A latch mechanism for a fifth wheel hitch that automatically closes a jaw and locks the hitch when the hitch engages a kingpin. The latch mechanism includes a handle that is used set the latch for receiving the kingpin. The latch mechanism also includes a latching member that is biased toward a closed position and tripped in response to engagement of the kingpin with a jaw.

Fifth wheel hitches for towing a trailer behind a towing vehicle are well known in the art. Typically, fifth wheel hitches include a support frame for mounting the hitch to the towing vehicle. Usually, fifth wheel hitches are mounted within the bed of a pick-up truck, but can be mounted in any traction vehicle. The support frame includes a pair of transverse rails that are bolted to the bed and/or frame of the truck, rail assemblies that are releasably mounted to the transverse rails and upright assemblies mounted to the rail assemblies. A transverse cross bar typically interconnects the upright assemblies, thereby forming a head support for mounting a head assembly by means of a trunnion arrangement allowing for pivotal fore and aft movement. The head assembly includes a jaw assembly operable by means of a control handle and is specifically adapted to releasably engage and hold a kingpin of a towed vehicle.
One disadvantage of prior art fifth wheel hitches is that an operator must exit the vehicle to manually actuate the control handle in order to close and/or lock the hitch on the kingpin. Many hitches do not provide an indication to the operator within the vehicle when the hitch is closed and locked on the kingpin.
What is needed, therefore, is a fifth wheel hitch that can automatically close and lock on a kingpin. A hitch that provides an indication to an operator when the hitch is locked would assist the operator in properly using the hitch.


An exercise device providing an exterior sheath for a standard Olympic weight bearing bar that secures the bar and weight while providing access to the bar for gripping and also providing secure handles which are perpendicular to the bar and parallel to the torso, providing alternate gripping posture for alternate exercise paradigms.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of physical exercise equipment.
2. Related Art
Physical exercise has many benefits. For a complete and well rounded exercise program many believe each muscle must be exercised, often called isolating on that muscle. Numerous exercises have been developed which isolate each muscle and muscle group. A pervasive aspect of all exercise is the weight bar or the resistance applied to the muscle. This invention is directed to an improved weight bar useful in physical exercise.
The development of the human bicep is an important part of the art of body building, particularly to the novice. The exercise normally practiced for building the biceps involves "curling". The curling exercise is performed by grasping a weighted bar with each hand and curling the forearm upwardly and back toward the upper arms. Importantly, it is often through isolating on a particular muscle or muscle group, that proper exercise of the muscle or muscle group is accomplished.
The several variations of the press, including military, bench, power and so on, represent exercises for the deltoid, triceps, pectorals and other minor muscles involved in shoulder movement. The bench press is a well known exercise involving laying on ones back, grasping the weight bar with both hands and lowering the bar towards the chest, followed by extending the arms away from the chest. Another type of press is performed in a sitting position with the arms straight over the head, holding the weight bar with both hands. The exercise involves bending at the elbow and lowering the bar to about the chest level and then raising the bar back to full extension of the arms.
The development of the leg through the lunge and deep-knee type exercise are likewise important aspects of exercising the muscle groups of the leg.
Various types of weightlifting apparatuses have been proposed in the past to increase the effectiveness of the these and related exercises. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,370 to Bailey et al. The Bailey device consists of an essentially straight bar having conventional weights mounted on the opposite extremities thereof. A pair of spaced apart rings are secured to the bar, intermediate the extremities thereof. Handles are rotatably mounted within the rings to allow turning of the wrists during the curl. It is well known that twisting of the wrists during a curl provides increased exercise of the forearms as well as additional development of the biceps.
The Bailey device possesses a number of shortcomings, however, which have prevented its acceptance and use by body builders. One of the disadvantages of this device relates to the fact that the handles are rotatably mounted within the rings. This construction is rather unstable and presents the opportunity for fingers and items of clothing to become pinched between the rollers which mounts the handles on the rings. The rings themselves are quite heavy and rather bulky in order to provide sufficient strength to allow the weights to be mounted in cantilever fashion directly thereon. In fact, it has been found that this construction is rather weak because of the fact that the various sections of the bar must be secured to the rings by a series of welds which are constant shear bearing.
Additional exercise devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,300, to Hightower which discloses a rotating grip barbell device.
A disadvantage of the Bailey and Hightower devices lies in the fact that the handles may be turned independently. This arrangement tends to promote uneven development of the muscles since the handles associated with the stronger arm may turn at a different rate or magnitude than the rings associated with the weaker arm. The assumed goal, which was neither stated nor accomplished was to provide a more natural gripping orientation during exercise.
Further disadvantages of exercise devices in the art relate to awkward hand positioning and substantial discomfort caused by the bar resting on the back or shoulders during leg exercises.
There is need, therefore, for an improved exercise device directed to these and other issues.


An electronic device may include a processor and a blacklist database listing objects not to be displayed. The processor is to remove an object from a frame before the frame is sent to or received from an electronic device when the object is listed in the blacklist database. In an example, an electronic device can include logic to receive, in a processor, a frame to be sent to or received from an electronic device and logic to scan the frame to identify an object. The electronic device can also include logic to determine if the object is listed in a blacklist database. The electronic device further includes logic to modify the frame to remove the object when the object is listed in the blacklist database and logic to transfer the frame for processing.

Today, electronic devices are used more frequently to save a variety of information. This information includes passwords, banking information, contacts, mail, and other private information. It is also becoming common for users to share device screens with others, either by directly sharing the screen with others or by connecting the electronic device to a display device to display the screen on the display device.
The same numbers are used throughout the disclosure and the figures to reference like components and features. Numbers in the 100 series refer to features originally found in FIG. 1; numbers in the 200 series refer to features originally found in FIG. 2; and so on.


A battery pack apparatus includes a battery pack having multiple rechargeable batteries arranged in parallel and heat medium passages formed therebetween. The battery pack apparatus also includes a heat insulation cover formed of a heat insulation material that covers a circumferential surface of the battery pack substantially entirely. A supply passage and a discharge passage are provided between the heat insulation cover and the battery pack. The supply passage supplies a heat medium to the heat medium passages while the discharge passage discharges the heat medium from the heat medium passages. The battery pack apparatus also includes a supply device that supplies the heat medium to the supply passage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery back apparatus having a battery pack composed of a plurality of rechargeable batteries, in which the temperature of each of the rechargeable batteries is regulated stably and uniformly.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a battery pack composed of a plurality of rechargeable batteries, in order to prevent increase in the temperature of each rechargeable battery caused by heat generated by charge/discharge of the rechargeable battery and thus prevent decrease in a battery power, charge/discharge efficiency, and a battery life, it is conventionally known that the rechargeable batteries are arranged in parallel with cooling medium passages interposed therebetween and a cooling medium supply device is provided for supplying a cooling medium to the cooling medium passages (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-167803, for example).
It is also known that four side faces of a battery pack that has six side faces are thermally insulated by heat insulation material while the remaining two side faces are cooled (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 7-192774, for example).
Moreover, it is also known that a case is provided for accommodating a plurality of rechargeable batteries while contacting the rechargeable batteries at their circumferential surfaces to be thermally coupled. The outer circumferential surface of the case is covered with heat insulation material, and a heat pipe for dissipating heat transferred to the case to the outside is provided on a wall surface of the case, (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-76771).
In the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-167803, it is possible to cool the respective rechargeable batteries relatively efficiently and uniformly because they are cooled by making the cooling medium flow in the cooling medium passages between them. However, the rechargeable batteries are affected by radiation heat from sunlight and heat radiated from an automotive exhaust pipe and are also affected by the surrounding temperature greatly. Thus, it is difficult to keep the rechargeable batteries at a predetermined temperature stably and uniformly. Further, there is another problem in which heat efficiency is not good.
The configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 7-192774 has the following problem. In this configuration, four side faces of the battery pack are covered with the heat insulation material while only the remaining two side faces are cooled. Although this configuration is hardly affected by heat from the outside, cooling capacity is low and uniform cooling cannot be achieved. Thus, the temperature of the rechargeable battery increases particularly around the center of the battery pack, resulting in a decreased battery life.
In the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-76771, heat of the rechargeable batteries accommodated in the case covered with the heat insulation material is dissipated to the outside of the case by means of the heat pipe. This configuration is hardly affected by heat from the outside. However, if it is tried to achieve the cooling capacity that can cool all the rechargeable batteries effectively only by using the heat pipe, a number of heat pipes, and a large amount of heat collecting material are necessitated. This reduces space efficiency and increases the cost. Nevertheless, it is difficult to uniformly cool the respective parts of the rechargeable batteries.

Battery pack apparatus with heat supply and discharge


The invention relates to a system for a motor vehicle having a monitoring unit which monitors a fault-free functionality of at least one operator control unit of the motor vehicle and generates warning signals in the case of limit-value functions of the at least one operator control unit. The monitoring unit generates tactile signals as warning signals so that degradation of performance of the at least one operator control unit can be communicated haptically to a driver of the motor vehicle.

