The present invention provides an electromagnetic stirrer uniformly applying an electromagnetic force to each casting mold. The electromagnetic stirrer of the present invention includes a pair of electromagnetic coils including a casting mold(s) between them, wherein an inner winding is applied to outside of each of two of tooth provided to a core of each of the pair of electromagnetic coils, an outer winding is applied to outside of the inner windings, ways of applying current to be applied to the windings are changed depending on the distance of the electromagnetic coils, and the number of the casting molds n, the external size φ, and the width of each of the electromagnetic coils W are defined as n×φ<W.

Cast billets each having a round or angular cross section, going through steps of tubemaking and rolling, are used as materials of seamless pipes and shape steels having different sizes in cross section. Since the seamless pipes and shape steels have various kinds of product sizes and different rolling steps, the cast billets to be their base materials also have a variety of cross-sectional shapes. Therefore, a casting in which the number of casting mold is determined depending on production capacity is carried out.
Here, among cast slabs produced by means of a continuous casting or among rolling steel ingots after an ingot casting, a cast slab or ingot having a regular-square cross section or round cross section is defined as a billet, and a cast slab or ingot having a rectangle cross section is defined as a bloom. Also, in the billet, a billet having a regular-square cross section is defined as a square billet, and a billet having a round cross section is defined as a round billet.
A continuous casting will be described with reference to FIG. 1 that is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a configuration example of a continuous casting system 100 for billet to which the present invention can be applied, wherein the continuous casting system 100 is seen from a lateral side. In FIG. 1, 1 is a tundish, 2 is a molten steel, 3 is a submerged nozzle, 4 is a casting mold, 5 is an electromagnetic stirrer, 6 is a casting roll positioned right below the casting mold, 7 is a zone of roller aprons including a secondary cooling spray zone, 8 is a solidifying shell, 9 is pinch rolls, and 10 is a cast slab.
In the continuous casting, the molten steel 2 poured from a ladle to the tundish 1 is teemed to the casting mold 4 via the submerged nozzle 3. While the molten steel 2 teemed to the casting mold 4 is drawn along a group of casting rolls 6 by the rotational drive of the pinch rolls 9, surface of the solidifying shell 8 is cooled by the second cooling spray zone to proceed solidification, whereby the cast slab 10 is made.
In the continuous casting, it is extremely important to control flow of molten steel in a casting mold in view of operation and quality of cast slab, for instance in view of melt stabilization of mold powder by supplying heat to meniscus and inclusion removal at a surface of cast slab. As a method for controlling flow of molten steel in a casting mold, an electromagnetic stirring applying electromagnetic force to the molten steel in the casting mold and stirring the molten steel is widely known. In a case where the electromagnetic stirring is operated with a plurality of casting molds, it is necessary to apply the electromagnetic force to each of the plurality of casting molds such that the casting molds have a uniform flow.
As methods for applying the electromagnetic force for electromagnetic stirring, a rotational shifting magnetic field type and a linear shifting magnetic field type are exemplified.
The rotational shifting magnetic field type is applied to continuous castings of billet, bloom and the like, and the rotational shifting magnetic field type is a method to obtain a uniform flow by applying a rotating magnetic field to inside of casting mold by means of a plurality of magnetic poles provided along whole circumference of the casting mold (for example, Patent Document 1).
However, in a case where the rotational shifting magnetic field type is applied to a plurality of casting molds, since an electromagnetic stirrer is needed for each of the casting molds, the number of installation of the electromagnetic stirrer is increased and the plurality of casting molds become unable to share a strand due to increase in size of the casting molds, which causes increase in equipment cost.
On the other hand, as the linear shifting magnetic field type, the applicant of the present invention has proposed, in Patent Document 2, an electromagnetic coil in which two of tooth 12 are provided to a core 11 of an iron core of a coil in a projecting manner to a side of a casting mold 4, an inner winding is applied to each of the two of tooth 12, and in addition, an outer winding is applied to the outside of the two of tooth 12 to unify the two of tooth 12. The electromagnetic coil proposed in Patent Document 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 2A. This electromagnetic coil shifts a magnetic field in a linear manner, by applying three-phase alternating currents A, B and C each having a phase difference of 120° to each other to an inner winding 13 and an outer winding 14 as shown in FIG. 2A. Hereinafter, this electromagnetic coil is referred to as a pie-shaped electromagnetic coil.
An electromagnetic stirrer including this pie-shaped electromagnetic coil has a large magnetic flux since the magnetic field in a phase where the outer winding is applied goes in the same direction, and in a case where an electromagnetic force is applied to a casting mold having a large cross section, it is possible to obtain a favorable electromagnetic force along whole circumference of the casting mold (see FIG. 6A).
However, in a case where a plurality of casting molds each having a small cross section are installed between the pie-shaped electromagnetic coils, since the space L between the pie-shaped electromagnetic coils becomes narrow, the magnetic flux component going through the casting mold 4 becomes too strong, whereby shifting magnetic field becomes difficult to be made, which results in a creation of a discontinuous region in the electromagnetic force (see the distortion of the electromagnetic force at the non-uniform flowing part in FIG. 6B).

Electromagnetic stirrer and continuous casting method

NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION


An improved reduced fat peanut butter is obtained by removing oil from ground peanuts, preferably by centrifuging the ground peanuts until a supernatant oil layer is formed above the ground peanuts and separating the ground peanuts from the supernatant oil layer. The resulting peanut paste may then be reground. Maltodextrin and modified food starch are added to and blended with the peanut paste, either before or after the optional regrinding. Salt, butter flavoring and/or peanut flavoring may also be added to and blended with the separated peanuts, either before or after regrinding.

The public is becoming increasingly aware of the health benefits derived from eating a balanced diet, controlling total food intake and limiting the intake of fats, especially limiting the intake of saturated fats. There is also a fundamental dietary need for protein. Peanuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans and other nuts, and products made from nuts such as nut butters, are known sources of vegetable protein. Peanuts and peanut butter in particular are popular foods and are an economical source of protein. However, consumption of peanuts and peanut butter is sometimes avoided because of the high fat content of peanuts and peanut butter.
Although the fat content of peanuts varies among peanut varieties and also among crops of a single variety of peanut, fat accounts for approximately 35 to 53 percent by weight of a given batch of peanuts. When peanuts are crushed, roasted and processed into peanut butter, the fat content of the resulting product can average above 50 percent by weight. It is this fat which gives peanut butter much of its texture, mouthfeel and spreadability and some of its peanutty and buttery flavor.
When fat is removed from peanut butter to produce peanut butter lower in fat and calories, the resulting product looses much of its familiar texture, mouthfeel and spreadability. Depending on the fat removal process, the resulting peanut butter also loses some of its flavor. For example, reduced fat peanut butter has been made by pressing peanuts to express oil. While this process may remove from 27 to 32 percent of the fat from peanuts, it is typically an expensive process. In addition, when fat is removed from peanut butter by pressure, water is sometimes added to replace the removed fat. The resultant peanut butter is dry and crumbly and subject to molding.
Natural oil separation methods have also been utilized with peanuts. These processes typically involve extracting fats by agitating and heating ground peanuts and applying absorbent materials to the agitated heated peanuts. Generally less than 9 percent of the oil in the peanuts can be removed by natural oil separation and the elevated temperatures can affect the taste and texture of the resultant peanut butter. In addition, because the fat content of peanuts varies significantly by peanut variety, the amount of fat removed by this method depends on the peanut variety or combination of peanuts in the particular batch being processed, such variability making mass production of a consistent quality reduced fat peanut butter difficult.
It is also possible to extract fat from peanuts by solvent extraction using organic solvents such as hexane. However, solvent extraction methods have not been widely used because of governmental restrictions and concerns about possible toxicity.
In addition to the dictates of consumer taste requiring that reduced fat peanut butter have the texture, mouthfeel, spreadability and flavor of regular peanut butter, reduced fat peanut butter must meet federal statutory and regulatory requirements. In particular, regulations promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration define the minimum percentage of peanuts which must be present and the maximum percentage of other ingredients which are allowable in commercially marketed peanut butter.
It is against this background that the significant improvements and advancements of the present invention have taken place.

Reduced fat peanut butter and method of making same


A flow diverter comprises a heat sink array in fluid communication with a turbine outlet and an inlet face of a heat exchanger, the heat sink array comprising a plurality of heat sink elements, the heat sink array being separated from the inlet face by a distance, and the heat sink array being positioned between the turbine outlet and the inlet face such that at least a portion of a fluid flowing from the turbine outlet contacts the heat sink array before the portion of the fluid contacts the heat exchanger inlet face.

