First determination means 16 determines whether a deviation exceeds a threshold value, measurement means 17 measures the period in which the deviation exceeds the threshold value in accordance with the determination result, second determination means determines whether the period in which the deviation exceeds the threshold value continues for a certain period or more in accordance with the measurement result, third determination means 19 determines whether the absolute value of the deviation decreases, and trouble determination means 2 determines that a trouble occurs when the period in which the deviation exceeds the threshold value continues for a certain period or more and the absolute value of the deviation does not decrease.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trouble detection method and trouble detection apparatus for detecting a trouble in a control loop such as a disconnection or short circuit and a temperature controller, particularly to a trouble detection method and trouble detection apparatus preferred to detect a trouble such as a disconnection or short circuit in a control loop and a temperature controller.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, as shown in FIG. 17, a temperature control system generally detects the temperature of a controlled system 1 such as a heating furnace by a temperature sensor 2 and inputs the temperature to a temperature controller 3′. The temperature controller 3′ performs a PID operation or the like in accordance with a set temperature (target value) and a detected temperature, outputs an operation signal to an SSR 4, and controls the power distribution to a heater 5 by an AC power supply 6 so that the temperature of the controlled system 1 becomes the set temperature.
The temperature controller 3′ has a sensor input circuit 7 to which an input is supplied from the temperature sensor 2, an A/D conversion circuit 8, a filter 9 according to software processing, control section 10 for performing an PID operation or the like, D/A conversion circuit 11, and output circuit 12.
In the case of the above temperature control system, to detect a trouble in a control loop such as disconnection of the heater 5 or temperature sensor 2 or short circuit of the SSR 4, it is necessary to detect a current by setting a current sensor to a place for detecting the current. Thus, the configuration becomes complex and the cost increases.
Therefore, an apparatus for detecting a trouble such as disconnection of a heater without using a current sensor is disclosed (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing a control loop system in the Patent Document 1.
A measured value PV from a controlled system 53 is input to a deviation circuit 57 and a trouble detection circuit 55 while an operation circuit 59 performs an PID operation in accordance with a deviation between a set value SV and the measured value PV to supply a manipulated variable MV to the controlled system 53 and the trouble detection circuit 55.
The trouble detection circuit 55 detects a trouble in the control loop system in accordance with the input manipulated variable MV and measured value PV.
That is, the trouble detection apparatus for the control loop system has counter means for counting predetermined trouble detection measurement time at a constant cycle, operation means for operating a manipulated variable for a controlled system in accordance with a measured value from the controlled system and a predetermined set value and outputting the operated manipulated variable to the controlled system, first determination means for determining whether the manipulated variable from the operation means is 0% or less or 100% or more, second determination means for determining a trouble depending on whether the measured value from the controlled system exceeds the range of a predetermined reference value for a measured value before start of the counting when the determination result by the first determination means is 0% or more or 100% or less of the manipulated variable and the counting means counts up the time, and trouble designation means for outputting a designation signal for designating a trouble in the control loop system of the controlled system when the measured value does not exceed the range of the predetermined reference value of the measured value before start of the counting in the second determination means.
The above configuration detects a trouble by counting a predetermined time from the point of time when a manipulated variable becomes 0% or less or 100% or more, detecting a change value of measured values at every predetermined time, and determining whether the change value exceeds a predetermined reference temperature range.
For example, in the normal state in which heating is continued by a heater up to a set temperature at a manipulated variable of 100%, a measured value rises over a predetermined reference temperature range every predetermined time. However, when the heater causes a disconnection, because the measured value cannot rise over the predetermined reference temperature range, it is possible to detect the trouble of heater disconnection.
Patent Document 1
U.S. Pat. No. 2,552,177
However, the above conventional example cannot detect a trouble unless a state does continues in which a manipulated value is 0% or less or 100% or more. Therefore, in a state in which the manipulated value is kept in a range of less than 100% over 0%, it is impossible to detect a trouble and thus trouble detection is delayed for a purpose requesting high-accuracy control.
Moreover, in the case of the above conventional example, when a set temperature corresponds to a manipulated variable of 100%, that is, when a manipulated variable in a steady state is 100%, for example, in a state in which a set temperature is set to 300° C. at a manipulated variable of 100%, the manipulated variable is 100% but temperature does not rise over a predetermined reference temperature range. Therefore, there is a difficult point that a trouble is erroneously determined.

Trouble detection method, trouble detection apparatus, and temperature controller


Apparatus such as a mining shovel or the like, the apparatus comprising a carbody supported for movement over the ground, the carbody including a cylindrical bore centered on a vertical axis. A cylindrical center gudgeon is housed in the cylindrical bore, the center gudgeon including a generally cylindrical outer surface having therein a groove defining a generally horizontal plane, and a flat defined by a vertical, planar surface forming a chord of the outer surface. A bottom retainer includes a plurality of ring segments housed in the groove, and a key having a vertical, planar key inner surface engaging the center gudgeon flat and facing the ends of two of the ring segments. The key is welded to the carbody so that the key is stationary relative to the carbody and prevents rotation of the center gudgeon relative to the carbody.

The invention relates to apparatus such as mining shovels and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to such apparatus in which a revolving frame assembly is rotatable about a center gudgeon supported by a carbody. Still more particularly, the invention relates to the bottom retainer for a center gudgeon.
A conventional mining shovel includes a carbody supported for movement over the ground by a pair of crawler assemblies. The carbody has therein a cylindrical bore centered on a vertical axis, and a cylindrical center gudgeon extends through the bore. The center gudgeon is held into place relative to the carbody primarily by an interference fit. An upper portion of the center gudgeon extends above the carbody, and a revolving frame assembly is rotatable about the upper portion of the center gudgeon. A roller circle surrounds the center gudgeon and rotatably supports the revolving frame assembly above the carbody. A lower portion of the center gudgeon extends below the carbody and includes a circumferential groove and a flat. As a "second line of defense" to prevent the center gudgeon from moving upwardly relative to the carbody, a bottom retainer engages the carbody and the lower portion of the center gudgeon.
A prior art bottom retainer is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The bottom retainer includes a split collar 1 seated in the groove 2 in the center gudgeon 3. The split collar 1 includes two or more arcuate sections 4. Each arcuate section 4 includes, at its opposite ends, radially outwardly extending ears or lugs 5, and the lugs of adjacent arcuate sections are bolted together to retain the collar sections in the groove 2. The split collar 1 engages the lower surface of the carbody 6 to prevent upward movement of the center gudgeon 3 relative to the carbody in the event the interference fit between the center gudgeon and the carbody fails to prevent such upward movement.
The bottom retainer also includes a key 7 which is located below the split collar 1 and which has a flat surface 8 engaging the flat 9 on the center gudgeon 3. The key is welded to the split collar at 10, and the split collar is welded to the carbody at 11 so that the split collar and the key cannot rotate relative to the carbody. Engagement of the flat on the center gudgeon by the key prevents rotation of the center gudgeon relative to the carbody.

Mining shovel with improved center gudgeon bottom retainer


The present invention concerns a composite amplifier and a method for controlling the amplitude of a composite amplifier in a node of a wireless communication system. The composite amplifier comprises a first amplifier and a second amplifier that are arranged to be connected via an output combiner network to a load. The method comprises decomposing an input signal into a first signal component and a second signal component. Further, the method comprises differentiating the amplitude on the first signal component from the amplitude on the second signal component. the differentiation is made such that the aggregated efficiency of the composite amplifier is increased. The present invention also concerns a radio transmission device comprising a composite amplifier.

The rapid development of the telecommunications industry have made wireless handheld devices like cell phones, pagers, two-way messaging devices, etc. massively popular, creating a need for new electronic components and circuits in both mobile and base station systems as competition drives the introduction of expanded capabilities.
For wireless handsets, wireless PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), and other wireless devices, one overarching concern is power consumption; the less power a device consumes the more desirable it is. Thus higher efficiency components, such as amplifiers, are desirable in these wireless devices.
Radio frequency power amplifiers contribute to the power consumption in the communications systems. To extend battery life in mobile units, and to reduce operating costs of base stations, there is a need to develop new amplifiers to replace inefficient, power wasting, elderly designs currently in use.
Many contemporary base station amplifiers employ complex techniques to realize amplifiers with a high degree of linearity over a broad frequency range. Unfortunately those solutions have a low efficiency.
Handset power amplifiers also suffer from efficiency problems, often more critical than those for base stations as the power supply for mobile user equipment is strictly limited. Today's smaller, faster and more effective portable electronics demand high power with only little losses.
Switching mode amplifiers have been used for quite some time in various electronic systems including audio power amplifiers and switching power supply circuits. In switching mode amplifiers, the transistor is operated as a switch. Switching mode amplifiers suffer however from the existence of some fundamental limits, such as large parasitic capacitance, which may prevent many transistors from working well at high power and frequency.
Modulation schemes incorporating an amplitude component is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. Amplitude modulation works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent. For example, changes in the signal strength can be used to reflect the sounds to be reproduced by a speaker. Unfortunately, amplifiers loose efficiency when working in backed of power operation i.e. working below full effect, why they at present are unsuitable to be used for amplitude modulation of a radio signal. Thus there is a problem with efficiency in back off.
One type of architecture to circumvent this is the so called Linear amplification using Nonlinear Components (LINC) or the Chireix architecture. These techniques are commonly known as outphasing which involves two signals which are separated by a common phase angle and recombined in a combiner or combining network. By adjusting the said phase of the two signals, the combined resulting signal presents an amplitude component with amplitude proportional to the said phase difference. This technique enables the use of saturated amplifiers or switching amplifiers to create modulation schemes with amplitude components. Unfortunately, field tests have resulted in far from ideal results, as the resulting circuits were found to be insufficiently efficient, especially in backed of power operation. Also, an uneven workload between the branches shows up when the output power is controlled by altering the outphasing angle. The efficiency is degraded by unwanted power dissipation caused by collisions between the intrinsic drain-voltage and -current.
Based on the above, there is a need for methods or circuits which overcome or mitigate at least some of the drawbacks of the known amplifiers.


