclose design support systems in which the resistance and the contact angle between the flexible medium and a guide are evaluated by modeling the flexible medium with finite elements using the finite element method, and determining whether the flexible medium is in contact with guides and rollers in the conveying path, by numerically solving a dynamic equation.
In addition, Dynamic Analysis of Sheet Deformation Using Spring-Mass-Beam Model is also disclosed (Kazushi Yoshida, Transaction of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Vol. 63, No. 615C(1997-11), P230-236 Thesis No. 96-1530).
The motion of the flexible medium can be determined by deriving a dynamic equation of the flexible medium modeled with discrete finite elements or mass-spring elements, dividing the analysis time interval into time steps with a finite width, and successively determining unknown values of the acceleration, the speed, and the displacement for each time step by numerical time integration starting from time zero. For example, the Newmark β method, the Wilson θ method, the Euler method, the Kutta-Merson method, etc., are known in the art.
In the known design support systems for the conveyance of the flexible medium, the flexible medium is modeled with a finite number of elements (finite elements or mass-spring elements). A coefficient of friction μ which depends on the difference between the speed of conveyor rollers and the speed of the flexible medium, as shown in FIG. 2, is defined for each of the representative points of the elements (mass points if the elements are the mass-spring elements), and the motion of the flexible medium is calculated under a condition including a conveying force obtained as the product μN of the coefficient of friction μ and the normal force N.
A motion-calculation method used in the known design support systems for the conveyance of the flexible medium will be described below with reference to FIGS. 17 to 19. FIGS. 17 to 19 show a typical manner in which the flexible medium is conveyed. In FIG. 17, reference numerals 31, 32, and 33 denote mass points, reference numerals 34 and 35 denote springs positioned between the mass points, reference numeral 36 denotes a drive conveyor roller, and reference numeral 37 denotes a driven conveyor roller. Similarly, in FIGS. 18 and 19, reference numerals 41, 42, and 43 and reference numerals 51, 52, and 53 denote mass points.
In this calculation method, the difference ΔV between the conveying speed Vr of the rollers and the conveying speed Vp of the medium at the time when the mass point 31 reaches the contact point (nipping region) between the rollers is calculated as follows:ΔV=Vr−Vp
Then, the coefficient of friction μ is determined from FIG. 2 on the basis of the calculated ΔV, and the conveying force F=μN is calculated on the basis of a pressing force N applied by the driven roller 37. Thus, the conveying force F is applied to the mass point 31.
The conveying force F further conveys the medium, and the state shown in FIG. 18 is obtained. The conveying force F calculated on the basis of the state shown in FIG. 17 is assumed to be applied continuously to the mass point 41 until the next mass point 42 enters the nipping region. As shown in FIG. 19, when the next mass point 52 enters the nipping region, the conveying force F is updated and a new conveying force F′ is calculated on the basis of Vr and Vp at this time.
When the above-described calculation method is used, a large force is assumed to be applied to the mass point even when ΔV is small, and therefore the calculation result of the medium's speed greatly varies. In addition, the force applied is assumed to be constant while the state of the medium changes from that shown in FIG. 17 to that shown in FIG. 19. Therefore, even when the peripheral speed Vr of the rollers is set constant, the conveying speed Vp of the medium varies periodically unless the number of elements into which the medium is divided is considerably increased and the width of the time steps is considerably reduced.
In addition, if a relatively large external force is suddenly applied to the medium from a guide or another roller, etc., when no mass point is in the nipping region, as shown in FIG. 18, the medium cannot resist such a force and false slipping occurs between the medium and the rollers.

