Controlled-release oral drug dosage forms that comprise a tablet or capsule containing a plurality of particles of a solid-state drug dispersed in a swellable/erodible polymer, such as poly(ethylene oxide) are described. Once ingested, the tablet or capsule disintegrates to disperse the particles within the stomach where they imbibe water to cause them to swell and promote retention in fed-mode-induced patients. As the gastric-retained dosage form gradually erodes, the drug is released in a controlled manner to the stomach for treatment of local disorders, and to the upper gastrointestinal tract where it becomes available for absorption in a controlled and therapeutic manner. Drug-containing vesicles, such as liposomes or nanoparticles or enteric-coated drug particles, can also be delivered to the gastrointestinal tract in a controlled manner using the gastric-retentive dosage forms of the present invention.

This invention is an improvement over the sustained-release oral drug dosage forms described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,007,790 and copending U.S. Ser. No. 08/453,144 which was filed May 30, 1995. The dosage forms described therein consist of a plurality of solid particles composed of a solid drug dispersed in either a crosslinked or non-crosslinked, hydrophilic, water-swellable polymer. In these dosage forms, the polymers in which the drug is dispersed imbibe water, causing the particles to swell which promotes their retention and also allows the drug contained in the particles to dissolve and diffuse from the particles. Over a period of many hours, the drug diffuses from the particles at a rate related to the dissolution rate of the drug. However, only after the drug has substantially dissipated from the dosage form, does the polymer dissolve.
Poly(ethylene oxide) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose polymers have been used in the pharmaceutical industry for controlled drug delivery systems including, for example, oral drug delivery systems. However, such polymers have not previously been used in gastric retentive, oral drug delivery systems.

Gastric-retentive, oral drug dosage forms for the controlled-release of sparingly soluble drugs and insoluble matter


Agents for treating keratin-containing fibers, in particular human hair, are provided. The agents comprise, in a cosmetically acceptable carrier, (a) at least one amphiphilic cationic polymer comprising respectively at least one structural unit of the formulae (I) to (IV), as provided herein, and (b) at least one copolymer comprising at least one structural unit of formula (A1) and at least one structural unit of formula (A2), as provided herein, the use of said agent for temporarily styling hair and for hair care, in particular as an aerosol hairspray or an aerosol hair mousse.

"Keratinic fibers" are understood in principle as all animal hairs, e.g. wool, horsehair, angora hair, furs, feathers, and products or textiles produced therefrom. Preferably, however, the keratinic fibers are human hairs.
An attractive-looking hairstyle is generally regarded these days as an indispensable element of a well-groomed appearance. Given the currents of fashion, more and more hairstyles regarded as chic are ones that, for many types of hair, can be constructed, or maintained for a longer period of time of up to several days, only with the use of setting active agents. Hair treatment agents that serve for permanent or temporary shaping of the hair therefore play an important role. Temporary shaping results that are intended to result in good hold without impairing the healthy appearance of the hair, for example its shine, can be achieved e.g. using hair sprays, hair waxes, hair gels, hair foams, blow-dry waves, etc.
Corresponding agents for temporary shaping usually contain synthetic polymers as a shaping component. Preparations that contain a dissolved or dispersed polymer can be applied onto the hair by means of propellant gases or using a pump mechanism. Hair gels and hair waxes in particular, however, are as a rule not applied directly onto the hair but instead are distributed in the hair using a comb or the hands.
The most important property of an agent for the temporary deformation of keratinic fibers, hereinafter also called a "styling agent," is to impart the strongest possible hold to the treated fibers in the shape that is generated. If the keratinic fibers involved are human hairs, terms also used are a strong "hairstyle hold" or a high "degree of hold" of the styling agent. The hairstyle hold is determined substantially by the nature and quantity of the setting polymer used, although the further constituents of the styling agent can also have an influence.
In addition to a high degree of hold, styling agents must meet a large number of further requirements. These can be subdivided roughly into: properties on the hair; properties of the particular formulation, e.g. properties of the foam, gel, or sprayed aerosol; and properties that relate to the handling of the styling agent, the properties on the hair being of particular importance. Moisture resistance, low tack, and a balanced conditioning effect may be mentioned in particular. In addition, a styling agent should be universally usable for, if possible, all types of hair.
A plurality of synthetic polymers that are utilized in styling agents have already been developed in order to meet the various requirements. The polymers can be subdivided into cationic, anionic, nonionic, and amphoteric film-forming and/or setting polymers. Ideally, upon application onto the hair in even a small quantity, the polymers yield a polymer film that on the one hand imparts a strong hold to the hairstyle but on the other hand is sufficiently flexible not to break under stress. If the polymer film is too brittle, this results in the formation of so-called "film plaques," i.e. residues that detach as the hair moves and give the impression that the user of the corresponding styling agent has dandruff.
It is still difficult to develop styling agents that exhibit all desired properties in combination. This is true in particular for the combination of strong hold on the one hand, and simple, uniform application onto the keratin-containing fibers on the other hand.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Product for keratin containing fibers, containing at least one specific amphiphilic catonic polymer and at least a polymer with structural units derived from maleic acid


Methods and apparatus related to associating a quality measure with a given location. For example, an anticipated distance value for a given location may be identified that is indicative of anticipated time and/or distance to reach the given location. At least one actual distance may be identified that is indicative of actual time for the one or more members to reach the given location. In some implementations, the anticipated/actual distance values may include one or more distributions. A quality measure is then determined based on a comparison of the anticipated distance value and the identified actual distance value. The quality measure is associated with the given location. The quality measure may be further based on additional factors.

This specification is directed generally to determining a quality measure of a given location, and more particularly, to determining the quality measure of a given location based on the time investment one or more users is willing to make to visit the given location.
Quality measures for locations are often based on one or more reviews related to the locations. For example, user reviews and/or professional reviews may be utilized to determine a quality measure for a given location. The quality measures may be associated with the given location in a database and may be utilized by one or more applications and/or provided to a user. For example, a user search for restaurants in a particular area may return search results for restaurants that are ranked based on the quality measure and/or that are displayed in combination with an indication of the quality measure. Indications of the quality measure may include a numerical rating, a number of stars, etc.

Determining the quality of locations based on travel time investment


A trajectory display device, by which an operator can visually and easily compare actual trajectories of a motor end and a machine end, and can easily determine a reason for deviation between the trajectories. The device has a motor-side position obtaining part which obtains positional information of a motor at predetermined sampling periods of time; a motor end actual coordinate calculating part which calculates an actual coordinate value of the motor end based on mechanical information and the positional information of the motor; a machine end data obtaining part which obtains point sequence data on an actual trajectory of the machine end; and a displaying part which displays and overlaps the actual coordinate of the motor end and the point sequence data of the machine end, as actual trajectories of the motor end and the machine end, so that central coordinates of the trajectories coincide with each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trajectory displaying device having a function for displaying trajectories of a motor end and a machine end.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, as a method for monitoring an error in a shape of a machined object, a tool trajectory displaying method has been used, wherein a commanded trajectory of a representative point (such as a tool center point) of a machine tool and a feedback trajectory obtained when the representative point is actually moved according to the command are overlapped and displayed so that an error of the feedback trajectory relative to the commanded trajectory is visually monitored.
For example, JP H06-059717 A discloses an NC device having a function for overlapping a movement trajectory of a tool generated by analyzing an NC program with positional data obtained when the tool is moved according to the movement trajectory.
In the prior art, when an actual trajectory of a machine end measured by a measuring instrument configured to measure a trajectory of the machine end is compared to an actual trajectory of a motor end calculated from positional data of the motor end, the respective actual trajectories are displayed on separate indicators, etc. In this regard, when the actual trajectory of the machine end is fluctuated (or deviated from a command trajectory), such fluctuation may be due to either of two factors, i.e., a fluctuation of the position (trajectory) of the motor end, or, a fluctuation (or a mechanical error) of a mechanism for transmitting the motion of the motor end to the machine end. Therefore, it is difficult to discriminate one factor from another, merely by monitoring trajectory data of the machine end. Further, when the actual trajectories of the machine end and the motor end are separately displayed, it is difficult to compare and analyze the trajectories.
In the technique disclosed in JP H06-059717 A, a movement trajectory of a tool generated by an NC program and an actual trajectory of the tool obtained when the tool is moved based on the movement trajectory are displayed while being overlapped with each other. In other words, the NC device in JP H06-059717 A has a function for overlapping the feedback trajectory with the command trajectory, but is not configured to overlap two different types of actual trajectories with each other.

Trajectory display device for displaying trajectories of motor end and machine end


A remotely controllable computing and multimedia entertainment system includes a personal computer (24) having an entertainment circuit (12) made up of a radio frequency circuit (48), a television circuit (46), and an audio multimedia circuit (18). A remote control circuit (50) provides programmable control of the entertainment circuit (12) to select among computer function operation, television and radio operation, and audio operation. An analog mixing circuit (70) within the audio multimedia circuit (18) provides mixing for a plurality of analog audio signals. A telephone circuit (44) integrates data, fax, and voice telephone signals in the entertainment circuit (12). A volume control circuit (318) within the audio multimedia circuit (18) provides varying volume, bass, and tone levels for each audio signal received by the analog mixing circuit (70). The analog audio signals received by analog mixing circuit (70) may include monaural and stereo audio signals.