A hydraulic gear shift mechanism for a bicycle having a positioning mechanism for controlling the motion of the piston of a master cylinder assembly is disclosed, wherein the master cylinder assembly is in communication with a slave cylinder for operation of a derailleur. The positioning mechanism preferably includes a pivot shaft spaced apart from the handlebar, a rotating member rotatable about the pivot shaft, a push mechanism for rotating the rotating member in a first direction and a return mechanism for rotating the rotating member in a second direction. In a more preferred embodiment of the invention, an adjuster piston is threadingly engaged with the master cylinder assembly for adjusting the initial position of the slave cylinder.

In typical bicycle gear shift devices, a shift control cable transmits the force of an actuating member operable by a bicyclist, to a derailleur arranged adjacent to the sprockets. To protect the cable from damage caused by environmental conditions, such as dirt or moisture, a sleeve is generally provided on the shift control cable. However, even when utilizing a sleeve, portions of the shift control cable, such as the portion of the cable between the end of the cable sleeve and the derailleur, remain exposed and are thus susceptible to damage. This is particularly disadvantageous for the portions of the shift control cable that are close enough to the road surface such that dirt and mud from the road surface can precipitate on the cable. Continued exposure to the road condition causes dirt to accumulate on the shift control cable, which eventually impedes the motion of the cable in and out of the cable sleeve. As a result, the shifting mechanism may then be movable either by great force only or not at all.
Another disadvantage of the cable operated gear shift systems is that the shift control cable tends to stretch over a period of time and thus the derailleur mechanism needs to be adjusted in order to effect proper shifting of gears. Additionally, the cable frequently becomes rusted or worn and accordingly will break when a gear change is attempted. Installation and maintenance of the control shift cable is complicated and requires the elimination of any kinks and bends in the cable that can result in additional frictional force between the cable and the sleeve.
To overcome the disadvantages of cable operated gear shift systems, hydraulically operated systems have been proposed. However, the problem with the known hydraulic gear shift systems is that the mechanisms used for indexed shifting are less sophisticated and imprecise. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a hydraulic gear shift mechanism having a control device that provides precise positioning for indexed shifting.
Another disadvantage of known hydraulically operated gear shift systems is that if the system needs an adjustment, an end point adjustment is typically made at the slave cylinder assembly to adjust the initial position of the slave piston. Given that the slave cylinder assembly is located near the derailleur, it is inconvenient to a bicycle rider to make an adjustment at that location. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an adjuster at a location that is easily accessible to the rider.


A method for the treatment of obesity in an animal such as a human, comprises administering to the animal an effective amount of a peptide which comprises the carboxyl-terminal sequence of a growth hormone, particularly the carboxyl-terminal sequence of human growth hormone containing amine acid residues 177-191. A pharmaceutical composition for use in the treatment of obesity is also disclosed.

The critical role of human growth hormone (hGH) in postnatal growth in humans is well recognised. Less obvious is the impact of this hormone on the regulation of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, due to lack of detailed molecular studies.
It is well documented that the predominant form of hGH is a globular protein with a molecular weight of 22,000 daltons (22-KD) and consists of 191 amino acid residues in a single-chain, folded by 2 disulphide bonds with a small loop at the carboxyl terminus between residues 182 and 189. Recent crystallographic studies also show that the hGH molecule contains four anti-parallel .alpha.-helices which are arranged in a left-twisted, tightly-packed helical bundle.sup.1. The concept that there are discrete functional domains within the hGH molecule responsible for specific metabolic actions of the hormone is generally accepted. The amino-terminus has been identified as the functional domain responsible for the insulin-like actions of the hGH molecule.sup.2,3.
Recombinant DNA technology opens the way to the large-scale commercial production of human growth hormone, and the recombinant hGH appears to have equivalent biological efficacies and pharmacokinetic properties.sup.4,5. Current supply of this multiple-functional hormone no longer restricts the types and numbers of experimental therapies in humans and animals. The use of hGH for treatment of short stature in children and adults is well-established.sup.6. Therapeutic effects of hGH in female infertility have also been reported.sup.7,8. Treatment of human obesity with hGH has been advocated because of its remarkable effects on body composition with lipid metabolism.sup.9. However, the clinical applications of the intact hormone encounter a variety of problems. Evidence suggests that this multiple-functional hormone often simultaneously exerts in vivo, by various bioactive domains within the molecules, some adverse effects.sup.10.
Regulation of lipid metabolism by GH was first described in 1959 by Raben & Hollenberg.sup.11. The acute increase of plasma free fatty acids after GH administration was the major evidence for this metabolic function of the hormone. The regulatory role of the hormone in lipid metabolism was subsequently supported by the body composition studies of GH-deficient and GH-treated humans.sup.12,13 and pigs.sup.14,15. The findings of Gertner suggest that hGH is linked to adipose tissue distribution through a series of interactions known as the "GH-fat cycle".sup.16. However, the molecular events transpiring to these biochemical and physiological changes remained largely unknown. The metabolic effects of GH on adipose and other tissues in vivo are variable and complex, apparently consisting of at least two components, an early insulin-like effect followed by a later more profound anti-insulin effect.sup.17. The results of the latter effect may include both a stimulation of lipolysis and an inhibition of lipogenesis. The anti-lipogenic effect of hGH has been substantiated with the demonstrations of the decrease of the expression of glucose transporter GLUT 4 in adipocytes.sup.18, the inhibition of the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase in adipose tissues.sup.19,20 and the reduction of glucose incorporation into lipid in both isolated cells and tissues.sup.21,22.
In view of the multiple-functional effects of intact hGH and the problems encountered in clinical applications of the intact hormone, work leading to the resent invention has been directed to investigating whether hGH derivatives could be synthesised that retain the desired bioactivities and lack the unwanted side effects. In this work, structure-function studies of hGH have been carried out to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the metabolic actions of this multiple-functional hormone.
The structure-function studies of hGH with synthetic hormonal fragments have revealed that the carboxyl terminus of the hGH molecule appears to be the functional domain of the hormone for the regulation of lipid metabolism.sup.20,23,24,25 and it has now been shown that a synthetic peptide having a sequence based in the carboxyl terminal region reduces body weight gain and adipose tissue mass in a laboratory obese animal model.


The invention relates to gold-coated particles useful as fuel cell electrocatalysts. The particles are composed of an electrocatalytically active core at least partially encapsulated by an outer shell of gold or gold alloy. The invention more particularly relates to such particles having a noble metal-containing core, and more particularly, a platinum or platinum alloy core. In other embodiments, the invention relates to fuel cells containing these electrocatalysts and methods for generating electrical energy therefrom.

