A reticle manufacturing method comprises a step of retreating side surfaces of a lift-off pattern to reduce an area of a wide pattern portion, a step of forming a wide convex pattern and a narrow convex pattern by etching a glass substrate (transparent substrate) while using a second mask pattern as a mask, a step of reducing an area of a first wide mask portion, a step of reducing at least an area of a second wide mask portion smaller than an area of the first wide mask portion, and a step of reducing an area of a wide light shielding portion by etching the wide light shielding portion while using the first wide mask portion as a mask.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reticle manufacturing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the progress of fine patterns on account of the higher integration of the semiconductor device such as LSI, the super-resolution exposure technology such as the phase shift method is demanded. There are various phase shift methods. Out of them, the exposure method using a chromeless reticle can form the finest pattern. For this reason, such exposure method is expected to contribute largely to the miniaturization of the semiconductor devices. However, since the method of manufacturing the chromeless reticle becomes recently extremely complicated, the above exposure method using the chromeless reticle makes worse the productivity of the semiconductor device and cannot meet the demand for the mass production of the semiconductor device.
Subsequently, a chromeless reticle manufacturing method in the prior art will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1E hereunder.
FIGS. 1A to 1E are sectional views showing a chromeless reticle manufacturing method in the prior art in order of steps.
At first, as shown in FIG. 1A, a light shielding layer 2 made of chromium and a resist 3 are formed sequentially on a quartz substrate 1.
Then, steps required for obtaining the sectional structure showing in FIG. 1B will be explained hereunder.
First, a first resist pattern 3c having a wide resist portion 3a and a narrow resist portion 3b is formed by exposing the resist 3 by means of the electron beam (EB) exposure machine and then developing the resist 3. The Cr (chromium) light shielding layer 2 and the glass substrate 1 are then etched by using the first resist pattern 3c as a mask. Thus, the light shielding layer 2 is patterned to form a wide light shielding portion 2a and a narrow light shielding portion 2b. Moreover, the portion of the quartz substrate 1, where the portions 2a and 2b does not cover, is thinned by the etching and thus a thin thickness portion 1c is formed. A wide convex pattern 1a and a narrow convex pattern 1b, each having original thickness of the substrate 1 without being subjected to the etching, are formed under the portions 2a and 2b, An etching depth of the thin thickness portion 1c is determined according to a wavelength of an exposure light that is applied to the completed chromeless reticle. The etching depth is set to such a thickness that a phase of the light passed through the thin thickness portion 1c is sifted by just π from the phase of the light passed through the convex patterns 1a, 1b.
After the etching, the first resist pattern 3c is removed.
Then, as shown in FIG. 1C, the resist is coated on the overall surface and then exposed/developed by the electron beam exposure machine. Thus, a second resist pattern 4 having a planar shape that is smaller than the wide light shielding portion 2a is selectively formed only on the wide light shielding portion 2a.
Then, as shown in FIG. 1D, the light shielding portions 2a, 2b are etched by using the second resist pattern 4 as a mask. Thus, side surfaces of the wide light shielding portion 2a retreats, and thus an upper surface of the wide convex pattern 1a is exposed by an amount of such retreat. Also, the narrow light shielding portion 2b on the narrow convex pattern 1b is removed.
After that, as shown in FIG. 1E, a basic structure of the chromeless reticle in the prior art is completed by removing the second resist pattern 4.
FIG. 2 is a view showing a sectional shape of the chromeless reticle in the prior art together with a graph showing an intensity of the exposure light on the wafer.
As shown in FIG. 2, the chromeless reticle has a large width area A in which the wide light shielding portion 2a remains for exposing a wide pattern onto the wafer, and a small width area B in which the chromium pattern is removed for exposing a finer pattern than the large width area A.
In the small width area B, phases of the lights, each passed through the narrow convex pattern 1b and the thin thickness portion 1c, are shifted by π. Therefore, both lights interfere and cancel each other at the bottom of the side surface (edge) of the narrow convex pattern 1b. As a result, an intensity of the exposure light is sharply changed at the bottom of the edge and thus a fine and sharp pattern can be obtained on the wafer. The phenomenon that the intensity of the light is emphasized at the edge portion in this manner is also called the edge contrast effect.
According to this edge contrast effect, as disclosed in FIGS. 2a) to b) in Non-Patent Literature 1, the exposure light is not canceled around the center of the pattern if the width of the convex pattern is excessively wide, and therefore a desired dark pattern cannot be formed. As such, the width of the narrow convex pattern 1b must be reduced narrower than a certain upper limit value to achieve the edge contrast effect. This upper limit value is referred to as Cmax in the following. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the width of the narrow convex pattern 1b is set just to this Cmax. According to this, the edge contrast can be obtained only for the region that goes inward by Cmax/2 from the edge of the pattern.
In contrast, in the large width area A in FIG. 2, the upper surface of the wide convex pattern 1a is exposed by retreating the side surfaces of the wide light shielding portion 2a from the side surfaces of the wide convex pattern 1a, while leaving partially the wide light shielding portion 2a. As a result, most of the exposure light is shielded by the wide light shielding portion 2a and also the contrast of the pattern on the wafer is improved by the edge contrast effect.
The technology relevant to the present invention is disclosed on Patent Literatures 1, 2.                [Patent Literature 1] Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) Sho 64-21450        [Patent Literature 2] Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) Hei 4-85814        [Non-Patent Literature 1] H. Iwasaki, et al., "Fabrication of the 70-nm line patterns with ArF chromeless phase-shift masks", SPIE, vol. 4754
Meanwhile, an amount of retreat of the wide light shielding portion 2a in the large width area A must be set smaller than Cmax/2 to achieve the edge contrast effect. However, if the amount of such retreat is set excessively small, intensity of exposure light passing through the wide convex pattern 1a is reduced and thus the exposure light passed through the wide convex pattern 1a cannot uniformly interfere with the exposure light passed through the thin thickness portion 1c, which in turn makes the edge of the pattern dim and lowers the pattern contrast.
For this reason, in the chromeless reticle of this type, the brightness contrast of the exposure light passed through the reticle must be set equal under the both edges by retreating the both edges of the wide light shielding portion 2a from the side surfaces of the wide convex pattern 1a by the same distance.
However, in the above chromeless reticle manufacturing method in the prior art, the second resist pattern 4 for forming the wide light shielding portion 2a must be formed apart from the first resist pattern 3c for forming the wide convex pattern 1a. Therefore, an alignment between the wide convex pattern 1a and the second resist pattern 4 must be performed precisely.
If this alignment is imprecise, the center of the wide light shielding portion 2a is displaced from the center of the wide convex pattern 1a, as shown in FIG. 3, and a intensity of exposure light becomes different at both edges of the wide light shielding portion 2a and thus the brightness contrast becomes different at the bottoms of both edges.
However, according to the patterning performed by the electron beam exposure machine, an alignment precision between the wide convex pattern 1a and the second resist pattern 4 (a minimum value of the displacement between both centers of the wide convex pattern 1a and the second resist pattern 4) is 20 to 30 nm at best. Therefore, it is difficult to align the wide convex pattern 1a and the second resist pattern 4 with good precision and thus it is difficult to maintain the balance of the contrast between the exposure lights as described above. This problem appears not only in the electron beam exposure machine but also in the exposure machine such as the stepper, or the like.
In addition, if the resist patterns are formed twice in this manner, the exposure date must be prepared for each of the patterns, which in turn prolongs the manufacturing steps and raises cost, so the above method is unsuitable for the mass production.


A railcar adapter for radially connecting a railcar body to a bearing. The railcar adapter includes an adapter body having two lateral channels each delimited by a pair of opposed lugs and a lateral surface perpendicular to the opposed lugs, lateral channels being adapted to cooperate with the railcar body. The railcar adapter also includes two frontal surfaces, an inner surface acting as a bearing seat for the bearing, and an outer surface. The railcar adapter provides two frontal flanges that inwardly protrude with respect to the inner surface, and that delimit with the inner surface a housing for the bearing, and at least one of the flanges is distinct from the adapter body and is mounted to a frontal surface of the body.

A railcar generally comprises a bogie frame provided with a pair of side frames on each side having downwardly opening jaws. A bearing adapter is vertically moveable within the jaws and rests on a bearing mounted on a railcar axle carrying a wheel of the railcar. The bearing adapter is thus a rigid connection between the bogie frame of the railcar and the bearing. Typically, a bearing for a railcar axle fits around a journal at the end of the railcar axle where it is mounted between a backing ring assembly and an end cap.
However, the railcar adapter may move with respect to the bearing. The load applied by the bogie frame through the adapter may not be well distributed on the bearing, notably on the rolling elements when the bearing is of the rolling bearing type. This results in wear on the inner surface and the outer surface of the railcar adapter, as well as in failure of the bearing.
Moreover, the railcar adapter may come into contact with the backing ring or the end cap of bearing. This results in unexpected wear of these parts and then reduce their service life.
The railcar displacement with respect to the bearing can also lead to a direct contact between the adapter and one of the bearing seals. In that case, bearing is not suitably sealed. Then pollution with contaminant particles, dust, and water may enter the bearing from the exterior, and potentially damage the bearing parts.
Typically, bearings are filled with lubricant, in particular grease, to lubricate the rolling contact surfaces that support in rotation the railcar axle. The aim is to reduce friction and heat exchange, so as to reduce wear of the parts and risks of break. However, bearing seals affected by a railcar adapter displacement may lead to lubricant leakage to the outside of bearing, and then in failure to the bearing.
These and other problems are addressed by embodiments of the present invention.

