The present invention relates to (1) polypeptide capable of binding to .beta. chain of IL-2 receptor and having the inhibitory activity of the binding between IL-2 and .beta. chain of IL-2 receptor, and (2) the process of producing the polypeptide, especially in E. coli as a host. THe polypeptide according to the present invention and the pharmaceutical composition containing the polypeptide are useful to prevent rejection of organ transplantation and also to cure autoimmune diseases.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel polypeptides capable of binding to the heavy chains (also refered to as .beta.-chains) of the human IL-2 receptor, thereby preventing human IL-2 from binding to the heavy chains of the human IL-2 receptor. The polypeptides according to the present invention can be included in a pharmaceutical compositions and are useful in immunomodulation for e.g. preventing graft rejection or curing autoimmune diseases, or leukemia, and thus they may be used as immunosuppressive agents.
2. Discussion of the Background
Due to the surprising improvement in surgical treatment for organ transplantation, the key to success therein has now been narrowed down to whether the graft rejection after the treatment can be inhibited. Graft rejection is caused when the body recognizes the graft as an extraneous material, and a series of immune responses are elicited to exclude it. Therefore, medicines such as so-called immunosuppresive agents including steroids, azathioprine, methonium compounds, 6-mercaptopurine, etc. have hitherto been administered as graft rejection inhibiting drugs. No significant increase in graft survival rate, however, has been observed because of their narrow safety margins and low effects, etc. Nevertheless with recently developed cyclosporin A the survival rate was drastically improved. Notwithstanding this, the drug was thereafter found to be severely nephrotoxic, and now its use is largely limited.
Accordingly, it has been desired that a less toxic and more effective immunosuppresive agent be developed.
IL-2 is a protein produced by helper T-cells, and has a wide variety of in vivo functions including growth and differentiation induction of killer T-cells and differentiation induction of B cells, thus being a very important factor of defence mechanisms. In organ- and bone marrow transplantation killer T cells, which have been activated by IL-2 or the like, have been shown to play an important role in host versus graft reaction (HVG reaction) or graft versus host reaction (GVH reaction) which is considered to hold the key to successful graft survival.
On the other hand, the immune system of the body is believed to attack the body itself if the system is disturbed, thereby causing autoimmune diseases, the causes for which most likely involve excessive production of IL-2 and other immunological factors or the overresponse thereto.
These facts suggest that selective and effective inhibition of response to IL-2 will lead to prevention of organ transplantation rejection and a cure for autoimmune diseases. In fact, it has been reported that IL-2, which is linked with a cellular toxin capable of selectively injuring IL-2 responsive cells with a receptor for IL-2 (hereunder abbreviated as IL-2 receptor), delayed the onset of and relieved arthritis when it was given to a rat suffering from adjuvant arthritis, an animal model for autoimmune diseases, and further that the immunological rejection by a mouse to the heart transplanted from another mouse of the same species was suppressed with the IL-2 compound administered upon the transplantation (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 86, 1008, 1989).
The IL-2/cellular toxin compound, however, has a short half-life in the blood, and thus its dose must be increased in order to be satisfactorily efficacious, thereby presenting the problem of side effects because of its large dose. In view of these facts, a less toxic medicine has been sought which adequately inhibits the response to IL-2.
The IL-2 receptor on IL-2 responsive cells is known to be composed of two glycoprotein molecules both capable of binding to IL-2 and comprising a .beta. chain having a molecular weight of about 70.000 D and an .alpha. chain whose molecular weight is about 55.000 D.
It has been revealed, that the dissociation constant of the complex between IL-2 and the .alpha. chain is 10.sup.-8 M and for the .beta. chain 10.sup.-9 M respectively, whereas the value decreases to as low as 10.sup.-12 M if both, the .alpha. and the .beta. chains simultaneously bind IL-2 to form a strongly joined three membered associate. Cells with only the .alpha. chain present thereon do not respond to IL-2 bound thereto, but cells with both the .alpha. and .beta. chains present thereon cause various biological activities due to the binding of IL-2. Therefore it is now understood, that the presence of the .beta. chain in the IL-2 receptor is indispensable to the performance of physiological activities of IL-2. That is, it is assumed, that the response to IL-2 will be inhibited by blocking the binding between IL-2 and the .beta. chain.
However, at present there are no substances known, which specifically inhibit the linking between IL-2 and the .beta. chains of IL-2 receptors, with the exception of an anti-IL-2 receptor chain antibody (refer to Japanese Patent Application Disclosure No. HEI 2-18527). Nevertheless this single known antibody is a foreign protein obtained by immunizing xenogenic rabbits and mice. Thus, when the antibody is administered to a human in the form obtained, an immune response occurs against it causing serious side effects such as anaphylactic shock and serum diseases. It is surmised, that the effect of the antibody is weakened, which unfortunately complicates its immediate use in clinical situations.
In order to overcome the drawbacks of these antibodies prepared from xenogenic animals in clinical applications, genetic engineering techniques were developed to convert the constant region (also called C region) of an antibody, which plays no direct part in binding to the antigen to the C region of a human antibody (Methods in Enzymology 178, 459, 1989), heightening hopes for clinically applicable antibodies.
Generally, when an antibody is clinically used, the expected effects of said antibody may be divided into two large categories. The first type of effect is where an antibody combines with an antigen to form an immune complex, and the complement or immune cells are mobilized to eliminate the antigen. This is true for cell surface antigens, etc., in which case the c region of the antibody is indispensable for stimulation of the complement system, and an antibody whose C region is converted to a human type would be effective. The other effect is where the antigen activity is suppressed due to binding of the antibody to the antigen. This includes the case, where the antigen is a bioactive substance or its receptor, or an enzyme, in which case the C region of the antibody is unnecessary. On the contrary the absence of the C region is most desirable, since by administration of the antibody into the body an immune complex thereof with an antigen is formed. In this case, if the antigen is a cell then the cell may be destroyed, and if the antigen is a soluble antigen then it may be trapped in the kidneys causing inflammation. In addition, the molecular weight of the complete antibody containing both the variable regions (also called V region) and the C regions is 150-900 KD compared to a molecular weight of as small as 27 KD for an antibody composed of only the V regions, for which reason the latter is more easily administered to the body.
In order to produce only the V regions of an antibody from antibody protein, it is necessary to obtain a heavy chain (hereunder called H chain) of the antibody and a light chain (hereunder called L chain) of the V region through protease digestion, and induce the binding between them through an appropriate method in order to produce a functional antibody V region molecule. However, it is impossible with present techniques to produce a functional antibody V region molecule with high efficiency and ease.

Polypeptides capable of binding to heavy chains of IL-2 receptors


A display device for displaying images having a plurality of rib walls, a plurality of cells formed by the rib walls, a plurality of column electrodes extending in the column direction, and a plurality of row electrodes extending in the row direction and traverse the column electrodes. The display device further includes at least two of the column electrodes that are electrically shorted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in plasma display panels and to improvements in methods of driving plasma display panels. In particular, the present invention provides a plasma display panel (referred to hereinafter as "PDP") with an optimal cell structure such as a triangle cell arrangement and an improved driving structure for optimally driving a PDP.
2. Related Art
A cathode ray tube (CRT) has long been the display device for displaying images on a television. In a CRT display, a gun fires a beam of negatively-charged particles (electrons) inside a large glass tube. The electrons excite phosphor atoms along the wide end of the tube, which causes the phosphor atoms to light up. The video image is produced by lighting up different areas of the phosphor coating with different colors at different intensities. Although the CRT increase the screen width in a CRT display, the length of the tube must be increased as well in order to give the scanning electron gun room to reach all parts of the screen. Consequently, a CRT having a big screen is heavy and takes up a sizeable space.
The conventional PDP was introduced to overcome some of the drawbacks of the CRT display. Specifically, the conventional PDP provides a display device with a large display screen in the form of a flat panel display, and provides an image quality and performance equal to or superior to the CRT display.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a top view and a side view, respectively of a conventional PDP 10. The conventional PDP 10 is a matrix device having individual cells defined by the intersection of row electrodes 17 and column electrodes 13. The row electrodes 17 are arranged horizontally along the screen and the column electrodes 13 are arranged vertically along the display screen. As such, the horizontal and vertical electrodes form a basic grid with cells.
FIG. 1B discloses a cross sectional side view of a single cell of a conventional grid format AC PDP 10. The display panel 10 has a rear plate 11 made of a transparent material such as glass. A column electrode 13, also referred to as an address electrode, is disposed centrally on the rear plate 11 of the cell. A dielectric layer 12 is disposed on the rear plate 11 and on the address electrode 13 such that the dielectric layer 12 covers the address electrode 13. Furthermore, rib walls 14 are located parallel to the address electrode 13 and are disposed on the dielectric layer 12. The rib walls 14 separate the cell from neighboring cells. The inside rib walls 14 of the cell is coated with a phosphor material 15 such that the phosphor material 15 gives off light when they are exposed to other light.
The upper portion of the cell includes a row electrode 17 also referred to as a display electrode, which is covered by an insulating dielectric material 18 and covered by a protective layer 16.
According to the conventional PDP 10 discussed above, each cell requires at lease one address electrode 13 intersecting with one pair of display electrode 17 (scan and common electrodes). Therefore, the conventional PDP 10 requires a large amount of address electrodes thereby requiring a large amount of integrated circuits. Consequently, the conventional PDP requires a higher voltage to drive the complex integrated circuit having a large amount of address electrodes. Thus, the conventional PDP 10 is costly to manufacture and also produces a large amount of heat during operation. Accordingly, there is a need to reduce the cost of the PDP by simplifying the integrated circuits of the PDP such that it requires a minimal amount of electrodes to function optimally. In addition, there is also a need to provide a method of driving the PDP to improve image quality.