In recent times, numerous electronic technologies including audio signal processing, video signal processing and data processing have become more available to individual users. With more advanced electronic technologies available to users, new and different needs for entertainment applications have arisen.
Two areas in which needs for improved entertainment applications exist are in generating multimedia presentations and telecommunications. Multimedia refers to the integration of text, audio, graphics, still image and moving pictures into a single, computer-controlled, multimedia product. It includes the combination of computers, video disk or compact disk players, video monitors, optical scanners, audio cards, music synthesizers, etc., all linked together by powerful developmental software. Telecommunications, on the other hand, includes applications for communicating by electronic transmission signals from devices such as telephones, radio, and television. A number of factors, however, have precluded the ability of system designers to develop systems which can fully utilize and integrate multimedia and telecommunications applications in a single workstation. These factors include public acceptance, excessive costs, system complexity, and incompatibilities among the various electronic technologies.
With all the various multimedia and telecommunications systems available to the user, there is no single system that provides easy access to multimedia and telecommunications applications. With known systems for multimedia applications, several independent multimedia systems must be connect together via electrical and electronic connections. Similarly, integrated telecommunications applications require numerous electrical and electronic connections with multiple systems. If many multimedia and telecommunications applications are to be integrated with known systems, the result often is a room with an array of cables and independent electrical and electronic connections. As a result, integrating multimedia applications systems with telecommunications systems using known system is both expensive and fraught with substantial limitations. For entertainment purposes, the need for multiple independent systems and various electrical and electronic connections and cables, makes multimedia and telecommunications application have limited accessibility.
Thus, there is the need for a system that in a single chassis or platform can effectively integrated multimedia and telecommunications applications for entertainment purposes.
There is the need for a system and method that permits combining computing technology with multimedia and telecommunications technologies for a wide variety of entertainment purposes.
Additionally, there is the need for an entertainment system that is easily controllable and that uses inexpensive computer technology for simple and effective control of multimedia and telecommunications applications.

Computing and multimedia entertainment system


A drain nozzle for fire fighting including a nozzle barrel and bafflehead, a floor grating providing the bafflehead, the nozzle barrel adjustably attached by an adjustment ring to the grating, the nozzle barrel not touching the bafflehead, the grating and bafflehead directing the discharge into an appropriate pattern.

The two patents, U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,767 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,212 as well as their references, form a background for the instant invention. The embodiments disclosed herein, for the instant improved drain nozzle, comprise a novel improved approach for the design of drain nozzles in general, improving on the capacity of a drain nozzle to bear weight and to shape and discharge foam.
Drain nozzles are structured to be stationed in trenches in the floor of a facility, covered by a grating. Thus the nozzle and grating system must be able to withstand any traffic of the area, such as an aircraft or other equipment rolling over or sitting upon the grating. Further, in the event of a body blocking portions of discharge from a drain nozzle and grating, adequate drainage should be provided such that the foam supply pressure at other nozzles on the foam supply line is not significantly impacted.
Other design requirements for drain nozzles vary with the facility to be protected. A drain nozzle to be used in an aircraft hangar, for instance, typically is subject to one requirement that the nozzle discharge foam a given distance, such as 20 feet, laterally for 360 degrees, without discharging the foam more than one or two feet in height. The purpose of this requirement is to avoid destroying or harming expensive equipment in the hangar with the foam.
The instant inventive design proposes to satisfy the above requirements in an improved manner.


A device for supporting a rupturable closure member of a pressure vessel, such as an airbag inflator has a hollow support with a tapered portion and an adjoining cylindrical portion. An exterior surface of the tapered portion has longitudinally extending grooves therein. An igniter is located adjacent the cylindrical portion of the support and a pyrotechnic substance is located in the cylindrical portion of the support between the igniter and the tapered portion of the support. A rupturable closure member being forced against an open first end of the tapered portion of the support by the gas in the pressure vessel such that a chamber is formed within the support. The igniter when activated ignites the pyrotechnic substance and the burning pyrotechnic substance generates gas under pressure that causes the tapered portion of the support to break along the longitudinally extending grooves and no longer support the rupturable closure member allowing the gas in the pressure vessel to rupture the unsupported rupturable closure member.

The present invention relates generally to a device for causing a gas tight seal of a vessel containing gas to rupture, and more specifically to a device for venting gas from an airbag inflator.
1. Field of the Invention
Motor vehicles are provided with airbags to restrain the movement of vehicle occupants in a crash. Airbags are inflated with gasses that are generated by, stored in, or both generated by and stored in airbag inflators. Airbag inflators are often pressure vessels that are sealed with rupturable membranes that are caused to fail in a selected manner at a selected time to release gasses to the airbag. In some airbag inflators the rupturable seal may simply be burst open by pressure inside the inflator due to the gas pressure resulting from the generation of inflation gasses by burning gas generants inside the inflator housing or heating gasses stored in the inflator housing by burning a pyrotechnic material. However, some airbag inflators employ venting devices that cause a seal to fail in response to a signal from a control device and the present invention relates to an improved venting device of this category.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
One manner of selectively causing a rupturable member to fail is to activate a small pyrotechnic device that generates hot gas and a shock wave to impact the rupturable member and blow an opening through the rupturable member. Examples of such venting devices are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,856 B1 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,599 B1.
The use of a projectile or piercing member to punch a hole in a rupturable member is disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,153 B1 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,153 B1. The very precise tolerances required to make such venting devices work consistently can be very costly.
Because gas pressure in a pressure vessel like and airbag inflator can be very high, on the order of 1,400 kilogram per square centimeter (20,000 pounds per square inch) the rupturable member must be fairly robust making it difficult for smaller pyrotechnic devices to cause the rupturable members to fail in a consistent manner. Another limitation is the surface area of the rupturable member subjected to such high stresses is limited. Another manner of causing a rupturable member to fail is to support a surface of the rupturable member opposite the pressurized gas with a support or pillar, then remove the support provided or pillar allowing the gas pressure to cause the rupturable member to fail. Examples of such venting devices are disclosed for example in: DE 299 14 433 U1; GB 2 316 475 A; U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,596 B1; U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,616 B1; U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,327 B1; U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,525 B1; U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,420 B1; U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,065; U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,725 B1; U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,811 B1; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,264 B2.
Still other venting devices employ both a support and a pyrotechnic device to cause a rupturable seal to fail. U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,106 B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,663 B1 teach a device for opening a container storing the inflation fluid under pressure. The container has an outlet passage through which the inflation fluid flows from the container. A rupturable closure member is fixed to the container and blocks the flow of inflation fluid through the passage. A support for the rupturable closure member defines a chamber adjacent the rupturable closure member. The rupturable closure member has a first portion deformed into the chamber by the pressure of the inflation fluid and a second ring-shaped portion encircling the first portion. An igniter ruptures the closure member when actuated by shearing the first portion of the now ruptured closure member from the now opened second ring shaped portion. U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,106 B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,663 B1 teach that the support remains intact during the venting operation so the only way for gasses to exit the container is to pass around the exterior of the support which limits the cross sectional area of the passageway for the gas being vented. This is a problem when the function of a venting device is to vent gas from the container as rapidly as possible, for instance to restrict the force of a deploying airbag on an out-of-position or small vehicle occupant.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,995 B1 teaches a support structure in the shape of a cup with the base of the cup adjoining a rupturable closure member in a load bearing relationship so as to transmit a storage pressure force from the closure member to the inflator structure. Preferably, the cylindrical sidewall of the support cup has a plurality of axially extending score lines that are spaced apart circumferentially about its periphery. Each score line defines a coextensive stress riser that is rupturable under the influence of the combustion products emitted from an igniter. This facilitates rupturing of the support cup radially outward at the periphery of the cylindrical body. The fluid storage pressure acting outward against the end wall of the support cup also facilitates peripheral rupturing of the cylindrical body by blocking movement of the end wall into the chamber under the influence of the combustion products in the support cup. However, there is no teaching in U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,995 B1 that the end wall of the support cup does not remain intact and as such remains an obstacle to the evacuation of gasses from the pressure vessel.