Conventional motor vehicles are equipped with a power steering system, a so-called power assisted steering system, in order to reduce the steering effort for the driver. On the one hand, the power assisted steering system is used to facilitate handling in town traffic at low speeds of the motor vehicle, while, on the other hand, a direct steering sensation for the driver is made available at high speeds of the motor vehicle. Most motor vehicles use a hydraulic power assisted steering system (HPAS) for this purpose. However, electric power assisted steering systems (EPAS) are also known. Instead of a hydraulic fluid, they use an electric motor and a gear mechanism to make the power assistance available to the steering system. But so-called steer-by-wire systems in which the vehicle tires are decoupled mechanically from the steering wheel are also under development. These systems have an additional electric motor for generating feedback to the driver.
EP 1 183 176 B1 relates to a steering device for a motor vehicle which is configured to understeer, with steerable front wheels, with a steering element which can be activated by a driver counter to the effect of a steering force or of a steering torque, and with at least one actuator for the lock angle of the steerable wheels, which actuator acts on the steerable wheels and can be influenced by an electronic control device. A device is provided for determining a lateral slip occurring at the steerable wheels. An upper limiting value for the transverse slip can be determined in the electronic control device, with a means being provided which serves to counteract a further increase in the lock angle if the lateral slip which is determined is greater than the upper limiting value.
However, EP 1 183 176 B1 also relates to a steering method for the steering device. The steering element actuator makes the steering element vibrate if the lateral slip which is determined is greater than the upper limiting value. The steering method disclosed in EP 1 183 176 B1 is intended to be suitable in particular for steer-by-wire systems. However, it should also be capable of being used in power-assisted hydraulic or electric steering systems with a rigid mechanical connection between the steering element and steerable wheels.
DE 100 41 178 A1 relates to an operator control device for controlling a motor vehicle having an operator control element which can be moved in a number of degrees of freedom. The operator control element gives tactile feedback, and tactile feedback can be generated in all the degrees of freedom of activation by means of corresponding actuators for signaling in a perceptible way when borderline situations of the vehicle are reached or are imminent.
EP 0 856 453 A2 discloses an electrohydraulic steering system for vehicles which comprises a manual steering system and an automatic steering system (autopilot) which can be activated by means of a switch. The electrohydraulic steering system is composed of at least one hydraulic steering cylinder for adjusting the steerable wheels, at least one sensor for determining the respective wheel lock angle actual values, at least one hydraulic control valve which can be activated electrically and which controls the application of hydraulic fluid to the steering cylinder, at least one automatic steering signal transmitter for generating electric steering signal set point values for the wheel lock angles, an electronic open-loop control line devaluation device, with in each case the automatically generated steering signal set point values and the wheel lock angle actual values being fed to the open-loop control and evaluation device and with the open-loop control and evaluation device determining in each case an electrical activation signal for the hydraulic control valve, using the wheel lock angle actual value and the automatically generated steering signal set point value. A steering signal transmitter which generates from a manual actuating movement an electric steering signal set point value which corresponds to said movement is provided for the manual steering, with this steering signal set point value being supplied to an open-loop control and evaluation device which also receives the respective wheel lock angle actual values. The open-loop control and evaluation device determines an electrical activation signal for the hydraulic control valve, using the wheel lock angle actual value and the manually generated steering signal set point value.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,460 B1 discloses a steer-by-wire control system comprising a vehicle tire unit which responds to vehicle tire control signals for controlling the vehicle, a steering wheel unit which responds to steering torque control signals, a vehicle speed sensor for generating a vehicle speed signal, and a main control unit which is of electrical design and is connected to the vehicle speed sensor, the steering wheel unit and the vehicle tire unit. The vehicle tire unit also has a vehicle tire position sensor and a track rod sensor in order to generate and transmit a track rod force signal. In addition, the steering wheel unit has a steering wheel position sensor in order to generate and transmit a steering wheel position signal, and a force sensor in order to generate and transmit a feedback torque signal.
The U.S. Pat No. 6,370,460 B1 system main control unit has a position control unit which calculates the vehicle tire control signal in comparison with the speed signal, the feedback torque signal and the steering wheel position signal. Furthermore, the main control unit generates an opposed track rod force signal. In addition, the main control unit has a force control unit which calculates and generates the steering wheel force control signal in comparison with the opposed track rod force signal, the feedback torque signal, the steering wheel position signal and the speed signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,535,806 B2 also discloses a steer-by-wire system. It comprises a steering wheel, a steering wheel sensor which is arranged in relation to the steering wheel in order to both determine its position and to generate an indicating signal for the position of the steering wheel. The system also has a feedback control unit in order to make available an indicating signal for a current direction of the vehicle. A control unit is connected to the steering wheel sensor of the feedback control unit in order to receive the indicating signal for the position of the steering wheel from the steering wheel sensor and receive the indicating signal for the current direction of the vehicle from the feedback control unit. The control unit generates an indicating signal for a necessary steering wheel feedback torque. The system further includes a tactile feedback device which is connected to the control unit which receives the indicating signals for the necessary steering wheel feedback torque, the feedback device making a corresponding force available to the steering wheel.
It is considered a general disadvantage of the known motor vehicles with the hydraulic and electric power assisted steering systems or the steer-by-wire systems, that they are subject to specific service intervals and the abovementioned power steering systems may degrade in performance or at least be restricted in terms of their functionality, not only if the service intervals are not complied with. For this reason, it is appropriate to monitor this operator control unit, which is mentioned by way of example, so that a loss of performance can be communicated at an early point to the driver of the motor vehicle.
The communication is usually done in conventional motor vehicles by means of an audible display or visual display. However, in such motor vehicles the driver is confronted with an increasing number of audible and/or visual signals. This constitutes a heavy load of visual and/or audible messages, which distracts the attention of the driver from the traffic activity in order to perceive the respective display devices. In particular, the visual displays may be responsible for this, since they frequently lie outside the field of vision which is necessary to observe the road traffic.
For this reason a solution is desired based on the object of using simple means to improve a motor vehicle of the type mentioned at the beginning to the effect that the motor vehicle driver's attention is not disrupted if a warning signal is to be displayed to him.


Apparatus and methods are provided for repairing semiconductor memory devices having an open bit line sense amplifier architecture with cell array blocks having memory blocks formed of edge sub-blocks, main sub-blocks, dummy sub-blocks. Row defects can be processed using a straight edge block when DQ data are outputted by enabling three word lines such that a repair process for the memory device in an edge sub-block or a dummy sub-block has the same repair efficiency as that of a case where defects occur in a main sub-block.

Generally, a redundancy device is a defect repair device that replaces a bit line connected to a possible defective cell of a cell array with a spare bit line. When an address corresponding to the defective cell is applied to a memory device, a normal path for selecting the defective cell is disconnected and the redundancy device operates to enable a bit line connected to a repaired cell so as to perform a redundancy operation.
The redundancy scheme is classified into either a row redundancy type or a column redundancy type according to the type of a spare memory cell used to replace a defective cell. The row redundancy technique replaces a defective cell with a spare row (or a redundant word line), and the column redundancy technique replaces a defective cell with a spare column (or a redundant bit line). The row redundancy technique is further classified as a folded bit line type or an open bit line type. In the folded bit line row redundancy technique, a bit line and a bit line bar, which are formed in one memory cell block, are connected to one sense amplifier. In the open bit line row redundancy technique, a bit line and a bit line bar, which are formed in different memory cell blocks, are connected to one sense amplifier.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a data output operation of a conventional memory device having a folded bit line sense amplifier. In FIG. 1, it is assumed that each bit line is connected to one sense amplifier (S/A). When a word line W/L corresponding to a row address is selected and a bit line corresponding to a column address is enabled, each S/A senses data through the enabled bit line and outputs the sensed data via a plurality of data pins DQ=0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. One cell array block (or memory bank) having a block A1 and a block B1 is illustrated in FIG. 1, and each of the blocks A1 and B1 includes 8K (K represents a number of 1,024) word lines W/Ls. A word line W/L whose row address is one of 0–8K is illustrated in FIG. 1.
Because one word line W/L is enabled within a refresh range of 8K in a normal W/L enable operation, two word lines W/L1 and W/L2 are enabled in one cell array block. Word lines W/Ls are enabled in all row blocks in the same way as above. Also, a row redundancy enable operation is processed in the same manner as the normal W/L enable operation.
When a row redundancy repair technique is applied to the conventional folded bit line sense amplifier, a defective W/L is replaced with a spare W/L on a 1:1 basis. For example, a spare W/L corresponding to a defective W/L is enabled in a refresh range of 8K in the same way as above, and thus two W/Ls are enabled.
However, in a memory device having an open bit line S/A architecture, a dummy bit line 20 exists at the last edge block of a memory bank. A dummy bit line processing method is generally classified into either a round edge block processing method or a straight edge block processing method. FIGS. 2 and 3 schematically depict a straight edge block processing method for processing a dummy bit line. In particular, FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a case where two word lines are enabled and thus eight DQ data are outputted by a memory device having a conventional open bit line sense amplifier, and FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a case where three word lines are enabled and thus eight DQ data are outputted by a memory device having a conventional open bit line sense amplifier. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate one cell array block having blocks A2 and B2, wherein each block A2 and B2 includes 8K word lines W/Ls.
Referring to FIG. 2, the block A2 includes a first edge sub-block 10 (that is, a left edge block) corresponding to row addresses X of 0–255 and a first main sub-block 20 corresponding to row addresses X of 256–8K. The block B2 includes a second edge sub-block 30 (that is, a center pseudo edge block) corresponding to row addresses X of 0–255, a second main sub-block 40 corresponding to row addresses X of 256–8K, and a dummy sub-block 50 corresponding to row addresses X of 0–255.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, when the W/Ls of the main blocks 20 and 40 are enabled in the open bit line S/A architecture, two W/Ls 12 and 22 are enabled in the same way as the folded bit line S/A architecture and thus a total of eight DQ data are outputted. In addition, in a row redundancy operation, two W/Ls of redundancy cells selected from the main blocks 20 and 40 are enabled in the same way as the conventional folded bit line technique.
However, when DQ data needs to be output using the first edge sub-blocks 10, the second edge sub-block 30 and the dummy sub-block 50, as shown in FIG. 3, three W/Ls 11, 13 and 21 (not two W/Ls) must be enabled. Therefore, the case where DQ data are outputted using the sub-blocks is different from a case where DQ data are outputted using the main blocks. Also, when row defects occur at the first edge sub-block 10, the second edge sub-block 30 and the dummy sub-block 50, a corresponding row redundancy repair operation must be processed differently from the normal operation.
Moreover, in case the dummy bit line of the memory device having the conventional open bit line architecture is processed through the straight edge block processing method, repair efficiency is degraded when a repair process is performed in a self-block.