Railcar adapter for connecting a railcar body to a bearing


An elongated light-guiding element includes opposed incident and emission ends between which light propagates by total internal reflection. The light-guiding element includes a glass core with first and second glass core ends and a glass-core outer surface. A non-glass polymeric optical layer extends over at least a portion of the length of the glass core and is disposed peripherally thereabout. The optical layer has first and second optical-layer ends and an optical-layer exterior surface extending between the first and second optical-layer ends. The glass core and the polymeric optical layer exhibit indices of refraction that are matched to one another as closely as practicable such that the combination of the glass core and the optical layer exhibits optical properties similar to those that would be exhibited by an optical element of similar shape and dimensions fabricated from a single, continuous mass of optical material having a refractive index equal to the that of the glass core material.

1. Field
Although not so limited in its utility or scope, implementations of the present invention are particularly well suited for the fabrication of variously configured optical fiber components including optical fiber tapers.
2. Brief Description of Illustrative Environments and Related Art
Manufacturers of optical fiber components encounter circumstances in which the outer or "peripheral" geometry of a single light-conductive element, or a unitary bundle of the same, must be one that does not generally result conveniently from the well-known heating and drawing process. In addition, some applications require the formation of what are known in the industry as a "tapers." A taper, as the name implies, is a light-conductive component the cross-sectional area of which increases or decreases as a function of displacement along the longitudinal axis of the component. Traditional methods of achieving an irregular or varying peripheral geometry include (i) heating glass within a mold of desired shape, (ii) molding a form from glass "gobs" and, for the formation of tapers, (iii) heating and stretching a central portion of a glass component in order to form a region of gradually decreasing cross-sectional area. Although difficulties are encountered in connection with the formation of optical fiber components having special cross-sectional configurations of constant cross-sectional area, even more challenging is the formation of tapered components generally and, more particularly, tapered components exhibiting unusual cross-sectional geometries (e.g., other than round or square).
Designers and fabricators of optical fiber components are familiar with variously configured optical fiber "tapers" formed for alternative applications including, for example, (i) use as image reducers/enlargers and (ii) the alteration of numerical aperture along an optical path. For the former application, a taper typically includes a plurality of internally-reflecting light conduits (e.g., light-conductive fibers), each of which conduits conducts a portion (e.g. a "pixel") of an image introduced into one end of the taper for communication to the opposite end where the numerous pixels combine to form either a reduced or enlarged image. A taper of the type used to alter numerical aperture typically includes opposed incident and emission ends, an optical core extending between the incident and emission ends and an optical cladding disposed about the core, wherein the core and cladding exhibit relative refractive indices that facilitate light propagation by total internal reflection between the incident and emission ends. Depending on whether the numerical-aperture alteration taper is implemented to reduced or increase the numerical aperture along the optical path into which it is situated, the taper is oriented such that the small end (i.e., the end of smaller cross-sectional geometry) serves as one of the incident and emission ends and the large end serves as the other of the incident and emission ends. As is known to those in the field, the opposed small and large ends exhibit, respectively, a small-end numerical aperture and a large-end numerical aperture lower in magnitude than the small-end numerical aperture.
An illustrative traditional method of fabricating a numerical-aperture alteration taper begins with the creation of a basic internally-reflecting light conduit comprising a cladding material collapsed about a core material and exhibiting a uniform cross-sectional geometry and area. Known to those of skill in the relevant arts is that such a conduit exhibits a numerical aperture the mathematical expression for which is NA=(n12−n22)1/2 where n1 represents the refractive index of the core material and n2 represents the refractive index of the cladding material. An intermediate portion of the basic light conduit is heated and stretched such that the intermediate portion is gradually constricted and exhibits a diameter and cross-sectional area that varies with position along the length of the conduit within the stretched intermediate portion (i.e., transition region) such that the basic conduit assumes what is referred to in the art as an "hour glass" shape. If the basic conduit is cut at the center of the transition region, for example, two tapered conduits are formed each of which tapered conduits includes a tapered segment and a segment of relatively constant diameter and cross-sectional area. It will be appreciated that, if desired, a taper exhibiting a diameter and a cross-sectional area that vary over its full length may also be cut from the transition region or from the tapered segment of a tapered conduit. As previously explained, a cladded-core taper made in accordance with the aforementioned or some alternative method includes opposed small and large ends. The small end of the taper exhibits a numerical aperture corresponding to the numerical aperture of the basic light conduit from which the taper was formed, a phenomenon that is generally true regardless of from where along the transition region the small end was cut. However, the larger end exhibits a different numerical aperture that is lower in magnitude than the numerical aperture of the small end of the taper. The value of the numerical aperture at the large end is equal to the inverse of the magnification ratio of the taper multiplied by the numerical aperture of the basic light conduit from which the taper was formed. Accordingly, in going from the small end to the large end, the magnitude of the numerical aperture of the taper is reduced. Among the disadvantages of a taper fabrication method such as that described above are the facts that the process is (i) time consuming and (ii) difficult to replicate precisely over multiple components, thereby frequently resulting in unacceptable variations in dimensional precision among components fabricated pursuant to the same specification requirements.
For some applications, specially-configured optical components can be formed from a molded translucent polymeric material (e.g., plastic), thereby obviating many of the physical difficulties of working with glass. However, when exposed to ultraviolet light and intense heat over sustained periods of time, plastics breakdown and eventually fail. Consequently, polymeric optical components have proven ill-suited for applications in which they are placed in close proximity to intense heat and ultraviolet sources.
Accordingly, there is a need for specially shaped light conduits that are more convenient to precisely and consistently form than glass conduits, but that exhibit the durability of glass when exposed to ultraviolet light.

Light conduits having peripheral, shape-defining polymer overmolds


A heat source (single semiconductor chip or group of closely spaced semiconductor chips of similar height) is provided on a first side of a substrate, which substrate has on said first side a support member comprising a compressible material. A heat removal component, oriented at an angle to said heat source, is brought into proximity of said heat source such that said heat removal component contacts said support member prior to contacting said heat source. Said heat removal component is assembled to said heat source such that said support member at least partially absorbs global inequality of force that would otherwise be applied to said heat source, absent said support member comprising said compressible material.

In high performance electronic computing systems, the heat-generating active components need to be cooled in order to keep the component temperatures within acceptable limits. Heat is removed from a processor die made from silicon or other material by contacting the face of the die with a thermal sink through a first thermal interface material (TIM1). In most applications, this thermal sink is a module lid or heat spreader, in which case a second thermal interface material (TIM2) is used to make contact with a liquid-cooled cold plate or air-cooled heat sink.
In other applications referred to as "bare die attach," the cold plate or air-cooled heat sink is contacted directly to the heat generating chip through the TIM1, and the TIM2 is eliminated. In all cases, the processor die will have a limit on the maximal local force which it can tolerate before being damaged. Most systems limit the local force by using a mechanically compliant TIM1 to even out the force seen by the die. Bare die attach with no TIM2 is used when better thermal performance is required. For cases where a stiffer or thinner TIM1 is desired to further improve thermal performance, a flexible cold plate or heat sink can be used.
Such existing methods can do a good job of reducing local force inequalities applied to the processor die, when a single thermal sink is contacted to a single chip or a single group of closely spaced chips of relatively uniform height.