Plasma display panel and method of driving thereof


The invention provides cDNAs coding for human proteins having transmembrane domains and eucaryotic cells expressing said cDNAs. The cDNAs of the invention can be utilized as probes for the gene diagnosis and gene sources for the gene therapy. Furthermore, the cDNAs can be utilized for large-scale expression of said proteins. Cells, wherein these membrane protein genes are introduced and membrane proteins are expressed in large amounts, can be utilized for detection of the corresponding ligands, screening of novel low-molecular pharmaceuticals, and so on.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to cDNAs coding for human proteins having transmembrane domains and eucaryotic cells expressing said cDNAs. The human cDNAs of the present invention can be utilized as probes for the gene diagnosis and gene sources for the gene therapy. Furthermore, the cDNAs can be utilized as gene sources for large-scale production of the proteins encoded by said cDNAs. Cells, wherein said cDNAs are expressed, can be utilized for detection of the corresponding ligands, screening of novel low-molecular pharmaceuticals, and so on.
2. Background Art
Membrane proteins play important roles, as signal receptors, ion channels, transporters, etc. in the material transportation and the information transmission which are mediated by the cell membrane. Examples thereof include receptors for a variety of cytokines, ion channels for the sodium ion, the potassium ion, the chloride ion, etc., transporters for saccharides and amino acids, and so on, where the genes of many of them have been cloned already.
It has been clarified that abnormalities of these membrane proteins are associated with a number of hitherto-cryptogenic diseases. For instance, a gene of a membrane protein having twelve transmembrane domains was identified as the gene responsible for cystic fibrosis [Rommens, J. M. et al., Science 245: 1059-1065 (1989)]. In addition, it has been clarified that several membrane proteins act as receptors when a virus infects the cells. For instance, HIV-1 is revealed to infect into the cells through mediation of a membrane protein fusin having a membrane protein on the T-cell membrane, a CD-4 antigen, and seven transmembrane domains [Feng, Y. et al., Science 272: 872-877 (1996)]. Therefore, discovery of a new membrane protein is anticipated to lead to elucidation of the causes of many diseases, so that isolation of a new gene coding for the membrane protein has been desired.
Heretofore, owing to difficulty in the purification, many membrane proteins have been isolated by an approach from the gene side. A general method is the so-called expression cloning which comprises transfection of a cDNA library in eucaryotic cells to express cDNAs and then detection of the cells expressing the target membrane protein on the membrane by an immunological technique using an antibody or a physiological technique on the change in the membrane permeability. However, this method is applicable only to cloning of a gene of a membrane protein with a known function.
In general, membrane proteins possess hydrophobic transmembrane domains inside the proteins, wherein, after synthesis thereof in the ribosome, these domains remain in the phospholipid membrane to be trapped in the membrane. Accordingly, the evidence of the cDNA for encoding the membrane protein is provided by determination of the whole base sequence of a full-length cDNA followed by detection of highly hydrophobic transmembrane domains in the amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by said cDNA.
The object of the present invention is to provide novel human proteins having transmembrane domains and DNAs coding for said proteins as well as transformation eucaryotic cells that are capable of expressing said cDNAs.
As the result of intensive studies, the present inventors have been successful in cloning of cDNAs coding for proteins having transmembrane domains from the human full-length cDNA bank, thereby completing the present invention. In other words, the present invention provides cDNAs coding for human proteins having transmembrane domains, exemplified by cDNAs containing either of the base sequences represented by SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:2, as well as transformation eucaryotic cells that are capable of expressing said cDNAs.


Techniques are described for visualizing the mood of a group of individuals. In one example, a graphical display is divided into regions representing different emotions. Input indicative of an emotion is received from individuals located in an area of interest. As the input is received, a set of indicators is output in each of the regions of the graphical display. Each indicator represents a different one of the individuals who is experiencing the emotion associated with the region in which the indicator is displayed and is displayed with a color assigned to the emotion. The indicators are animated to move over time toward a center of the graphical display and are removed upon reaching the center of the graphical display. In this way, the graphical display depicts a current mood for the group and indicates a rate of change of each of the different emotions.

Sentiment analysis is an emerging area of social analytics technology that is being used pervasively by analytical solutions. To that end, various systems have been described for capturing and visualizing the mood of an individual. That is, the systems attempt to display a visualization of the current emotional mood or state of mind of an individual or perhaps group of people.
For example, one example type of system attempts to analyze Internet blogs in social networking sites in order to extract sentences and other information that provide an indication of an individuals emotions along with demographic and location information for that user. These systems attempt to apply natural language processing to classify the information into specific sentiments and create a visualization that presents a colorful interface showing a user's emotion by way of dots, where each dot represents a sentence with its color representing that sentiment. For example, a sentence indicative of a happy feeling may be presented in bright yellow or a sentence indicative of an angry feeling may be represented in red. These types of systems often tend to be inaccurate in that mood information must be indirectly inferred from textual analysis of sentences. Due to the ambiguous nature of language, the systems tend to incorrectly classify sentences and, as a result, misrepresent the mood of the individual. Moreover, the systems do not provide any ability to view the mood of an individual relative an overall mood of a group of individuals.
In other examples, some systems allow users to record their moods from a set of possible moods. The system presents the visualization data for a single user as a page filled with colored horizontal strips, where the length of a strip corresponds to the duration of an individual's mood over time. Visualizations of the moods for users can be shared with others and recent moods are posted on a main software page. These systems also do not provide any ability to view the mood of an individual relative an overall mood of a group of individuals nor depict the dynamics within an overall mood of a group of users.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Visualizing the mood of a group of individuals

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and apparatus for a route calculation engine is described. The method of calculating a route to a resource comprises identifying a plurality of locations at which the resource may be available and creating an optimal route through the plurality of locations, the route assuring that the resource will be found regardless of availability at any one location.

Prior art planning operations generally provide point-to-point routing through a deterministic set of points. The prior art plans assume that the desired resource is available at each point. Furthermore, the prior art planning operations assume that a user can follow the plan. The plans generally do not account for a user missing a turn-off, traffic jams, closed roads, detours, or the user failing to follow a plan. These services do not provide contingency planning for handling such failures in the route.
GPS mapping devices use similar techniques. These services provide a solution for handing failures that arise when the user executes the route. For example, they may detect the failure in real-time and recomputed the route reactively—i.e. in reaction to the failure. The problem with this type of reactive recalculation is that it is time consuming. This can cause delays as the user waits for the new route, which is a major inconvenience if the user is moving at a high velocity along a busy highway. The delays can also cause other types of plan failure due to the time required for recomputation causing the user to miss a turn that would have quickly corrected for the previous failure.

Method and apparatus for a routing agent


A tapered roller bearing includes an inner ring having a tapered raceway surface and a large-collar surface on a large-diameter side of the raceway surface, and tapered rollers. Each of the rollers has a large end surface guided by the large-collar surface. When R represents a set curvature radius of the large end surface and RBASE represents a base curvature radius from a vertex of a cone angle of each of the tapered rollers to the large-collar surface, the base curvature radius RBASE is 100 mm or less, and a ratio R/RBASE of the set curvature radius R to the base curvature radius RBASE is set to 0.90 or less. When RACTUAL represents an actual curvature radius of the large end surface of each of the tapered rollers, a ratio RACTUAL/R of the actual curvature radius RACTUAL to the set curvature radius R exceeds 0.5.

For applications in automobiles, tapered roller bearings are often used at portions for bearing a radial load, an axial load, and a moment load. The tapered roller bearing in use can bear a certain axial load under a state in which a large end surface of each tapered roller and a large-collar surface of an inner ring are held in contact with each other. However, the above-mentioned contact between the large end surface of the tapered roller and the large-collar surface of the inner ring is not rolling contact but slide contact. Due to the slide contact, there is a fear in that heat generation and sharp temperature rise occur when a lubricating environment is insufficient.
In order to solve the problem described above, it is required to reduce torque loss and heat generation caused by friction at a contact portion between the large end surface of the tapered roller and the large-collar surface of the inner ring. In this context, the following technologies are proposed (Patent Literatures 1 to 3).
In Patent Literature 1, as a method of improving an oil film thickness at the contact portion between the large end surface of the tapered roller and the large-collar surface of the inner ring (method of reducing heat generation), the following is proposed. Specifically, when R represents a curvature radius of the large end surface of the tapered roller, and RBASE represents a distance from a vertex of a cone angle of the tapered roller to the large-collar surface of the inner ring (contact portion with the tapered roller), a ratio R/RBASE is set within a range of from 0.75 to 0.87.
In Patent Literature 2, there are proposed a method of forming a sufficient oil film through enhancement of an action of drawing a lubricating oil into a contact region between the large end surface of the tapered roller and the large-collar surface of the inner ring, and a method of solving edge abutment (a flaw problem) against the large end surface of the roller at the time of skew of the tapered roller.
Further, in Patent Literature 3, as a method of prolonging bearing lifetime through optimization of contact surface pressure that may be generated on the tapered roller bearing, there is proposed a method of forming, for example, the tapered roller into a logarithmic crowning shape.


