Energy beams with different wavelengths or wavelength ranges may be passed through a gas sample in a test chamber. Ones of the energy beams may have wavelengths or wavelength ranges that are absorbed by particular gases. To determine whether any of those particular gases are in the gas sample, the loss of energy, if any, as the beams pass through the gas ample may be determined. The presence of one or more gases that do not absorb the energy beams may be determined by placing a chemical reactant that reacts with those one or more gases and then detecting a chemical reaction between the chemical reactant and the gas sample.

Gas sensors capable of detecting the presence and/or concentration level of various gases are used in may applications, and the number of such applications is increasing as the ability to detect various gases increases and as the application of these sensors is shown to have an increasing role in how gases form, react, and affect the environment.
As one non-limiting example, gas sensors have been used to detect the presence of vapors produced by contamination from fuel products, such as gasoline, diesel, or other fuel products. Such contamination may arise, for example, from a spill or leak of fuel. The types of gases known sensors have been able to detect, however, have been limited. For example, known sensors have not been able to detect vapors produced by leaks of diesel fuels. Indeed, known gas sensors have been configured to detect the presence of vapors produced by gasoline but generally have not been able to detect heavier vapors (e.g., hydrocarbons) produced by other types of fuels such as diesel. Although not so limited, the present invention may be configured to detect hydrocarbons and other vapors indicative of diesel and fuels other than gasoline. The present invention may also provide the ability to detect a plurality of different gases in a compact, portable sensor, although the invention is not so limited.


An omni directional mobility device made of a spherical device that is capable of omni directional movement. An omni directional vehicle including a vehicle and at least one omni directional mobility device made of a spherical device for enabling omni directional movement.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanism utilized for movement on a support surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been known heretofore a variety of different mechanisms used to provide support and directional movement of different types of vehicles or other structures. These mechanisms include, but are not limited to, wheels, swivel casters, swivel wheels, belts, rail tracks, treads, and the like. Depending upon the setting in which they are utilized, these mechanisms vary in shape, dimensions, complexity, and design. Moreover, these types of mechanisms are used in various vehicles that include, but are not limited to, motor vehicles, automobiles, carts, wheelchairs, chairs, recreational vehicles, trailers, and any other similar transportation units known to those of skill in the art.
A ubiquitous mechanism used for a motor vehicle is a wheel. Currently, wheels provide the most common mechanism in which to support, control, and move a motor vehicle. Wheels are coupled to a separate drive axis that provides power for movement of the vehicle thereof. Additionally, wheels are usually coupled together so that they are controlled simultaneously in unison. Although wheels have been used for over a century, they have several drawbacks. For instance, currently existing wheels do not provide a wide range of movement possibilities. While, wheels provide for an efficient and effective mechanism for driving the vehicle in a relatively straightforward and backward direction, complete lateral or horizontal movement cannot be accomplished.
Accordingly, there is a need for a mobility mechanism that provides increased lateral and horizontal movement and increased directional mobility of vehicles. Additionally, there is a need for a drive and steering mechanism that is used in conjunction with the mobility mechanism.


Sensors detect a displacement correction pattern image-formed on a transporting belt. A timing when the sensors execute a detecting operation is preliminary set depending on a tolerance in a layout or a dimension of a portion where the displacement correction pattern is image-formed, detected. Based on the detected timing detected by the sensors, the preliminary set timing is modified.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a displacement correction device and a method thereof, and an image forming device preferably used in a tandem-type color image forming device where a plurality of image stations per a color that execute an image forming process are provided and a color image for a transfer formed by superimposing images of each color on an endless transferring belt or a transporting belt is transferred onto a recording paper, thereby forming the color image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a color image forming device employing an electrophotographic technology, a photoconductor drum as an image holding member is electrically charged by a charging unit, a latent image is formed on the charged photoconductor drum by irradiating the surface of the charged photoconductor drum with laser light depending on image information, and a developing unit develops the latent image. The developed toner image is then transferred onto a paper sheet or the like.
Tandem-type color image forming devices are well-known in the art. In a typical tandem-type color image forming device includes a plurality of image stations that execute such a series of image forming processes. Each of the image stations forms an image of a corresponding color of C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and BK (black) on a corresponding one the image holding member and the color image for a transfer formed by superimposing images of each color on an endless transferring belt is transferred onto a recording paper, thereby forming the color image.
In this tandem-type color image forming device, when the image is formed on the photoconductor drum of each color and transferred onto the recording paper on the transferring belt, if a transferred image position of each color is displaced from an ideal position, the image having a color drift is formed and quality of the image deteriorates.
Generally, a displacement correction pattern image is formed on the transferring belt to be detected by a charged coupled device (CCD) sensor or the like and the displacement on the photoconductor drum corresponding to the image of each color is detected and an electric correction is performed to an image signal to be recorded, and a reflecting mirror provided in a light path of the laser light is driven to correct a light path length or a light path change. Japanese Patent No. 2642351 discloses a method for achieving this. The displacement correction pattern image is a line-shaped pattern of a toner in each color of Y, M, C, and BK. This method includes measuring a time when the pattern of other color is detected by the sensor, by making a pattern of one certain color a reference, and calculating how much a position of other pattern calculated from the time and transporting speed of the transporting belt is displaced from a theoretical value to obtain the displacement amount.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6-193476 discloses a method to image-form plural sets of the patterns-for-displacement-correction in a sub-scanning direction (in a longitudinal direction) of the transporting belt relative each color and to average the displacement amount per a set, thereby eliminating fluctuation of the displacement amount due to a rotation periodic fluctuation of the photoconductor drum. In this method, however, the primary time cannot be inserted between the sets, due to environmental changes or a tolerance in a layout or in a dimension of a portion where the displacement correction pattern is image-formed, detected in a design phase, for example, a stretch of the transferring belt, an incident sometimes occurs where positional information on the correction pattern cannot be detected.

Displacement correction device, displacement correction method, and image forming device