Apparatus and method for repairing semiconductor memory device


An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to exposure light via an original. The apparatus includes a reflector, which includes a multilayer film and a ruthenium film, and reflects the exposure light. The multilayer film reflects the exposure light, and the ruthenium film is arranged on the multilayer film. A vacuum container contains the reflector, an exhauster exhausts exhaust gas in the vacuum container, and a regulator supplies water vapor into the vacuum container and regulates an amount of the water vapor in the vacuum container, based on an amount of carbonaceous gas in the vacuum chamber, so as to retard oxidation of the ruthenium film.

A reduction projection exposure apparatus using ultraviolet (UV) light is currently used in leading-edge lithography for manufacturing a fine semiconductor element of a memory or logic circuit. Along with an increase in the degree of integration of a semiconductor element, the element often has a line width of 50 nm or less, but lithography using UV light may not be able to provide a sufficient resolving power. To combat this situation, lithography using EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) light, with a shorter wavelength of 11 to 15 nm, is under development.
Unlike UV lithography, EUV lithography cannot use a transmissive optical element using refraction, because EUV light exhibits high absorbance. EUV lithography thus uses a reflective optical element, the surface of which has a multilayer film in which two types of materials having different optical constants are alternately stacked. EUV light having a wavelength of 13.5 nm or in its vicinity is reflected by a reflective optical element having a glass-based substrate surface, which is polished into a precise shape, and in which molybdenum (Mo) and silicon (Si) are alternately stacked efficiently. An EUV exposure apparatus causes a reduction projection optical system including such a reflective optical element to form a mask pattern image on the wafer.
Since the ambient gas component also absorbs EUV light, the exposure apparatus maintains its interior in an appropriate vacuum state. Gas containing moisture and a carbonaceous substance remains in that vacuum atmosphere. The gas containing these substances mainly results from the parts or cables used in the exposure apparatus. The gas also contains a component which vaporizes from the resist (photosensitive material) applied on the wafer. The surface of the optical element adsorbs these residual gas components. Throughout the duration of stay on that surface, EUV light strikes the residual gas components. Since EUV light also has a high substance decomposition ability, it decomposes the carbonaceous residual gas component on the surface into carbon, which deposits on that surface. Similarly, the EUV light decomposes the moisture on the surface into active oxygen, which oxidizes the surface material. The presence of carbon and oxygen on the surface allows it to absorb the EUV light in amounts which depend on their thicknesses. The absorption amount is non-negligible, and the reflectance of the optical element to EUV light deteriorates. A reduction projection optical system having an excellent resolving power requires a large number of optical elements. Therefore, deterioration in reflectance per element synergistically decreases the amount of light which passes through the optical system. This prolongs the exposure time, resulting in degradation in performance of the exposure apparatus.
There have been proposals for preventing carbon deposition and removing the carbon deposits up to now. To prevent carbon deposition, it is a common practice to decrease the pressure of the target gas in the atmosphere in which the optical element is placed. The target gas is, e.g., a hydrocarbon, such as methane, ethane, or propane, a straight-chain organic substance, such as isopropyl alcohol or polymethyl methacrylate, or a cyclic organic substance such as phthalate ester (Japanese Patent No. 3467485).
There is a proposal for removing deposited carbon in the following method (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-188096). This method irradiates the deposited carbon with UV light or EUV light having a wavelength shorter than 250 nm in an environment in which an oxygen-containing species selected from water, nitrogen oxides, and oxygen-containing hydrocarbons exists in the atmosphere in which the optical element is placed. There is also a proposal for removing the carbon in the following method (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-237443). This method introduces a processing gas containing at least one of the substances selected from the group consisting of a gas of water, oxygen, ozone, and a radical element, and irradiates the carbon with an electron beam.
A popular approach effective in preventing oxidation to some extent is to perform exposure after introducing ethanol in the atmosphere in which an optical element having a multilayer film, the uppermost layer of which is Si, is placed (L. Klebanoff, 2nd International EUVL Workshop, [online], Oct. 19-20, 2000, International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative, [searched Jun. 10, 2005, Internet http://www.sematech.org/resources/litho/meetings/euvl/20001019/index/htm>). Also, a popular approach, which can suppress EUV light absorption to some extent, is to form a ruthenium (Ru) protective film on the uppermost layer of the multilayer film, because Ru has an anti-oxidative property (S. Bajt, H. Chapman, N. Nguyen, J. Alameda, J. Robinson, M. Malinowski, E. Gullikson, A. Aquila, C. Tarrio, S. Granthan, SPIE, 2003, Vol. 5037, p. 236).

Exposure apparatus and method, and device manufacturing method


The present invention provides a novel system, methods, which include machine learning, and device for providing color and fashion recommendations, including for persons with visual impairment such as color blindness or complete blindness.

For both men and women, fashion styles, as well as the clothing items includes in such styles, may be very difficult to distinguish and discern. It can be even more so for certain individuals having specific eye conditions, such as color blindness.
It is known in the relevant art that attempts to solve such a problem related to selection based on fashion choices exist. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,249,941 describes methods for selecting fashion items, pairing with additional fashion items, as associated with a style matrix. However, this is a system based on a static fashion style matrix with set attributes, as opposed to accessing any other type of variable (such as opinions of fashion experts, etc.). Further, there is no association with actual clothing items within a user's wardrobe.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,103,551 discloses methods using a mathematical function to ascertain any similarities between article attributes and compares to a threshold in order to determine if such attributes are sufficiently similar. While such methods are helpful in comparing articles of clothing in order to recognize associations across different types of articles, there is no ability to incorporate other variables into methodology to include more practical items, such as digital versions of an actual user's clothes in their closet, or inclusion of expert recommendations for subsequent matching of clothing or real-time access to purchase such outfits.
Thus, there still exists a need in the art to help evaluate and recommend color and fashion solutions on a device suitable for a user in need thereof.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for fashion recommendations


An illuminator including a plurality of light emitting elements and a lens having a concave cylindrical first optical surface and a second optical surface, such that a thickness between the first and second optical surfaces is non-uniform along first and second orthogonal directions.

Flight obstruction illuminators or "lights" are lighting apparatuses attached to high buildings or the like for preventing aircraft from colliding with the structures. The lights increase the visibility of high structures and they are mainly used in the night time, but they are also used during the day, if necessary. Typically the lights are continuously-lit or blinking red lights or white blinking lights. The type, application, lighting, method, intensity and several other aspects are determined by national and international air traffic regulations, such as those by ICAO and FAA.
The advantages of LED lighting are long service intervals, good reliability and long service life. Thus they are especially well suited for use in places with difficult access either due to structural reasons or long distances.
The light beams of flight obstruction lights are constructed to meet the requirements of very precise regulations. Such requirements include, among others, the light power and the width of the beam. In a horizontally omnidirectional light the intensity of the light beam should be as even as possible along the whole circle lit by the light beam. In LED lights the widely emitted light of the light source is controlled by means of lenses. For example, a beam with a vertical extension of three degrees and having a good efficiency requires a large lens. The horizontal light distribution of e.g. a fresnel lens is about 120 degress.
Because the intensity of the light emitted from the lens is reduced towards the edges of the light, an area having a lower intensity is formed between two lenses. In order to produce an even light beam ring along the circumference of the circle, a number of lenses, such as eight lenses with 45 degree distances, have been installed on a circumference, whereby their light beams partly overlap. This allows producing a good and consistent omnidirectional ring of light, but the lenses form a large circle. Simultaneously the cost effectiveness, weight and ease of handling during installation are decreased.
An advanced obstruction illuminator is disclosed in EP 2541134 A2 featuring several Fresnel lenses arranged on different supplementary angles.
There remains, however, a long standing need to achieve a simplified illuminator construction for achieving a good horizontal coverage of, for example, 120 degrees.