The present invention generally relates to providing a uniform distribution of airflow to a heat exchanger and, more specifically, to apparatus and methods to improve the distribution of a high velocity (i.e., greater than or equal to about 250 ft/sec) sub-freezing (i.e., less than or equal to the freezing point of water, less than or equal to about 32° F.) airflow provided to an inlet face of a heat exchanger.
In many applications, environmental control systems that provide cooling to various heat loads, may operate utilizing expanding fluids flowing from an outlet of a turbine. Such airflows generally have high velocities of greater than or equal to about 250 ft/sec., and may be at sub-freezing temperatures less than about 32° F., typically as cold as about −30° F. Such airflows may not be evenly distributed upon entering a heat exchanger due to the small area of the turbine exhaust compared to the flow area of the heat exchanger inlet face. For example, such airflows may contain ice or snow created through the expansion cooling of air through the turbine, which can accumulate on, and may block portions of a heat exchanger inlet face that is immediately downstream. The airflow may also be stratified (e.g., non uniformly distributed), thus being preferentially directed to a portion of the inlet face of the heat exchanger.
Accordingly, non-uniform distribution of a high velocity, sub-freezing fluid flow may prevent the heat exchanger from operating in a most efficient manner. For example, the inlet face of the heat exchanger may become blocked by snow or ice formed as the compressed fluid (e.g., air) flows through the sudden expansion at the heat exchanger inlet pan to the inlet face of the heat exchanger. This blockage may require various components of the system to be larger than would be required without the blocking of the heat exchanger face, and/or may require anti-icing measures to be deployed, all of which may reduce the system effectiveness. This problem may exist in fluid conditioning apparatus and systems utilized in, for example, aircraft refrigeration systems such as those that provide environmental controls including cooling to various liquid and other heat loads generated by various components and systems in the aircraft.
In an effort to address the above problems associated with non-uniform distribution of an expansion cooled fluid (e.g., an air flow) to a heat exchanger, such as those that may result from the blockage of the face of a heat exchanger located downstream of a turbine by ice or snow created through the expansion cooling of air through the turbine, systems directed to removal of water from the airflow prior to expansion through the turbine have been used. In one design shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,963, a condenser and water collecting means may be employed prior to the airflow entering the turbine to remove entrained liquid water from the airflow. Unfortunately, a water condenser may add an additional heat load onto the cooling system, and the condenser and water collection means may add additional weight and complexity to an aircraft or other environment in which this system may be located. An anti-ice bypass of bleed air may also be mixed with the cooler expanding air flowing from the turbine outlet to maintain the expanding air above freezing before entering the heat exchanger. However, this approach may result in an energy drain on the overall system which may reduce system performance. Also, neither removal of water and/or the use of bypass air directly address stratification of the expanding airflow that may occur as it contacts the inlet face of the heat exchanger.
Another approach directed to providing uniform distribution of a high velocity, sub-freezing airflow emanating from a turbine to the inlet face of a heat exchanger includes minimizing flow velocity stratification. In one design shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,025,642 and 5,214,935, a back-pressure plate is utilized after the heat exchanger to block a portion of the outlet of the heat exchanger, thus causing the airflow to be more uniformly distributed through the heat exchanger. This approach may be used in conjunction with removal of the water vapor in the airflow prior to expansion of the airflow in the turbine. However, the backpressure created from this approach may adversely affect the efficiency of the system by increasing pressure drop, and the plate and other apparatus may add weight and complexity to the aircraft or other vehicle in which the system may be operating.
Another approach directed to providing uniform distribution of a high velocity, sub-freezing airflow to the face of a heat exchanger includes the use of hollow tubes for header bars disposed directly on the face of, and in physical contact with, the heat exchanger. These tubes may be maintained above freezing (i.e., above about 32° F.) and thus may prevent formation of ice thereon. In one design shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,963, elongated rounded surface hollow header bars traverse the cold air inlet of the heat exchanger to minimize ice formation thereon. However, these header bars do not impact stratification of the air flowing from the turbine outlet prior to the airflow entering the heat exchanger inlet face.
As can be seen, there is a need for an apparatus and method that improves the uniformity of a high velocity, sub-freezing fluid flowing from a turbine outlet, as the airflow contacts the inlet face of a heat exchanger. The need extends to preventing blockage of the heat exchanger face by ice and snow, to minimize stratification of the airflow and ice entering the heat exchanger, and to allowing the systems to operate at optimum efficiencies without the addition of systems, energy demands, and weight detrimental to overall performance.


An exposure apparatus in which by filling at least a portion between a projection optical system and a substrate with a liquid and by projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate via said projection optical system and said liquid, said substrate is exposed, said exposure apparatus includes: a substrate holding member that holds said substrate and keeps liquid so that said substrate is immersed in the liquid; and a liquid supply mechanism that supplies, at a vicinity of the projection area of said projection optical system, liquid onto said substrate from above said substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus in which with at least a portion between a projection optical system and a substrate being filled with a liquid, a pattern is exposed onto the substrate via the projection optical system and the liquid, and to a device manufacturing method that uses the exposure apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Semiconductor devices and liquid crystal display devices are manufactured through the so-called photolithography technique, by which a pattern formed on a mask is transferred onto a photosensitive substrate. The exposure apparatus used in the photolithography process has a mask stage that supports the mask and a substrate stage that supports the substrate, and while successively moving the mask stage and the substrate stage, transfers the mask pattern, via a projection optical system, onto the substrate. In recent years, to address the increasingly high integration of device patterns, increasingly high resolution of the projection optical system has been desired. The shorter the exposure wavelength used is, and, also, the larger the numerical aperture of the projection optical system is, the higher the resolution of the projection optical system becomes. For this reason, the exposure wavelength used for the exposure apparatus is becoming shorter and shorter year by year, and the numerical aperture of the projection optical system is also becoming larger and larger. In this context, the presently dominant exposure wavelength is 248 nm from a KrF excimer laser, but a still shorter wavelength of 193 nm from an ArF excimer laser is now gradually being put to practical use. In addition, when performing exposure, the depth of focus (DOF) is an important factor along with the resolution. The resolution R and the depth of focus δ are respectively expressed by the following formulas:R=k1·λ/NA,  (1)δ=±k2·λ/NA2,  (2)where λ is the exposure wavelength, NA is the numerical aperture of the projection optical system, and k1 and k2 are process coefficients. It can be seen from formulas (1) and (2) that if, to enhance the resolution R, the wavelength λ is made shorter and the numerical aperture is made larger, then the depth of focus δ becomes narrower.
When the depth of focus δ becomes too narrow, it becomes difficult to make the substrate surface coincide with the image plane of the projection optical system, and thus there occurs the possibility that the focus margin during the exposure operation will be insufficient. To address this problem, the liquid immersion method, which is disclosed in, e.g., below-described patent documents 1 and 2, has been proposed as a method to make the exposure wavelength shorter in effect and to make the depth of focus broader. This liquid immersion method is designed, by filling the space between the under surface of the projection optical system and the substrate surface with a liquid, e.g., water or organic solvent, to form a liquid immersion region and thus by taking advantage of the fact that the wavelength of the exposure light in the liquid becomes 1/n times (n is the refractive index of the liquid and is generally about 1.2 to 1.6) of that in the air, improve the resolution and enlarge the depth of focus by approximately n times.
By the way, with respect to the above-mentioned related art, there are problems as described below.
The exposure apparatus disclosed in the PCT International Publication No. WO 99/49504 is configured such that a liquid is supplied and recovered so that a liquid immersion region is formed on a part of a substrate; however, when the liquid is not completely recovered and remains on the substrate, there is the possibility that the remaining liquid vaporizes, thereby the substrate thermally deforms and, after vaporizing, an adhesion trace (so-called water mark) remains on the substrate and adversely affects the pattern to be formed on the substrate. On the other hand, the exposure apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H10-303114 is configured such that the entirety of a substrate is held in a liquid; however, because the liquid between the projection optical system and the substrate is not replaced so much, there is the possibility that the temperature of the liquid of the liquid immersion region may change and impurities are apt to be contained therein, which may deteriorates the pattern image projected onto the substrate. Thus, there arises the possibility that devices having a desired performance cannot be manufactured.
Furthermore, with respect to the exposure apparatus of the above-mentioned PCT International Publication No. WO 99/49504, when a substrate having experienced an exposure process is conveyed (carried out), with the liquid remaining (adhering) on the surface of the substrate, the remaining liquid drops from the substrate during the conveyance process, which results, for example, the disadvantage that due to the liquid dropped, various devices and members neighboring on the conveyance path rust, or the cleanliness of the ambience in which the exposure apparatus is installed cannot be maintained. Furthermore, the liquid that has dropped (scattered) from the substrate may cause the ambient condition (humidity) change around the exposure apparatus. When the humidity changes, there arises, for example, the problem that the air on the optical path of an optical interferometer used for measuring the stage position fluctuates, the stage measurement cannot be performed accurately, and thus a desired pattern transfer accuracy cannot be obtained. Furthermore, if after the exposure process, a development process, for example, is performed in a state that the liquid still adheres on the substrate, there arises the possibility that devices having a desired performance cannot be manufactured.

Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method


A new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant named ‘TWYAN0015’, characterized by its upright, outwardly arching and symmetrical plant form; compact growth habit; freely clumping habit; full, dense and bushy appearance; relatively small, glossy and dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; inflorescences positioned at or slightly above foliar plane; and relatively small inflorescences with bright red-colored spathes and creamy white-colored spadices.