Method for simulating conveyance of medium


Example implementations relate to determining and implementing a feasible resource optimization plan for public cloud consumption. Telemetry data over a period of time is obtained for a current deployment of virtual infrastructure resources within a current data center of a cloud provider that supports an existing service and an application deployed on the virtual infrastructure resources. Information regarding a set of constraints to be imposed on a resource optimization plan is obtained. Indicators of resource consumption relating to the currently deployed virtual infrastructure resources during the period of time are identified by applying a deep learning algorithm to the telemetry data. A resource optimization plan is determined that is feasible within the set of constraints based on a costing model associated with resources of an alternative data center of the cloud provider, the indicators of resource consumption and costs associated with the current deployment.

Cloud computing has significantly affected the way Information Technology (IT) infrastructure is being consumed. With the help of virtualization technology, it is possible to deploy variety of virtual infrastructure ranging from public cloud environments to on-premise data centers based on native hardware. There are a number of ways to deploy virtualized application infrastructure with virtual machines (VMs) representing one example and the use of containers and microservices representing another.
While the public cloud is often an attractive proposition to start with, production and DevOps use cases tend to result in consumption of more public cloud infrastructure and services over time. If an enterprise is not disciplined about its cloud resource consumption, inefficient public cloud resource utilization can result in a costlier cloud-based solution than a comparable on-premise solution.

Determining and implementing a feasible resource optimization plan for public cloud consumption

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


A surgical portal apparatus includes a sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end that extends along a longitudinal axis, and a surgical tape. The sleeve includes an inner wall defining an internal longitudinal passageway dimensioned for permitting passage of a surgical object therethrough and an outer wall configured for positioning against tissue. The inner and outer walls define at least a partial annular space therebetween, the annular space being in fluid communication with an opening in the outer wall. The surgical tape includes a body portion retained within the annular space of the sleeve and a leading tab extendable through the opening in the outer wall of the sleeve. The surgical tape has a first surface and a second surface, each of the first and second surfaces having at least one of tissue reactive functional groups and self-reactive functional groups.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a surgical device and, more particularly, relates to a surgical portal apparatus for use during a minimally invasive surgical procedure including a surgical tape for sealing the wound through which the surgical portal apparatus was placed to access a surgical site.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many surgical procedures are performed through small incisions in the skin, as compared to the larger incisions typically required in traditional procedures, in an effort to reduce both trauma to the patient and recovery time. Generally, such procedures are referred to as "endoscopic", unless performed on the patient's abdomen, in which case the procedure is referred to as "laparoscopic". Throughout the present disclosure, the term "minimally invasive" should be understood to encompass both endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures.
Generally, in minimally invasive surgical procedures, surgical portal apparatus, such as trocars and cannulas, permit the introduction of a variety of surgical instruments into a body cavity or incision. A surgical portal apparatus is introduced through a cavity or incision to provide access to an underlying surgical site in the body. The incision is typically made using an obturator having a blunt or sharp radius within the passageway of the surgical portal apparatus. For example, a trocar has a cannula, a tube of rigid, thin wall construction, through which an obturator may be distally passed. The obturator is utilized to penetrate a body wall, such as an abdominal wall, or to introduce the surgical portal apparatus through the body wall, and is then removed from the surgical portal apparatus to permit introduction of surgical instrumentation utilized to perform the procedure therethrough.
Post-surgery, wound closure devices, such as sutures, are used to close the various layers of tissue (e.g., dermis, facias, muscle, peritoneum, etc.) of the formed wound. Suturing a patient after removal of a surgical portal apparatus may be cumbersome, while accumulating additional costs to the patient such as increased time spent in the operating room. For example, manual suturing may take approximately 2-4 minutes per surgical portal apparatus, with 4-8 surgical portal apparatus typically being utilized per procedure.
It would be desirable to provide a surgical portal apparatus with an integrated wound closure material that can quickly and easily effect closure of a wound without the need for a separate applicator.


The disclosure describes a system for applying custom branded tape to packages that are shipped from a multi-seller materials handling facility. In some implementations, a materials handling facility may store, process and ship items for multiple sellers. As items are packed for shipping, a tape dispensing device may dispense custom branded tape associated with the seller of the item(s) being packed such that the sellers brand, logo or other information is presented on the exterior of the container.