A "fuel cell" is a device which converts chemical energy into electrical energy. In a typical fuel cell, a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, is fed to an anode (the negative electrode), while an oxidant, such as oxygen, is fed to a cathode (the positive electrode). Oxidation of the fuel at the anode causes a release of electrons from the fuel into an electrically conducting external circuit which connects the anode and cathode. In turn, the oxidant is reduced at the cathode using the electrons provided by the oxidized fuel.
The electrical circuit is completed by the flow of ions through an electrolyte that allows chemical interaction between the electrodes. The electrolyte is typically in the form of a proton-conducting polymer membrane. The proton-conducting membrane separates the anode and cathode compartments while allowing the flow of protons between them. A well-known example of such a proton-conducting membrane is NAFION®.
A fuel cell, although having components and characteristics similar to those of a typical battery, differs in several respects. A battery is an energy storage device whose available energy is determined by the amount of chemical reactant stored within the battery itself. The battery will cease to produce electrical energy when the stored chemical reactants are consumed. In contrast, the fuel cell is an energy conversion device that theoretically has the capability of producing electrical energy for as long as the fuel and oxidant are supplied to the electrodes.
In a hydrogen/oxygen fuel cell, hydrogen is supplied to the anode and oxygen is supplied to the cathode. Hydrogen molecules are oxidized to form protons while releasing electrons into the external circuit. Oxygen molecules are reduced at the cathode to form reduced oxygen species. Protons travel across the proton-conducting membrane to the cathode compartment to react with reduced oxygen species, thereby forming water. The reactions in a typical hydrogen/oxygen fuel cell are as follows:Anode: 2H2→4H++4e−  (1)Cathode: O2+4H++4e−→2H2O  (2)Net Reaction: 2H2+O2→2H2O  (3)
In many fuel cell systems, a hydrogen fuel is produced by converting a hydrocarbon-based fuel such as methane, or an oxygenated hydrocarbon fuel such as methanol, to hydrogen in a process known as "reforming". The reforming process typically involves the reaction of such fuels with water along with the application of heat. By this reaction, hydrogen is produced. The byproducts of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide typically accompany the production of hydrogen in the reformation process.
Other fuel cells, known as "direct" or "non-reformed" fuel cells, directly oxidize fuels high in hydrogen content. For example, it has been known for some time that lower primary alcohols, particularly methanol, can be oxidized directly. Due to the advantage of bypassing the reformation step, much effort has gone into the development of so-called "direct methanol oxidation" fuel cells.
In order for the oxidation and reduction reactions in a fuel cell to occur at useful rates and at desired potentials, electrocatalysts are required. Electrocatalysts are catalysts that promote the rates of electrochemical reactions, and thus, allow fuel cells to operate at lower potentials. Accordingly, in the absence of an electrocatalyst, a typical electrode reaction would occur, if at all, only at very high potentials. Due to the high catalytic nature of platinum, platinum and its alloys are preferred as electrocatalysts in the anodes and cathodes of fuel cells.
However, a significant obstacle in commercializing fuel cells is the lack of stability of platinum electrocatalysts in the cathode during operation of the fuel cell. Typically, during operation of a fuel cell, the cathode potential will vary between approximately 0.5 and 1.1 V. This cathode potential variation is often caused by the fluctuating power requirements of a device powered by the fuel cell. For example, an automobile operated by a fuel cell requires stopping and starting.
During the higher cathode potentials, circa one volt, a portion of the platinum electrocatalyst has a tendency to oxidize, thereby causing the concomitant dissolution of platinum ions. The platinum ions are able to migrate at least as far as the proton conducting membrane. Hydrogen crossing through the proton conducting membrane from the anode causes the subsequent reduction of the platinum ions into platinum nanoparticles.
Accordingly, platinum is depleted from the cathode while the build up of platinum on the proton conducting membrane impedes the transport of hydrogen to the cathode. These effects cause a decline in the fuel cell's efficiency.
Another problem in existing electrocatalyst technology is the high platinum loading in fuel cell cathodes. Since platinum is a high-cost precious metal, high platinum loading translates to high costs of manufacture. Accordingly, there have been efforts to reduce the amount of platinum in electrocatalysts.
Platinum nanoparticles have been studied as electrocatalysts. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,934 to Auer et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,292 to Hervert.
Platinum-palladium alloy nanoparticles have also been studied. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,264; Solla-Gullon, J., et al, "Electrochemical And Electrocatalytic Behaviour Of Platinum-Palladium Nanoparticle Alloys", Electrochem. Commun., 4, 9: 716 (2002); and Holmberg, K., "Surfactant-Templated Nanomaterials Synthesis", J. Colloid Interface Sci., 274: 355 (2004).
Other platinum-alloy compositions have been studied. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,944 to Buchanan et al. discloses platinum-nickel and platinum-nickel-gold electrocatalyst compositions.
None of the art discussed above discloses platinum or other noble metal electrocatalysts resistant to the oxidation and dissolution effects of fuel cells. Yet, there is a need for new electrocatalysts having such resistance, especially since such electrocatalysts would further the commercialization of fuel cells. The present invention relates to such electrocatalysts.

Electrocatalysts having gold monolayers on platinum nanoparticle cores, and uses thereof