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant, botanically known as Anthurium hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name 'TWYAN0015'.
The new Anthurium is the result of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Apopka, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new fast-growing Anthurium cultivars with freely clumping habit, dark green-colored leaves, red-colored spathes and resistance to pathogens.
The new Anthurium originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors on Oct. 27, 1999 of the Anthurium hybrida cultivar Cherry Red, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,315, as the female, or seed, parent with the Anthurium hybrida cultivar Y-14, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Anthurium was discovered and selected by the Inventors in August, 2002 as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Apopka, Fla. The new Anthurium was selected on the basis of its plant habit and attractive foliage and spathe coloration.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by tissue cultured since August, 2002 in a controlled environment in Apopka, Fla., has shown that the unique features of this new Anthurium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A ring communications network having a plurality of line concentrators (10) each including a ring-in port (16), a ring-out port (18), and a plurality of station ports (20), includes the feature of being able to detect a fault in the trunk cable between concentrators and reconfiguring the ring to bypass that fault. Fault detection is accomplished by injecting a phantom DC voltage at the ring-out port and sensing whether current due to that voltage is present at both the ring-out port and the ring-in port of the next adjacent concentrator in the ring.

This invention relates to ring communications networks and, more particularly, to an arrangement which is capable of detecting a fault in the trunk cable and reconfiguring the ring to bypass the fault.
In ring communications networks, such as for example those conforming to the IEEE Standard 802.5-1989 covering token ring networks, a plurality of line concentrators are connected together in a closed loop (i.e., a ring) by means of a trunk cable. Each concentrator includes a plurality of station ports to which a terminal, such as a computer, may be connected for communication over the ring with other such terminals in the network. Each concentrator also has a ring-in port and a ring-out port for interfacing with the trunk cable connected between the concentrators.
The trunk cable typically includes four wires, two of which make up the main connection path, with the other two making up an auxiliary connection path. The main connection path passes through all of the ports of all of the concentrators and provides a data communications channel in a first direction around the ring, data signals transmitted over the ring being AC coupled to the concentrators and the stations. The auxiliary connection path passes through the ring-in and ring-out ports of all of the concentrators but does not pass through any of the station ports of the concentrators. This auxiliary connection path carries data signals in the opposite direction around the ring upon detection of a fault in the trunk cable between two concentrators and the subsequent looping back of the ring to bypass that fault. Various arrangements have been proposed for detecting a fault in the trunk cable between concentrators. For example, check pulses are sometimes transmitted around the ring. Another arrangement measures current imbalances. Still another arrangement looks for the presence of a carrier signal. It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a fault detection system which is simple and economical to implement and does not involve the complexity of known systems.

Trunk cable fault detection and reconfiguration arrangement in a ring commnications network


An air babble trapping apparatus which traps an air bubble in ink includes: a filter having through holes formed in the substrate and an insulating layer with a low wettability formed in a surface of the substrate; and an electric potential control unit which controls an electric potential difference between the electroconductive substrate and the ink. When the electric potential difference is set to be zero, the air bubble in the ink is adhered to a surface of the filter because of the low wettability of the insulating layer. When the electric potential difference is set to be a predetermined value, the air bubble adhered to the surface of the filter is released since the wettability of the surface of the insulating layer of the filter is increased due to an electrowetting phenomenon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air bubble trapping apparatus which traps an air bubble in a liquid, a liquid transporting apparatus which includes the air bubble trapping apparatus and which transports the liquid, and an ink-jet recording apparatus which records an image etc. on a recording medium by discharging ink from a nozzle onto the recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among ink-jet recording apparatuses in which a pressure is applied to an ink in a pressure chamber which communicates with a nozzle, and an image and/or a character are recorded on a recording medium by discharging the ink from the nozzle onto the recording medium, there are ink-jet recording apparatuses which are provided with a filter for trapping an air bubble and a foreign matter (impurity) entered and mixed in the ink inside an ink channel, for preventing a decline in a recording quality due to a variation in the pressure in the pressure chamber caused by the air bubble entered in the ink, and/or due to a clog-up of the nozzle caused by the foreign matter entered and mixed in the ink. In such ink-jet recording apparatus, the bubble trapped by the filter is discharged out of the apparatus by purging an ink-jet head when the recording is not performed. However, when a wettability of a surface of the filter is low, the air bubble remains on the surface of the filter even after the purging, and there is a fear that the filter is clogged up.
For solving such problem, in an ink-jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 7 of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2004/056918A1 (corresponds to FIG. 6 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-114648), a filter is provided in a buffer tank which supplies an ink to a manifold, and the wettability of the surface of the filter is increased by performing a plasma arc machining (plasma processing) on the surface of the filter. Accordingly, the air bubble hardly remains on the surface of the filter, and by purging the ink-jet head, the air bubble can be discharged assuredly.

Air bubble trapping apparatus, liquid transporting apparatus, and ink-jet recording apparatus


The present invention relates to a drying apparatus for drying a canister configured to transport and store spent nuclear fuels, a control method thereof, and a radiation shielding geometry for a radiation dosimeter configured to measure a radiation dose rate. An object of the present invention is to prevent a drying apparatus from being contaminated even in case of a damaged canister loaded with a spent nuclear fuel, by providing a non-contaminated circulation system and a contaminated circulation system, to easily assemble the drying apparatus to have a proper thickness depending upon a radiation dose rate, and to prevent a facility pipeline from being under stress by providing a radiation shielding geometry for a radiation dosimeter for measuring a radiation dose rate.