Many companies package items and/or groups of items together for a variety of purposes, such as e-commerce and mail-order companies that package items (e.g., books, CDs, apparel, food, etc.) to be shipped to fulfill orders from customers. Retailers, wholesalers, and other product distributors (which may collectively be referred to as sellers) typically maintain an inventory of various items that may be ordered by clients or customers. This inventory may be maintained and processed at a materials handling facility which may include, but is not limited to, one or more of: warehouses, distribution centers, cross-docking facilities, order fulfillment facilities, packaging facilities, shipping facilities, or other facilities or combinations of facilities for performing one or more functions of material (inventory) handling. Some materials handling facilities may store, process and ship inventory for multiple sellers.
While implementations are described herein by way of example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the implementations are not limited to the examples or drawings described. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit implementations to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include", "including", and "includes" mean including, but not limited to.

Custom branded tape in a multi-seller environment


Provided are drug-transport metabolomics profile assessments and therapies.

Multiple drug transporters are present in various organs of the body including the kidney, the intestinal epithelium, the brain microvessel endothelium, and the liver. Humans are highly variable in their ability to metabolize and excrete drugs. This variability underlies a great deal of morbidity and mortality as standardized doses of medications can produce drug levels that range from sub-therapeutic to toxic. Organic anion and cation transporters (OATs and OCTs, respectively) are a family of transmembrane proteins largely expressed in excretory organs such as kidney and liver are a major component of the human xenobiotic excretion machinery. These proteins interact with many commonly used drugs including antibiotics, anti-hypertensives, and anti-inflammatories among others. As such it is probable that variations in either the coding or regulatory sequences of OAT and OCT genes contribute significantly to differences in drug-handling capability.

Predicting metabolic side effects of transported drugs

The Regents of the University of California


A head immobilization device for an accident patient and a manufacturing blank of sheet material, such as cardboard, for making such a device are described. The manufacturing blank is H-shaped and provided with fold lines. The blank is folded to form the head immobilization device with a pair of triangular cylinders which extend longitudinally upward from the top surface of a head support center section on opposite sides of such section to prevent lateral movement of the head. The head immobilization device is provided with adhesive tape on the bottom surface of the center section to attach such device to a flat support such as a back-board. Ear hole slots are provided in the inner sides of the triangular cylinders to enable examination of the ears. The sides of the triangular cylinders are releasably fastened by hook and loop fasteners.

Head restraints are products that are intended to assist in limiting the movement of a patient's head and neck after an accident in which said patient's spine and/or head has been or may be injured. Head restraints are both disposable or re-usable, depending on each independent product.
Disadvantages of a nondisposable head restraint are high cost and frequent replacement due to loss or damage. The disadvantages of the disposable cardboard head restraint used at this time are inefficiency of adequate head immobilization. The tape for taping the head restraint to a back board, that also comes with other cardboard head restraints, is difficult to keep from becoming twisted and stuck to gloved hands during application to the patient. Application of other head restraints has been obviously confusing to many Emergency Medical Technicians, thus wasting valued time to patient's welfare.
The Headlock head restraint of the present invention is superior in immobilizing the patient's head compared to other cardboard restraints. Common sense methods in application make the Headlock a more desirable choice for restraining a patient's head and spine (cervical region). The design of the H-shape manufacturing blank sheet enables it to be folded to form triangular cylinders extending upward on either side of the patient's head which considerably reduces lateral head movement. The simplicity of being able to examine ears, with the incorporation of ear slots on the sides of the triangular cylinders is a great benefit. Simplicity with superior immobilization makes the Headlock much more desirable.