Digital audio signal processing techniques used to provide an acoustic transparency function in a pair of headphones. A number of transparency filters can be computed at once, using optimization techniques or using a closed form solution, that are based on multiple re-seatings of the headphones and that are as a result robust for a population of wearers. In another embodiment, a transparency hearing filter of a headphone is computed by an adaptive system that takes into consideration the changing acoustic to electrical path between an earpiece speaker and an interior microphone of that headphone while worn by a user. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

A typical consumer electronics headset contains a pair of left and right headphones and at least one microphone that are connected either wirelessly or via a cable to receive a playback signal from an electronic audio source, such as a smartphone. The physical features of the headphone are often designed to passively attenuate the ambient or outside sounds that would otherwise be clearly heard by the user or wearer of the headset. Some headphones attenuate the ambient sound significantly, by for example being "closed" against the wearer's head or outer ear, or by being acoustically sealed against the wearer's ear canal; others attenuate only mildly, such as loose fitting in-ear headphones (earbuds.) An electronic, acoustic transparency function may be desirable in some usage scenarios, to reproduce the ambient sound environment through the earpiece speaker drivers of the headphones. This function enables the wearer of the headset to also hear the ambient sound environment more clearly, and preferably in a manner that is as "transparent" as possible, e.g., as if the headset was not being worn.


An integrated circuit comprising multiple independent power supply zones at substantially the same voltage level and a method for utilizing such power supply zones. An integrated circuit may comprise a first module and may, for example, comprise a second module. A first power supply bus may communicate first electrical power to the first module, where the first electrical power is characterized by a first set of power characteristics comprising a first voltage level. A second power supply bus may communicate second power to the second module, where the second power is characterized by a second set of power characteristics comprising a second voltage level that is substantially similar to the first voltage level. The second set of power characteristics may, for example, be substantially different than the first set of power characteristics. The second power supply bus may also, for example, communicate the second electrical power to the first module.

Various circuits, modules or sub-circuits in an electrical circuit (e.g., an integrated circuit) may have varying power supply requirements and/or may operate optimally when supplied with power having particular characteristics. Various circuits, modules or sub-circuits in an electrical circuit may also, for example, be relatively tolerant of power supply characteristics while other various circuits, modules or sub-circuits may be relatively sensitive to power supply characteristics.
Power supply characteristics may vary in a variety of ways. For example, power supply characteristics may vary in voltage (or current) level, noise level, variability (e.g., tolerance range, amount of ripple, variance, drift, etc.), load response characteristics, etc. Various power supply characteristics may be associated with respective power supply quality levels. For example, a power supply with a tightly regulated voltage with low ripple, low noise and a fast load response may be considered a relatively high quality power supply. Conversely for example, a power supply with a loosely regulated voltage with large ripple, a substantial noise component and slow load response may be considered a relatively low quality power supply.
Providing electrical power at a relatively high quality may require the consumption of more energy (e.g., by power supply circuitry) than providing electrical power at a relatively low quality level. In various system designs, power supply buses may be designed to provide power to a set of chips or modules in accordance with the needs of a subset of chips or modules that have the strictest power supply requirements. Such designs may unnecessarily waste energy resources.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

Integrated circuit with multiple independent power supply zones


A data center rack door having a curved permeable member is disposed vertically along a front-face of a data center rack. The curved permeable member provides an increase in surface area that provides for additional openings, increasing airflow through the data center rack. The curved permeable member also provides an increase in volume of space in the data center rack.

Thermal management of computing equipment and devices is critical to their performance and reliability. The thermal management equipment used to keep these computing equipment and devices at a precise temperature consume large amounts of power.
Thermal management devices and methods exist for managing the temperature of a computing facility to provide an abundance of air at the right temperature for the computing equipment and devices housed within. For example, data center racks may be arranged to intake cold air at the fronts of the data center racks and exhaust hot air at the backs of the data center racks.
The effectiveness of these thermal management devices and methods are dependent upon the ability to move air through the data center racks. Doors exist that use sheet metal that is perforated to provide the ability to move air through the data center racks. However, the perforated sheet metal doors are limited to a maximum percentage of open perforated space because of the sheet metal punching process that forms the perforations. The limited perforation size reduces the perforated sheet metal door's efficiency to move air through the data center rack, thus consuming more power and costing more money. Further, because the perforated sheet metal doors are substantially flat, the perforated sheet metal doors limit the space available for the data center racks to which the perforated sheet metal doors are attached. Further, the perforated sheet metal doors are often expensive to manufacture.
Thus, there remains a need to develop new data center rack doors that move air efficiently through data center racks.


The electrical resistance of specimens formed on test coupons is measured by a method and apparatus in which a test voltage applied to each specimen yields a leakage current. An operational amplifier having very high impedance inputs receives the leakage current signal and generates an output voltage that is very low in magnitude and varies in the leakage current. The test voltage is applied to a plurality of specimens and leakage current from each specimen is simultaneously converted by operational amplifiers whose very low impedance outputs are applied through switches in a sequential fashion to an analog to digital converter whose output is fed to a central processing unit wherein the leakage current is computer in terms of the resistance of the electrical insulation under examination.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring the resistance offered by insulating members to an impressed voltage tending to produce a leakage current through or on the surface of the members. More particularly the present invention relates to conductively coupling each of a plurality of insulation specimens between a high voltage test potential and individual ones of a plurality of converters having inputs receiving the leakage current and outputs that are selected by multiplex switching and varies in response to the leakage current; the outputs are characterized by a low voltage signal which is interrogated by analog switching without introducing erroneous electrical influences to the electrical signals used for determining the resistance measurement of the insulation specimen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While not so limited, the present invention is particularly applicable to measuring the leakage of current through or on the surface of insulating members of a component or a part of a electrical device particularly a circuit board. Surface insulation resistance testing, per se known in the art, is a test that yields data giving a measure of the cleanliness of the circuit board after wave solder and conformal coating and a wash process. Surface insulation resistance testing has become increasing important because the use of CFC (e.g. freon) to clean circuit boards has been prohibited to protect the environment. Residues that are both ionic and non-ionic have a direct impact on surface insulation resistance and long term reliability of a circuit board assembly.
There are numerous testing methods known to be established in various industries depending on the established criteria by users or others. Factors affecting insulation resistance measurements include temperature, humidity, residual charge, charging currents, time constant of the instrument and measuring circuit, test voltage, previous conditioning, and duration of uninterrupted test voltage application (sometimes called electrification time). The electrification time involves the lowering of current from an instantaneous high value to a steady state lower value at a rate dependent upon the factors such as test voltage, temperature, insulating materials, capacitance and external circuit resistance. The measurement of insulation resistance will increase for an appreciable time as test voltage is applied uninterruptedly. Therefore, it may take minutes to approach maximum insulation resistance readings but it is usually required that readings occur after a specified time of usually one or more minutes. The tests for the resistance of a dielectric surface are carried out by forming parallel lines of conductors bounding the dielectric circuit.
Test patterns may be created having different line spacings, line widths and lengths of conductor lines. Such test patterns are commonly referred to as a test coupon particularly when the test pattern is formed as an integral part of a circuit board and utilized during the fabrication of the circuit board to carry out the testing of a dielectric surface. To measure the resistance of surface insulation, a resistor on the test coupon comprised of a dielectric surface between parallel conductors is connected in a test circuit such that current flows from a voltage source through the resistor by applying the voltage source to one conductor and connecting the other conductor an input lead joined with ammeter or electrometer to measure the current. The current measurement is then utilized according to ohms law to calculate the insulation resistance, namely, the insulation resistance is equal to the applied voltage divided by the measured current across the resistor. When such a testing procedure is carried out manually, it is laborious task that is highly accessible to human error and electrical interference. Usually the test method is not reliable because it is not reproducible and highly operator dependent. Moreover, the exact location of the megohmmeter in the measuring circuit has an effect on the reading of the electrical current.
Other effects to the megohmmeter reading include electrostatic interference due to the temperature in the environment in which the test is carried out as well as the humidity and even a movement of personnel about the test site. When multiple samples must be tested, for example, automated testing is usually performed and requires a high voltage DC source which is supplied to one of the conductors for the resistor of each of the test coupons and an ammeter, megohmmeter or electro meter coupled to the second conductor of each of the resistor. Since multiple specimens are to be tested, the specimens are connected through a multiplexer relays to the meter. The output from the meter is supplied to a computer or microprocessor used to not only control the relays, but also display the test results.
Automated test systems have disadvantages that include cross-channel leakage which limits the test range, accuracy and repeatability of the tests. Many accepted test methods in industry require that the sample be biased at a predetermined DC voltage, for example 48 volts or 100 volts, for a predetermined period, usually a number of hours and then biased at a test voltage of 100 or 500 volts DC which is applied for a period of one or more minutes before the actual measurement of the insulation resistance is carried out. A serious deficiency of this automated test method occurs when the test voltage, for example 500 volts DC, is applied to all the channels of the sample at the same time. Cross-channel leakage and leakage of the relay open contacts results in a degrading of the accuracy of measurement to such an extent that reliable measurements can not be obtained.
Moreover, when the high voltage supply is exposed to a short circuit because a test coupon forms the short circuit or the coupon has such a low insulation resistance that it can short the high voltage supply, then the voltage across the remaining coupons is reduced to such an extent that it is impossible to measure with any accuracy the insulation resistance. To avoid this shortcoming, known available automatic test systems operate by applying a test voltage of some pre-determined level of direct current to only one sample for one or more minutes after which a measurement is made and after the measurement the test voltage is applied to the next sample for the specified period of time following which a measurement is made. Thus, the samples are tested sequentially, one at a time. This renders the time for testing the samples unduly excessive. For example, when the number of samples to undergo a test is 100 then the obtaining of a single set of data for all the samples will require at least 1.5 hours and up to 3 hours.
Moreover, when each test specimen undergoes numerous test cycles, the testing process is not only lengthy but very tedious requiring the accumulation of data in an orderly fashion in order to render the test meaningful and useful. In addition to the consumption of an inordinate amount of time to complete the test, the accuracy although carried out in a unitary test specimen fashion is subject to greatly varying errors. A test channel although an unused but adjacent to a test channel during a testing operation has a normal characteristic of the open relay of a resistance of 10.sup.10 ohms. This normal resistance of the unused open relay adds to the inaccuracy of the measurement to the insulation resistance which can vary from 10.sup.6 to 10.sup.12 ohms or more. The problem of inaccuracy is particularly acute when a test specimen takes the form of a four segmented comb pattern where the open relays of an adjacent coupon channel are charged electrically by the leakage current of a shorted coupon thus causing more inaccuracies to the measurement.
In a testing procedure for a circuit board, for example, it is common place to expose the circuit board to conditions which ages the materials through environmental conditions as well as electrical potential applied to test coupons. During the aging process, it is desirable to obtain measurements of the insulation resistance properties to the materials of the circuit board with known existing measuring methods and apparatus. Such a monitoring process of the materials would not be feasible because of the time required, for example, to complete a single set of test measurements where a large number of test specimens must be used. Thus, repetitive measurements of a large number of test specimens could not be completed in a sufficient time cycle to yield meaningful information about the aging process.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for measuring electrical resistance of insulation wherein a low leakage current which is a function of surface insulation resistance is converted to a voltage in a circuit before a measurement is undertaken. A measurement signal is converted from a high source voltage (test voltage) and high source impedance (insulation resistance of specimen) to such a low magnitude of source voltage (output voltage of the converter e.g. an operational amplifier) and low source impedance (output impedance of the converter) so as to have no influence on the leakage from an open relay or switch contact that is used to multiplex the low voltage representing leakage current to the measuring device. The operational amplifier as a converter is chosen such that it has a very high input impedance and a very low output impedance.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for measuring low leakage current from the surface of insulation wherein an applied test voltage to the insulation surface occurs through a serial arrangement of resistors between the high voltage supply and each of a plurality of test coupons, there being for each test coupon a discrete resistor to limit the current of a test voltage in the event a test coupon is shorted so that the measurement of the remainder of the test coupons remains unaffected by the shunt formed by the short.
Another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for measuring low leakage current of surface insulation wherein the leakage current from an applied voltage from the insulation resistance is coupled to a converter wherein the leakage current is converted to a voltage by transformation from a high source impedance circuit i.e., the high voltage test circuit to a low source impedance circuit i.e., the output from the converter so that the low voltage, low impedance circuit operates with relay contacts therein in a manner to render leakage current due to open relay or analog switch negligible. The multiplexed output signal is advantageously fed to a measuring circuit to obtain insulation resistance value of the specimen under test.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide the method and apparatus for measuring the electrical resistance of insulation wherein a high test voltage is applied to a test specimen of such insulation for the purpose of measurement of leakage current and at other times while the test specimen is exposed to atmospheric conditions and/or applied voltages during which the test specimen may also be monitored for leakage current by the same circuitry utilized to monitor the leakage current of an applied high test voltage.