In general, storage, handling and transfer of spent nuclear fuels requires special care and procedural safeguards. A pressurized water reactor uses enriched Uranium-235 which is engaged in a fission chain reaction, which produces energy. The Uranium-235 generates various fission products, and spent nuclear fuel containing the fission products is still highly radioactive and produces considerable heat, requiring that great care be taken in its subsequent packaging, transporting and storing. Specifically, the spent nuclear fuel emits extremely dangerous neutrons and gamma photons.
The spent nuclear fuel used for nuclear power generation is stored in a spent nuclear fuel storage (referred to as a storage pool) by a wet storage method, and the water of the storage pool facilitates cooling of the spent nuclear fuel, and provides adequate radiation shielding. The spent nuclear fuel is stored in the storage pool for a period long enough to allow decay of heat and radiation to a sufficiently low level to allow the spent nuclear fuel to be transported with safety. Thus, it is standard practice in the nuclear industry to store the spent nuclear fuel in a dry state subsequent to a brief storage period in the storage pool, i.e., storing the spent nuclear fuel in a dry inert gas atmosphere encased within a structure that provides adequate radiation shielding.
The transportation and storage of the spent nuclear fuel is carried out by a spent nuclear fuel storage pool, a cask loading pit and a decontamination loading pit. More specifically, in order to transport and store the spent nuclear fuel, after an empty canister is first placed into a cavity of an open cask, the canister and the cask are disposed in the cask loading pit, and the cask loading pit is filled with water. The spent nuclear fuel is removed from the spent nuclear storage pool, and then is loaded in the cavity of the canister which is in the cask located in the cask loading pit. If the loading of the spent nuclear fuel is finished, the loaded canister is fitted with a lid. After that, the cask is moved to the decontamination loading pit. The cask is transported and stored after the cavity of the canister is subjected to process of draining the water, drying the cavity, and filling the cavity with a non-inert gas.
In order for the canister loaded with the spent nuclear fuel to be properly prepared for dry storage or transportation for long periods of time, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (referred to as U.S.NRC) requires that the spent nuclear fuel and interior of the canister be adequately dried before the canister is sealed and transferred to the cask. Specifically, U.S.NRC regulations mandate that vapor pressure within the canister be at or below 3 Torr (1 Torr=1 mmHg) before the canister is backfilled with an inert gas and sealed. The vapor pressure is the pressure of the vapor over a liquid at equilibrium, wherein equilibrium is defined as that condition where an equal number of molecules are transforming from the liquid phase to gas phase as there are molecules transforming from the gas phase to liquid phase. Requiring a low vapor pressure of 3 Torr or less assures an adequately dry space in the canister interior suitable for long-term spent nuclear fuel storage or transportation.
Currently, nuclear facilities comply with the 3 Torr or less vapor pressure requirement of U.S.NRC by performing a vacuum drying process. In performing this process, the bulk water that is within the canister is first drained from the canister. Once the bulk of the liquid water is drained, a vacuum system is coupled to the canister and activated so as to create a sub-atmospheric pressure condition within the canister. The sub-atmospheric condition within the canister facilitates evaporation of the remaining liquid water while the vacuum helps remove the water vapor. The vapor pressure within the canister is empirically ascertained through a vacuum-and-hold procedure. If necessary, the vacuum-and-hold procedure is repeated until the pressure rise during a prescribed test duration (30 minutes) is limited to 3 Torr. Once the vacuum drying passes the acceptance test, the canister is backfilled with an inert gas and the canister is sealed. The transfer cask (with the canister therein) is then transported to a position above a storage cask and the canister loaded with the spent nuclear fuel is transferred into the storage for long-term storage.
Current methods of satisfying the 3 Torr or less vapor pressure requirement of U.S.NRC are time consuming, manually intensive and prone to error from line and valve leakages. Any time the canister must be physically approached for vacuum monitoring and dryness testing, there is the risk of exposing the work personnel to high radiation. Moreover, the creation of sub-atmospheric conditions in the canister requires expensive vacuum equipment and can cause complicated equipment problems.
In order to solve the above problem, one technology has been proposed in Korean Patent No. 10-1000883 (filed on Jun. 6, 2006, and registered on Dec. 7, 2010), entitled "Method and apparatus for dehydrating high level waste based on dew point temperature measurements", which is assigned to Holtec International.
The configuration of the patent will now be described in brief. There is provided a method of preparing spent nuclear fuel for dry storage drying including the steps of: a) flowing a non-reactive gas through the cavity; b) repetitively measuring dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas exiting the cavity; and c) upon the dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas exiting the cavity being measured to be at or below a predetermined dew point temperature for a predetermined time, discontinuing the flow of the non-reactive gas and sealing the cavity. Also, there is provided a system for drying a cavity loaded with spent nuclear fuel including: a canister forming the cavity, the cavity having an inlet and an outlet; a source of non-reactive gas; means for flowing the non-reactive gas from the source of non-reactive gas through the cavity; and means for repetitively measuring the dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas exiting the cavity; and a controller operably coupled to the dew point temperature measuring means, wherein the dew point temperature measuring means is adapted to create signals indicative of the measured dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas and transmit the signals to the controller; and wherein the controller is adapted to analyze the signals and upon determining that the signals indicate that the measured dew point temperature is at or below a predetermined dew point temperature for a predetermined time, the controller is further adapted to (i) cease flow of the non-reactive gas through the cavity; and/or (ii) activate a means for indicating that the cavity is dry.
The above patent is configured to dry the cavity of the canister loaded with the spent nuclear fuel, but if the canister is loaded with a spent nuclear fuel already damaged or damaged during the dry process, the system cannot verify the damaged state. If the canister is subjected to the dry process, without performing the verification procedure, the dry apparatus is contaminated by the radioactive substance. If other canister is dried by the contaminated dry apparatus, the non-contaminated canister is contaminated by the radioactive substance.
In addition, when a radiation dosimeter is installed on site in order to measure a radiation dose rate of a target object, the radiation dosimeter should be housed by a radiation shielding geometry to prevent the radiation dosimeter from being influenced by radiation emitted from peripheral radiation sources, and then be installed on a pipe. The conventional radiation shielding geometry is a rectangular block made of lead, and is provided with a dosimeter installation hole at a center of one surface to install the radiation dosimeter. After the radiation dosimeter is built in the dosimeter installation hole of the radiation shielding geometry, the radiation shielding geometry is installed on a target pipe by use of a belt or an installation enclosure to measure the radiation dose rate of the target pipe. Since the radiation shielding geometry is manufactured after measuring the surrounding radiation dose rate, it is difficult to additionally shield the geometry if the surrounding radiation dose rate is changed. In some cases, the radiation shielding geometry is manufactured to have heavy weight. Therefore, there is a problem in that an excessive load is applied to the pipe, on which the radiation shielding geometry is installed, thereby exerting a bad influence on the durability of the facility.

Drying apparatus for drying canister for spent nuclear fuel transportation and storage, control method therefor, and radiation shielding geometry for radiation dose rate detector therefor


A method of storing beer kegs and dispensing beer in a commercial bar or restaurant, a method of storing beverage barrels in a commercial bar or restaurant, and an apparatus therefor. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

1. Technical Field
The present application relates to a method of storing beer kegs and dispensing beer in a commercial bar or restaurant, a method of storing beverage barrels in a commercial bar or restaurant, and an apparatus therefor.
2. Background Information
Background information is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily admit that subsequently mentioned information and publications are prior art.
The present application relates to a method for the dispensing of products, in one possible embodiment beverages, housed and supplied in barrels such as kegs, for example, with the use of at least one tapping device with at least one tapping point and as a function of beverage-specific or product-specific parameters, and to an apparatus for the dispensing of products, in one possible embodiment beverages, housed in barrels, for example kegs, as a function of beverage-specific or product-specific parameters, with at least one tapping device with at least one tapping point.
Devices or dispensing systems for the dispensing of products and/or beverages are known both in the form of stationary systems as well as mobile systems in a wide variety of realizations, whereby the product to be dispensed is generally supplied in barrels or kegs. Some devices describe the equipping of kegs with transponders in which data are stored which are used exclusively to identify the type of product in the container and to improve the handling of the kegs. Some devices also describe the equipping of kegs with transponders in which data are stored, although the data are used exclusively to identify the type of product in the container and to improve the handling of the kegs.
Some methods and devices are for the dispensing of beverages housed and supplied in barrels or kegs. The object of these methods and devices is to dispense the beverage in question exclusively into drinking vessels which are suited or intended for this beverage, and the tapping device is closed to prevent, restrict, or minimize dispensing into an unsuitable vessel or any other than the drinking vessel. To make this possible, means are provided for the identification of the drinking vessel and for the identification of the product, and for example the latter also in the form of a transponder that is attached to the barrel in question.
Some devices are for the dispensing of mixed drinks which are mixed from a plurality of liquid ingredients immediately before the beverage is dispensed. For the identification of at least one ingredient in a container, for example a flavoring ingredient, a transponder is provided on the container in question in which data that identify this ingredient are stored, which are used during the dispensing of the mixed drink to control the mixing process.
Some devices describe an ink jet printing system with a plurality of ink containers, each of which is provided with a memory chip (e.g. EPROM), in which data that define an optimum operating temperature of the ink holder are stored. By means of exposed electrical contacts, the individual memory chip is connected with a reader head for the reading of the stored data.

Method of storing beer kegs and dispensing beer in a commercial bar or restaurant, a method of storing beverage barrels in a commercial bar or restaurant, and an apparatus therefor


An amplifier includes an amplification unit which amplify a first difference between first and second input signals, a second difference between second and third input signals and a third difference between third and first input signals by a differential mode gain, and amplify an average of the first, second and third input signal by a common mode gain, for outputting a first output signal corresponding to a sum of the amplified first difference and the amplified average, a second output signal corresponding to a sum of the amplified second difference and the amplified average, and a third output signal corresponding to a sum of the amplified third difference and amplified average; first, second; and a reduction circuit which reduces the common mode gain less than the differential mode gain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an amplifier, which especially handles an analog vector signal such as a complex number signal, and a filter and a radio communication device using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a radio communication field as of 2005, there are adopted many systems for modulating both an amplitude and a phase of a signal. Therefore, in many cases, two orthogonal signals are used which are referred to as an in-phase signal (I-signal) and a quadrature-phase signal (Q-signal).
For example, in a case where a filter is formed, for example, on an integrated circuit as of around 1995, a single-ended system (circuit system in which a voltage between a signal line and the ground is handled as the signal) is adopted for both the I-signal and the Q-signal. An example of a filter of the single-ended system is described in "A 2.5-V active low-pass filter using all-n-p-n Gilbert cells with a 1-Vp-p range", authored by M. Koyama, T. Arai, H. Tanimoto, and Y. Yoshida, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 28, No. 12, December 1993, pp. 1246 to 1253.
Since 2000, there has been increasingly adopted a differential system (circuit system in which a voltage between a positive signal line and a negative signal line is handled as the signal) for both the I-signal and the Q-signal. An example of a filter of the differential system is disclosed in "A 2.7-V, 200-kHz, 49-dBm, stopband-IIP3, low-noise, fully balanced gm-C filter IC", authored by T. Itakura, T. Ueno, H. Tanimoto, A. Yasuda, R. Fujimoto, T. Arai, and H. Kokatsu, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 34, No. 8, August 1999, pp. 1155 to 1159.
An advantage of the single-ended system is that components are less than those of the differential system. Since a communication system in the 1990s has a low transmission rate, and requires a plurality of capacitors, several capacitors are mounted as external components of the integrated circuit on a circuit board. When the external components are as few as possible, costs are reduced. Therefore, the single-ended system is preferable.
However, in the single-ended system, separately from a power voltage and a ground potential, an analog ground potential needs to be supplied as an analog reference voltage to each amplifier in the integrated circuit. In this case, since a signal current flows into the analog ground potential, it is necessary to use an analog ground buffer amplifier having a high current driving capability (current supply capability and/or current absorbing capability). When an output impedance of the buffer amplifier is high, the analog ground potential varies with the signal current. This variation causes, for example, signal leakage from the I-signal into the Q-signal, or signal leakage from output into input. The latter signal leakage causes a problem of oscillation of the circuit.
Since 2000, in a radio communication system, a band has been broadened for high-speed data transmission. Therefore, a capacitor having a comparatively small capacity is being used. Most of components can be integrated on a chip, and accordingly the differential system has been increasingly adopted. In the differential system, a positive terminal and a negative terminal are loaded with voltages having an equal size and reverse polarities, respectively, to perform amplification or the like. An average value of the voltages of the positive and negative terminals virtually plays a role of the analog ground potential. Since the current output from the positive terminal flows into the negative terminal, no analog ground terminal has to be prepared. Since the differential system does not require the analog ground buffer amplifier required for the single-ended system, power consumption of the differential system becomes smaller than that of the single-ended system. Therefore, at present, the differential system is adopted in most cases.
As the cost per unit area of a semiconductor chip rises with development of a semiconductor fine processing technology, an analog circuit, especially, a passive element in the analog circuit occupies a large ratio of a chip area. Therefore, reduction of the area occupied by the passive element in the semiconductor chip is an important problem for cost reduction.
The single-ended system is advantageous for the reductions of the chip area and the cost in that there are fewer components. On the other hand, in the single-ended system, since the analog ground potential is supplied to each circuit block as described above, the analog ground buffer amplifier having a high current driving capability is required, and therefore, power consumption increases.
The differential system does not require the analog ground buffer amplifier required for the single-ended system, and the differential system has an advantage that the power consumption is reduced. On the other hand, the components of the differential system are more than those of the single-ended system, and the cost increases in the differential system.