A planar display assembly is provided with a pane with a front reflective surface and a rear surface. An array of mounting plates is provided, each with a first fastener, and a polygonal mounting plate adhered to the rear surface by an adhesive. A plurality of second fasteners is each engaged with one of the array of first fasteners for linear adjustment relative to the pane in a direction generally perpendicular to the pane to support the planar display assembly upon an upright support surface. Each mounting plate is oriented upon the pane rear surface such that at least one vertex extends away from the corresponding first fastener in a direction toward another sequential first fastener within the array of first fasteners. A metal bracket is adapted to be mounted to the upright support surface. The bracket has at least one enclosed cleat to receive two of the second fasteners.

One prior art system for installing a mirror assembly to an upright support surface includes a cleat assembly, commonly referred to as a French cleat with one horizontal cleat mounted to the upright support surface, and another horizontal cleat mounted to a rear surface of the mirror assembly. An elastomeric bumper may be mounted to a lower region of the rear surface to engage the upright support surface to ensure that the mirror assembly is vertically upright or level by being spaced parallel to the wall.
Typically, hidden fastener mirrors include a sheet metal mounting plate which is positioned onto the back of the mirror where the vertical and horizontal axis of the mounting plates are roughly parallel with the vertical and horizontal axis of the mirror to which they are attached.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A sintered metal sprocket for a silent chain is produced by the following steps. A base mixture is prepared, which contains a powder metallurgical iron powder, a lubricant and a graphite powder. Then, the base mixture is subjected to a compression molding while being heated at above approximately 100xc2x0 C. thereby to produce a green compact. Then, the green compact is subjected to a sintering at a temperature above approximately 1180xc2x0 C. For much improving the mechanical performance of the sprocket thus sintered, the same may be subjected to a carbonizing hardening or an induction hardening.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a powder metallurgy technology for producing sintered articles, and more particularly to a method of producing a sintered metal sprocket and a sprocket produced by the method, which is suitable for a silent chain used in an internal combustion engine or the like. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a method of producing a sintered metal sprocket which has excellent wear and abrasion resistance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As one of methods of increasing mechanical strength of sintered metal parts, Laid-Open Japanese Patent Publication 7-112231 shows a technique for increasing the strength of a sintered metal gear. That is, in the technique, the crystal grains gathering near each tooth of the gear are made minute and the mechanical strength of each tooth, particularly, the fatigue strength of the root of each tooth is increased. That is, in the method, after being heated to an austenitizing range, the peripheral portion of a circular blank of the gear is subjected to a hot form rolling to form teeth around the blank. Furthermore, as the need arises, the circular blank is subjected to a preparatory hot form rolling, before the major hot rolling, for obtaining much minute formation of the crystal grains or after the hot form rolling, the gear is subjected to an induction hardening for obtaining much hardened teeth of the gear.
The method described in the above-mentioned publication makes no mention of the improvement in wear and abrasion resistance of the teeth of the sintered gear. In other words, the technique of the publication can not be directly applied to a method for producing a sintered metal sprocket for a silent chain where high wear and abrasion resistance of the teeth of the sprocket is highly needed.