Test system for measurements of insulation resistance


An air filter system for a clean room has a number of filter modules (16) secured together at intersecting corners by holding rods (12) secured to a supporting surface, and at least one support bracket (14, 14xe2x80x2, 14xe2x80x3) on each holding rod. The filter modules include top panels (18, 18xe2x80x2), that, if separable, are secured to upper supporting brackets and a filter element (19) having a rigid frame (21) and filter panels (27) held therein secured to lower brackets. Light fixtures (38) may be secured to center divider (40) held in the filter frames and diffuser panels (50) or aerodynamically-shaped elements (60) may be secured to the support brackets, below the filter elements.

This invention relates generally to air filter support systems, and more particularly, to modular air filter systems for clean rooms wherein the number of particles in the air must be minimized.
Clean rooms are commonly used in many industries, such as the electronic, medical and pharmaceutical industries, to reduce the number of particles in the air to specified limitations. In the most common approach, a layer of flat filters is suspended from a room ceiling or a sidewall, with the filters extending over the entire area of the ceiling or sidewall. The air is conducted from a plenum through the filters into an open space in the room and then returned back to the plenum by way of outlets in the room. The filter elements are normally supported by supporting elements, such as a grid, which engages the entire peripheral frame of each filter element. In addition, it is necessary to have an air-sealing gasket or sealing gel positioned between the grid elements and the filter panel frames. Because the known grid support systems do not always work efficiently, numerous attempts have been made to provide improved filter systems and/or support systems for clean rooms.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,739 to Madl, Jr., there is described a clean room filter system in which clusters of four filter units are support together at the intersection of respective corners by a rotatable disk overlapping each corner. Each disk is suspended from a support surface, such as a ceiling, and includes holes which are alignable with holes in the frames at the four corners, whereby vertical positioning pins may be threaded into the supporting disk and entered into respective corners of the filter panels to hold the filter panels in place. The vertical positioning pins are retracted when a disk is to be rotated, and a pie-shaped cut-out portion formed in the disk is aligned with a filter panel corner so that the filter panel may be inserted or removed from the plane of the remaining filter panels without disturbing any of the adjacent filter panels. The positioning pins are reinserted when the disk is returned to its full support position, with the openings in the disk aligned with the openings in the filter panel frames. Gel sealant carried on sealing strips seals the filter units against unfiltered air leakage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,556 to Jeanseau et al. discloses a clean room ceiling in which individual filter units are suspended solely by unshared suspension assemblies so as to be self supporting and readily installable and removable individually and free of grids and other multiple unit supporting expedients. The unshared suspension assemblies are mounted centrally of each filter unit between separate filter packs on each side of a divider.
However, it is still desirable to provide improved and simplified filter support systems for clean rooms.
The pre sent invention provides clean room filter support systems that may be used in a ceiling or sidewall, and which are less cosutly, better performing and faster to install. The present invention provides more flexible support systems than any currently available, and includes a plurality of individual filter modules, each complete unto itself, including an upper housing or lid panel that may be separable, a volume control or shut off damper, and framed filter elements or panels. Additionally, light fixtures and diffuser panels, or airfoil frame means may be added. The present invention includes a plurality of spaced support members that are suspended from a ceiling or other supporting surface, so as to support corners of individual filter modules where they meet at a corner, at an intersection, or at a wall. Each supporting element includes a support rod and one or more unique support brackets for laterally supporting a filter module, with or without separable lid panels, or a blower housing. Each filter module includes a filter frame that is sufficiently rigid, so as to support filter panels therein when a series of filter modules we secured together in the unique supporting brackets. Each filter module is independently supported at least at the bottom, and can be installed or removed from within the room, without effecting adjacent filter modules.
Filter modules of the present invention can have integrated or separable lid panels, and/or be of the ducted filter-type, fan powered filter-type, or pressure plenum-type. All variations may be interchanged or mixed within a ceiling filter system of the present invention. The top surface or lid panel of each filter module, whether ducted, fan powered, or directly connected to a pressure plenum, may be independent of or separable from the filter element, and installed prior to the filter element. When separable lid panels are used they form a barrier between the clean room space below and the plenum space above. Due to the use of these separable lid panels, the amount of time needed to achieve isolation of the clean space in the room is less than with other known filter systems.
Supply air duct work for the ducted filter module variation is attached directly to the upper side of the lid panel of each module, thus making the duct connection independent of the filter element in the module when the separable lid panel option is used. Preferably, each ducted filter module lid panel includes a damper at the supply duct connection to vary the volume of supply air for balancing and fine-tuning. When the entire filter assembly or module is complete, the rigidly fastened separable lid panels make the entire system a structural diaphragm, thereby reducing the need for further seismic supports. Each of the filter modules may be inserted and removed from within the room, while the system remains in operation by merely shutting off one or more individual modules by use of the dampers.
Gaps between adjacent separable lid panels and/or filter modules are sealed. And, joints between separable lid panels and filter elements are sealed with gaskets or gel sealants.
It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified air filter system for a clean room. It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified clean room air filter system comprised of individual modules. It is another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified clean room air filter system comprised of separate filter modules having separable lid panels and filter elements. It is yet another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified clean room air filter system which utilizes support rods suspended from an overhead ceiling, or other support structure, having one or more spaced support brackets thereon to which filter modules, and/or separable lid panels, or blower housings and filter elements are laterally secured.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an air filter system having a plurality of filter modules supported by a plurality of spaced support rods secured to a ceiling or other support surface, with one or more support brackets mounted on each support rod. Each filter module includes a lid panel, which may or may not be separable, having means for allowing air to be blown from an air supply system therethrough. Filter elements, having rigid frames with filter panels held therein, are held in the lid panels and laterally secured to the support brackets. When the lid panels are separable they are supported at their corners by separate support brackets held in upper positions on four spaced support rods, while the separable lid panels have filter elements inserted below each lid panel. The separable lid panels are laterally secured to upper support brackets, while the filter elements are laterally secured to lower support brackets, on each of the four support rods. Adjacent lid panels and filter elements are mounted in the same way to form an air filter system. In one embodiment of the invention, lights are secured to the filter element and diffuser panels are secured below the lights by arms secured to lower brackets on the support rods. Or, the filter frames may include shaped lower edges to close the lower joint between adjacent filter modules.