Amplifier, filter using the same, and radio communication device


An iron (10) which comprises a first arm (12) mounted to a second arm (14) about a pivot (16); where the first arm (12) includes a first arm body (20), a first arm opposing portion 18 and a grip handle (24); and the second arm (14) includes a second arm body (26) and a second arm opposing portion (23); where at least a portion of the grip handle (24) of the first arm (12) extends away from the first arm body (20) towards the second arm (14); with the first and second arms being movable about the pivot (16) between an open configuration in which the first arm opposing portion (18) is separated from the second arm opposing portion (23), and a closed configuration, in which the first arm opposing portion (18) is in contact with the second arm opposing portion (23); wherein movement of the second arm (14) towards the grip handle (24) brings the iron into the closed configuration from the open configuration.

Traditional ironing involving a large standard iron and ironing board can be unsuitable in many situations, particularly where travellers are unable to transport a bulky iron or ironing board. In a retail environment, it is impractical to move large amounts of clothing or fabric items to an iron and ironing board and it is impractical to move an iron and ironing board around the retail environment. It is difficult to move certain fabric items, such as curtains, to an iron and ironing board set up.
Small sized standard irons are available and are sufficiently portable for travellers, however they disadvantageously still require an ironing board or similar surface. Steamers are available providing a flow of steam or water vapour for easing creases from fabric, however current steamers are unsatisfactory as they are bulky and unable to apply high temperature or pressure to the fabric to be ironed.
Hand held irons are known in the art of hair straightening. These generally include two opposing arms attached to each other at a hinge, each arm including a heating plate, where ironing is achieved by the user grasping the arms with one hand and bringing the heating plates together by gripping the arms, with the item to be ironed (usually hair) positioned in between the plates. Attempts have been made to use such irons in ironing of fabric items. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,375,609 to Harrington discloses a hand held iron with opposing plates designed to iron hard to reach areas. However, such hand held fabric irons are only able to iron small items or the edges of larger items.
It can be seen from the foregoing that a need has arisen for an effective portable iron which can operate without an ironing board. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an iron which is portable and can be used without an ironing board.


The metal foil-clad laminate of the present invention comprises at least one polyimide layer made of a polyimide having repeating units represented by the following formula I:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metal foil-clad laminate using a low dielectric polyimide having a good heat resistance and a good adhesion property. The metal foil-clad laminate is applicable to printed wiring boards, surface heating elements, electromagnetic shielding materials, flat cables, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some metal foil-clad laminates are produced by bonding an insulating substrate and a metal foil through an adhesive or an adhesive film. For example, there has been proposed a meta foil-clad laminate having a three-layered structure which is formed by bonding an aromatic polyimide film as an insulating substrate to a metal foil through an adhesive film (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-91895).
Hitherto, epoxy-based or acryl-based adhesives have been mainly used as the adhesive or adhesive film. However, since these resins are poor in heat resistance, products obtained using these adhesives show an insufficient heat resistance, resulting in limitations to subsequent processing conditions and use conditions.
Under these circumstances, there is a demand for adhesives and adhesive films having an excellent heat resistance. For example, there is disclosed a method of forming a thermopress-bonding adhesive layer on an insulating substrate by applying a polyimide or polyamic acid dispersion on the substrate as the adhesive and then removing the solvent, followed, if required, by imidation (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 5-32950 and 5-59344). Also, there is disclosed a method of forming a thermopress-bonding adhesive film by applying a resin dispersion on a glass plate, etc. and then removing the solvent, followed, if required, by imidation.
To the formed adhesive layer or adhesive film, an adherend such as metal foil is thermopress-bonded. (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 5-32950 and 5-59344 and Japanese Patent No. 3213079).
Further, there is known a method of forming an insulating protective film layer on a circuit surface of a printed wiring board by a liquid cover coat agent (a cover lay ink) or a cover lay film. In this method, a cover coat agent is applied to a circuit surface of a printed wiring board by a method such as screen printing and then subjected to a treatment such as curing to from a cover coat layer. However, since the conventional cover coat agents extensively used are mainly made of epoxy-based resins that are poor in heat resistance and flexibility, the printed wiring board having a cover coat also tends to be insufficient in heat resistance and flexibility, resulting in limitations to subsequent processing conditions and use conditions. Therefore, it has been demanded to provide cover coat agents having excellent heat resistance and flexibility. For example, there has been proposed a method of forming a cover coat layer on a circuit surface of a flexible printed wiring board by applying a dispersion of polyimide or polyamic acid in a dispersing medium such as solvent on the circuit surface and then removing the solvent, followed, if required, by imidation (e.g., Japanese Patent No. 2820497 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-109259).
Polyimide films having an excellent heat resistance are frequently used as a cover lay film. However, many of the polyimide films themselves are less adhesive to require the use of additional epoxy-based or acryl-based adhesives that are poor in heat resistance, causing the same problems as described above. Thus, there is a demand for adhesive films that are excellent in both flexibility and heat resistance. For example, there has been proposed a method of forming a thermopress-bonding, adhesive cover lay film by applying a dispersion of polyimide or polyamic acid on a support for film formation such as a glass plate and a metal plate, and then removing the solvent, followed, if required, by imidation (e.g., Japanese Patent No. 3213079).
In the recent application fields such as information processing and telecommunications, transmission frequency or operating frequency of CPU becomes higher in order to transmit or process a large content of information data. Therefore, it is required to shorten the time delay of signal transmission rate by reducing the dielectric constant of a whole insulating layer including an adhesive layer and a cover coat layer in addition to making the insulating layer thinner. However, since the above conventional adhesive layers, adhesive films, cover coat layers and cover lay films are made of aromatic polyimides, the dielectric constant at 10 GHz unfavorably becomes as high as about 3.5, although varies depending upon the content of aromatic ring.
It has been known that the dielectric constant of a polymeric material can be generally reduced by using an aliphatic monomer. The inventors have produced various polyimides from non-aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides. Examples of the non-aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydride include aliphatic (chain) tetracarboxylic dianhydrides such as 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic dianhydride, and alicyclic tetracarboxylic anhydrides such as 1,2,3,4-cyclobutanetetracarboxylic dianhydride, 1,2,4,5-cyclopentanetetracarboxylic dianhydride and bicyclo[2.2.2]octa-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic dianhydride. However, polyimides obtained from the aliphatic (chain) tetracarboxylic dianhydride have an extremely low heat resistance and are inapplicable to the processing such as welding, reducing its practical utility. On the other hand, polyimides obtained from the alicyclic tetracarboxylic anhydride have an improved heat resistance as compared to those obtained from the chain tetracarboxylic dianhydride. However, since polyimides obtained from 1,2,3,4-cyclobutanetetracarboxylic dianhydride have a low solubility to solvents, the application of a solution of such polyimides onto a metal foil, an insulating substrate or a support for film formation fails to form a polyimide film having a thickness sufficient for the use as the adhesive layer, cover coat layer of cover lay film. Although 1,2,4,5-cyclopentanetetracarboxylic dianhydride and bicyclo[2.2.2]octa-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic dianhydride provide polyimides having a high solubility to solvents, the film obtained by applying the polyimide solution onto a metal foil, an insulating substrate or a support for film formation fails to have a flexibility, reducing the practical utility as the adhesive layer, cover coat layer and cover lay film.

Abstract: wherein R and Φ are as defined in the specification, at least one insulating substrate, and at least one metal foil layer. The polyimide is excellent in thermopress-bonding property, solubility in solvents and heat resistance, and exhibits a low dielectric constant. The metal foil-clad laminate having the polyimide layer is suitably applicable to high-frequency printed wiring boards, etc.