In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises a system and method for ensuring a desired profit percentage in a business that provides a service for fees. Businesses will know what prices to charge for any profit level desired. Three profit areas can be used to arrive at a service fee; labor, equipment, and inventory. Input of a desired profit will automatically recalculate how billable labor is charged out in each billable labor dollar of revenue. Preferably, electronic sales information is received that represents a sum of fees received for providing the service. Further, electronic inventory cost information is received that represents a cost of goods sold during the course of providing the service. Moreover, electronic billable labor cost information is received that represents a cost of billable labor, and electronic non-billable labor cost information representing cost of non-billable labor. Furthermore and in a preferred embodiment, electronic overhead cost information is preferably received that represents a cost of overhead. An electronic profit percentage value is preferably received that represents a percentage of fees charged for the service to be allocated for profit. Also, a portion of the labor fee charged is calculated to represent billable labor, non billable labor, and overhead.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to calculating fees for services, and, more particularly, to a system and method for determining fees for services based on a desired profit percentage associated with a service industry.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ability to determine rates for professional services has been a significant impediment to those desiring to maintain a profitable business while simultaneously providing quality services that are affordable. Multitudes of professional services are provided each year to consumers, and many competing businesses in a respective service industry charge rates that are markedly different. Moreover, consumers who require professional services cannot accurately assess whether the fees they are charged are fair and/or accurately reflect the quality of services rendered. One unfortunate result is that consumers do not call into question the fees they are charged for a professional service or do not question the quality of the service that is rendered without a clear indication of a problem with the quality of service, the fees associated therewith or both. Another unfortunate result is that consumers unfairly call into question the fees they are charged or the quality of a service they receive.
Many businesses that provide professional services require employment staff, equipment and inventory supplies in the course of their business. The costs to a business that are associated with, for example, staff, equipment and supplies directly affect the profitability of a business providing professional services. Costs associated with employment staff can vary significantly depending upon the type and level of skill of the employee. For example, an office assistant is paid a lower salary (or hourly rate) than, for example, a skilled technician. Thus, costs associated with a providing a service depend, at least in part, upon the level of skill of the person either providing the service or contributing to the performance of the service.
Often in the prior art, a service provider may know that many costs are incurred during the course of providing services, however costs are not adequately factored into calculations to determine fees for respective services. The unfortunate result is that fees charged for providing services do not account accurately for all of the costs associated therewith and, accordingly, the fees are set too high or too low, artificially. In case the fees are set too low, consumers will likely be satisfied, but the business cannot realize its financial potential or may lose money. In case the fees are set too high, consumers may be dissatisfied.
Often, fees for services may not be calculated accurately because costs considered by the service provider for equipment represent only the purchase price of the equipment. Equipment, typically, has an estimated life span (e.g., a period of time in which equipment functions properly) and most equipment eventually requires replacement. Accordingly, equipment inherently has a replacement cost per use factor that represents a relationship between the cost associated with using equipment and the cost associated with replacing the equipment. For example, a centrifuge that costs $500 to replace, has an expected life span of five years, and is used two thousand times a year costs has a lower per use cost than one that is used only fifty times a year. One service provider using a centrifuge two thousand times per year should charge, for example, 5¢ per use in order to factor the cost associated with replacement, while a second service provider using a centrifuge only fifty times a year should charge, for example, $2.00 per use in order to factor the replacement cost.
Therefore and in view of the foregoing, fees for services that require use of equipment should be calculated to make an accurate return on the equipment, and to represent the costs associated with operating and replacing the equipment. Today, in most service oriented businesses, these calculations are not being made.
In addition to equipment, costs associated with employees and staff are also, typically, not factored adequately into a calculation of fees for services in the prior art. For example, variables such as wages paid, benefits (e.g., health insurance costs, license costs, dues, profit sharing, or the like), taxes paid by an employer and paid time off (e.g., holidays, vacation and sick leave) are not adequately assessed to calculate fees associated with providing professional services. A calculation should be made for each paid person that represents the sum of the person's gross wages, benefits and employer taxes paid. That sum should be divided by the number of billable work weeks in order to calculate a value referred to herein, generally, as a cost per billable minute value.
Further, labor associated with activities that are collateral to providing a service should be factored into the calculation of fees associated with professional services. For example, labor associated with setting up equipment, clean-up, etc are not assigned.
In certain instances, employees may spend time in non-productive areas or being non-productive. For example, a manager divides his time between management duties and actual production. In this case, the present invention supports identifying the percentage of time that managerial duties are performed, and that percentage is preferably applied to the manager's salary, and that portion of the manager's salary is input into the present invention and defined as non-billable time. The remaining percentage of salary is input into the billable employee portion of the income statement.
The same percentage may be applied to hours. For example, a manager is paid $40,000, half of the time is spent in management, half of the time is spent as production time, with actual productive time of 18 hours. In this context, $20,000 should be applied to non-billable time and $20,000 to billable time. The week work hours would be defined as ½ of 40 or 20 hours and billable hours would be the productive time spent within those work hours 18 out of 20 hours, and the production percent is 18/20 or 90%. Although costs associated with equipment and labor represent a significant portion of a service provider's expenses, it is recognized by the inventor that additional overhead expenses are incurred, such as costs related to leases, mortgages, utilities, advertisements and other operational expenses. It is estimated that labor/benefits/taxes represent approximately 55% of a service provider's accounting expenses. Operating overhead costs account for 22% of a service provider's accounting expenses. Inventory costs represent approximately 20% of a service provider's accounting expenses. Typically, businesses are guessing at the fees and do not know how to cover above costs and only realize a small profit, for example 3%. They do not know how to cost out for their leases, their mortgages, their utilities and/or their advertisement expenses. For example, 3% is an unfortunate result of low profit, which equates to 100% (i.e., 55%+22%+20%+3%) of a fee for service charged by a service provider. In the prior art, service providers were unable to account accurately for labor, equipment, inventory and supplies, and were therefore unable to expense such costs to calculate fees.

System and method for defining billable labor by setting profit


An inkjet recording apparatus includes a carriage having a recording head for jetting UV-curable ink onto a recording medium and a UV light emitter for projecting UV light onto ink having landed on the recording medium to cure the ink, and a maintenance unit for performing maintenance of the recording head. The apparatus further includes an input section for inputting a type of recording medium, a storage section for storing plural types of recording media and corresponding plural maintenance intervals, and a controller for controlling the maintenance unit such that the controller selects a maintenance interval, corresponding to the type of recording medium having been input through the input section, and performs maintenance, according to the selected maintenance interval. A method for maintenance of a recording head selects a maintenance interval, corresponding to the type of recording medium having been input, and performs maintenance, according to the selected maintenance interval.

In recent years, inkjet recording devices, which are inkjet type image recording devices, have come to be used more than gravure printing type or flexo printing type devices, which require prepress process, because inkjet type image recording devices allows easy and inexpensive image forming.
In the field of image recording on commodities or packing materials for commodities by the use of such an inkjet recording device, materials such as resins or metals without ink absorbance are often used for commodities or packing of commodities. As inkjet recording devices that fix ink to a recording medium of such a material having no ink absorbance, inkjet recording devices of UV-curing type which uses UV-curable ink are known.
In general, in an inkjet recording device of UV-curable type, UV light is projected to UV-curable ink having landed on a recording medium so that the UV-curable ink is cured and fixed to the recoding medium. Herein, when the amount of UV light projection to a printing part is small, ink deposited on the recording medium somewhat spreads, resulting in creation of gloss. Conversely, when the amount of UV light projection is large, ink deposited on the recording medium spreads little, resulting in creation of a mat tone.
There is known an inkjet recording device that controls the amount of UV light projected onto a printing part to control the dot tone after printing so that a printing result is obtained in which gloss or mat tone is adjusted (Patent Document 1). A shutter is arranged at an opening, on the recording medium side, of a UV light emitting device in this recording device, wherein the opening degree is arbitrarily set to enable control of the amount of UV light projection onto a recording medium.
[Patent Document 1] TOKKAI No. 2004-1327
However, in an inkjet recording device that uses UV-curable ink, it is possible that UV-light for curing ink randomly reflects to parts other than a printing surface, for example, onto the-nozzle surface of a recording head, resulting in curing ink deposited on the nozzle surface to cause a jetting failure or the like. On the other hand, it is necessary to arrange a UV light emitter near recording heads so as to obtain a high image quality by curing ink immediately after printing. A carriage may be provided with a mechanism such as a light trap for absorbing or attenuating reflected light. However, it is impossible to absorb or attenuate all of reflected lights, and tiny reflected lights reach the nozzle surface of a recording head due to diffused reflection or the like.
Therefore, as is known, recording heads are maintained in order to remove ink deposited on the nozzle surfaces. Herein, UV-curable ink is applicable to any type of recording medium, allowing it to perform printing on any recording medium. However, the surface roughness and reflection rate are different depending on the recording medium. Therefore, the amount of light energy of reflected UV light reaching the nozzle surface of a recording head may be greater depending on the type of a recording medium even if the UV light projection time is the same. Therefore, if the maintenance interval is set to be the same all the time, there is a problem that the maintenance interval is too long for a recording medium which causes a large amount of light energy of reflected light.
Particularly, cation-curable ink has a characteristic of accumulating light energy, and accordingly even in the case of light energy in a tiny amount, light energy is accumulated as time elapses to finally cure the cation-curable ink. Further, ink having been cured once cannot be removed by maintenance. Therefore, it is necessary to perform maintenance before UV light projection time exceeds a certain time period.
However, on the other hand, if maintenance interval is shortened for any recording medium, maintenance is performed frequently to consume a lot of time for maintenance, resulting in drop in printing rate on a recording medium by the inkjet recording device. Further, as maintenance consumes ink, too frequent maintenance causes a problem of wasting ink a lot.

Inkjet recording apparatus and method for maintenance of recording head


The breakdown voltage at high current values can be reduced in a HV-MOST with a weakly doped drain extension and a conventional interdigitated source/drain configuration,so that the SOAR (safe operating area) is reduced. The invention is based inter alia on the recognition that breakdown occurs at the end faces of the drain fingers at high current values owing to current convergences and the accompanying Kirk effect. To widen the SOAR of the transistor, the tips 8 of the drain fingers 5, 6 are rendered inactive in that the source fingers 4 are locally interrupted. In an optimized embodiment, the source fingers 4 shorter than the drain fingers 5,6.

The invention relates to a semiconductor device with a semiconductor body comprising a layer-shaped region of a first conductivity type which adjoins a surface and which is provided with a high-voltage MOST which comprises a source zone of the second, opposed conductivity type adjoining the surface and a drain zone of the second conductivity type adjoining the surface and separated from the source zone by an interposed channel region, which drain zone comprises a strongly doped surface zone situated at a distance from the channel region and a weakly doped zone which forms a drain extension, is connected to the former zone, and extends up to the channel region, said source and drain zones of the transistor having an interdigitated configuration with at least three elongate zones of the second conductivity type lying next to one another, of which the central zone forms part of the drain zone and comprises at least an end face, while the two outermost zones situated on either side of the central zone each form part of the source zone.
MOS transistors with interdigitated source/drain configurations are generally known. It is possible to obtain a current-passing capacity or an ON-resistance which are sufficiently high or sufficiently low for the specific function of the transistor through the number of fingers and/or the length of the fingers. It is usual to provide the source zone and the channel region not only along the longitudinal sides of the drain fingers but also around the end faces of the drain fingers so as to achieve a maximum efficiency in space utilization in the semiconductor body. It is generally known, furthermore, that the breakdown voltage of a field effect transistor can be increased in that the drain is provided with a high-ohmic drain extension situated between the low-ohmic drain and the channel region.
It was found in practice that the current-voltage area within which a MOS transistor of the kind indicated above can be safely operated (SOAR=safe operating area) is often smaller than might be expected. It appears more in particular that the breakdown voltage of the transistor is strongly reduced at great current densities.