Near-chip compliant layer for reducing perimeter stress during assembly process

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


An improvement to a cellular camera phone comprising a source of illumination positioned adjacent to the camera unit and configured to illuminate a portion of an underlying surface within the field of view the camera unit; programming effective to (a) collect a current tracking image frame, (b) compare the current tracking image frame with a prior tracking image frame, (c) compute a relative displacement between the tracking image frames, and (d) store the current tracking image frame as a prior tracking image frame; and a wireless peripheral interface, wherein the wireless peripheral interface communicates the relative displacement to a computer. Also, a method of retrofitting a cellular camera phone to provide wireless mouse functionality comprising the steps of providing an accessory unit for engagement with the cellular phone configured to position a source of illumination adjacent to the camera unit and to illuminate a portion of an underlying surface within the field of view the camera unit; providing the aforedescribed programming, and providing programming to communicate the relative displacement to a computer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cellular telephone and optical mouse technology and, more particularly, to a cellular telephone having an integrated, optically-based means for measuring the movement of the telephone across an underlying surface and an integrated, wireless means for communicating such relative displacement to a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various cellular telephones having integrated camera functions are commercially available. Such telephones typically employ an camera unit including an image sensor, a multiple element fixed-focus lens assembly that is optimized for imaging subjects located at least 100 mm from the lens assembly, and a lens barrel for positioning the elements of the lens assembly over the image sensor. The image sensor is typically a CMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor, depending upon the design goals for camera functionality, e.g., low-light performance and image noise floor. State of the art telephones may substitute a variable-focus camera unit that can be switched between a normal mode and a "macro mode" optimized for imaging subjects located at least 20 mm from the lens assembly. The image sensors in basic telephone designs typically provide a VGA-equivalent resolution of 640 by 480 pixels, but state of the art telephone designs may incorporate image sensors providing UXGA or even QXGA-equivalent resolutions, i.e., 1600 by 1200 or 2048 by 1536 pixels. In most telephone designs, the camera function can also assemble a series of still images to construct a movie sequence with a frame rate of 10-30 frames per second, and camera function is operatively coupled to a supplemental source of illumination, such as a xenon flash, to permit the imaging of subjects under low-light conditions. In certain state of the art telephone designs, the telephone can be wirelessly interfaced with a computer through various RF communications technologies such as Bluetooth® to provide remote data communications and/or file transfer capabilities.
Various mice employing optical motion-sensing technology are also commercially available. Such mice typically combine an image sensor, a source of illumination, a digital signal processor, and a peripheral interface as a means for translating observed motion over an underlying surface, such as a desktop, into measurements of relative displacement which are communicated to a computer and computer operating system for use in manipulating a command element. The optical sensor typically employs a CMOS image sensor shielded by a single lens element/cover that is optimized for imaging a portion of the underlying surface located 5-10 mm below the sensor. The source of illumination, which is typically a light emitting diode (LED) or laser diode (LD), is offset from the image sensor and oriented so that light is emitted toward a surface below the optical sensor, scattered off the underlying surface, and collected in photosites in the image sensor. The digital signal processor is programmed to sample the image sensor at a comparatively high frame rate, on the order of 1500 to 6500 frames per second, and to track the apparent movement of microscopic features of the surface between successive frames to determine the relative displacement of the mouse. This relative displacement is subsequently communicated to the peripheral interface, to a computer, and to computer operating system as an input for controlling a command element such as a cursor. These image sensors typically have a resolution of between 16 by 16 and 30 by 30 pixels, although other resolutions of comparable magnitude may be found in sensors marketed by various manufacturers. In certain state of the art mouse designs, the mouse can be wirelessly interfaced with a computer through various RF communications technologies such as Bluetooth® to control a command element such as a GUI cursor.
Camera phones and optical mice have become ubiquitous in business environments, but each is sold and used as a stand-alone device in accord with its intended function. However, and particularly in business travel situations, such a multiplicity of devices contributes to a number of problems, including the need to pack each device, the need to manage the cables associated with wired devices, the need to periodically recharge multiple wireless devices, etc. Moreover, mouse replacements such as laptop touch pads tend to be poor substitutes for mice, as they typically require a user to position themselves in front of the computer and behind the computer screen, so that a user making a presentation to an audience is at least partially obscured from their audience by a prominent barrier. Other mouse replacements such as remote presentation controls tend to be single function devices, providing a limited ability to control presentation software, but not the ability to fully control a command element such as a GUI cursor. Hence, it would be advantageous for certain users, such as business travelers, to combine certain existing cellular phone features with new optical, illuminating, and programming features to produce a cellular telephone having integrated wireless mouse functionality. Such an improved cellular telephone would permit a computer user to control a computer presentation without carrying a separate special purpose device, to avoid the need to manage an additional cable or battery-operated wireless device, and to avoid diminishing the effectiveness of a presentation by resort to a computer-integrated mouse replacement or limited function remote. Such an improved cellular telephone could also substitute for a mouse in situations where a computer user is away from their desk and/or laptop docking station.

Camera cell phone with integrated wireless mouse


A welding condition monitoring device for monitoring the welding state of a welding work portion by taking an image thereof by an image sensor having a wide dynamic range and capable of taking an image covering a very bright welding portion and relatively dark portion. The monitoring device selectively emphasizes the outputs of the image sensor for any of luminance areas of the image taken by the image sensor using a sensor output characteristic table and can provide an image clearly showing both the very bright welding portion and the dark bead portion with a sufficient contrast allowing an observer to reliably recognize the objects in the image.

The present invention relates to a welding condition monitoring device capable of visually monitoring a welding state of a welding work portion of an object being weld by a welding machine by an image taken therefrom by an image sensor.
Generally, the welding operation of a modern laser welding machine is monitored by an image taken from a currently welding position by an image sensor, which image is used for inspecting the welding conditions.
FIG. 29 shows an image of a surface of members being joined together by the heat of a laser beam of a laser welder. The image is comprised of a welding portion of metal melted at high temperature by the heat of a laser beam, a molten pool and a bead formed by solidification of weld metal behind the molten pool. To estimate the quality of a weld joint to be formed, it is necessary to monitor a high luminance welding portion and a low luminance bead portion on the same image. For this purpose, it is necessary to use an image sensor having a wide dynamic range for luminosity. If an image sensor having a narrow dynamic range is applied for the above-described application, it cannot present a complete image distinctly showing both of a high luminance welding portion and a low luminance bead portion. In other words, the image taken by the image sensor having an insufficient dynamic range shows a clear bright welding work portion with an invisibly darkened bead portion or a clear bead portion with an unclear bright welding portion with halation.
Japanese Laying-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-329616 discloses a CMOS-type image sensor having a logarithmic output characteristic for attaining a wide dynamic range, which uses a matrix of light sensor circuits each of which represents a unit pixel and, as shown in FIG. 2, comprises a photodiode PD for producing therein a sensor current proportional to the quantity of incident light Ls falling thereon, a transistor Q1 for converting the sensor current produced in the photodiode PD into a voltage signal Vpd having a logarithmic characteristic in a weak inverse state, a transistor Q2 for amplifying the voltage signal Vpd and a transistor Q3 for outputting the amplified voltage signal at a timing pulse Vs generated by a reading-out signal.
In the above-described image sensor, the sensor circuit, as shown in FIG. 3, may present a logarithmic output characteristic with a sufficient sensor current corresponding to the quantity of incident light falling thereon but it presents a linear (non-logarithmic) output characteristic with a small sensor current because of a delay in responding to charging/discharging of the parasitic capacity of the photodiode PD.
In case of monitoring a welding state of a welding work portion by an image taken therefrom by an image sensor using light sensor circuits each having a logarithmic output characteristic with a wide dynamic range, the image covering a wide range of luminosity from a very light portion to a dark portion may be observed but may suffer insufficient contrast of the image because of logarithmic compression of the luminance.
A recent laser welding machine is provided with a monitoring device for observing the welding state of a welding work portion on a work being welded thereon by an image taken by a camera (image sensor) to check and control the current welding conditions.
In FIG. 29, there is shown a state of a welding work portion of metals being joined together by heat of a laser beam moving in the direction indicated by an arrow, which portion comprises a molten pool BA of metal melted at a very high temperature by heat of a laser beam and a bead portion BB formed by solidification of molten metal behind the molten pool. In FIG. 29, BS designates a welding position currently being irradiated by a laser beam spot.
To visually estimate the quality of welding work, it is necessary to take by a camera a sequence of images each showing both a high luminance molten pool BA and a low luminance bead portion BB of metals being joined together by laser welding and display each image on the same monitor screen.
If a CCD camera having a narrow dynamic range is used to take an image of a welding work portion, it may present an image of the object with a clear light molten pool BA and an invisibly darkened bead portion BB (at a large diaphragm value suitable for taking a highlight portion image) or a clear bead portion and a molten pool unclear with halation (at a small diaphragm value suitable for taking a dark portion image).
Accordingly, an object image taken by a single CCD camera does not allow the observer to grasp the welding states of the molten pool BA and the bead portion BB. When a CCD camera is used for taking an image of the same object by alternately changing over the aperture size (or filter) from one suitable for taking an image of the light molten pool BA to another suitable for taking an image of the dark bead portion BB and reverse, it cannot achieve real-time monitoring of the states of the molten pool BA and the bead portion BB. Therefore, the conventional method takes at the same time two images 11 and 12 of a molten pool BA and a bead portion respectively, as shown in FIG. 34, by using two sets of CCD cameras and combines two images to present a real-time view of the object on a monitor screen. In FIG. 34, H indicates the halation and f1 and f2 indicate surface defects of the bead portion BB respectively.
When a plurality of cameras having a narrow dynamic range are used for separately taking an image of a highlight portion and an image of a relatively dark bead portion in the welding work portion of an object being welded by a welding machine such as a laser welder, arc welder and electron beam welder, each of the cameras requires separate positioning to take a specified portion following the welding process, complicating the monitoring system.
In the case of making a decision on the welding condition of a welding work portion by analyzing data obtained from the respective images taken by plural cameras, it is necessary to perform complicated processing of the image data.
Generally, the operation of a welding machine working on a transfer line for automatically welding respective works to be successively transferred to a specified position thereon shall be monitored by views taken by cameras and optimally controlled so as to ensure the sufficient quality of the weld products.
In this instance, when using the welding machine to conduct butt-welding or lap-welding of respective works to be successively transferred to the welding station on the line, it is necessary to monitor whether the welding machine always maintains its welding head at a constant distance from the work set on the welding machine based on data of images taken by the cameras. This condition is requisite for obtaining the quality of the weld product.
If a CCD camera having a narrow dynamic range is used in that case for monitoring the welding work portion, it may be adjusted by enlarging its aperture to obtain a clear image of a very light portion of the object being welded or by reducing its aperture to obtain a clear image of a relatively dark portion.
The above adjustment may result in appearing on the image a darkened invisible portion corresponding to a portion irradiated by a weakened laser beam in the teaching stage for positioning a laser beam thereon before the welding operation or may result in halation of the highlight portion on the image.
Accordingly, images clearly showing both of a low luminance portion and a high luminance portion in the actual welding process may be taken by necessarily changing over the aperture size of the camera or exchanging the filter thereof one for another.
In monitoring whether a constant distance of a welding head from a work being welded is maintained on a welding machine such as a laser welder, arc welder and electronic beam welder, the conventional monitoring method using a camera having a narrow dynamic range requires frequent changing-over of the aperture size or exchanging filters of the camera so as to present sequence of images of the work being welded, which are clear in both the low luminance portion (irradiated by a weak laser beam in a teaching stage before welding) and the high luminance portion (irradiated by an intense laser beam in the actual welding process). This requires the monitoring system to perform complicated operations.