The collision detection device for appropriately actuating two or more types of passenger safety devices (5,6,7,8) which are installed on a vehicle and respectively have different performances depending on collision types such as a front collision and a side collision, and comprising two acceleration sensors (S1,S2) installed respectively in different directions and a controller for selecting appropriate passenger safety devices to be actuated from said plurality of passenger safety devices in accordance with a direction of a collision when recognizing the collision on the basis of accelerations detected by the two acceleration sensors, and for actuating them, said controller (4) having collision detecting axes related with said passenger safety devices respectively, said collision detecting axes preset in directions assumed as directions for detecting the collision which are front, right and left directions and further at least one additional directions which are different from said front, right and left directions, said controller (4) which arithmetically obtains components (G1,G2,G3,G4,G5) of an acceleration concerning the collision along said collision detecting axes on the basis of the two accelerations (Gx, Gy) detected by said acceleration sensors (S1,S2), and selects suitable passenger safety devices from said plurality of passenger safety devices (5,6,7,8) related with the collision detecting axes on the basis of the components (G1,G2,G3,G4,G5), then actuates them.

There is a collision detection device which detects front and side collisions of a vehicle respectively and then actuates air bags for front and side collisions respectively. In this collision detection device, acceleration data detected in three directions, namely front, right and left directions, by acceleration sensors installed in the longitudinal and lateral directions are individually treated then air bags for front and side collisions are respectively actuated. And there is a further proposed collision detection device of which a utilization range is expanded to an oblique collision and which avoids an inflation of a side air bag at the time of a front collision, wherein acceleration informations in the three directions are composed and treated as a composite vector (Refer to Japanese Laid Open No.H6-55993 and H6-56000).
In more detail, this device detects accelerations Gy and Gx in longitudinal and lateral directions respectively as shown in FIG. 6 and obtains values fy and fx by integrating the accelerations Gy and Gx with respect to time. Then, the values fy and fx are composed as a composite vector f concerning the collision. Concretely, a magnitude of the collision is calculated according to a formula of (fx.sup.2 +fy.sup.2).sup.1/2, and the direction of the collision is calculated according to a formula of .theta.=tan.sup.-1 (fx/fy).
And a threshold value is set for the magnitude The necessities of actuations concerning air bags are judged from a result of a comparison between the threshold value and the magnitude. Further, an air bag to be inflated is selected according to the direction .theta..
However, the actual collision situation is so complicated that not only the magnitude but also the direction of the collision as shown by the above vector f change every moment. For example, we assume that an end of the vector f changes along a chain double-dashed line 40 as shown in the drawing. In this case, a definition of the direction .theta., .theta.' or .theta." depends on a way of setting threshold value 41, or 42. Consequently, there is a problem in which combinations of the magnitudes and the directions of the vector f are so innumerable that the way of setting threshold value becomes complicated.
This invention is made to solve these problems possessed by the conventional art, and the object of the present invention is offering a collision detection device which can actuate suitable passenger safety devices after selecting them from a plurality of passenger safety devices even when not only the magnitude but also the direction concerning acceleration of a collision change every moment.


There is provided a composition for forming a resist underlayer film having heat resistance for use in a lithography process in semiconductor device production. A composition for forming a resist underlayer film, comprising a polymer that contains a unit structure of formula (1) and a unit structure of formula (2) in a proportion of 3 to 97:97 to 3 in molar ratio:

Microfabrication by lithography in which photoresist compositions are used is a technology conventionally resorted to in semiconductor device production. The abovementioned microfabrication is a processing method that involves forming a thin film of a photoresist composition on a substrate to be processed, for instance a silicon wafer, irradiating actinic rays, such as ultraviolet rays, onto the thin film of the photoresist composition via a mask pattern in which there is drawn a pattern of the semiconductor device, developing the pattern, and etching the substrate to be processed, such as a silicon wafer, using the obtained photoresist pattern as a protective film. Ever higher integration in semiconductor devices in recent years has been matched by a trend towards shorter wavelengths in the actinic rays that are utilized, from KrF excimer lasers (248 nm) to ArF excimer lasers (193 nm). This shift to shorter wavelengths has been accompanied by significant problems, namely standing waves and diffuse reflection of the actinic rays off the substrate. Accordingly, methods have been extensively studied that involve providing an anti-reflective coating (Bottom Anti-Reflective Coating, BARC) between the photoresist and the substrate to be processed.
Thinner resists have become desirable as a response to the problems of resolution and resist pattern collapse after development that arise as resist patterns become ever thinner. Accordingly, achieving sufficient resist pattern thickness for substrate processing was difficult, and thus processes have become necessary in which the function of a mask during substrate processing is imparted not only to the resist pattern, but also to a resist underlayer film that is produced between the resist and the semiconductor substrate to be processed. Such resist underlayer films for processing that are now required include resist underlayer films for lithography having a selection ratio of dry etching rate close to that of the resist, resist underlayer films for lithography having a selection ratio of dry etching rate smaller than that of the resist, and resist underlayer films for lithography having a selection ratio of dry etching rate smaller than that of the semiconductor substrate, which are different from conventional resist underlayer films having high etch rate (high etching rate).
Examples of polymers for the abovementioned resist underlayer films include, for instance, the following.
Compositions for forming a resist underlayer film that utilize polyvinyl carbazole (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3).
Compositions for forming a resist underlayer film that utilize a fluorene phenol novolac resin (for instance, Patent Document 4).
Compositions for forming a resist underlayer film that utilize a fluorene naphthol novolac resin (for instance, Patent Document 5).
Compositions for forming a resist underlayer film that include a resin having repeating units of fluorene phenol and an arylalkylene (for instance, Patent Document 6 and Patent Document 7).

Composition for forming a resist underlayer film including hydroxyl group-containing carbazole novolac resin

Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor device, including the steps of: forming an underlayer film using the composition for forming a resist underlayer film on a semiconductor substrate; forming a hard mask on the underlayer film; further forming a resist film on the hard mask; forming a patterned resist film and developing; etching the hard mask according to the patterned resist film; etching the underlayer film according to the patterned hard mask; and processing the semiconductor substrate according to the patterned underlayer film.


An apparatus and method are disclosed for identifying the position of an object that is, or will be, used in a sterilization process. The apparatus comprises at least two containers and each container has a cavity configured to receive the object. At least one visual indicator corresponds to each container. A programmable hardware device is configured to receive an identifier. Responsive to receipt of the identifier, the programmable hardware device is configured to indicate a position of at least one of the containers that corresponds to the identifier utilizing the visual indicator.

Various medical devices are used in numerous procedures in the medical field. These devices are as varied as the treatments themselves. As such, proper care of these devices is critical for efficiency of application and the proper corresponding treatment of the patient.
After a medical device, such as an endoscope, is used, the medical device is cleaned, disinfected, and/or sterilized in order to prepare the medical device for its next use. The cleaning, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing may include attaching the medical device to a re-processing machine, such as an automated endoscope re-processor or an endoscope cleaner and re-processor, using a connector (a tubing, a fitting, etc.). After the cleaning, disinfecting, and/or sterilization process is executed, the medical device is ready for another use. While the medical device is non-sterile and/or being cleaned, disinfected, and/or sterilized, the medical device is typically unavailable for use, resulting in downtime of the medical device.

Storage apparatus and method for identifying a position of an object


A storage medium readable by a computer stores a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a function for supporting editing of a hierarchical structure of a directory. The function includes: editing metadata including information relevant to the hierarchical structure of the directory; editing content data as contents of a document; analyzing the metadata; and creating a new hierarchical structure of the directory on the basis of a result of the analysis and the content data.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage medium storing a directory editing support program, a directory editing support method, and a directory editing support apparatus, in which storage, editing and management of content are supported for a directory style content service to provide plural pieces of content by a hyperlink structure.
(2) Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide a service which provides plural pieces of content including various pieces of document information by a hyperlink structure. Especially, a Web site to which World Wide Web technology is applied is widely used in the Internet or Intranet. Content of such a Web site is provided in a hierarchical structure of one-level or multi-level directory by classifying the information contents (content data) to be provided into categories determined for respective objects and by providing hyperlinks between the categories. The service to provide content in such a mode is called the directory style content service. The hierarchical structure of the directory is created in a language such as, HTML which can describe the hierarchical structure.
FIG. 9 shows an example of a directory described in the HTML. In FIG. 9, "new product information" indicates the category, and product1.htm, product2.htm and product3.htm denote reference links to reference its destination content. By this, a hyperlink from the reference source (the category of "new product information" in this example) to another category is provided. Besides, "product 1", "product 2" and "product 3" are heading texts embedded in the reference source.
Conventionally, it is necessary that a management and operation responsible person who provides a directory style content service of a company issues new content frequently, and provides high quality also in the correctness of a reference link. Besides, the person must manage manyWebpages and office documents among Web sites of the Internet or portals of the intranet. Further, such navigation as to enable a user using the content service to reach objective content quickly (with a small number of clicks) must be performed.
In order to provide plural HTML files and content files mutually having reference links by the directory style content service, HTML files and document data are created, and are stored and managed in a repository, and after the administrator confirms reference destinations, categories and headings, they are installed in a Web server. In this case, the correction of the hierarchical structure of the directory is performed by rewriting the href attribute of the HTML, adding/deleting the A tag element, or correcting the heading text.
However, in the above related art, in the case where the hierarchical structure of the directory is corrected, it is necessary to rewrite the HTML, and there is a problem that expert knowledge is required, and the correction can not be easily performed.