A recording sheet package includes a stack of plural recording sheets. A packaging body contains the recording sheets. The packaging body or the recording sheets include humidity and temperature indicators which allows the degradation of the recording sheets to be compensated for in the course of thermal printing. A detection cutout is formed in the packaging body, for receiving insertion of a sheet remainder counter. The sheet remainder counter is allowed to push the recording sheets in a thickness direction thereof. The sheet remainder counter is adapted to detect a number of remaining ones of the recording sheets in the packaging body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording sheet package, a correction information sheet for the same, and a thermal printer for use therewith. More particularly, the present invention relates to a recording sheet package in which the number of remaining recording sheets can be recognized easily, a correction information sheet for the same, and a thermal printer for use therewith.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
There are two types of thermal printers, including a direct thermal printing type and a thermal transfer type, for each of which a recording sheet of a predetermined type is used. The recording sheet for the direct thermal printing is constituted by a support and three thermosensitive coloring layers overlaid thereon, which are cyan, magenta and yellow coloring layers. Heat energy of three values is applied to the recording sheet to develop colors of each of the coloring layers. Each coloring layer after being heated is optically fixed prior to thermal recording of a succeeding one of the coloring layers. For this optical fixation, ultraviolet rays of a predetermined range of the wavelength are applied to the recording sheet to destroy the coloring ability of each coloring layer. The succeeding coloring layer can be safely heated without influencing the density of the color developed in the preceding coloring layer. If the recording sheet of the direct thermal printing type is kept where it is subjected to light from lamps of widely used appliances, the coloring ability of the recording sheet is remarkably influenced. Consequently a stack of recording sheets is contained in a light-tight packaging bag, and furthermore, contained in a cardboard box to be shipped commercially.
There are two types of thermal transfer printers, including a wax-transfer type and a sublimation type. The wax-transfer printer melts or softens ink of ink film, and transfers it to the recording sheet. The sublimation printer sublimates or disperses dye of ink film on to the recording sheet. The recording sheet for the wax-transfer printer consists of coat paper having high smoothness. The recording sheet for the sublimation printer consists of paper coated with polyester resin. For both of the thermal transfer printers, a plurality of recording sheets are stacked and contained in a moisture proof bag, which is then contained in a cardboard box to be shipped for sale.
A recording sheet package is used for easy handling of a stack of the recording sheets. To load the printer with the recording sheets, at first, a packaging bag is opened to remove the recording sheet package, which is inserted in a sheet supply cassette. The sheet supply cassette is set in the printer. So the loading of the recording sheets is complicated to most of the users. While a user manually removes the recording sheets from the packaging bag, it is likely that the recording sheets are exposed to ambient light and touched by the user""s hand. In the case of the recording sheets for the thermal transfer printing, touched portions are discolored by fingerprints. In the case of the recording sheets for the direct thermal printing, the coloring ability of the uppermost one of the recording sheets is influenced by the ambient light.
JP-A 5-116774 discloses the recording sheet package in which the recording sheets are not touched directly by user""s hand, and with which the printer can be easily loaded with the recording sheets. A cutting line with a train of perforations is formed in a body of the recording sheet package. A portion of the body of the recording sheet package is cut away by tearing the cutting line, to form an opening for removal of the recording sheets. The tearing requires a user""s manual operation prior to the loading into the printer.
Thermosensitive recording sheet characteristically has a problem in changes in the coloring ability, as the coloring ability is influenced by temperature, humidity, and other various conditions in the preservation of the recording sheet. If a recording sheet has been kept long in a harmful environment, there occurs failure in printing due to a change in the coloring ability. The recording sheet is wasted after the printing failure.
Another problem lies in difficulties in recognizing the remainder of the recording sheets. The recording sheet package must be removed from the printer before the remainder can be observed through a supply opening of the package. Such a complicated operation has been required for checking the remainder.
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a recording sheet package with which the number of remaining recording sheets can be recognized easily, a correction information sheet for the same, and a thermal printer for use therewith.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a recording sheet package with which environmental influences to image recording with a recording sheet can be eliminated, a correction information sheet for the same, and a thermal printer for use therewith.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a recording sheet package with which degradation of recording sheets with time can be compensated for in the course of image recording, a correction information sheet for the same, and a thermal printer for use therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a recording sheet package with which harmful conditions of preserving recording sheets can be compensated for in the course of image recording, a correction information sheet for the same, and a thermal printer for use therewith.
In order to achieve the above and other objects and advantages of this invention, a recording sheet package includes a stack of plural recording sheets. A packaging body contains the recording sheets. A detection cutout is formed in the packaging body, for receiving insertion of a sheet remainder counter, so as to allow the sheet remainder counter to push the recording sheets in a thickness direction thereof, the sheet remainder counter being adapted to detect a number of remaining ones of the recording sheets in the packaging body.
By this construction, the number of remaining recording sheets can be recognized easily, because the detection cutout enables the remaining sheets to be counted readily.
In a preferred embodiment, the detection cutout is formed in a top plate portion of the packaging body opposed to the recording sheets, and the sheet remainder counter is moved in the thickness direction when inserted in the detection cutout.
Furthermore, a protective sheet is disposed between a lowest one of the recording sheets and a bottom plate portion of the packaging body opposed to the recording sheets, for protecting the recording sheets. An auxiliary cutout is formed in the protective sheet, disposed under the detection cutout, and greater than the detection cutout.
In the sheet remainder counter, (A) a pusher is inserted in the detection cutout, for pushing the recording sheets in a thickness direction. (B) At least one train of graduation indicia is arranged substantially in parallel with a path of shifting of the pusher, and disposed at an interval determined in consideration of a thickness of the recording sheets. (C) A pointer is disposed in a predetermined position on the pusher, for pointing one position in the at least one train of the graduation indicia, to indicate a number of remaining ones of the recording sheets inside the packaging body.
In another aspect of the present invention, a correction information sheet is used with a recording material package. The correction information sheet includes a temperature indicator portion for detecting a present temperature, and for visibly indicating a selected one of at least first and second predetermined temperature ranges within which the present temperature is. At least first and second sets of correction information are predetermined in accordance with states of the recording material conditioned by respectively the first and second temperature ranges, indicated externally, and designated selectively in accordance with the first or second temperature range associated with the present temperature.
By this construction, environmental influences to image recording with a recording material can be eliminated, because a difference between a safely used temperature of the recording material and too high or low temperature is compensated for by correcting the recording density.
In a preferred embodiment, the temperature indicator portion includes at least first and second regions arranged in sequence, and any one of the at least first and second regions associated with the present temperature changes in a color, for designating first or second temperature range.
The recording material is thermosensitive recording material colorable in response to recording heat energy applied thereto, and the correction information is adapted to correct the recording heat energy.
In still another aspect of the present invention, a correction information sheet includes a humidity indicator portion for detecting a present humidity, and for visibly indicating a selected one of at least first and second predetermined humidity ranges within which the present humidity is. At least first and second sets of correction information, predetermined in accordance with states of the recording material conditioned by respectively the first and second humidity ranges, indicated externally, and designated selectively in accordance with the first or second humidity range associated with the present humidity.
By this construction, environmental influences to image recording with a recording material can be eliminated, because a difference between a safely used humidity of the recording material and too high or low humidity is compensated for by correcting the recording density.
In another aspect of the present invention, a recording material package includes a recording material. A packaging body contains the recording material. A sample recording sheet is constituted in a manner of the recording material, and disposed outside the packaging body. Plural sets of color sample information are indicated with the sample recording sheet, for representing colors of the recording material changed with time. Plural sets of correction information are indicated in association with respectively the sets of the color sample information, wherein when the sample recording sheet is in a state of a selected one of the sets of the color sample information, one of the sets of the correction information is designated in association with the selected set of the color sample information.
By this construction, degradation of the recording material with time can be compensated for in the course of image recording, because the sets of the color sample information can be used to estimate the degree of degradation of the recording material.
In an additional aspect of the present invention, a recording material package includes a recording material, having a recording area adapted to image recording. A packaging body contains the recording material. At least one temperature indicator portion and/or at least one humidity indicator portion is disposed on the packaging body or a portion of the recording material different from the recording area, the temperature indicator portion having low density before a reach of temperature to a predetermined temperature level, and developing high density irreversibly in response to the reach of the temperature to the predetermined temperature level, and the humidity indicator portion having low density before a reach of humidity to a predetermined humidity level, and developing high density irreversibly in response to the reach of the humidity to the predetermined humidity level.
By this construction, harmful conditions of preserving recording material can be compensated for in the course of image recording, because excessively high or low temperature or humidity to which the recording material has been subjected can be recognized for the image recording.
In a preferred embodiment, the temperature indicator portion has the low density before a rise of the temperature to the predetermined temperature level, and develops the high density irreversibly in response to the rise of the temperature to the predetermined temperature level, and the humidity indicator portion has the low density before a drop of the humidity to the predetermined humidity level, and develops the high density irreversibly in response to the drop of the humidity to the predetermined humidity level.
The recording material has a recording surface and a back surface reverse thereto, and the temperature indicator portion and the humidity indicator portion are disposed on the back surface.
Furthermore expiration date information is indicated on the packaging body or a portion of the recording material different from the recording area, for representing an expiration date of the recording material.
In a thermal printer, (A) an information reader reads the temperature indicator portion and/or the humidity indicator portion. (B) A printing controller corrects recording heat energy for image recording by use of correction information according to the temperature indicator portion and/or the humidity indicator portion, the correction information being predetermined in accordance with a state of the recording sheets conditioned by the predetermined temperature level and/or the predetermined humidity level, the recording heat energy being applied to each of the recording sheets after being corrected.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a recording sheet package includes a stack of N recording sheets. A packaging body contains the recording sheets. An indicator window is formed in a top plate portion of the packaging body in a predetermined position, and adapted to observe an uppermost one of the N recording sheets therethrough. Number information of 1xe2x88x92N, indicated on a respective top surface of the N recording sheets and inside the indicator window, associated with the N recording sheets in an upwards increasing sequence, for representing a remainder of the N recording sheets in the packaging body.
By this construction, the number of remaining recording sheets can be recognized easily, because the indicator window and the number information of 1xe2x88x92N are very simply structured.

Recording sheet package, correction information sheet for the same, and thermal printer for use therewith


A development device used for an image forming apparatus includes a frame member, a developer bearing member configured to develop a latent image formed on an image bearing member using developer, and an edge portion sealing member provided between an edge portion in a rotational axis direction of the developer bearing member and the frame member to prevent the developer from leaking to an outside of the development device from between the edge portion and the frame member, and including, in a state of being compressed between the edge portion and the frame member, a layer that includes an aggregate of a plurality of foam cells in which a foam cell communicating with an adjacent cell via a communication hole and a foam cell not communicating with an adjacent cell are mixed in a direction from an inside of the development device to the outside thereof.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a development device detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
An electrophotography image forming apparatus (hereinbelow referred to as an "image forming apparatus") such as a copy machine, a facsimile, and a printer using an electrophotography process uniformly charges a photosensitive drum to form a latent image (electrostatic latent image) by selective exposure onto the photosensitive drum. The latent image is developed with toner (developer), actualized (visualized) as a toner image, and then transferred onto a recording medium. Heat and pressure are applied to the transferred toner image to fix the toner image onto the recording medium. Thus, an image is recorded on a recording member.
Since such an image forming apparatus requires tonner supply or maintenance of various types of process units, an image forming apparatus adopting a process cartridge method is known, as a unit for facilitating a tonner supply operation or maintenance. All or part of the photosensitive drum, a charging unit, a development unit, and a cleaning unit are put together in a frame member to be contained in a cartridge, which is detachably mounted to the main body of the image forming apparatus. By the process cartridge method, a user can perform the maintenance of the apparatus by replacing a development device or a process cartridge, thereby significantly improving operability. Thus, the process cartridge method has been widely used for the image forming apparatus.
The process cartridge method includes various types according to configurations for integrally forming units as a cartridge. For example, there is provided a development cartridge in which a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive drum, a development frame member for storing toner, and a developing blade are disposed. There is also provided the process cartridge in which the photosensitive drum is further added to the development cartridge.
To prevent leakage of toner from the development frame member for storing the toner, various types of sealing members are provided at various portions of a development device in the development cartridge and the process cartridge. First, as a first sealing member, a flexible sheet member is provided on the development frame member. The flexible sheet member abuts on the surface of the developing roller entirely in a longitudinal direction of the rotating developing roller (the axis direction of the developing roller) to prevent the toner from leaking from between the development frame member and the developing roller. Further, as a second sealing member, a bottom sealing member is provided entirely in the longitudinal direction of the developing roller. The bottom sealing member prevents the toner from leaking from between the developing blade and the development frame member. Furthermore, as a third sealing member, a development edge portion sealing member is provided near both ends of the developing roller in the longitudinal direction. The development edge portion sealing member prevents the toner from leaking from between the development frame member and the developing roller.
As a sealing unit for preventing the toner from leaking from a portion surrounded by the development edge portion sealing member, the development frame member, and the flexible sheet member, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-105501 discusses the sealing unit having a sealing configuration in which an elastic sealing member is disposed to closely contact the above-described portions.
The longer operating life of the development device can generate continuous shock caused by increase in the number of repetitions of separation and abutment between the developing roller and the photosensitive drum for an image forming operation. The longer operating life of the development device can also generate a friction force acting for longer hours between the developing roller and the development edge portion sealing member caused by driving of the developing roller. In the above-described sealing configuration of the conventional example, this friction force acts in a direction in which the development edge portion sealing member and the elastic sealing member are separated from each other. If the operating life of the development device is extended, it may be difficult to maintain adhesion between the development edge portion sealing member and the elastic sealing member.
To solve the above-described problem, the development edge portion sealing member using material having better airflow is adopted, the elastic sealing member in a fluid state, which is melted at a high temperature when assembled, is infiltrated into the material having higher air permeability, to improve close contact between the development edge portion sealing member and the elastic sealing member.
However, the longer operating life of the development device can generate the continuous shock caused by the increase in the number of repetitions of separation and abutment between the developing roller and the photosensitive drum, and the toner may infiltrate into the development edge portion sealing member using the material having higher air permeability. This may cause toner leakage.