A method for configuring an interworking wireless local area network (I-WLAN) user equipment (UE) to access a third generation partnership project (3GPP) system begins by initiating a connection from a UE to the 3GPP system, the initiating step including indicating the UE's interworking protocol capabilities. Authentication and authorization of the UE connection by the WLAN to the 3GPP system is requested, including indicating the UE's interworking protocol capabilities. The 3GPP system determines whether to accept the UE's request, including examining the UE's interworking protocol capabilities. An interworking protocol is instantiated at the UE, whereby the UE is configured to interwork with the 3GPP system.

Currently, there are several WLAN interworking schemes with 3GPP systems (UMTS). In one scheme, the end to end tunnel approach, the UE establishes a tunnel with the 3GPP based system ending at a Packet Data Gateway (PDG). The tunnel goes through a WLAN Gateway (WAG) without being terminated at the WAG (and is transparent to the WAG). This scheme has been standardized as a preferred configuration that all I-WLAN UEs must implement.
The second scheme is the switched tunneling approach, which involves establishing two tunnels between the PDG and the UE at the WAG. The first tunnel between the WAG and the PDG uses existing 3GPP based general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) and the second tunnel follows the normal IP tunneling protocol.
A third interworking scheme is the Generic Access approach, which involves the tunneling of the traffic from the 3GPP system to the 3GPP-based UE via the I-WLAN. In this scheme, the I-WLAN acts as a pseudo 3GPP Node B interworking with the 3GPP system at the radio access network (RAN) level. The traffic passes through the I-WLAN access point (AP) to the I-WLAN UE which decodes the traffic back to 3GPP formats and passes it to the 3GPP-based terminal.
The existence of these schemes creates potential conflicts regarding the preferred mode of operation. For example: 1) the UE is capable of supporting all of the configurations, but does not know what configuration is supported by the network; 2) the UE is only capable of supporting one scheme (for example, the end to end tunneling architecture), but the network is configured to use another interworking scheme (for example, the switched tunneling solution); 3) the UE and the network are capable of supporting all schemes, but currently there is no way to communicate the preferred mode of operation between the two sides.
These schemes are different in terms of operational protocols and parameters. The end result is that multiple techniques or schemes may be used to support I-WLAN interworking with 3GPP systems (cellular in general), which mandates that the UE should either support all of these schemes or some mechanism to decide which scheme is being supported at the infrastructure level and then configures the UE to operate in accordance with the supported scheme. During the set-up, there should be procedures to inform the UE of the network configuration, such that it uses the right interworking protocol.

Configuring an interworking wireless local area network user equipment to access a 3GPP system


A method and apparatus for controlling an optical gain difference and an optical phase difference in a semiconductor optical amplifier—Mach-Zehnder interferometer (SOA-MZI) wavelength converter having two arms and that outputs probe output signals POH and POL, corresponding to pump input signals of logic high and logic low, respectively. The controlling includes detecting an optical power level of the output probe signals and controlling at least one of an optical gain difference between the two arms and an optical phase difference between the two arms in accordance with a detected optical power level of the probe output signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor optical amplifier—Mach-Zehnder interferometer (SOA-MZI). More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of controlling at least one of an optical gain difference and an optical phase difference, particularly to optimize an extinction ratio (ER), and apparatuses appropriate therefore.
2. Description of the Related Art
A broadband information communication network having a large capacity, increased transmission speed, increased operational efficiency and improved reliability is needed. Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission is one intercommunication technology that meets the above needs. WDM not only increases the transmission capacity, but also establishes a reconfigurable network. In a WDM network, data is transmitted to nodes along a path that is determined by a wavelength used. However, due to connections between networks using different wavelengths and/or a limit on the number of wavelengths which can be used per channel in a network, wavelengths may interfere with each other as the same wavelength is used in different channels, or assignment of a path to each wavelength and efficient routing is made difficult, giving rise to problems in the system.
Accordingly, to efficiently operate a WDM all-optical network, optical exchange is needed at each node to avoid channel conflict and to provide wavelength reallocation. Such optical exchange may be performed by an optical cross connect (OXC). The OXC consists of a wavelength converter converting an input signal at one wavelength to an output signal at another wavelength, a spatial switch routing paths of wavelengths, an optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) adding or dropping a path of an optical signal that is input or output at a node, and a MUX/DEMUX coupling signals in various wavelengths or separating a coupled signal. Of the above devices, the wavelength converter is a core device of the OXC. The conversion of a wavelength allows incoming data carried on a particular wavelength to be transmitted using a newly assigned wavelength. The wavelength conversion may rely on cross-gain modulation (XGM) using non-linearity of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), cross-phase modulation (XPM) and four wave-mixing (FWM). A SOA-MZI wavelength converter uses XPM.
In general, an SOA is an optical amplifier that, when an input signal having a small amplitude is incident on an active layer of a semiconductor in a state in which a density is inverted by the injection of current, the input signal is amplified by stimulated emission in which free electrons in a conduction band are coupled to holes in a valence band, thereby emitting photons. Thus, an amplified optical signal is output.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram showing the structure of a conventional SOA-MZI wavelength converter. Referring to FIG. 1, the SOA-MZI wavelength converter converts the wavelength of an input optical signal from λ1 to λ2 using XPM. The SOA-MZI wavelength converter shown in FIG. 1 includes a first SOA 102, a second SOA 104, a phase shifter 106, and an optical bandwidth pass filter (OBPF) 108.
The first SOA 102 amplifies a pump input signal Ppump and a probe input signal Pprobe. When Ppump is logic 1, the first SOA 102 also shifts the phase of Pprobe due to XPM. The optical gain of the first SOA 102 is controlled by a bias current i1. In the SOA-MZI wavelength converter shown in FIG. 1, a portion amplifying the pump input signal Ppump and the probe input signal Pprobe using the first SOA 102 is referred to as a first arm. The second SOA 104 amplifies the probe input signal Pprobe. The optical gain of the second SOA 104 is controlled by a bias current i2. In the SOA-MZI wavelength converter shown in FIG. 1, a portion amplifying the probe input signal Pprobe using the second SOA 104 and shifting the phase of an amplified optical signal output from the SOA 104 using the phase shifter 106 is referred to as a second arm.
The phase shifter 106 changes an optical phase difference φ between the first and second arms to π in order to increase an extinction ratio (ER). When the optical phase difference φ between the first and second arms is π and an optical phase difference φXPM generated due to Pprobe being logic 1 is π, constructive interference occurs. When the optical phase difference φ between the first and second arms is π and probe input signal Pprobe is logic 0, i.e., φXPM is 0, destructive interference occurs. Thus, ER is optimized.
The OBPF 108 cuts off a pump output signal at λ1 and passes only a probe output signal at λ2. Thus, only a probe output signal having a wavelength of λ2 modulated to the shape of a pump signal is transmitted, thereby achieving wavelength conversion.
FIGS. 2A–2C illustrate waveform diagrams showing the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2A, a waveform diagram shows a pump input signal. The pump input signal may be an intensity modulated (IM) optical signal at λ1, i.e., has a binary pulse. In FIG. 2B, a waveform diagram shows a probe input signal. The probe input signal may be a continuous wave (CW) optical signal at λ2, e.g., a laser signal. In FIG. 2C, a waveform diagram shows a probe output signal output from the OBPF 108. The probe output signal is a signal having a wavelength of λ2 and is intensity-modulated to a pulse form identical to the pump input signal, i.e., an IM optical signal having a wavelength converted from λ1 to λ2.
Referring to the waveforms illustrated in FIGS. 2A–2C, the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 converts an IM optical signal at λ1 to an IM optical signal at λ2, i.e., converts the wavelength.
FIG. 3A illustrates a graph of optical gains relative to input power of the first and second SOAs 102 and 104 shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 3A, the optical gains of the first and second SOAs 102 and 104 maintain particular values until a threshold value, indicated by a dotted line, and decrease at a particular inclination after the threshold value, demonstrating a gain saturation characteristic.
FIG. 3B illustrates a graph of a phase difference relative to input power between the two arms of the SOA-MZI wavelength converter shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 3B, the phases of the two SOAs 102 and 104 characteristically change at the threshold value. That is, when the amplitudes of signals input to the two SOAs 102 and 104 are less than a threshold value or Ppump is logic low, the phase difference is simply equal to a phase shift introduced by the phase shifter 106, here π. When the signal amplitudes exceed the threshold value and Ppump is logic high, then the phase difference is the sum of φ and φXPM, which may be up to ±π.
In the SOA-MZI wavelength converter of FIG. 1, the phase of the second arm is delayed relative to the first arm by π due to the phase shifter 106. When the amplitude of the pump input signal is lower than the threshold value, no phase delay occurs in the first SOA 102. When the amplitude of the pump input signal is higher than the threshold value, an optical phase difference φXPM of up to ±π may be generated due to XPM.
The pump input signal is binary. Thus, in the SOA-MZI wavelength converter, considering φXPM, the optical phase difference φ between the first and second arms is π when the pump input signal is logic 0 and is 0 when the pump input signal is logic 1. Hence, when the pump input signal is logic 1, the optical power levels of the probe output signals interfere in accordance with the sum of φ and φXPM, and, when the pump input signal is logic 0, the optical power levels of the probe output signals interfere in accordance with φ. Thus, the optical power levels of the probe output signal are modulated to be identical to the logic level of the pump input signal.
That is, in the probe output signal, constructive interference results when a total optical phase difference is zero or an integer multiple of 2π and destructive interference results when the total optical phase difference φ is (2n+1)π. Thus, the wavelength conversion is performed by the interference and the OBPF 108 so that a signal having a wavelength of λ1 is changed to a signal having a wavelength of λ2 and a probe output signal POprobe shown in FIG. 2C is generated.
The SOA-MZI wavelength converter according to the conventional technology has a high ER and outputs a non-inverted signal. However, the phase shift arising from XPM is generated in a small range of a high pump input signal, i.e., in a small range at a high voltage level. Thus, the optical phase difference φXPM decreases as the power of the pump input signal decreases. Accordingly, an input power dynamic range (IPDR) of the pump input signal decreases.
Also, a high ER can be maintained by accurately adjusting the optical phase difference φ between the two arms to be π. For conventional technology to achieve this, the phase shifter 106 needs to be manually adjusted. However, it is difficult to manually adjust the phase shifter 106 to make the optical phase difference φ between the two arms be exactly π. It is further difficult to manually adjust the π phase shifter 106 to take into account that the phase shift due to XPM is affected by the power of the pump input signal.
The difficulty in controlling the optical phase difference φ between the two arms to be π is further increased, since the optical phase difference φ is very sensitive to external environmental factors, e.g., the operational temperature of the SOA.