An isolated and purified DNA molecule encoding TGF-.beta. inducible early factor-1 (TIEF-1) is provided. A method of isolating a growth factor- or differentiation factor-inducible gene is also provided.

The most abundant source of transforming growth factor.beta. (TGF-.beta.) in the body is bone. The process of new bone formation in young adults, which involves the removal of bone by osteoclasts (OC) and replacement of that bone by osteoblasts (OB), appears to be tightly regulated by locally produced factors. TGF-.beta. is a prime candidate for one of these factors as both OB and OC are known to produce TGF-.beta..
The production and activation of TGF-.beta. is regulated by estrogen, parathyroid hormone, glucocorticoids, and other bone regulatory agents including TGF-.beta. itself (Oursler et al, Endocrinology, 129, 3313 (1991); Oursler et al., Endocrinology, 133, 2187 (1993); Subramaniam et al., J. Cell. Biochem., 51, 52 (1995)). Disregulation of TGF-.beta. production and/or activation may be involved in bone diseases (Mundy, In: Bone Remodeling and its Disorders, Dunitz (ed.), U.K., pp. 56-65 (1995); Roberts et al., Growth Factors, 8, 1 (1993)). Thus, TGF-.beta. is thought to play an integral role in human bone cell physiology as a growth and/or differentiation-inducing factor (Mundy, cited supra).
In vitro, TGF-.beta. has been shown to have strong mitogenic activity in osteoblasts (Robey et al., J. Cell Biol., 105, 457 (1987)). Moreover, TGF-.beta. is known to have multiple effects on bone-specific genes. For example, TGF-.beta. has been shown to increase type I collagen, osteopontin, and alkaline phosphatase synthesis, and decrease osteocalcin synthesis (Noda et al., J. Cell. Physiol., 133, 426 (1987); Pfeilschifter et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA, 82, 2024 (1987); Wrana et al., J. Cell Biol., 106, 915 (1988); Noda et al., J. Biol. Chem., 263, 13916 (1988)). The regulation of these genes, as well as c-fos and jun-B (Subramaniam et al., cited supra), by TGF-.beta. has been measured after 2-24 hours of TGF-.beta. treatment. However, the early mechanism of action of TGF-.beta. in bone-derived cell cultures has not been characterized.
Thus, there is a need to identify and isolate genes that are expressed immediately or very soon after exposure of bone tissues to growth factor. There is also a need to identify and isolate genes that encode factors which are involved in the regulation of bone growth and differentiation.

DNA encoding TGF-.beta. inducible early factor-1 (TIEF-1), a gene expressed by osteoblasts

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research


Provided herein is a copolymer of ethylene and acrylate(s) having a melt flow index (MFI) greater than or equal to 50 g/10 minutes, obtained by free-radical copolymerisation under high pressure carried out in a tubular reactor, and methods of using the same. Also provided herein is a thermoplastic composition, particularly intended to be extruded or injection moulded, having one or more copolymers of ethylene and acrylate(s) at a content ranging from 0.1 to 20 wt. %, and one or more thermoplastic polymers.

The present invention relates to the use of a copolymer of ethylene and acrylate(s) having a melt flow index (MFI) greater than or equal to 50 g/10 minutes, obtained by free-radical copolymerisation process under high pressure carried out in a tubular reactor, to modify the melt rheology of a thermoplastic composition.
The present invention also relates to a thermoplastic composition, particularly intended to be extruded or injection moulded, comprising one or more copolymers of ethylene and acrylate(s), as previously defined, with a content ranging from 0.1 to 20 wt. %, and one or more thermoplastic polymers.
The invention also deals with a method of preparing the said thermoplastic composition as well as the use thereof for manufacturing a part, particularly by injection moulding.
Thermoplastic parts, capable of being used in the field of electronics, automobiles, computers, electrical appliances or in the electrical industry, are generally prepared from thermoplastic compositions that are transformed or shaped by various methods, for example extrusion, injection moulding, blow moulding (such as extrusion-blow moulding or injection-blow moulding), compression moulding or a thermoforming method.
In particular, the injection moulding method makes it possible to manufacture in a single operation finished parts capable of having complex forms in very large quantities. Such a method usually consists in pouring a thermoplastic composition in granular form, possibly in the presence of additives such as colorants and/or plasticizers, into a hopper to feed a heated barrel. The thermoplastic composition is thus softened to the molten state then mixed and forced, by an endless type worm piston housed in the barrel, to a mould, cooled and sealably closed, having the form of the part intended to be produced. Upon contact with the mould, the thermoplastic composition thus takes the shape thereof and solidifies. At the end of the process, the mould used for forming is opened to recover the part.
Alternatively, the extrusion method makes it possible to manufacture parts of great length such as tubes, pipes or semi-finished products such as plates, optical fibres and sections. Such a method usually consists in pouring a thermoplastic composition in granular form, possibly in the presence of additives such as colourants and/or plasticizers, into a hopper to feed an extruder. Inside the extruder, the composition is heated and softened, then mixed by a worm screw. The screw forces the thermoplastic composition towards the output of the extruder. The output head of the extruder gives its shape to the part intended to be produced. The part exits continuously, then is cooled to be cut to the desired length.
Thermoplastic compositions generally include at least one thermoplastic polymer and possibly additives that are selected in accordance with the planned technical applications, production costs and desired performance level relative to the mechanical properties of the parts produced.
Indeed, the obtained thermoplastic parts, once cooled, must have sufficiently satisfactory mechanical properties relative to the technical field considered, for example relative to impact strength, elastic strain, flexural modulus, rigidity or rupture stress. Reinforcing fillers such as glass fibres are commonly used in thermoplastic compositions to improve the mechanical properties of the parts once cooled.
Moreover, the thermoplastic compositions employed must also have a rheological behaviour, i.e. rheological properties, in the molten state, compatible with the previously mentioned forming methods. In particular, these compositions must be sufficiently fluid in the molten state to be able to be mixed, manipulated and easily and efficiently forced into the devices used for shaping, such as injection moulds.
In other words, the thermoplastic compositions must have a melt viscosity low enough to be able to be used efficiently in the transformation methods without significantly increasing production costs related to the characteristics and parameters of the shaping devices.
However, it appears that increasing the melt fluidity of thermoplastic compositions, which is done to facilitate their usage during the different transformation processes, has the disadvantage of leading to a reduction in the mechanical properties of the thermoplastic parts. In other words, lowering the viscosity of the hot melt thermoplastic compositions is generally accompanied by an uncontrolled degradation of the desired mechanical properties of the parts once they are cooled.
For example, the use of thermoplastic polymers having a low viscosity makes it possible to increase the melt fluidity of the thermoplastic compositions, but at the same time leads to a degradation of the mechanical properties, particularly impact strength, of the parts obtained.
In order to overcome these various disadvantages, it has already been proposed in the prior art to use additives capable of increasing the fluidity, and consequently lowering the viscosity, of the hot melt thermoplastic compositions.
In general, the presence of additives is likely to result in a problem of increased manufacturing costs while continuing to result in negative effects on the mechanical properties of the manufactured parts. Furthermore, the addition of additives can lead to problems of homogeneity during preparation of the thermoplastic composition prior to shaping, which usually results in a heterogeneity on the surface of the part.
In this respect, patent applications US 2006/0189747 and US 2006/0211810 describe the use of copolymers comprising at least one unit derived from an olefin and at least one unit derived from a (meth)acrylic ester of an aliphatic alcohol having a melt flow index (MFI) greater than or equal to 50 g/10 minutes, obtained by a polymerisation process carried out in an autoclave reactor, in order to increase the melt fluidity of a semi-crystalline thermoplastic polyamide or a polyester.
Similarly, patent application US 2009/0209697 describes the use of copolymers comprising at least one unit derived from an olefin and at least one unit derived from a (meth)acrylic ester of an aliphatic alcohol having a melt flow index (MFI) greater than or equal to 100 g/10 minutes, obtained by a polymerisation process carried out in an autoclave reactor, in order to increase the melt fluidity of a thermoplastic polycarbonate.
However, thermoplastic compositions comprising copolymers, such as previously described, obtained by the polymerisation process in an autoclave reactor, still result in parts that, once cooled, have mechanical properties, particularly flexural modulus and impact strength, that are unsatisfactory relative to the technical applications sought.

Use of a copolymer of ethylene and of acrylate(s) prepared in a tubular reactor for modifying the melt rheology of a thermoplastic composition


A circuit element is produced in a circuit, and a thermoelectric cooling element comprising two dissimilar metals is thermally coupled to the circuit element for cooling the circuit element. A source is provided for applying a driving current to the circuit element. The circuit is arranged such that the driving current passes to the thermoelectric cooling element as an operating current thereof.