Semiconductor device having increased safe operating range


A high purity martensitic stainless steel alloy containing only critically limited amounts of minor elements including manganese, silicon, tin, phosphorus, aluminum, antimony and arsenic has high strength and toughness and unique resistance to both reversible and irreversible embrittlement.

Martensitic stainless steels having excellent strength, low brittle to ductile transition temperature and good hardening characteristics in thick sections have long been used as gas turbine wheel materials. They are, however, subject to embrittlement on exposure to elevated temperatures due to formation of detrimental phases within the alloy grains (irreversible embrittlement) or due to segregation of some harmful elements to the grain boundaries (reversible embrittlement). Recognizing this problem, others have added molybdenum, cobalt and other strong carbide formers which limit the tendency toward irreversible embrittlement. While a degree of success has thus been gained, the problem of reversible embrittlement remains, as heat treatments to relieve the condition may degrade desired properties and dimensional integrity of the products. Also, changes in alloy chemistry, particularly phosphorus content, yielded results indifferent enough to discourage special measures for phosphorus removal.

Embrittlement resistant stainless steel alloy


A spectrometer comprising a waveguide module, a diffractive component, and a light sensor is provided. The waveguide module has a first reflective surface, a second reflective surface opposite to the first reflective surface, and a light channel between the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface. The diffractive component has a diffractive surface and a plurality of strip-shaped diffractive structures located on the diffractive surface. The sharpness of the profile of the strip-shaped diffractive structures on a first side of the diffractive surface is greater than that on a second side of the diffractive surface. When viewed along a direction perpendicular to the second reflective surface, the first side of the diffractive surface is positioned between the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface with a distance away from the second reflective surface. A method for assembling the spectrometer and an assembling system are also provided.

A spectrometer can typically disperse light of complex composition into a light spectrum, and may include a prism or a diffractive grating. Spectrometers can measure how much light is reflected from or transmitted through an object. Optical signals captured by a spectrometer can be developed on photographic films or be displayed and analyzed by a computer to give information on elemental compositions of the object to be measured. Based on optical principles, spectrometers are often used to observe, analyze, and process the structure and composition of matters. There are several advantages associated with spectrometers, including: high precision and accuracy, large measurement range, high speed and smaller amount of sample used, etc. Therefore, spectrometers have been widely used by agencies and institutes in the areas of metallurgy, geology, petroleum and chemical industries, medicine and health, and environmental protection. In addition, spectrometers are also a necessity for applications in military reconnaissance, space exploration, and resources and hydrological surveys.

Spectrometer, assembling method thereof, and assembling system


Structurally novel opioid receptor agonists are provided, and the use of these agonists in treatment of chronic and/or acute pain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to opioid receptor agonist compounds and their use in the treatment of acute and/or chronic pain.
2. Background of the Invention
The study of compounds exerting their actions via the opioid receptor system has continued for nearly eight decades.1 Though this has been a broad effort, the fundamental driving force for this endeavor relates to the elimination or reduction of the side-effect profile produced by the most frequently used or abused opiates morphine (1) and heroin (2). The wealth of knowledge accumulated in this time is enormous and includes examples of milestone discoveries commensurate with its breadth from the original concept of an opiate receptor2 to the more recent cloning of three individual opioid receptor subtypes, mu3-5 delta6,7 and kappa.8-10 Belonging to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), postulated to possess seven helical transmembrane (7TM) spanning regions, they are now known to be anatomically distributed in both the central and peripheral nervous systems and aside from modulation of pain are intimately involved in a diversity of biological events ranging from of the modulation of immune response11 to hibernation.12
Over 100 million patients experience acute or chronic pain annually in the United States caused by headache, muscle strains and sprains, arthritis, trauma, cancer, surgery, and back injuries, among others. Because pain impairs one's ability to carry out a productive life, pain in general and chronic pain in particular are serious health and economic problems. Patients with advanced cancer pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or neuropathic pain frequently do not achieve adequate relief of pain with existing drugs owing to limited efficacy. Hence, there is a significant unmet medical need for safer orally-active and parenteral products for treating mild-moderate and moderate-severe pain. Market statistics show a continuing unmet medical need for safer, easier-to-use and more effective treatments for both acute and chronic pain.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,559,159 discloses a variety of N-substituted 4β-methyl-5-(3-hydroxyphenyl)morphans as opioid kappa receptor selective pure antagonists, and their use in a variety of end uses such as treatment of disease states that are ameliorated by binding of the kappa opioid receptor such as heroin or cocaine addictions, among other uses. (see also Thomas et al, J. Med. Chem., 2002, 45, 3524-3530).
With the recent removal from the US market of various COX1 and COX2 mechanism based pain medications, there is a great need for new medications for treatment of acute and/or chronic pain, operating by different pathways so as to avoid the negative side effects of the withdrawn drugs. One potential pathway for pain treatment may be with the use of agonists for the opioid receptors, thus mimicking the pain alleviating aspects of the opiates, without the negative side effects of such illegal substances.

Opioid receptor agonist compounds and their use in treatment of pain


The present invention relates to a plurality of manufactured cigarettes adapted to be arranged in a packaged configuration thereof. Each of the cigarettes include a rod of smokable material contained in a circumscribing paper wrapper (i.e., a "smokable rod"). Each of the smokable rods have a plurality of substantially flat sides and have at least one crease longitudinally extending substantially along the total length thereof. Preferably, each of the smokable rods includes a pair of creases longitudinally extending substantially along the length thereof to define one of the flat sides. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing cigarettes adapted to be arranged in a packaged configuration. The method includes providing a plurality of cigarettes including a smokable rod having a substantially circular or oval cross-section, and applying a compressive pressure to the smokable rods to provide a plurality of flat sides and at least one crease in the smokable rod.

The present invention relates to cigarettes, and more particularly to cigarettes so shaped to provide advantageous aesthetic and consumer perception characteristics.
Popular smoking articles, such as cigarettes, have a substantially cylindrical rod shaped structure, have no flat sides, and typically have a circular cross-section or an oval cross-section (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,818 to Nichols et al). Cigarettes include a charge of smokable material, such as shredded tobacco (e.g., cut filler), surrounded by a paper wrapper thereby forming a so-called "smokable rod." It has become desirable to manufacture cigarettes having substantially cylindrical filter elements aligned in an end-to-end relationship with the smokable rod. Typically, filter elements are manufactured from fibrous materials such as cellulose acetate and plug wrap, and are attached to the smokable rod using a circumscribing tipping material. It also has become desirable to perforate the tipping material and plug wrap, in order to provide for dilution of drawn mainstream smoke with ambient air.
These smoking articles conventionally have been adapted to be arranged in a packaged configuration (i.e., a "package"). Typically, each package contains about 20 cigarettes. One type of popular cigarette package is the so-called "hard pack," "crush proof box" or "hinged lid package." Such a package has a generally cuboid-type shape, is manufactured from resilient paperboard and includes an outer wrap of transparent polypropylene film. Another type of cigarette package is the so-called "soft-pack" manufactured from a less resilient paperboard.
Hinged lid cigarette packages conventionally are made from two paperboard blanks. One blank forms the body and lid of the package. The second blank forms an insert or inner frame which is assembled to the inside of the front and side walls of the package. The inner frame projects above the front and side walls of the package body, and provides a seal between the lid and body when the package is closed. Other types of designs of blanks for hinged lid cigarette packages can be of the type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,874,581 to Fox et al, 3,944,066 to Niepmann, and 4,852,734 to Allen et al. However, these packages, primarily due to the circular cross-sectional shape of the cigarettes packaged therein, often have substantially large regions of wasted space (i.e., a large void volume) between individual cigarettes as well as between the cigarettes and the walls of the package.
It would be desirable to provide a cigarette so shaped to reduce the void volume within a package of a plurality of the cigarettes to either reduce the amount of packaging material necessary to package such cigarettes or to permit more cigarettes to be packaged in a conventionally sized package. It would also be desirable to provide cigarettes so shaped to have the same firmness as conventional cigarettes with less tobacco cut filler, while providing individual cigarettes having advantageous aesthetic and consumer perception characteristics.