Method and apparatus for controlling a SOA-MZI wavelength converter


A procedure is provided for actuating at least one light module of a light unit of a vehicle, with at least one status recognition device for identifying a vehicle status and/or at least one surroundings recognition device for identifying a vehicle's surroundings, and with a light control system. The light module is automatically actuated by the status recognition device and/or the surroundings recognition device by means of the light control system depending on at least one input signal of the light control system. In order to improve a light distribution adapted to the respective driving situation, the light unit features a light distribution recognition device for identifying a light distribution of a light beam emitted by the light module into the surroundings of the vehicle and that the light module be automatically actuated by means of the light control system depending on at least one input signal of the light control system from the light distribution recognition device. Furthermore, the invention relates to a light unit for a vehicle, a computer program product and a machine-readable medium.

Procedures for actuating at least one light module of a light unit of a vehicle, light units for a vehicle, computer program products and machine-readable media are already known from the previous art in numerous embodiments.
For example, a light unit of a vehicle is known comprising two main headlamps, each with one light module, a surroundings recognition device for identifying the vehicle's surroundings and a light control system, where the light modules of the two main headlamps are automatically actuated by the surroundings recognition device by means of the light control system depending on at least one input signal of the light control system.
This is where the present invention comes in.

Procedure for actuating at least one light module of a light unit, light unit, computer program product and machine-readable medium


The present invention provides a method for synthesizing heat shock protein-peptide complexes comprising the steps of: adding a shock protein to a denatured protein matrix to bind the heat shock protein to the denatured protein matrix; and adding a complexing solution comprising a peptide to elute a heat shock protein-peptide complex. The present invention also provides a heat shock protein-peptide complex synthesized by the method of the invention. In addition the present invention provides an apparatus for synthesizing heat shock protein-peptide complexes comprising a heat shock protein complex bound to a denatured protein matrix.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods for synthesizing heat shock protein-peptide complexes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are associated in cells with a broad spectrum of peptides, polypeptides, denatured proteins and antigens with which they form complexes. These complexes form as part of the cell's normal protein manufacturing process as described in Beckmann et al., "Interaction of Hsp70 with newly synthesized proteins: implications for protein folding and assembly" in Science (1990), 248: 850-4. HSP-peptide complexes may also be formed as part of the transport of peptides to the MHC class I molecules on the cell's surface as described in Srivastava et al., "Heat shock proteins transfer peptides during antigen processing" in Immunogenetics (1994), 39: 93-98. When purified from autologous tumors, such HSP-peptide complexes have been useful in vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases as described in Srivastava et al., "Heat shock protein-peptide complexes in cancer immunotherapy" in Current Opinion in Immunology (1994), 6: 728-732; and Srivastava, "Peptide-Binding Heat Shock Proteins in the Endoplasmic Reticulum" in Advances in Cancer Research (1993), 62: 153-177. Vaccination with antigenic peptides alone can elicit an immune response but peptides bound to HSPs appear to elicit a much more efficient response. In this regard, Srivastava has estimated in Srivastava, "Heat shock proteins in immune responses to cancer: the fourth paradigm" in Experientia (1994), 50: 1054-1060, and that 10 .mu.g of gp96 isolated from tumor cells may be complexed with approximately 10 pg of peptide representing a tumor-associated mutation. While 10 pg of peptide cannot be used to successfully vaccinate an animal against a subsequent tumor challenge, 10 pg of peptide complexed with gp96 is enough to elicit protection.
Several types of cancer vaccines that are currently being investigated, including heat shock protein vaccines, have been described in Old, "Immunotherapy for cancer" in Scientific American (1996), 275: 142. These potential vaccines have included: inactivated cancer cells and their extracts which can jump-start the immune system (particularly cancer cells engineered to secrete cytokines, such as IL-2 or GM-CSF, similarly heighten anti-tumor immunity and cells designed to express co-stimulatory molecules, such as B-1, enhanced the ability of T-cells to recognize tumor cells); tumor peptides, fragments of tumor proteins recognized by T-cells, which can be injected alone or with immune-boosting adjuvants; injected tumor proteins which are taken up by antigen-presenting cells and break them down into a range of peptide fragments recognized by T-cells; dendritic cells, antigen-presenting cells which are isolated from the blood, exposed to tumor peptides or engineered to produce tumor proteins and then reinjected; gangliosides, which humans can produce antibodies against and which are found on the surface of tumor cells; viral and bacterial vectors, genes coding for tumor antigens which are incorporated into viral or bacterial genomes, that, when injected, draw immunity against themselves and encoded antigens; and DNA and RNA coding for tumor antigens which prompt normal cells to begin producing these antigens.
The heat shock protein vaccines consist of HSP-peptide complexes purified from tumor cells containing a mixture of peptides as described by Udono and Srivastava in "Heat shock protein 70-associated peptides elicit specific cancer immunity" in Journal of Experimental Medicine (1993), 178: 1391-6. Most of the peptides complexed with HSPs and isolated from tumor cells are presumably portions of normal cellular proteins. Therefore, the HSP-peptide complexes need to be purified at fairly high levels in order to obtain HSPs complexed with peptide portions of mutated oncogenes. Because many of the purified peptides are portions of normal cellular proteins, vaccination with these purified complexes may incur the risk of auto-immune disorders.
Peptide vaccination experiments use peptide sequences of known tumor mutations such as described in Gjertsen et al., "Vaccination with mutant ras peptides and induction of T-cell responsiveness in pancreatic carcinoma patients carrying the corresponding RAS mutation" in Lancet (1995), 346: 1399-1400. Peptide vaccination experiments are also being tried with viral diseases such as described in Kelleher et al., "Safety and immunogenicity of UB1 HIV-IMN octameric V3 peptide vaccine administered by subcutaneous injection" in AIDS Research & Human Retroviruses (1997), 13: 29-32 are currently receiving much attention.
HSP-peptide complexes have been purified from autologous tumors and used for vaccination against the same tumor. It has been anticipated that material purified in this way can also be used for vaccination against human tumors in Srivastava and Udono, "Heat shock protein-peptide complexes in cancer immunotherapy" in Current Opinion in Immunology (1994), 6: 728-32. The use of these purified complexes in treating patient tumors would require the isolation of tumor material from each individual patient. This is not practical or even possible for many types of tumors. Many types of cancer, however, have well-defined mutations in specific genes. The use of de novo HSP-peptide complexes allows the use of HPS-peptide vaccines without the need for removing a portion of the tumor. The de novo complexes also allow prophylactic vaccination against a variety of diseases using peptides representing known oncogenic mutations or peptides representing portions of known viral proteins.
Bacterial hsp70-peptide complexes, created by incubating purified HSPs together with a synthetic peptide solution have also been used to stimulate peptide specific T-cell responses (See Roman et al., "Synthetic peptides non-covalently bound to bacterial hsp70 elicit peptide specific T-cell responses in vivo," Immunology, (1996), 88: 487-492, and Roman et al., "Delayed-type hypersensitivity elicited by synthetic peptides complexed with mycobacterial tuberculosis hsp70 ," Immunology, (1997), 90: 52-56).
In general, previous heat shock protein purifications have had two goals. The first goal has been to obtain pure HSPs without any contaminating peptides or proteins as described in Welch et al., "Rapid purification of mammalian 70,000-dalton stress proteins: affinity of the proteins for nucleotides" in Molecular and Cellular Biology (1985), 5: 1229-1237 and in Nandan et al., "A rapid single-step purification method for immunogenic members of the hsp family: validation and application" in Journal of Immunological Methods (1994), 176: 255-263. The second goal has been to purify the intracellular HSP-peptide complexes as described in Udono et al., "Heat shock protein 70-associated peptides elicit specific cancer immunity" in Journal of Experimental Medicine (1993), 178: 1391-1396.
However, the fact that previously described methods only produce HSPs already complexed with intracellular peptides or stripped of their associated peptides is a serious deficiency. Also, there is no known simple way of synthesizing purified HSP-peptide complexes.