A dust prevention mechanism of a spindle device that ensures prevention of cutting liquid etc. from entering an inner portion of the spindle device, which saves energy and reduces noise upon stop of rotation of a spindle is provided. In a dust prevention mechanism 1, a spindle device 2 starts operating upon a command from a controller 4. Then, a 2-port solenoid valve 7 is opened to supply a predetermined amount of compressed air into the inner portion of the spindle device 2. In contrast, the spindle stops rotating upon a command from the controller 4. The controller 4 closes the 2-port solenoid valve 7, while it opens a 2-port solenoid valve 10 in a bypass route B. The controller 4 supplies compressed air, whose amount is reduced by a diaphragm 9, into the inner portion of the spindle device 2 during a predetermined time set by a timer 8.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application Number 2006-53637 filed on Feb. 28, 2006, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dust prevention mechanism for preventing a state where ambient air including cutting liquid or cutting chips enters an inner portion of a spindle device which is installed in a machine tool, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a spindle device installed in a machine tool and so on, is used in an atmosphere where cutting liquid and cutting chips and the like are mixed. When the cutting liquid and the cutting chips and the like enter an inner portion of the spindle device (for example, a gear portion or a bearing), there are problems in the spindle device, and the life of the spindle device would be shortened. In particular, the problems are serious when a spindle of the spindle device, which is rotating in a high speed, is stopped or the rotational speed of the spindle is drastically reduced. When the spindle rotates in a high speed, air in the inner portion of the spindle device flows outside since the air expands due to the heated inner portion. In this state, upon stop of rotation of the spindle, ambient air including cutting liquid or cutting chips enters the inner portion of the spindle device during drop of the temperature of the inner portion of the spindle device. Therefore, in order to protect the spindle device from this situation, that is, to prevent the ambient air from entering the inner portion of the spindle device, dust prevention mechanisms as disclosed in patent documents 1 and 2 are devised.
[Patent document 1] Japanese patent publication of unexamined application No. 5-261603
[Patent document 2] Japanese patent publication of examined application No. 8-22494
Here, the dust prevention mechanisms disclosed in the patent documents 1 and 2 will be explained.
The dust prevention mechanism in the patent document 1 includes an air vent with a relatively large diameter defined on a spindle casing. The air vent actively allows ventilation of ambient air between the inner side and the outer side of the spindle casing, which inhibits increase of pressure in an inner portion of the spindle casing when a spindle in the spindle casing rotates in a high speed. As a result, an amount of the ambient air entering the inner portion of the spindle casing is reduced upon stop of rotation of the spindle.
The dust prevention mechanism in the patent document 2 includes a pressure detection sensor attached in an inner portion of a spindle device (for example, a labyrinth portion). In the inner portion of the spindle device, compressed fluid such as compressed air is supplied so as to maintain positive pressure.
However, since the dust prevention mechanism in the patent document 1 actively allows ventilation of ambient air between the inner side and the outer side of the spindle device, it is difficult to prevent cutting liquid or cutting chips and the like from entering the inner portion of the spindle device even though the amount of the ambient air is reduced as much as possible. Therefore, the problem that the life of the spindle device is shortened has not been resolved effectively.
The dust prevention mechanism in the patent document 2 requires the pressure detection sensor attached in the inner portion of the spindle device, and inner pressure of the spindle device has to be constantly detected to compare the inner pressure with outer pressure using the pressure detection sensor. As a result, costs of the mechanism will be increased. Furthermore, the compressed fluid is supplied regardless of a state of the spindle device, for example, rotation of a spindle of the spindle device and rotational speed of the spindle. Consequently, an excessive amount of the compressed fluid will be supplied, which is a waste of the compressed fluid.
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is made to provide a dust prevention mechanism of a spindle device that ensures prevention of cutting liquid etc. from entering the inner portion of the spindle device, which saves energy and reduces noise upon stop of rotation of the spindle.

Dust prevention mechanism of spindle device


To prevent elevator rope stretch effects when a horizontally transferable elevator cab (18) is rolled onto and off of an elevator car frame (10), an elevator car/floor lock (31) includes a bolt (47) which extends across the interface between the car frame and the building and engages a strike (39). Jack screw (44) and solenoid (60) embodiments are shown. To take the weight off the lock bolts so that they may be retracted to permit moving the car frame vertically in the hoistway, strain gages (64, 65) or load sensors (62, 63) provided in or adjacent the bolts sense the weight supported thereby, and a pretorque program (FIG. 6) provides armature current to the hoisting motor to raise or lower the car frame sufficiently to reduce the load on the bolts to nil.

The sheer weight of the rope in the hoisting system of a conventional elevator limits their practical length of travel. To reach portions of tall buildings which exceed that limitation, it has been common to deliver passengers to sky lobbies, where the passengers walk on foot to other elevators which will take them higher in the building. However, the milling around of passengers is typically disorderly, and disrupts the steady flow of passengers upwardly or downwardly in the building.
All of the passengers for upper floors of a building must travel upwardly through the lower floors of the building. Therefore, as buildings become higher, more and more passengers must travel through the lower floors, requiring that more and more of the building be devoted to elevator hoistways (referred to as the "core" herein). Reduction of the amount of core required to move adequate passengers to the upper reaches of a building requires increases in the effective usage of each elevator hoistway. For instance, the known double deck car doubled the number of passengers which could be moved during peak traffic, thereby reducing the number of required hoistways by nearly half. Suggestions for having multiple cabs moving in hoistways have included double slung systems in which a higher cab moves twice the distance of a lower cab due to a roping ratio, and elevators powered by linear induction motors (LIMs) on the sidewalls of the hoistways, thereby eliminating the need for roping. However, the double slung systems are useless for shuttling passengers to sky lobbies in very tall buildings, and the LIMs are not yet practical, principally because, without a counterweight, motor components and energy consumption are prohibitively large.
In order to reach longer distances, an elevator cab may be moved in a first car frame in a first hoistway, from the ground floor up to a transfer floor, moved horizontally into a second elevator car frame in a second hoistway, and moved therein upwardly in the building, and so forth, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,835. Since the loading and unloading of passengers takes considerable time, in contrast with high speed express runs of elevators, another way to increase hoistway utilization, thereby decreasing core requirements, includes moving the elevator cab out of the hoistway for unloading and loading, as is described in a commonly owned, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/565,648, filed contemporaneously herewith.
When an elevator cab is removed from a car frame, the stretch in the roping system, particularly at lower floors, may be sufficient to snap the elevator car frame upwardly. Thus, perturbations could be put into the system and damage done to various components of the elevator and/or the building. Similarly, if an empty car frame is brought to a landing and a cab is loaded thereon, the loading of the first portion of the cab may stretch the roping sufficiently to lower the car frame an impermissible amount below the landing, prior to the cab being fully loaded thereon.
To overcome the effects of rope stretch, car/floor locks may be used as disclosed in a commonly owned, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/565,648, filed contemporaneously herewith. However, if there is a significant change in the amount of weight on the car frame as the car stands on the landing, the car locks may be bound by downward forces due to increased weight on the car locks, or by upward forces due to rope stretch accompanied by less weight in the car frame. The bound locks may be difficult to unlock.

Pretorque to unload elevator car/floor locks before retraction


This invention relates to processes for the production of organometallic compounds represented by the formula H3Al:Ln wherein L is one or more Lewis bases capable of providing an unshared electron pair to the aluminum and n is 1 or 2, which comprise (a) forming a first solution of an alkali metal aluminum hydride and a Lewis base in an ethereal solvent, (b) adding to said first solution an aluminum halide in an ethereal solvent under reaction conditions sufficient to produce a second solution comprising said organometallic compound, and (c) separating said organometallic compound from said second solution. The organometallic compounds are useful in semiconductor applications as chemical vapor or atomic layer deposition precursors for film depositions.