Illuminator having a plurality of light emitting elements and cylindrical lens


An image processing apparatus includes an area specifying unit that specifies a closed area emitting fluorescence in a fluorescence image as a cell area in a cell population including a number of dispersed cells. The fluorescence image is generated from fluorescence emitted by the cell population irradiated with a scanning laser beam. The apparatus also includes a nucleus data removing unit that removes data corresponding to a nucleus in the cell area; an overlapping cell specifying unit that specifies an overlapping cell area where cells overlap, based on a fluorescence intensity of a cytoplasm portion corresponding to an image where the data corresponding to the nucleus is removed; and an analyzed image generating unit that generates an analyzed image where data of the overlapping cell area is removed from the fluorescence image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which is used in a scanning cytometer. The scanning cytometer irradiates a cell population including a number of dispersed cells with a scanning laser beam, and performs an image processing on a fluorescence image obtained based on fluorescence emitted by the cell population, thereby analyzing the cells in the image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a cytometry has been widely used to investigate a transition process of a cancer cell and the like. In the cytometry technique, a laser beam irradiates a cell population including a number of dispersed cells so that a fluorescence image is obtained and the features and the properties of the cells are analyzed. A flow cytometer is known as a method of obtaining a fluorescence intensity from a cell population. In the flow cytometry technique, suspended cells each of which is isolated are jetted through to be exposed to laser irradiation. This flow cytometry technique allows obtaining only a fluorescence intensity for each isolated cell. So this technique has disadvantages that it cannot obtain the fluorescence image of the cell and a recall observation in which the same cell is again observed cannot be performed. As a method to overcome the disadvantages, the technique of a scanning cytometer is disclosed, in which a laser beam scans over a glass slide to obtain a fluorescence image with a cell population statically disposed on the glass slide (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H3-255365, for example).

Image processing apparatus which removes image data of overlapping cells


In general, the invention provides techniques for wireless communication of medical event information between medical devices that treat a particular patient. In general, medical event information describes the condition and treatment of a patient. A medical device may detect another medical device via a wireless communications medium, and establish a local wireless communication session the other device in order to receive medical event information stored by the other device for a patient. The wireless communications medium may be a radio frequency communications medium, and the medical devices may establish a local wireless communication session according to any of a number of local wireless data communication standards. The medical event information received from the other medical device may be used to select a therapy, or to generate a report or patient chart detailing the condition and treatment of the patient.

A defibrillator is a device that stores energy, typically in one or more high-voltage capacitors, and delivers the stored energy to a patient. In particular, a defibrillator delivers energy to a heart that is undergoing ventricular fibrillation and has lost its ability to contract. Ventricular fibrillation is particularly life threatening because activity within the ventricles of the heart is so uncoordinated that virtually no pumping of blood takes place. If untreated, the patient whose heart is undergoing fibrillation may die within a matter of minutes.
An electrical pulse delivered to a fibrillating heart may depolarize the heart and cause it to reestablish a normal sinus rhythm. An external defibrillator applies a defibrillation pulse via electrodes placed upon the chest of the patient. When a switch is closed, the defibrillator delivers at least some of the stored energy to the patient. In some cases, the patient may need multiple shocks, and different quantities of energy may be delivered with each shock.
The defibrillator may also monitor the patient via the electrodes, and generate a record of the condition and treatment of the patient. For example, the defibrillator may record an electrocardiogram (ECG) of the patient sensed via the electrodes. The defibrillator may keep track of the therapy provided to the patient by recording the types and energy levels of defibrillation pulses delivered to the patient and the time at which these pulses were delivered. The defibrillator may also include a microphone to make an audio recording of the treatment of the patient. These and other types of information surrounding the treatment of the patient, i.e., medical event information, may be stored within a memory of the defibrillator.
In some cases, the patient may be treated with more than one medical device. For example, the patient may have initially received prompt defibrillation therapy with an automatic external defibrillator (AED). In order to provide therapy as quickly as possible, many public and non-public venues, as well as first responders, such as police and fire personnel, are equipped with AEDs. An AED is designed to allow minimally trained operators to use the AED to deliver prompt therapy. AEDs differ from manual defibrillators in that AEDs can automatically analyze the ECG of the patient to determine whether defibrillation is necessary, and can automatically select energy levels for defibrillation pulses from preprogrammed progressions of energy levels. In most AED designs, the first responder is prompted to press a button when the AED determines that defibrillation is warranted and is ready to deliver a defibrillation pulse.
Typically, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) trained emergency medical personnel, e.g. paramedics, arrive shortly thereafter to take over the treatment of the patient with a second defibrillator, which is usually more fully featured than an AED. The paramedics may need to use the second defibrillator to treat the patient. When the patient arrives at the emergency department of a hospital, the patient may be treated with a third defibrillator located therein. Each defibrillator used to treat the patient will store medical event information concerning the treatment.


An atomizer for an electronic cigarette and an electronic cigarette are presented. The atomizer comprises a substrate, a heating device and a cover member. The substrate is provided with a mounting space. One end of the heating device is inserted into the mounting space and partially extends to the outside through the substrate to form a controlling member, and the other end is exposed to the outer surface of the substrate. When the controlling member is pressed into the substrate by an external pressing force, the heating device is pushed to move toward the outside of the substrate along the mounting space and partially extends out of the substrate. The cover member is detachably mounted to the substrate and covers the controlling member. The technical solution of the present invention is convenient for the user to disassemble and replace the heating device inside the atomizer, effectively saving the use cost.

Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes or e-cigs, are mainly used to quit smoking and replace conventional cigarettes. E-cigs have an appearance and taste that is similar to conventional cigarettes, and even offer a wider range of flavors than conventional cigarettes. E-cigs can generate vapor with a similar taste and experience like conventional cigarettes. Without tar, particles, and other harmful components in conventional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes have gradually replaced conventional cigarettes in the market.
The existing atomizer for small electronic cigarettes is usually provided with an oil storage chamber and a heating device therein, and then is provided with an oil guiding cotton (i.e., a wick) to adsorb tobacco liquid in the oil storage chamber to the heating device for atomizing, thereby generating smoke for users to inhale. However, during long-term use, the oil guiding cotton is easily burned or carbonized from the heat generated by the heating device, resulting in greater harm on the human body over time. However, with current atomizers of small electronic cigarettes, it is generally not possible to remove the internal heating device from the atomizer thus only the entire atomizer can be replaced.

Atomizer and electronic cigarette having same


The resilient hinge includes a first hinge (1) integral with the face part (2) of the frame of glasses, hinged by means of a screw (3) to a second knuckle (4) connected to a side piece (5) by means of a resilient device (6) with a spring. The latter biases resiliently al front part (12) of the branch (5) against cams (20, 21) integral with the first knuckle (1) and defining two stop positions for the side piece (5). A small plate (32), made of a low-friction material and having a shape bent at a right angle, is placed between the front part (12) and the cams (20, 21). This construction makes it possible to prevent the hinge from blocking, to reduce the friction between the movable parts of the hinge, to increase the bearing surface of the cams and increase the mechanical strength and the durability of the hinge.

The present invention is concerned with a resilient hinge for a frame for eyeglasses comprising two knuckles, of which the first one is designed for being fastened to the front part of the frame and of which the second one is designed for being connected to a side piece by means of a resilient device, this device having a hollow into which is mounted slidably an extension of the second knuckle, which extension is subjected to the action of a spring, in such a manner as to bias resiliently a front part of the hollow against at least one part of the first knuckle, acting as a cam, to define stop positions for the side piece.
A hinge of this type is described in document FR 2609816. Considering the fact that in this type of hinge, the front part of the housing for the spring is biased against the other knuckle with a considerable force, both the knuckle and the housing are frequently damaged, in particular, when the frame is made of a material which is fragile, which tends to block, which is easily deteriorated by compression or which has a low resistance to friction, as it is the case, for example, of frames made of titanium or of titanium alloys.

Slidably resilient hinge for eyeglass frames


A rotation mechanism includes a shaft portion, a bearing portion, a protruding portion, and a stopper. The bearing portion configured to rotate with respect to a predetermined axis as a center of rotation and configured to slide relative to an outer periphery of the shaft portion. The protruding portion protrudes from the shaft portion. The stopper is integrally formed the bearing portion. The stopper faces the protruding portion. A length of the protruding portion in a direction in which the protruding portion protrudes is larger than a distance from the center of rotation to a sliding portion where the bearing portion slides relative to the outer periphery of the shaft portion.

Acoustic pianos, such as conventional grand pianos and upright pianos, are composed of many parts. An assembly of these parts is so complex that the assembly work takes a long time. In particular, since an action mechanism provided corresponding to respective keys is composed of many components, the assembling operation thereof is also very complicated.
The action mechanism has a hammer with a weight below the key to provide a sensation to player's fingers through the key (hereinafter, it is called a touch feeling). The hammer rotates so as to lift the weight provided on the hammer in response to a key depression operation of the key. For example, a hammer shown in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2017-173706 and International publication No. 2018-174001 is rotatably attached in a case where a bearing portion opened in a circular shape is fitted to a shaft portion. The hammer has a shaft stopper extending from the bearing portion toward the shaft portion. The shaft stopper suppresses detaching the hammer from the shaft portion.

Rotation mechanism and keyboard apparatus


A freeze valve for a substantially single-phase fluid contains a pipe designed to receive fluid in a flow area, a cold source and a heat source. The cold source and the heat source are placed in thermal contact with the pipe. The pipe is positioned in relation to the cold source and the heat source in such a way so as to permit the freezing of fluid passing through the pipe, thereby closing the passage through the pipe, or the heating of the fluid, thereby opening the passage. The pipe contains, for example, a metallic material that is mechanically strong and capable of dissipating heat by the Joule effect.