Storage medium storing directory editing support program, directory editing support method, and directory editing support apparatus


A conferencing system integrates multiple conference types into a mixed mode conference. The mixed mode conference may integrate text messaging (such as instant messaging) conferences, voice conferences, and other types of conferences. The conferencing system may enhance communication possibilities by allowing individuals that cannot participate in one type of conference to nevertheless communicate with others engaged in that type of conference.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to data and voice conferencing. In particular, this invention relates to a conferencing system that integrates multiple conference types into a mixed mode conference.
2. Background Information
Rapid advances in technology have given rise to new communication tools for business and personal use. Voice conferencing systems now seamlessly connect multiple participants, though they may be located virtually anywhere. As another example, instant-messaging provides text message exchange between multiple individuals that is often much more responsive and interactive than standard email.
Despite the development of these communication tools, it is not always possible for everyone that desires to communicate to actually do so. As one example, individuals that are hearing impaired may find it difficult to participate in voice conferences. As another example, individuals already engaged in other tasks may find it difficult to participate in an instant-messaging or a voice conference, depending on the primary task.
There are other reasons, such as hardware limitations, that may also limit the ability of an individual to participate in a conference. For example, an individual may be unable to participate in a voice conference because that individual does not have a microphone or speakers required for a voice conference. Effective communication, however, is crucial to successfully conducting business activities, to accomplish personal tasks that arise on a daily basis, and for other reasons.
A need has long existed to address the problems noted above and others previously experienced.


A refuse container having features which adapt it to comply with federal laws and regulations facilitating use by handicapped individuals. The dumpster may have any or all of the standard commercially available features of a front-end or rear-end loaded refuse bin for automatic overhead emptying of the trash from the bin into a garbage truck. Access for deposit of trash by non-disabled individuals is provided by at least one top lid hinged to the body of the bin over a deposit opening, preferably in a top wall of the dumpster. For access by disabled individuals, a gliding door covering a second deposit opening in a side wall of the dumpster is provided at a height no greater than 34 inches from the point of contact with the ground. The tracks of the gliding door are specially configured to prevent or minimize the collection of debris and ice which could hamper the ability of a disabled individual of minimal manipulative abilities to open the gliding door. An oversized handle is further provided to facilitate opening of the gliding door. Furthermore, a hinged baffle overhang is provided on the interior of the trash bin to deflect garbage deposited through the top deposit opening and delay the accumulation of a garbage pile inside immediately in front of the gliding door opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to refuse containers commonly referred to as dumpsters, having access features which facilitate use by handicapped individuals and comply with federal laws and regulations.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
With the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) an increasing social awareness of the difficulties encountered by handicapped individuals has followed. Simple everyday objects, manipulation of which is taken for granted by individuals without disabilities, may cause great difficulty to an individual who is handicapped or somewhat disabled. One such object is the dumpster, which term is used herein to generally describe a usually commercially supplied, outdoor trash or garbage container, usually having a volume of several cubic yards, and usually supplied with front-end or rear-end loading sleeves or pins as appropriate for the collection of trash by an automated garbage truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,813 issued Apr. 7, 1970 to Weir describes one such commercial refuse container, showing features of the type typically used with a front-end loading garbage truck, and further showing a typical sliding door arrangement. Notably, the doors are placed too high on the bin to accommodate handicapped individuals in wheelchairs. Compliance guidelines as set by federal law and regulations have established maximum reach requirements suited for use by handicapped individuals. Ideally, the lower edge of such a sliding door should be set in the dumpster no higher than 34 inches from the support surface on which the handicapped individual and dumpster reside. This height would ideally accommodate wheel chair bound individuals and would accommodate smaller dumpsters of about 4 cubic yards in volume.
Standard trash bin sliding doors also fail to provide a door tracking mechanism which minimizes the effort needed to open the sliding door. In conventional dumpsters, trash and other particles cannot escape the door's track, thus lodging in the track and thereby sufficiently hampering smooth door movement to overcome the ability of a handicapped person with reduced manipulative abilities to open the door. Moreover, freezing weather conditions may cause the door and track to become iced, also causing disabling circumstances for weakened individuals.
Although U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,036 issued Apr. 30, 1991, to Souza et al. describes a foot operated, front-loading refuse bin which has disadvantages similar to the conventional dumpster, including inaccessible doors and a foot lever which may be impossible to operate by wheelchair-bound individuals, particularly paraplegics. U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,057 issued Sep. 28, 1993, to Taylor describes a double actuated trash bin lid operated by a handled lever disposed to the side of the trash bin. Again, the doors are inaccessible to wheelchair bound individuals; moreover, the lever requires a large amount of rotation to actuate the doors which may result in the handle being rotated beyond the reach height of the wheelchair bound individual.
Other variously configured trash bins are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,132 to Edelhoff, wherein a trash bin door is pivoted along a gentle arc, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,448 issued Jun. 13, 1995, to Pedigo, wherein a cylindrical dumpster is described. Neither show features suited for use by handicapped individuals.
None of the relevant art which is intended to facilitate use by a handicapped individual is directed towards a trash bin. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,221 issued May 24, 1994 to Hammer describes a ball and socket arrangement for aiding handicapped persons having limited reach or mobility to move unreachable objects. The structure is dissimilar to the present invention and is not adaptable to a trash bin.
Moreover, no doors show anti-jamming features directed at minimizing and preventing collection of falling debris or precipitation in the gliding mechanism of the door. U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,559 issued Dec. 29, 1970, to Long shows a dog kennel gate having a sliding construction suspended by roller elements from an inverted channel. A pintle and slot arrangement is provided at the bottom of the gate to prevent rocking. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,929,622 issued Mar. 22, 1960, to Thorson, a similar pintle and slot arrangement is shown, intended again solely to allow sliding movement of the door in only one plane. In both the '559 and '622 patents, the door when closed occludes the slot, and thus blocks passage of material through the slot; moreover, both patents fail to teach any use of a slot in a door assembly, particularly in combination with a dumpster, for the purpose of limiting jamming due to collecting debris. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,496 issued Dec. 4, 1978 to Rock et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,265 issued May 23, 1978 to Baus show overhead trackinq sliding door assemblies for furniture doors and wet chambers, respectively, each teaching away from allowing free passage of debris and matter through a passage in a lower track.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.


A circuit for increasing a supply voltage comprises a transmitter for transmitting a radio signal, with an amplifying device having a supply input for a first supply potential, and a signal output with an antenna connected thereto. Furthermore, the circuit includes a circuit arrangement with a supply input for a second supply potential that is greater than the first supply potential. A voltage rectification circuit is provided that is connected to the signal output of the amplifying device and to the supply input of the circuit arrangement. As a result, an RF input signal is transformed into a rectified voltage. The amplifying device amplifies the radio signal to such an extent that the sum of the rectified voltage and of a first supply voltage is as great as a second supply voltage.

In sensor systems which measure a particular physical state and then transmit it to a receiver for further processing, different supply voltages may be required for the transmitter or for the sensor. Thus, for example, a transmitter stage in a pressure monitoring system for vehicle tires requires a supply voltage of 2.1 volts. For the associated pressure sensor, however, a supply voltage of 2.5 volts is needed. If the transmitter is fed with a supply voltage of 2.5 volts, this leads to an increased power consumption in the transmitter. It is, therefore, appropriate to select a supply voltage of 2.1 volts for the transmitter and to increase this voltage by an additional circuit in order to ensure that the transmitter will be operable.
Possible constructions for such circuits are low-frequency step-up switch mode power supplies or charge-pumping systems. Such circuits increase the supply voltage to the voltage needed for the sensor, in most cases by charging up a capacitor. The disadvantage of such a circuit is an increased space requirement and higher costs, which stand in the way of the requirement for high integration density and more advantageous mass production.

Circuit arrangement for increasing a supply voltage


A removable orthopedic protective sleeve adapted to be applied over the male Morse taper of modular orthopedic implants thereby preventing contamination of the taper contact surface from blood, body fluid or tissue particles responsible for electrochemical corrosion and fretting at the level of Morse taper. Said sleeve having a conical tube shape and a rim at its upper narrow end. A plurality of vertical grooves situated on the outer surface of the protective sleeve will split open as the female Morse taper of the articular ball is slidingly pushed downward and seated over the male taper. The split sleeve is then removed after the male and female tapers are assembled in-situ.