The present invention relates to a thermoelectric cooling system based on the Peltier effect, for reducing heat of a transistor provided in a circuit.
The principle of the Peltier effect is a phenomenon that if a direct current is passing through two dissimilar metals such as conductor and semiconductor which are in contact with each other, absorption or radiation of heat other than the Joule heat occurs at a junction. For example, if the direct current flows from a metal to a P-type semiconductor, heat is absorbed at a junction. If the current flows in the reverse direction, heat is radiated at the junction. If the direct current flows from a metal to an N-type semiconductor, heat is radiated at a junction. If the current flows in the reverse direction, the heat is absorbed at the junction.
The thermoelectric cooling device has various superior characteristics. For example, since no movable portion is provided, noises do not occur. Furthermore, in the device using the thermoelectric cooling device, temperature is easily adjusted, the device can be used as a cooling device or a heating device only by changing the direction of flow of the current, and the size of the device is reduced. Thus, the cooling device has been practically used for a small refrigerator, isothermal bath, dew point thermometer, electronic device, and others.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open 63-6864 discloses a thermoelectric cooling system where a transistor is provided with a P-type semiconductor disposed between metal plates. A current for cooling the transistor is applied from a dependent supply source to the transistor through an input/output lead and fed to a heat sink through the P-type semiconductor. The cooling current is set to a constant value. The heat is absorbed at a junction of one of the metals adjacent to the transistor and the P-type semiconductor. The heat is radiated at a junction of the other metal adjacent to the heat sink and the P-type semiconductor. The heat is discharged from the heat sink to the atmosphere.
In the cooling system, if a driving current of the transistor changes in accordance with driving conditions of the transistor, the amount of heat of the transistor changes. Since the current is constant regardless of the change of the driving current, cooling dependent on the change of the driving current is not effected. Therefore, if the transistor is driven at a low load, the power for cooling current is wasted. Furthermore, the transistor may be over-cooled. In such a case, an operating point of the transistor may be deflected to distort a signal waveform.


A water-cooling radiator for a computer chip is provided to lower the temperature of the computer chip. The radiator includes a body on which other elements can be fixed and providing an interface for heat exchange, an internal circulation flow path built inside the body to provide a passage required for the coolant to flow through, and a pump fixed to the side of the body near the computer chip to provide power required for the coolant circulation.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a water-cooling radiator for a computer chip. In particular, the invention relates to a radiator having a built-in and branched coolant circulation flow path with air-cooling and water-cooling mechanisms.
2. Description of Related Art
Over the years, both the device density and the processing speed of a computer chip (integrated circuit) have increased significantly in keeping up pace with functional enhancement of electronics appliances. Besides that the processing speed has multiplied, the amount of heat generated by the computer chip has also increased. It is an important issue to dissipate heat for a chip application.
Demanded by an urging need to boost performance, computer chips like the CPU (central processing unit), the GPU (graphics processing unit), the northbridge chip, and the RAM (random access memory) have to increase their operating frequencies, resulting in increases in power consumption and heat generation. If the heat generated by the chip cannot be effectively removed thus resulting in a significant increase of temperature, problems such as semiconductor characteristics offset, transistor functional failure, or a computer crash might occur, or even more drastically, a chip burnout.
Generally, dissipation of the heat generated by a computer chip includes the following two steps of: (1) first conducting the heat generated by a computer chip to dissipating fins of a radiator; and (2) then conducting the heat from the dissipating fins to surrounding air. The two steps are both indispensable; if either step encounters a problem, the heat conduction would be affected, which hinders a radiator to dissipate heat effectively. Therefore, a basic design principle for a radiator is maximizing the heat transfer in step (1) and step (2) as a key purpose.
As disclosed in Taiwanese Patent Issue No. 00460773, a conventional air-cooling radiator uses high thermal conductivity of metals to conduct the heat generated by a computer chip to dissipating fins and dissipates the heat into ambient air by natural convection or forced convection with a fan. To increase the amount of heat transfer from the dissipating fins to the surrounding air in step (2), a common improvement is to increase the surface area of the dissipating fins contacting the surrounding air. However, for a heat dissipating body used in the steps, an increase in surface area indicates a decrease in solidity (a measure of the percentage of space taken up per unit volume) and a decrease in the cross area of heat conduction paths, thus relatively affecting the heat transfer from the chip to the dissipating fins in step (1). Conversely, if the solidity of the body is increased to increase the heat transfer in step (1), the surface area is then reduced, hence affecting the heat transfer in step (2). The solution to this dilemma is aimed to accelerate the heat dissipation in step (1) meanwhile increasing the heat dissipating surface and decreasing the solidity. In this regard, a water-cooling radiator has been designed.
The thermal conductivity of water is about twenty-three times that of air; the specific heat per unit mass of water is about seventeen times that of air; and the specific heat per unit volume of water is at least fourteen-thousand times that of air. Therefore, in the case of same contacting area or surface area, a water-cooling radiator has a cooling performance much better than that of an air-cooling radiator, despite having problems in covering the coolant, driving the coolant and preventing leakage of the coolant. Generally, a water-cooling radiator has a more complex structure and has a higher price, so it is less commonly used.
As disclosed in Taiwanese Patent Issue No. M257612, a conventional water-cooling radiator has coolant circulation pipelines on the exterior of a radiator. The coolant is injected into the vicinity of a computer chip to absorb heat, and the heat is brought out by heat convection to expedite the heat transfer in step (1) above and hence improve heat dissipation. Nevertheless, this type of water-cooling radiator has a more complex structure, and the coolant circulation pipelines and the dissipating fins may make an improper contact or have some gaps therebetween, resulting in a lower beat dissipation efficiency.
It is common currently to have to face and resolve the challenge of heat dissipation for a high performance computer chip. Limited by performance, a conventional air-cooling radiator no longer satisfies the heat dissipation requirement for a computer chip of higher processing speed. It is therefore in the respect of processing speed of the computer chip, an unsolved heat dissipation problem would seriously hinder the further development of the computer chip.
Coping to improve the performance of heat dissipation for a computer chip, the invention provides both advantages of an air-cooling radiator and a water-cooling radiator. In other words, the invention provides a simple structure of an air-cooling radiator and a high heat dissipation performance of a water-cooling radiator.

Water-cooling radiator for a computer chip


A device and method are presented for drug-free, non-invasive, modulation of a size of a patient's pupil. The invention utilizes application of an external electric and/or magnetic field of desired properties to the patient's iris to thereby effect stimulation or neutralization of synapses and thus temporarily inducing mydriasis or miosis effect.

Every person, irrespective of whether he is healthy or not, has to at least once undergo an eye examination/treatment that requires pupil dilation. Those having various eye problems (e.g., macular degeneration, diabetes, etc.) require repeated pupil-dilated eye examinations. The pupil dilation (mydriasis) is typically induced by application of a dilator drug (typically atropine) to the patient's eye followed by waiting several minutes before the pupil is sufficiently dilated to enable the eye examination.
Various types of a dilator drug, known as mydriatic agents, have been developed. For example, WO 98/51292 discloses pharmaceutical compositions which include a therapeutically effective amount of a stereoscopically-pure enantiomer, preferably (+)-phenylephrine is substantially free of (−)-phenylephrine.
Furthermore, the conventional pupil dilation procedure results in a recovery period of a few hours, whilst the patient suffers from excessive light reaching the retina accompanied by focusing difficulties. Moreover in this recovery period, it is highly recommended that the patient will refrain from driving or doing dangerous tasks.
Constriction of a pupil size (miosis) is required for individuals suffering from excessive pupillary dilation, e.g., in dim light or through medication. Various drug-based treatments suitable to be used for this purpose are disclosed for example in the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,730,065; 6,515,006; 6,420,407; 6,291,498.
It is known to use the principles of electrophoresis to assist the drug delivery process (e.g., deliver of vitamins, such as Vitamin C). Electrophoresis is an electrochemical process in which colloidal particles or molecules with a net electric charge migrate in a solution under the influence of an electric current. This process is also termed "iontophoresis" or "cataphoresis".
U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,411 discloses a dilation enhancer apparatus, which is a hand held electrophoretic device using a contact lens type delivery system to provide rapid clinically useful dilation of the pupil of the eye. The apparatus includes a contact lens with a conductive outer shell (one electrode of a two-electrode electrophoresis device) and a preferably soft, preferably disposable contact lens for contacting a patient's eye that assists in delivering dilation drops or other medicaments to a patient's eye. Advantageously, the lens is used with a relatively small hand-held power source. Electrophoresis can be used to help deliver dilation drops more rapidly, regardless of the delivery apparatus used for the electrophoresis.

Device and method for pupil size modulation

A.T.I.-Advanced Medical Technologies Ltd.


A system includes a heart valve and a device that functions to minimize a possibility for suture becoming entangled with a commissure post of the heart valve during an implantation procedure. In some examples, the device is a suture guard that includes one or more features that deflect suture to help minimize entanglement of the same with the commissure posts of the heart valve. In some examples, the features operate to deflect the commissure posts radially inwardly, while in other examples, the features overlay the commissure posts without deflecting that same.