Hitherto, meshing between a sintered metal sprocket and a silent chain has been analyzed. By this analyzation, it has been revealed that a slippage between the sprocket and the silent chain is caused by a sliding movement of each unit of the link plates of the chain in a direction from the addendum to the dedendum of the sprocket upon receiving a certain impact. Furthermore, it has been also revealed that during the sliding movement of the link plates, side edges of each unit of the link plates is forced to make a point contact with each tooth of the sprocket against a bearing stress of over 0.4 Gpa. Furthermore, by making a detailed observation on the abrasion of the teeth of sintered metal sprockets, it has been revealed that as service duration increases, minute holes in the sintered body become merged thereby triggering a so-called peeling abrasion of the teeth of the sprocket. This abrasion manner is considered quite unique differing from that occurring in a sprocket for a roller chain or when two gears mesh each other.
In view of the above-mentioned revelation and consideration, the applicants have concluded that a satisfied wear and abrasion resistance of the teeth of sintered metal sprockets is not obtained by only fining the crystal grains. Furthermore, the applicants have revealed that an ordinary hot form rolling does not provide a deterrent against the abrasion of the teeth because the ordinary form rolling fails to bring about metallurgical connection between the crystal grains, and revealed that the induction hardening after hot form rolling does not provide a deterrent against the peeling abrasion of the teeth.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a sintered metal sprocket for a silent chain and a method of producing the same, which are provided by embodying the above-mentioned revelation and consideration.
According to the present invention, there is provided a sintered metal sprocket for a silent chain, whose tooth portion shows a satisfied performance in mechanical strength, particularly in wear and abrasion resistance.
According to the present invention, there is further provided a method for producing a sintered metal sprocket for a silent chain, that has such a satisfied mechanical strength.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a sintered metal sprocket for a silent chain. The method comprises preparing a base mixture which contains a metallurgical iron powder, a lubricant and a graphite powder; subjecting the base mixture to a compression molding while heating the same above approximately 100xc2x0 C. thereby to produce a green compact; and sintering the green compact at a temperature above approximately 1180xc2x0 C. to produce the sintered metal sprocket.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a sintered metal sprocket for a silent chain. The method comprises preparing a base mixture which contains a metallurgical iron powder, a lubricant and a graphite powder, the metallurgical iron powder containing in weight ratio 2.0% to 5.0% of Ni (nickel), 0.2% to 1.0% of Mo (molybdenum), 0.5% to 2.0% of Cu (copper), 1% of C (carbon) and residue of Fe (iron) and impurities, the metal grains of Ni, Mo and Cu being diffusion-bonded onto each grain of Fe; subjecting the base mixture to a compression molding while heating the same above approximately 100xc2x0 C. thereby to produce a green compact of sprocket; and sintering the green compact of sprocket at a temperature above approximately 1180xc2x0 C. to produce the sintered metal sprocket.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a sintered metal sprocket for a silent chain. The method comprises preparing a base mixture which contains a metallurgical iron powder, a lubricant and a graphite powder, metallurigical iron powder containing in weight ratio 0.5% to 3.0% of Ni, 0.5% to 2.0% of Mo, 1% of C and residue of Fe and impurities, the metal grains of Ni being diffusion-bonded to each alloyed grain of Fe and Mo; subjecting the base mixture to a compression molding while heating the same above approximately 100xc2x0 C. thereby to produce a green compact of sprocket; and sintering the green compact of sprocket at a temperature above approximately 1180xc2x0 C. to produce the sintered metal sprocket.