The FW technique is employed to suppress a non-fiber-wound space from being left during formation of a fiber layer for reinforcement on a liner. A process of forming a fiber-reinforce resin layer on a liner winds and fixes a winding start end fiber of a resin-impregnated carbon fiber on a fiber fixation flange, which is away from the top of a dome section. The process subsequently forms an innermost helical layer from the winding start end fiber extended from the fixation position and the subsequently fed resin-impregnated carbon fiber. The process subsequently forms an inner hoop layer over the innermost helical layer and cuts the winding start end fiber extended from the fixation position of the fiber fixation flange at a position on the periphery of the top of the dome section, prior to formation of a subsequent second helical layer.

Recently developed vehicles are driven with combustion energy of a fuel gas or with electrical energy generated by electrochemical reaction of a fuel gas. A high-pressure gas tank that stores fuel gas such as natural gas or hydrogen may be mounted on the vehicle. There has accordingly been a demand for weight reduction of the high-pressure gas tank. A fiber-reinforced plastic high-pressure gas tank has been employed for this purpose, where a hollow liner is coated with carbon fiber-reinforced plastic or glass fiber-reinforced plastic (hereinafter collectively referred to as fiber-reinforced resin layer). In terms of weight reduction, a resin hollow container having the gas barrier properties is generally used for the liner.
Filament winding technique (hereinafter referred to as FW technique) is employed for production of such a high-pressure gas tank. A fiber-reinforced resin layer is formed on the liner by repeatedly winding a fiber impregnated with a thermosetting resin such as epoxy resin on the outer circumference of the liner by this FW technique (for example, Patent Literature 1). Formation of the fiber-reinforced resin layer alone gives only a half-finished product. Thermally curing the thermosetting resin contained in this resin layer after formation of the resin layer produces a high-pressure gas tank where the liner is coated and reinforced with the fiber-reinforced resin layer.

High-pressure gas tank production method


A welding helmet with an air circulating system that includes a welding hood, a head band assembly, and an air circulating system. The welding hood has an interior face receiving cavity defined by an interior helmet surface. The head band assembly being pivotally mounted to the welding helmet. The air circulating system including an air circulating assembly mounted to a top portion of the welding hood, a cooling water storage bottle attached to a back portion of the head band, a wick conduit connected between the air circulating assembly and the cooling water storage bottle, a detachable battery pack housing mountable to a front structure of the air cooling assembly, and a pivotally actuated air circulating assembly on/off switch mounted between the welding hood and the head band.

Welding is often performed under hot conditions in which the air quality is less than desirable. These poor work conditions are further aggravated by the typical need for the welder to wear a protective welding helmet with a tinted viewing port to protect his/her face and eyes from the intense light, smoke and hot sparks generated during the welding process. It would be a benefit, therefore, for a welder to have a welding helmet that included an air circulating system for circulating air into the welding hood to provide a cooling effect to the welder's face. It would of course be a further benefit to have a welding helmet that includes an air circulating system having a mechanism for cooling the air prior to circulating the air onto the welder's face. It would also be a benefit if the air circulating system included an air filtering mechanism that filtered the air to remove particles and unpleasant odors from the air prior to circulating the air onto the welder's face.

Welding helmet with air circulating system


A laser beam condensing device which can be manufactured at low cost by using reflecting mirrors which can be machined at low cost. The device is capable of condensing a laser beam to a high energy density while eliminating any optical path difference, even if the optical axis of the incident beam strays. This device includes a first and a second reflecting mirror. An incident laser beam is deflected by these mirrors in the same direction. One of the two mirrors is a toroidal mirror, while the other is a spherical, cylindrical or toroidal reflecting mirror. The mirror surfaces of the two reflecting mirrors are machined so that the second reflecting mirror can cancel out any wave front aberrations of the laser beam reflected by the first reflecting mirror.

This invention relates to a laser beam condensing optical device used for laser beam machining, and particularly to a method and a device for focusing or condensing a laser beam on a focal point.
Today, with the appearance of lasers capable of generating high-energy laser beams, such as CO.sub.2 lasers, YAG lasers and excimer lasers, it is possible to cut, weld and surface-treat different kinds of materials by laser beam machining. Such laser beam machining is carried out by guiding a laser beam generated by a laser beam generator through a laser beam guide means to a machining head, condensing the laser beam to a high energy density with a beam condensing optical device in the machining head, and irradiating a workpiece with the thus condensed laser beam.
This beam condensing optical device usually includes condensing lenses and off-axis parabolic mirrors as main optical parts. Condensing lenses are condensing means of a type adapted to bend light beams by passing them. They are optical parts made of ZnSe (zinc selenide), which is a compound semiconductor material, and have a plano-convex or meniscus shape.
ZnSe is a material which is particularly low in its infrared-absorbing power. Thus, it is widely used as the material for the lenses in CO.sub.2 lasers which generate infrared laser beams. But it is impossible to completely prevent the absorption of infrared light. Thus, a ZnSe lens tends to heat up by absorbing energy when a laser beam passes therethrough. This may cause thermal deformation of the condensing lens, a change in its refractive index, or a shift in the focal point, resulting in a reduction in the quality of the condensed beam.
The higher the laser output, the more conspicuously these phenomena will appear. If this condensing lens is used in an environment where its surface tends to be stained with dirt, the dirt itself will absorb laser beam energy, accelerating a temperature rise of the lens, so that the above phenomena will appear still more conspicuously. In the worst case, the lens might burn out.
Thus, such a condensing lens has to be cooled by circulating cooling water along its sides or by spraying a cooling gas on the lens surface. But with any cooling method, it is difficult to efficiently cool the central portion of the lens. Thus, such a lens can be used only in comparatively low-output laser beam machining such as for cutting a thin plate.
A parabolic mirror has a reflective surface in the shape of a paraboloid, a kind of axisymmetric aspheric surface. It is a reflective type of condensing means which utilize the principle that a parallel beam incident on a paraboloid is condensed while creating no aberration. Such a parabolic mirror can reflect and focus a laser beam with no aberration, if the incident laser beam has an optical axis strictly parallel to the axis of the parabolic surface and also is a strictly parallel beam with no divergence or focusing.
Since a parabolic mirror focuses a laser beam by reflecting it rather than by passing and bending it, it is possible to cool the mirror from its back with high efficiency. For example in a high-output CO.sub.2 laser, it is possible to cool such a mirror with high efficiency by forming its backside from a material having a high thermal conductivity such as copper and circulating cooling water along the back of the mirror. For this reason, parabolic mirrors are frequently used in applications where high-output laser energy is needed such as laser beam welding and laser beam surface treatment.
Theoretically, a parabolic mirror can condense a laser beam to a diffraction limit with no aberration. But actually, an incident laser beam necessarily has a divergence angle, so that its optical axis (and thus its incident angle) may tilt more or less. If this happens, the quality of the condensed beam drops markedly. Thus, in order to focus a laser beam with a parabolic mirror, the optical axis of the incident laser beam has to be adjusted with a high degree of accuracy. This work is difficult with a conventional device.
Even if the optical axis is initially adjusted with a high degree of accuracy, a tilt in the optical axis can occur if any optical element in the condensing device should shift or if the operation of the laser beam generator or the laser beam transmitter becomes unstable. This leads to reduced beam-condensing properties of the condensing device. This in turn detrimentally affects the laser beam machining efficiency. If this happens, it is sometimes necessary to stop the entire device in order to readjust the optical axis.
Off-axis parabolic mirrors, which are used in many laser beam condensing optical devices, have a smooth mirror surface having small surface roughness and an accurate parabolic shape. Such a surface is formed by Single-Point Diamond Turning (hereinafter called SPDT) using a diamond cutting tool and an ultraprecise lathe.
To form a non-off-axis parabolic concave reflecting mirror such as a spherical mirror by SPDT, a mirror material is machined with a cutting tool by clamping it to the rotation center of a lathe spindle. To form an off-axis parabolic mirror, which is a part of a paraboloid of revolution, a mirror material is machined with a cutting tool by clamping it to the lathe at a point spaced a predetermined distance from the spindle axis.
Thus, it is extremely difficult to form such a parabolic mirror with high precision because the cutting tool tends to break due to unstable rotation of the spindle and/or intermittent cutting. Also, the off-axis distance is limited by the machining diameter of the ultraprecise lathe, so that it is impossible to machine a parabolic mirror having a long off-axis distance, i.e. a long focal distance.
An object of this invention is to provide a method and device for condensing a laser beam which uses non-parabolic reflecting mirrors to obviate the above problems associated with parabolic mirrors. With the method and device the beam can be sufficiently and stably condensed while maintaining a long focal distance, and there is no need for SPDT machining to provide an off-axis reflecting surface and a long focal distance.