Polymer blends comprise at least an ethylene/α-olefin interpolymers and at least one polyolefin. The polyolefins can be homopolymers or interpolymers and have a melt strength of at least about 6 cN. The ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer is a block copolymer having at least a hard block and at least a soft block. The soft block comprises a higher amount of comonomers than the hard block. The block interpolymer has a number of unique characteristics disclosed here. The polymer blends can be profiled extruded to make profiles, gaskets, and other products.

Profiles made of thermoplastics are manufactured by the profile extrusion process. The thermoplastic material is prepared into a melt in an extruder and initially shaped in a die. The profile is given its final contours in the downstream sizing section, where it is cooled at the same time. A typical extrusion plant includes an extruder, a sizing table, a take-off unit and an automatic saw. Other stations can also be added, such as a delivery table, a punching or printing facility and other special processing units.
When using a profile extrusion process, a manufacturer usually desires an elastomer that "shear thins" or decreases in viscosity with applied shear forces. Because pressure drop across an extruder die and amperage required to turn an extruder screw are directly related to elastomer viscosity, a reduction in elastomer viscosity due to shear thinning necessarily leads to a lower pressure drop and a lower amperage requirement. The manufacturer can then increase extruder screw speed until reaching a limit imposed by amperage or pressure drop. The increased screw speed translates to an increase in extruder output. An increase in shear thinning also delays onset of surface melt fracture, a phenomenon that otherwise limits extruder output. Surface melt fracture is usually considered a quality defect and manufacturers typically limit extruder output and suffer a productivity loss to reach a rate of production that substantially eliminates surface melt fracture.
When producing profile extrusions with thin walls and a complex geometry, a manufacturer looks for an elastomer with high melt strength ("MS") and rapid solidification upon cooling in addition to good shear thinning behavior. A combination of a high MS and rapid solidification upon cooling allows a part to be extruded hot and cooled below the elastomer's solidification temperature before gravity and extrusion forces lead to shape distortion. Ultimately, for broad market acceptance, a finished part should also retain its shape despite short term exposure to an elevated temperature during processing, shipping or eventual use.
Gaskets are used in a variety of applications, for example in appliances such as refrigerators and freezers requiring a flexible gasket for sealing the area between the door and appliance body. One of the most commonly used materials for the production of gaskets is polyvinyl chloride ("PVC"). However, PVC requires compounding and formulating in order to incorporate the various additives necessary for imparting desirable properties to the gaskets. Besides the additional time and money required for the additional mixing steps, additives such as plasticisers can absorb spills and become discolored. Plasticiser additives are also susceptible to attack by microbes which can also lead to discoloration of the gasket, e.g., black stains. Furthermore, PVC gaskets become brittle at low temperatures and cracking becomes a problem. Thus at low temperatures, PVC gaskets are difficult to install. PVC gaskets are also perceived as having a negative impact on the environment.
Therefore, there is a need for a material for profiles and gaskets that would provide increase extrusion line speeds (i.e., lower torque and lower die pressure) and improved performance in terms of reduced melt fracture, collapse resistance, etc.

Interpolymers of ethylene/α-olefins blends and profiles and gaskets made therefrom


A bicycle rear derailleur includes a base portion, a coupling mechanism, a moveable member, a pivot shaft, a tension plate, a biasing spring and a guide plate. The base portion attaches to a bicycle frame. The coupling mechanism has first and second ends. The first end is coupled to the base portion and the second end is movable relative to the base portion. The movable member is coupled to the second end and the pivot shaft is coupled to the movable member. The tension plate is pivotally coupled to the movable member by the pivot shaft and supports a chain tensioning pulley. The biasing spring is operatively coupled to the movable member and the tension plate for biasing the tension plate in a chain tensioning direction. The guide plate is pivotally coupled to the pivot shaft in a non-biased manner and supports a chain guiding pulley.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a bicycle rear derailleur. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bicycle rear derailleur having a tension plate that supports a chain tensioning pulley and a guide plate that supports a chain guiding pulley where the guide plate and tension plate are mounted to a pivot shaft with independent pivotal movement with respect to one another.
2. Background Information
Bicycling is becoming an increasingly more popular form of recreation as well as a means of transportation. Moreover, bicycling has become a very popular competitive sport for both amateurs and professionals. Whether the bicycle is used for recreation, transportation or competition, the bicycle industry is constantly improving the various components of the bicycle. One component that has been extensively redesigned is the bicycle rear derailleur.
Rear derailleurs are well known and typically include a linkage structure that includes a moveable member. The moveable member is selectively manipulated in a conventional manner to position a guiding pulley to guide a chain between a plurality of gears in a gear sprocket set.
An optimal shifting condition preferably includes positioning the guiding pulley at equal distances from each of the gears in the gear sprocket set for each gear setting position of the derailleur. Specifically, with the chain around a first gear, the guiding pulley is a first distance away from the first gear. With the chain around a second gear, the guiding pulley is a second distance away from the first gear. With the chain around a third gear, the guiding pulley is a third distance away from the first gear. In optimal shifting conditions, the first, second and third distances are equal or close to being equal.
Unfortunately, the geometry of gear derailleurs and gear sprocket sets is such that the first, second and third distances are not equal and may differ undesirably. Therefore, optimal shifting conditions are not being achieved.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved rear derailleur that can achieve more optimal shifting conditions. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.


The present invention relates to methods of intracellular delivery of oligonucleotides. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of the delivery system to deliver G-quartet oligonucleotides as a cancer therapy or an anti-viral therapy.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to methods of intracellular delivery of oligonucleotides. Yet further, the present invention relates to the use of the delivery system to deliver G-quartet oligonucleotides as a cancer therapy or an anti-viral therapy.
2. Related Art
The G-rich oligonucleotides have been identified, cloned and characterized in the telomeric sequences of many organisms, such as fungi, ciliates, vertebrates and insects (Henderson, 1995). The main structural motif of telomeric DNA is the G-quartet structure, which was first proposed by Cellert et al., 1962. The G-quartet consists of four guanine bases in a sequence array arranged into a cyclic Hoogsteen H-bonding structure and each G-base makes two H-bonds with its neighbor G-base (N1 to O6 and N2 to N7). G-quartets stack on top of each other to form tetrad-helical structures. The uniquely structural feature of G-quartet is a pocket in the center lined by electronegative carbonyl oxygenes to be the site of interaction with a cation. G-quartet structures exhibit some specific behaviors as nucleic acids (Williamson, 1994; Rhodes, et al., 1995; Gilber et al., 1999). They are very polymorphic. A family of related G-quartet structures, such as a single-stranded monomer, hairpin dimmers and parallel stranded tetramers, can be formed based upon sequence, concentration and base composition of the nucleic acids. Also, they can readily discriminate between different monovalent cations. G-tetrad forming oligonucleotides have specific affinity for monovalent cations and G-quartet formation strongly depends on the presence of cations. The order of preference that has been proposed is K+>Rb+>Na+>Li+ or Cs+ (Sen et al., 1990; Jing et al., 1997). The selectivity of G-quartet structures for cations is due to the ionic radius, and potassium appears to have the optimal size to interact within a G-octamer. The folding and unfolding transitions for G-quartet structures are extremely slow, so that the G-quartet structures are both thermodynamically and kinetically stable. The stability and slow kinetic transition of G-quartet structures have some important consequences for their biological rules.
Several groups have demonstrated that G-rich oligonucleotides forming G-quartet structures can be potential therapeutic drugs, such as potent HIV inhibitors (Jing et al., 2000; Jing et al., 1998; Jing et al., 2000b) and inhibitor of human nuclear top 1. The previous studies demonstrated that the G-rich oligonucleotides form a stable intramolecular G-quartet structure to inhibit HIV-1 integrase by binding it into the active site of the target protein (Katchalski-Katzri et al., 1992; Vakser et al., 1996).
The delivery of G-quartet oligonucleotides to the designed targets is a critical issue for oligonucleotides as pharmaceuticals. To utilize this structure as a pharmaceutical, it is imperative that the G-quartet oligonucleotides be delivered into the nuclei of target cells. The present invention is the first to deliver these G-quartet oligonucleotides into the nuclei of the target cells.