Method of producing sintered metal sprocket and sprocket produced by the method


A hammermill having a rotor assembly and a screen bar assembly is provided to reduce oversized wood chips. The hammermill may also be used to reduce wood and/or bark, the rotor assembly includes flexible hammers which are pivotally attached to allow each flexible hammer to move radially inward or radially outward during rotation of the rotor assembly. Each flexible hammer preferably includes a recess with a portion of a support rod disposed therein to limit radial movement inward and outward relative to the rotor assembly. The screen bar assembly includes a plurality of screen bars having a beveled surface formed along one edge of each screen bar disposed adjacent to the rotor assembly. The flexible hammers allow the rotor assembly to rotate at lower revolutions per minute which reduces the amount of fines and undersized wood chips produced by the associated hammermill. Cooperation between the flexible hammers and the configuration of the screen bar assembly along with the beveled surfaces further reduces the amount of fines and undersized wood chips produced by the associated hammermill.

Hammermills are used in applications to reduce a wide range of materials including junked automobiles, friable materials such a limestone and coal and fibrous materials such as wood. Reducing or shredding these different types of material has resulted in a wide variety of designs and construction techniques to optimize the respective hammermill's performance in reducing or shredding the selected material. Automobile hammermills typically comprise apparatus that rotates relative to a cutter bar at the end of a feeder chute through which a junked automobile is fed. The rotating apparatus conventionally comprises four or six rows of hammers with each row including a plurality of hammers mounted for swinging movement on a common shaft or rotor which typically rotates at 700-900 revolutions per minute (RPM). For each revolution, each of the four or six rows of hammers passes by the cutter bar, shearing or shredding a junked automobile as it is fed along the entry chute. Due to the large size of an automobile hammermill, the tip speed of each hammer is very high.
Hammermills associated with reducing and/or shredding wood and bark are sometimes referred to as "wood or bark hogs." Hammer tip speeds are typically 11,000-15,000 feet per minute (FPM) for such wood and bark hogs. Many hammermill applications with swinging hammers have a tip speed of 11,000-12,000 FPM. This relatively high tip speed is required to have enough impact energy to properly reduce the material and to have enough force to hold the associated swinging hammers radially outward. Slow speed hammermills typically include a plurality of hammers which are rigidly mounted on a rotating shaft or rotor.
Some applications such as paper manufacturing require a large quantity of generally uniform sized wood chips. Oversized chips are typically screened out and resized or rechipped to the desired dimensions. Knife type rechippers with either disk or drum style rotors are often used to reduce oversized wood chips. Such knife type rechippers have a tendency to become plugged and frequently require substantial amounts of time and money for repair and maintenance. Hammermills that have previously been used to resize wood chips typically operate at tip speeds of around 10,000 FMP. The higher speeds produce a higher percentage of fines and/or undersized wood chips. Knife type rechippers also typically produce a substantial quantity of fines and oversized wood chips. The cost of resharpening and/or replacing knives associated with such rechippers can be as much as $20-30,000 per year. Knife type rechippers are also susceptible to damage from any metal trapped or contained in the oversized wood chips.
During the cooking process associated with manufacturing paper, fines and undersized chips typically produce a mush type mixture which does not contain cellulose fibers of the required length for high quality paper production. Both oversized and undersized chips are often not completely digested during the cooking process and result in waste material.

Slow speed hammermill for size reduction of wood chips


A refrigeration device, in particular a no-frost device, refrigerator and/or freezer, comprising a thermally insulating housing containing at least one product storage compartment that can be supplied with cold air by a fan and an evaporator chamber that holds an evaporator. According to the invention, the evaporator chamber is thermally separated from the storage compartment by a partition. The device also comprises an electronic control system for controlling the refrigeration device and at least one light source for illuminating the storage compartment. The evaporator, the partition and the electronic control system and/or the evaporator, the partition and the light source are provided in the form of modules. The refrigeration device is characterized in that it is particularly reliable, works efficiently, can be cost-effectively produced and is easy to service.

The invention relates to a refrigeration device, especially a no-frost device, refrigerator and/or freezer, comprising a thermally-insulating housing within which at least one product storage compartment that can be supplied with cold air by a fan and an evaporator chamber that holds the evaporator are provided, with the evaporator being thermally separated from the storage compartment by a partition, an electronic control system for control of the refrigeration device and at least one light source for illuminating the storage compartment.
There are known refrigeration devices, especially refrigerators, freezers and fridge-freezer combinations with circulating air cooling that feature a metallic inner container. In these devices a cold air generator can be arranged in the upper area of the cooling compartment. It has been established for a number of different reasons that the optimum position for the cold air generator, such as an evaporator for example, which is embodied in no-frost technology as a fin evaporator, lies in an upper area of the respective cooling compartment. The insulation thicknesses of the devices can vary at the device rear walls.
DE 198 55 224 discloses a refrigeration device with an evaporator arranged in the upper area of the cooling compartment.
To reduce material costs and investment when manufacturing the refrigeration device, it is desirable, in order to achieve the highest possible efficiency of the refrigeration device, to design the process of installing the components and the modules to be fast, simple and as error-free as possible and to achieve a high level of operational safety and operational reliability even under extreme conditions.

Refrigeration device with a modular configuration for the control system and evaporator