Method and device for focusing laser beam


A solid-state imaging device includes: a semiconductor layer having a top surface; a plurality of first charge transfer electrodes formed on the semiconductor layer and extending in a serpentine pattern in a first direction at a prescribed cycle, the first direction being substantially parallel with the top surface of the semiconductor layer; a plurality of second charge transfer electrodes formed on the semiconductor layer and extending in a serpentine pattern in the first direction at a prescribed cycle; a plurality of charge transfer sections formed in the semiconductor layer, and extending in a serpentine pattern in a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and a plurality of photoelectric converters formed in areas of the semiconductor layer bounded by the first and second charge transfer electrodes, each photoelectric converter provided for generating a signal charge in response to incident light, and for supplying the signal charge to an adjacent one of the charge transfer sections.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging device, and more particularly to a charge coupled device (CCD) type of solid-state imaging device comprising a two-level charge transfer electrode structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years due to the popularization of a compact video camera, there has been increased demand for solid-state imaging devices, especially CCD type solid-state imaging devices.
A conventional CCD type solid-state imaging device comprises a plurality of first charge transfer electrodes 301 and a plurality of second charge transfer electrodes 302 which are extended in a horizontal direction on the top surface of a silicon substrate as shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, the first charge transfer electrodes 301 are shown by broken lines. The first charge transfer electrodes 301 and the second charge transfer electrodes 302 are each arranged in a vertically separated pattern at a prescribed separation distance. Thus, the conventional solid-state imaging device has a two-level electrode structure in which the first charge transfer electrodes 301 function as lower electrodes, and the second charge transfer electrodes 302 function as upper electrodes. Each first charge transfer electrode 301 comprises a first connecting section 311 and a first gate section 312, the first connecting section 311 extending linearly in the horizontal direction, the first gate section 312 projecting in the vertical direction at one side of the first connecting section 311. On the other hand, each second charge transfer electrode 302 comprises a second connecting section 321 and a second gate section 322, the second connecting section 321 extending linearly in the horizontal direction so as to almost overlap the first connecting section 311, the second gate section 322 projecting in the vertical direction at one side of the second connecting section 321 so as to be symmetrical with the first gate section 312.
The first and second gate sections 312 and 322 of the adjoining first and second charge transfer electrodes 301 and 302 are overlapped with each other at end portions thereof so as to successively cover charge transfer sections 305 along the vertical direction. In FIG. 3, an arrow in the charge transfer section 305 shows a transfer direction of signal charge. A photoelectric converter 303 is provided at a region between the first and second charge transfer electrodes 301 and 302, i.e., a rectangular region bounded by the edges of the first and second connecting sections 311 and 321 and the first and second gate sections 312 and 322. The charge transfer section 305 and the photoelectric converter 303 constitute an oblong unit pixel. An arrow 306 shows a transfer point of the signal charge from the photoelectric converter 303 to the associated charge transfer section 305.
On the photoelectric converter 303, a microlens 308 may be provided so as to improve a condensing efficiency of incident light as shown in FIG. 4. A one-dotted chain line 307 shows an array of unit cells of the microlens 308. The microlens 308 is actually provided over the photoelectric converter 303 via a transparent planarized layer. The microlens 308 is made as follows: First, a photopolymer layer based upon thermoplastic resin is provided on a planarizing polymer layer, etc. on the semiconductor substrate on which the charge transfer section 305 and the photoelectric converter 303 are formed. Then the photopolymer layer is patterned into a plurality of rectangular shapes using photolithographic techniques, so that each of the rectangular shapes corresponds to a pixel. Finally, each rectangular shape is thermally fused so that the corner portions thereof are made round.
Generally, the solid-state imaging device has been improved in the three areas of high integration, high resolution, and high sensitivity. However, in the above conventional solid-state imaging device, there are the following problems which impede further improvement of solid-state imaging devices.
First, there is a problem in that the withstand voltage property of the device is decreased as the device is highly integrated. That is, if the first and second charge transfer electrodes 301 and 302 are maintained in their shapes as shown in FIG. 3, pixels cannot be integrated unless the unit pixel cell is reduced in size. In a case where the unit pixel cell is reduced in size, each line width (in the horizontal direction) of the first and second gate sections 312 and 322 is narrowed, and consequently electric field concentration will occur at end portions of the first and second gate sections 312 and 322. A layer insulating film is interposed at the overlapped portion of the end portions of the first and second gate sections 312 and 322; at a portion between the first gate section 312 and a base silicon active layer; and at a portion between the second gate section 322 and the base silicon active layer. However, in a case where high electric field concentration occurs due to high integration, insulation breakdown and short circuits will inevitably occur between the layers.
It is difficult to decrease a transfer pulse voltage when the device is highly integrated. On the contrary, an inversion threshold voltage is increased due to narrow channel effects as the device is highly integrated, and therefore the transfer pulse voltage must be increased. Thus, to highly integrating the solid-state imaging device (i.e., for reducing the size of a chip), the withstand voltage of the device should be increased.
Thus, the conventional CCD type imaging device is designed considering the withstand voltage thereof. In order to avoid insulation break down, the interlayer insulating film should not be made thinner, and thus it becomes difficult to reduce the dimension of the device in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate (i.e., a depth direction). As the device is highly integrated, an aspect ratio (i.e., a dimension in the depth direction/a dimension in the horizontal direction) is increased, so that part of the light is blocked due to an electrode or the like in the vicinity of a light receiving section. As a result, it becomes extremely difficult to condense incident light onto the light receiving section with the microlens.
Secondly, there arises a problem in that sensitivity of the device is lowered and charge storing capacity of the light receiving section is decreased as the device is highly integrated. The photo-sensitivity of the photoelectric converter 303 shown in FIG. 3 is almost proportional to the area of the light receiving section. Accordingly, in a case where the pattern of the top surface of the device is simply and proportionally reduced while maintaining the first and second charge transfer electrodes 301 and 302 in their shapes, the area of the light receiving section is reduced, and consequently a necessary amount of signal charge cannot be ensured. The proportional reduction of the pattern leads to high resolution. Therefore, in order to ensure a sufficient amount of signal charge, it is necessary to enlarge the area of the light receiving section as much as possible.
Thirdly, there arises a problem in that there are many non-effective areas 309 which do not contribute to condensing of incident light in a case where the microlens 308 is disposed so as to have an oblong shape, since the corner portions of the thermoplastic polymer are contracted to be round. This problem becomes further noticeable in a case where a unit pixel cell 307 is reduced in its size for higher integration. The reason is that the balance of the thermal fusion and the surface tension of the material for the microlens 308 becomes worse as the pattern is reduced in its size, and finally the shape of the microlens 308 becomes almost hemispherical. Therefore, the total area of the non-effective areas 309 should be reduced in order to efficiently condense the incident light onto the photoelectric converter 303.

Solid-state imaging device having a plurality of charge transfer electrodes formed in a serpentine pattern


The present invention provides a method and apparatus for forming a zinc oxide thin film with high transparency and high conductivity on a surface of a flexible substrate such as plastic without the indispensable requirement of doping impurities. In the method of forming a zinc oxide thin film by reacting oxygen radicals and zinc atoms on a surface of a substrate placed in a film-forming chamber evacuated to a vacuum, the density of crystal defects that are defects of the atomic arrangement of the zinc oxide thin film is controlled by the temperature of the substrate, and the zinc oxide thin film is thereby formed. It is suitable to form the film while maintaining the temperature of the substrate at 400° C. or less to intentionally disturb the regularity of the atomic arrangement of the zinc oxide thin film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a zinc oxide thin film at low temperatures.
2. Description of Related Art
Transparent electrode films are indispensable to electronic components of a digital camera, DVD video, plasma display panel, organic EL panel and the like, and ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) films have been used widely in the transparent electrode films. However, Indium is expensive, further has the problem of resource exhaustion, and needs to be urgently replaced with another material.
Zinc oxide is chemically stable and conventionally used harmless material, and has an advantage of low environmental load. Among principal methods of manufacturing a thin film of zinc oxide are sputtering, organic metal chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and spray thermal decomposition method. Sputtering has been used the most widely, but has problems that the film has nonuniform electric resistivity and that the nonuniformity is remarkable when the film is formed at low temperatures.
Organic metal CVD has problems of generating a large mount of waste gas and imposing heavy loads on the environment. Problems of the spray thermal decomposition method are that heat of about 550° C. is necessary to obtain the high-performance film and that the film cannot be formed at low temperatures.
Another technique to form a zinc oxide thin film other than the above-mentioned methods is Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) (see "Plasma assisted MBE growth and characterization of hexagonal ZnO on GaAs (1111)" Proceeding of 1st Asia-Pacific Workshop on Widegap Semiconductors, 153-156 (2003) and "MBE growth and optical properties of ZnO on GaAs (1111) substrates" Phys. Stat. sol. (b), 241, 591-594 (2004)). However, formation of zinc oxide thin film disclosed in the these documents is to form the film at temperatures of 400° C. or more, and a problem arises that these methods cannot be applied to the case of using materials with low heat resistance such as plastic as a substrate. Another problem is that doping impurities is necessary to form the film to decrease the electric resistivity of the transparent electrode film.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos.: 2003-89875 and JP 2001-271167 disclose the technique of forming a zinc oxide thin film using atmospheric glow discharge plasmas. Problems in the technique of both publication documents are that the plasmas are generated using inert gas and that the resistivity of the zinc oxide thin film is 3MΩ or more.
Furthermore, in the method of forming a zinc oxide thin film disclosed in these documents and the like, a substrate placed in a film-forming chamber evacuated to a vacuum is heated to 400° C. or more to accelerate the zinc oxide reaction and the film is thereby formed. Moreover, these methods do not provide sufficient conductivity, and have the need of doping impurities during formation of the film.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing a zinc oxide thin film at low temperatures