In the orthopedic field of joint replacement it is quite conventional for implants to have modular components in order to offer the operating surgeon multiple sizes and comply with different anatomy. The operating surgeon assembles said components in the operative wound. Morse taper has been used as easy and strong mechanical mean to assemble different components by simply inserting and impacting the male taper into the female taper. This technique still involves assembly of the components In Situ after insertion of the larger component first.
Moreover, during the component assembly process there is a great risk of contaminating the male and female tapered contact surfaces of the implant with blood and other body fluids as well as tissue particles present n the surgical wound. Said contamination has caused electrochemical corrosion which resulted in local tissue inflammation and osteolysis requiring extensive revision procedures. It has been well known that fluid and materials caught between the contact surfaces of the male and female taper were blamed as cause in initiating the corrosive process and release of metal hydrites.


To substantially eliminate deficiencies such as portions of the resinous coating, where the film thickness is reduced considerably during the press-fitting, and to aim at providing a high productivity with a reduced cost and without the possibility of occurrence of rusting after a prolonged time of use under severe environmental conditions due to an excellent anticorrosive property, a magnetic encoder (10) includes a multipolar magnet (14) having a plurality of alternating magnetic poles alternating with each other in a direction circumferentially thereof, and a core metal (11) supporting the multipolar magnet (14). The multipolar magnet (14) is formed of a sintered element prepared by mixing and sintering a powdery mixture of a magnetic powder and a non-magnetic metallic powder. The multipolar magnet (14) is fixed on the core metal (1) by staking a portion of the core metal (11), and a sintered element/core metal assembly (21) fixed on the core metal (11) is surface treated to have with an anticorrosive resinous coating (22) for anticorrosive purpose. When the magnetic encoder is press-fitted on an encoder carrier member, one of a press-fitting punch and the magnetic encoder (10) is heated to a temperature within the range of 60 to 150° C.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic encoder for use in a rotation detecting device for detecting the number of revolutions of one of bearing components rotatable relative to each other and also to a wheel support bearing assembly utilizing such magnetic encoder. The magnetic encoder to which the present invention pertains is suitably incorporated in a bearing seal assembly mounted on the rotation detecting device of a kind utilized in association with an automobile anti-skid brake system for detecting the number of revolutions of at least one of front and rear wheels of an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rotation detecting device for use in association with an automobile anti-skid brake system for minimizing the hazard of an automotive vehicle being skidded on a road surface has hitherto been assembled in a number of structures. In general, the conventional rotation detecting device includes a serrated rotor and a detecting sensor, which are arranged spaced a distance from each other by means of a sealing device used to seal the bearing assembly, but are functionally integrated together to define a single and independent rotation detecting device. This conventional rotation detecting device is of a structure capable of sensing the number of revolutions of the serrated rotor, mounted on a rotary shaft, by utilizing a rotation detecting sensor secured to a vehicle knuckle, and the wheel support bearing assembly used in association with such rotation detecting device is protected by the sealing device, disposed independently and laterally of the bearing assembly, from an undesirable ingress of foreign matters such as dusts and dirt and/or water.
The Japanese Patent No. 2816783 discloses a bearing seal assembly designed to minimize the space for installation of a rotation detecting device and also to dramatically increase the detecting performance. This prior art bearing seal assembly incorporates therein a rotation detecting device for detecting the number of revolutions of a wheel and includes an annular slinger and an elastic member admixed with a powdery magnetic material and bonded by vulcanization to the annular slinger, with a plurality of opposite magnetic poles defined so as to alternate circumferentially of the elastic member.
The Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 6-281018 discloses a built-in coder sealing structure so designed as to reduce the axial dimension of the sealing structure to thereby enhance the sealability between a rotating element and a stationary element and to render it to be easily mounted. According to this patent publication, a gap between the rotating element and the stationary element is sealed, with a rotary disc mounted on the rotating element for rotation together therewith. A multi-pole coder is mounted on the rotary disc and built in the sealing structure. The multi-pole coder used therein is made of an elastomer added with a powdery magnetic material to form a sealing means, with its side face held substantially flush with the stationary element.
The coder made of the plastic material (plastomer) containing a powdery magnetic material or magnetic particles is shaped by the use of a mold assembly having a mold cavity, which is a replica of the shape of a final product, in a manner similar to that accomplished by means of any existing injection molding technique or a compressive molding technique. In other words, the shape of the final product, that is, the coder may be defined by molding it to a shape complemental to the shape of the molding cavity in the mold assembly, or by punching a molded sheet, prepared by the use of a T-die extrusion molding technique or a calendar molding technique, followed by bonding it on a metallic substrate by the use of a bonding agent. In such case, with a metallic substrate incorporated within the molding cavity beforehand, a melt resin may be poured into the molding cavity to allow the article to be simultaneously molded and bonded to the metallic substrate, such as generally practiced in the insert molding process.
The Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-35565 discloses a magnetic member formed by mixing a synthetic resinous paint with a powdery magnetic material.
Any of the foregoing magnetic encoder includes a multipolar magnet containing the powdery magnetic material. Where the prior art magnetic encoder is used in the bearing assembly for an automotive vehicle, and since the automotive bearing assembly is quite often exposed to such a severe environment as containing saline muddy water found on the road surface, a rusting tends to occur in the magnetic encoder when it is used for a prolonged period of time. In particular, where the content of the powdery magnetic material is increased for compactization purpose, the rusting tends to occur easily. In view of this, the Applicant has thought of the possibility of applying an antirust coating to the multipolar magnet of the magnetic encoder, but it has been found difficult to select a suitable antirusting material.
Since the multipolar magnet prepared from the elastomer or plastomer containing the powdery magnetic material has problems, the Applicant of the present invention has suggested, in its Japanese Laid-open. Patent Publication No. 2004-037441, the use of a sintered element formed as the multipolar magnet by sintering a mixture of the magnetic powder and the non-magnetic metallic powder. Even this multipolar magnet requires an antirusting treatment that suits to the characteristics thereof.
Also, in its Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-085534, the Applicant of the present invention has suggested the multipolar magnet formed with an antirusting coating prepared from a clear type high anticorrosive paint. However, the painting of the multipolar magnet with the modified epoxy clear paint by means of a dipping technique or a spraying technique requires the film thickness to be increased to satisfy the requirement of an anticorrosive property for automotive component parts that are exposed to the road surface, resulting in increase of the cost. In addition, this painting requires the use of a mask, resulting in a complicated and time-consuming process step. Furthermore, in order to secure a uniform film thickness and a satisfactory flatness of the coating formed, the latitude of control of the process, for example, of painting and baking during the formation of the coating becomes limited, with the yield of production consequently lowered.
Yet, in a condition in which the multipolar magnet, which is the sintered element, is fixed on a core metal by staking, in order to increase the anticorrosive property between the core metal and the sintered element, dipping of the multipolar magnet and the core metal into a bath containing the modified epoxy clear paint, painting of the sintered element itself or a hole fill-up treatment of the sintered element is often practiced, but it requires a high cost and is not therefore economical.
In view of the foregoing, the Applicant of the present invention has suggested, in its Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-279563, a multipolar magnet made of a sintered element prepared by sintering a powdery mixture of the magnetic powder and the non-magnetic metallic powder, which magnet is fixed on the core metal by staking to form a sintered element/core metal assembly which is subsequently surface treated to have an anticorrosive coating. The surface treatment is in the form of, for example, a cation electrodeposition to form the resinous coating. However, in the case of a magnetic encoder having the above sintered element/core metal assembly applied with the anticorrosive resinous coating, scratches tend to occur during the anticorrosive coating process and/or pinholes tend to be formed in the anticorrosive coating during the baking, with the film thickness reduced at localized portions, accompanied by reduction in the anticorrosive property at those portions.
The foregoing inconveniences occur similarly in the magnetic encoder in which an anticorrosive coating of a clear type is formed on a surface of the multipolar magnet. Specifically, the resinous coating formed by means of a coating technique, a dipping technique, an electrodeposition technique or any other technique can generally have a film thickness not smaller than 15 μm, but in the event of occurrence of the scratches during the painting process and/or the pinholes during the baking process, there is a high possibility that the film thickness at such portions where the scratches and/or pinholes are formed will decrease to a value smaller than 5 μm, accompanied in reduction of the anticorrosive property. The reduction of the anticorrosive property is not welcome since it results in lowering of the magnetic force the multipolar magnet can emanate.
Also, the magnetic encoder, while in the form of the sintered element/core metal assembly, is press-fitted on an outer peripheral surface of a bearing inner race or the like by pushing the multipolar magnet onto the bearing inner race by means of a punch brought into contact with the annular surface of the multipolar magnet. In other words, the magnetic encoder having the antirusting coating formed thereon is press-fitted while being applied a pressure from the punch. It has, however, been found that the inconveniences of the pinholes and/or scratches remain unremoved and the presence of the pinholes and/or scratches in the resinous coating eventually leads to reduction in anticorrosive property, which in turn brings about reduction of the magnetic force the multipolar magnet can generate.

Magnetic encoder and wheel support bearing assembly utilizing the same