Technology of intracellular delivery of DNA oligonucleotides to improve drug activity


This invention is directed towards a method of reducing longitudinal modes in vibrating strings of musical instruments having a plurality of strings of fixed lengths, such as pianos and harpsichords. The strings of musical instruments vibrate primarily in transverse modes, but longitudinal modes that are often inharmonious with the transverse modes can also be excited. The method of the present invention identifies those parameters of string vibration that excite longitudinal modes, and minimizes them by avoiding those combinations of parameters that excite them, including transverse frequency modes, longitudinal wave velocity, string length, and placement of the string-exciting device.

Longitudinal vibrations of piano strings have been observed for at least seven decades, and perhaps longer. In an article about piano strings that appeared in the September 1996 issue of the JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, Harold A. Conklin, Jr. mentioned A. F. Knoblaugh's 1928 report about "wolftones" in some pianos that he (Knoblaugh) believed were caused by longitudinal vibrations. Knoblaugh never published his report, but he did present a paper about longitudinal vibrations at the 29th A.S.A. meeting (A. F. Knoblaugh, "The Clang Tone of the Pianoforte", JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, Vol. 16, P. 102 (1944).
On Aug. 11, 1970, Harold A. Conklin, Jr. was granted U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,480 for "Longitudinal Mode Tuning of Stringed Instruments". In 1983, Conklin published an article on the same subject in the JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA (Supplement 1, Vol. 73).
An article by M. Podelsak and A. R. Lee that appeared in 1987 described the percussive excitation that was expected to produce longitudinal components as well as transverse vibrations, but offered little quantitative data (M. Podelsak and A. R. Lee, "Longitudinal Vibrations in Piano Strings", JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, Supplement 1, Vol. 81, 1987).
In another article the following year, Podelsak stated that the "percussive sound-pressure components of longitudinal string vibration origin masked strongly the initial sound development, and the effect of dispersion on the attack transient of the radiated sound could not be established" (M. Podelsak and A. R. Lee, "Dispersion of Waves in Piano Strings", JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, Vol. 83, PP. 305-317, 1988). Tuning longitudinal modes, as is done in the prior art, has definite merit, however, it does not address the origins of longitudinal modes that are preferable to eliminate or reduce than to merely tune. What is missing from the prior art is a method of reducing longitudinal modes in musical instrument strings.

Reduction of longitudinal modes in musical instruments strings


An apparatus for manufacturing components for a tire being worked is provided. The apparatus includes a toroidal support for carrying the components of a tire being worked. The toroidal support has an outer surface substantially matching an inner shape of the tire. The apparatus also includes means for feeding at least one elongated element through at least one delivery member disposed adjacent to the outer surface of the toroidal support. The apparatus also includes means for circumferential distribution arranged to drive the toroidal support in rotation around a geometric axis of rotation of the toroidal support so that the at least one elongated element is circumferentially distributed on the toroidal support. The apparatus also includes means for transverse distribution arranged to give controlled relative displacements between the toroidal support and the delivery member for distributing the at least one elongated element to form a plurality of coils disposed in side-by-side relationship in order to define a tire component. The transverse distribution means operates on the toroidal support for moving the toroidal support relative to the delivery member, and the circumferential distribution means and the transverse distribution means are integrated into a robotized arm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing components for a tyre for vehicle wheels, of the type comprising the steps of: a) feeding an elongated element from a delivery member disposed adjacent to an outer surface of a toroidal support; b) giving the toroidal support a rotatory motion for circumferential distribution around a geometric axis of rotation thereof, so that the elongated element is circumferentially distributed onto the toroidal support; c) carrying out controlled relative displacements between the toroidal support and the extrusion die so as to form with said elongated element, a plurality of coils disposed mutually in side by side relationship in order to define a tyre component.
The invention also relates to an apparatus for manufacturing components for a tyre being worked, of the type comprising: a toroidal support arranged for carrying the components of a tyre being worked; feeding devices or other convenient feeder means for feeding at least one elongated element through a delivery member disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the toroidal support; circumferential-distribution devices or other convenient circumferential-distribution means arranged to drive the toroidal support in rotation around a geometric axis thereof, so that said elongated element is circumferentially distributed onto the toroidal support itself; transverse-distribution devices or other convenient transverse-distribution means arranged to give a relative movement between the toroidal support and said delivery member, for distributing said elongated element so as to form a plurality of coils disposed in side by side relationship in order to define a tyre component.
2. Description of the Related Art
Manufacturing of tyres for vehicle wheels involves formation of a carcass structure essentially consisting of one or more carcass plies having a substantially toroidal configuration and the axially opposite side edges of which are connected to respective circumferentially-inextensible annular reinforcing elements, usually named "bead cores".
Applied to the carcass structure, at a radially outer position thereof, is a belt structure comprising one or more belt strips in the form of a closed ring, essentially made up of textile or metallic cords suitably oriented in respect of each other and of the cords belonging to the adjacent carcass plies.
At a radially outer position relative to the belt structure, a tread band is then applied which usually consists of a strip of elastomer material of suitable thickness.
It is to point out that, to the purposes of the present description, by the term "elastomer material" it is intended the rubber blend in its entirety, that is the bled formed of at least one base polymer suitably amalgamated with reinforcing fillers and process additives of various types.
Ultimately, on the opposite sides of the tyre being manufactured, a pair of sidewalls is applied, each of which covers one side portion of the tyre included between a so-called shoulder region, located close to the corresponding side edge of the tread band, and a so-called bead located at the corresponding bead core.
Traditional production methods essentially provide that the above listed tyre components should be first made separately of each other, to be then assembled in a tyre-manufacturing step.
The Applicant's present trend is however that of resorting to production methodologies enabling production and stocking of semi-finished products to be minimized or, possibly, eliminated.
Practically, the Applicant's research and development are oriented towards new process solutions enable to manufacture the individual components applying them directly to the tyre being manufactured according to a preestablished sequence.
On the other hand, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,140 it is known a method and an apparatus forming a carcass ply by laying down a plurality of parallel cords disposed circumferentially in side by side relationship onto a rigid toroidal support the shape of which matches that of the tyre to be obtained, which cords are drawn from a continuous cord sequentially cut into lengths of appropriate size.
The Applicant too has developed manufacturing methods for forming a carcass structure, in which the carcass plies are obtained by laying down onto a rigid toroidal support, strip-like lengths obtained by sequentially cutting a continuous element made up of several cords incorporated into a layer of elastomer material.
Within the manufacturing scope of the carcass structure, as well as of other structural tyre components such as sidewalls and tread band for example, manufacturing processes have been also proposed which aim at obtaining the desired component by laying down onto the tyre being worked, a continuous strip-like element of elastomer material of a reduced section relative to that of the component to be obtained, and such arranged as to form a plurality of coils disposed consecutively in side by side and/or overlapped relationship around the rotation axis of the tyre, so as to define the component itself in its final configuration.
In more detail, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,963,207 and 5,171,394 a method and an apparatus are respectively described in which given tyre components are obtained by laying down a strip-like element of elastomer material onto a rigid toroidal support, which strip-like element is continuously fed from a delivery member associated with a volumetric extruder.
While the toroidal support is rotated around its own geometric axis, giving rise to a circumferential distribution of the strip-like element, the volumetric extruder is moved so as to impart controlled displacements to the delivery member in a meridian plane of the toroidal support, in order to distribute the different coils formed by the continuous strip-like element according to a predetermined pattern.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,406 it is provided that a plurality of volumetric extruders should be arranged around the toroidal support, each of them being adapted to feed, through its own delivery member, a respective continuous strip-like element to be selectively employed for making a given tyre component.

Method and an apparatus for manufacturing components of a tire for vehicle wheels