The present disclosure concerns embodiments of a thermal switch used to control the transfer of heat from a heat source to a heat sink. According to one aspect, the thermal switch can be activated, or turned “on”, so as to establish a path of low thermal resistance between the heat source and the heat sink to facilitate the transfer of heat therebetween. The thermal switch can also be de-activated, or turned “off”, so as to establish a path of high thermal resistance between the heat source and the heat sink to minimize or totally prevent the transfer of heat between the heat source and heat sink. In certain embodiments, the thermal switch includes at least drop of a thermally conductive liquid that thermally couples the heat source to the heat sink whenever the switch is activated.

The need for miniaturized power sources for micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and micro-electronics has long been recognized. Much work has already been done on micro-scale batteries, and micro-scale heat engines. Micro-scale heat engines are a particularly attractive option, because of the very high density energy storage afforded by the hydrocarbon fuels they burn. Thus, a micro-heat engine which could convert the chemical energy stored in a hydrocarbon fuel to mechanical or electrical energy could form the basis of a very compact power supply.
Piezoelectric thin films have been used for years as power transducers in MEMS and micro-electronic devices. Piezoelectric films are an attractive option for power transduction because of the relative ease with which such devices can be produced using conventional micro-machining methods. Generally speaking, micro-machining involves processing techniques, such as microlithography and etching, that were developed and refined for use in the manufacture of integrated circuits. Micro-machining allows fine control of dimensions and is commonly employed for producing parts from silicon. However, micro-machining is not restricted in its application to the formation of workpieces from silicon or other materials conventionally used in the manufacture of integrated circuits, and it is known to apply micro-machining to other materials.
In most applications of piezoelectric films, such as in micro-actuators, pumps, and valves, electrical power is converted to mechanical power. Micro-sensors that utilize piezoelectric films also have been used for mechanical-to-electrical transduction, however, such devices are not capable of producing usable electrical power to any significant degree. Thus, it would be desirable to utilize piezoelectric thin films for converting energy in one form, such as thermal energy or kinetic energy, to useful electrical energy to power MEMS and micro-electronic devices.
Along with the need for miniaturized power sources is the need for micro-devices that are designed to remove heat from MEMS and micro-electronics. In particular, integrated-circuit manufacturers are already reaching limits on micro-processor speed and performance imposed by high operating temperatures. Consequently, reducing the operating temperatures of chips by removing waste heat through active cooling is considered to be among the most promising strategies available to the microprocessor industry for overcoming these obstacles. Thus, it would be desirable to implement a piezoelectric film in a micro-heat pump for cooling applications of MEMS and micro-electronics.
Many MEMS devices have been developed that rely on thermal energy for actuation. This energy can be supplied in a variety of ways. For example, there are micro-systems that receive heat from electrical resistance heaters, external sources, and chemical reactions. The ability to control the heat transfer into and out of these MEMS devices is essential to their performance. The necessity for precise thermal management is especially critical for micro-devices that operate at high frequencies, such as micro-thermopneumatic pumps, bi-layer electrical relays, and micro-heat engines. Often, it is the inability to rapidly reject heat that limits the operating frequencies of such devices. Thus, there is a strong need for a thermal switch that enables the precise control of heat transfer into and out of such MEMS devices.

Thermal switch, methods of use and manufacturing methods for same

Washington State University Research Foundation


A closure tear handle which prevents damage to the closure tear skirt under large application forces when the closure is applied to the bottle; this invention also provides a tear skirt which is easier for consumers to remove. A weak region is placed at the base of the intersection of the tear handle and the wall of the tear skirt. This weak region of the closure is designed such that upon contact with the neck finish of a bottle, which puts the tear skirt into tension, it attracts the tensile forces and relieves stress from the adjacent weak point of the closure tear skirt to prevent damage to this area that would be offensive to consumers and result in wasted product.

Tamper evident closures with tear handles are well known in the prior art. Generally, prior embodiments of these closures have included a tear handle to be grasped by the consumer and pulled such that a frangible portion of the closure wall is broken allowing an annular portion of the closure wall to be removed, thus permitting the consumer to remove the reclosable upper portion of the closure from the bottle. The removable portion of the closure wall is defined by an annular line of weakness and a vertical line of weakness to allow this portion to be easily removed from the remaining re-closable upper portion of the closure. Prior closures of this type may be seen in U.S. Pats. No. 4,066,182, 4,687,114, and 4,801,032. It is common for the lower portion of the closure tear strip to come into contact with a downwardly sloped portion of the bottle neck finish, and for the lower portion of the tear strip and the corresponding portion of the bottle neck finish to be forced together at a relatively high pressure during the bottle capping process; this may result in rupture of the vertical line of weakness during capping. It is also common for these closures to be produced such that the fit between the lower portion of the closure and the bottle neck finish is loose enough to prevent the vertical line of weakness from being ruptured during capping. However, this loose fit also may create a gap between the lower portion of the closure and the bottle neck finish which could facilitate tampering.
Closures have been detailed in the prior art which use other means to eliminate this gap and improve tamper resistance as seen in U.S. Pats. No. 4,190,175, 5,027,969, and 5,307,948. These designs place a removable barrier on the bottle which prevents access to the lower region of the closure. This eliminates the need for a tight fit between the closure and the bottle. However, it is difficult to reproduce these features on a typical blow molded bottle with the accuracy and low cost that are possible on a standard injection molded or compression molded closure.
The present invention provides a novel tear handle which prevents damage to the vertical line of weakness in the removable portion of the closure wall when large forces are applied to the top surface of the closure during capping. The tear handle has a weak region which is designed to deform under pressure and shield the vertical line of weakness from high forces which can cause the vertical line of weakness to fracture. Shielding the vertical line of weakness from excessive capping forces allows the closure to be designed to fit the bottle more closely. This improved fit between the closure and bottle improves the tamper resistance of the closure as it is installed on the bottle.
There has therefore been a desire to have an improved bottle closure with an improved tamper evident tear strip which does not fracture during the capping operation, which provides for a better, tighter fit between bottle and closure, and which is easier for the consumer to tear from the container than tear strips in the prior art.

Plastic bottle closure with single relief recess proximate to the lower peripheral edge of said closure