Methods for synthesizing heat shock protein complexes


A developer container includes a developer containing part that has an cylindrical hollow shape inside and contains developer therein; and an agitation member that is elastic and rotatably provided inside the developer containing part, rotating around a rotation axis that is a center of the cylindrical hollow shape, having at least a side edge extending in the rotation axis. The developer containing part has a side wall part on one end thereof in a direction of the rotation axis of the agitation member, the side wall extending to correspond to the side edge of the agitation member and scraping a surface of the side wall while the agitation member rotates, the side wall part has a projection part that projects toward inside of the developer containing part so that the side edge of the agitation member is elastically deformed by the projection part when passing over the projection part.

An image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile and a multifunction machine is provided with a developer container to an image forming unit for supplying developer (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-175772 (FIGS. 2 and 11)).
However, there is a problem that, as a capacity of the developer container increases, developer remaining inside the developer container increases and the developer cannot be efficiently supplied to the image forming unit.
The present invention is made to solve the above-described problem. A purpose of the present invention is to make it possible to efficiently supply developer from a developer container.

Developer container, image forming unit and image forming apparatus


A medical imaging system comprises an operator terminal configured to obtain at least one image of a patient generated by a medical imaging device, receive one or more notes pertaining to the at least one image from an operator of the medical imaging device, store a clean set of images including the at least one image in at least one server, annotate the at least one image with the one or more notes to generate a set of annotated images; tag the set of annotated images as non-persistent, and store the set of annotated images in the at least one server; wherein the at least one server is configured to provide to a physician terminal both the clean set of images and the annotated set of images stored for the patient and automatically delete the one or more images tagged as non-persistent after review thereof by the physician.

Research into medical imaging workflow efficiency has focused on improving the throughput of a medical imaging device, such as an ultrasound imaging device, but has not considered the entire workflow from the moment a patient arrives to the point at which a diagnosis is made and submitted. Currently, after scanning the patient, the operator (sonographer) typically needs to leave the room and wait for the reviewing physician to become available, and, at that time, use their handwritten notes and findings along with their memory to transfer knowledge to the physician while the collected images are reviewed. This wastes time that the sonographer could use in preparing the exam room for the next patient, as well as the additional time required for the physician to listen to comments by the sonographer and relate them to the image sequence.

Limited data persistence in a medical imaging workflow

SHENZHEN MINDRAY BIO-MEDICAL ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.