Disclosed is a method of growing a single crystal from a melt contained in a crucible. The method includes the step of making the temperature of a melt increase gradually to a maximum point and then decrease gradually along the axis parallel to the lengthwise direction of the single crystal from the interface of the single crystal and the melt to the bottom of the crucible. The increasing temperature of the melt is kept to preferably have a greater temperature gradient than the decreasing temperature thereof. Preferably, the axis is set to pass through the center of the single crystal. Preferably, the convection of the inner region of the melt is made smaller than that of the outer region thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of growing a single crystal, and more particularly to a method of growing a high quality single crystal from a melt by controlling the temperature distribution of the melt.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been controlled the temperature distribution of the solid crystal in order to obtain a high quality single crystal, which enables to increase the yield rate of electronic devices such as semiconductor. This is to control the stress induced by the contraction resulting from cooling after crystallization, or the behavior of the point defects generated during cooling.
Briefly introducing such conventional art for controlling the temperature distribution of the solid crystal in order to obtain a high quality single crystal, Korean Patent Application No. 2000-0013028 discloses a means for controlling the temperature distribution of a GaAs single crystal grown to resolve the thermal stresses formed therein, and Japanese Patent Application No. Pyoung-2-119891 discloses hot zones employed to reduce lattice defects of a silicon single crystal during the cooling process. Further, Japanese Patent Application No. Pyoung-7-158458 discloses a means for controlling both the temperature distribution and the pulling rate of a single crystal being grown, and Japanese Patent Application No. Pyoung-7-66074 discloses a method of resolving the defect density of a single crystal by improving the hot zones and controlling the cooling rate. Korean Patent Application No. 1999-7009309 (USSN. 60/041,845) also discloses a means for restraining the formation of the defects by changing the hot zones and controlling the cooling rate. In addition, Korean Patent Application No. 2002-0021524 has proposed an improvement in the thermal shield and water-cooled tubes to increase the yield rate of high quality single crystals.
However, such conventional technologies are based on reactions in the solid phase, thus suffering the following problems. First, although Korean Patent Application No. 1999-7009309 (USSN. 60/041,845) is intended to reduce the supersaturated point defects leading to the crystal defects by means of diffusion process, it is impossible to be applied for practical applications because the processing time taken for maintaining the temperature at a proper level is too long, i.e., about 16 hours or more.
Second, the invention based on the theory of the reactions in the solid phase cannot provide for large-scale production. For example, although Korean Patent Application No. 2001-7006403 has proposed an improvement in the thermal shield and water-cooled tubes, the pulling rate is only 0.4 mm/min that is too low to yield high quality single crystals at high productivity.
There has been proposed another conventional technology for achieving a high quality single crystal, which is to control the solid-liquid interface (crystal growing interface). For example, Japanese Patent Application No. Pyoung-4-173474 and Korean Patent Application No. 1993-0001240 describes a method of controlling the solid-liquid interface for obtaining a compound single crystal of high quality such as GaAs, and Korean Patent Application No. 1998-026790 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,458,204 defines the form of the solid-liquid interface to achieve a silicon single crystal of high quality. Nevertheless, even according to Korean Patent Application No. 1999-7009309 involving such form of solid-liquid interface, it is impossible to obtain a high quality single crystal. Thus, such conventional technologies cannot sufficiently provide for the productivity of high quality single crystals.

High quality single crystal and method of growing the same


It is an object of one embodiment of the preset invention to conduct separation without damaging a semiconductor element when the semiconductor element is made flexible. Further, it is another object of one embodiment of the preset invention to provide a technique for weakening adhesion between a separation layer and a buffer layer. Furthermore, it is another object of one embodiment of the preset invention to provide a technique for preventing generation of the bending stress on a semiconductor element due to separation. A semiconductor element formed over a separation layer with a buffer layer interposed therebetween is separated by dissolving the separation layer by using an etchant. Alternatively, separation is conducted by inserting a film into a region where a separation layer is dissolved by being in contact with an etchant and moving the film in a direction toward a region where the separation layer is not dissolved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a flexible semiconductor device.
Note that in this specification, the term "semiconductor device" refers to general devices which can function by utilizing semiconductor properties, and display devices using liquid crystal, electroluminescence (EL), or the like, semiconductor circuits, and electronic devices are all defined as semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, techniques for manufacturing semiconductor devices have remarkably developed. In particular, techniques for making semiconductor devices thin and flexible have been attracting attention.
As a method for manufacturing a flexible semiconductor device, a technique in which after a semiconductor element such as a thin film transistor (TFT) is formed over a base material such as a glass substrate or a quartz substrate, the semiconductor element is transferred from the base material to another base material (for example, a flexible base material) has developed. In order to transfer the semiconductor element to another base material, a step for separating the semiconductor element from the base material that is used in forming the semiconductor element is necessary.
Examples of methods for making semiconductor devices, particularly, light-emitting devices flexible in a separation step are given below.
The first method is a method in which an EL layer is formed after separation and transfer. For example, a resin for assisting in separation, which functions as a support, is applied to a top surface of a TFT substrate provided with a separation layer. Next, a trigger for separation is given to separate a substrate which is used in forming a TFT. After that, a flexible substrate is attached to a separation surface and the resin for assisting in separation is removed. Then, an EL layer is formed above the TFT and sealing is conducted.
The second method is a method in which an electrode, a partition wall, an EL layer, and the like are formed over a separation surface after separation. For example, a resin for assisting in separation, which functions as a support, is applied to a top surface of a TFT substrate provided with a separation layer. Next, a trigger for separation is given to separates a substrate which is used in forming a TFT. Then, a contact hole is formed on a separation surface, and indium oxide-tin oxide (ITO: indium tin oxide) is formed so as to be electrically connected to a drain of the TFT and patterned to form an electrode. After that, a partition wall and an EL layer are formed and a film and the like are attached for sealing. With the use of this method, light-emitting devices in which the film is attached to a bottom surface and the resin for assisting in separation is formed on a top surface can be obtained.
The third method is a method in which after an electrode, an EL layer, a resin for assisting in separation, and the like are formed, separation is conducted.
In the first method, steps for applying and removing the resin for assisting in separation are necessary. Thus, the number of steps is increased. In the second method, at least three photolithography steps (formation of the contact hole, patterning of the ITO, and formation of the partition wall) are necessary. Thus, the technical hurdle is high. Therefore, the number of steps in the third method is smaller than those in the first method and the second method, and it can be said that the third method is suitable for mass production.
As a method for separating the semiconductor element typified by a light-emitting element from the base material that is used in forming the semiconductor element, there is a method in which a separation layer is formed and a semiconductor element is separated along the separation layer. First, a separation layer is formed over a base material, and a semiconductor element film is formed over the separation layer. After that, the semiconductor element film is separated along the separation layer by applying physical force. Separation is conducted in such a manner, and the semiconductor element is made flexible.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a separation technique using laser ablation, which is described below. A separation layer is formed using amorphous silicon or the like over a substrate, a layer to be separated is formed using a thin film element over the separation layer, and the layer to be separated is bonded to a transfer object by using a bonding layer. The separation layer is ablated by laser irradiation, so that separation is generated in the separation layer.
In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which separation is conducted by physical force such as human hands. In Patent Document 2, a metal layer is formed between a substrate and an oxide layer and separation is generated at an interface between the oxide layer and the metal layer by utilizing weak bonding between the oxide layer and the metal layer at the interface, so that the layer to be separated and the substrate are separated from each other.
In the case where separation is conducted by physical force such as human hands, the layer to be separated needs to be curved in order to separate the layer to be separated from the base material along the separation layer. The layer to be separated formed in contact with the separation layer is a very fragile thin film with a thickness of about 10 μm in which semiconductor elements including a thin film transistor (TFT), a wiring, an interlayer film, and the like are formed. When the bending stress is applied to the semiconductor elements, the layer to be separated is easily broken and cracked, which causes malfunctions such as breaking of the semiconductor elements frequently.
When separation is conducted, a portion where adhesion between the separation layer and the layer to be separated which are formed over the base material is weakest is preferentially separated. Therefore, adhesion at an interface between the base material and the separation layer or an interface between the separation layer and the layer to be separated needs to be weakest in a stacked-layer body including from the base material to the layer to be separated in order to start separation at the interface between the base material and the separation layer, at the interface between the separation layer and the layer to be separated, or inside the separation layer without separating a stacked film included in the layer to be separated.
Further, when the separation layer is a stacked film, separation can be conducted at the interface between the base material and the separation layer, at the interface between the separation layer and the layer to be separated, or inside the separation layer even if adhesion at interfaces between films included in the separation layer is weakest.
If adhesion between the base material and the separation layer, adhesion between the separation layer and the layer to be separated, or adhesion between films included in the separation layer is too weak, separation might be generated due to the stress of the film in the step in which separation is not expected to be conducted (in a step other than the separation step). Therefore, a process in which the separation layer keeps adhesion to some degree until just before the separation step and adhesion of the separation layer is intentionally reduced by conducting some sort of process in the separation step is preferable.
[Citation List]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Published Patent Application No. H10-125931
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2003-174153

Method for manufacturing flexible semiconductor device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


There is provided a specimen information acquisition apparatus that can obtain an image in which an influence of a local fluence distribution in a specimen is reduced. A signal processing apparatus includes a region extraction unit and an optical constant estimation unit. The region extraction unit extracts two or more regions that have a known absorption coefficient, from an optical characteristic value distribution of the specimen. The optical constant estimation unit estimates an optical constant of a background of the specimen by using optical characteristic values of the two or more regions extracted by the region extraction unit and a local fluence distribution obtained from an optical constant which is set in advance for the specimen background.