An outdoor cooking apparatus including first angular framed member. The first angular framed member has a pair of front legs and a rear leg. The pair of front legs of the first angular framed member have a plurality of rungs fixedly attached and horizontally extending between the pair of front legs. Included is a second angular framed member that has a pair of front legs and rear leg. The rear leg is spaced an equal distance from the pair of front legs. The pair of front legs of the second angular framed member have a plurality of rungs fixedly attached thereto and horizontally extending between the pair of front legs. Finally, a pair of support poles are provided. Each support pole is positioned between the first angular frame and the second angular frame when the front legs of the first angular member face the front legs of the second angular member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a outdoor cooking apparatus and more particularly pertains to providing a portable rack system for cooking over campfires.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of an outdoor grill is known in the prior art. More specifically, outdoor grills heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of cooking are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, the prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,445 to Green discloses a campfire skewer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,543 to Kopke discloses a collapsible grill. U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,936 to Goulter discloses an adjustable support for cooking pots and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,089 to Barden discloses a support assembly for cooking utensils. U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,567 to Gage and Zacks discloses a camp grill. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 259,536 to Douglas discloses a height adjustment means for selective spacing between circular cooking grill and hanging fire grate.
In this respect, the outdoor cooking apparatus according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a portable rack system for cooking over campfires.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved outdoor cooking apparatus which can be used for providing a portable rack system for cooking over campfires. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A fixing controller capable of rapidly detecting an excessive temperature rise, even if an abnormal temperature rise takes place in a state that a rotor of a fixing unit, such as a thin-walled roller or belt, stops rotating. A rotating belt is heated by a coil, a belt temperature is detected by a thermistor, and a drive frequency of a driving circuit for driving the coil is controlled by a control circuit. When the temperature detected by the thermistor becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the drive circuit is stopped by an excessive temperature rise detecting circuit. The thermistor is heated such that a difference between the temperatures detected by the thermistor when the belt is rotating and when the belt stops rotating becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined temperature difference.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing controller and an image forming apparatus including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus generally includes a fixing unit for thermally melting toner of toner image, which is transferred but unfixed to a sheet, and for fixing the toner image onto the sheet.
There are known fixing units configured to rapidly raise the toner temperature, e.g., by having a thin-walled small diameter fixing roller (heating medium) or by having a heating member disposed inside and in contact with a rotor. In recent years, a fixing unit of an electromagnetic induction heating type has also been used that has a thin-walled metallic rotor for generating heat by induction heating. Each of these fixing units includes a rotor (heating medium or heat-generating medium) configured to have a small thermal capacity so as to be efficiently heated by a heat source.
For image forming apparatuses, e.g., copying machines, there have been proposed various fixing units of a type having a thin-walled rotor made in contact with a sheet so as to heat and melt a toner on the sheet.
However, in a case that the thin-walled rotor, which is small in thermal capacity, is used as a heating medium and heat is locally generated by, e.g., electromagnetic induction heating, it is difficult to achieve satisfactory heat transfer from a heat generating part to other parts. Such a tendency becomes more noticeable when the rotor is made thinner to shorten a warm-up period.
The above unsatisfactory heat transfer does not cause a problem in a case that the rotor rotates during heating. On the other hand, if the rotor stops rotating during the heating, this is equivalent to the heat generating part becoming further smaller in thermal capacity, which results in a rapid temperature rise.
In a case that the rotor stops rotating during heating, the speed of detection by temperature detecting means lags behind the speed of temperature rise. As a result, when an abnormal temperature rise takes place, there occurs a delay in the timing of excessive temperature rise detection for stopping the heating, which poses a problem that the fixing unit can be damaged.
For example, such a delay in excessive temperature rise detection causes a fear that peripheral members made of resin are shortened in heat life and thermally damaged.
In this regard, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-338698 proposes a fixing unit of local heating type, which is configured to have a small heat capacity by using a thin-walled roller or belt. The proposed fixing unit has a heating member, held by a film support disposed in a cylindrical film, for heating a sheet passing between the cylindrical film and a pressure roller which is in pressure contact with the cylindrical film. This fixing unit controls the temperature of the heating member to a predetermined temperature based on the heating member temperature detected by a thermistor (temperature detecting means), and determines the possibility of occurrence of a slip between the film and the sheet on the basis of temperature rise speed.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-24934 proposes a technique for detecting a speed detection pattern formed on a belt by an optical rotation detecting means to detect a belt drive speed, and determining whether the belt rotates or stops rotating based on the detected speed.
The fixing units proposed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Nos. 2005-338698 and 2005-338698 are each configured to stop the heating operation when it is determined that a slip takes place between film and sheet or when the belt does not rotate normally due to, e.g., abnormality of a driving motor.
However, with the slip determination based on the temperature rise speed, an occurrence of slip can be determined if the slip takes place during temperature rise from a low temperature to a target temperature, but cannot accurately be determined if the slip takes place after the film is already heated up to some extent.
With the technique of detecting the belt rotation by the rotation detecting means, it is necessary to newly add the rotation detecting means, resulting in increase in cost and size. In addition, the rotation detecting means for use in high temperature environment is difficult to install.

Fixing controller and image forming apparatus


In a solenoid of a hydraulic pressure control apparatus, a region adjacent to an oil flow guide portion of a stopper breathing passage is formed in a magnetism application region, through which a leakage magnetic flux leaking from a magnetic circuit at a time of turning on of a coil passes. Thereby, magnetic foreign objects made of iron or iron containing material are magnetically attracted to the leakage magnetic flux, so that intrusion of the foreign objects from an outside of the solenoid into a second volume variable chamber through the stopper breathing passage is limited.

A previously known hydraulic pressure control apparatus of an automatic transmission includes an oil pan, which stores oil, a valve body, which includes a plurality of oil flow passages, and a solenoid valve (an electromagnetic valve), which forms a hydraulic circuit in cooperation with the oil flow passages of the valve body.
The electromagnetic valve is immersed together with the valve body into the oil received in the oil pan and includes valve elements (e.g., a spool valve and a ball valve) and a solenoid actuator (hereinafter referred to as a solenoid), which drives the valve elements (see for example, JP2009-180261A).
The solenoid includes a plunger, a coil, a stator core, a yoke and a connector. The plunger is driven in an axial direction by a magnetic force. The coil generates a magnetic flux around the coil when the coil is energized. The stator is configured into a tubular body and forms a magnetic path on a radially inner side of the coil. The yoke is configured into a tubular body having a bottom and forms a magnetic path on a radially outer side of the coil. The connector is for establishing an external connection and connects the coil to an external circuit(s).
The solenoid magnetically attracts the plunger to a magnetically attracting portion of the stator core with the magnetic force generated from the coil to drive the valve element in the axial direction.
JP2009-180261A discloses an electromagnetic valve, which includes a solenoid of a ring core type where a plunger directly slides in a guide hole of a stator core that is magnetized together with the plunger and the yoke by a magnetic force generated from a coil.
In order to limit sticking of the plunger caused by a volume change (breathing action) at a plunger receiving chamber that receives the plunger in a manner that enables reciprocation of the plunger at the time of operating the solenoid, a breathing passage is formed in the electromagnetic valve of JP2009-180261A. The breathing passage extends from an outside communication opening, which is communicated with an outside of the solenoid, to an inside communication opening, which is communicated with the plunger receiving chamber, to provide an oil supply path from the outside of the solenoid to the plunger receiving chamber.
The plunger receiving chamber includes two spaces, which are located on two opposite sides, respectively, of the plunger (i.e., a plunger front side space, which will be referred to as a first volume variable chamber, and a plunger back side space, which will be referred to as a second volume variable chamber).
In the solenoid of JP2009-180261A, foreign objects, which are contained in hydraulic fluid (oil) that inflows into and outflows from the second volume variable chamber through the breathing passage in response to a change in the volume of the second volume variable chamber, sink to a lower side in the breathing passage in the direction of the gravitational force at the time of reciprocating the foreign objects contained in the hydraulic fluid in the breathing passage, so that a majority of the foreign objects is removed from the oil that enters a distal end fluid chamber, and thereby intrusion of the foreign objects into the distal end fluid chamber is limited.
Foreign objects, such as metal debris particles (magnetic foreign objects made of iron or iron containing material, or contaminants) generated by, for example, friction of a transmission mechanism (a speed change mechanism) of an automatic transmission, are mixed in the oil, into which the electromagnetic valve is immersed together with the valve body. In a case where these foreign objects inflow along with the oil into the inside of the plunger receiving chamber through the breathing passage, when the foreign object(s) is caught in a slide clearance between the plunger and the stator core, smooth movement of the plunger relative to the stator core is interfered. Therefore, malfunction of the plunger may possibly occur.
Furthermore, in the solenoid of JP2009-180261A, a settling velocity (a sinking speed) of the minute foreign objects is slow. Therefore, when the plunger is moved before the minute foreign objects are settled, the minute foreign objects may possibly enter the second volume variable chamber.
In the case where the minute foreign objects enter the second volume variable chamber, the minute foreign object(s) may possibly be caught at a slide part (a slide clearance) between the outer peripheral surface of the plunger and the hole wall surface of the guide hole of the stator core.
When the minute foreign object(s) is caught in the slide clearance, smooth reciprocating movement of the plunger relative to the guide hole of the stator core may be interfered, so that an inoperable state (valve locked state) or a malfunctioning state of the plunger and a shaft connected to the plunger may possibly occur.

Solenoid and hydraulic pressure control apparatus having the same


A new cultivar of hybrid Echinacea, ‘Summer Sun’, characterized by its inflorescences with ray florets that emerge yellow-orange in color and mature to orange-red in color, an upright habit with strong branched flower stems, and it vigorous growth habit.

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea of hybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, 'Summer Sun'. 'Summer Sun' represents a new purple coneflower, an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.
The Inventor discovered the new cultivar, 'Summer Sun', as a naturally occurring whole plant mutation in his trial field in June of 2008 in Hillegom, The Netherlands. The new cultivar was discovered as a single unique plant amongst a field of Echinacea seedlings from unknown parentage.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by in vitro propagation in Rijswijk, The Netherlands in November 2008 under the direction of the Inventor. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A chip network resistor includes a plurality of discrete electrodes and common electrodes which are connected to a plurality of resistance elements according to a predetermined pattern. The configuration of the common electrodes is larger more than that of the discrete electrodes. Thereby, the contact resistance between the terminal of a measuring instrument and a common electrode is reducible when a value of resistance is measured.