Prosthetic heart valves have been developed that attempt to mimic the function and performance of a native valve. Prosthetic valves with flexible leaflets typically require some means for securing the leaflets to a support structure, such as a leaflet frame. Leaflet(s) may be secured to the frame, for example, by suturing or adhesive/thermal bonding. In addition, the prosthetic valve is typically attached to a human heart with sutures, through a sewing cuff arranged with the frame, or some other mechanical attachment means (e.g., staples).
Prosthetic heart valve delivery may be difficult due to various aspects of the prosthetic valve and the anatomy to which the prosthetic valve is inserted. Accordingly, it would be desirable to ease implantation and protect the prosthetic valve during delivery of the prosthetic valve and attachment of the prosthetic valve to the heart.


An in-plane switching liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates, gate lines and data lines on the first substrate and intersecting each other, a plurality of unit pixels defined by the intersection of the gate and data lines, each unit pixel including a plurality of sub-pixel regions, at least one common electrode and at least one common electrode and at least one pixel electrode alternately arranged in each of the sub-pixel regions to define a first region, an in-plane electric field being generated in the first region, and at least one of the common electrode and the pixel electrode having a first closed-curved surface shape with a hollow center, and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and particularly, to an in-plane switching liquid crystal display device having circular electrodes that achieves a wide viewing angle in every direction and prevents a color shift.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Because of the recent developments in various portable electronic devices, research is actively ongoing focusing on several types of flat panel display devices including liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, plasma display panel (PDP) devices, field emission display (FED) devices, and vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) devices. In particular, LCD devices have received much attention because they are light and thin, are simple to mass produce, produce high quality images, and have a low power consumption.
An LCD device includes a liquid crystal panel for displaying images and a driving element for supplying driving signals to the liquid crystal panel. In general, the liquid crystal panel includes first and second substrates and a liquid crystal layer formed by liquid crystal molecules injected between the first and second substrates.
There are various display modes of the LCD devices based on arrangements of liquid crystal molecules which are narrow and long. For example, a twisted nematic (TN) mode is commonly employed in LCD devices due to advantages, such as high contrast ratio, rapid response time and low driving voltage. However, the TN mode LCD device is disadvantageous in that a viewing angle for an observer is undesirably narrow because the liquid crystal molecules are aligned vertically by a vertical electric field. To solve such a narrow viewing angle problem, a new technology, such as an in-plane switching (IPS) mode LCD device, has been proposed. The IPS mode LCD device provides a wider viewing angle by aligning liquid crystal molecules horizontally by an in-plane electric field.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pixel region of an IPS LCD device according to the related art, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along A-A′ of FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, an IPS LCD device includes data lines 100 and gate lines 101 crossing each other and defining pixel regions; a thin film transistor (TFT) T arranged at each intersection of the gate lines 101 and the data lines 100; and pixel electrodes 119 and common electrodes 111 arranged parallel to the data lines 100 in the pixel regions. Each TFT T includes a gate electrode 110 formed on the first substrate 103 and connected to the gate line 101; a gate insulation film 113 formed of a material such as SiNx or SiOx on the gate electrode 110; a semiconductor layer 115 formed on the gate insulation film 113; an ohmic contact layer 116 formed on the semiconductor layer 115; and a source electrode 117 and a drain electrode 118 formed on the ohmic contact layer 116 and respectively connected to the data line 100 and the pixel electrode 119. The common electrode 111 is connected to a common line 105, and the pixel electrode 119 is connected to the drain electrode 118 of the TFT T.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the TFT T and the common electrode 111 within the pixel are formed on the first substrate 103, and the pixel electrode 119 is formed on the gate insulation film 113. A passivation film 120 formed of a material such as SiNx or SiOx is stacked on the TFT T, the pixel electrode 119 and the gate insulation film 113 over the entire surface, and a first alignment film (not shown) is applied thereon, thereby determining a direction that the liquid crystal molecules are aligned. The liquid crystal molecules 102 are aligned along a rubbing direction between the common electrode 111 and the pixel electrode 119 when a voltage is not applied to the electrodes.
Further, the IPS LCD includes a second substrate 104 corresponding to the first substrate 103. In particular, a black matrix 106 for preventing light leakage, a color filter layer 107 including R, G and B color filters, and an overcoat layer 108 are sequentially stacked on the second substrate 104.
Thus, the in-plane switching (IPS) LCD can be viewed from the front side at about 70° in the up/down and leftward/rightward directions. In particular, main viewing angle directions at different two domains formed by zigzag type electrodes are symmetrical, such that color shift is mutually compensated, not causing a color shift. Accordingly, the IPS LCD has a wider viewing angle than a TN mode LCD. However, when comparing with CRT display devices, the IPS LCD still has a narrower viewing angle and more problematic color shifts.

In-plane switching liquid crystal display device having circular electrode


A color cathode ray tube is provided which comprises a face panel having an inner surface on which phosphors are formed, a funnel connected to the rear portion of the face panel, an electron gun housed in the neck portion of the funnel, a frame attached to pins on the inside of the face panel through springs provided on two short sides of the frame and one long side thereof, and a shadow mask attached to the frame at a predetermined distance from the phosphor surface. The operation length of the spring on the short side is longer than that of the spring on the long side, so that the amount of upward displacement of landing points during the entire doming phenomenon is decreased. Thus, the deterioration in the uniformity of the luminance of white quality is reduced in the color cathode ray tube.

As a method for holding a frame for a shadow mask within a face panel in a color cathode ray tube, a three-pin method has conventionally been used in which the frame is held through three springs located on the two short sides and one long side respectively. In this method, a pin is located in the center on the long side and two pins are located on the short sides at a predetermined distance from the center toward the long side that does not have a pin (see Publication of Japanese Patent Application (Tokkai Sho) No. 60-232639).
A conventional color cathode ray tube will be described below in which a frame for a shadow mask is held within a face panel using the three-pin method. FIG. 7 shows a sectional front view of a color cathode ray tube in the prior art. As shown in FIG. 7, a shadow mask 52 attached to a frame 51 is located on the inside of a face panel 50. The frame 51 for the shadow mask is held by the face panel 50 through a spring 56 supported by a pin 55 provided on the inner surface of the face panel 50. One end of the spring 56 is fixed to the frame 51 at two welding points 53 and 54, and the other end is supported by the pin 55. The distance (operation length) 57 from the pin 55 to the welding point 53 of the spring 56 that is closer to the pin 55 is set at the same value among the three springs 56a, 56b and 56c.
Due to the increase of electric current associated with the high luminance of recent color cathode ray tubes, a phenomenon is caused in which the entire shadow mask thermally expands to form a dome shape in the direction of the phosphor surface (hereinafter such a phenomenon is referred to as "the entire doming"). In order to solve the entire doming problem, an invar material having a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than iron has been used as the material of the shadow mask.
Also, in order to obtain higher definition images in computer display monitors, the phosphor surface of the face panel is formed in dot shape and precisely positioned so that electron beams passed through the dot-shaped holes of the shadow mask accurately strike phosphor dots on the phosphor surface.
However, the conventional structure as described above cannot fully meet the requirements for recent display monitors. Since the reverse mode in which a white background is displayed on the screen is common as a use state of a recent display monitor, and a high luminance of 30 Ft-L as the brightness of displayed images and full scan as the display size is common, the amount of electric current increases. Thus, the entire doming phenomenon caused by the thermal expansion of the shadow mask and the misalignment of the dots of the shadow mask and the phosphor dots on the phosphor surface cannot be fully prevented. Therefore, due to the misalignment of the position where electron beams strike and the phosphor dots, the efficiency of emitting light decreases, thus deteriorating the white quality of the screen, for example, causing a decrease in luminance output and a change in chromaticity.


To more accurately detect the position of a boring head (16) relative to a utility conveyance (22) during a boring operation, the conveyance carries a low power, pulsed signal. The signal is detectable only with a limited distance from the conveyance corresponding to a minimum allowable distance between the boring head and the conveyance. The boring head (16) carries at least one detector (28) for detecting the signal radiated by the cable. If the detector (28) detects the signal, then the boring head is too close and boring operation is interrupted.

Utilities often bury their conveyances (i.e., pipes and/or cables) underground for reasons of safety and aesthetics. Usually, the environment and terrain dictate the type of method employed for burying such conveyances. In rural areas, utilities prefer direct burial which they accomplish by plowing or trenching the earth. In urban environments, and when crossing waterways, boring is preferred. To accomplish such boring, the utility, or a contractor under its employ, first excavates a pit at each of the opposite ends of the intended route for the conveyance. From the first pit, a boring (auger) machine forces a boring head horizontally through the earth into the second pit to create a tunnel through which a utility conveyance may be routed.
Underground utility conveyance burial by boring does create a certain risk. An operator must carefully control the path of the boring head to avoid contact between the boring head and one or more existing underground utility conveyances buried in proximity to the path created by the boring head. For this reason, many utilities, such as AT&T, have regulations governing the minimum allowable distance permitted between the boring head and an existing underground utility conveyance. To facilitate control of the boring head, most boring head manufacturers provide a transmitter (hereinafter referred to as a "sonde") in the boring head for transmitting a signal in the range of 33 Hz. to 9 kHz. The signal transmitted by the sonde radiates through the ground and is detected by one or more receivers located above ground. By monitoring the signal radiated by the sonde in the boring head, the operator of the boring machine can determine the relative position of the boring head as it bores a path through the earth to control the boring head to avoid contact with an existing underground utility conveyance.
Unfortunately, the signal radiated by the sonde in the boring head tends to induce electromagnetic signals in other facilities, such as other underground utility conveyances. The receiver(s) tuned to receive the signal radiated by the sonde also receive the those signals induced in such other facilities, causing confusion regarding the actual position of the boring head. Since many boring operations occur in the vicinity of existing underground utility conveyances, an error in determining the relative position of the boring head can prove disastrous. Indeed, boring operations have damaged existing underground conveyances, leading to service outages and lost revenues, not to mention the cost associated with repairs.
Thus, a need exits for accurately monitoring the position of a boring head during a boring operation to determine its position relative to an existing underground utility conveyance.