In accordance with documents U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,626 to Takaki et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,848 to Kojima et al., a static freeze valve for a fluid has already been described and proposed which comprises:
an element of pipe designed to receive said fluid in the flow area of said pipe, the wall of which is thermally conductive; PA1 one and the same heat source consisting of a Peltier-effect thermoelectric element arranged on the underside of the element of pipe and generating, in a controlled and alternating manner, heat and cold; this heat source is placed in thermal contact, especially by heat exchange, with said element of pipe in order to pass alternately and in a controlled manner, depending on the operation of the thermoelectric element, from a cold state, in which the fluid is capable, by freezing, of sealing off the passage through said element of pipe, to a hot state, in which said fluid is liquefied, thereby freeing said passage. PA1 (a) said element of pipe is obtained from a material, especially a metallic material, which is mechanically strong and capable of dissipating heat within itself in a controlled manner by the Joule effect, in order to constitute a hot source directly within its mass; PA1 (b) a cold source, separate from said hot source, designed and controlled to generate only cold, remains alone on the outside of said element of pipe, in thermal contact, especially by heat exchange, with said element of pipe. PA1 the cold source constitutes, or is chosen as, an immobile or moving refrigeration reservoir which is relatively large compared to the amount of cold necessary for the valve to pass from the hot state to the cold state; PA1 and the heat dissipated by the Joule effect in the element of pipe is controlled at a relatively high value, at least equal to that necessary to annul or annihilate, temporarily and locally in the region of the valve, the cold transferred by the cold source toward the element of pipe, in addition to the heat necessary to make the valve pass from the cold state to the hot state.
According to this document, the thermal source is therefore transferred to the outside of the element of pipe that is to be controlled as a valve.
Moreover, in this case the hot and cold sources are coincident in one and the same thermal source, which thus constitutes a parasitic mass which has to be cooled and heated alternately before transferring, respectively, cold and heat toward said element of pipe.
Overall, such a valve exhibits a relatively high thermal inertia which makes it difficult to achieve relatively short response times in order to pass from the open state to the closed state, or back again, limiting or preventing its use as a substitute for a conventional valve, for example a valve of the electromechanical type.

Freeze valve and treatment enclosure controlled by at least one such valve


A biomaterial, particularly for tissue regeneration, includes an open, porous bioresorbable first material portion and a second material portion that is stiffer than the first material portion, wherein the volume fraction of the stiffer material is less than 30% of the total volume of the biomaterial, and the structural stiffness of the second material portion is at least 10 times greater than that of the first material portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a biomaterial. This is a synthetic or non-living natural material which is used in medicine for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes, and in this case in direct contact with biological tissue of the body.
The material enters into chemical, physical and biological interactions with the corresponding biological systems.
This also includes short-term contact over the outer body surface, via body openings and via externally accessible mucous membranes. The invention relates in particular to those materials which are introduced inside the body for longer-term retention.
In this case, the term biomaterial refers to the properties of the material, in particular the chemical and physical properties. Characteristic of a biomaterial is a biocompatibility resulting from its properties, which includes both the functional similarity to the body's own structures and reasonable biological compatibility in the body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many biomaterials are used in the form of implants inside the body. In this case, they serve, for example, in the context of a treatment to support healing after a bone fracture designated as osteosynthesis, as well as the permanent replacement of bones that were irreparably destroyed by an accident or bone cancer. Also possible is the replacement of joint structures that are worn out due to chronic illness or long-term stress. Blood vessels can be replaced with vascular prostheses, stents serve to support the wall of blood vessels. Examples of replacement of organ parts or whole organs by biomaterials are artificial heart valves, artificial urinary bladders or artificial hearts. Biomaterials are also used in plastic surgery, such as glass for artificial eyes, silicone for breast reconstruction or enlargement or titanium for skull reconstruction.
However, biomaterials also serve to support tissue regeneration, in which the damaged or missing tissue is reshaped and/or rebuilt by the body so that it is equivalent in function to the original intact tissue or at least close to it. In this case, the biomaterial has no permanent but rather only a temporary function and is ideally degraded in the body over time until it completely disappears and is replaced by the newly formed tissue. Examples include the regeneration of bones, skin, nerves, muscles, tendons and ligaments, connective tissue, cartilage, esophagus, vocal cord, heart muscle, heart valves. The biomaterials used for this purpose must therefore have further properties, since they in particular must be degraded or remodeled at least in part by processes taking place in the body, wherein the degradation products must also be biocompatible. Such "bioresorbable" biomaterials can consist of natural materials of autogenous, allogeneic or xenogeneic or plant origin (such as collagen, elastin, fibrin, hydroxyapatite, chitosan, alginate) or synthetic materials (such as PLA, PGA, PCL, PLGA).
The complete restoration of the function of damaged, diseased or lost tissue (for example, through trauma) is sought in regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine is concerned both with so-called "tissue engineering", the growth of replacement tissue having properties which are identical or as similar as possible to the tissue to be replaced, but also with the restoration of the function by utilizing the body's own so-called "endogenous" regeneration mechanisms and principles. Endogenous regeneration mechanisms can be supported, for example, by the introduction of biomaterials, cytokines (for example, growth factors) or cells or a combination thereof. Insofar as the biomaterial, for example, by its mechanical, physical or chemical properties, is capable of recruiting cells from the surrounding tissue and of supporting and guiding it in the endogenous regeneration process, a pure biomaterial approach is also conceivable, in which cells or cytokines do not need to be introduced into the body from the outside.
The principle of using endogenous regeneration processes for tissue regeneration has led to contradictory results regarding the quality of the resulting tissue using existing biomaterial approaches. The lack of quality of the regeneration and an associated unclear long-term success lead to the fact that until now few or none of these ready-made and ready-to-use "off the shelf" materials or material combinations could win recognition for tissue regeneration in the clinic.
In so-called tissue-engineering approaches, the most accurate replication of the intact tissue should ensure rapid integration of the biomaterial and restoration of the tissue function. However, the complexity of the native tissue has not been completely reproducible so far, so that corresponding tissue engineering products are not so far comparable to native autologous tissue.


Winding machine for rolled or drawn wire/rod with turn clutch device for automatic winding of the type comprising a reel with a mandrel and base flange and an external mobile containment counter flange, wherein the counter flange is openable to allow the axial extraction from the mandrel of the reel of the completed coil, the flange of base comprising a recess to receive the head of the wire/rod to be wound, with an overturned trapezoidal annular recess with corresponding reduction towards the base for auto-clamping the wire/rod to start winding without requiring pincers.