Research on optical imaging apparatuses which emit light from a light source such as a laser into a living body and which create images that represent information about the inside of the living body which is obtained on the basis of the incident light has been actively carried out in the medical field. One technique in this optical imaging technology is photoacoustic imaging (PAI). In PAI, a living body is irradiated with pulsed light produced from a light source, acoustic waves (typically, ultrasonic waves) are detected which are produced from the tissue of the living body that absorbs the energy of the pulsed light which propagates and diffuses in the living body, and imaging (creation of an image) is performed on the basis of the detected signals so that the created image represents live body information.
That is, by utilizing a difference between the light energy absorption ratio of a specimen area such as a tumor and that of other tissue of the specimen, elastic waves which are produced when the specimen area absorbs received light energy and momentarily expands are detected by an acoustic wave probe (also referred to as a probe or a transducer) which is a detector. The detected signals are analyzed so that an image that represents an optical characteristic value distribution, such as an initial pressure distribution, an optical energy absorption density distribution, or an optical absorption coefficient distribution, is obtained.
These pieces of image information can be utilized for quantitative measurement of a specific substance in a specimen, such as hemoglobin concentration included in blood, or oxygen saturation of blood, by measuring the specimen by means of light having various wavelengths.
Recently, by using this photoacoustic imaging, preclinical research on imaging of a vessel image of a small animal, and clinical research on application of this principle to diagnosis of, for example, breast cancer, prostatic cancer, and carotid plaque have been actively carried out.
In photoacoustic imaging, an initial sound pressure (P0) for photoacoustic waves produced from an absorber due to light absorption may be expressed by the following equation.[Math. 1]P0=Γ·μa·Φ  (1)
Here, Γ represents a Grueneisen coefficient, which is obtained by dividing the product of a thermal expansion coefficient (β) and the square of the speed of sound (c) by a specific heat at constant pressure (CP). The symbol μa represents the optical absorption coefficient of an absorber, and Φ represents a quantity of light (local optical fluence) with which the absorber is irradiated. The Grueneisen coefficient Γ is known to have a substantially constant value for the same tissue. Accordingly, by measuring and analyzing changes in a sound pressure P, which is the magnitude of an acoustic wave, in multiple positions, the product of μa and Φ, that is, an optical energy absorption density distribution can be obtained.
In photoacoustic imaging, as understandable from Equation (1) described above, to determine an absorption coefficient (μa) distribution in a specimen, which is required for quantitative imaging, from the measurement result of a sound pressure (P), it is necessary to determine a quantity of light (Φ), with which an absorber that produces photoacoustic waves is irradiated, in some way. However, light introduced into the inside of a specimen (especially, a living body) exhibits behavior such as strong diffusion, so that it is difficult to estimate a quantity of light with which an absorber is irradiated.
Therefore, when no specific measures are taken, photoacoustic imaging has a problem in that only an image that represents an optical energy absorption density (μa×Φ) distribution or an initial sound pressure (P0) distribution obtained by multiplying the optical energy absorption density distribution by Γ can be generated on the basis of the measurement results of sound pressures of acoustic waves. For example, even when light absorbers are composed of the same substance and have the same absorption coefficient, such light absorbers are displayed in different contrasts in accordance with an influence of a local fluence distribution in the living body (for example, a distance from a light source).

Specimen information acquisition apparatus and method therefor


The all DOP GPS optimization utilizes special dilution of precision (DOP) minimization measures to select the constellation of four (and fewer, with constraints) GPS satellites to form the navigation solution with optimized accuracy in the desired orthogonal component(s) of position and velocity, and the desired component of time. Furthermore, the all DOP GPS optimization utilizes multiple navigation solutions of the top ranked satellite constellations of four (and fewer) GPS satellites selected by special DOP(s) (and standard DOP(s)) minimization(s), by weighting these multiple navigation solution estimates for a component(s) of interest with the inverse of the associated DOP, and then solving for the least squares solution of these multiple navigation solution estimates. Implementation of all DOP GPS optimization is accomplished with addition of microprocessor(s), RAM memory, and ROM memory to the general processing section of a GPS receiver to implement the special DOP (and standard DOP) algorithms, the multiple parallel running navigation solutions, and the least squares solution of the the multiple navigation solution estimates by increased processing thruput, and added data, constants, and instructions storage.

The present invention relates generally to navigation by satellite, GPS and GLONASS, and more specifically but not by way of limitation, to a novel method and arrangement to maximize the accuracy of the navigation coordinates of interest, position, velocity, and time.
Currently and in the past, GPS (and GLONASS) users select the four satellites from those in view of the user; to solve for the three orthogonal components of position and velocity, and the time component based on the minimization of the value of the position dilution of precision (PDOP), horizontal dilution of precision (HDOP) or geometrical dilution of precision (GDOP). The geometric arrangement of the selected four satellites (and fewer under constraints such as operating at sea level) satellites degrades the basic solution accuracy which would be attainable with an ideal geometric arrangement of the four satellites. This is termed the dilution of precision (DOP).
Terminology for the common DOP measures include:
GDOP: Geometric Dilution of Precision, related to 3 spatial coordinates and time PA0 PDOP: Position Dilution of Precision, related to 3 spatial coordinates PA0 HDOP: Horizontal Dilution of Precision, related to the 2 horizontal spatial coordinates PA0 VDOP: Vertical Dilution of Precision, related to the vertical spatial coordinate PA0 TDOP: Time Dilution of Precision, related to the time component.
The standard method of minimizing PDOP, HDOP or GDOP provides for selecting the best to select the four satellites for pseudo ranging, and then solving for three spatial components and time provides good general accuracy from only four satellites. The standard method does not specialize the DOP measure to maximize the accuracy available, nor does it use the additional information from satellites other than the best four selected.
The object of this invention then is to maximize the accuracy of the component(s) of interest to the GPS (and GLONASS) user; firstly by specializing the DOP to the component of interest, so as to select the group of four (and under some constraints, fewer) visible satellites which provides the greatest measurement accuracy for that component; and secondly, by using the specialized DOP measure to select lower top ranked multiple groups of four satellites, estimate the value of the component of interest for each of these top ranked groups, weight these estimates, and then combine these weighted estimates in a least squares solution for maximum accuracy.
This invention reduces the effects of error sources such as multi-path, random noise, and time bias which exist to a larger extent in current systems, by using the inherent averaging from the least squares solution of the weighted estimates from multiple satellite groups. This invention reduces the error due to dilution of precision by using the DOP measure specialized to the component of interest.
This invention is applicable to the navigation of any object including, for example, a wide range of vehicles; automobiles, trucks, marine vessels, aircraft, snowmobiles, tractors, motorcycles; basically any vehicle that moves under human control, and has access to the GPS (and GLONASS) RF signals; as well as non-vehicular carriers. Some specific applications of this invention, of particular interest, include altitude and lateral runway distance for aircraft and space return vehicles landing under instrument conditions; and marine position location for ship traversing in narrow shipping and harbor lanes.


The present invention relates to a two piece fixed functional orthodontic bracket appliance to which a flexible archwire can be engaged. This two piece orthodontic bracket appliance allows for constant mobility through a full range of orthodontic tooth movement, and provides for greater innerbracket distance. It also allows free sliding of wires through its components in such a way as to reduce binding and friction. It also provides an irregular base which promotes mechanical bonding to teeth.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to orthodontic brackets, and more particularly to a fixed functional bracket responsive to differential forces wherein an archwire can slide three dimensionally within the bracket in a low-friction arrangement.
II. Background of the Invention
Orthodontics encompasses the correction of dental irregularities and malocclusions by applying controlled precise forces to teeth. The type of orthodontic mechanism employed is most important because success in orthodontic treatment depends so much on the efficiency of the appliances. Orthodontists who have a high degree of biologic knowledge as well as a high degree of mechanical skill cannot produce the highest standards of treatment unless they employ the most efficient orthodontic mechanism. It is the purpose of this invention to provide such a mechanism. Several methods and mechanisms of orthodontic treatment are typically employed. The focus of this invention evolves from three, namely 1) functional (removable appliance) orthodontics, 2) light wire (fixed bracketed) orthodontics, and 3) edgewise (fixed bracketed) orthodontics. A major goal of a functional appliance is to relieve pressure on teeth and bone associated with oral musculature which allows for expansion and settling of teeth by nature. This happens as teeth occlude. Light wire mechanics offer differential force values. Early pioneers Storey and Smith define optimal orthodontic force value (delivered to a bracketed tooth) as the application of force to move teeth at a most favorable rate and with least tissue damage and pain. Light wire mechanics are generally associated with round wire. They generally allow freedom of three dimensional control (tip, torque, and rotation) by use of auxiliary components as teeth are guided to a predetermined round wire arch grid. Edgewise mechanics are accomplished by turning a rectangular wire on its side so that its edge can be engaged in a rectangular slot engraved into a bracket form. Tooth movement is achieved as three dimensional control (tip, torque, and rotation) is bent into the wire and is subsequently engaged in the rectangular bracket slot. All three methods have merit but lack in totality. Historically attempts have been made by idealists to fabricate appliances according to principals derived from engineering practices that will exert precise values, that is, force values that vary only slightly and within definite limits. These engineering principals cannot be translated without modification to the art of orthodontics. Certain material modifications have now become available that make this possible. Namely nickel titanium, high grade polycarbonate, and a large ceramic family. This invention takes advantage of these state of the art materials and allows a favorable environment as envisioned by Storey and Smith and other orthodontic forefathers and modern day idealists.