Method and apparatus for monitoring the relative position of a cable boring head during a boring operation


A heating ventilator for bathroom includes a frame, a motor mounted with fan blades, a volute casing, an air path switching plate located at the air outlet of the volute casing for switching the air outlet of a ventilator main body, a heater, and a control electric circuit mechanism for operating the motor, the air path switching plate and the heater. The air path switching plate and the heater are configured in a separate and overlapping manner in the height direction of the ventilator main body. The center line of the fan blades and a tongue of the volute casing are both offset from the center line of the main body and are located at the same side. The center line of the main body is horizontally aligned and overlapped with the center line of the air path switching plate and the center line of the heater.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ventilator, and particularly to a heating ventilator for bathroom.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known heating ventilator 100 for bathroom is shown in FIG. 1. It comprises a frame 110, a motor 130 provided with fan blades 120, a volute casing 140 enclosing the motor 130, a heater (not shown), an air path switching plate 160 and a control electric circuit mechanism 170, etc. Heating, air exchanging and drying are achieved by rotation of the air path switching plate 160.
As shown in FIG. 1, in general, the frame 110 is configured in a rectangle shape, i.e., the ventilator 100 is arranged in the direction from an inner air inlet to an inner warm air outlet 180 as its length direction. Furthermore, an inner warm air outlet 180 and an air discharging outlet 181 for discharging air outside are configured as two air outlets.
In order to achieve discharging air towards the two air outlets, wind path is switched at air outlet 131 of the motor 130 with fan blades 120 by using the air path switching plate 160. Furthermore, a heater is provided for the wind path at side of the inner warm air outlet 180.
FIG. 2 is a known further type of heating device 190 for bathroom in which heating is achieved by infrared radiation emitted from an infrared ray lamp(s). This type of heater does not have function of circulating air. The heater has four lamps arrayed downward in its square main body. Compared with the heating ventilator 100 for bathroom that circulates air by configuring a ventilating blower, the heating device 190 for bathroom shows a relatively small and cabinet appearance.
Therefore, in order to mount a heating ventilator 100 for bathroom having function of circulating air towards the bathroom in a bathroom designed to be mounted with the above heating device 190, the frame 110 needs to be configured in substantially same shape as that of the heating device 190.

Panasonic Ecology Systems Guangdong Co., Ltd.


A linear compressor can prevent leakage of a magnetic force by changing the construction of a linear motor. As the construction of the linear motor is changed, a mechanical spring constant is set smaller in consideration of a magnetic spring constant, so that the size of springs supporting a piston in the reciprocal linear motion direction can be reduced and components supporting the springs can be removed. Therefore, the linear compressor achieves a small size/a light weight. With the characteristics of the linear motor construction, the linear compressor can suppress a stroke spreading influence and easily expand a compression capacity according to a load.

In general, a reciprocal compressor is configured such that a compression space into/from which an operating gas is sucked and discharged is defined between a piston and a cylinder and that the piston is linearly reciprocated in the cylinder to compress refrigerant.
Recently, since the conventional reciprocal compressor includes components such as a crank shaft, etc. to convert a rotation force of a driving motor into a reciprocal linear motion force of the piston, a problem such as a significant mechanical loss occurs due to the motion conversion. A linear compressor has been actively developed to solve this problem.
In this linear compressor, particularly, a piston is connected directly to a linear motor performing reciprocal linear motion, thus eliminating a mechanical loss caused by the motion conversion, improving compression efficiency, and simplifying the construction. In addition, since the operation of the linear compressor can be controlled by adjusting power input to the linear motor, the linear compressor generates less noise than the other compressors, so that it is often applied to electric home appliances such as refrigerators, etc. which are used indoors.
FIG. 1 is a top sectional view illustrating an example of a conventional linear compressor, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view illustrating part of an example of a linear motor applied to the conventional linear compressor.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the conventional linear compressor is configured such that a structure body composed of a frame 2, a cylinder 3, a piston 4, a suction valve 5, a discharge valve assembly 6, a motor cover 7, a supporter 8, a back cover 9, a muffler assembly 10, eight springs 20, and a linear motor 30 is elastically supported in a hermetic container 1. Of course, a suction pipe 1a through which refrigerant is sucked and a discharge pipe 1b through which compressed refrigerant is discharged are provided in the hermetic container 1.
The springs 20 are provided to elastically support the piston 4 in the axial direction, wherein four first springs 21 are installed between the motor cover 7 and the supporter 8 and four second springs 22 are installed between the supporter 8 and the back cover 9. Therefore, when the piston 4 moves in the direction of compressing refrigerant, the first springs 21 are compressed to elastically support the piston 4, but when the piston 4 moves in the direction of sucking refrigerant, the second springs 22 are compressed to elastically support the piston 4.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the linear motor 30 is configured such that an air gap is maintained between an inner stator 31 and an outer stator 32 and that a permanent magnet 33 is interposed therebetween to be able to perform reciprocal linear motion. The permanent magnet 33 is connected to the piston 4 by a connection member 34, thereby reciprocally driving the piston 4. The inner stator 31 is formed in a cylindrical shape by stacking laminations in the circumferential direction. Here, one axial end of the inner stator 31 is brought into contact with one surface of the frame 2, and the other axial end of the inner stator 31 is fixed to an outer circumferential surface of the cylinder 3 by a fixing ring (not shown). The outer stator 32 is configured such that a plurality of cores 32B and 32B′ are coupled to a coil winding body 32A at given intervals in the circumferential direction. The core 32B and 32B′ is composed of a pair of blocks 32B and 32B′ and installed to surround the outer circumferential surface of the coil winding body 32A in the axial direction of the coil winding body 32A. The core 32B and 32B′ is provided with a pair of poles 32a and 32b to surround part of the inner circumferential surface of the coil winding body 32A. Of course, the outer stator 32 is installed maintaining the air gap from the outer circumferential surface of the inner stator 31. The outer stator 32 is disposed to be in contact with the frame 2 and the motor cover 7 in the axial direction, and then fixed as the motor cover 7 is bolt-fastened to the frame 2. The permanent magnet 33 has N-S poles. The permanent magnet 33 is provided such that the (N-S) poles are positioned on its face opposite to the inner stator 31 and its face opposite to the outer stator 32, respectively, and connected to the piston 4 by the connection member 34. Accordingly, the permanent magnet 33 performs reciprocal linear motion due to a mutual electromagnetic force between the inner stator 31, the outer stator 32, and the permanent magnet 33, thereby operating the piston 4.
Therefore, since the moving member composed of the piston 4 and the permanent magnet 33 is supported by the mechanical springs 20 on both sides of the linear motion direction relative to the fixed member composed of the cylinder 3 and the stators 31 and 32, if the M-K resonant frequency is calculated that is defined by the mass M of the moving member and the spring constant K of the springs supporting the moving member and the power frequency applied to the linear motor 32 is set to conform to the M-K resonant frequency, efficiency of the linear compressor can be optimized.
The operation of the conventional linear compressor with the above construction will be described in detail.
When power is input to the coil winding body 32A, N/S poles are alternately formed on the inner stator 31 and the outer stator 32, and the permanent magnet 33 interposed therebetween performs reciprocal linear motion due to the attractive or repulsive force according to pole changes of the inner stator 31 and the outer stator 32. Here, if the center of the permanent magnet 33 escapes from the ends of the two poles 32a and 32b of the outer stator 32, the attractive force does not reach the permanent magnet 33 or the external diffusion of the electromagnetic field increases, so that the permanent magnet 33 may be separated from between the inner stator 31 and the outer stator 32 or the externally-diffused electromagnetic field may magnetize the hermetic container 1 or the other components in the hermetic container 1, which leads to low operation reliability. In order to solve the above problem, the stroke of the piston 4, i.e., the moving distance of the permanent magnet 33 is strictly limited such that the center of the permanent magnet 33 moves between the ends of the two poles 32a and 32b of the outer stator 32. For this purpose, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a few mechanical springs 20 made of high-rigidity spring steel are used to elastically support the moving member.
When the linear motor 30 operates as described above, the piston 4 and the muffler assembly 10 connected thereto perform reciprocal linear motion, and, as the pressure of the compression space P varies, the suction valve 5 and the discharge valve assembly 6 perform operation. In this operation, refrigerant is sucked into the compression space P via the suction pipe 1a of the hermetic container 1, an opening portion of the back cover 9, the muffler assembly 10, and an inlet port of the piston 4, compressed in the compression space P, and discharged to the outside through the discharge valve assembly 6, a loop pipe (not shown), and the discharge pipe 1b of the hermetic container 1.
The recent linear compressor has been developed to be easily installed in a small space as well as to be easily applied to a low capacity. However, the conventional linear compressor and the linear motor applied thereto are not suitable for the low-capacity simple construction because the stroke length of the piston 4 is strictly limited to the distance in which the center of the permanent magnet 33 performs reciprocal linear motion between the two poles 32a and 32b of the outer stator 32 due to the aforementioned reasons and a few springs 20 are used for this purpose.