Many winding machines for rolled or drawn wire/rod with a turn clutch device are known. Some solutions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,399 HAROLD E. WOODROW and GB-A-901527 CYRIL GEORGE PULLIN.
Other pertinent solutions are the following:
GB2058703 d.4/1981 is cited as an example of an automatic winder.
DE0821666 d.11/1951 describes an alternative wire/rod unwinding system with two winding reels (11,12, FIG. 8) that include a device to form wire/rod coils downstream of a wire/rod working installation, provided with a wire-guide (13/14) with wire-guide movement means (15-13) to guide the wire/rod to the respective winder (11,12) with wire/rod transportation means (17) to move the end of the wire-guide to the coil (13) on one side and on the other above the respective reel (11-12), substantially in a parallel direction to the axis of the reel mandrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,329 (May 12, 1987 in the name of Essex Group Fort Wayne Ind. US), refers to a winding system of a wire/rod segment to form a wire/rod coil that contains the stages of rotating a mandrel by means of contact of the external surface of the mandrel with a moving belt and by directing the wire/rod above the rotating mandrel between the belt and the external surface of the mandrel. The belt keeps the wire/rod against the mandrel (reel), and when the mandrel rotates, the wire/rod is wound in a coil on the external surface of the mandrel. The belt maintains contact with the external surface of the coil to rotate the mandrel until the full length of the wire/rod section is wound.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,585 published 23-03-1976 (DEMAG) relates to an advanced wire/rod winding system.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,585 (DEMAG) describes an apparatus for on-line coiling of wire-like materials, and related method.
In the respective summary, it is affirmed that:
The disclosure relates to a coiling stand arranged to receive hot wire-like material, directly from a rolling mill or other forming mill and to wind the material into convenient coils. The coiling stand is positioned to receive wire-like material tangentially, and includes a novel and highly effective sleeve-like guide bell, which surrounds a portion of the spool. As a fresh end of hot wire-like material leaves the coil stand at high speed and approaches the coiling stand, it is directed into the space between the spool and the surrounding guide bell. The leading end of the material is thus captured and guided to the desired position, as the winding operation is initiated. As soon as a few convolutions of the coil are wound, the guide bell may be retracted axially. Desirably, however, it is not fully retracted, but continues to isolate the initial one or two convolutions, for easy subsequent access. The new coiling stand also includes provisions for advancing the guide bell axially over the spool, at the conclusion of a winding operation, to strip the just-wound coil from the spool. The new system is simplified, yet extremely efficient and reliable.
In the respective description it is said as in the background art that:
In the operation of modern, high speed rolling mills, for the production of wire and similar rolled steel products, it is important to provide for the on-line winding of the wire-like material, as it is discharged at high speed and in a hot condition from the forming mill. In this connection, the efficient performance of the rolling mill is dependent, to a large extent, on the performance of the coiling equipment at the discharge end. Any malfunction or other discontinuity in the operation of the coiling device will entail an interruption in the operation of the entire rolling mill. It is therefore important to utilize coiling devices of a highly reliable and efficient nature, and which are capable of a relatively high coiling capacity.
One known mechanism for the purpose is the so-called Edenborn winder, in which the wire-like material is first guided through a revolving pipe and is directed by the pipe into a receiving basket. The Edenborn equipment, however, has certain significant limitations with respect to speed. Thus, with increasing speeds of discharge from the rolling mill, the friction of the material in passing through the pipe may exceed the stability of the still-hot material discharged from the mill. When this occurs, the wire-like material folds up at the entry end of the pipe, requiring the shut down of the entire line while the ensuing mess is cleared.
Another known prior art device is the so-called Garret winder, in which the wire-like material is directed more or less tangentially into a basket-like container, which is being rotated at a speed appropriate to the discharge of the material from the forming mill. The basket-like container usually consists of a bottom plate and a plurality of distributed vertical rods forming the circumference of the container. A combination of gravity and centrifugal force is utilized to form the coil in the container in coiling operations. One significant shortcoming of the Garret-type winder concerns the fact that, with high speed forming mills, the basket-like container must be rotated at high speed, and the centrifugal forces involved cause the vertical rods, forming the circumference of the basket, to bend outward. Consequently, this type of equipment can only be used effectively at relatively lower speed. The utilization of a solid container, while it would avoid the problem caused by centrifugal deflection, introduces difficulties in connection with the coiling operation, and also involves excessive momentum in the rotating container, resulting in unfavorable economical considerations.
Both of the above described, previously known types of equipment have a characteristic disadvantage of providing poor coil density and uniformity, occasioned by the fact that the wire is directed into the receiving container in a more or less random manner. This can result in significant difficulties when unwinding the wire for further processing, as the convolutions of disorderly coils often become entangled.
While it is known to be desirable to wind coils in uniform layers on the exterior of a spool, and winding stands of this nature are well known, there has been no practical such device having an efficient capability of picking up the fresh end of a wire-like material arriving at high speed from a high speed rolling mill. One known device of the last described type includes a winding spool arranged to receive material moving in an axial direction. The means for engaging the fresh end of rapidly moving material includes a clamping device, surrounding one end of the spool, and a guide for engaging the fresh end of material and leading it toward and into the clamping device. This is disclosed in German publication No. 2,027,516. A serious limitation of such equipment, however, is that, when the hot, rapidly moving material is first introduced into the guide means, the axially moving wire-like material engages an axially stationary guide wall. The friction occasioned by this relative movement frequently causes the still hot and relatively unstable wire-like material to fold up, requiring the processing line to be shut down.
The same document describes the proposed solution as follows:
In accordance with the present invention, a new coiling apparatus and procedure is provided which eliminates the important disadvantages of the known prior art devices, enabling wire-like material to be efficiently wound in an on-line basis as it comes directly from a high speed forming mill. The equipment of the invention is simple, rugged, yet highly efficient, enabling the forming of highly uniform, dense coils of relatively large size, such that the rolling mills may be kept in operation with an optimum efficiency.
Pursuant to the invention, a winding spool is arranged generally at right angles to the line of advance of the wire-like material, as it is discharged from the rolling mill or other forming mill. The spool is arranged to be operated at a speed just slightly greater than the normal speed of advance of the material, in order to maintain a slight tension during the wind-up. As a significant feature of the invention, a novel guide bell arrangement is provided at one axial end of the spool. The guide bell is rotatable with the spool, but is axially displaceable along the spool in the performance of its function. Thus, in a "start" position, the guide bell surrounds one end portion of the spool, providing an annular recess of a thickness somewhat greater than one layer of the material. The outer end of the guide bell is flared upwardly, to facilitate the insertion into the annular space of a fresh end of the wire-like material at the start of a wind-up operation. The guide bell thereafter is retractable, to accommodate winding of large, heavy coil.
In accordance with another and more specific aspect of the invention, the guide bell is of a two part construction, consisting of an inner sleeve-like member and an outer sleeve-like member. The outer sleeve-like member forms the principal guide means to receive the incoming fresh end of material, while the inner sleeve-like member serves to confine axially the end of the material, in order to locate the initial convolution. The two parts of the guide bell are axially displaceable, independent of each other, enabling the outer sleeve to be axially retracted, without moving the inner member, immediately after the start up of a winding operation. At the end of a winding operation, both parts of the guide bell may be axially moved together, for stripping off the wound coil from the wind-up spool.
The Figure clearly shows the device with the included description of said document:
Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 1 represents a spindle shaft, which is supported by suitable bearings 5 in a housing 4. One end of the spindle shaft projects outwardly from the housing 4 and mounts a plurality of spool drum segments 2 which, in the aggregate, form a winding spool. The spool segments 2 are mounted for limited radial movement, by means of an actuator slide 3. The full lines show the spool segments in their normal, expanded positions. The dotted lines, located a short distance radially inward, reflect the radially retracted positions of the spool segments.
Appropriate means of a well known type (not shown) may be provided for controlling the position of the slide 3, as will be appreciated. In the illustrated arrangement, the actuator slide 3 is mounted on the outer end extremity 12 of the spindle shaft for limited sliding movement, while the spool segments 2 are slideably engaged with inclined surfaces 13 of the slide. Radial guide ways 14, at the inner end of the spool segments 2, cooperate with similar guides in a fixed collar 15, carried by the spindle shaft, to assist in guiding and supporting the spool segments 2.
The collar 15 is fixed to the shaft 1 and has a rearwardly extending flange 16 forming a cylindrical outer surface 17. In the illustrated arrangement, the surface 17 of the flange has a diameter between the expanded and retracted diameters of the spool segments 2.
Slideably supported on the cylindrical flange 16 is a sleeve-like member 6b, forming part of a two-part guide bell assembly 6. At its forward end, the sleeve member 6b has an abutment surface 18 arranged, in a normal or retracted position of the sleeve 6b, to lie close to the end surface of the spool segments 2. At its inner or rear end, the sleeve member 6b, is provided with an annular groove 19 receiving an operating member 8. In conjunction with suitable means (not shown), the operating member 8 serves to slide the sleeve-like member 6b axially with respect to the spindle shaft. An outer sleeve-like member 6a of the guide bell assembly is slideably supported on surface 20 of the inner sleeve 6b. The rearward end of the sleeve is annularly recessed at 21, to receive an operating member 7, by means of which the outer sleeve 6a may be advanced or retracted axially on the inner sleeve 6b, between the advance position shown in the upper portion of the drawing and the retracted position shown in the lower portion of the drawing.
At its outer extremity, the sleeve 6a is provided with an outwardly flaring guide surface 10, which merges into a cylindrical inner confining surface 11. As reflected in the drawing, the diameter of the cylindrical confining surface 11 exceeds the retracted diameter (dotted lines) of the winding spool by an amount which somewhat exceeds the diameter of the wire-like element 9 to be wound on the spindle. The length of the outer sleeve member 6a is such that, in a retracted position, its forward extremity projects slightly beyond the abutment 18 of the inner sleeve, as reflected in the lower portion of the drawing.
In the operation of the coiling stand shown in the drawing, the spindle 1 is initially set into rotation, having a rotational speed such that the winding speed tends to exceed slightly the oncoming speed of the wire-like material, as it is discharged from the last stand of the rolling mill. The spool segments 2, initially, are in a retracted position, at the diameter reflected in the dotted lines in the drawing. Likewise, the outer sleeve 6a of the guide bell assembly is actuated to its advanced or projected position, as reflected in the upper part of the drawing. This forms an annular recess at the inner end of the spool assembly 2, defined in part by the radially retracted spool segments, the confining surface 11, and the abutment surface 18. The width of the recess is somewhat in excess of the diameter of the wire-like material 9, as shown.
The positioned relationship of the rolling mill and winding stand is such that the incoming fresh end of material advances towards the spindle generally tangentially with respect to the outer surface and with an axial component directed towards the recessed end of the spool. As the end reaches the guide bell assembly 6, it is directed by the flaring surface 10 into the recess and eventually into contact with the abutment surface 18. As the leading end 9a of the wire is captured in the recess, it will commence to rotate around the spool, being confined by the cylindrical surface 11 of the sleeve member 6a and being held there against by centrifugal force.
After the first few turns of the coil, the actuator 7 is operated to drive the sleeve 6a to its retracted position, and simultaneously the slide 3 is shifted to expand the spool segments 2 to the enlarged diameter indicated in full lines in the drawing. Thereafter, the winding operation proceeds, with successive convolutions of the wire-like material being laid side-by-side in the first course, and similarly in successive courses until the desired size of coil is achieved. The suitable level wind guide means (not shown but of conventional construction) may be provided to guide the wire-like material during the main portion of the coil winding operation.
As reflected in the lower portion of the drawing, at least the forward extremity of the outer sleeve 6a projects slightly beyond the abutment surface 18, even in a retracted position of the outer sleeve. This tends to isolate and protect the first one or two convolutions of the coil, during the subsequent portions of the winding operation, so that these convolutions are in a known position and easily accessible in the wound coil.
When a coil 9b has been completed, it may be stripped from the spindle by moving the slide 3 outwardly, to retract the spool segments 2, and thereafter advancing axially the guide bell assembly 6a 6b, pushing the wound coil ahead of it off of the spindle in the manner desired.
The apparatus and procedure of the invention enables dense, compact coils to be wound in an orderly fashion and in a highly reliable manner. The advantage of this are twofold, in that, on the one hand, the rolling operation may be carried on with greater continuity and therefore greater efficiency, because of the significant reliability of the coil winding process, and, on the other hand, a more orderly coil is achieved, in that the successive convolutions may be laid out without entanglement. Also, the initial convolution is in a known position, easily accessible for subsequent paying out of the coil and/or butt welding of the successive coils, for example.
One of the advantageous features of the invention resides in the use of a retractable guide bell arrangement, which initially partly surrounds the winding spool at one end. An incoming end of rapidly moving wire-like element is directed tangentially and with a slight axial component into an annular recess formed in part by the guide bell. The bell guides the fresh end into the proper starting position and confines it temporarily, for the first few convolutions of the winding operation. Thereafter, it is retracted, and winding of the coil continues under slight tension by appropriate driving of the spool. Conveniently, the guide bell assembly is utilized at the conclusion of the coil winding operation to strip the coil axially from the winding spindle.
The aforementioned solution therefore anticipates a gripper system of the wire/rod end whose first turns are wound in a recess or groove in the base flange (6) of the winding mandrel, in this specific case said base flange (6) is also axially mobile to allow both the clamping in a first instance then, with withdrawal, the completion of the winding of the coil and finally the extraction of the finished coil in a final stage with its movement towards the exterior (expulsion of the coil).
The above clearly demonstrates the notoriety of the use of a groove for the insertion of the wire/rod at the start of winding associated with gripper systems determined by the movement of the cover over the first turns wound in the groove.
Notwithstanding, the solution to the problem to be solved is substantially identified in the title, namely the concept of a valid turn clutch device.
In fact, it is known as described above that in automatic winding particularly at high-speed, a problem appears with respect to the clutching of the wire/rod in the reel mandrel of the winding-machine in order to form the first turn or turns around the mandrel of the winder, in which the subsequent formation of the turns allows a secure grip with the aim of suitable and controlled tensioning with the pulling of the wire/rod for a correct spiral winding of one turn next to another, avoiding the danger that the first turn will become spaced apart and therefore the start of winding is prevented, which would obviously cause the stoppage of the installation with the consequent serious production losses.
The solution of clamping in the groove of the first turn(s) is consequently deemed necessary and furthermore avoids the aforementioned problems. As it can be an object of protection only, said clamping or seizing of the wire/rod is carried out at the beginning of the winding.
These clamping systems are complex and expensive and require complicated movement mechanisms.