A kinetic antifreeze device for preventing a dry sprinkler system from freezing is disclosed. The kinetic antifreeze device contains a longitudinal pipe for guiding air and water flow connected to a dry sprinkler system pipe at a junction adjacent to a drain valve. The longitudinal pipe provides a pressure gauge, an isolation valve, a bleed off valve and a relief disc for providing over pressure relief. The relief disc is either a bursting disc device or a rupture disc device which remains closed when the dry sprinkler system is contains only air. The relief disc exits or opens upon fire suppression fluid entering the system after a main supply of fire suppression fluid is actuated by the dry sprinkler system and the pressure increases due to the presence of fire suppression fluid in the dry sprinkler system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dry sprinkler fire suppression systems and particularly to a new use of a bursting disc device or rupture disc device attached to a dry sprinkler system pipe to prevent dry sprinkler systems from freezing and to the new use of a bursting disc device or rupture disc device as an automatic drain for dry sprinkler systems.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Dry sprinkler systems utilize piping networks which are typically anhydrous, dry, or free of water until activated by heat from a fire. The main reason for keeping the piping networks dry is to prevent them from freezing when the temperature drops below 0xc2x0 C. This is in contrast to wet pipe systems wherein the pipes contain water at all times.
Three types of dry sprinkler systems include dry pipe, preaction, and deluge systems. Dry sprinkler system pipes which contain air charged under pressure are sometimes referred to as pipes containing supervisory air. Dry sprinkler system pipes which do not contain supervisory air contain air at atmospheric pressure.
A dry pipe system contains pipes which are charged with air under pressure and when the dry pipe system detects heat from a fire, the sprinkler heads open resulting in a decrease in air pressure. The resultant decrease in air pressure activates the water supply source and allows water to enter the piping system and exit through the sprinkler heads.
A deluge system has pipes that remain free of water, employs sprinkler heads that remain open, and utilizes pneumatic or electrical detectors to detect heat. Deluge systems usually do not contain supervisory air, but do contain air at atmospheric pressure. Once the pneumatic or electrical detectors detect heat, the water supply source provides water to the pipes and sprinkler heads.
A preaction system has pipes that are free of water, employs sprinkler heads that remain closed, has supervisory air, and utilizes pneumatic or electrical detectors to detect heat. Only when dry sprinkler systems detect heat from a fire is water introduced into the otherwise dry network of pipes and sprinkler heads.
A dry sprinkler system that has sprinkler heads which remain open, may not have supervisory air within the network of pipes. Therefore, the air within the network of pipes will not be air charged under pressure, but will be air at atmospheric pressure.
Problems arise when water gets into what should be a dry sprinkler system and the ambient temperature drops below freezing. The dry sprinkler system should have only air under pressure within its pipes or air at atmospheric pressure within its pipes. Pipes and sprinkler heads sometimes become blocked with ice and or debris and render the dry sprinkler system useless. Sometimes this happens when an operator does not shut off the water source. Another occurs when dry sprinkler systems run adjacent to coal carrying conveyor belts as is common in electrical power generating plants. The vibration from conveyor belts or trains moving nearby can open a valve and a water supply.
Another method for unwanted water to get into a dry sprinkler system is when valves or shut off points fail. That failure can be due to mechanical failure or chemical impurities. Salts of magnesium, calcium and iron can prevent valves or shut off points from working properly. Valves and o-rings can disintegrate, which also allows water to enter what should be a dry sprinkler system containing air.
Several methods for preventing sprinkler systems from freezing include the use of antifreeze solution or ethylene glycol, thermal and/or solar wraps to keep the pipes warm, and circulation devices which keep water moving throughout the system. Another device for preventing freezing utilizes a rupturable tab on a wet pipe system and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,731 to Westerberg. That pressure sensitive rupture tab is activated by the expansion of water due to its inherent physical property to occupy the greatest volume when the temperature drops below 4xc2x0 C. as the specific volume of water is greatest at 4xc2x0 C. When water expands at that temperature, water leaves the system and is replaced by a similar volume of warmer water.
Bursting discs have been used for years as a safety device in a system and to allow fluids to escape the system. Bursting discs generally consist of a thin disc with a concave side in touch with the fluid under pressure and a convex side in touch with the atmosphere. The disc is held in place in a housing with at least one tab, hinge, petal, or flange. The tab, hinge, petal, or flange usually remains with the housing after the disc exits the system. However, the tab, hinge, petal, or flange can remain attached to the disc and exit with the disc.
A reverse bursting disc has also been used to relieve excess pressure in a system and operates by placement of the convex side of a disc in touch with the fluid and the convex side in touch with the atmosphere. Petals, hinges, tabs, or flanges are used to position the disc within a housing and keep it in place until over pressure makes the disc exit the housing. The petals, hinges, tabs, or flanges remain either with the housing or they exit with the disc.
Rupture discs are also commonly known. They differ from bursting discs in that the rupture disc is held by a flange and upon activation by a pressure change the rupture disc remains with the housing and tears open.
A primary object of the present invention is to prevent deluge, preaction, and dry pipe sprinkler systems from freezing by the provision of a bursting disc or a rupture disc on a dry sprinkler system. Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic drain for dry sprinkler systems which is efficient and inexpensive.
This invention involves the novel use of a bursting disc or a rupture disc on a dry sprinkler system. The bursting disc or rupture disc remains closed or intact when air pressure is that of supervisory air and exits opens when air pressure increases after activation of the dry sprinkler system due to the entrance of water into the preaction, deluge, and dry pipe systems from a main water supply. This invention also involves the novel use of the bursting disc or the rupture disc when air at atmospheric pressure is within the dry sprinkler system. The bursting disc or rupture disc remains closed at atmospheric pressure and opens when water enters the preaction, deluge, and dry pipe systems.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this invention provides a kinetic antifreeze means for connecting to a dry sprinkler system pipe at a position which is adjacent to a drain valve comprising, in combination: a first longitudinal pipe means and a second longitudinal pipe means for guiding compounds selected from the group consisting of air, water, and fire suppression fluid from the dry sprinkler system pipe to a pressure relief device. The pressure relief device is either a bursting disc device or a rupture disc device. Extending transversely from such dry sprinkler system pipe, such first longitudinal pipe means contains an attachment means for attaching dry sprinkler system components and the attachment means contains pipe threads. Additionally such first longitudinal pipe means has a first end with a first pipe thread, a second end with a second pipe thread, and a bend of about 90xc2x0 from the first end of the first longitudinal pipe. Such first longitudinal pipe means also contains a port for attachment of a dry sprinkler system part and a pressure gauge means for monitoring pressure in such dry sprinkler system.
The second longitudinal pipe means has a third end with a third pipe thread, a fourth end with a fourth pipe thread, and a fifth end with a fifth pipe thread. Such second longitudinal pipe means also provides a first outlet as the fourth end of the second longitudinal pipe means and a second outlet as the fifth end of the second longitudinal pipe means.
In addition, there between the first longitudinal pipe means and the second longitudinal pipe means is an isolation valve for preventing flow of air, water, and fire suppression fluids or permitting flow of air, water, and fire suppression fluids. The isolation valve is connected to the second end of the first longitudinal pipe means and the third end of the second longitudinal pipe means.
The second longitudinal pipe means has a T-shape. The second longitudinal pipe means also has a test and drain valve means for testing and draining such dry sprinkler system and a relief disc means for providing over-pressure relief for such dry sprinkler system, attached to the first outlet of the T-shaped pipe and the second outlet of the T-shaped pipe, respectively.
Additionally, according to a preferred embodiment of this invention, this invention provides such a kinetic antifreeze means wherein such first longitudinal pipe means comprises: such first pipe thread at such first end of such longitudinal pipe means for assisting connection to an inlet from such dry sprinkler system pipe, such second pipe thread at the second end of the first longitudinal pipe means for connection to the isolation valve means, the bend in the first longitudinal pipe means of about 90xc2x0 from the first end of the first longitudinal pipe means, and the port for attachment of a pressure gauge means.
Also, it provides such a kinetic antifreeze means wherein such first longitudinal pipe means and such second longitudinal pipe means allow for attachment of the isolation valve means there between such first longitudinal pipe means and such second longitudinal pipe means. In addition such kinetic antifreeze means allows for flow of water, air, or fire suppression fluid in the following direction with respect to a direction from the dry sprinkler system pipe to a first outlet: first longitudinal pipe means, pressure gauge means, isolation valve means in such a position to allow for flow of water, air, or fire suppression fluid, second longitudinal pipe means, and test and drain valve means.
Alternatively, such a kinetic antifreeze means allows for flow of water, air, or fire suppression fluid in the following direction with respect to a direction from the dry sprinkler system pipe to a second outlet: first longitudinal pipe means, pressure gauge means, isolation valve means in such a position to allow for flow of air, water, or fire suppression fluid, second longitudinal pipe means, and bursting disc device.
Additionally, the kinetic antifreeze means allows for attachment of the following dry sprinkler system components to the first longitudinal pipe means in the following order with respect to a direction from such first pipe thread to such second pipe thread: pressure gauge means for measuring pressure within the dry sprinkler system and isolation valve means for allowing flow of air, water, or fire suppression fluid or preventing flow of air, water, or fire suppression fluid. The isolation valve means can be either a ball valve, a gate valve, or a globe valve attached there between such first longitudinal pipe means and such second longitudinal pipe means. The second longitudinal pipe means is connected to the isolation valve means.
Additionally the preferred embodiment provides for connection of the T-shaped pipe to the isolation valve means. The T-shaped pipe contains an inlet, a first outlet and a second outlet. The T-shaped pipe inlet corresponds to the third end of the second longitudinal pipe means, the first outlet corresponds to the fourth end of the second longitudinal pipe means, and the second outlet corresponds to the fifth end of the second longitudinal pipe means.
Such T-shaped pipe inlet is connected to the isolation valve means. The first outlet is connected to a test and drain valve means for testing and draining the dry sprinkler system. The second T-shaped pipe outlet is connected to the relief disc device for over pressure relief of the dry sprinkler system, wherein the relief disc device is either the bursting disc device or the rupture disc device.
Additionally in a preferred embodiment, such first pipe thread of such first longitudinal pipe means extends transversely from such dry sprinkler system pipe at a position on such dry sprinkler system pipe such that the junction of such first longitudinal pipe means is at a position adjacent to a drain valve. The relief disc device is connected to the dry sprinkler system pipe in a region adjacent to the drain valve.
A preferred embodiment of this invention provides a kinetic antifreeze drain means wherein such first longitudinal pipe means has the first end with a first pipe thread and such second end has a second pipe thread. The second longitudinal pipe means has such third end with a third pipe thread, such fourth end has a fourth pipe thread, and such fifth end has a fifth pipe thread.
In addition, the preferred embodiment allows for attachment of the relief disc means for providing over pressure relief of the dry sprinkler system at the fifth pipe thread. The relief disc means may be either the bursting disc or a rupture disc. The relief disc means provides a housing; a housing inlet; a housing outlet; a seat within such housing; a disc; such disc having a flange; such flange provides for sealing engagement in such seat; such that the disc remains within the seat of the housing when the pressure is that of supervisory air pressure within the pipes of the dry sprinkler system. When the disc is a bursting disc, the bursting disc exits the seat of the housing when the pressure increases upon activation of the water supply and entrance of water into the pipes of the dry sprinkler system from a main water supply. Air pressure which is higher than supervisory air pressure will push the bursting disc out of its housing.
In addition, the preferred embodiment allows for attachment of the bursting disc means at the fifth pipe thread; wherein such bursting disc means further provides a housing; the housing inlet; the housing outlet; the seat within such housing; the bursting disc; such bursting disc having a flange; such flange provides for sealing engagement in such seat; such that the bursting disc remains within the seat of the housing when the air pressure within the pipes of the dry sprinkler system is atmospheric pressure; and such that the bursting disc exits the seat of the housing when the pressure increases upon activation of the water supply and entrance of water and fire suppression fluid into the pipes of the dry sprinkler system from a main supply. Water pressure, from a main water supply, would also push the bursting disc out of its housing.
In addition, the preferred embodiment allows for attachment of a rupture disc means at the fifth pipe thread; wherein such rupture disc means further provides such housing; the housing inlet; the housing outlet; the seat within such housing; the rupture disc; such rupture disc having the flange; such flange provides for sealing engagement of such rupture disc in such seat; such that the rupture disc remains closed within the seat of the housing when the pressure is that of supervisory air pressure within the pipes of the dry sprinkler system; and such that the rupture disc opens within the seat of the housing when the pressure increases upon activation of the water supply. Air pressure which is higher than supervisory air pressure would push the rupture disc open.
In addition the preferred embodiment allows for attachment of a rupture disc means at the fifth pipe thread; wherein such rupture disc means further provides a housing; a housing inlet; a housing outlet; a seat within such housing; a rupture disc; such rupture disc having a flange; such flange provides for sealed engagement of such rupture disc in such seat; such that the rupture disc remains closed within the seat of the housing when the pressure is that of atmospheric air pressure within the pipes of the dry sprinkler system; and such that the rupture disc opens within the seat of the housing when the pressure increases upon activation of the water supply. Air pressure or water pressure would push the rupture disc open.
And it further provides for a kinetic antifreeze means wherein the rupture disc device is attached to the fifth end of the second longitudinal pipe. The rupture disc device provides the housing; the housing inlet; the housing outlet; the seat within such housing; and the rupture disc with a flange for sealing engagement in such seat; such that the rupture disc remains closed within the seat of the housing when the supervisory air pressure is 30 psi; and such that the rupture disc opens within the housing when the supervisory air pressure is 100 psi.
And it further provides for a kinetic antifreeze means wherein the bursting disc device is attached to the fifth end of the second longitudinal pipe. The bursting disc device provides the housing; the housing inlet; the housing outlet; the seat within such housing; and the bursting disc with the flange for sealing engagement in such seat; such that the bursting disc remains in sealing engagement within the seat of the housing when the supervisory air pressure is 30 psi; and such that the bursting disc exits the housing when the supervisory air pressure is 100 psi.
The process for producing a kinetic antifreeze device involves the following steps: 1) attaching transversely from a dry sprinkler system pipe and adjacent to a drain valve, a first longitudinal pipe means which contains a first end with a first pipe thread, a second end with a second pipe thread, a bend in the first longitudinal pipe means of about 90xc2x0 from the first end, and a port for attachment of a pressure gauge, 2) attaching to the port for attachment of a pressure gauge, a pressure gauge, 3) connecting to the first longitudinal pipe means, an isolation valve means for permitting flow of air, water, and fire suppression fluid or preventing flow of air, water, and fire suppression fluid to the second end of the first longitudinal pipe means, 4) connecting a second longitudinal pipe means which contains a third end with a third pipe thread, a fourth end with a fourth pipe thread, and a fifth end with a fifth pipe thread, 3) attaching to the fourth end of the second longitudinal pipe means a test and drain valve means for testing and draining the dry sprinkler system, and 4) attaching to the fifth end of the second longitudinal pipe means a relief disc device comprising a housing, a housing inlet, a housing outlet, a housing seat there between the housing inlet and housing outlet, and a flange for positioning the disc in a sealing engagement within the housing seat such that the disc remains intact within the housing seat at a first pressure and such that the disc exits the housing at a second pressure when the disc is a bursting disc.
That first pressure may be that of supervisory air within the pipes and the second pressure is the increased pressure resulting from compressed air pressure which results upon opening of the main water supply. In addition, that first pressure may be that of atmospheric pressure within the pipes when the second pressure is water pressure.
Another process for producing a kinetic antifreeze device involves the following steps: 1) attaching transversely from a dry sprinkler system pipe and adjacent to a drain valve, a first longitudinal pipe means which contains a first end with a first pipe thread, a second end with a second pipe thread, a bend in the first longitudinal pipe means of about 90xc2x0 from the first end, and a port for attachment of a pressure gauge, 2) attaching to the port for attachment of a pressure gauge, a pressure gauge, 3) attaching to the second end of the first longitudinal pipe means, an isolation valve means for permitting flow of air, water, and fire suppression fluid or preventing flow of air, water, and fire suppression fluid, 4) attaching to the isolation valve means, a second longitudinal pipe means with a T-shape and such second longitudinal pipe means which contains a third end with a third pipe thread, a fourth end with a fourth pipe thread, and a fifth end with a fifth pipe thread, 3) attaching to the fourth end of the second longitudinal pipe means, a test and drain valve means for testing and draining the dry sprinkler system, and 4) attaching to the fifth end of the second longitudinal pipe means a relief disc device comprising a housing, a housing inlet, a housing outlet, a housing seat there between the housing inlet and housing outlet, and a flange for positioning the disc in a sealing engagement within the housing seat such that the disc remains closed within the housing seat at a first pressure and such that the disc opens the housing at a second pressure when the disc is a rupture disc.
The first pressure may be that of supervisory air within the pipes and the second pressure is the increased pressure resulting from compressed air pressure which results upon opening of the main water supply. In addition, that first pressure may that of atmospheric pressure within the pipes and such that the second pressure is water pressure.