The present invention relates to improvements in the chip network resistor.
FIG. 3 shows an equivalent circuit of a chip network resistor having a plurality of common electrodes (common lines). This resistor comprises eight resistance elements R1 to R8 which have been so integrated as to form a plurality (two in this case) of common electrodes T1, T6 and discrete electrodes T2 to T5, and T7 to T10. When the value of resistance of the resistance element R1, for example, of this resistor is measured, the terminal of a measuring instrument is brought into contact with the common electrode T1 and the discrete electrode T10 or the common electrode T6 and the discrete electrode T10. As stated above, there are two ways of measuring the value of resistance of each resistance element of the resistor.
Assuming the value of resistance of the resistance element R1, for instance, remains at a specific value even in a case where the value of resistance is so low that the measurement os greatly affected by the contact resistance between the terminal of a measuring instrument and the electrode of the resistor, the contact resistance between the electrodes T6 - T10 may be great enough to render faulty the result measured between the electrodes T6 to T10 even when a specific value of resistance is measured between the electrodes T1 to T10. If the value of resistance varies with the location of the measurement, the fabrication yield may decrease.


A method of commissioning or maintenance an alarm system is provided. The method including: receiving a fault report including one or more faults from an alarm system; categorizing the one or more faults; prioritizing the one or more faults into a list of highest priority; determining a first root cause of a first fault of the one or more faults in response to at least one of an alarm system configuration of the alarm system, a device mapping of the alarm system, and an event history of the alarm system; providing instructions, via a user interface, regarding how to resolve the first fault in response to the first root cause; and detecting whether the first fault is resolved.

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to the field of alarm systems, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for commissioning and maintenance of alarm systems.
When an alarm system or a component of a system is installed or commissioned, there is generally a testing process that the alarm system undergoes. Testing may also take place in other situations. The testing can include testing of operability (to determine if the alarm system is operational). It would be desirable to be able to shorten this process.

Method for commissioning and maintenance of alarm systems


A system for generating secure documents includes a station for generating a plain document and a security image generator that generates a security image. The security image is then incorporated into the plain document. Each security image consists of a plurality of secure elements, each secure element being defined by two sets of parallel lines. Each secure element defines an alphanumeric character or other unique image that is visible under certain conditions, i.e., when inspected through a viewer. The technique can also be used to provide security images on a web page as a means of indicating that the web page is genuine.

A. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to a system for producing certified documents electronically, and more particularly, to documents that have a security image with information that is not visible to the naked eye, thus providing a certification that the document is genuine. The method is also used to generate web pages with a similar security as a means of providing verification that the web pages are genuine. More particularly, a method and system is provided wherein a string of alphanumeric characters are converted into a security image from several security elements, each element corresponding to each of the characters of the string. The string may be defined by a customer and may be different for each document, or it may be a standard string that is used for a number of documents or web pages.
B. Description of the Prior Art
The security of documents has been a long time concern, particularly for governmental agencies and financial institutions. In order to provide assurance that a document is genuine, documents have been printed on special paper having special characteristics. For example, it is very common to provide official documents, including bank notes and financial instruments on paper that is embossed and/or imprinted with a fine design that is difficult to reproduce or copy. Moreover, some of the patterns imprinted on the paper are constructed and arranged to be almost invisible to the naked eye on an original document but produce a very clear mark when reproduced on a copier, thereby indicating that a corresponding document is not genuine but has been copied. Various techniques for generating these types of documents have been developed, for example, by Document Security Systems, Inc. of Rochester, N.Y.
However, these types of documents are created using specialized expensive printers to either create the whole document in one step, or to create the documents in two steps, first by imprinting or embossing blank pages with a security image or watermark, and second, by applying content to the pages. In either case, the process is slow and time consuming. Moreover the process is very expensive if it is used to produce a single, unique document that may be used, for example, for identification.

Method and system for producing certified documents and the like


A vehicle washing apparatus includes a frame extending over a path of a vehicle to be washed and having a front arch, a first arch, a second arch and a rear arch connected by side members. A first pair of wrap around rotary brushes is pivotally connected to the first arch and a second pair of wrap around rotary brushes are pivotally connected to the second arch. The second arch is at a higher height than the first arch and extends over a top of the first pair of wrap around brushes so that the length of the apparatus is shortened.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved vehicle washing apparatus and, more particularly, to such an apparatus having a double wrap around brush set.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various prior art vehicle washing devices have heretofore been known employing wrap around rotary brush sets. Some such prior art devices include a single set of wrap around rotary brushes such as that shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,003 issued Jan. 23, 1973. Other such prior art devices employ a double wrap around brush set such as that shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 7,293,316 issued Nov. 13, 2007. Such prior art devices employing double sets of wrap around brushes increase the overall length of the device.

Double wrap around brush set car wash apparatus


A water supply system is adapted to spray lubricant, typically water, onto an asphalt surface in front of an asphalt vibratory plate machine at a generally constant rate regardless of the level of lubricant in the system's storage tank and regardless of machine inclination. The water is routed to a nozzle assembly of the water supply system through a pump that is preferably driven by the exciter of the asphalt vibratory plate machine. The pump is configured to provide adequate pressure with minimal increase in the machine's overall weight, complexity, or manufacturing expense. The nozzle assembly includes a spray bar which is configured to spray water uniformly across the entire compaction path but which is shorter than the baseplate of the machine so as to avoid snagging on neighboring obstructions.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to compacting machines and, more particularly, relates to an improved water supply system for a vibratory plate machine of the type used to smooth and compact hot or cold mix asphalt.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Vibratory plate machines, usually known simply as "vibratory plates" are widely used in the construction and landscaping industries for the compaction of granular materials. Applications include the compaction of sand, gravel, or crushed aggregate for foundations, footings, or driveways; base preparation for concrete slabs, asphalt parking lots, etc.; and the compaction of either hot or cold mix asphalt during patch or repair of streets, highways, sidewalks, parking lots, etc. The typical vibratory plate machine includes a baseplate that performs the actual compacting operation and a console that is mounted on the baseplate so as to support an engine and its associated equipment. An eccentric shaft device, commonly known as an exciter, is located on the baseplate in an underlying relationship to the console and is driven by the engine to impart vibrations to the baseplate, thereby compacting materials on which the machine rests. Movement of the machine is controlled by a handle assembly extending upwardly and rearwardly from the console.
In hot or cold mix asphalt compaction applications, the machine is additionally provided with a water supply system for spraying water or another lubricant onto the asphalt surface immediately in front of the machine to prevent the asphalt from congealing on the baseplate. The typical water supply system includes 1) a storage tank mounted directly or indirectly on the console and 2) a nozzle assembly or spray bar mounted on the front end of the baseplate. A tube connects a bottom opening in the storage tank to a central opening of the spray bar such that water flows by gravity from the storage tank to the spray bar. Water is discharged from the spray bar and onto the asphalt surface via a plurality of spray orifices directed toward the asphalt surface. Spraying of water onto the asphalt surface directly in front of the asphalt finishing machine serves to lubricate the surface and to prevent or at least inhibit sticking or congealing of asphalt on the baseplate.
Water supply systems of the described type suffer from noticeable drawbacks and disadvantages due to the fact that they are gravity fed rather than pressurized.
For instance, it is desirable to maintain a generally constant, designated flow rate of water out of the spray orifices so that the proper amount of water is sprayed onto the asphalt surface for lubrication. Spraying too much water might degrade the quality of the compacted surface. Spraying too little water might hinder the lubrication effectiveness of the system. Spraying water at a generally constant rate is impossible with gravity fed systems of the above-described type because the flow rate of water from the spray bar is primarily a function of the static pressure head within the storage tank which, of course, falls steadily as the storage tank empties. Accordingly, sizing the tubes and orifices properly to assure an ideal water flow rate from a full storage tank might lead to inadequate lubrication when the storage tank is nearly empty.
Moreover, the absence of pressure hinders the ability of the system to spray a uniform pattern when the machine is operating on a side slope because the unpressurized water tends to run to and be discharged from the downstream end of the spray bar. This uneven flow leads to a reduction or even absence of lubricant flow from the orifices near the upstream end of the spray bar.
The need therefore exists to provide a water supply system for an asphalt vibratory plate machine that assuredly sprays water or another lubricant onto the asphalt surface at a generally uniform rate regardless of machine inclination.

Vibratory plate machine with a water supply system and mehtod of using the same