Winding machine for rolled or drawn wire/rod with a turn clutch device for automatic winding


A photocurable composition can comprise a polymerizable material and a photoinitiator, wherein the polymerizable material can comprise at least one acrylate monomer including at least one cyano group (CN-acrylate monomer). The presence of a low amount of the CN-acrylate monomer between 10 wt % and not greater than 30 wt % can lower the contact angle of the composition and may improve the etch resistance of a photo-cured layer made from the photocurable composition.

Nanoimprint lithography is a useful method to manufacture nano-sized features onto a target substrate. In a first step, the pattern of a template is transferred to a cured imprint resist layer, and in a second step the pattern of the cured imprint resist layer is transferred into the underlying substrate. The second step is typically conducted by etching and called pattern transfer.
A good pattern transfer can be achieved if the etched layer is removed without damage to the resist pattern layer, which requires that the imprint resist has a high etch resistance. There exists a need to improve the etch resistance of cured imprint materials to form high precision patterns with low line edge roughness and low line width roughness. Next to a high etch resistance, an imprint resist composition needs to have a low viscosity, a suitable surface tension, and a low contact angle to the template and the underlying substrate.

Photocurable composition for making layers with high etch resistance


A heating device for a magnetic recording head includes first and second separating layers, the first separating layer having preferably a higher or equal thermal resistance than the first separating layer, and a heater formed between the first and second separating layers. A magnetic recording head for recording on magnetic medium includes a heating device which generates a heat spot on the magnetic medium which is larger than a magnetic track width, and/or heats a portion of the magnetic recording head which is on a leading edge side of a write gap in the magnetic recording head.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a heating device and a magnetic recording head for thermally-assisted recording, and more particularly, a heating device and magnetic recording head which may be used for large-area thermally-assisted recording.
2. Description of the Related Art
In longitudinal magnetic disk recording, scaling to higher areal densities has historically relied on a continuous reduction of the magnetic grain size and the width of the grain size distribution in the recording media in order to keep media noise within acceptable limits. In contrast, the number of magnetic grains per bit cell has been reduced only slowly (e.g., see M. F. Doerner, K. Tang, T. Arnoldussen, H. Zeng, M. F. Toney, and D. Weller, "Microstructure and thermal stability of advanced longitudinal media", IEEE Trans. Mag. 36, 43 (2000)).
The reduction of the average grain size has in turn led to a reduction of the stability factor for thermal magnetization reversal, which is given by the ratio of the stored magnetic energy KuV (where KU is the magnetocrystalline anisotropy, and V is the magnetic switching volume), to the thermal energy, kBT (wherein kB is the Boltzmann constant, and T is the absolute temperature). A minimum stability factor of about 65 is needed to avoid thermally driven demagnetization of bit transitions and, therefore, loss of data within the desired storage period of about 10 years (e.g., see D. Weller and A. Moser, "Thermal effect limits in ultrahigh-density magnetic recording". IEEE Trans. Mag. 35, 4423 (1999)). Accordingly, grain size reductions can be compensated for by increases in KU and, therefore, the coercivity, HC, of the recording media.
However, while potential media materials with sufficiently high KU are known, this approach is limited to values of Hc lower than about half the maximum head write field in order for the head to be able to write to the media (e.g., see D. Weller, A. Moser, L. Folks, M. E. Best, W. Lee, M. F. Toney, J.-U. Thiele, and M. F. Doerner, "High KU materials approach to 100 Gbits/in2, IEEE Trans. Mag. 36, 10 (2000)). For the best write pole materials known today (e. g. CoNiFe alloys with a saturation field of about 2.4 T), this results in a write field of about 1.2 T for longitudinal recording, allowing a maximum Hc of about 6000 to 8000 Oe (e.g., see K. Ohashi, Y. Yasue, M. Saito, K. Yamada, T. Osaka, M. Takai, and K. Hayashi, "Newly developed inductive write head with electroplated CoNiFe film", IEEE Trans. Mag. 34, 1462 (1998)).
Perpendicular magnetic recording using a single pole head and magnetic media with a soft magnetic underlayer is being investigated as a means to increase the effective head field by about a factor of 2 (e.g., see D. A. Thompson and J. S. Best, "The future of magnetic data storage technology", IBM J. Res. Develop. 44, 311(2000)). Beyond this, a number of alternative solutions to extend magnetic recording towards areal densities in the range of 1 Tbit/in2 have been proposed.
Thermally-assisted magnetic recording aims to enable the use of media materials which have very high Ku (and are, therefore, stable against thermal magnetization reversal at reduced grain size) by temporarily heating the magnetic media and thereby lowering the coercivity of the media, during the magnetic write process. A number of experimental studies on thermally-assisted magnetic recording (TAR) have recently been published, mostly using a laser spot of 0.7-1 μm as a heat source to illuminate the back side of a single-sided magnetic recording medium, and writing with a conventional magnetic recording head (e.g., M. Alex, A. Tselikov, T. McDaniel, N. Deeman, T. Valet, D. Chen, "Characteristics of thermally-assisted recording", IEEE Trans. Mag. 37, 1244 (2001)). Ultimately, however, any approach using a heat spot significantly larger than the track width will be limited by thermal erasure due to repeated heat exposure of adjacent data tracks during writing (e.g., see J. J. Ruigrok, R. Coehoorn, S. R. Cumpson, and H. W. Kesteren, "Disk recording beyond 100 Gb/in.2: Hybrid recording?", J. Appl. Phys. 87, 5398 (2000)).
Based on simple geometry arguments, a maximum increase in areal density of about a factor of 2 for TAR using a large heat spot over "conventional" (i.e., without a heat spot) longitudinal magnetic recording can be estimated. Consequently, ultrahigh recording densities will require a sufficiently small and intense heat source such as, for example, very small apertures, solid-immersion lenses, or antennas fabricated directly onto the emitting surfaces of a laser diode or an optical waveguide. Earlier realizations of such systems suffered from insufficient power efficiencies and low data rates for writing and reading in all-optical systems (e.g., see E. Betzig, J. K. Trautman, T. D. Harris, R. Wolfe, E. M. Gregory, P. L. Finn, M. H. Kryder, C.-H. Chang, "Near-field magneto-optics and high density data storage", Appl. Phys. Lett. 61, 142A (1992); and B. D. Terris, H. J. Mamin, D. Rugar, W. R. Studenmund, and G. S. Kino, "Near-field optical data storage using a solid immersion lens", Appl. Phys. Lett. 65, 388 (1994)).
However, in a recent study laser diodes with sub-wavelength apertures (Very Small Aperture Laser—VSAL) were successfully used for optical recording on phase change media with mark diameters down to below 100 nm, raising the prospect of a TAR system for ultrahigh densities at reasonable data rates (e.g., see A. Partovi, D. Peale, M. Wuttig, C. A. Murray, G. Zydzik, L. Hopkins, K. Baldwin, W. S. Hobson, J. Wynn, J. Lopata, L. Dhar, R. Chichester, H. J. Yeh, "High-power laser light source for near-field optics and its application to high-density optical data storage", Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 1515 (1999)).
As it will be explained in more detail below, there are basically two different strategies to implement thermally-assisted recording, which we will refer in the following as large-area TAR and small-area TAR.
In small-area TAR, highly localized heating is realized (either by a local heater (e.g., see "High density magnetic thermal recording and reproducing assembly", U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,206) or a near-field optical spot (e.g., see A. Partovi, D. Peale, M. Wuttig, C. A. Murray, G. Zydzik, L. Hopkins, K. Baldwin, W. S. Hobson, J. Wynn, J. Lopata, L. Dhar, R. Chichester, H.-J. Yeh, "High-power laser light source for near-field optics and its application to high-density optical data storage", Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 1515 (1999)), where the heat spot size is on the order of the bit dimensions. However, in practice, it turns out that small-area TAR faces several major challenges, especially if a heater in the recording head is used to realize the heating. Specifically, at a given power flux a small-area heat spot will result in significantly less heating in the disk than a large-area heat spot.
The situation is significantly improved in large-area TAR, where the heat spot exceeds the bit dimensions (e.g., realized by a large-area heater in a recording head or far-field laser heating analogous to magneto-optical recording (e.g, see M. Mansuripur, The physical principles of magneto-optical recording, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1995, p. 350). Although adjacent tracks will be heated in large-area TAR it can be shown using simple considerations, which are explained in more detail below, that moderate improvements in areal density can be obtained over the areal density obtained with small-area TAR.
For these reasons, it is advantageous to have a heating element in a recording head slider which is able to transfer energy to the media to assist in high areal density recording.