The coating composition of the present invention contains an organic-inorganic hybrid polymer and a polysiloxane having a specific molecular weight, wherein the organic-inorganic hybrid polymer is prepared from a specific silane compound and a specific silyl group-containing polymer, and the weight ratio (Wa/Wb) between the silane compound content (Wa) and the silyl group-containing polymer content (Wb) is within the range from 5/95 to 50/50 (provided that Wa+Wb=100). The coating composition enables to obtain a coating film excellent in transparency, adhesion to organic substrates and radical resistance, and the coating composition has excellent storage stability.

There have been recently demanded coating compositions capable of forming coating films having high hardness as well as excellent in weatherability, contamination resistance, and chemical resistance. Hereinafter, high versatility will be also demanded for coating compositions. As such coating compositions, compositions comprising a silyl group-containing vinylic resin and an organosilane compound were proposed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H01-69673), Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H01-69674), Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H04-108172), and Patent Document 4 (Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H04-117473). Further improvement is, however, demanded for these coating compositions in terms of adhesion to organic substrates.
There have been recently proposed numerous coating compositions in which a photocatalyst component is blended. Such a photocatalyst-containing coating composition is applied to surfaces of various substrates to form a photocatalytic layer, and its photocatalytic action makes the surface of coating film hydrophilic, whereby the contamination resistance of the substrate (a layered product) is improved. However, for substrates made of organic material such as resin, there has been a problem that the organic material that is a substrate is decomposed by radicals generated through the photocatalytic action of the photocatalytic layer, resulting in degradation of the substrate. For this reason, when the photocatalytic layer is formed on the surface of the organic substrate, an intermediate layer is often formed between the photocatalytic layer and the organic substrate in order to protect the organic substrate.
As an undercoating composition used for such an intermediate layer, there may be mentioned a composition containing polysiloxane and an organic polymer, for example, the composition comprising the organosilane compound and the silyl group-containing vinylic resin. Such a composition that comprises the polysiloxane and the organic polymer is excellent in weatherability and resistance to radicals generated by the photocatalytic action.
There was a problem, however, that increase in the polysiloxane content causes poorer adhesion to organic substrates although the weatherability is improved. Further, there was a problem that increase in the organic polymer content causes poorer weatherability although the adhesion to organic substrates is improved. In addition, since a polysiloxane and an organic polymer were poorly compatible with each other, it was difficult to mix them homogeneously, and the resultant coating film tended to be opaque.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H01-69673
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H01-69674
Patent Document 3 Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H04-108172
Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H04-117473

Coating composition, undercoating composition, multilayer body having coating film made of such composition, photocatalyst coating film, and molded body


The present invention provides a cooling pump, an electronic apparatus, and a cooling system in which positioning between a heat generating unit and a cooling pump can be achieved easily. The cooling pump according to the invention includes: a rotor having a disk-shaped member fixed to a revolving shaft, impellers for pressurizing liquid coolant provided on the disk-shaped member, a plurality of permanent magnets disposed into a ring shape disposed on and fixed to the disk-shaped member; a case including a pump chamber for rotatably accommodating rotor, an inlet port and a discharge port for the liquid coolant, and a heat receiving portion for the a heat generating unit which corresponds to part of the side wall of the pump chamber; a cover that closes the case in a liquid-tight manner and is formed with a recess, a stator stored in the recess of the cover for generating revolving magnetic field by a plurality of electromagnets and providing torque about the revolving shaft to the rotor; and a positioning member joined to the heat receiving portion for positioning with respect to the a heat generating unit.

1. Field
The present invention relates to a pump used for a liquid-cooling type cooling system for cooling a heat generating unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, improvement of information processing speed of an electronic apparatus such as a personal computer is remarkable, and the clock rate processed by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or peripheral semiconductor devices for implementing such information processing is significantly increased in comparison with the related art.
In association with such a tendency, the heat release value of the CPU or other semiconductor devices increases correspondingly. Consequently, there exist semiconductor devices which cannot accommodate such an increased heat release value necessarily with a system in which a heat sink is thermally connected to the heat generating unit such as the CPU for cooling the heat sink with cooling air.
In order to cope with this problem, a technology to apply a liquid cooling type cooling system to a compact electronic apparatus such as a personal computer, which utilizes liquid as liquid coolant to obtain higher specific heat capacity than air and hence provides higher cooling efficiency, is developed.
For example, Patent Documents Jpn Pat. No. 3431024, Jpn Pat. No. 3452059, and Jpn Pat Publication No. 2003-172286 disclose a cooling system including a closed circular path for allowing liquid coolant to circulate, a heat discharger for discharging heat from the liquid coolant, and a pump for cooling the heat generating unit by pressurizing the liquid coolant for circulating the same in the closed circulating path and causing heat exchange between the liquid coolant and the heat generating unit by bringing the same into thermal contact with each other.
In the related art, the pump included a heat-receiving body for receiving heat by being brought into contact with the heat generating unit and a pump for circulating the liquid coolant which has received heat from the heat-receiving body, as separate independent components. In contrast to it, in the pump of this type, the pump is slimmed and downsized, and a pump case is used as a heat-receiving body, so that integrity of these components is realized.
In order to cool the heat generating unit such as a CPU with high level of cooling efficiency by circulating the liquid coolant, it is essential to strengthen thermal coupling between the heat generating unit such as the CPU and the heat-receiving body on the cooling system.
Therefore, the primary key point is to enhance heat conduction from the heat generating unit to the heat-receiving body. Therefore, the heat-receiving body is formed of a metallic material having high coefficient of heat conductivity, such as copper or aluminum.
For example, according to Jpn Pat. No. 3452059, copper or aluminum is used as a material for the pump case of the pump. Also, when aluminum is employed as the material for the pump case, copper having higher coefficient of heat conductivity than aluminum as an auxiliary heat conducting member is preferably provided between the heat generating unit and the pump case.
In this manner, it is extremely important to enhance the coefficient of heat conductivity of the pump case or the auxiliary heat conducting member joined thereto.
However, above described measure is not sufficient yet.
In general, the upper surface of the high-heat-generating semiconductor such as the CPU includes a square base board, and a metal square-plate-shaped member referred to as a heat spreader, which is slightly smaller than the base board. The heat spreader is intended to receive heat generated by the electronic device in the CPU, and to spread the same over the entire square surface of the spreader.
The portion of the high heat-generating semiconductor of the CPU which requires to be cooled (hereinafter referred to as "portion to be cooled") is the heat spreader, and the base board exposed around the heat spreader is not necessarily required to be cooled. Heat must be received efficiently only from the limited area, which corresponds to the heat spreader.
Therefore, the second key point for enhancing thermal coupling between the heat generating unit such as the CPU and the heat-receiving body on the cooling system is to position the heat-receiving body adequately at the portion to be cooled on the heat generating unit.
In the cooling pump which also serves as the heat-receiving body, the position of the cooling pump must adequately positioned with respect to the portion to be cooled on the heat generating unit.
Jpn Pat. No. 3452059 discloses a technology to form the contact surface of the pump case formed of highly heat conductive material with respect to the heat generating unit into a shape complementary to the three-dimensional shape of the heat generating unit. It also discloses a technology to form the contact surface of the auxiliary heat conducting member into a shape complementary to the three-dimensional shape of the heat generating unit when the auxiliary heat conducting member having a high coefficient of heat conductivity is provided.
These technologies are intended to enhance heat conduction with respect to the heat generating unit (the first key point described above), and are not intended for positioning of the heat generating unit and the pump.

Pump, electronic apparatus, and cooling system