A graphical input and display system having a user interface for selecting and creating image object elements includes input devices permitting a user to manipulate elements of electronic images. A processor, connected to the system, receives requests for various image object selection operations and also accesses a memory structure. The system memory structure includes a user interaction module, which allows a user to select image objects, an image object selection module for interpreting imprecise image object selection paths, and data memory.

This invention relates generally to user interfaces to computational devices, and more particularly to applications in which displayed objects are selected and arranged in document images.
Two types of interactive drawing/sketching/editing applications are currently in use, both of which support creation of new image material, through draw operations, and selection and manipulation of existing material, through editing operations. The types of interactive applications are distinguished by the emphasis placed on "sketch" and "editing" operations. In an image "editing" program, selection and manipulation of image objects is the primary activity. Therefore, stylus or mouse interaction is designed primarily to interpret stylus input as selection gestures, and the default interpretation of mouse or stylus activity is selection of existing image objects for manipulation. Tools for drawing objects are provided by auxiliary command objects, usually menus.
In a "sketch" program, however, the primary activity is the "draw" operation. To facilitate the sketching process, it is important for users to be able to quickly execute a series of markings such as handwritten or sketched strokes, without having to perform a menu initiation command at every stroke. These programs are designed such that draw operations can be the default interpretation of mouse or stylus activity. The disadvantage to this type of program is that when priority is placed on draw operations, selection operations become demoted and require explicit menu choices or button clicks to invoke a selection, which impedes the smooth flow of multiple selection and manipulation operations.
In both types of interactive applications, it can be very difficult to select and move, delete, or otherwise modify salient collections of markings at will. In particular, users are sometimes imprecise in the ways that they draw encircling gestures to select image objects for further manipulation. They may unintentionally clip off a piece of an image object they intend to select. At other times, they may actually intend to split off the very same piece of this image object. One of the major drawbacks to existing graphical editors is their inability to interpret selection gestures in light of precomputed perceptual objects, so that imprecise gestures may be interpreted to either deliver the literal objects defined by the gesture, or the perceptually significant objects identified in the precomputation stage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,565 to Saund et al. titled "Gestural Indicators for Selecting Graphic Objects" discloses a graphical imaging system, in which the rough location, size and shape of objects in the image is summarized by a first characteristic descriptor, representing a parametric "pose" computed for each object. A second characteristic descriptor, for example a "gesture matching" function, is provided in order to select the single object, or the set of objects, that best comports with the user's selection gesture. When most closely matched, these key characteristic descriptors permit simple and natural user gestures to distinguish among a large set of graphic objects that may overlap both spatially. User gestures can be simple slashes passing through the object, or quick, coarse approximations of objects' shapes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,309 to Meier et al. titled "Graphic Editor User Interface for a Pointer-Based Computer System" discloses a graphical editor arranged to permit the user to edit selected graphic objects by highlighting the objects and moving them with editing handles. A bounding box is also drawn about the selected portions of the object. In various aspects of the invention, the user is permitted to edit the object by executing specific actions, including resizing, duplicating, distorting and moving either the entire object or only selected portions. After any of the editing operations is performed, the display is updated to reflect changes made during the editing step.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,760,773 to Berman et al. titled "Methods and Apparatus for Interacting with Data Objects Using Action Handles" teaches a central processing unit coupled to a pointer control device such as a pen, stylus or mouse, that permits the user to selectively position a pointer and activate an action handle on a display associated with a data object. Activation of the action handle signals the central processing unit of selections associated with the data object. Tapping or clicking on the action handle causes display of a context menu containing at least one command that may be invoked with respect to the data object. Dragging the action handle indicates movement or dragging of the action handle and the corresponding data object for an operation associated with dragging such as drag-and-drop.
The present invention offers a new tool for computer assisted drawing, one that provides users with the ability to make imprecise selection gestures while the application applies certain rules and image analysis operations to infer the user's intent.

Method and system for interpreting imprecise object selection paths


A propulsion system in which pure hydrazine is used as the fuel for both a bipropellant rocket engine for high-thrust performance and in multiple monopropellant thrusters for station keeping and attitude control functions. Use of a common fuel for both modes of operation significantly reduces propellant weight and inert propulsion system weight for any given mission requirements, and therefore increases the payload that can be delivered to and maintained in a desired orbit. Further, for station-keeping, the monopropellant thrusters can be augmented in performance by employing either electrothermal or additional direct chemical energy, arc jet operation, or force field acceleration, to provide increased specific impulse values up to 2,000 seconds or higher.

This invention relates generally to rocket propulsion systems and, more particularly, to rocket propulsion systems for placing and maintaining spacecraft in planetary orbits. Although the invention has broad application to unmanned spacecraft, it is particularly concerned with launching and maintaining satellites in geosynchronous orbits. Placing a geosynchronous satellite into orbit typically involves three principal mission phases. First the satellite is placed in low earth orbit not far above the earth's atmosphere, either as part of the payload of a space shuttle vehicle or on a conventional non-resusable rocket vehicle. In the second phase, the satellite orbit has its apogee or highest point raised in altitude by one or more rocket "burns" at a selected point in the orbit, until the apogee is approximately at geosynchronous altitude. Finally, the satellite is given an apogee "kick," i.e. a further rocket burn at apogee that circularizes the orbit at geosynchronous altitude.
Once in orbit, rocket engines will be called on for two further functions: station keeping and attitude control, which are sometimes referred to collectively as reaction control system (RCS) functions. Satellites are usually required to maintain a particular "station" with respect to the earth's surface. Maintaining this station requires the expenditure of energy, even though the orbit is theoretically self-sustaining and geosynchronous. Various factors, such as the non-spherical nature of the earth, the gravitational influences of the moon and sun, and so forth, require that the orbit be corrected from time to time if the required station is to be maintained. Attitude control is simply the use of multiple rocket engines on the spacecraft to maintain a particular angular attitude of the vehicle. This may be needed, for example, to point an antenna or other sensor at the earth, the sun, or a star.
Rocket engines associated with orbiting spacecraft may be called upon to perform the various functions of orbital transfer, station keeping and attitude control. Unfortunately, the performance characteristics required for these functions are not identical. A figure of merit often used in the comparison of rocket engines is the specific impulse, I.sub.sp, which is defined as the thrust developed by the engine per unit of propellant weight flow rate. If the thrust is measured in pounds and the flow rate in pounds per second, the units for the measurement of specific impulse are seconds. The specific impulse is analogous to a miles-per-gallon figure for an automobile, since it measures how much thrust is developed for a unit fuel flow rate.
Another measure of performance is, of course, the thrust force generated by the engine. For the rapid acceleration that is required in a transition to geosynchronous orbit, particularly at the apogee "kick" phase of a mission, an engine with a relatively large thrust is required, perhaps generating up to several thousand pounds of thrust force. The specific impulse is also important, and should be in the 300-400 second range. For station keeping and attitude control, high thrust is not quite so important, since most station-keeping and attitude control maneuvers can be accomplished with low-thrust burns of the rocket engines. However, fuel economy is very important for these activities if the vehicle is to be sustained in orbit for a prolonged period.
Typically, the approaches followed to date have involved using multiple fuels and engine systems for the two tasks. For example, a solid rocket is used for the apogee kick engine and hydrazine catalytic engines for the station keeping and attitude control system thrusters. There is nothing inherently wrong with this traditional approach, except that the use of two separate propulsion systems severely limits the size of the useful payload that can be placed and maintained in orbit.
Some improvement can be obtained using an integrated bipropellant system, in which both the apogee kick engine and the RCS thrusters use a bipropellant fuel system, such as monomethyl hydrazine (MMH), as the fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (N.sub.2 O.sub.4) as the oxidizer. However, there is still room for further improvement in the payload that can be placed in orbit for a given mission. Another way to look at the problem is that there is room for improvement in the lifetime that a given spacecraft payload may be maintained in orbit. With a more efficient propulsion system, a greater payload may be maintained in orbit for a given time, or the same payload may be maintained in orbit for a longer time.
The present invention provides a more efficient propulsion system suitable for geosynchronous and other high-energy mission spacecraft programs.

High-performance dual-mode integral propulsion system


A method for preparing a coupled polymer, the method comprising the steps of (i) polymerizing monomer to form a reactive polymer, and (ii) reacting the reactive polymer with an imide compound containing an oxiranyl group.