Heating device and magnetic recording head for thermally-assisted recording

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands, B.V.


Method for providing a nanopipette array for biosensing applications. A thin substrate of anodizable metal (“AN-metal,” such as Al, Mg, Zn, Ti, Ta and/or Nb) is anodized at temperature T=20-200° C., chemical bath pH=4-6 and electrical potential 1-300 Volts, to produce an array of anodized nanopipette channels, having diameters 10-50 nm, with oxidized channel surfaces of thickness 5-20 nm. A portion of exposed non-oxidized AN-metal between adjacent nanopipette channels, of length 1-5 μm, is etched away, exposing inner and outer surfaces of a nanopipette channel. A probe molecule, is deposited on one or both surfaces to provide biosensing capability for K(≧1) target molecules. Target molecule presence, in an above-threshold concentration, in a fluid passed through or adjacent to a nanopipette channel, produces characteristic detection signals associated with the probe molecule site.

Development of biosensors is an active field, with applications in lab-on-a-chip, diagnostics of infectious diseases, cancer diagnostics, environment monitoring, biodetection and other fields. One strategy used for selective identification of a biological target is to preselect a probe that has a unique affinity for the target or that can uniquely interact with or hybridize the target, using a "lock and key" approach. In this approach, one needs a platform to support the probe and a recognition element that can sense presence of the desired interaction between the probe and the target. The interaction result can manifest itself optically (using dyes, quantum dots for example) or electrically. The platform design and configuration may vary, depending on whether optical or electrical interaction is used. Electrical readout biosensors have gained much attention because, in principle, they can be made more compact than optical technologies.
Advances in microfabrication and related technologies have aided development of electrical readout based biosensors. One popular approach is a bio-field effect transistor (Bio-FET), wherein a probe molecule is functionalized in the gate region of a three-terminal transistor [Schafer et al, "Time-dependent observation of individual cellular binding events to field-effect transistors," Biosensors and Bioelectronics. Vol 24 (2009) pp. 1201-1208]. When the probe-target hybridization takes place, a shift occurs in the threshold voltage of the current-voltage curve from the corresponding curve before hybridization. Wafer scale fabrication of Bio-FETs can assure reasonable unit cost for each sensor.
Another competing electrical readout technology relies upon use of an electrode instead of a transistor. In this approach, the electrode tip has an attached probe, and when hybridization with the target occurs, the generated signal will be transmitted by the electrode to a measurement circuit. A previous NASA Ames innovation [Jun Li et al, "Carbon Nanotube Nanoelectrode Array for Ultrasensitive DNA Detection," Nano Letters, vol. 3 (2003) pp. 597-602] involves a nanoelectrode array consisting of an array of carbon nanofibers as individual nanoelectrodes, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Each nanofiber is a solid nanocylinder having a probe attached to it, and the array size, chip size and wafer size are controlled.
Other approaches have used various inorganic nanowires, such as silicon or oxide nanowires instead of carbon nanofibers; these nanowires are also solid cylinders [M. Meyyappan and M. Sunkara, "Inorganic Nanowires: Applications, Properties and Characterization," Chap. 14, CRC Press, Baton Rouge, Fla., (2009)]. Others have used gold quantum dots, which are small solid spheres. The probe attachment is done on the tip of the cylinder or outer surface of the sphere for each of these approaches.
A more recent approach involves use of a nanopipette, which is a tiny hollow tube with probe molecule attached at a tapered end on the external surface. FIG. 2 illustrates a nanopipette configuration. M. Karhanek et al, "Single DNA Molecule Detection Using Nanopipettes and Nanoparticles," Nano Letters, vol. 3 (2003) pp. 403-407] report use a quartz capillary which is drawn into a tiny pipette using a laser puller, with an inner diameter of about 50 nm. Probe functionalities chosen for a specified target are attached to the outside surface of the nanopipette tip. This approach provides a competitive technique for biosensing, when compared with the Bio-FET or any of the nanoelectrode approaches discussed above. One problem encountered is that pulling a pipette out of a glass capillary using a laser puller (or any other pulling approach) yields one pipette at a time. A feasible biosensing technology will require an array of nanopipettes, by analogy with the competing technologies of Bio-FETs arrays or nanoelectrodes arrays.
A useful approach would permit would formation of an array of nanopipettes with controllable diameters, densities and/or lengths.

Fabrication of nanopipette arrays for biosensing

The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)


An antenna includes a base element, grounding and feeding points, and first and second radiating elements. Each of the grounding and feeding points is provided on the base element. The first radiating element is operable in a first frequency band, and extends from the base element. The second radiating element is operable in a second frequency band lower than the first frequency band, extends from the base element, and is formed with a slot.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an antenna, more particularly to an antenna applicable to global system for mobile communications (GSM) devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional antenna 11 installed in a mobile phone 10. The conventional antenna 11 is generally C-shaped, is provided with feeding and grounding points 12, 13, and includes feeding and grounding elements 15, 14, each of which is connected to a respective one of the feeding and grounding points 12, 13, and each of which is connected to a circuit board (not shown) of the mobile phone 10.
The conventional antenna 11 is disadvantageous in that, although the conventional antenna 11 achieves a relatively wide impedance bandwidth in a high frequency band, i.e., the conventional antenna 11 is operable in a frequency band from 1710 MHz to 1990 MHz, the conventional antenna 11 has a relatively narrow impedance bandwidth in a low frequency band, i.e., the conventional antenna 11 is operable only either in the GSM 850 frequency band from 824 MHz to 894 MHz or the GSM 900 frequency band from 880 MHz to 960 MHz.

Antenna having wide impedance bandwidths both at low and high frequencies


Various methods and systems are provided for a system for an engine. In one example, the system includes an exhaust passage through which exhaust gas is configured to flow from the engine. The system further includes an aftertreatment system disposed in the exhaust passage, the aftertreatment system including an aftertreatment device and a bypass with a bypass control element, the bypass control element adjustable to reduce exhaust gas flow through the aftertreatment device during tunneling operation.

Some vehicles, such as rail vehicles, may undergo tunneling operation in which the vehicle travels through a confined space, such as a tunnel. During tunneling operation, temperatures of various components of the vehicle, such as an engine, an aftertreatment system, and a cooling system, may increase. In some examples, the temperatures may increase substantially, leading to decreased power and overheating of the engine of the rail vehicle.
In one example, during tunneling operation, due to induction of exhaust gas from its own engine, from the exhaust of other engines in a train to which the vehicle is coupled, or from other engines which previously operated in the tunnel, a temperature of exhaust gas from the engine increases and a level of engine out soot increases. As such, a temperature of the aftertreatment system increases and a loading rate of an aftertreatment device of the aftertreatment system increases. When the aftertreatment device is overloaded with soot, clogging of the aftertreatment device may occur, resulting in increased backpressure on the engine which can eventually choke and shut down the engine. Further, when combustible material such as soot overloads the aftertreatment device at high enough temperatures, the soot may begin burning and the reaction may run away (e.g., runaway regeneration), leading to degradation of the aftertreatment system.

Systems and methods for controlling exhaust flow through an aftertreatment device