Chemical vapor deposition methods are employed to form films of material on substrates such as wafers or other surfaces during the manufacture or processing of semiconductors. In chemical vapor deposition, a chemical vapor deposition precursor, also known as a chemical vapor deposition organometallic compound, is decomposed thermally, chemically, photochemically or by plasma activation, to form a thin film having a desired composition. Typically, a chemical vapor deposition organometallic precursor can be contacted with a substrate that is heated to a temperature higher than the decomposition temperature of the precursor, to form a metal or metal oxide film on the substrate.
For example, aluminum interconnects are used in the manufacture of DRAM type microchips and flash memory devices. Aluminum is a good conductor of electricity and is easy to deposit by chemical vapor deposition. Aluminum oxide (alumina) is an insulator used in microchip manufacture. A popular precursor for aluminum and alumina chemical vapor deposition is trimethylaluminum. Trimethylaluminum, however, is extremely pyrophoric and difficult to handle. 1-Methylpyrrolidinealane (MPA) is a free flowing, non-pyrophoric precursor to aluminum and alumina with good stability, a low decomposition temperature and a high vapor pressure.
The synthetic processes utilized to generate organometallic precursors are highly important, and must insure safety, high purity, throughput, and consistency. However, the air-sensitive nature of the starting materials make the synthesis of organometallic precursors more challenging. When starting materials are solids, it makes air-free transfer more difficult. Employing reactants that cannot be solvated can cause mixing and handling problems in the process, especially in large scale production. Furthermore, the use of reactants that cannot be solvated can lead to lower product yields. Therefore, developing a methodology for producing organometallic precursors that addresses the aforementioned potential hold-ups would be beneficial toward establishing the production of these materials for use in the electronics industry.
Current manufacturing methods for 1-methylpyrrolidinealane involve the use of various solvents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,357 discloses a process for making organometallic compounds, e.g., 1-methylpyrrolidinealane, by forming a suspension of aluminum trichloride and lithium aluminum hydride in hexane or pentane and adding a Lewis base, e.g., 1-methylpyrrolidine, to the suspension. Hexane is an OSHA toxic chemical with a PEL of 500 ppm. A spill of one pound of n-hexane requires notification of the National Response Center. Both lithium aluminum hydride and aluminum trichloride are solids and neither is soluble in pentane or hexane. This leads to difficulties in large scale production (handling of air sensitive solids) and lower yields.
Marlett and Park (Marlett, E. M.; Park, W. S. J. Org. Chem., 1990, 55, 2968) reported the synthesis of 1-methylpyrrolidinealane by the action of N-methylpyrrolidine on lithium aluminum hydride in toluene. A reactive solid (trilithium aluminum hexahydride) was produced as a byproduct.
Frigo and van Eijden (Frigo, D. M.; van Eijden, G. J. M. Chem. Mater., 1994, 6, 190) reported a process for making amine adducts of alane by adding a stoichiometric amount of an amine to a slurry of lithium aluminum hydride and aluminum chloride in the presence of an alkane solvent, e.g., pentane. Frigo and van Eijden state that the use of ether solvents "is very likely to give contamination of the end product by the ether, which could lead to incorporation of oxygen in the Al-containing layers."
Amine adducts of alane have been used in organic synthesis for the reduction of organic compounds to alcohols and amines. As such, there are several published methods of making alane amines. A common method is the reaction of lithium aluminum hydride with trialkylammonium chlorides as reported by Ruff and Hawthorne (Ruff, J. K.; Hawthorne, M. F. J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1960, 82, 2141) using ethereal solvents or Kovar and Callaway (Kovar, R. A.: Callaway, J. O. Inorg. Synth., 1977, 17, 36) using aromatic solvents. Ruff and Hawthorne employ solid reagent addition in their experimental methods. Also, the hydrochloric acid salt of N-methylpyrrolidine is insoluble in ethereal solvents.
The prior art processes used to produce 1-methylpyrrolidinealane have various disadvantages as discussed above. Therefore, a need continues to exist for new processes for making organometallic precursors that are safer (e.g., no hazardous solvents), allow for easier handling of reactants (e.g., allow the solid reagents to be dissolved and transferred in solution through the use of metering pumps), give higher product yields and permit easier scale up for production quantities of organometallic compounds. It would therefore be desirable in the art to provide new processes for making organometallic compounds that address these needs.

Processes for the production of organometallic compounds


A limit and position sensing system includes a sensor assembly and an emitter. The sensor assembly includes first and second electrical conductors arranged in opposing parallel planes. The first electrical conductor is coiled outwardly from either end thereof in a clockwise fashion to form a first coil region and a second coil region. The second electrical conductor forms a single coil with portions of the single coil's rings lying between the first end and second end of the first electrical conductor being parallel to an axis of the first electrical conductor's plane. Ferromagnetic material is aligned with the first and second electrical conductors and spans beyond (a) the first and second ends of the first electrical conductor, and (b) the portions of the rings of the second electrical conductor's single coil that lie between the first end and second end of the first electrical conductor. The emitter is spaced apart from the sensor assembly and transmits a periodic electromagnetic wave towards the sensor assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to limit switches. More specifically, the invention is a system that can function as a limit switch and simultaneously provide a signal indicative of absolute position along a linear axis.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a wide variety of motorized systems, a system operation (e.g., stopping the system's motor) is triggered when a limit switch is tripped. Generally, a limit switch is configured to detect when a system's element has traveled/moved to a certain position. Since the system element is moving, inertia frequently causes the element to move past the limit switch thereby causing a condition known as "system overrun". When this occurs, the exact position of the element is unknown and techniques must be implemented to locate the element relative to the known limit switch position. Such techniques include use of separate position sensors or search routines. However, the use of separate position sensors adds size, weight and complexity to a system's limit switch function, while search routines cause time delays in system operations.

System providing limit switch function with simultaneous absolute position output

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


The present invention concerns the purification of keratinocyte growth factors.

Polypeptide growth factors are important mediators of intercellular communication (Rubin et al. (1989), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 86:802-806). These molecules are generally released by one cell type and act to influence proliferation of other cell types.
One family of growth factors is the fibroblast growth factors (FGF). There are currently eight known FGF family members which share a relatedness among primary structures: basic fibroblast growth factor, bFGF (Abraham et al. (1986), EMBO J., 5:2523-2528); acidic fibroblast growth factor, aFGF (Jaye et al. (1986), Science, 233:541-545); int-2 gene product, int-2 (Dickson & Peters (1987), Nature, 326:833); hst/kFGF (Delli-Bovi et al. (1987), Cell, 50:729-737, and Yoshida et al. (1987), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84:7305-7309); FGF-5 (Zhan et al. (1988), Mol. Cell. Biol., 8:3487-3495); FGF-6 (Marics et al. (1989), Oncogene, 4:335-340); keratinocyte growth factor (Finch et al. (1989), Science, 24:752-755; Rubin et al. (1989), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 86:802-806; Ron et al. (1993), The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 268(4):2984-2988; and Yan et al. (1991), In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol., 27A:437-438); and hisactophilin (Habazzettl et al. (1992), Nature, 359:855-858).
Among the FGF family of proteins, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) is a unique effector of non-fibroblast epithelial (particularly keratinocyte) cell proliferation derived from mesenchymal tissues. The term "native KGF" refers to a natural human (hKGF) or recombinant (rKGF) polypeptide (with or without a signal sequence) as depicted by the amino acid sequence presented in SEQ ID NO:2 or an allelic variant thereof. [Unless otherwise indicated, amino acid numbering for molecules described herein shall correspond to that presented for the mature form of the native molecule (i.e., minus the signal sequence), as depicted by amino acids 32 to 194 of SEQ ID NO:2, with the initial MET in each such sequence being considered residue number "0".]
Native KGF may be isolated from natural sources. For example, hKGF can be isolated from medium conditioned by an embryonic lung fibroblast cell line (Rubin et al. (1989), supra. Three chromatographic steps, namely heparin-Sepharose.TM. (Pharmacia, Piscataway, N.J.) affinity chromatography, HPLC gel filtration, and reverse-phase HPLC, were used to obtain a purified hKGF preparation. Approximately 6 mg of hKGF were recovered from 10 liters of conditioned medium. These chromatographic steps only recovered 0.8% total hKGF based upon a mitogenic activity assay. A further example teaches the use of another chromatographic step using heparin-Sepharose.TM. affinity and Mono-S.TM. ion-exchange chromatographys (Pharmacia, Piscataway, N.J.) for isolation of rKGF produced in bacteria (Ron et al. (1993), Journal of Biological Chemistry, 268:2984-2988).
The properties of keratinocyte growth factors suggest a potential for the application thereof as a drug for promoting specific stimulation of epithelial cell growth. It therefore would be desirable to develop a method or methods for obtaining relatively high levels of homogeneous keratinocyte growth factors to provide sufficient quantities of material for comprehensive in vitro and in vivo biological evaluation and for a potential therapeutic application.
It is the object of this invention to provide a novel method for the purification of keratinocyte growth factors.

Method for purifying keratinocyte growth factors


An automated receiving station is provided for inventorying stock items. The receiving station comprises a plurality of independently driven conveyor sections arranged sequentially for moving items along a predetermined path from a deposit end to a removal end while reading bar coded labels on the items and weighing the items. Further, identification labels are affixed to those items not otherwise having labels. More specifically, the independently driven conveyor sections include a receiving conveyor section for sequentially receiving items thereon, a scanner conveyor section along which items thereon may be scanned for identifying indicia, a weighting conveyor section for weighting any of the terms positioned thereon and a labeler conveyor section for affixing identifying indicia onto any one of the items. The receiving station also includes an accumulator conveyor section adjacent the labeler conveyor section for receiving items therefrom and a delivery conveyor section where items can be picked up by a transport system or device.