Synthetic elastomers having a linear backbone are often employed in the manufacture of tire components, such as sidewalls and treads. It is believed that these polymers provide advantageous tensile properties, abrasion resistance, low hysteresis, and fatigue resistance. For example, cis-1,4-polydienes have been used in tires. These polymers can be produced by using lanthanide-based catalyst systems, which results in the formation of polymers characterized by a linear backbone. Polydienes having low or medium cis-1,4-linkage contents and polydiene copolymers, such as random copolymers of butadiene, styrene, and optionally isoprene, are also often employed in tires. These polymers can generally be produced by employing anionic initiators, such as n-butyllithium, which yields polymers with a linear backbone.
While synthetic elastomers having a linear backbone demonstrate a number of advantageous properties, especially for use in tires, these polymers exhibit cold flow due to their linear backbone structures. Conventionally, especially with anionically-polymerized polymers, the cold flow issues can be alleviated through polymer coupling. Polymer coupling, however, presents several technological challenges. For example, the benefits associated with a reduction in cold flow must be balanced with the processability of the polymers during compounding. Also, the ability to react certain compounds or reagents with a polymer chain, especially the reactive end of a polymer chain, can be unpredictable. Still further, it can be difficult to predict whether any particular coupling agent may have a deleterious impact upon one or more of the properties sought from the polymer and/or its use within particular compositions, such as those employed in the manufacture of tire components.
Because there is a need to reduce the cold flow of synthetic elastomers, especially linear polymers prepared by lanthanide-based catalyst systems and anionic initiators, without having a deleterious impact on the processability and/or use of the polymers, especially in the manufacture of tire components, there exists a need to develop new coupling agents and methods for coupling polymers.

Method for producing polydienes and polydiene copolymers with reduced cold flow


A coating composition particularly useful as a clear coating used over a pigmented base coat that has improved resistance to marring and to acid etching when exposed to natural weathering conditions containing 40-70% by weight of film forming binder and 30-60% by weight of a volatile liquid carrier for the binder; wherein the binder contains. a. 50-90% by weight, based on the weight of the binder, of an acrylosilane polymer of polymerized monomers from the following group: an alkyl methacrylate, an alkyl acrylate, each having 1-12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, cycloaliphatic alkyl methacrylate, cycloaliphatic alkyl acrylate, styrene or any mixture of these monomers; hydroxy containing monomers from the following group: hydroxy alkyl methacrylate, hydroxy alkyl acrylate each having 1-4 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, or any mixtures of these monomers; and a mono-ethylenically unsaturated silane monomer; PA1 b. 10-50% by weight, based on the weight of the binder of an organic polyisocyanate; and PA1 wherein the ratio of isocyanate groups of the organic polyisocyanate to hydroxy groups of the of the acrylosilane polymer is about 0.4:1 to 1.3:1.. and the polymer having a weight average molecular weight of 1,000-15,000 determined by gel permeation chromatography.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to coating compositions, in particular to a clear coating composition used as a clear coat over a color coating or base coating of a motor vehicle that has improved mar and acid etch resistance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Acid rain and other air pollutants have caused problems of water spotting and acid etching of finishes used on automobiles and trucks. The finish of choice presently being used on the exterior of automobiles and trucks is a clear coat/color coat finish in which a clear coating is applied over a color coating or base coating which is pigmented to provide protection to the color coat and improve the appearance of the overall finish such as gloss and distinctness of image. Another problem is mar resistance of the clear coat. Marring of the finish can be caused by mechanical washing procedures used in a typical commercial car wash or by other mechanical marring of the finish.
A number of clear coatings containing acrylosilane polymers have been used as clear coats as shown in Hazan et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,698 issued Nov. 19, 1991, Nordstrom et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,027 issued Jul. 2, 1996 and Lewin et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,684,084 issued Nov. 4, 1997. However, none of the compositions shown in the above patents have the necessary combination of properties including costs that are desired for an automotive OEM (original equipment manufacturing) clear coating composition.
There is a need for an OEM clear coating compositions that will form finishes that are resistant to acid etching and water spotting caused by acid rain and are resistant to marring.

Coating containing hydroxy containing acrylosilane polymer to improve mar and acid etch resistance


A method creates pillar structures on a semiconductor wafer and includes the steps of providing a layer of semiconductor. A layer of photoresist is applied over the layer of semiconductor. The layer of photoresist is exposed with an initial pattern of light to effect the layer of photoresist. The photoresist layer is then etched away to provide a photoresist pattern to create the pillar structures. The photoresist pattern is processed in the layer of photoresist after the step of exposing the layer of photoresist and prior to the step of etching to reduce the dimensions of the photoresist pattern in the layer of photoresist.

The invention generally relates to a method used to increase the density of devices formed on a semiconductor wafer. More particularly, the invention relates to a method used to reduce the dimensions of devices formed on a semiconductor wafer.
Devices made from semiconductor materials are used to create memory circuits in electrical components and systems. Memory circuits are the backbone of such devices as data and instruction sets are stored therein. Minimizing the amount of natural resources and space consumed by memory circuits is a primary motivation in the designing of such circuits. As the design of memory circuits has moved from two-dimensional designs to three-dimensional designs, more emphasis is being made to minimize the space required to build structures, while maintain the integrity and strength of same, which becomes more important as more elements are incorporated into a space, the greater the cost in having to replace that component should one element therein fail.
Electrical connections between dielectric layers and electrical components of an integrated circuit are required to be strong. Likewise, the electrical components themselves must be strong enough to endure harsh environmental conditions during continued manufacturing processes and a subsequent use life. Therefore, the connections between the electrical components and the wafer must be strong.
As the dimensions for structures formed on a semiconductor wafer diminish, tools currently available to create these devices reach their limits. By way of example, for a 32 nanometer patterning of a pillar structure, the currently available 193 nanometer immersion tools will fail to create such small devices. To use such tools, the use of which is desired to minimize the cost of tooling to fabricate the new smaller devices, additional steps are required to be introduced into the manufacturing process. One such process is double exposure/double patterning techniques.
It has been proposed to use negative resist to perform double exposure on line/space structures. Similar concepts have been applied to pillar structures by using contact mask structures to print pillar structures using a negative resist. The resolution capability of the 193 nanometer immersion tools with a negative resist lacks predictability and reliability.

Method for reducing pillar structure dimensions of a semiconductor device


A gaming device is provided including a set of symbols on a plurality of reels and a symbol stack that includes an initially displayed symbol and at least one initially hidden symbol. In one embodiment, the hidden symbols are stacked beneath the displayed symbol. The initially displayed symbol may be removed to reveal an initially hidden symbol so that one or more different sets of visible symbols appears on the display device.

The present invention relates in general to gaming devices, and more particularly to gaming devices that randomly displays symbol stacks.
Gaming device manufacturers produce many different types of slot machines employing a plurality of reels which each have a plurality of symbols. When the player places a wager which causes the reels to spin, the slot machine produces a random generation of a combination of the symbols on the reels. If the generated combination or a portion of the combination matches one of a number of predetermined award producing or winning combinations, the player receives an award. The award is commonly one or more credits that the player can play or redeem for money.
To increase player enjoyment and excitement, and to increase the popularity of the gaming machines, gaming device manufacturers constantly strive to provide players with new features that add to the excitement and enjoyment generated by the gaming device. One element of gaming devices that receives considerable attention from the game designer is the displayed symbols. The generated symbols are the player's primary focus during the game because the symbols determine the player's outcome.
The symbols are often chosen to reflect the theme of the gaming device. The symbols typically have indicia that is interesting. To date, however, gaming devices have presented the symbols to the player via established techniques. For example, the symbols are on and thus move with the reels until the reels come to rest and display a portion of the reel strip to the player, which is typically three symbols from each reel strip. While players have become accustomed to these techniques, it is believed that adding variety to the standard techniques of symbol generation and display in gaming devices is desirable. Accordingly, a need exists for a different and exciting way to provide and present symbols to a player.


The invention provides a method of making a three-dimensional metal structure, the method being characterized by the following steps:                making longitudinal cuts in a sheet metal strip by causing the strip to pass between two rollers carrying annular knives whose blades are discontinuous and angularly offset from one roller to the other so as to form parallel rectilinear chords that are interconnected at regular intervals by connecting bridges and by linking legs, two adjacent chords being provided either with U-shaped bridges for connection with two legs of the same orientation, or with S-shaped bridges for connection with two legs of opposite orientations, and the U-shaped bridges are oriented in opposite directions from one chord to the next;        slicing the strip transversely by sectioning said chords and said bridges at different longitudinal positions;        moving every other precut chord into an offset plane by exerting vertical thrust on the chords carrying the U-shaped bridges so as to cause the legs to pivot and to bring the ends of said chords into vertical alignment with the S-shaped bridges; and        stretching the strip in a transverse direction.

The present invention relates to a method of making a three-dimensional metal structure.
Sheet structures already exist that are made from round section metal wires welded to form a trellis in various configurations. Nevertheless, those structures present low breaking strength under stress due to the local modification to the nature of the metal at the welds. In addition, those structures are too heavy per unit area of contact with the filler material, in particular for certain applications where the weight of the structure is penalizing. Furthermore, they are very rigid and present only two dimensions. When two sheets are assembled together in parallel by welded spacers so as to make a three-dimensional structure, they become bulky to store and therefore lead to unacceptable transportation costs. Furthermore, they present the drawback of being high in price since their methods of manufacture require assembly and welding operations that are lengthy and complex. In addition, the large number of weld zones increases the risk of embrittlement and makes quality control operations relatively laborious.
An object of the present invention is to remedy those technical problems in satisfactory manner.

Method for making a three-dimensional metal structure