As can be readily appreciated, printing plants frequently accept delivery of large shipments of paper rolls from paper mills. Before using the paper rolls, the shipments require processing for bookkeeping purposes which can be costly both in terms of time and labor.
First, it is typically the case that each newly arrived paper roll is assigned an identifying number for identification purposes. Generally speaking, most paper rolls already have bar-coded identification labels which are used by the paper mills and, when these identification indicia are used by the printing plant f or bookkeeping purposes, the coded labels have to be scanned and read by appropriate hardware. Some rolls do not have identification indicia labels which necessitates affixing a label with an identification number onto the roll.
Next, the paper rolls need to be weighed and the weight recorded in conjunction with the roll number. Thereafter, the weights of the paper rolls are compared f or accuracy against the invoice from the paper mill. The roll weights are also used for receiving reports, accounts payable reports and general inventory control.
As will be appreciated, the rolls of paper have to be moved around between locations in order to read the mill labels, affix new labels, and/or weigh the rolls. The rolls are typically bulky, tall and difficult to transport. Therefore, a truck or other vehicle is required to transport the rolls between locations which makes processing them even more time and labor intensive.
In general, no matter the way in which shipments of paper rolls are received and processed by printing plants, a costly amount of time and labor is required. Therefore, there is a need for an automated receiving station. Such a station would be useful in other contexts for processing receivable goods for general industrial plants or any other use which may suggest itself to those skilled in the art.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.

Automated receiving station for inventorying stock items


In a part life detection and display unit, the life of each periodically replaced part is detected and displayed separately based on the life alarm value and in addition, the part lives are detected and displayed in units of periodically replaced part groups each consisting of parts that are almost the same in life term value and can be replaced in batch at the same time, and all parts in the part group containing the part reaching the life alarm value are replaced at the same time.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a part life detection and display unit for detecting and displaying the lives of a large number of periodically replaced parts used in image formation systems such as color copiers and color printers.
2. Description of the Related Art
A large number of periodically replaced parts such as photosensitive drums, corotron wires, and developers are used in color copiers, etc. To detect and display the lives of such periodically replaced parts, for example, a detection and display system is employed wherein the use results of the periodically replaced parts are measured based on indexes such as the number of copies, the part operation time, and the number of times the part has been operated for each part and when the measured cumulative value reaches a replacement alarm value preset based on the indexes, the part is assumed to reach "part life" and a replacement message for prompting the operator to replace the part is displayed.
However, since such a part life detection and display system manages the life of each periodically replaced part by measuring each index, the arrival time until the measured cumulative value reaches the replacement alarm value also varies from one part to another. Resultantly, parts reach their respective replacement alarm values one after another at one time and must be replaced each time in a short time. Such a circumstance tends to occur more remarkably in color copiers.
Thus, replacement work of servicepersons, etc., becomes intricate and the work efficiency extremely worsens because of repeated part replacement in a short time. Moreover, if a large number of parts different in attachment place must be replaced at a time, management of the parts to be replaced and work are placed out of order, replacement of some parts is forgotten because of some mistake, and use of the unreplaced parts in a state in which their replacement alarm values are exceeded will lead to a failure.
A system similar to the detection and display system is a system wherein the use results and replacement alarm values of periodically replaced parts are all measured and set in terms of the same index and when the measured cumulative value reaches the replacement alarm value in terms of the index, a replacement message is displayed. For example, a part life detection and display unit with the number of copies applied as the index for the purpose is disclosed in Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. Sho 62-36217.
However, the part life detection and display system using term values based on such a common index provides a simple configuration because the number of index measurement objects for managing the part lives is small. In contrast, it involves the following problem:
The arrival time of each periodically replaced part by the time the term value reaches a replacement alarm value often varies widely from one part to another depending on the use mode of a copier, etc., such as the use ratio between color and monochrome copies or the number of continuous copies from a 1-sheet original document). Thus, the arrival time by the time the cumulative value measuring the index for conversion reaches a replacement alarm value also varies widely from one part to another. Resultantly, problems of bad work efficiency of part replacement, forgetting to replace parts, etc., as described above still arise.


A magnetizing coil generates a magnetic field to magnetize a magnet in a magnetizing area, in which a direction of the magnetic field is generally parallel to a magnetization direction of the magnet. A magnetizing yoke holds the magnet and is made of a magnetic material, which exhibits a magnetic potential that is generally equal to a magnetic potential of the magnet in the magnetic field at time of magnetizing the magnet. The magnetizing yoke and the magnet substantially fill a projected area of the magnet in the magnetizing area on each of first and second sides of the magnet that are opposite from each other in the magnetization direction of the magnet in the magnetizing area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetizer and a magnetizing method.
2. Description of Related Art
A magnetizing method for magnetizing a magnet using a magnetizing yoke is known (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H10-248216 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H10-232141). According to the magnetizing method recited in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H10-248216 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H10-232141, a parallel magnetic field, which is parallel to a magnetization direction, is generated around an annular magnet using a magnetizing coil and a magnetizing yoke to form two magnetic poles of different polarities, which are opposed to each other in the magnetization direction of the annular magnet. However, at the time of magnetizing the magnet, a magnetic potential (magnetization) of the magnetizing yoke is higher than a magnetic potential (magnetization) of the magnet, so that the magnetic field is disturbed due to a difference between the magnetic potential of the magnetizing yoke and the magnetic potential of the magnet. Even in a case of a magnetizing method for magnetizing a magnet 530 shown in FIG. 5 where a magnetizing yoke is not used, the above-described type of disturbance in the magnetic field occurs due to a difference between a magnetic potential of air and a magnetic potential of the magnet 530. Therefore, even when the parallel magnetic field is generated by the magnetizing coil, some magnetic lines of force are not parallel to the magnetization direction at some locations, so that the magnet cannot be magnetized with a high accuracy in the magnetization direction.


An object of the present invention is to allow the three primary colors of light (red, green, blue) to be emitted, and particularly to allow blue light to be emitted clearly and in a stable manner at a low voltage. An amorphous SiOx film 2 consisting of a mixture of silicon atoms and oxygen atoms is formed on a semiconductor substrate 1. The result is heat treated in an inert gas to form the silicon atoms into nanosilicon 4a of about 3.0 nm or less. The result is subjected to hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution treatment 5 and thermal oxidation treatment 6. Any of the three primary colors of light, particularly blue, can be emitted at a low operating voltage 7 at room temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nanosilicon light-emitting element that can emit light in the three primary colors (red, green, blue), and particularly that can emit blue light clearly and in a stable manner under a low voltage; and to a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present invention also relates to the establishment of a manufacturing process for the nanosilicon light-emitting element and to the development of a nanosilicon-type electroluminescence element. These can be utilized in the sections of light-emitting elements that are incorporated in electroluminescence displays, light-emitting diodes, and other such display devices, or optoelectronic elements and other such optical communication devices, and are therefore expected, as a result of the development of the present invention, to have wide applications in the near future in the versatile field of optoelectronics, including color displays, portable display panels, and the like.
Mainstream light-emitting elements currently use expensive materials that put a great strain on the global environment, which is causing problems that must quickly be solved. Therefore, it is an urgent matter that inexpensive materials that are easy on the natural environment and that make energy conservation possible be used in the development of future light-emitting elements. Nanosilicon is expected to serve as a material that satisfies all of these conditions. Nanosilicon is a material that has been researched since 1980, and exhibits various qualities that are not found in silicon crystals. The luminescence of nanosilicon is the most typical example of such qualities. This luminescence is a result of the band gap energy expanding to the visible region due to the reduction of the size of silicon crystals to a region in which quantum confinement occurs (4.3 nm or less). According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H7-237995, it has been difficult to reduce the size of silicon crystals in a stable manner, to emit light under a low voltage, and particularly to emit blue light clearly and in a stable manner.
The color of light emitted by a light-emitting element is directly affected by the size of the nanosilicon, and emitted light ranging from red light to blue light is presently being obtained from porous silicon, which is one example of nanosilicon-type material. With porous silicon, however, test specimens are severely degraded, so emission life or intensity cannot be increased, and the material has been regarded as difficult to apply to light-emitting elements. Therefore, the development of nanosilicon capable of long-lasting and luminescent multicolored light emission is considered urgent for practical application in light-emitting elements.

Nanosilicon light-emitting element and manufacturing method thereof


A method for designing a system includes caching a representation of a first subnet with a synthesis result of the first subnet. The synthesis result of the first subnet is utilized for a second subnet in response to determining that a representation of the second subnet is identical to the representation of the first subnet.

FPGAs may be used to implement large systems that include millions of gates and megabits of embedded memory. Of the tasks required in managing and optimizing a design, performing synthesis, placement, and routing on a system design can be the most challenging and time consuming. The complexity of large systems often requires the use of EDA tools that utilize algorithms that assist in determining which components to use in a system design and how to map the components onto a physical target device. These algorithms allow the system design to satisfy area and timing constraints.
Although the design process is automated with EDA tools, generating a satisfactory system design may still be time consuming. It is an ongoing effort for EDA tool designers to shorten the runtime of its algorithms. By shortening the runtime of its algorithms, more flexibility may be offered to the system designer using the EDA tool and/or additional algorithms may be implemented in the EDA tool in order to further improve a system design.
In FPGA design, system designs are very structured in nature. It is not uncommon for a system design to include a plurality of subnetworks (subnets) that have common characteristics. Current EDA tools execute algorithms on a subnet regardless of whether an identical subnet had been previously processed. For system designs that include a large number of subnets having identical characteristics, this results in the consumption of a significant amount of time and computing resources for repetitive computations.
Thus, what is needed is an efficient and effective method and apparatus for reducing synthesis runtime.

Method and apparatus for reducing synthesis runtime


In the production of purified methanol and/or dimethyl ether from crude methanol, the crude methanol is processed in at least one prepurification stage, a first partial stream of the prepurified methanol is supplied to a final methanol purification and a second partial stream of the prepurified methanol is supplied to a reactor and at least partly converted to dimethyl ether. The dimethyl ether recovered is purified in at least one purification stage, wherein non-reacted methanol is withdrawn from the dimethyl ether purification stage and at least partly supplied to the final methanol purification. In this way, both purified methanol and dimethyl ether can be produced in parallel, wherein the quantities of both products obtained are flexibly adjustable.

Dimethyl ether (C2H6O, DME) is an ether with two methyl groups as organic residues. High-purity DME is widely used as fuel gas. Due to a cetane number of 55 to 60, dimethyl ether can also be used as a substitute for diesel fuel in a diesel engine. It is regarded as biofuel, if it is made from biomass, and on the long run it should replace liquefied gas. Therefore, DME has considerably gained importance in recent years.
The production of dimethyl ether can be effected by acid-catalyzed condensation of methanol with elimination of water:2 CH3OH→CH3—O—CH3+H2O
This process for producing dimethyl ether from methanol is described e.g. in "Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Chemistry, Sixth Edition, 1998 Electronic Release". In this process, methanol vapor is passed over a reactor filled with dehydration catalyst, followed by a two-stage distillation. In the first distillation stage, dimethyl ether is recovered as top product, whereas the bottom product chiefly contains non-reacted methanol and product water. This bottom product is separated in the second distillation stage, wherein methanol is withdrawn as top product. The water obtained as bottom product is discarded or used in another process.
For practical reasons, a production of dimethyl ether on a technical scale often is provided directly subsequent to a process for recovering methanol.
For this purpose, WO 96/28408 A1 teaches a process for the production and recovery of dimethyl ether by dehydration of methanol. The energy consumption in the distillation should be reduced in that the bottom product obtained from the first distillation stage is passed over a stripper in which a rough separation of water and methanol is effected. The prepurified methanol stream then is fed into the methanol supply conduit and transferred into a distillation column provided upstream of the dimethyl reactor. As a result, the entire methanol stream fed into the reactor is processed and the purification of the bottom product after the DME reactor is shortened.
In a similar way, JP 2004/161673 A also tries to connect the separation of the product DME from unreacted methanol with a methanol recirculation. For this purpose, the entire crude methanol is purified in a distillation column and subsequently converted to dimethyl ether in a DME reactor. The bottom product obtained in the downstream distillation is recirculated into the crude methanol steam and along with the same into the distillative prepurification.

Method and system for producing methanol and dimethyl ether


A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system, support constructed to support patterning device, a projection system, an interferometric sensor and a detector. The interferometric sensor is designed to measure one or more wavefronts of a radiation beam projected by the projection system from an adjustable polarizer. The interferometric sensor includes a diffractive element disposed at a level of a substrate in the lithographic apparatus and a detector spaced apart from the diffractive element, the diffractive element being arranged to provide shearing interferometry between at least two wavefronts mutually displaced in a direction of shear. The detector is designed to determine, from the wavefront measurements, information on polarization affecting properties of the projection system.

A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that instance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g. comprising part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at one time, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.
The demand for ever-smaller features to be imaged with lithographic apparatus has resulted in the use of projection systems with increasing numerical aperture (NA). The angle of rays of radiation within the projection apparatus with respect to the optical axis increases with increasing NA. The vector nature of light becomes important for imaging because only identically polarized components of electromagnetic waves interfere. Therefore it is not the wavefront quality alone that determines the image contrast; the polarization has a considerable influence as well. Furthermore, the use of illumination radiation having specifically desired states of polarization for specific regions is increasingly being used for imaging features aligned in particular directions. Consequently, it is desirable to know the state of polarization of the radiation impinging on the patterning device, such as a reticle. It can also be desirable to know the effect on the state of polarization caused by the projection lens. However, no suitable measurement system currently exists. Existing radiation sensors built into lithographic apparatus are generally polarization insensitive. Furthermore it is thought that the state of polarization of the illumination radiation at the level of the patterning device cannot be measured at the level of the substrate without knowing the effect of the projection lens on the polarization. One way to avoid this would be to insert a polarization measurement system at the level of the reticle before the radiation enters the projection lens. However, this has the considerable problem of designing a measurement system to fit into the limited space and also to provide power and data connections to the measurement tool, either electrically or wirelessly, which would require significant down-time for installation, which is expensive. Reflection and transmission at interfaces and coatings and birefringence of the lens element materials are possible sources for polarization changes in the projection system. However, as previously explained, no measurement technique exists to characterize the polarization effects of the projection system.

Lithographic apparatus and a method for determining a polarization property of a projection system using an adjustable polarizer and interferometric sensor


An endoscopic illumination tester is provided for testing illumination quality of a light source. The endoscopic illumination tester includes an optical bridge that is removably interlockable with the light source. The endoscopic illumination tester includes an integrating sphere that is removably interlockable with the optical bridge. The endoscopic illumination tester may further engage a light guide connectable between the optical bridge and the light source. An endoscope may be inserted between the optical bridge and the integrating sphere.

The United States endoscopy market size in 1999 was $3.6 Billion.
Visualization products, which include rigid endoscopes, light sources and video accessories, represented approximately 17% of this market, in some estimations, valued at more than $600 Million. According to Stryker Corporation's 1999 Fact Book, the world endoscopy market approaches $6 Billion, and the market for visualization products continues to grow at 8-10% per year.
Of the more than 5,000 hospitals in the United States, over 80% have 4 to 6 operating rooms. The remaining hospitals have between 6 and 70 operating rooms. It may be that at least half of the estimated 30,000 operating rooms in the United States are equipped to perform endoscopic surgery. In addition to hospital operating rooms, there exist more than 14,000 medical offices with surgery suites. Again, it may be that half of these office-based surgery facilities perform endoscopic procedures. Collectively, these hospitals and surgery centers may provide more than 20,000 endoscopic operating rooms to form the 12,000 unit principal market for the invention.
A secondary market involves third-party endoscope repair organizations. Often these repair companies enter into contracts with hospitals and surgical centers to capitate repair expenses for endoscopes. Such contracts may guarantee that all the endoscopes in a facility are kept in working order. The installation of an endoscopic illumination test device at these contract facilities may enable both the hospital and the repair company to quantitatively assess the endoscopic devices before and after repair, reducing unneeded repair costs.
Endoscopes are complex optical instruments, many containing more than 30 tiny lens components. By their very nature, these devices are prone to failure from:                Overstressing during surgery (particularly orthopedic)        Carelessness during sterilization reprocessing        Poor manufacturing design or workmanship        Wear-and-tear after many sterilization cycles.        Improper repair, especially by unauthorized repair facilitiesWith costs for endoscopes ranging from $2,000 to more than $20,000, it is important to efficiently repair and keep endoscopes in use as long as possible.
There are three products that seek to address the need for quantitative endoscope measurements. None, however, meet the market need for a cost-effective device that can be used in a clinical environment. One such product is the Lighthouse Imaging Corporation EndoBench™ tester. The advantage of the EndoBench™ tester is that it provides substantial clinically significant data to determine if an endoscope is suitable for surgery. Its cost and complexity, however, make it most suitable to a manufacturing environment.
Premise Development Corporation advertises a device called the Endotester™. Like the EndoBench™ tester, this instrument performs many important optical measurements. Unfortunately, the Endotester™ requires a custom computer system and is at least as complicated as the EndoBench™. In addition, the Endotester™ is still in breadboard form and does not perform calibrated measurements, making the device of limited value in comparing test endoscopes to reference endoscopes.
BC Group manufactures the EndoCheck.™. The EndoCheck.™., however, uses a lens to project an image of the surface of the light guide or endoscope fibers which can be used to estimate the fraction of broken fibers or it can be attached to a detector to estimate the light throughput. This system, however, cannot be calibrated to determine quantitatively the output of the light guide or endoscope. Further, the EndoCheck.™. cannot be used to measure the output of the light source, which is essential in measuring the quality of the light guides and endoscopes.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

System and method for an illumination-quality test